Control module for a vehicle

• US 8,949,008 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2010
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sexton Partners, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sexton Partners, LLC
• Inventors: Krengiel, Nick
• Primary Examiner(s): BEAUCHAINE, MARK J
• Application Number:
  US12/855,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20110054769A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,636 Days
• Field of Search: 701/99, 701/123, 701/29.1, 701/29.2, 701/31.4, 701/31.5, 701/31.6, 701/32.7, 701/33.3, 701/33.4, 340/539.24, 340/539.3, 700/90, 455/90.1, 603/68, 73/10.1, 73/10.5, 73/11.6, 73/11.9, 73/12.1, 73/13.7, 73/350.1, 731/150.1, 731/150.2
• US Class Current: 701/123
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/188 Controlling power parameters of the driveline, e.g. determining the required power
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/00 Testing of engines
• CPC Class Codes: G06G 7/70 for vehicles, e.g. to determine permissible loading of ships , centre of gravity, necessary fuel
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/00 Registering or indicating the working of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

A control module for a vehicle for increasing fuel efficiency can include a controller configured to receive at least one input signal containing at least one vehicle operating parameter and to generate at least one output signal based upon the vehicle operating parameters. The output signal is configured to modify at least one of the operating characteristics of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A control module for use in a vehicle having a vehicle network including an on-board computer with programming adapted to control vehicle operating characteristics and collect vehicle operating information, the control module comprising:

a vehicle network connector adapted to communicatively connect the control module to the vehicle network, the vehicle network connector being adapted to be coupled to an On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) II port in communication with an OBD system;

a controller in communicative arrangement with the vehicle network connector and adapted to receive at least one input information signal from the vehicle network, the input information signal containing information about at least one vehicle operating parameter, and the controller further adapted to generate at least one output operating signal based upon the at least one input information signal received from the OBD system through the vehicle network and to transmit said output operating signal to the on-board computer through the vehicle network, the output operating signal adapted to modify at least one operating characteristic of the vehicle to reduce fuel consumption without overwriting the programming of the on-board computer of the vehicle.

2. The control module of claim 1, further comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium adapted to receive a fuel-saver computer program from a product website for a specific type of vehicle, the fuel-saver computer program adapted to analyze said input information signal from the vehicle network to generate said output operating signal;

wherein the controller is adapted to execute the fuel-saver computer program.

3. The control module of claim 1, wherein the at least one operating characteristic of the vehicle is the amount of fuel to specific fuel injectors.

4. The control module of claim 1, wherein the at least one operating characteristic of the vehicle is the volume of air into the engine.

5. The control module of claim 1, wherein the at least one operating characteristic of the vehicle is the spark timing to certain cylinders.

6. The control module of claim 1, wherein the vehicle network connector includes a transceiver adapted to be connected to the OBD II port, the transceiver adapted to receive the at least one input information signal and wirelessly broadcast the input information signal to the controller, the controller configured to generate the at least one output performance signal and wirelessly broadcast the output performance signal to the transceiver.

7. The control module of claim 1, wherein the at least one operating characteristic of the vehicle is a transmission configuration.

8. A method for controlling at least one vehicle operating characteristic:

receiving, by a control module connected to an OBD II port of a vehicle, at least one input signal containing information concerning at least one vehicle operating parameter;

generating, by the control module, at least one output signal based upon the information concerning said at least one vehicle operating parameter;

transmitting, by the control module, said output signal to a vehicle network of the vehicle without overwriting computer programming of the vehicle;

wherein at least one of the operating characteristics of the vehicle is modified based upon the output signal.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

downloading a vehicle fuel conservation program from a product website onto the control module, the vehicle fuel conservation program adapted to interact with at least one predetermined vehicle.