Computer System and Method For Monitoring Hydrogen Vehicles

• US 20080234888A1
• Filed: 12/01/2005
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Throop, Medville Jay, Zanardelli, Vance Peter
• Granted Patent: US 7,729,826 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/55 using telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A system and method for remotely monitoring the status of a hydrogen vehicle includes a data acquisition/communication module configured to receive a plurality of signals representing one or more status conditions associated with the vehicle. The data acquisition/communication module is further configured to report one or more of the status conditions to a computer remote from the vehicle. The system is further configured to receive one or more signals from the remote computer in response to the reported status condition wherein the received signal represents an action to be taken in response to the one or more status conditions. The data acquisition/communication module is also configured to initiate the action to be taken. A computer remote from the vehicle is configured to monitor the one or more status conditions reported by the data acquisition/communication module and determine if an action must be taken.

Claims

1. A computer system for remotely monitoring hydrogen vehicle status, the system comprising:

in a hydrogen-powered vehicle, a data acquisition/communication module configured to (i) receive a plurality of signals representing one or more status conditions associated with the vehicle, (ii) report one or more of the status conditions to a computer remote from the vehicle, (iii) receive one or more signals from the remote computer in response to the reported status condition(s), the received signal representing an action to be taken in response to the one or more status conditions, and (iv) initiate the action to be taken; and

a computer remote from the vehicle configured to (i) monitor the one or more status conditions reported by the data acquisition/communication module to determine if an action must be taken, and (ii) upon determining that an action must be taken, transmit a signal representing the action to be taken to the data acquisition/communication module; and

(iii) monitor one or more reported status conditions to automatically detect an on-board hydrogen release.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein automatically detecting an on-board hydrogen release includes:

calculating a hydrogen mass of an on-board hydrogen tank and the hydrogen fuel mass consumed; and

comparing a reduction in the hydrogen mass of the on-board hydrogen tank and the hydrogen fuel mass for a predetermined time period.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer remote from the vehicle is configured to monitor one or more reported status conditions to automatically detect, based on the nearest hydrogen fueling station, when on-board hydrogen fuel is low.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer remote from the vehicle is configured to monitor one or more reported status conditions to automatically detect when the vehicle is operating in a geographic area having a hydrogen regulation.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer remote from the vehicle is configured to monitor one or more reported status conditions to automatically determine whether the exhaust air quality for the vehicle complies with an exhaust air quality regulation for a location where the vehicle is operating.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer remote from the vehicle is configured to monitor one or more reported status conditions to automatically determine whether the vehicle weight complies with a vehicle weight regulation for a location where the vehicle is operating.

7. The system of claim 1 additionally comprising a presentation module configured to receive and display information representing one or more vehicle status conditions or the action to be taken.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the presentation module is located on-board the hydrogen-powered vehicle.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the presentation module operates remote of the hydrogen-powered vehicle.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the remote computer is additionally configured to (i) calculate one or more statistics based on status reported by the data acquisition/communication module, and (ii) transmit the statistic(s) to the data acquisition/communication module for display on the presentation module.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the status condition(s) consist of one or more of the following:

vehicle location, vehicle speed, vehicle direction, engine RPM, fuel injector pulse width, mass air flow rate, fuel consumption rate, manifold absolute pressure, equivalence ratio, hydrogen tank pressure, hydrogen tank temperature, NOx level, and CO₂ level.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the action includes alerting a vehicle operator of a condition through the use of an audio message or display icon.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the action includes communicating driving directions to a vehicle operator.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the action includes adjusting operation of at least one aspect of the hydrogen vehicle.

15. A method for remotely monitoring hydrogen vehicle status, the method comprising:

in a hydrogen-powered vehicle, sensing a plurality of vehicle status criteria relating to operation of the hydrogen vehicle;

transmitting a signal representing one or more of the status criteria to a computer remote from the vehicle;

processing the one or more status criteria at the computer remote from the vehicle to determine if an action must be taken to alleviate a problem condition wherein the problem to be alleviated is a hydrogen release;

automatically selecting one or more actions to be taken to alleviate a problem condition; and

transmitting a signal representing the one or more actions to be taken to a module on-board the vehicle, the module being configured to initiate the one or more actions to be taken.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the hydrogen release is determined by:

calculating a hydrogen mass of an on-board hydrogen tank and the hydrogen fuel mass consumed; and

comparing a reduction in the hydrogen mass of the on-board hydrogen tank and the hydrogen fuel mass for a predetermined time period.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the problem to be alleviated is a low fuel level based on a distance to a nearest hydrogen refueling station.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the problem to be alleviated is the vehicle operating in a geographic area in violation of a hydrogen regulation.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the problem to be alleviated is exhaust air quality in violation of an exhaust air quality regulation for a geographical area in which the vehicle is operating or approaching.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the problem to be alleviated is vehicle weight in violation of a vehicle weight regulation for a geographical area in which the vehicle is operating or approaching.

21. The method of claim 15 additionally comprising displaying information representing one or more vehicle status conditions or the action to be taken on a presentation module.

22. The method of claim 15 wherein the vehicle status criteria consist of one or more of the following:

vehicle location, vehicle speed, vehicle direction, engine RPM, fuel injector pulse width, mass air flow rate, fuel consumption rate, manifold absolute pressure, equivalence ratio, hydrogen tank pressure, hydrogen tank temperature, NOx level, and CO₂ level.

23. The method of claim 15 wherein the action includes communicating driving directions to a vehicle operator.