Low fuel warning

• US 9,163,953 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2012
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Tuzi, Gerti, Varughese, Sibu
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, John Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHALEN, MICHAEL F
• Application Number:
  US13/587,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20140052368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 701/123
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/00 Arrangement in connection with fuel supply of combustion engines or other fuel consuming energy converters, e.g. fuel cells; Mounting or construction of fuel tanks tanks in general B65D, F17C; supplying combustion engines with combustible mixtures or constituents F02M
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03197 Systems for exchanging data
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03217 Fuel level sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence

Abstract

A low fuel notification system for use in association with a vehicular navigation system is operable to generate and provide notifications to the vehicle operator of low fuel conditions and provide information regarding available refueling stations based on the station'"'"'s location and the vehicle'"'"'s estimated driving range.

Claims

1. A method for providing a low fuel notification to an operator of a motor vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a current amount of fuel in the vehicle;

calculating an estimated driving range based on the current amount of fuel;

calculating a threshold estimated driving range that is a predefined percentage less than the estimated driving range;

obtaining information on refueling stations located between the estimated driving range and the threshold driving range;

determining whether any of the refueling stations are available based on a set of predefined requirements;

wherein

the threshold estimated driving range is reduced if it is determined that no refueling stations are available;

generating a list of the available refueling stations; and

generating a low fuel notification and providing the vehicle operator with a list of available refueling stations;

wherein

the information obtained on the available refueling stations is based on a location and distance-based search of the refueling stations meeting the set of predefined requirements; and

the set of predefined requirements includes an estimated time of arrival from the vehicle'"'"'s current location to the refueling station and the hours of operation of the refueling station.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the estimated driving range is associated at least in part with the vehicle'"'"'s fuel economy.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the reduced threshold estimated driving range is subsequently used to obtain information on refueling stations located between the estimated driving range and the reduced threshold estimated driving range.

4. The method of claim 1 further including the step of ordering the list of available refueling stations based on predetermined criteria for determining relevance.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the predetermined criteria for determining relevance includes a calculation of the minimal distance from the vehicle'"'"'s current location to each of the available refueling stations.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the predetermined criteria for determining relevance includes calculating a minimal distance from the vehicle'"'"'s current location to each of the available refueling stations along a direction of travel.

7. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

setting a destination into a navigation system prior to calculating the estimated driving range and the threshold estimated driving range;

determining whether the distance to the destination is greater than the estimated driving range;

determining whether the distance to the destination is greater than the threshold estimated driving range but less than the estimated driving range;

generating a low fuel warning when the distance to the destination is greater than the estimated driving range; and

generating a low fuel alert when the distance to the destination is greater than the threshold estimated driving range but less than the estimated driving range.

8. A method for providing a low fuel notification to an operator of a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of:

calculating a distance to a destination;

determining a current amount of fuel in the vehicle;

calculating an estimated driving range based on the current amount of fuel;

calculating a threshold estimated driving range that is a predefined percentage less than the estimated driving range;

determining whether the distance to the destination is greater than the estimated driving range;

determining whether the distance to the destination is greater than the threshold estimated driving range in response to a determination that the distance to the destination is less than the estimated driving range;

obtaining information on refueling stations located between the estimated driving range and the threshold estimated driving range;

determining whether any of the refueling stations are available based on a set of predefined requirements;

wherein

the threshold estimated driving range is reduced if it is determined that no refueling stations are available;

generating a list of the available refueling stations;

warning the vehicle operator in response to a determination that the distance to the destination is greater than the estimated driving range;

alerting the vehicle operator in response to a determination that the distance to the destination is greater than the threshold estimated driving range; and

providing the list of available refueling stations in conjunction with both the warning and the alert;

wherein

the set of predefined requirements includes an estimated time of arrival from the vehicle'"'"'s current location to the refueling station and the hours of operation of the refueling station.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the estimated driving range is associated at least in part with the vehicle'"'"'s fuel economy.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the information obtained on the available refueling stations is based on a location and distance-based search of the refueling stations meeting the set of predefined requirements.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the threshold estimated driving range is reduced if it is determined that no refueling stations are available, and wherein the reduced threshold estimated driving range is subsequently used to obtain information of refueling stations located between the estimated driving range and the reduced threshold estimated driving range.

12. The method of claim 8 further including the step of ordering the list of available refueling stations based on predetermined criteria for determining relevance.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the predetermined criteria for determining relevance includes calculating a minimal distance from the vehicle'"'"'s current location to the available refueling station.

14. The method of claim 8 further including the step of calculating and informing the drive of a low fuel condition and advising the driver to select a particular exit when driving on a freeway/highway.

15. A method for providing a low fuel notification to an operator of a motor vehicle comprising:

calculating a distance to a destination;

determining a current amount of fuel in the vehicle;

calculating an estimated driving range based on the current amount of fuel;

calculating a threshold estimated driving range that is less than the estimated driving range;

determining whether the distance to the destination is greater than the estimated driving range;

determining whether the distance to the destination is greater than the threshold estimated driving range in response to a determination that the distance to the destination is less than the estimated driving range;

obtaining information on refueling stations located between the estimated driving range and the threshold estimated driving range;

determining whether any of the refueling stations between the estimated driving range and the threshold estimated driving range are available based on at least hours of operation and whether the refueling stations are within the estimated driving range;

generating a list of the available refueling stations located between the estimated driving range and the threshold estimated driving range;

warning the vehicle operator in response to a determination that the distance to the destination is greater than the estimated driving range;

alerting the vehicle operator in response to a determination that the distance to the destination is greater than the threshold estimated driving range;

providing to the vehicle operator, in conjunction with both the warning and the alert, the list of available refueling stations located between the estimated driving range and the threshold estimated driving range, the list excluding refueling stations located beyond the estimated driving range; and

reducing the threshold estimated driving range upon determining that no refueling stations are available, the reduced threshold estimated driving range is subsequently used to obtain information on only the refueling stations located between the estimated driving range and the reduced threshold estimated driving range thereby excluding refueling stations located beyond the estimated driving range.