Method and equipment for evaluating quality of engine oil

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and equipment for evaluating the quality of engine oil. The method comprises the following steps that an ultrasonic transmitter is used for transmitting ultrasonic waves to engine oil in an engine oil tank, and an ultrasonic receiver is used for receiving ultrasonic wave echoes penetrating through the engine oil; measuring an amplitude peak value of the ultrasonic echo; solving a deviation value between the measured amplitude peak value and an amplitude peak value reference value; and comparing the deviation value with a corresponding threshold value and evaluating the engine oil quality according to a comparison result. By means of the method and device for evaluating the engine oil quality, the quality state of the engine oil can be automatically, conveniently, rapidly, reliably and accurately mastered in real time, a user is reminded to replace the engine oil in time when it is automatically judged that the engine oil needs to be replaced, and therefore the adverse effect of degraded engine oil on an engine is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of engine oil detection, and more specifically relates to a method and device for evaluating engine oil quality. Background Art

[0002] The engine is the heart of modern motor vehicles such as cars and motorcycles, and engine oil, as the main medium for lubrication and heat dissipation, is the blood of the vehicle and plays an important role in the operation of the engine. For example, when there is rapid relative sliding between parts such as pistons and cylinders, spindles and bearings, engine oil can create an oil film between the two sliding surfaces to prevent parts from wearing out too quickly, and can bring heat back to the oil tank (such as the engine oil pan) or dissipate it into the air to help the water tank cool the engine. It can also bring carbides, sludge, and wear metal particles on the engine parts back to the oil tank through circulation through engine oil, and wash away dirt on the working surface of parts, etc.

[0003] Engine oil will deteriorate with use, and if the engine is idle for a long time or used at overload without mileage counting, the deterioration of the engine oil will be aggravated. If the engine oil is not replaced in time, the aggravated deterioration of the engine oil will directly affect the functions and performance of the engine, and even cause irreversible damage to the engine.

[0004] Currently, most vehicles use an oil dipstick to measure the oil level or amount in the oil tank, and users can only roughly judge the degree of oil deterioration by visually inspecting the small amount of oil brought out by the oil dipstick, or perform regular oil changes based on engine type and performance or oil type or usage, but the timing of such changes may not match the actual degree of oil deterioration or actual quality.

[0005] In addition, measuring the oil level through the oil dipstick will inevitably lead to the engine being not sealed as a whole, and foreign matter will enter the oil tank through the oil dipstick installation hole or during the oil level check, contaminating the oil. Summary of the invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and / or other defects in the prior art.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for evaluating engine oil quality is provided, comprising the following steps: using an ultrasonic transmitter to transmit ultrasonic waves to the engine oil in an engine oil tank and using an ultrasonic receiver to receive ultrasonic echoes after passing through the engine oil; measuring the peak amplitude of the ultrasonic echo; calculating the deviation value between the measured peak amplitude and a reference amplitude peak value; and comparing the deviation value with a corresponding threshold value and evaluating the engine oil quality based on the comparison result.

[0008] According to an exemplary embodiment, the step of measuring the amplitude peak value of the ultrasonic echo may include: measuring multiple corresponding amplitude peak values ​​of the ultrasonic echo at multiple different engine oil temperatures; the step of obtaining the deviation value between the measured amplitude peak value and the amplitude peak value reference value may include: respectively calculating multiple differences between the multiple amplitude peak values ​​and the corresponding multiple amplitude peak value reference values, and calculating the weighted average of the multiple differences as the deviation value.

[0009] According to an exemplary embodiment, the multiple different engine oil temperatures can be in the range of 20 to 110 degrees Celsius and include a normal operating oil temperature above 70 degrees Celsius and below 90 degrees Celsius; the normal operating oil temperature can be assigned the highest weight when calculating the weighted average of the multiple differences.

