System for determining fuel usage within a jurisdiction
US6571168B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 23, 1999 |
| Grant date | May 27, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 26, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG07C5/085
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A system for determining fuel usage within a jurisdiction includes a control computer operable to control fueling of an internal combustion engine and an auxiliary computer coupled thereto, wherein the auxiliary computer forms part of an operator interface unit. The control computer is operable to broadcast current fuel usage information in a number of fuel usage categories, and the auxiliary computer is operable to accumulate such fuel usage information within each jurisdiction traveled by the vehicle. In one embodiment, a GPS receiver provides the auxiliary computer with information relating to a current vehicle jurisdiction, and in an alternate embodiment, an auxiliary switch is provided wherein manual actuation of the auxiliary switch indicates entrance into a new jurisdiction. In either case, the auxiliary computer is operable to accumulate information relating to the total fuel used in a number of fuel usage categories, for each jurisdiction traveled by the vehicle, whereby this information is particularly useful in subsequently computing state fuel tax data.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.