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US 2014/0277920 A1Published application
Apparatus and method for preventing a vehicle from running out of fuel
AssigneeFirst Principles, Inc.
InventorKeith A. Raniere
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for use with a motor vehicle to simulate fuel loss to encourage early refueling to prevent stranding. The apparatus may cause stumbling and hesitation by interrupting various engine management systems to simulate low fuel in the tank by cutting either spark or fuel momentarily or applying the brakes.
Claims20
An apparatus to simulate fuel loss to a motor comprising:
- a fuel level monitor;
- and
- a device in communication with said monitor, wherein said device simulates fuel loss conditions when said monitor measures fuel to be at a predetermined fuel level.
A device for imitating the effect of fuel loss to an engine comprising:
- a sensor wherein said sensor measures a volume of fuel present in a fuel tank;
- a microprocessor in communication with said sensor wherein said microprocessor is activated when the fuel volume measured by said sensor reaches a predetermined value;
- a speaker in communication with said microprocessor, said speaker with an audible output simulating engine fuel loss;
- and
- a fuel gauge in communication with said microprocessor wherein said fuel gauge is adjusted to display that said fuel tank is empty when the volume of fuel present is below said predetermined value.
2 more elements
A method for simulating the effect of a motor vehicle running out of fuel comprising:
- providing a device in communication with a motor vehicle, having an engine and a fuel level sensor;
- and
- simulating fuel starvation with said device to said engine at a predetermined fuel level to encourage refueling.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.