Vehicle Fuel Quality Alert System Using Onboard Data Filtering

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current vehicle condition monitoring systems often process ambiguous and irrelevant data, leading to difficulties in determining useful information, which can result in costly and time-consuming maintenance, and may inadvertently exacerbate issues like fuel system overpressure due to operator actions or vehicle performance restrictions.

Innovation Solution

A method that sends vehicle data to an off-board data analysis system when fuel system pressure exceeds a threshold, receiving coaching instructions to reduce overpressure instances, and monitors fuel tank fill-ups and engine start faults to alert operators of bad fuel and adjust engine conditions accordingly, thereby mitigating future faults.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If vehicle data is sent to central server for processing, then vehicle condition monitoring capability is improved, but data processing complexity and time consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle condition monitoring capabilityVSAvoiddata processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by implementing data filtering and prioritization logic in the vehicle's onboard control unit before data transmission. The system pre-processes sensor data to identify only relevant fault codes and parameters that require central server analysis, sending condensed data packets instead of raw complete datasets. This preliminary filtering reduces the processing burden on the central server and accelerates overall diagnostic response time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts only the essential and relevant data elements from the complete vehicle sensor dataset before transmission to the central server. The control unit identifies and transmits only critical fault codes, error parameters, and diagnostic information that are directly related to detected anomalies, leaving out redundant normal operating parameters. This extraction approach significantly reduces data volume and processing requirements while maintaining diagnostic effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Measurement precision

If comprehensive vehicle data is transmitted to central server, then diagnostic accuracy is improved, but communication data volume and processing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvediagnostic accuracyVSAvoidcommunication data volume
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential diagnostic elements from the complete vehicle dataset. The control unit identifies and transmits only critical fault codes, error parameters, and diagnostic information that are directly related to detected anomalies, leaving out redundant normal operating parameters. This extraction approach significantly reduces data volume and processing requirements while maintaining diagnostic effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating data transmission based on diagnostic importance. Different data elements are transmitted with different levels of detail and frequency depending on their diagnostic value. Critical fault information is transmitted immediately with high priority, while routine operational parameters are either omitted or transmitted at lower frequencies, optimizing the balance between diagnostic accuracy and communication efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If real-time fuel system pressure monitoring is implemented, then fuel system protection is improved, but system complexity and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefuel system protectionVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic action through threshold-based monitoring of fuel system pressure. Instead of continuous high-frequency monitoring, the system periodically checks pressure against predetermined threshold values and triggers alerts or protective actions only when thresholds are exceeded. This periodic threshold-based approach maintains fuel system protection while significantly reducing the energy consumption associated with continuous monitoring and processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentUS11024103B2Method for sharing and receiving vehicle fuel quality alerts
Publication Date: 2021.06.01 FORD GLOBAL TECH LLC
  • US11024103B2 patent drawing
  • US11024103B2 patent drawing
  • US11024103B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Methods and systems are provided for a vehicle wirelessly communicating with a central server. In one example, a method may include monitoring faults and sending engine conditions along with driver inputs to the central server for processing.