Instantaneous fuel consumption displaying device for vehicle

• US 9,376,981 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2012
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Nagumo, Takamasa, Kitajima, Takeshi, Hirakata, Yoshiaki, Kitamura, Ryohei
• Primary Examiner(s): Low, Lindsay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Monahon, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US13/544,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20130054118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,450 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0625 Fuel consumption, e.g. measured in fuel liters per 100 kms or miles per gallon
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/3005 Details not otherwise provided for

Abstract

An injection valve injects a given amount of fuel into an engine in response to an injection pulse. An ECU inputs the injection pulse corresponding to an amount of injected fuel. The ECU inputs information on an amount of injected fuel corresponding to the number of injection pulses to a display controlling portion through a communication line. The ECU produces the information on the amount of injected fuel composed of digital data whenever a given number of injection pulses corresponds to the given amount of fuel. The display controlling portion decides that the given amount of fuel is injected from the injection valve when a predetermined number of pieces of digital data are properly received. The display controlling portion calculates an instantaneous fuel consumption based on an amount of injected fuel thus decided and an operating distance to cause a meter to display information on the instantaneous fuel consumption.

Claims

1. A method of using An instantaneous fuel consumption displaying device for a vehicle comprising:

a fuel injector for injecting fuel into an engine in response to an injection pulse inputted thereto;

an injection controller for supplying an injection pulse corresponding to an amount of injected fuel calculated based on an operational situation of said engine to said fuel injector, and forming information on the amount of injected fuel in accordance with the number of injection pulses supplied to said fuel injector;

a display portion including at least a vehicle speed display portion and an instantaneous fuel consumption display portion, said display portion being positioned in a forward portion of the vehicle;

a display controller for calculating the instantaneous fuel consumption based on the information on the amount of injected fuel, and displaying information on the instantaneous fuel consumption thus calculated on the instantaneous fuel consumption display portion of the display portion, said display portion displays thereon the information on the vehicle speed and the instantaneous fuel consumption in a digital manner;

a communication line through which the information on the amount of injected fuel is transmitted from said injection controller to said display controller;

wherein said instantaneous fuel consumption displaying device for a vehicle includes the information on the amount of injected fuel without interference from engine noise that creates a communication error in the communication line by providing a plurality of fuel consumption signals, the injection controller adds time information to the plurality of fuel consumption signals and sends out the resulting information regarding pulse width duration whenever the number of injection pulses becomes a value corresponding to a predetermined reference instantaneous fuel injection amount, and said display controller, while receiving the plurality of fuel consumption signals in order, determines whether or not the fuel signal thus received is a predetermined signal, and when the plurality of fuel consumption signals are discriminated by a reference number, decides that the fuel for the reference instantaneous injection amount is injected, to calculate the instantaneous fuel consumption, thereby displaying information on the instantaneous fuel consumption without interference from engine noise that would create a communication error,

wherein the information on the instantaneous fuel consumption is displayed for a time previously set on said display portion,

wherein when it is not decided that the fuel for the reference instantaneous injection amount is injected within a period of time for sending of the information on the amount of injected fuel, instantaneous fuel consumption fail display is carried out instead of carrying out the instantaneous fuel consumption display, and

wherein when it is not decided that the fuel for the reference instantaneous injection amount is injected at a time point of end of the period of time for sending of the information on the amount of injected fuel, the instantaneous fuel consumption fail display is carried out for a time corresponding to the period of time for sending of the information on the amount of injected fuel, and the period of time for sending of the information on the amount of injected fuel is set approximately equal to a vehicle speed fail display period of time information on which is displayed on said digital vehicle speed displaying portion.

2. A method of using The instantaneous fuel consumption displaying device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of fuel consumption signals are composed of digital data containing therein time information that is reset whenever the instantaneous fuel consumption is calculated, and the time information of the pieces of digital data is added to each piece of digital data based on a value of a counter which is incremented.

3. A method of using The instantaneous fuel consumption displaying device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein whether or not the plurality of fuel consumption signals are discriminated by the reference number is determined in accordance with whether or not a value of a tentative decision counter which is updated whenever the fuel consumption signal is properly received reaches a predetermined number, and at a time point when the plurality of fuel consumption signals are properly received by the predetermined number, counting processing is ended by said tentative decision counter.

4. A method of using The instantaneous fuel consumption displaying device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein whether or not the plurality of fuel consumption signals are discriminated by the reference number is determined in accordance with whether or not a value of a tentative decision counter which is updated whenever the fuel consumption signal is properly received reaches a predetermined number, and at a time point when the plurality of fuel consumption signals are properly received by the predetermined number, counting processing is ended by said tentative decision counter.

5. A method of using The instantaneous fuel consumption displaying device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of fuel consumption signals is composed of a plurality of sub-signals.

6. A method of using The instantaneous fuel consumption displaying device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of fuel consumption signals is composed of a plurality of sub-signals.

