Apparatus and method for preventing a vehicle from running out of fuel

• US 9,114,753 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: First Principals, Inc.
• Original Assignee: First Principals, Inc.
• Inventors: Raniere, Keith A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): McPherson, James M
• Application Number:
  US13/840,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20140277920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 9/00 Reinforcements or ply arrangement of pneumatic tyres inserts having reinforcing means B60C5/08; bead structure, e.g. turnup or overlap construction, B60C15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0232 for measuring vehicle parameters and indicating critical, abnormal or dangerous conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/12 for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/209 Fuel quantity remaining in tank
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/16 Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/0082 Devices inside the fuel tank other than fuel pumps or filters electrical pumps submerged in fuel tanks F02M37/10, jet pumps F02M37/025
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/363 using electromechanically actuated indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/82 Elements for improving aerodynamics

Abstract

An apparatus for use with a motor vehicle to simulate fuel loss to encourage early refueling to prevent stranding. The apparatus may cause stumbling and hesitation by interrupting various engine management systems to simulate low fuel in the tank by cutting either spark or fuel momentarily or applying the brakes.

Claims

1. An apparatus to simulate fuel loss to a motor comprising:

a fuel level monitor; and

a device in communication with said monitor, wherein said device intermittently simulates fuel loss conditions when said fuel level monitor measures fuel to be at a predetermined fuel level by intermittently interrupting power to an ignition system, wherein the predetermined fuel level is greater than zero.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the device intermittently simulates fuel loss conditions, the device includes an ignition relay switch configured to cut off voltage at an ignition coil of a vehicle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the device intermittently simulates fuel loss conditions, the device causes the motor to no longer function for a period of at least a second.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an accelerometer, said accelerometer in communication with said device.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said device includes a program to calibrate said signal of said fuel level monitor to an actual fuel level present in a fuel tank.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a fuel gauge wherein said fuel gauge is in communication with said device and indicates an empty fuel tank when said fuel tank contains said predetermined level of fuel.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said device is a microprocessor.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said device intermittently simulates fuel loss conditions when said fuel level monitor measures fuel to be at the predetermined fuel level, causing the vehicle to sputter.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said device modulates a brake system to initiate unintended braking impulses to mimic fuel starvation to said motor when said fuel level monitor measures fuel to be at said predetermined level of fuel.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said device overrides a throttle pedal signal causing a throttle body to reduce the amount of air to said motor to mimic fuel starvation to said motor when said fuel level monitor measures fuel to be at said predetermined level of fuel.

11. A device for imitating the effect of fuel loss to an engine comprising:

a sensor wherein said sensor measures a volume of fuel present in a fuel tank;

a microprocessor in communication with said sensor wherein said microprocessor is activated when the fuel volume measured by said sensor reaches a predetermined value greater than zero;

a fuel gauge in communication with said microprocessor wherein said fuel gauge is adjusted to display that said fuel tank is empty when the volume of fuel present is below said predetermined value; and

a device in communication with said sensor, wherein said device intermittently simulates fuel loss conditions when said monitor measures fuel to be at the predetermined fuel level by intermittently interrupting power to an ignition system.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein when the device intermittently simulates fuel loss conditions, the device includes an ignition relay switch configured to cut off voltage at an ignition coil of a vehicle.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein when the device intermittently simulates fuel loss conditions, the device causes the motor to no longer function for a period of at least a second.

14. A method for simulating the effect of a motor vehicle running out of fuel comprising:

providing a microprocessing device in communication with a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle having an engine and a fuel level sensor; and

intermittently simulating fuel starvation with said microprocessing device to said engine at a predetermined fuel level to encourage refueling by intermittently interrupting power to an ignition system, wherein the predetermined level is greater than zero.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

providing a fuel gauge, wherein said gauge communicates with said microprocessing device to show an empty fuel tank at a predetermined fuel level to promote early refueling.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

providing a speaker; and

emulating sounds of said engine stalling with said speaker when fuel is at a predetermined level.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

calculating an actual remaining fuel level in a tank by taking the average of several readings to determine the actual remaining fuel level of a specific motor vehicle.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

providing an ignition relay switch;

intermittently cutting off, by the ignition relay switch, an ignition spark of an engine of a vehicle when the actual level of fuel in said fuel tank is at said predetermined fuel level greater than zero, said interruption to simulate fuel starvation to said engine.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

intermittently cutting off voltage at an ignition coil of the vehicle by the ignition relay switch.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

causing the vehicle to sputter.