Fuel measurement for fleet vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10360540-B2
Application number	US-201615205556-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 8, 2016
Priority date	Jul 8, 2016
Publication date	Jul 23, 2019
Grant date	Jul 23, 2019

Abstract

In some examples, a processor on a vehicle may determine, based at least partially on information obtained from a sensor, that a fuel level of the vehicle is increasing. Further, the processor may determine that the fuel level has stabilized for a threshold time. In addition, the processor may determine an amount of fuel added to the vehicle, and may send, over a wireless network to a computing device, a communication indicating the amount of fuel added. In some cases, the computing device may compare the amount of fuel indicated in the communication from the processor with an amount of fuel indicated in information received from a point-of-sale device for determining a difference.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A system comprising:
a sensor associated with a vehicle;
a processor in communication with the sensor; and
one or more non-transitory computer-readable media maintaining executable instructions, which, when executed by the processor, program the processor to perform operations comprising:
determining, based at least partially on the sensor, that a fuel level of the vehicle is increasing;
determining that the fuel level has stabilized based on a threshold time;
determining an amount of fuel added at a fueling location, wherein the fueling location is able to communicate with a first computing device; and

sending, over a network to a second computing device, a communication indicating the amount of fuel added at the fueling location, wherein the second computing device is configured to determine whether to generate a notification based on the amount of fuel indicated in the communication and based on a message from the first computing device,
wherein determining the amount of fuel added comprises:
obtaining, from the sensor, a first value indicative of the fuel level in the vehicle before determining the fuel level is increasing;
obtaining, from the sensor, a second value indicative of the fuel level in the vehicle after the fuel level has stabilized; and
determining the amount of fuel added based on calibration information, the first value, and the second value.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein determining that the fuel level of the vehicle is increasing further comprises:
obtaining, from the sensor, the first value indicative of the fuel level in the vehicle;
obtaining, from the sensor, a third value indicative of the fuel level in the vehicle; and
at least partially based on a comparison of the first value with the third value, determining that the fuel level of the vehicle is increasing.

3. The system as recited in claim 2 , wherein the sensor is an ammeter, the operations further comprising:
obtaining, as the first value, a first current value indicative of a first resistance value for a variable resistor associated with a fuel gauge;
obtaining as the third value, a second current value indicative of a second resistance value for the variable resistor; and
determining that the fuel level is increasing based on determining at least one of:
a difference between the first current value and the second current value, or
a difference between the first resistance value and the second resistance value.

4. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein determining that the fuel level has stabilized based on a threshold time further comprises:
obtaining, from the sensor, a third value indicative of the fuel level in the vehicle;
obtaining, from the sensor, a fourth value indicative of the fuel level in the vehicle; and
determining that a difference between the third value and the fourth value is less than a threshold amount;
waiting for the threshold time;
obtaining, from the sensor, the second value indicative of the fuel level in the vehicle; and
determining that a difference between the second value and at least one of the third value or the fourth value is less than the threshold amount.

5. The system as recited in claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
receiving the calibration information in advance, the calibration information based at least partially on a configuration of a fuel tank and a variable resistor associated with a fuel gauge for a model of the vehicle.

6. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the fuel includes at least one of gasoline, diesel fuel, liquefied petroleum, compressed natural gas, ethanol, hydrogen, or biofuel; and
the second computing device is configured to compare an amount of fuel indicated in the message received from the first computing device with the amount of fuel indicated in the communication for determining a difference, and based on the difference being greater than a threshold amount, generate a notification.

7. A method comprising:
determining, by a processor associated with a vehicle, based at least partially on information from a sensor associated with the vehicle, that a fuel level of the vehicle is increasing;
determining that the fuel level has stabilized based on a threshold time;
determining an amount of fuel added at a fueling location, wherein the fueling location is able to communicate with a first computing device; and
sending, over a wireless network, to a second computing device, a communication indicating the amount of fuel added at the fueling location, the communication causing, at least in part, the second computing device to determine whether to generate a notification based on the amount of fuel indicated in the communication and based on a message from the first computing device, wherein:
the fuel includes at least one of gasoline, diesel fuel, liquefied petroleum, compressed natural gas, ethanol, hydrogen, biofuel, or electricity; and
the second computing device is configured to compare an amount of fuel indicated in the message from the first computing device with the amount of fuel indicated in the communication for determining a difference, and based on the difference being greater than a threshold amount, generate a notification.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein determining that the fuel level of the vehicle is increasing comprises:
obtaining, from the sensor, a first value indicative of the fuel level in the vehicle;
obtaining, from the sensor, a second value indicative of the fuel level in the vehicle; and
at least partially based on a comparison of the first value with the second value, determining that the fuel level of the vehicle is increasing.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 , wherein the fuel is a liquid and the sensor is an ammeter, the operations further comprising:
obtaining, as the first value, a first current value indicative of a first resistance value for a variable resistor associated with a fuel gauge;
obtaining as the second value, a second current value indicative of a second resistance value for the variable resistor; and
determining that the fuel level is increasing based on determining at least one of:
a difference between the first current value and the second current value, or
a difference between the first resistance value and the second resistance value.

10. The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein determining that the fuel level has stabilized based on a threshold time comprises:
obtaining, from the sensor, a first value indicative of the fuel level in the vehicle;
obtaining, from the sensor, a second value indicative of the fuel level in the vehicle; and
determining that a difference between the first value and the second value is less than a threshold amount;
waiting for the threshold time;
obtaining, from the sensor, a third value indicative of the fuel level in the vehicle; and
determining that a difference between the third value and at least one of the first value or the second value is less than the threshold amount.

11. The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the fuel is a liquid and determining the amount of fuel added comprises:
obtaining, from the sensor, a first value indicative of the fuel level in the vehicle before determining the fuel level is increasing;
obtaining, from the sensor, a second value indicative of the fuel level in the vehicle after the fuel level has stabilized; and
determining the amount of fuel added based on calibration information, the first value, and the second value.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving the calibration information in advance, the calibration information b

Assignees

• Hitachi Ltd

Inventors

• SHETTY Sanketh Dinakara
• Phatak Sujit
• Chen Heming

Classifications

• G01F23/24

  by measuring variations of resistance of resistors due to contact with conductor fluid · CPC title

• G06Q20/102 Primary

  Bill distribution or payments · CPC title

• G01F9/001

  with electric, electro-mechanic or electronic means (G01F9/008 and G01F9/02 take precedence) · CPC title

• G06Q20/20 Primary

  Point-of-sale [POS] network systems · CPC title

• G07F13/025

  wherein the volume is determined during delivery · CPC title