Description:Complete Specification:

The following specification describes and ascertains the nature of this invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.
Field of the invention
[0001] This invention relates to a method to detect a frequency of oil change in a vehicle.

Background of the invention
[0002] EP 0793005 B1 describes an electronically controlled system for at least substantially continuously replacing lube oil of an engine, wherein the replacement system comprises a fuel supply system for supplying fuel to the engine. The fuel supply system comprises a fuel tank and a fuel supply circuit connecting the fuel tank to the engine. A main lube oil supply means including a crankcase or sump containing an accumulated supply of lube oil, and further including a lube oil supply circuit for delivering a supply of lube oil to the engine. A lube oil injection circuit is connected to the lube oil supply circuit and the fuel supply system for permitting injection quantities of used lube oil taken from the crankcase or sump to intermittently flow from the lube oil supply circuit to the fuel supply system for mixing with the fuel. A lube oil injection control means is positioned along the lube oil injection circuit for intermittently injecting the injection quantities of used lube oil into the fuel supply system. An engine operating condition detecting means is provided for detecting at least one engine operating condition and generating an engine operating condition signal indicative of the at least one engine operating condition. A processing means for receiving the engine operating condition signal, and generating an injection flow control signal, the injection flow control signal controlling the operation of the lube oil injection control means to vary a frequency of intermittent injection of the injection quantities of lube oil. An auxiliary lube oil supply means for supplying new lube oil to the main lube oil supply means is provided or a need of oil addition is indicated, wherein the processing means is designed to calculate an engine operating severity value reflecting the harshness of operation based on the engine operating condition signal and to generate the injection flow control signal based on the engine operating severity value, and that used lube oil is injected into the fuel supply circuit to the engine.

Brief description of the accompanying drawing
[0003] Figure 1 illustrates a flowchart depicting a method to detect a frequency of oil change in a vehicle in one embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description of the embodiments
[0004] Figure 1 illustrates a method 100 to detect a frequency of oil change in a vehicle. The method comprises sensing 110 a voltage drawn by an electric feed pump for supplying pressurized fuel from a fuel tank to a high-pressure fuel pump, transmitting 120 the voltage drawn by the electric feed pump for supplying pressurized fuel from the fuel tank to the high-pressure fuel pump to an engine control unit, and comparing 130 the transmitted voltage drawn by the electric feed pump for supplying pressurized fuel from the fuel tank to the high-pressure fuel pump with a standard voltage of the electric feed pump to the engine control unit. The method further comprises transmitting 140 an error signal by the engine control unit if the voltage drawn by the electric feed pump for supplying pressurized fuel from the fuel tank to the high-pressure fuel pump is lesser than the standard voltage of the electric feed pump by a threshold value that is pre-determined by a user, wherein the error signal is indicative that a viscosity of lubrication oil is below a threshold value.

[0005] Figure 1 illustrates a method 100 to detect a frequency of oil change in a vehicle. The method comprises sensing 110 a voltage drawn by an electric feed pump for supplying pressurized fuel from a fuel tank to a high-pressure fuel pump. More specifically, the voltage drawn by the electric feed pump for supplying pressurized fuel from the fuel tank to the high-pressure fuel pump is sensed by an engine control unit. Therein, the voltage that is drawn by the electric feed pump for supplying pressurized fuel from the fuel tank to the high-pressure fuel pump is transmitted 120 to the engine control unit. The engine control unit compares 130 the transmitted voltage drawn by the electric feed pump for supplying pressurized fuel from the fuel tank to the high-pressure fuel pump with a standard voltage of the electric feed pump that is drawn by the electric feed pump for supplying pressurized fresh fuel from the fuel tank to the high-pressure fuel pump. Therein, an error signal is transmitted 140 by the engine control unit if the voltage drawn by the electric feed pump for supplying pressurized fuel from the fuel tank to the high-pressure fuel pump is lesser than the standard voltage of the electric feed pump that is drawn by the electric feed pump for supplying pressurized fresh fuel from the fuel tank to the high-pressure fuel pump by a threshold value that is pre-determined by a user. The error signal that is transmitted by the engine control unit is indicative that a viscosity of lubrication oil is below the threshold value that is pre-determined by the user.

[0006] In an exemplary embodiment, the method 100 to detect a frequency of oil change in a vehicle further comprises determining 150 a deviation by the engine control unit in the voltage drawn by the electric feed pump for supplying pressurized fuel from the fuel tank to the high-pressure fuel pump from the standard voltage that is drawn by the electric feed pump for supplying pressurized fresh fuel from the fuel tank to the high-pressure fuel pump. Once the deviation is determined by the engine control unit in the voltage drawn by the electric feed pump for supplying pressurized fuel from the fuel tank to the high-pressure fuel pump from the standard voltage that is drawn by the electric feed pump for supplying pressurized fresh fuel from the fuel tank to the high-pressure fuel pump, the engine control unit determines 160 a change in a viscosity of oil based on a change in the voltage drawn by the electric feed pump for supplying pressurized fuel from the fuel tank to the high-pressure fuel pump from the standard voltage drawn by the electric feed pump for supplying pressurized fuel from the fuel tank to the high-pressure fuel pump.
[0007] It must be understood that the embodiments explained above are only illustrative and do not limit the scope of the disclosure. Many modifications in the embodiments with regard to dimensions of various components are envisaged and form a part of this invention. The scope of the invention is only limited by the scope of the claims.
, Claims:CLAIMS

We Claim

1. A method (100) to detect a frequency of oil change in a vehicle, the method (100) comprising:
sensing (110) a voltage drawn by an electric feed pump for supplying pressurized fuel from a fuel tank to a high-pressure fuel pump;
transmitting (120) the voltage drawn by the electric feed pump for supplying pressurized fuel from the fuel tank to the high-pressure fuel pump to an engine control unit;
comparing (130) the transmitted voltage drawn by the electric feed pump for supplying pressurized fuel from the fuel tank to the high-pressure fuel pump with a standard voltage of the electric feed pump to the engine control unit; and
transmitting (140) an error signal by the engine control unit if the voltage drawn by the electric feed pump for supplying pressurized fuel from the fuel tank to the high-pressure fuel pump is lesser than the standard voltage of the electric feed pump by a threshold value that is pre-determined by a user, wherein the error signal is indicative that a viscosity of lubrication oil is below a threshold value.

2. The method (100) to detect a frequency of oil change in a vehicle in accordance with Claim 1 further comprising:
determining (150) a deviation by the engine control unit in the voltage drawn by the electric feed pump for supplying pressurized fuel from the fuel tank to the high-pressure fuel pump from the standard voltage drawn by the electric feed pump; and
determining (160) a change in a viscosity of oil based on a change in the voltage drawn by the electric feed pump for supplying pressurized fuel from the fuel tank to the high-pressure fuel pump from the standard voltage drawn by the electric feed pump for supplying pressurized fuel from the fuel tank to the high-pressure fuel pump.