Engine heating control assembly
AssigneeEnergy Insight Technologies LLC
InventorRobert Springer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for use with a block heater connected to an engine for pre-start heating of the engine. The system includes a power source, a relay assembly coupled to the power source, a temperature sensor, and a controller. The relay assembly, when closed, electrically connects the power source to the block heater, to thereby energize the block heater to heat the engine. The temperature sensor senses an ambient temperature indicative of a temperature of the engine. The controller is programmed to selectively activate the relay assembly to energize the block heater such that the engine coupled to the block heater is heated from the sensed ambient temperature to a target temperature at approximately a target time.
Claims13
A system for pre-start heating of an engine by a heating element, the system comprising:
- a network server configured to host a graphical user interface;
- a computing device communicably coupled to the network server, wherein the computing device is configured to run the graphical user interface;
- the graphical user interface is configured to receive heating element control inputs of a target temperature and a target time at which the engine is to be heated to the target temperature;
- and
- a controller operably connected to the network server through a wireless network, wherein the controller is programmed to:
- determine an ambient temperature indicative of a temperature of the engine based on a temperature sensor;
- determine a heating duration for the heating element, the heating duration corresponding to a length of time required by the heating element to heat the engine from the ambient temperature to the target temperature, wherein the heating duration is determined based at least in part on the power of the heating element;
- determine whether the target temperature is reachable by the target time based on the determined heating duration;
- provide feedback via the graphical user interface in response to a determination that the target temperature is not reachable by the target time without activating or operating the heating element;
- and
- upon a determination that the target temperature is reachable by the target time, activate the heating element according to the heating duration and the target time, such that the engine does not reach the target temperature prior to the target time.
A method for pre-start heating of an engine by a heating element, wherein the heating element is communicably coupled, via a wireless network, to a network server, and wherein the network server is configured to host a graphical user interface, the method comprising:
- in a first iteration:
- receiving a first target temperature and a first target time at which the engine is to be heated to the first target temperature via the graphical user interface;
- determining a first ambient temperature indicative of a first temperature of the engine based on a temperature sensor;
- determining a first heating duration for the heating element, the first heating duration corresponding to a length of time required by the heating element to heat the engine from the first ambient temperature to the first target temperature, wherein the first heating duration is determined based at least in part on the power of the heating element;
- determining whether the first target temperature is reachable by the first target time according to the first determined heating duration;
- providing feedback via the graphical user interface in response to a determination that the first target temperature is not reachable by the first target time;
- and
- in a second iteration:
- receiving a second target temperature and a second target time at which the engine is to be heated to the second target temperature via the graphical user interface;
- determining a second ambient temperature indicative of a second temperature of the engine based on the temperature sensor;
- determining a second heating duration for the heating element, the second heating duration corresponding to a length of time required by the heating element to heat the engine from the second ambient temperature to the second target temperature, wherein the second heating duration is determined based at least in part on the power of the heating element;
- determining whether the second target temperature is reachable by the second target time according to the second determined heating duration;
- and
- activating, upon a determination that the second target temperature is reachable by the second target time, the heating element according to the second heating duration and the second target time, such that the engine does not reach the second target temperature prior to the second target time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.