Gas filling system and vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10371587-B2
Application number	US-201314389883-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2013
Priority date	Apr 26, 2012
Publication date	Aug 6, 2019
Grant date	Aug 6, 2019

Abstract

The gas filling system includes: a vehicle that includes a tank and a first communication instrument; and a gas station that includes a second communication instrument. The vehicle includes: a first temperature sensor that acquires temperature information of the gas stored in the tank; a second temperature sensor that acquires temperature information outside the tank; and a controller. The controller permits transmission of the temperature information of the first temperature sensor to the second communication instrument on the condition that the absolute value of a difference between an indicated value of the first temperature sensor and an indicated value of the second temperature sensor is smaller than or equal to a predetermined value, and prohibits transmission of the temperature information of the first temperature sensor to the second communication instrument on the condition that the absolute value of the difference is larger than the predetermined value.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gas filling system comprising:
a vehicle that includes a tank, a receptacle, and a first communication instrument, the tank being able to contain high-pressure gas and being constituted by single or multiple tanks; and
a gas station that includes a nozzle, a controller that is configured to control spray of the nozzle and a second communication instrument that receives a signal that is transmitted from the first communication instrument, and that feeds the gas to the tank, wherein
the vehicle includes
a first temperature sensor that acquires temperature information of the gas stored in a body portion of the tank;
a second temperature sensor that acquires temperature information outside the body portion of the tank; and
a controller that includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and a determination unit, the controller is configured to:
calculate a difference between an indicated value of the first temperature sensor and an indicated value of the second temperature sensor;
determine whether the absolute value of the difference is larger than a predetermined value;
permit transmission of the temperature information, acquired by the first temperature sensor, from the first communication instrument to the second communication instrument on the condition that the absolute value of the difference is smaller than or equal to the predetermined value and the determination unit permits the gas station to carry out communication fueling,
wherein carrying out communication fueling means the controller in the vehicle and the controller in the station start the process of charging the high pressure gas to the tank through the nozzle and the receptacle while carrying communication via the communication instrument of the vehicle and the communication instrument in the station,
wherein the determination unit prohibits transmission of the temperature information, acquired by the first temperature sensor, from the first communication instrument to the second communication instrument on the condition that the absolute value of the difference between the indicated value of the first temperature sensor and the indicated value of the second temperature sensor is larger than the predetermined value, and
wherein the second temperature sensor is provided at a position in a valve connected to one end of the body portion of the one of the tanks, where the second temperature sensor is outside a passage in the valve through which the gas flows.

2. The gas filling system according to claim 1 , wherein the second temperature sensor is an ambient temperature sensor for acquiring temperature information of an ambient temperature.

3. The gas filling system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to
estimate a drift amount of the first temperature sensor on the condition that the absolute value of the difference is larger than the predetermined value;
correct the temperature information of the first temperature sensor by using the estimated drift amount; and
permit transmission of the corrected temperature information, from the first communication instrument to the second communication instrument even when the absolute value of the difference is larger than the predetermined value.

4. A gas filling system comprising:
a vehicle that includes a receptacle, multiple tanks and a first communication instrument, the multiple tanks being able to contain high-pressure gas and including a first tank and a second tank; and
a gas station that includes a nozzle, a controller that is configured to control spray of the nozzle and a second communication instrument that receives a signal that is transmitted from the first communication instrument, and that feeds the gas to the multiple tanks, wherein
the vehicle includes
a first temperature sensor that acquires temperature information of the gas stored in a body portion of the first tank;
a second temperature sensor that acquires temperature information of the gas stored in a body portion of the second tank; and
a controller that includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and a determination unit, the controller is configured to:
calculate a difference between an indicated value of the first temperature sensor and an indicated value of the second temperature sensor;
determine whether the absolute value of the difference is larger than a predetermined value;
estimate a drift amount of the first temperature sensor on the condition that the absolute value of the difference is larger than the predetermined value;
correct the temperature information of the first temperature sensor by using the estimated drift amount;
permit transmission of the temperature information, acquired by the first temperature sensor, from the first communication instrument to the second communication instrument on the condition that the absolute value of the difference is smaller than or equal to the predetermined value and the determination unit permits the gas station to carry out communication fueling,
wherein carrying out communication fueling means the controller in the vehicle and the controller in the station start the process of charging the high pressure gas to the tank through the nozzle and the receptacle while carrying out communication via the communication instrument of the vehicle and the communication instrument in the station,
wherein the determination unit prohibits transmission of the temperature information, acquired by the first temperature sensor, from the first communication instrument to the second communication instrument on the condition that the absolute value of the difference is larger than the predetermined value, and
wherein the determination unit permits transmission of the corrected temperature information, from the first communication instrument to the second communication instrument even when the absolute value of the difference is larger than the predetermined value.

5. A vehicle comprising:
a first communication instrument;
a receptacle;
a tank that is able to contain high-pressure gas that is supplied from a gas station including a nozzle, a controller that is configured to control spray of the nozzle and a second communication instrument that receives a signal from the first communication instrument, the tank being constituted by single or multiple tanks;
a first temperature sensor that acquires temperature information of the gas stored in a body portion of the tank;
a second temperature sensor that acquires temperature information outside the body portion of the tank;
a controller that includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and a determination unit, the controller is configured to:
calculate a difference between an indicated value of the first temperature sensor and an indicated value of the second temperature sensor;
determine whether the absolute value of the difference is larger than a predetermined value;
permit transmission of the temperature information, acquired by the first temperature sensor, from the first communication instrument to the second communication instrument on the condition that the absolute value of the difference is smaller than or equal to the predetermined value and the determination unit permits the gas station to carry out communication fueling, and
wherein carrying out communication fueling means the controller in the vehicle and the controller in the station start the process of charging the high pressure gas to the tank through the nozzle and the receptacle while carrying out communication via the communication instrument of the vehicle and the communication instrument in the station,
wherein the determination unit prohibits transmission of the temperature information, acquired by the first temperature sensor, from the first communication instrument to the second communication instrument on the condition that

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Komiya Kenji
• Yoshida Kousei

Classifications

• B60K2015/03019

  Filling of gas tanks · CPC title

• F17C2205/0326

  electrically actuated · CPC title

• F17C2250/0636

  Flow or movement of content · CPC title

• F17C2250/034

  using wireless transmissions · CPC title

• F17C2221/035

  Propane butane, e.g. LPG, GPL · CPC title