7. A method of using The instantaneous fuel consumption displaying device for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of fuel consumption signals is composed of a plurality of sub-signals.

8. A method of using The instantaneous fuel consumption displaying device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein with respect to information on a present amount of injected fuel, the instantaneous fuel consumption is calculated based on a distance traveled.

9. A method of using The instantaneous fuel consumption displaying device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein with respect to information on a present amount of injected fuel, the instantaneous fuel consumption is calculated based on a distance traveled.

10. A method of using The instantaneous fuel consumption displaying device for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein with respect to information on a present amount of injected fuel, the instantaneous fuel consumption is calculated based on a distance traveled.

11. A method of using The instantaneous fuel consumption displaying device for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein with respect to information on a present amount of injected fuel, the instantaneous fuel consumption is calculated based on a distance traveled.

12. A method of using The instantaneous fuel consumption displaying device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein in a front-back direction of a vehicle body of a motorcycle loaded with said engine, said injection controller is disposed in a rear of said engine, a meter provided with said display portion is disposed in front of said engine.

13. A method of using An instantaneous fuel consumption displaying device for a motorcycle comprising:

a fuel injector for injecting fuel into an engine in response to an injection pulse inputted thereto, said motorcycle having a front-back direction with said engine being mounted thereon and an injection controller being disposed in a rear of said engine with a meter provided with a display portion being disposed in front of said engine;

said injection controller supplies an injection pulse corresponding to an amount of injected fuel calculated based on an operational situation of said engine to said fuel injector, and forming information on the amount of injected fuel in accordance with the number of injection pulses supplied to said fuel injector;

said display portion including at least a vehicle speed display portion and an instantaneous fuel consumption display portion, said display portion being positioned in a forward portion of the motorcycle;

a display controller for calculating the instantaneous fuel consumption based on the information on the amount of injected fuel, and displaying information on the instantaneous fuel consumption thus calculated on the display portion, said display portion displays on the instantaneous fuel consumption display portion the information on the instantaneous fuel consumption in a digital manner and is disposed adjacent to a digital motorcycle speed displaying portion on said meter;

a communication line for transmitting the information on the amount of injected fuel from said injection controller to said display controller;

wherein said display controller for displaying instantaneous fuel consumption for a vehicle includes the information on the amount of injected fuel without interference from engine noise that creates a communication error in the communication line by providing a plurality of fuel consumption signals, the injection controller adds time information to the plurality of fuel consumption signals and sends out the resulting information regarding pulse width duration whenever the number of injection pulses becomes a value corresponding to a predetermined reference instantaneous injection amount, and said display controller, while receiving the plurality of fuel consumption signals in order, determines whether or not the fuel signal thus received is a predetermined signal, and when the plurality of fuel consumption signals are discriminated by a reference number, decides that the fuel for the reference instantaneous fuel injection amount is injected, to calculate the instantaneous fuel consumption, thereby displaying information on the instantaneous fuel consumption without interference from engine nose that would create a communication error;

wherein the information on the instantaneous fuel consumption is displayed for a time previously set on said display portion,

wherein when it is not decided that the fuel for the reference instantaneous injection amount is injected within a period of time for sending of the information on the amount of injected fuel, instantaneous fuel consumption fail display is carried out instead of carrying out the instantaneous fuel consumption display, and

wherein when it is not decided that the fuel for the reference instantaneous injection amount is injected at a time point of end of the period of time for sending of the information on the amount of injected fuel, the instantaneous fuel consumption fail display is carried out for a time corresponding to the period of time for sending of the information on the amount of injected fuel, and the period of time for sending of the information on the amount of injected fuel is set approximately equal to a vehicle speed fail display period of time information on which is displayed on said digital vehicle speed displaying portion.

14. A method of using The instantaneous fuel consumption displaying device for a motorcycle according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of fuel consumption signals are composed of digital data containing therein time information that is reset whenever the instantaneous fuel consumption is calculated, and the time information of the pieces of digital data is added to each piece of digital data based on a value of a counter which is incremented.

15. A method of using The instantaneous fuel consumption displaying device for a motorcycle according to claim 13, wherein whether or not the plurality of fuel consumption signals are discriminated by the reference number is determined in accordance with whether or not a value of a tentative decision counter which is updated whenever the fuel consumption signal is properly received reaches a predetermined number, and at a time point when the plurality of fuel consumption signals are properly received by the predetermined number, counting processing is ended by said tentative decision counter.

16. A method of using The instantaneous fuel consumption displaying device for a motorcycle according to claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of fuel consumption signals is composed of a plurality of sub-signals.

17. A method of using The instantaneous fuel consumption displaying device for a motorcycle according to claim 13, wherein with respect to information on a present amount of injected fuel, the instantaneous fuel consumption is calculated based on a distance traveled.