Vehicle fuel mileage determining system

• US 9,919,664 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2016
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Vucelic, Petar, Bredernitz, Roger, Wehner, Adam, Eisenhour, Ronald S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trivedi, Atul
• Application Number:
  US15/193,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20170369009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 701123
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/167 Vehicle dynamics information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/174 Economic driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0236 for economical driving
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/00 Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

A vehicle fuel mileage determining system includes a fuel consumption measuring device, a distance measuring device, a display configured to display fuel mileage data and a controller. The controller is coupled to the fuel consumption measuring device, the distance measuring device and the display. The controller is configured to calculate fuel mileage data using baseline data, data from the fuel consumption measuring device and data from the distance measuring device. The controller further shows the fuel mileage data calculated on the display. The controller is further configured to determine the baseline data as follows: in response to a reset condition being detected, the controller defines the baseline data as being equal to initial factory settings; and in response to the reset condition not being detected, the controller defines the baseline data as being equal to previously determined fuel and distance data.

Claims

1. A vehicle fuel mileage determining system, comprising:

a fuel consumption measuring device;

a distance measuring device;

a display configured to display fuel mileage data; and

a controller coupled to the fuel consumption measuring device, the distance measuring device and the display, the controller being configured to determine fuel mileage data using baseline data, data from the fuel consumption measuring device and data from the distance measuring device, and show the fuel mileage data determined by the controller on the display, the controller being further configured to determine the baseline data as follows;

in response to a reset condition being detected, the controller defines the baseline data as being equal to an initial factory setting that is a predetermined number greater than zero defined by a tested average fuel economy for a vehicle that includes the vehicle fuel mileage determining system, and

in response to the reset condition not being detected, the controller defines the baseline data as being equal to a value from previously determined fuel and distance data of the vehicle.

2. The vehicle fuel mileage determining system according to claim 1, wherein

the distance measuring device includes an odometer sensor that detects distances measured by a vehicle odometer over time.

3. The vehicle fuel mileage determining system according to claim 1, wherein

the fuel consumption measuring device is a fuel metering sensor.

4. The vehicle fuel mileage determining system according to claim 1, wherein

the fuel consumption measuring device is a fuel level measuring device.

5. The vehicle fuel mileage determining system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a battery within the vehicle, the battery being coupled to the controller, wherein

the controller is configured such that in response to determining that the battery has been dis-connected and thereafter re-connected to the vehicle, the controller determines that the reset condition has been detected.

6. The vehicle fuel mileage determining system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is configured such that in response to determining that an odometer reading is below a predetermined value, the controller determines that the reset condition has been detected.

7. The vehicle fuel mileage determining system according to claim 1, wherein

the display includes a control panel with a reset switch that is coupled to the controller, wherein

the controller is configured such that in response determine that the reset switch has been operated, the controller determines that the reset condition has been detected.

8. The vehicle fuel mileage determining system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller calculates the fuel mileage data using the following equation:

Fuel Mileage Data=(D₁+Σ

_nΔ

D_n)/(F₁+Σ

_nΔ

F_n)

where

D₁=the baseline data

F₁=the baseline data

D_n=Distance Traveled during a predetermined time interval

F_n=Fuel Used Since during a predetermined time interval

Σ

_nΔ

D_n=sum of distances D_n traveled

Σ

_nΔ

F_n=sum of fuel used F_n as the distances D_n are traveled.

9. The vehicle fuel mileage determining system according to claim 8, wherein

the predetermined time interval is between 1 and 30 ms.

10. The vehicle fuel mileage determining system according to claim 9, wherein

the predetermined time interval is 10 ms.