[0010] According to an exemplary embodiment, the multiple different engine oil temperatures may be T1=30°C, T2=50°C, T3=70°C, T4=80°C, and the weighted average value Δ is calculated by the formula Δ=a|PL1-P1|+b|PL2-P2|+c|PL3-P3|+d|PL4-P4|, wherein a, b, c, d are weights at the multiple different engine oil temperatures T1, T2, T3, T4, respectively, P1, P2, P3, P4 are respectively the multiple amplitude peak values ​​measured at the multiple different engine oil temperatures, and PL1, PL2, PL3, PL4 are respectively the multiple amplitude peak reference values ​​corresponding to each of the multiple amplitude peak values.

[0011] According to an exemplary embodiment, the weights at the plurality of different engine oil temperatures T1 , T2 , T3 , T4 may be a=0.1, b=0.2, c=0.2, and d=0.5.

[0012] According to an exemplary embodiment, the step of comparing the deviation value with a corresponding threshold and evaluating the engine oil quality according to the comparison result may include: if the deviation value is greater than the corresponding threshold, determining that the engine oil quality is unqualified and issuing a warning signal.

[0013] Another aspect of the present invention provides a device for evaluating the quality of engine oil, comprising: an ultrasonic transmitter, an ultrasonic receiver and an evaluation module, wherein the ultrasonic transmitter is configured to transmit ultrasonic waves to the engine oil in the engine oil box; the ultrasonic receiver is configured to receive ultrasonic echoes after passing through the engine oil; the evaluation module is communicatively connected to the ultrasonic receiver and comprises: a measuring unit configured to measure the peak amplitude of the ultrasonic echo; a calculating unit configured to calculate the deviation value between the measured peak amplitude and a reference amplitude value; and an evaluating unit configured to compare the deviation value with a corresponding threshold value and evaluate the quality of the engine oil based on the comparison result.

[0014] According to an exemplary embodiment, the ultrasonic transmitter and the ultrasonic receiver may be constructed as an integrated transceiver ultrasonic level sensor, and the ultrasonic level sensor may be disposed at the bottom of an engine oil sump and configured to transmit ultrasonic waves toward the oil level in the engine oil sump and receive ultrasonic echoes reflected by the oil level.

[0015] Yet another aspect of the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon. The computer program includes executable instructions. When the executable instructions are executed by a processor, the method according to any one of the configurations described above is implemented.

[0016] Yet another aspect of the present invention provides an electronic device, comprising: a processor; and a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to execute the executable instructions to implement a method according to any one of the configurations described above.

[0017] According to the method and device for evaluating the quality of engine oil according to the present invention, an ultrasonic transmitter is used to transmit ultrasonic waves to the engine oil in the engine oil box, and an ultrasonic receiver is used to receive ultrasonic echoes after passing through the engine oil. Because the ultrasonic wave will absorb part of its energy by impurities in the engine oil when passing through the engine oil, the more impurities in the engine oil, that is, the higher the degree of deterioration of the engine oil, the lower the energy of the ultrasonic echo. The peak amplitude of the ultrasonic wave is an important measure of ultrasonic energy. In the present invention, the peak amplitude of the ultrasonic echo can be measured at any time and the deviation between the peak amplitude and the peak amplitude reference value (for example, the peak amplitude of the ultrasonic echo received after passing through brand new engine oil) can be calculated. The deviation value can reflect the difference in the degree of deterioration of the current engine oil relative to the reference engine oil (such as brand new engine oil), and the degree of deterioration or quality of the current engine oil can be accurately evaluated based on this. Compared with the prior art method of sampling the oil and roughly estimating the oil quality by visual inspection, the present invention can grasp the quality status of the oil in real time in an automatic, convenient, fast, reliable and accurate manner, and remind the user to replace the oil in time when it is automatically determined that the oil needs to be replaced, thereby avoiding the adverse effects of deteriorated oil on the engine. In addition, the method and device for evaluating the oil quality by ultrasound in the present invention can also be combined with the measurement of the oil level by ultrasound, thereby eliminating the existing engine oil dipstick and the need to open an oil dipstick mounting hole on the engine, so that the engine can always be in a closed state, avoiding the situation in the prior art where foreign impurities enter the engine oil tank through the oil dipstick mounting hole and contaminate the oil. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The features and advantages of the present invention are described in detail below by way of non-limiting examples with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the drawings are only schematic and are not necessarily drawn to scale, and furthermore, they only show those parts necessary to illustrate the present invention, while other parts may be omitted or only briefly mentioned. That is, in addition to the parts or elements shown in the drawings, the present invention may also include other parts or elements.

