A method of monitoring a vehicle is disclosed which includes monitoring a pre-collision fuel level, detecting a collision event (such as a roll-over crash), and detecting a vehicle orientation based upon the pre-collision fuel level and a post-collision fuel level. Both an upside-down orientation and a sideways orientation may be associated with an elevated fuel-leak risk. The upside-down orientation may be detected when the post-collision fuel level is equal to a difference of a fuel-tank capacity relative to the pre-collision fuel level. For instance, a pre-collision fuel level may be measured at 25% and a post-collision fuel level may be measured at 75%. An elevated fuel-leak risk may be detected when the post-collision fuel level is decreasing. The method may further involve transmitting a notification of the vehicle state to a remote server, e.g. to emergency services. Also disclosed is a controller with a processor programmed to perform the abovementioned method, as well as a vehicle with the aforementioned controller.
Detecting vehicle state via fuel level
2018-02-28
Patent
Electronic Resource
English
IPC: | B60K Anordnung oder Einbau von Antriebseinheiten oder von Kraft- bzw. Drehmomentübertragungen in Fahrzeugen , ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES / B60R Fahrzeuge, Fahrzeugausstattung oder Fahrzeugteile, soweit nicht anderweitig vorgesehen , VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR / G01F Messen des Volumens, des Durchflussvolumens, des Massendurchflusses oder des Füllstandes , MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW, OR LIQUID LEVEL |
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