Patent · US Expired

Apparatus for collecting pressure data from a fuel tank

US5652392A · kind A · utility

7Cited by
11References
2Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJun 6, 1995
Grant dateJul 29, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 6, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01L9/12
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An apparatus for collecting data related to the internal pressure of a fuel tank in a motor vehicle includes an analog pressure transducer that outputs a signal to charge a capacitor to a level proportional to the pressure in the fuel tank of the vehicle. 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 pressure within the fuel tank and transmits it to a central vehicle computer via a multiplexed data bus system.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.