[0019] In the attached picture:

[0020] Figure 1 is a flow chart of a method for evaluating engine oil quality according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary scenario in which the method for evaluating the quality of engine oil according to the present invention is applied;

[0022] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the peak amplitude of ultrasonic waves involved in a method for evaluating engine oil quality according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a device for evaluating engine oil quality according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0024] Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Below with reference to the accompanying drawings, exemplary embodiments according to the present invention are described in detail. In the following description, many specific details are set forth so that those skilled in the art can more fully understand the present invention. However, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the implementation of the present invention may not have some of these specific details. In addition, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments introduced. On the contrary, any combination of the features and elements described herein can be considered to implement the present invention, regardless of whether they relate to different embodiments. Therefore, the following aspects, features, embodiments and advantages are only for illustrative purposes and should not be regarded as elements or limitations of the claims, unless clearly stated in the claims.

[0026] Now refer to Figure 1, showing a flow chart of a method for evaluating the quality of engine oil according to an embodiment of the present invention. In a possible implementation, the method for evaluating the quality of engine oil according to the present invention may include: a step S110 of transmitting ultrasonic waves to the engine oil in the engine oil box by using an ultrasonic transmitter and receiving ultrasonic echoes after passing through the engine oil by using an ultrasonic receiver, a step S120 of measuring the peak amplitude of the ultrasonic echo, a step S130 of calculating the deviation value between the measured peak amplitude and the peak amplitude reference value, and a step S140 of comparing the deviation value with a corresponding threshold value and evaluating the quality of the engine oil according to the comparison result.

[0027] Combine the following Figure 2 The schematic diagram of the exemplary application scenario shown in the figure illustrates the above steps in detail. Figure 2 In the figure, the engine oil tank is in the form of a typical engine oil pan 5 (belonging to a wet oil pan system) (of course, it can also be in the form of another separate container), and the engine oil can be accumulated in the lower part of the engine oil pan 5 and has an oil level 4.

[0028] In step S110, ultrasonic waves are emitted and received by an ultrasonic transmitter and an ultrasonic receiver, respectively. The ultrasonic waves emitted from the ultrasonic transmitter to the engine oil will inevitably pass through the engine oil and then be received by the ultrasonic receiver. In the present invention, the ultrasonic waves received by the ultrasonic receiver after passing through the engine oil are referred to as "ultrasonic echoes".

[0029] exist Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, for example, the ultrasonic transmitter 1 and the ultrasonic receiver 2 may be arranged side by side at the bottom of the engine oil pan 5, and ultrasonic waves may be emitted from point A to point C on the engine oil level 4 by the ultrasonic transmitter 1, and ultrasonic echoes that have passed through the engine oil and reflected back by the engine oil level 4 may be received at point B by the ultrasonic receiver 2. In the illustrated embodiment, the ultrasonic transmitter 1 and the ultrasonic receiver 2 are constructed as an integrated transmitter-receiver design, for example, integrated into a dual-purpose ultrasonic sensor 3, which as a whole can both send ultrasonic waves and receive ultrasonic echoes. In this case, in fact, the positions of the ultrasonic transmitter 1 or point A for emitting ultrasonic waves and the ultrasonic receiver 2 or point B for receiving ultrasonic echoes may be very close or substantially coincident, and may be substantially on the same vertical line as the position of point C on the engine oil level 4. Figure 2 The ultrasonic transmitter 1 and the ultrasonic receiver 2 are shown relatively separately in the figure only for the purpose of showing their respective functions more clearly.

[0030] In some other embodiments, the ultrasonic transmitter 1 and the ultrasonic receiver 2 may also be designed in a split type, for example, in the form of a dedicated ultrasonic sensor. In this way, the ultrasonic transmitter 1 and the ultrasonic receiver 2 may be flexibly and separately arranged at positions far apart, so that the ultrasonic wave emitted from the ultrasonic transmitter 1 may directly reach the ultrasonic receiver 2 through the engine oil (for example, the ultrasonic transmitter 1 and the ultrasonic receiver 2 may be respectively arranged on two opposite side walls of the engine oil pan 5), or be reflected to the ultrasonic receiver 2 by means of a reflector (such as the engine oil level 4).

