Method for calibrating a display of a filling level

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10436628-B2
Application number	US-201715805260-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2017
Priority date	Nov 21, 2016
Publication date	Oct 8, 2019
Grant date	Oct 8, 2019

Abstract

A method for adaptive calibration of a fuel level indicator of a filling level of a liquid in a tank accompanying operations. A filling level of the liquid is detected with a sensor arrangement. A sensor signal of the arrangement is provided during a movement of the vehicle. In case that the course of the sensor signal is obtained in a respective defined time interval in which the sensor signal is provided several times, a constant value is assumed, an end stop is detected. The respective time intervals at which the end stops were detected and the respective associated constant values are stored. A minimum number of end stop is defined for the tank, and in the case that the minimum number of end stops is reached, a calibration phase is carried out.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for carrying out an adaptive calibration of a fuel level indicator of a filling level of a liquid accompanying the operations in a tank of a vehicle, comprising:
detecting a filling level of the liquid is detected with a sensor arrangement, wherein a sensor signal of the sensor arrangement has a periodic course during the movement of the vehicle, wherein in the case that the course of the sensor signal occurs in a respective defined time interval in which the sensor signal is provided several times, a constant value is assumed, and an end stop is detected, wherein the respective time intervals at which the end stops are detected are stored as the respectively associated constant values, wherein a minimum number of end stops is defined for the tank, wherein in the case that the minimum number of end stops is reached, a calibration phase is carried out, in which the constant values resulting from the end stops are statistically evaluated; and
calibrating the display of the filling level utilizing these values.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the filling level of the liquid is detected with a sensor arrangement, which includes a float as at least one component which swims on the surface of the liquid, wherein the resulting sensor signal is provided by the sensor arrangement from a position of the float inside the tank, wherein the sensor signal is provided with a periodic course during a movement of the vehicle, and wherein in the case that the float touches an inner wall of the tank, an end stop is caused on the inner wall.

3. The method according to claim 1 , which is carried out at least for one end region filling level, wherein a first end region corresponds to an empty region of the filling level when the constant values of the course of the sensor signal are less than a definable minimum value, wherein a second end region corresponds to a full region of the filling level when the constant values of the course of the sensor signal are more than a definable maximum value, wherein at least one calibration phase is carried out for each end region.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein an average value is calculated from all the constant values that have resulted in end stops, and is used for a calibration value.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of value windows is defined for the constant values which cover a region of the filling level, wherein each value window is limited by a maximum value and by a minimum value, wherein a reference value is assigned to each value window, wherein each respective detected end stop is assigned to a value window based on the constant value that is assigned to it, and wherein as a calibration value is used the reference value of the value window in which most constant values occur.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a frequency and an amplitude of the course of the sensor signal are used to identify an end stop.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the calibration value is updated after each performed calibration.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the calibration value is used as an offset for the fuel level indicator, wherein the value of the filling level indicated by the fuel level indicator results from the value of the sensor signal that has been detected by the sensor arrangement, plus or minus the offset.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein an original calibration value is determined based on a known amount of liquid in the tank.

10. The method according to claim 1 , which is carried out for a tank which can be filled with a liquid that is consumed during the operation of the vehicle and with which the tank is refilled.

Assignees

• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Klimesch Michael

Classifications

• G01F23/30

  by floats · CPC title

• G01F23/56 Primary

  using elements rigidly fixed to, and rectilinearly moving with, the floats as transmission elements · CPC title

• G01F23/32

  using rotatable arms or other pivotable transmission elements · CPC title

• G01F23/0076

  Physics · mapped topic

• G01F25/0069 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic