Unused allocated mileage counter

• US 20100030568A1
• Filed: 07/29/2008
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Daman, Laith
• Application Number:
  US12/221,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20100030568A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance

Abstract

A system for tracking mileage for a vehicle may include a controller, an input device and a mileage sensor. The input device may be adapted to receive a first predetermined allocated mileage rate and communicate the first predetermined allocated mileage rate to the controller. The mileage sensor may be adapted to sense a mileage value and communicate the mileage value to the controller. The controller may be adapted to determine an actual mileage rate based at least partially upon the mileage value and a predetermined time period. The controller may be adapted to determine a deviation between the actual mileage rate and at least one of the first predetermined allocated mileage rate and a second predetermined allocated mileage rate.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a controller;

an input device adapted to receive, from a human hand, a first predetermined allocated mileage rate and communicate the first predetermined allocated mileage rate to the controller; and

a mileage sensor adapted to sense a mileage value and communicate the mileage value to the controller,

wherein the controller is adapted to determine an actual mileage rate based upon the mileage value and a predetermined time period, and wherein the controller is adapted to determine a deviation between the actual mileage rate and at least one of the first predetermined allocated mileage rate and a second predetermined allocated mileage rate.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a display device in communication with the controller, the display device adapted to display the deviation.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller calculates the deviation in at least one of a fixed mode and a dynamic mode.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein:

the predetermined time period is one of a day, a week, a month and a year, and

the mileage value is stored in a memory device in communication with the controller.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mileage value is continuously updated while a vehicle is in motion.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the deviation is displayed as an exceeded mileage rate in response to the actual mileage rate being greater than at least one of the first and second predetermined allocated mileage rates.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to cause a warning signal to be actuated in response to calculation of an exceeded mileage rate.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the deviation is displayed as an unused mileage rate in response to the actual mileage rate being less than at least one of the first and second predetermined allocated mileage rates.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second predetermined mileage rate is a daily allocated mileage value.

10. A method of tracking mileage of a vehicle comprising:

inputting, by a human hand, a first predetermined allocated mileage rate;

calculating a second allocated mileage rate based on the first predetermined allocated mileage rate;

counting actual miles driven during a first predetermined time period, which is one of a day, a week, a month and a year, and storing the counted actual miles in a memory storage device;

calculating an actual mileage rate based on the actual miles driven and the first predetermined time period;

calculating a deviation between the actual mileage rate and one of the first and second allocated mileage rates; and

storing the deviation between the actual mileage rate and one of the first and second allocated mileage rates in a memory storage device.

11. The method of tracking mileage according to claim 10, further comprising communicating the deviation to a display device and displaying the deviation thereon.

12. The method of tracking mileage according to claim 11, wherein displaying the deviation further comprises displaying at least one of an exceeded mileage rate and an unused mileage rate.

13. The method of tracking mileage according to claim 12, further comprising:

actuating a warning signal in response to the actual mileage rate being greater than at least one of the first allocated mileage rate and the second allocated mileage rate.

14. The method of tracking mileage according to claim 13, further comprising selecting one of a fixed mode and a dynamic mode.

15. The method of tracking mileage according to claim 14, wherein the dynamic mode accounts for miles driven during a second predetermined time period.

16. The method of tracking mileage according to claim 15, wherein the second predetermined time period is one of a day, a week, a month and a year.

17. A method of tracking mileage of a vehicle comprising:

inputting, by a human hand, a first predetermined allocated mileage rate into a user input device;

inputting, by a human hand, a vehicle lease duration into the user input device;

calculating a second allocated mileage rate based on the first predetermined allocated mileage rate;

counting actual miles driven during a first predetermined time period, which is one of a day, a week, a month and a year, and storing the actual miles driven in a memory storage device;

calculating an actual mileage rate based on the actual miles driven and a first predetermined time period;

calculating a deviation between the actual mileage rate and one of the first and second allocated mileage rates; and

storing the deviation between the actual mileage rate and one of the first and second allocated mileage rates in a memory storage device.

18. The method of tracking mileage of a vehicle of claim 17, further comprising:

selecting a fixed mode, by a human hand using a user input device, and if an actual mileage rate is less than a respective allocated mileage rate for a particular predetermined time period, displaying an unused mileage value for that predetermined time period, wherein unused mileage is equal to a difference between the allocated mileage and the actual mileage for a particular predetermined time period.

19. The method of tracking mileage of a vehicle of claim 17, further comprising:

selecting a fixed mode, by a human hand using a user input device, and if any of the actual mileage rates are greater than any of the respective allocated mileage rates for a particular predetermined time period, displaying an exceeded mileage value for that predetermined time period, wherein exceeded mileage is equal to a difference between the actual mileage and the allocated mileage for a particular predetermined time period.

20. The method of tracking mileage of a vehicle of claim 17, further comprising:

selecting a dynamic mode, by a human hand using a user input device, and calculating a mileage deviation (i.e., unused or exceeded mileage) of a past time period, for use in calculating a current exceeded or current unused mileage for the predetermined time period, according to;

Mileage deviation for the predetermined time period T=(allocated miles per the predetermined time period T)−

(actual miles driven for the predetermined time period T)+(mileage deviation for a predetermined time period (T-1))+(mileage deviation for a predetermined time period (T-2))+(mileage deviation for a predetermined time period (T-3))+ . . . +(mileage deviation for a predetermined time period 1), wherein the predetermined time period 1 may be the first predetermined time period during which the vehicle has been driven.