[0031] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the arrangement of the separate ultrasonic transmitter 1 and ultrasonic receiver 2 or the transceiver integrated ultrasonic sensor 3 is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but only requires that the ultrasonic wave emitted from the ultrasonic transmitter can penetrate the oil in the engine oil pan 5 in at least a portion of its propagation path and finally be received by the ultrasonic receiver. For example, the ultrasonic transmitter 1 and / or the ultrasonic receiver 2 or the ultrasonic sensor 3 is not limited to being arranged at the bottom of the engine oil pan 5, but may also be arranged above the oil level 4 in the engine oil pan 5.

[0032] The carbides, sludge and metal particles generated during the operation of the engine will be brought into the engine oil pan 5 through the oil circulation, forming impurities suspended in the oil and causing oil degradation. As long as the ultrasonic wave generated in step S110 passes through the oil, part of its energy will be absorbed by the impurities in the oil, resulting in a reduction in the energy of the ultrasonic echo that finally reaches the ultrasonic receiver 2, and the more impurities in the oil (or in other words, the higher the degree of oil degradation), the lower the energy of the ultrasonic echo. A typical parameter for measuring ultrasonic energy is the peak amplitude of the ultrasonic wave, so the present invention envisions reflecting the change in the energy of the ultrasonic echo by detecting the change in the peak amplitude of the ultrasonic echo, and thereby indirectly evaluating the change in the amount of impurities or the degree of degradation in the oil.

[0033] To this end, in step S120, the peak amplitude of the ultrasonic echo received by the ultrasonic receiver in step S110 is measured. This can be achieved, for example, by directly measuring or reading the peak amplitude of the electrical signal waveform after converting the ultrasonic echo into a corresponding electrical signal waveform. Figure 3The waveform diagrams of ultrasonic electrical signals obtained at two different times are shown, wherein (a) corresponds to the first time when the engine oil has just been replaced, for example, and (b) corresponds to the second time after the engine oil has been used for a period of time T. The parts encircled by small boxes in (a) and (b) represent the waveforms of ultrasonic echoes received by the piezoelectric ceramic of the same ultrasonic receiver at the first and second times, respectively, and their peak amplitudes are PL and PL', respectively. Since the deterioration degree or quality of the engine oil after the engine oil has been used for a period of time T is to be evaluated, it can be considered that PL' is the peak amplitude of the ultrasonic echo measured in step S120.

[0034] In step S130, the deviation between the peak amplitude value PL' and the peak amplitude value reference value is obtained based on the peak amplitude value PL' measured in step S120. The peak amplitude value reference value is a reference benchmark for evaluating the measured peak amplitude value PL', and is the peak amplitude value of the ultrasonic echo obtained by using the same ultrasonic transmission and reception method for engine oil with known deterioration state or quality; therefore, it is a known value determined in advance or given, and can be stored in advance in an appropriate location for easy reference when executing step S130. Typically, Figure 3 The peak amplitude PL of the ultrasonic echo corresponding to the brand new engine oil shown in Figure (a) can be used as the peak amplitude reference value. In this case, the deviation between the measured peak amplitude PL' and the peak amplitude reference value PL can reflect the degree of deterioration of the engine oil relative to the brand new state after it has been used for a period of time T from the brand new state just replaced. The peak amplitude reference value PL can be known in advance, for example, by testing the brand new engine oil, that is, emitting ultrasonic waves to the brand new engine oil and measuring the peak amplitude of its ultrasonic echo as the peak amplitude reference value PL. Those skilled in the art will understand that the peak amplitude of the ultrasonic echo corresponding to any engine oil with a known deterioration state or quality can be used as the peak amplitude reference value. For example, engine oils of any known quality such as 20%, 50%, 80% and the like with a deterioration degree can be calibrated in advance through experiments, and the peak amplitudes of their corresponding ultrasonic echoes can be measured as the peak amplitude reference values. Accordingly, the deviation value obtained in step S130 represents the degree of degradation of the engine oil to be evaluated relative to the engine oils of known quality (degradation degree of 20%, 50%, 80%, etc.). Incidentally, the new engine oil can be regarded as an engine oil of known quality with a degradation degree of 0%.

