Measuring and testing – Vehicle chassis – Steering
Patent
1986-11-14
1988-05-31
Levy, Stewart J.
Measuring and testing
Vehicle chassis
Steering
G01M 1500
Patent
active
047473010
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to vehicle performance monitors and particularly, though not exclusively, to such monitors for use in vehicles such as agricultural and industrial tractors, combines and the like.
In the current environment of ever increasing vehicle operating costs, there is an increasing requirement for the provision of more detailed monitoring of vehicle operating performance in order to enable the vehicle operator to ensure a more cost effective operation of the vehicle.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved form of vehicle performance monitor which is particularly suitable for use in agricultural tractors and like vehicles.
Thus according to the present invention there is provided a vehicle performance monitoring apparatus for displaying the values of a plurality of performance parameters of a vehicle, said apparatus comprising sensing means for sensing data indicative of the performance of the vehicle, processing means for processing said data to provide said parameter values, display means for displaying said parameter values, and operator command means for controlling the operation of the apparatus including the selection of which performance parameter is to be displayed on the display means and the initiation of processing routines by the processing means, the apparatus being characterized by including memory means for storing performance information relating to said parameters and that said processing means is arranged such that in response to a predetermined operation of the operator command means a performance parameter value for each of a number of said parameters is stored in said memory means as a reference value so that subsequently, when the apparatus is operated in a relative mode, the current performance values for said one or more parameters (hereinafter referred to as the relative mode parameters) are processed by said processing means and are displayable on said display means as proportions of their respective reference values.
It is envisaged that the stored reference values will be generated by the processing means in response to the predetermined operation of the operator command means by taking the average value of the performance data coming from the appropriate sensors over a time period of say two seconds. This will guard against spurious readings due to short duration fluctuations in the data coming from the sensors.
The memory means may conveniently include memory locations (hereinafter referred to as the reference table memory locations) in which the last generated reference values of the relative mode parameters are stored and separate memory locations (hereinafter referred to as the scratch table memory locations) where performance parameter data on the relative mode parameters is accumulated or temporarily stored during the generation of a new set of reference values.
In a preferred arrangement in order for the operator to initiate the generation of a new set of reference valves he is required to continuously maintain a given operation of the command means (e.g. hold down a button) for a significant initiating time period of say two seconds to prevent accidental generation of new reference values. Thus to generate new reference values the operator operates the command means for two seconds and at the end of this two second period provided the operator continues to operate the command means, the apparatus commences the generation of the new reference values by sampling the sensors over the next two second period to generate the average values of the relative mode parameters. Thus the entire generation of the new reference values takes four seconds. At the end of this time the new reference values are copied into the reference table memory locations for future use.
As will be clear from the above, if the operator releases the command means before completion of the above four second period, generation of new reference values is either not commenced or if commenced not completed. In either event,
REFERENCES:
patent: 4140996 (1979-02-01), Leitch et al.
patent: 4296409 (1981-10-01), Whitaker et al.
patent: 4419654 (1983-12-01), Funk
patent: 4462079 (1984-07-01), Ito et al.
Levy Stewart J.
Massey-Ferguson Services N.V.
Raevis Robert R.
LandOfFree
Vehicle performance monitoring apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Vehicle performance monitoring apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Vehicle performance monitoring apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1867967