System and method for controlling early low fuel warning based on driver status

• US 8,384,535 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2012
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Miller, Thomas Lee, Dalebout, Matthew J., Sarkisian, Andrew D., Cooprider, Anthony Dwayne, Brombach, Ronald Patrick, Hille, Kevin Thomas, Wojcik, Karl William, Cwik, Terry Thomas, Bennie, Brian, Van Wiemeersch, John Robert, Watkins, Scott Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALSOMIRI, MAJDI A
• Application Number:
  US13/360,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20120126964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 393 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/123, 703/9, 340/426.1, 340/450, 340/450.2
• US Class Current: 340/450
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/061 with level control
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03217 Fuel level sensors

Abstract

A system and method is provided for controlling the operation of notifying drivers of the fluid level. Primary and secondary keys are adapted to be associated to primary and secondary drivers. A key ignition device is positioned on the primary and secondary keys and generates driver status signals. A fluid level sensing device is operable to generate a fluid level signal indicative of the fluid level. A controller is coupled to the fluid level sensing device and the key ignition device. The controller determines whether the driver of the vehicle is the primary or secondary driver in response to the driver status signals. The controller notifies the primary or secondary driver of the fluid level in response to the fluid level signal. The controller selectively controls the operation of notifying the primary or the secondary driver based on whether the driver is the primary or secondary driver.

Claims

1. An apparatus for notifying a driver about a fluid level for a fluid, the apparatus comprising:

an access device configured to wirelessly transmit a driver status signal indicative of the driver being one of a primary driver and a secondary driver to a controller that (i) is operably coupled to a fluid sensing device that provides an amount of fluid in the vehicle, (ii) notifies the primary driver that the fluid is at a low level if the amount of fluid is less than a first value, and (iii) notifies the secondary driver that the fluid level is at the low level if the amount of fluid is less than a second value, the second value being greater than the first value.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the access device includes a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting the driver status signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the driver status signal as a radio-frequency (RF) signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the access device is used in connection with a passive anti-theft system (PATS) to start a vehicle.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the access device is used in connection with a passive entry passive start (PEPS) system to obtain access into a vehicle and to start the vehicle.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fluid includes one of fuel, oil, transmission fluid and windshield wiper fluid.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the access device comprises one of a primary key that is configured to transmit the driver status signal indicating that the driver of a vehicle is the primary driver and a secondary key that is configured to transmit the driver status signal indicating that the driver of the vehicle is the secondary driver.

8. An apparatus for notifying a driver about a fluid level in a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a controller configured to;

receive a driver status signal from an access device that is indicative of the driver being one of a primary driver and a secondary driver;

receive a first signal indicative of an amount of fluid in the vehicle;

notify the primary driver that the fluid is at a low level if the amount of fluid is less than a first value; and

notify the secondary driver that the fluid is at the low level if the amount of fluid is less than a second value, the second value being greater than the first value.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the controller is further configured to one of audibly and visually notify the secondary driver that the fluid is at the low level if the amount of fluid is less than the second value.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the controller is further configured to determine a first empty value in response to the first signal.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the first empty value is between one and sixty miles if the fluid is less than the first value.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the controller is further configured to determine a second empty value in response to the first signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the second empty value is between sixty one and one hundred miles if the fluid is less than the second value.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the controller includes:

one of a passive anti-theft (PAT) controller and a passive entry passive start (PEPS) controller that is adapted to receive the driver status signal as a wireless signal, and

an interface device controller configured to;

interface with the one of the PAT controller and the PEPS controller to receive a first driver status signal to determine if the driver is the primary driver or the secondary driver, and

interface with a fluid level sensor to receive the first signal; and

one of visually and audibly notify the primary driver or the secondary driver of the fluid level.

15. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the fluid includes one of fuel, oil, transmission fluid and windshield wiper fluid.

16. A method comprising:

receiving, at a controller, a driver status signal corresponding to one of a primary driver and a secondary driver;

receiving a first signal indicative of a fluid amount in a vehicle; and

notifying the secondary driver that the fluid is at a low level if the fluid amount is less than a first value;

the first value being different than a second value that is used to notify the primary driver that the fluid amount is at the low level.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the first value is greater than the second value.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising determining that the driver status signal indicates that a driver is the secondary driver prior to notifying the secondary driver.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein notifying the secondary driver further comprises electronically notifying the secondary driver that the fluid is at the low level if the fluid amount is less than the first value.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the fluid amount corresponds to an amount of one of fuel, oil, transmission fluid and windshield wiper fluid.