[0035] In step S140, the deviation value obtained in step S130 is compared with the corresponding threshold value, and the quality of the engine oil is evaluated based on the comparison result. The corresponding threshold value can also be a value that can be preset, for example, through experiments, and can be related to the above-mentioned amplitude peak reference value. For example, it can be assumed that the amplitude peak reference value adopts the above-mentioned amplitude peak value PL corresponding to the new engine oil, and the measured amplitude peak value corresponding to the engine oil that reaches the critical point of replacement (such as the degree of deterioration has reached 90%) is PL", then the above-mentioned threshold value can be set in advance as S=PL-PL". In a specific embodiment of step S140, when the deviation value is greater than the threshold value S, it indicates that the degree of deterioration of the engine oil to be evaluated relative to the new engine oil has exceeded the critical point of replacement, then it can be determined that the quality of the engine oil to be evaluated is unqualified. Furthermore, for example, a warning signal can be issued to inform the user that the engine oil needs to be replaced immediately. The warning signal can be a reminder in the form of sound, light, or a combination of sound and light, such as an alarm, a warning light, etc. In another embodiment, another value slightly smaller than the above-mentioned S value can also be used as the above-mentioned threshold value. In this case, if the deviation value in step S140 is greater than the threshold value, the quality of the engine oil to be evaluated may not be determined to be unqualified for the time being, but an audible and visual reminder signal may be issued to remind the user that the engine oil life is approaching the critical point for replacement and that preparations for oil replacement need to be made in advance.

[0036] It should be noted that the peak amplitude of the ultrasonic echo measured in step S120 will be affected by the oil temperature. This is because the viscosity of the oil is different at different temperatures, and thus the degree of absorption of ultrasonic waves is also different. In order to reduce the impact of the oil temperature on the oil quality assessment results, in a specific implementation of step S120, multiple corresponding amplitude peaks of the ultrasonic echo at multiple different oil temperatures can be measured. Accordingly, in step S130, multiple differences between these multiple amplitude peaks and the corresponding multiple amplitude peak reference values ​​are calculated respectively, and the weighted average of these multiple differences is calculated as the above-mentioned deviation value. In this way, the impact of different oil temperatures on the oil quality assessment results is fully considered, which can improve the assessment accuracy. According to the general working conditions of the oil, multiple different oil temperatures can be set, for example, in the range of 20 to 110 degrees Celsius.

[0037] When calculating the above-mentioned weighted average, the weights assigned to the multiple differences can be set with reference to the degree of influence of the temperature corresponding to the corresponding difference on the quality of the engine oil. For example, when the engine is in a normal or steady-state working state, the engine oil also reaches a normal working temperature generally higher than 70 degrees Celsius and lower than 90 degrees Celsius. In this normal working temperature range, the temperature of the engine oil is relatively high and the working time is the longest, so it is easier to deteriorate, which has a greater impact on the quality of the engine oil. Therefore, the highest weight can be assigned to the above-mentioned difference at the normal working temperature of the engine oil. In contrast, at room temperature or at a temperature when the engine is in an abnormal working state (for example, shortly after the engine is ignited, or after it has been turned off, or it is briefly raised to a very high temperature due to a short-term high load), the temperature of the engine oil is relatively low or the working duration is short, which has less impact on the quality of the engine oil. Therefore, relatively low weights can be assigned to the above-mentioned differences at these engine oil temperatures.

