Patent · US Expired

Method for collecting pressure data from a fuel tank

US5652393A · kind A · utility

32Cited by
10References
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

A method for collecting pressure data from a fuel tank in a motor vehicle is achieved by providing an analog pressure transducer in communication with a capacitor, at least one resistor in communication with the capacitor, and a gate to control the communication between the resistor and the capacitor. Software in a microprocessor controller compares the voltage across the resistor to a reference voltage as the capacitor discharges, determines the number of clock counts for which a predetermined relationship exists between the voltage across the resistor and the reference voltage, then consults a table to determine an absolute pressure based on the clock count. The microprocessor transmits the absolute pressure to the central vehicle computer via a multiplex data bus system.

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