System and method for creating profile of fuel quality

• US 9,953,473 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2013
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Plowman, Tim, Zafiroglu, Alexandra C., Healey, Jennifer
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nga X
• Application Number:
  US15/023,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20160232725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,593 Days
• Field of Search: 701 29, 701 314, 705404, 705405, 705409, 705410-418
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/334 Query execution G06F16/335 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/337 Profile generation, learning or modification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B

Abstract

Various system and method for creating profiles of fuel quality are described herein. A system to create profiles of fuel quality comprises a receiving module arranged to receive vehicle performance data of a vehicle, the vehicle performance data describing the vehicle'"'"'s performance over a time period; an association module arranged to associate the vehicle performance data with fuel used by the vehicle during the time period; an analysis module arranged to analyze the vehicle performance data with respect to the fuel to calculate a performance metric of the fuel; and a storage module arrranged to store the performance metric in a performance database at the computing system.

Claims

1. A non-transitory machine-readable medium including instructions for creating profiles of fuel quality, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

receive vehicle performance data of a vehicle, the vehicle performance data describing the vehicle'"'"'s performance over a time period;

associate the vehicle performance data with fuel used by the vehicle during the time period;

analyze the vehicle performance data and the fuel to calculate a performance metric by;

determining a driving profile of the vehicle during the time period;

identifying a fuel mixture used during the time period, the fuel mixture comprising fuel from at least two refuelings of the vehicle associated with the time period;

calculating a confidence factor based on the fuel mixture, the confidence factor indicating a confidence of the vehicle performance data in view of the fuel mixture of the at least two refuelings; and

calculating a fuel performance rating for the driving profile, the fuel performance rating weighted by the confidence factor; and

store the performance metric in a performance database.

2. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions to receive vehicle performance data of the vehicle comprise instructions to:

query an on-board vehicle system; and

receive vehicle performance data from the on-hoard vehicle system.

3. The machine-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the on-board vehicle system comprises an on-board diagnostics system.

4. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions to receive vehicle performance data of the vehicle comprise instructions to:

access a terminal incorporated into a fuel pump station; and

receive vehicle performance data from the terminal.

5. The machine-readable medium of claim 4, comprising instructions to:

request and receive, by the terminal, the vehicle performance data from an operator of the vehicle while at the fuel pump station.

6. The machine-readable medium of claim 4, comprising instructions to:

request and receive, by the terminal, the vehicle performance data from an on-board vehicle system incorporated into the vehicle while the vehicle is located at the fuel pump station.

7. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein instructions to associate the vehicle performance data with fuel used by the vehicle comprise instructions to:

identify the vehicle; and

search a vehicle database to determine the fuel used at a previous fueling of the vehicle.

8. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the vehicle database includes characteristics of the vehicle, characteristics of the vehicle'"'"'s operation, and characteristics of fuel used in the vehicle.

9. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the characteristics of the vehicle include at least one of a make, a model, or a year.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the characteristics of the vehicle'"'"'s operation include at least one of a driving style, an average operating speed, or a distance since the last fueling.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the characteristics of fuel used in the vehicle include at least one of an octane rating, a volume of fuel, a brand of fuel, a fuel additive, a fuel type.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions to:

receive a request for a fuel recommendation from a user, the request including a vehicle identification;

search the performance database for a vehicle to match the vehicle identification;

based on the vehicle, identify a fuel having a fuel performance rating; and

provide the fuel and the fuel performance rating to the user.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein he fuel identified has the highest fuel performance rating for the vehicle.

14. A system to create profiles of fuel quality, the system comprising:

a receiving circuit arranged to receive vehicle performance data of a vehicle, the vehicle performance data describing the vehicle'"'"'s performance over a time period;

an association circuit arranged to associate the vehicle performance data with fuel used by the vehicle during the time period;

an analysis circuit arranged to analyze the vehicle performance data with respect to the fuel to calculate a performance metric of the fuel, wherein to analyze the vehicle performance data, the analysis circuit is configured to;

determine a driving profile of the vehicle during the time period;

identify a fuel mixture used during the time period, the fuel mixture comprising fuel from at least two refuelings of the vehicle associated with the time period;

calculate a confidence factor based on the fuel mixture, the confidence factor indicating a confidence of the vehicle performance data in view of the fuel mixture of the at least two refuelings; and

calculate a fuel performance rating for the driving profile, the fuel performance rating weighted by the confidence factor; and

a storage circuit arranged to store the performance metric in a performance database at the computing system.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein to receive vehicle performance data of the vehicle, the receiving circuit is arranged to:

query an on-board vehicle system; and

receive vehicle performance data from the on-board vehicle system.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the on-board vehicle system comprises an on-board diagnostics system.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein to receive vehicle performance data of the vehicle, the receiving circuit is arranged to:

access a terminal incorporated into a fuel pump station; and

receive vehicle performance data from the terminal.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the terminal is configured to request and receive the vehicle performance data from an operator of the vehicle while at the fuel pump station.

19. A method for creating profiles of fuel quality, the method comprising:

receiving, at a computing system, vehicle performance data of a vehicle, the vehicle performance data describing the vehicle'"'"'s performance over a time period;

associating the vehicle performance data with fuel used by the vehicle during the time period;

analyzing the vehicle performance data and the fuel to calculate a performance metric, wherein analyzing the vehicle performance data and the fuel comprises;

determining a driving profile of the vehicle during the time period;

identifying a fuel mixture used during the time period;

calculating a confidence factor based on the fuel mixture; and

,

calculating a fuel performance rating for the driving profile, the fuel performance rating weighted by the confidence factor; and

storing the performance metric in a performance database at the computing system.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving a request for a fuel recommendation from a user, the request including a vehicle identification;

searching the performance database for a vehicle match the vehicle identification;

based on the vehicle, identifying a fuel having a fuel performance rating; and

providing the fuel and the fuel performance rating to the user.