[0038] As a typical example, the multiple different oil temperatures may be T1=30°C, T2=50°C, T3=70°C, and T4=80°C, wherein T4=80°C is a typical normal working temperature of the oil, and the weighted average value Δ is calculated by the formula Δ=a|PL1-P1|+b|PL2-P2|+c|PL3-P3|+d|PL4-P4|, wherein a is the weight at the oil temperature T1=30°C, b is the weight at the oil temperature T2=50°C, c is the weight at the oil temperature T3=70°C, and d is the weight at the oil temperature T4=80°C. PL1 is the peak amplitude reference value used at the oil temperature T1=30°C, for example, PL1=65, and P1 is the peak amplitude actually measured at the oil temperature T1=30°C. PL2 is the peak amplitude reference value used when the oil temperature is T2 = 50°C. For example, PL2 = 100, P2 is the peak amplitude actually measured at the oil temperature T2 = 50°C. PL3 is the peak amplitude reference value used when the oil temperature is T3 = 70°C. For example, PL3 = 105, P3 is the peak amplitude actually measured at the oil temperature T3 = 70°C. PL4 is the peak amplitude reference value used when the oil temperature is T4 = 80°C. For example, PL4 = 110, P4 is the peak amplitude actually measured at the oil temperature T4 = 80°C.

[0039] In the above formula, considering the influence of different temperatures T1, T2, T3, and T4 on the quality of the engine oil, the following exemplary weights can be assigned to a, b, c, and d respectively: a=0.1, b=0.2, c=0.2, and d=0.5. It can be seen that the weight assigned to the normal working temperature T4 of the engine oil is the highest. The specific value of each weight can be set, for example, through experiments or experience.

[0040] In the above typical example, accordingly, in step S140, the calculated weighted average value Δ is used as the deviation value and compared with the corresponding threshold value, which can be set to 26.5, for example. During the evaluation, if Δ>26.5, it is determined that the engine oil quality does not meet the product requirements, and a warning signal is issued to remind the user to change the engine oil; on the contrary, if Δ≤26.5, it can be determined that the engine oil quality meets the product requirements.

[0041] The above steps S110, S120, S130, and S140 may be repeatedly executed at predetermined time intervals, so as to monitor the quality of the oil in the engine in real time by using the ultrasonic transmitter and the ultrasonic receiver.

[0042] By utilizing the above-mentioned method for evaluating engine oil quality according to the present invention, the quality status of the engine oil can be grasped in real time in an automatic, convenient, fast, reliable and accurate manner, and when it is automatically determined that the engine oil needs to be replaced, the user can be reminded to replace the engine oil in time, thereby avoiding the adverse effects of deteriorated engine oil on the engine.

[0043] In addition to being used to evaluate the quality of the engine oil, the ultrasonic transmitter 1 and the ultrasonic receiver 2 or the ultrasonic sensor 3 can also be constructed as an ultrasonic level sensor for simultaneously measuring the level of the engine oil surface 4 in the engine oil pan 5. For example, Figure 2 The transceiver-integrated ultrasonic sensor 3 shown is arranged at the bottom of the engine oil pan 5, emitting ultrasonic waves to the oil level 4, and receiving ultrasonic echoes reflected by the oil level 4, thereby being able to calculate the liquid level of the oil level 4 by using the propagation speed of ultrasonic waves in the oil and the round-trip time. Thus, the same set of ultrasonic devices can achieve the dual functions of evaluating the oil quality and measuring the oil level. This can save the existing engine oil dipstick, avoid opening an oil dipstick mounting hole on the engine, keep the engine in a closed state at all times, and avoid the situation in the prior art where foreign impurities enter the engine oil tank through the oil dipstick mounting hole to contaminate the oil.

