Maintenance alert system for heavy-duty trucks
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A real-time maintenance alert system for use in a heavy duty truck having an engine including an air filter at an air inlet, and an engine controller having a communications data link and, the system comprising:
- a sensor operative to produce a signal indicative of an air inlet depression;
control logic at the engine controller, the control logic being conjured configured to process the sensor signal and to determine an air filter restriction real-time fault condition when the air inlet depression falls below a threshold, the control logic being operative to produce an output signal at the data link in response to the air filter restriction real-time fault condition; and
a display device having a memory and configured to transmit and receive information over the data link, the display processing the output signal and storing a status of the air filter in the memory, and generating an output signal indicative of the status.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A real-time maintenance alert system and method for use in a heavy-duty truck having an engine controller with memory are provided. The system includes a sensor operative to indicate an engine condition from the group consisting of: oil filter restriction, air filter restriction, fuel filter restriction, oil level, and coolant reserve tank fluid level. Control logic at the engine controller processes the sensor signal to determine a real-time fault condition, when appropriate.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A real-time maintenance alert system for use in a heavy duty truck having an engine including an air filter at an air inlet, and an engine controller having a communications data link and, the system comprising:
-
a sensor operative to produce a signal indicative of an air inlet depression;
control logic at the engine controller, the control logic being conjured configured to process the sensor signal and to determine an air filter restriction real-time fault condition when the air inlet depression falls below a threshold, the control logic being operative to produce an output signal at the data link in response to the air filter restriction real-time fault condition; and
a display device having a memory and configured to transmit and receive information over the data link, the display processing the output signal and storing a status of the air filter in the memory, and generating an output signal indicative of the status. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
-
-
5. A real-time maintenance alert system for use in a heavy duty truck having an engine including a fuel filter at a fuel inlet, and an engine controller having a communications data link and, the system comprising:
-
a sensor operative to produce a signal indicative of a fuel inlet depression;
control logic at the engine controller, the control logic being configured to process the sensor signal and to determine a fuel filter restriction real-time fault condition when the fuel inlet depression falls below a threshold, the control logic being operative to produce an output signal at the data link in response to the fuel filter restriction real-time fault condition; and
a display device having a memory and configured to transmit and receive information over the data link, the display device processing the output signal and storing a status of the fuel filter in the memory, and generating an output signal indicative of the status.
-
-
6. A real-time maintenance alert system for use in a heavy duty truck having an engine including an oil filter having an inlet and an outlet, and an engine controller having a communications data link and, the system comprising:
-
a sensor operative to produce a signal indicative of an oil filter pressure differential between the oil filter inlet and the oil filter outlet;
control logic at the engine controller, the control logic being configured to process the sensor signal and to determine an oil filter restriction real-time fault condition when the oil filter pressure differential exceeds a threshold, the control logic being operative to produce an output signal at the data link in response to the oil filter restriction real-time fault condition; and
a display device having a memory and configured to transmit and receive information over the data link, the display device processing the output signal and storing a status of the oil filter in the memory, and generating an output signal indicative of the status.
-
-
7. A real-time maintenance alert system for use in a heavy duty truck having an engine including an oil pan, and an engine controller having a communications data link and, the system comprising:
-
a sensor operative to produce a signal indicative of an oil level;
control logic at the engine controller, the control logic being configured to process the sensor signal and to determine a low oil real-time fault condition when the oil level falls below a threshold, the control logic being operative to produce an output signal at the data link in response to the oil level real-time fault condition; and
a display device having a memory and configured to transmit and receive information over the data link, the display device processing the output signal and storing a status of the oil level in the memory, and generating an output signal indicative of the status. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
-
-
10. A real-time maintenance alert system for use in a heavy duty truck having an engine including a coolant reserve tank, and an engine controller having a communications data link and, the system comprising:
-
a sensor operative to produce a signal indicative of a coolant level;
control logic at the engine controller, the control logic being configured to process the sensor signal and to determine a low coolant real-time fault condition when the coolant level falls below a threshold, the control logic being operative to produce an output signal at the data link in response to the low coolant real-time fault condition, wherein the threshold is sufficiently high such that engine shutdown is not required upon the presence of the low coolant real-time fault condition; and
a display device having a memory and configured to transmit and receive information over the data link, the display device processing the output signal and storing a status of the coolant reserve tank in the memory, and generating an output signal indicative of the status. - View Dependent Claims (11)
-
-
12. A real-time maintenance alert system for use in a heavy duty truck having an engine, and an engine controller having a communications data link, the system comprising:
-
a sensor operative to produce a signal indicative of at least one engine condition from the group consisting of;
an oil filter restriction condition, a fuel filter restriction condition, an air filter restriction condition, an oil level, and a coolant level in a coolant reserve tank;
control logic at the engine controller, the control logic being configured to process the sensor signal and to determine a real-time fault condition when the engine condition falls outside of a predetermined acceptable range, the control logic being operative to produce an output signal at the data link in response to the real-time fault condition; and
a display device having memory and configured to transmit and receive information over the data link, the display device processing the output signal and storing a fault condition status in the memory, the display device having an indicator operative to alert a user of the real-time fault condition.
-
-
13. A real-time maintenance alert method for use in a heavy duty truck having an engine, and an engine controller having a communications data link and, the method comprising:
-
generating a signal with an engine sensor, the signal being indicative of at least one engine condition from the group consisting of;
an oil filter restriction condition, a fuel filter restriction condition, an air filter restriction condition, an oil level, and a coolant level in a coolant reserve tank;
processing the signal with control logic at the engine controller to determine a real-time fault condition when the engine condition falls outside of a predetermined acceptable range, the control logic being operative to produce an output signal at the data link in response to the real-time fault condition;
receiving the output signal over the data link at a display device having a memory; and
storing a fault condition status in the memory. - View Dependent Claims (14)
-
-
15. A display device for use with a real-time maintenance alert system for a heavy duty truck having an engine and an engine controller having a communications data link, the display device comprising:
-
a housing;
an interface configured to communicate with control logic at the engine controller over the data link, the control logic being configured to process a sensor signal indicative of an engine condition from the group consisting of;
an oil filter restriction condition, a fuel filter restriction condition, an air filter restriction condition, an oil level, and a coolant level in a coolant reserve tank, and the control logic being further configured to determine a real-time fault condition when the engine condition falls outside of a predetermined acceptable range, the control logic being operative to produce an output signal at the data link in response to the real-time fault condition, the interface receiving the output signal;
a memory for storing a fault condition status based on the output signal; and
an indicator device affixed to the housing and in communication with the interface, the indicator device producing a visual indication when the output signal corresponding to the real-time fault condition is received at the interface. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification