Vehicle fuel volume estimation systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11549840-B2
Application number	US-202017037854-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2020
Priority date	Sep 30, 2020
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

Vehicle fuel volume estimation systems and methods are provided herein. An example method includes determining a fuel level percentage value for a vehicle, determining a vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle, determining a fuel tank part number using the VIN, converting the fuel level percentage value into a fuel volume value based on the fuel tank part number, and transmitting a message to a recipient, the message that includes the fuel volume value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
determining a fuel level percentage value for a vehicle;
determining a vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle;
determining a fuel tank part number using the VIN by at least:
obtaining a first mapping table that comprises VIN numbers in association with fuel tank part numbers; and
selecting, from the first mapping table and based on the VIN of the vehicle, the fuel tank part number;

converting the fuel level percentage value into a fuel volume value based on the fuel tank part number by at least:
obtaining a second mapping table that comprises fuel tank part numbers in association with fuel tank models;
selecting, from the second mapping table and based on the fuel tank part number, a fuel tank model, wherein the fuel tank model comprises nonlinear correlations between fuel level percentages values and fuel volume values; and
mapping the fuel level percentage value to the fuel volume level using the nonlinear correlations; and

transmitting a message to a recipient, the message comprising the fuel volume value.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the nonlinear correlations by:
introducing a known volume of fuel into a fuel tank of the vehicle, the fuel tank correlating to the fuel tank part number; and
identifying the fuel level percentage value based on the known volume of fuel.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising determining fuel tank parameters of the fuel tank based on the fuel tank part number.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein transmitting comprises streaming the fuel volume value to the recipient over an application programming interface.

5. A vehicle controller, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory for storing instructions, the processor executing the instructions to:
determine a fuel level percentage value for a fuel tank of a vehicle;
determine a vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle;
determine a fuel tank part number using the VIN by at least:
obtaining a first mapping table that comprises VIN numbers in association with fuel tank part numbers; and
selecting, from the first mapping table and based on the VIN of the vehicle, the fuel tank part number;

determine a fuel tank model using the fuel tank part number by at least:
obtaining a second mapping table that comprises fuel tank part numbers in association with fuel tank models; and
selecting, from the second mapping table and based on the fuel tank part number, the fuel tank model for the fuel tank part number of the vehicle,

wherein the fuel tank model comprises nonlinear correlations between fuel level percentages values and fuel volume values;
convert the fuel level percentage value into a fuel volume value using the fuel tank model by at least mapping the fuel level percentage value to the fuel volume level using the nonlinear correlations; and
transmit the fuel level percentage value to a recipient.

6. The vehicle controller to claim 5 , wherein the processor executes the instructions to determine the nonlinear correlations between the fuel level percentage value and the fuel volume values for the fuel tank models by:
introducing a known volume of fuel into the fuel tank of the vehicle, the fuel tank correlating to the fuel tank part number; and
identifying the fuel level percentage value based on the known volume of fuel.

7. The vehicle controller according to claim 6 , wherein the processor executes the instructions to determine fuel tank parameters of the fuel tank based on the fuel tank part number.

8. The vehicle controller according to claim 5 , wherein the fuel level percentage value is transmitted over an application programming interface in real-time.

9. A system, comprising:
a vehicle controller having a processor; and
a memory for storing instructions, the processor executing the instructions to:
determine a fuel level percentage value for a fuel tank of a vehicle;
determine a vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle; and

a service provider having a processor; and a memory for storing instructions, the processor executing the instructions to:
receive the fuel level percentage value and the VIN;
determine a fuel tank part number using the VIN by at least:
obtaining a first mapping table that comprises VIN numbers in association with fuel tank part numbers; and
selecting, from the first mapping table and based on the VIN of the vehicle, the fuel tank part number;

convert the fuel level percentage value into a fuel volume value based on the fuel tank part number by at least:
obtaining a second mapping table that comprises fuel tank part numbers in association with fuel tank models;
selecting, from the second mapping table and based on the fuel tank part number, a fuel tank model, wherein the fuel tank model comprises nonlinear correlations between fuel level percentages values and fuel volume values; and
mapping the fuel level percentage value to the fuel volume level using the nonlinear correlations; and

transmit a message to a recipient, the message comprising the fuel volume value.

10. The system to claim 9 , wherein the service provider is configured to determine the nonlinear correlations between the fuel level percentage value and the fuel volume values for the fuel tank models by:
introducing a known volume of fuel into the fuel tank of the vehicle, the fuel tank correlating to the fuel tank part number; and
identifying the fuel level percentage value based on an addition of the known amount of fuel.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the service provider is configured to determine fuel tank parameters of the fuel tank based on the fuel tank part number, and wherein the fuel level percentage value is transmitted by the service provider to a rental service over an application programming interface in real-time.

12. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the recipient comprises a vehicle rental service.

13. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the vehicle transits the fuel level percentage value and the VIN to an Internet-of-Things (IOT) hub that forwards the fuel level percentage value and the VIN to the service provider.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Bulat Ben
• Park Hyongju
• Gordon Richard
• Babila Arnold

Classifications

• B60K2015/03361

  for checking the quality or quantity of fuel during filling of fuel tank · CPC title

• B60K2015/0319

  with electronic systems, e.g. for controlling fuelling or venting · CPC title

• B60K2015/03197

  Systems for exchanging data · CPC title

• G16Y20/30

  relating to resources, e.g. consumed power · CPC title

• B60K15/03 Primary

  Fuel tanks · CPC title