Apparatus for collecting liquid temperature data from a fuel tank
US5611623A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 6, 1995 |
| Grant date | Mar 18, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 6, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01L9/12
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An apparatus for detecting the temperature of a liquid fuel stored in a tank of a vehicle includes a thermal sensitive resistor immersed in the fuel. The resistor charges a capacitor to a level indicative of the temperature of the fuel. A programmable microprocessor signals a gate to open a communication path between the capacitor and a discharge resistor, then monitors the number of clock counts that occur before the voltage across the discharge resistor drops below a reference voltage. The microprocessor uses the clock count to determine the absolute fuel temperature, which it transmits to a central vehicle computer via a multiplexed data bus system.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.