The present invention relates to a fuel system and to a method of controlling the filling of a fuel tank.

When the fuel tank of a vehicle is being filled, various incidents may occur: the wrong type of fuel is injected; tank is overfilled; the fuel cap is lost or forgotten to be refitted; injuries, fouling, etc.

Several different systems have been developed in recent years for preventing the user from suffering certain of these nuisances.

Thus, it is known in particular from Applications WO 99/53409 and WO 00/55752, to incorporate a database and a radio transmitter into a vehicle in order to communicate with a corresponding receiver in a service station for the purpose of filling with fuel entirely automatically (type of fuel; automatic billing, etc.). However, such a system has the drawback of being relatively costly owing to the addition of said radio transmitter and said database.

It is also known, in particular from documents US 5 995 898 and US 6 112 152, to couple a radio transmitter to a processor that already exists on the vehicle in order to be able to pay for the fuel at a service station, to perform an automatic diagnostic test during servicing, to invoice for vehicle hirings, etc

Finally, it is known (in particular from US 6 408 232) to use BLUETOOTH ^® technology (a standard and inexpensive communication system via radio waves between electronic devices, which consists in providing said devices with specific chips) in order to communicate information coming from processors on board vehicles to a personal computer of a servicing garage, of the police, etc.

The basic idea of the present invention consists in specifically using the processor of what are called "smart" fuel systems for controlling the filling of fluids (fuel, oil, additives) that are used in the engine circuit and to do so via the use of a transmitter/receiver, preferably using standard BLUETOOTH ^® technology.

For this purpose, the present invention relates to a fuel system for a motor vehicle, comprising a fuel tank and being managed by a processor, characterized in that the processor is coupled to a transmitter capable of communicating at least one information stored in the processor to a receiver.

The fuel system according to the invention is suitable for any internal combustion engine, whether supplied with volatile liquid fuels or with heavy liquid fuels. In the present specification, the fuel system is an assembly of components that are intended to be incorporated into a motor vehicle (for example a car, lorry, motor cycle, river boat, sea-going ship or aeroplane). These components generally comprise devices connected with the storage of the fuel (tank, canister, etc.) and with its supply to the engine.

The term "fuel" is understood to mean a hydrocarbon suitable for supplying internal combustion engines. The term "liquid hydrocarbon" denotes a hydrocarbon which, under standard operating conditions of the engine, is in the liquid state in the fuel tank of the fuel system.

The expression "volatile liquid hydrocarbon" denotes a liquid hydrocarbon (according to the above definition) that has a saturation vapour pressure above 1 bar at 293 K (20°C). Volatile liquid hydrocarbons commonly used for supplying internal combustion engines of motor vehicles are those sold commercially as "petrol" and intended for spark-ignition internal combustion engines.

The expression "heavy liquid hydrocarbon" is understood to mean a liquid hydrocarbon that has a saturation vapour pressure of less than 1 bar at 293 K (20°C). Heavy liquid hydrocarbons commonly used for supplying internal combustion engines of motor vehicles are those sold commercially as "diesel" or "gas oil" intended for compression-ignition internal combustion engines operating according to the diesel cycle.

The components of the fuel system according to the invention are made of a material compatible with each of the liquid hydrocarbons that it is susceptible of handling. This material must be chemically inert both to volatile liquid hydrocarbons and to heavy liquid hydrocarbons at standard operating pressures and temperatures. It may be a plastic or a metal. The components of the system according to the invention may also be hybrid, that is to say they may comprise metal parts and plastic parts.

Thermoplastics give good results within the context of the invention, especially because of advantages of weight, strength, chemical resistance and easy processing, in particular when the components of the system have complex shapes. The term "processor" is understood to mean for the purpose of the invention any computer capable of at least partly managing the fuel system and

in particular of managing the storage of the fuel (tank filling; ventilation; gauging, etc.) and possibly also its supply to the engine. This processor generally records/manages data relating to the fuel level in the tank (via a fuel gauge), to the temperature and pressure (both outside and inside the fuel tank), to the instantaneous consumption of the engine, to the position of the tank flap (which it may also possibly control) to the position (open/closed) of the valves (which it may control as well), to the state of the internal combustion engine (running, off, load, etc.), to the vehicle speed, etc. To do this, it is connected to the corresponding sensors (for example level, temperature, pressure gauges). Preferably, the processor used for the purpose of the invention is a processor specific (especially dedicated) to the fuel system and generally called FSCU (Fuel System Control Unit). By this it is meant that it is separate from the central processor of the vehicle or CPU (Central Processing Unit) or from any other on-board processor (such as the one managing the operation of the engine for example, and generally called an ECU (Engine Control Unit)). In this case, the FSCU is generally provided with means for communicating with the CPU and/or the ECU, especially so as to be able to provide effective control of the fuel pump or of other devices that depend on the fuel system (such as the OBD system for example (on-board diagnosis or on-board leak detection system)). In the fuel system according to the invention, the processor is "coupled" to a transmitter capable of transmitting at least one information (data) that it stores. By this it is meant that the processor communicates the data to the transmitter via a suitable communication support, which may be an electrical signal of the PWM, CAN, LIN, FlexRay type or the like. The benefit of the invention lies in the fact that once the data has been communicated to a transmitter, the latter may communicate this effectively to a receiver compatible with it, preferably also coupled (via a communication support as described above) to a processor capable of understanding and of using this data. Any type of transmitter may be suitable for this purpose. Since the transmitter and receiver are generally on separate supports, they advantageously communicate via waves. Preferably, the transmitter used for the purpose of the invention transmits radio waves and in particular short range radio waves. Particularly preferably, this transmitter uses BLUETOOTH ^® technology, which operates in the 2.40 - 2.48 GHz frequency range, since such a system is

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inexpensive, being simple and adopted in a standard fashion by many manufacturers of electronic and telephone equipment.