[0044] Corresponding to the above-mentioned method for evaluating the quality of engine oil, the present invention also provides a device 70 for evaluating the quality of engine oil. Figure 4A schematic structural diagram of an exemplary configuration of the device is shown, and the device includes an ultrasonic transmitter 1, an ultrasonic receiver 2, and an evaluation module 7. The ultrasonic transmitter 1 is configured to transmit ultrasonic waves to the oil in the engine oil box (such as the engine oil pan 5), and in particular, when the ultrasonic transmitter 1 is arranged at the bottom of the engine oil pan 5, the ultrasonic transmitter 1 transmits ultrasonic waves to the oil level 4 in the engine oil pan 5. The ultrasonic receiver 2 is configured to receive ultrasonic echoes after passing through the oil, and in particular, when the ultrasonic receiver 2 and the ultrasonic transmitter 1 are also arranged at the bottom of the engine oil pan 5, the ultrasonic receiver 2 receives ultrasonic echoes reflected by the oil level 4. The evaluation module 7 is communicatively connected to the ultrasonic receiver 2 and includes a measuring unit 71, a obtaining unit 72 and an evaluation unit 73, wherein the measuring unit 71 can be communicatively connected to the ultrasonic receiver 2 and is used to measure the peak amplitude of the ultrasonic echo received by the ultrasonic receiver 2, the obtaining unit 72 is communicatively connected to the measuring unit 71 and is used to obtain a deviation value between the peak amplitude measured by the measuring unit 71 and a peak amplitude reference value, and the evaluation unit 73 is communicatively connected to the obtaining unit 72 and is used to compare the deviation value obtained by the obtaining unit 72 with a corresponding threshold value and evaluate the quality of the engine oil according to the comparison result.

[0045] It should be noted that although several modules or units of the equipment for evaluating the quality of engine oil are mentioned above, this division is not mandatory. In fact, according to the implementation mode of the present application, the features and functions of two or more modules or units described above can be concretized in one module or unit. Conversely, the features and functions of a module or unit described above can be further divided into multiple modules or units for concretization. The components shown as modules or units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place, or they may be distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the modules may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the present application scheme. Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand and implement it without creative work.

[0046] The present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium on which a computer program is stored, the program including executable instructions, which can implement the steps of the method for evaluating the quality of engine oil according to any of the above embodiments when the executable instructions are executed by, for example, a processor. In some possible implementations, various aspects of the present invention can also be implemented in the form of a program product, which includes a program code, and when the program product is run on a terminal device, the program code is used to enable the terminal device to execute the steps of various exemplary embodiments of the method for evaluating the quality of engine oil according to the present invention.

[0047] The program product for implementing the above-mentioned method for evaluating the quality of engine oil according to an embodiment of the present invention may adopt a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM) and include program code, and may be run on a terminal device such as a vehicle-mounted computer. However, the program product of the present invention is not limited thereto, and in this context, a readable storage medium may be any tangible medium containing or storing a program, which may be used by or in combination with an instruction execution system, an apparatus or a device.

[0048] The program product may use any combination of one or more readable media. The readable medium may be a readable signal medium or a readable storage medium. The readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, device or device, or any combination of the above. More specific examples (non-exhaustive list) of readable storage media include: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the above.

[0049] The computer readable storage medium may include a data signal propagated in a baseband or as part of a carrier wave, wherein a readable program code is carried. This propagated data signal may take a variety of forms, including but not limited to an electromagnetic signal, an optical signal, or any suitable combination of the above. The readable storage medium may also be any readable medium other than a readable storage medium, which may send, propagate, or transmit a program for use by an instruction execution system, an apparatus, or a device or used in combination with it. The program code contained on the readable storage medium may be transmitted with any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the above.

[0050] Program code for performing the operations of the present application may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java, C++, etc., and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as "C" or similar programming languages. The program code may be executed entirely on the user computing device, partially on the user device, as a separate software package, partially on the user computing device and partially on a remote computing device, or entirely on a remote computing device or server. In the case of a remote computing device, the remote computing device may be connected to the user computing device through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computing device (e.g., using an Internet service provider to connect through the Internet).

[0051] The invention also provides an electronic device. Figure 5 A schematic structural diagram of an exemplary configuration of such an electronic device is shown. The electronic device 200 may include a processor 210, and a memory 220 for storing executable instructions of the processor. The processor 210 is configured to execute the executable instructions to implement the various steps of the method for evaluating the quality of engine oil according to any of the above-mentioned embodiments. The electronic device 200 may be in the form of a general computing device (e.g., an on-board computer, a vehicle ECU). The electronic device 200 may interact with the ultrasonic transmitter 1 and the ultrasonic receiver 2 as described above, for example, to control the ultrasonic transmitter 1 to transmit ultrasonic waves to the engine oil in the engine oil pan 5, and to obtain relevant information of the ultrasonic echo received by the ultrasonic receiver 2. In addition, the electronic device 200 may also communicate with one or more devices inside and outside the vehicle (e.g., various on-board sensors, vehicle networking devices, cloud servers, etc.) through various communication ports 300 to obtain any required information.

