Electronic control unit limiter with coded release

• US 8,818,570 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2012
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arctic Cat Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: Arctic Cat Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Inventors: Johnson, Daniel, Janisch, Darrel
• Primary Examiner(s): Jabr, Fadey
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHNEIDER, PAULA LYNN
• Application Number:
  US13/460,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20130289799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/99
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0005 Processor details or data handling, e.g. memory registers or chip architecture
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/043 Identity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/146 Speed limiting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00

Abstract

An electronic control unit (“ECU”) limiter is disclosed. The ECU can include a vehicle-mounted component configured to measure and interact with components of the vehicle such as the engine, the transmission, etc, and a remote component configured to communicate with the vehicle-mounted component and vice versa. The vehicle-mounted component can be programmed to permit the vehicle to operate substantially without limitation until a certain parameter threshold is met, such as the engine usage reaching a certain predetermined quantity. The vehicle-mounted component can limit the engine in a variety of ways when the parameter threshold is met. The remote component can receive information from the vehicle-mounted component regarding the monitored parameters and the limitations caused by the vehicle-mounted component.

Claims

1. An electronic control unit (“

ECU”

) system for a vehicle, comprising;

a vehicle monitoring component configured to monitor engine usage of the vehicle, wherein the engine usage is cumulative and includes a current engine usage combined with prior engine usages; and

a limiter operably coupled to the vehicle monitoring component and configured to permit uninhibited operation of the vehicle in a default state and place limits on operation of the vehicle when the vehicle monitoring component detects that the cumulative engine usage of the vehicle reaches a predetermined threshold, wherein the ECU is configured to receive an instruction to withdraw the limits;

wherein the limiter is further configured to place the limits on operation of the vehicle that enable driving of the vehicle in an inhibited manner that includes a lesser range of operational limits than the uninhibited operation.

2. The ECU system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle has a unique identifier, the ECU system further comprising a registration component computer system configured to receive the unique identifier of the vehicle and to issue a code in response, wherein the code is required by the ECU system to withdraw the limits.

3. The ECU system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the vehicle monitoring component and the limiter are mounted within the vehicle.

4. The ECU system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle monitoring component is further configured to monitor vehicle parameters.

5. The ECU system of claim 4, wherein the vehicle parameters comprise at least one of engine time, revolutions per minute, fuel usage, speed, distance traveled, power output, exhaust, and electrical system performance.

6. The ECU system of claim 5, wherein the limiter is configured to limit operation of the vehicle in response to exceeding a predetermined threshold value for at least one of the parameters.

7. The ECU system of claim 1, further comprising a remote component configured to communicate with the vehicle monitoring component and to instruct the limiter to limit the operation of the vehicle or to withdraw operation limits from the vehicle.

8. The ECU system of claim 7, wherein the remote component is configured to be plugged into the vehicle to communicate with at least one of the vehicle monitoring component or the limiter.

9. The ECU system of claim 7, wherein the remote component is configured to communicate wirelessly with at least one of the vehicle monitoring component or the limiter.

10. The ECU system of claim 1, further comprising a keypad input within the vehicle configured to receive an unlock code operable to remove the limits.

11. The ECU system of claim 1, wherein the limiter is operably coupled to a fuel injection system of the vehicle and configured to limit at least one of the revolutions per minute of the vehicle or the speed of the vehicle by altering operation of the fuel injection system.

12. The ECU system of claim 1, wherein the limiter is configured to measure engine usage as engine operating time.

13. A method of controlling a vehicle, comprising:

monitoring, by an electronic control unit housed within the vehicle, engine usage of a vehicle, wherein the engine usage is cumulative and includes a current engine usage combined with prior engine usages;

permitting, by the electronic control unit, the vehicle to operate without limitation if the cumulative engine usage is below a predetermined threshold; and

when the cumulative engine usage reaches the predetermined threshold, limiting, by the electronic control unit operation of the vehicle;

withdrawing, by the electronic control unit, limits from the vehicle by inputting a vehicle identifier to a registration component computer system and receiving from the registration component computer system an unlock code that is operable to permit the vehicle to operate the vehicle without limits.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

after withdrawing the limits from the vehicle, instating a new engine usage threshold;

monitoring the engine usage;

permitting the vehicle to operate without limitation if the engine usage is below the new engine usage threshold; and

when the engine usage reaches the new engine usage threshold, limiting operation of the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising submitting registration information from a purchaser of the vehicle before receiving from the registration component the unlock code.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising inputting an unlock code operable to permit the vehicle to operate the vehicle without limits.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein limiting operation of the vehicle comprises at least one of preventing the engine from starting, limiting revolutions per minute of the engine, limiting top speed of the engine, limiting load on the engine, limiting terrain on which the vehicle is permitted to travel, limiting the distance the vehicle is permitted to travel, limiting the power output of the vehicle, and limiting the fuel consumed by the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising delaying limiting operation of the vehicle and permitting the vehicle to operate without limitation when the predetermined engine usage threshold is reached until the engine is stopped by a user.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising monitoring at least one vehicle parameter in addition to engine usage.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein limiting operation of the vehicle comprises limiting operation of the vehicle in response to detecting that the vehicle parameter has exceeded a predetermined threshold.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the vehicle parameter comprises a location of the vehicle, an identity of a driver of the vehicle, an identity of a passenger of the vehicle, a load on the vehicle, power output of the vehicle, fuel consumption of the vehicle, fuel type used, distance traveled, speed of the vehicle, or terrain type.

22. The method of claim 13, further comprising notifying a remote component that the cumulative engine usage has reached the predetermined threshold.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein monitoring engine usage comprises monitoring engine operating time.

24. An electronic control unit (“

ECU”

) for a vehicle, comprising;

a vehicle monitoring component configured to monitor engine time of the vehicle, wherein the engine time is cumulative and includes a current engine time combined with prior engine times, and compare the cumulative engine time of the vehicle to a predetermined time;

a limiter coupled to an electronic fuel injection system of the vehicle, wherein the limiter is configured to impose a limit on at least one of revolutions per minute (“

RPM”

) of the vehicle or a speed of the vehicle in response to the vehicle monitoring component detecting that the cumulative engine time has exceeded the predetermined time, an amount of the limit increasing with increasing of an amount of cumulative engine time in excess of the predetermined time; and

a code receiving component configured to receive a code that deactivates the limiter.

25. The ECU of claim 24, wherein the code receiving component comprises a keypad on the vehicle.

26. The ECU of claim 24, wherein the code receiving component comprises a remote unit that communicates electronically with the ECU to deliver the code to the ECU.

27. The ECU of claim 24, wherein the vehicle is a recreational off-road vehicle.

28. The ECU of claim 24, wherein the vehicle monitoring component is further configured to monitor one or more additional parameters of the vehicle in addition to engine time;

and

wherein the limiter is further configured to impose the limit in response to any one of the cumulative engine time and the one or more additional parameters exceeding a corresponding threshold.

29. The ECU of claim 28, wherein the limiter is further configured to increase the limit with increase in a number of the cumulative engine time and one or more additional parameters that exceed one or more corresponding thresholds.