The fuel system according to the invention may include, in addition to the fuel tank, at least one additive tank for the purpose of reducing particulate emissions (in particular in the case of diesel engines) and emissions of certain polluting gases (NOx, CO etc.). Advantageously, the present invention applies to fuel systems comprising at least one additive tank (the additive being urea, for injection into the exhaust gas for the purpose of reducing NOx emission, or metal salts mixed directly with the fuel for the purpose of promoting regeneration of particulate filters for diesel engines, etc.), the operation (metering and storage of this additive) of which is also managed by the abovementioned processor (the central processor of the fuel system) or by an independent processor capable of communication with the processor of the fuel system (for example via LIN). In this case, the transmitter coupled to the processor is also advantageously capable of transmitting data relating to the operation of this additive tank.

The present invention also relates to a method for controlling the filling of a fuel tank, forming part of a fuel system as described above, whereby the processor communicates directly and in an active manner with the control system of a tank filling station and does so by means of a transmitter/receiver, preferably incorporated into each of the systems. In other words, the information mentioned above includes at least one data capable of effectively controlling the filling of said tank. The term "controlling" is understood to mean that the filling is authorized or refused depending on the value of this data.

For this purpose, the present invention therefore relates to a method for controlling the filling of a fuel tank, forming part of a fuel system managed by a processor, characterized in that the processor communicates, via a transmitter, at least one information that acts directly on a control system of a tank-filling station so as to activate or block the filling operation to a receiver.

This information, which is transmitted from the processor to the control system of the station via a compatible transmitter/receiver (preferably of the

BLUETOOTH ^® type: see above), may be fixed data (continuous/independent of the operation), introduced at the design stage into the processor, such as for example the type of fuel, the current balance of the user's bank account, etc. It is advantageous, most particularly in the case of manual filling, for the control system to be able to prevent the filling in the event of the wrong type of fuel being selected.

Alternatively, or in addition, this data may be variable data, such as the maximum fill level of the tank so as to be able to prevent the pumps from delivering when this level is reached (and to prevent any overfilling, which is possible with current manual pumps). More precisely, in this case the information includes a comparison between the maximum fill level of the fuel tank and the value read by a fuel tank gauge. Having such information available for repeatedly reproducing the same maximum fill level of the tank will especially simplify the system of valves used on current tanks with a view to managing the pressure/underpressure therein. Finally, in the case of automatic (robot-controlled) filling, the information may include the type of vehicle (and in particular the model and its dimensions), the position of the tank flap on the vehicle or any other information allowing the tank filling nozzle to be correctly positioned with respect to the robot.

For the purpose of the invention, it is advantageous to use the maximum amount of information already available in the processor of the fuel system and/or introduced on purpose into the latter (such as for example the type of fuel) and capable of improving the control of the filling operation.

In one particularly advantageous variant, it is also possible to put into the processor of the fuel system practical data which has nothing to do with said system but which has the purpose of making the user's life easier during or after the filling operation. Thus, for example, and as proposed in the prior art for independent supports/transmitters, it would be possible to put into the processor information associated with the operation of the vehicle (in order to manage it on a PC); a direct communication with the user's bank account so as to pay automatically, etc. It would also be possible to arrange for the processor to record data relating to the user identification and to the mileage of hired vehicles or company vehicles and to communicate the data to the station via the aforementioned transmitter/receiver system. In this case, it is advantageous for the control system of the station to be in communication with an information network capable of transmitting this information to interested parties/companies.

Finally, it would be possible to integrate into the processor the overall management of the fluid levels of other tanks present on the vehicle, such as the oil level, cooling water level, windscreen washer fluid level, etc., and ensure that the information relating thereto is also communicated to the user via the abovementioned transmitter, either to the receiver of the service station or to another receiver present for example on the vehicle.

Thus, according to a variant, the transmitter coupled to the processor of the fuel system may communicate at least one information (data) to a visual or audible display device located in the passenger compartment (in the case of automatic filling) or close to the fuel tank flap (in the case of manual filling). This may for example be: the fill level of the tank; the mileage and/or average fuel consumption since the last filling; the proper locking/unlocking of the system at the end/start of filling, etc.

As regards the types of displays possible, the reader may refer to application FR 04.07838 in the name of the applicant, which relates to a filling bowl for a fuel tank of a motor vehicle, which includes an information system transmitting information actively to a user.

It follows from the foregoing that the present invention also relates to a filling bowl for a motor vehicle, which includes a receiver for coded information in wave form coupled to a device for displaying said coded information. The term "filling bowl" is understood to mean the entire system formed by the nozzle head, the fuel tank flap and the space lying between these two components.

According to this aspect of the invention, at least one information transmitted by the processor via the transmitter (preferably a radio transmitter and most particularly one integrated into a BLUETOOTH ^® chip) is displayed in this bowl by means of a compatible display device/receiver pair.

This bowl may further include other ancillary functions (of an informative and/or comfort nature) such as :

• sound transmission via the bowl during use of a mobile telephone; this sound transmission may be effected via a loudspeaker installed in the filling bowl or on the fuel tank flap;

• sound broadcasting (radio/music) via the filling bowl: continuity of listening between when one is inside the vehicle and when outside;

• additional lighting of the bowl; and

• integration of information (visual (warning) or audible) relating to the level in the fluid tanks present on the vehicle (engine oil; cooling water; windscreen washer fluid, etc.).