[0052] Through the description of the above implementation methods, it is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that the example implementation methods described here can be implemented by software, or by software combined with necessary hardware. Therefore, the technical solution according to the embodiment of the present invention can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (which can be a CD-ROM, a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, etc.) or on a network, and includes a number of instructions to enable a computing device (which can be a personal computer, a server or a network device, etc.) to execute the method for evaluating the quality of engine oil according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate other embodiments of the present invention after considering the specification and practicing what is disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses or adaptations of the present invention that follow the general principles of the present invention and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art that are not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are intended to be exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the present invention are indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for evaluating the quality of engine oil, comprising the following steps: Using an ultrasonic transmitter to transmit ultrasonic waves to the oil in the engine oil box and using an ultrasonic receiver to receive ultrasonic echoes after passing through the oil; measuring the peak amplitude of the ultrasonic echo; Obtaining a deviation between the measured peak amplitude value and a reference amplitude peak value; as well as The deviation value is compared with a corresponding threshold value and the engine oil quality is evaluated according to the comparison result.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The step of measuring the peak amplitude of the ultrasonic echo comprises: measuring a plurality of corresponding peak amplitudes of the ultrasonic echo at a plurality of different engine oil temperatures; The step of obtaining the deviation value between the measured amplitude peak value and the amplitude peak value reference value includes: respectively calculating a plurality of differences between the plurality of amplitude peak values ​​and the corresponding plurality of amplitude peak value reference values, and calculating a weighted average value of the plurality of differences as the deviation value.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The multiple different engine oil temperatures are in the range of 20 to 110 degrees Celsius and include a normal operating oil temperature higher than 70 degrees Celsius and lower than 90 degrees Celsius; the normal operating oil temperature is given the highest weight when calculating the weighted average of the multiple differences.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The multiple different engine oil temperatures are T1=30°C, T2=50°C, T3=70°C, T4=80°C, and the weighted average value Δ is calculated by the formula Δ=a|PL1-P1|+b|PL2-P2|+c|PL3-P3|+d|PL4-P4|, wherein a, b, c, d are weights at the multiple different engine oil temperatures T1, T2, T3, T4, respectively, P1, P2, P3, P4 are respectively the multiple amplitude peak values ​​measured at the multiple different engine oil temperatures, and PL1, PL2, PL3, PL4 are respectively the multiple amplitude peak reference values ​​corresponding to each of the multiple amplitude peak values.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The weights at the multiple different oil temperatures T1 , T2 , T3 , and T4 are a=0.1, b=0.2, c=0.2, and d=0.

5.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The step of comparing the deviation value with a corresponding threshold value and evaluating the quality of the engine oil according to the comparison result includes: when the deviation value is greater than the corresponding threshold value, determining that the engine oil quality is unqualified and issuing a warning signal.

7. A device for evaluating the quality of engine oil, comprising: an ultrasonic transmitter configured to transmit ultrasonic waves to the oil in the engine oil tank; an ultrasonic receiver configured to receive ultrasonic echoes after passing through the engine oil; and An evaluation module, the evaluation module is communicatively connected to the ultrasonic receiver and comprises: A measuring unit configured to measure the peak amplitude of the ultrasonic echo; an obtaining unit configured to obtain a deviation value between the measured peak amplitude value and a reference peak amplitude value; and An evaluation unit is configured to compare the deviation value with a corresponding threshold value and evaluate the quality of the engine oil according to the comparison result.

8. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that The ultrasonic transmitter and the ultrasonic receiver are constructed as an integrated transceiver ultrasonic level sensor, and the ultrasonic level sensor is arranged at the bottom of the engine oil tank and is configured to transmit ultrasonic waves to the oil level in the engine oil tank and receive ultrasonic echoes reflected by the oil level.

9. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program comprising executable instructions, and when the executable instructions are executed by a processor, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is implemented.

10. An electronic device comprising: processor; as well as A memory, configured to store executable instructions of the processor; The processor is configured to execute the executable instructions to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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