Hydrocarbon-emissions monitoring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10354459-B2
Application number	US-201615286806-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2016
Priority date	Oct 6, 2016
Publication date	Jul 16, 2019
Grant date	Jul 16, 2019

Abstract

A first vehicle includes a hydrocarbon sensor and a controller in communication with the hydrocarbon sensor. The controller is programmed to receive data from the hydrocarbon sensor indicating hydrocarbon emissions and determine that the hydrocarbon emissions originated in a second vehicle and are exceed a predetermined threshold. The controller may further be programmed to transmit a message reporting the hydrocarbon emission to a remote server.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A controller comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
detect hydrocarbon emissions by a first vehicle before a change in position of the first vehicle relative to a second vehicle;
detect hydrocarbon emissions by the first vehicle after the change in position of the first vehicle relative to the second vehicle;
determine that the hydrocarbon emissions originated in the second vehicle by determining that the detected hydrocarbon emissions changed from before to after the change in the position of the first vehicle relative to the second vehicle; and
determine that the detected hydrocarbon emissions from the second vehicle exceed a predetermined threshold.

2. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include to cause the first vehicle to change position relative to the second vehicle.

3. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to determine that the hydrocarbon emissions originated in the second vehicle includes instructions to cause a canister purge valve to close and to detect hydrocarbon emissions after the canister purge valve closes.

4. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include to transmit a message reporting the hydrocarbon emissions to a remote server included in the second vehicle.

5. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the controller is instructions further include to transmit a message reporting the hydrocarbon emissions to a remote server separate from the second vehicle.

6. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include to cause a ventilation system to increase a recirculation setting based on the hydrocarbon emissions being elevated.

7. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include to transmit a message to a remote server in a third vehicle requesting that the third vehicle validate the hydrocarbon emissions.

8. A first vehicle comprising:
a hydrocarbon sensor; and
a controller in communication with the hydrocarbon sensor and programmed to
receive data from the hydrocarbon sensor indicating hydrocarbon emissions before a change in position of the first vehicle relative to a second vehicle;
receive data from the hydrocarbon sensor indicating hydrocarbon emissions after the change in position of the first vehicle relative to the second vehicle;
determine that the hydrocarbon emissions originated in the second vehicle by determining that the detected hydrocarbon emissions changed from before to after the change in the position of the first vehicle relative to the second vehicle; and
determine that the detected hydrocarbon emissions from the second vehicle are elevated.

9. The first vehicle of claim 8 , further comprising an intake manifold, wherein the hydrocarbon sensor is mounted to the intake manifold.

10. The first vehicle of claim 8 , further comprising a canister purge valve, a canister, and a canister purge line in fluid communication with the canister purge valve and the canister; wherein the hydrocarbon sensor is connected to the canister purge line.

11. The first vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the programming to determine that the hydrocarbon emissions originated in the second vehicle includes programming to cause the canister purge valve to close and to receive data from the hydrocarbon sensor indicating hydrocarbon emissions after the canister purge valve closes.

12. The first vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further programmed to cause the first vehicle to change a position relative to the second vehicle.

13. The first vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further programmed to transmit a message reporting the hydrocarbon emissions to a remote server included in the second vehicle.

14. The first vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further programmed to transmit a message reporting the hydrocarbon emissions to a remote server separate from the second vehicle.

15. The first vehicle of claim 8 , further comprising a ventilation system in communication with the controller.

16. The first vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the controller is further programmed to cause the ventilation system to increase a recirculation setting based on the hydrocarbon emissions being elevated.

17. The first vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further programmed to transmit a message to a remote server in a third vehicle requesting that the third vehicle validate the hydrocarbon emissions.

18. A method comprising:
detecting hydrocarbon emissions by a first vehicle before a change in position of the first vehicle relative to a second vehicle;
detecting hydrocarbon emissions by the first vehicle after the change in position of the first vehicle relative to the second vehicle;
determining that the hydrocarbon emissions originated in the second vehicle by determining that the detected hydrocarbon emissions changed from before to after the change in the position of the first vehicle relative to the second vehicle; and
determining that the detected hydrocarbon emissions from the second vehicle exceed a predetermined threshold.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Dudar Aed M
• Martin Douglas Raymond
• Miller Kenneth James

Classifications

• Y02T10/40

  Engine management systems · CPC title

• F02D41/1459

  the characteristics being a hydrocarbon content or concentration · CPC title

• F02D2041/228

  Warning displays · CPC title

• F02D41/004

  Control of the valve or purge actuator, e.g. duty cycle, closed loop control of position · CPC title

• F02M25/089

  Layout of the fuel vapour installation · CPC title