Systems and methods for low power consumption fuel level indication
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsJoseph Thomas, Ross Dykstra Pursifull, Michael Uhrich
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems are provided for determining a fuel level of a fuel tank. In one example, a method may include transiently powering a fuel level sensor responsive to a fuel tank refilling event to obtain a fuel level measurement, maintaining the fuel level sensor unpowered after obtaining the fuel level measurement, and, while maintaining the fuel level sensor unpowered, inferring the fuel level based the obtained fuel tank fuel level measurement and an amount of fuel consumed since the obtained fuel level measurement. In this way, electrical power consumption by the fuel level sensor is reduced while a fuel level indication is provided.
Claims9
A method, comprising:
- recording a first fuel level measurement of a fuel tank based on output of a fuel level sensor at a first time;
- in response to the first fuel level measurement being less than a full fuel level, inferring a fuel level of the fuel tank based on the first fuel level measurement without additional output from the fuel level sensor until the inferred fuel level is less than a threshold;
- and
- in response to the first fuel level measurement indicating the full fuel level,
- recording a second fuel level measurement of the fuel tank based on the output of the fuel level sensor at a second time, the second time determined based on an amount of fuel added to the fuel tank during a refueling event and a most recent fuel level recorded prior to the refueling event;
- and
- inferring the fuel level based on the second fuel level measurement and not the first fuel level measurement and without additional output from the fuel level sensor until the inferred fuel level is less than the threshold.
A method, comprising:
- following a refueling event, recording a first fuel level measurement of a fuel tank based on output of a fuel level sensor at a first time;
- in response to the first fuel level measurement being less than a full fuel level, inferring a fuel level of the fuel tank based on the first fuel level measurement without additional output from the fuel level sensor until the inferred fuel level is less than a threshold;
- and
- in response to the first fuel level measurement indicating the full fuel level,
- determining a remeasurement delay based on an amount of fuel added to the fuel tank during the refueling event and a most recent fuel level recorded prior to the refueling event;
- recording a second fuel level measurement of the fuel tank based on the output of the fuel level sensor at a second time that is after the remeasurement delay;
- and
- inferring the fuel level based on the second fuel level measurement and not the first fuel level measurement and without additional output from the fuel level sensor until the inferred fuel level is less than the threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.