Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Vehicle diagnosis or maintenance indication
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-11
2001-05-08
Nguyen, Tan (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Vehicle diagnosis or maintenance indication
C701S035000, C702S024000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06230087
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a vehicular running loss detecting system and method to determine emissions (e.g., hydrocarbon emissions) from a vehicle, in addition to emissions from the exhaust system of the vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Environmental pollution is a serious problem that is especially acute in urban areas. Motor vehicles, such as automobiles, are a considerable contributor to this pollution dilemma, especially those not equipped with anti-pollution devices, or with breaches in their structural integrity. Centralized systems to detect vehicle emissions are known, but require vehicles to be taken to the centralized test facilities. Systems for remotely sensing vehicle emissions (e.g., roadside) also are generally known. These remote systems, however, typically detect emissions emanating from the exhaust system of a moving vehicle (e.g., an automobile). However, other types of emissions known as running losses also exist. Running losses are defined by the EPA, and include hydrocarbon emissions from sources such as evaporation from a gas cap, blow-by emissions (e.g., residual plume from other vehicles or losses from an engine compartment or fuel lines that are swept under the car and emerge at the rear of the vehicle) and other running losses. In some cases, one or more running loss plumes mix with an exhaust plume. In some cases, they may cause a system to invalidate the test for that vehicle. Other drawbacks also exist.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of this invention is to overcome theses and other drawbacks in known systems and methods.
Another object of the invention is to provide a system and method for detecting running losses from vehicles.
Another object of the invention is to remotely detect running losses from vehicles.
Another object of the invention is to identify a plume that comprises emissions from two or more sources.
These and other objects of the invention are accomplished by various embodiments of the invention. One embodiment of the present invention provides a vehicular running loss detecting system and method that reliably identifies the existence of running loss. Running loss refers to emissions originating from sources such as evaporative loss (e.g., from a gas cap) and directly from the vehicle's engine (ie., from the pistons), often referred to as, “blow-by”. According to one aspect of the invention, this is accomplished by storing emission data from a control vehicle having known running loss. Preferably, at least HC and CO
2
emission patterns are collected from the control vehicle with known running losses and stored. In this way, a plurality of characteristic or “signature” emission patterns may be obtained for various types of running losses. These signature emission patterns may then be stored in a database. Emissions from vehicles may be detected and compared to one or more predetermined criteria indicative of the presence of a running loss. Such predetermined criteria may be obtained from the signature emission patterns in the database. One or more characteristics of these signature emission patterns can be employed to identify potential running losses from a vehicle.
According to one embodiment, the emissions detection may be performed by a remote sensing device, such as RSD-1000, RSD-2000, or RSD-3000 manufactured by Environmental Systems Products, Inc., Tucson, Ariz., wherein the process control software is modified to perform the novel functions set forth herein and wherein a database of stored emissions patterns is provided.
These and other features of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, taken together with the accompanying drawings.
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DiDomenico John
Rendahl Craig S.
Envirotest Systems Corporation
Hunton & Williams
Nguyen Tan
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