Apparatus for identifying fluid of a removable fluid container and method of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10662835-B2
Application number	US-201816194318-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2018
Priority date	May 21, 2014
Publication date	May 26, 2020
Grant date	May 26, 2020

Abstract

An apparatus comprising: an identity determiner configured to determine an identity of a removable fluid container; a characteristic determiner configured to obtain a first characteristic based on testing the fluid of the fluid container; a data obtainer configured to obtain a second characteristic based on the identity; and a processor configured to control a fluid provider to provide fluid from the removable fluid container based on the comparison of the first characteristic and the second characteristic.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
an identity determiner configured to determine an identity of a fluid container removed from a vehicle;
a characteristic determiner configured to obtain a first characteristic based on testing the fluid of the fluid container;
a data obtainer configured to obtain a second characteristic based on the identity;
a fluid provider configured to extract fluid from the fluid container; and
a processor configured to compare the first characteristic and the second characteristic, and to control the fluid provider to extract fluid from the fluid container based on the comparison of the first characteristic and the second characteristic.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic determiner is configured to test the fluid in the fluid container so as to determine the first characteristic of the fluid of the fluid container.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic determiner is configured to determine the first characteristic via an interface of the fluid container.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the data obtainer is configured to obtain the second characteristic from a data store based on the identity.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the identity determiner is configured to read a machine readable marker carried by the container to determine the identity of the removable fluid container.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the identity determiner is configured to read data of a data store to determine the identity of the removable fluid container.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second characteristic comprises an operational history of a vehicle during the time period the fluid container was installed in the vehicle.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second characteristic comprises at least one of the amount, temperature, pressure, viscosity, viscosity index, density, electrical resistance, dielectric constant, opacity, chemical composition and origin of the fluid in the fluid container.

9. An apparatus comprising:
an identity determiner configured to determine an identity of a removable fluid container;
a characteristic determiner configured to obtain a first characteristic based on data carried by the removable fluid container;
a data obtainer configured to obtain a second characteristic based on the identity;
a fluid provider configured to extract fluid from the removable fluid container;
and a processor configured to compare the first characteristic and the second characteristic, and to control the fluid provider to extract fluid from the removable fluid container based on the comparison of the first characteristic and the second characteristic.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the characteristic determiner is configured to determine the first characteristic via an interface of the removable fluid container.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the identity determiner is configured to read a machine readable marker carried by the container to determine the identity of the removable fluid container.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the identity determiner is configured to read data of a data store to determine the identity of the removable fluid container.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the second characteristic comprises an operational history of a vehicle during the time period the removable fluid container was installed in the vehicle.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the second characteristic comprises at least one of the amount, temperature, pressure, viscosity, viscosity index, density, electrical resistance, dielectric constant, opacity, chemical composition and origin of the fluid in the fluid container.

15. An apparatus comprising:
an identity determiner configured to determine an identity of a fluid container;
a characteristic determiner configured to obtain a first characteristic based on data stored remotely from the fluid container;
a data obtainer configured to obtain a second characteristic based on the identity;
a fluid provider configured to extract fluid from the fluid container;
and a processor configured to compare the first characteristic and the second characteristic, and to control the fluid provider to extract fluid from the removable fluid container based on the comparison of the first characteristic and the second characteristic.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the characteristic determiner is configured to send a network message to a remote device to obtain the first characteristic.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the network message comprises the identity.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the identity determiner is configured to read data of a data store to determine the identity of the removable fluid container.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the second characteristic comprises an operational history of a vehicle during the time period the removable fluid container was installed in the vehicle.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the second characteristic comprises at least one of the amount, temperature, pressure, viscosity, viscosity index, density, electrical resistance, dielectric constant, opacity, chemical composition and origin of the fluid in the removable fluid container.

Assignees

• Castrol Ltd

Inventors

• Andersen Jens
• Goodier Steven Paul
• Hellman Hanna
• Leeson Andrea

Classifications

• F16N37/00

  Equipment for transferring lubricant from one container to another · CPC title

• F01M2011/0095

  Supplementary oil tank · CPC title

• F16N2250/34

  Transparency; Light; Photo sensor · CPC title

• F16N2200/12

  Viscosity · CPC title

• F01M2011/0483

  with a lubricant cartridge for facilitating the change · CPC title