US5099680A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of analyzing vehicle emissions and in-flight gas analysis apparatus
Assignee: Sensors Inc
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Filing: 1990-05-03
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Granted: 1992-03-31
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Expires: 2010-05-03
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for measuring the concentration of one or more emission gases in the exhaust of a vehicle, including a conventional gas analyzer and a transducer for monitoring at least one parameter directly related to the operating condition of the vehicle. Samples of gas emissions are supplied to the gas analyzer and the transducer is monitored while the vehicle is operated in a convention manner. A running history of readings of exhaust gas concentration(s) of interest is maintained during vehicle operation with earlier readings being supplanted by recent ones. Upon the occurrence of a predetermined event, the running history is preserved in order to provide a correlation between the exhaust gas concentrations and known operating parameters of the vehicle.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas J. Fournier
- 👤 Andrew R. Reading
- 👤 Robert L. Wilson
- 👤 Michael F. Kapolka
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 17:02
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01M; G01M15/00; G01M15/04; G01M15/10; G01M15/102
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
104 words
A method of measuring the gas emissions of a vehicle comprising the steps of: providing a gas analyzer adapted to measuring the concentration of gases of interest; providing a transducer for monitoring at least one parameter related to the operating condition of the vehicle; supplying samples of the gas emissions of the vehicle to said gas analyzer; operating the vehicle while monitoring said transducer and said gas analyzer; retaining a running history of the concentration of gases provided by said gas analyzer and the values of the operating conditions of the vehicle; and preserving said running history upon the occurrence of a preselected event.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
104 words
A method of measuring the gas emissions of a vehicle comprising the steps of: providing a gas analyzer adapted to measuring the concentration of gases of interest; providing a transducer for monitoring at least one parameter related to the operating condition of the vehicle; supplying samples of the gas emissions of the vehicle to said gas analyzer; operating the vehicle while monitoring said transducer and said gas analyzer; retaining a running history of the concentration of gases provided by said gas analyzer and the values of the operating conditions of the vehicle; and preserving said running history upon the occurrence of a preselected event.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method in claim 1 wherein said event is a preselected value of the operating condition of the vehicle.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said event includes a preselected value of the operating condition of the vehicle occurring within a predetermined period of time.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method in claim 2 wherein said event includes a preselected concentration of the gas of interest being measured by said gas analyzer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method in claim 1 wherein said event is an input provided by a vehicle operator.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method in claim 1 wherein said running history is preserved from a predetermined length of time before and after said event.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said event includes a preselected range of values of the operating condition of the vehicle.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
80 words
A method for measuring the gas emissions of a vehicle comprising the steps of: providing a gas analyzer adapted to measuring the concentration of at least one gas of interest; supplying samples of the gas emissions of the vehicle to said gas analyzer; operating the vehicle while monitoring said gas analyzer; retaining a running history of the concentration of said gas of interest provided by said gas analyzer; and preserving said running history upon the occurrence of a preselected event.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
80 words
A method for measuring the gas emissions of a vehicle comprising the steps of: providing a gas analyzer adapted to measuring the concentration of at least one gas of interest; supplying samples of the gas emissions of the vehicle to said gas analyzer; operating the vehicle while monitoring said gas analyzer; retaining a running history of the concentration of said gas of interest provided by said gas analyzer; and preserving said running history upon the occurrence of a preselected event.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
110 words
A method of measuring the gas emissions of a vehicle comprising the steps of: providing a gas analyzer adapted to measuring the concentration of exhaust gases of interest; providing a transducer for monitoring at least one parameter related to the operating condition of the vehicle; operating the vehicle while monitoring said transducer and while supplying samples of the gas emissions of the vehicle to said gas analyzer; recording the concentration of gases provided by said gas analyzer concurrently with recording the operation conditions of the vehicle; and adjusting said recorded concentration of gases provided by said gas analyzer according to the recorded value of the operating condition of the vehicle.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
110 words
A method of measuring the gas emissions of a vehicle comprising the steps of: providing a gas analyzer adapted to measuring the concentration of exhaust gases of interest; providing a transducer for monitoring at least one parameter related to the operating condition of the vehicle; operating the vehicle while monitoring said transducer and while supplying samples of the gas emissions of the vehicle to said gas analyzer; recording the concentration of gases provided by said gas analyzer concurrently with recording the operation conditions of the vehicle; and adjusting said recorded concentration of gases provided by said gas analyzer according to the recorded value of the operating condition of the vehicle.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
112 words
An apparatus for measuring the gas emission of a vehicle comprising: a gas analyzer adapted to measure the concentrations of exhaust gases of interest and producing an output signal representative of said concentrations; a transducer adapted to monitoring at least one parameter related to the operating condition of the vehicle and producing an output signal representative of said at least one parameter; and a control receiving said output signals and including a memory store for temporarily storing a running history of a finite number of values of said concentrations and corresponding values of said parameter and means for causing said control to freeze the present value of said concentrations in said memory.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
112 words
An apparatus for measuring the gas emission of a vehicle comprising: a gas analyzer adapted to measure the concentrations of exhaust gases of interest and producing an output signal representative of said concentrations; a transducer adapted to monitoring at least one parameter related to the operating condition of the vehicle and producing an output signal representative of said at least one parameter; and a control receiving said output signals and including a memory store for temporarily storing a running history of a finite number of values of said concentrations and corresponding values of said parameter and means for causing said control to freeze the present value of said concentrations in said memory.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus in claim 10 wherein said means for causing said control to freeze the present values is responsive to said parameter being at a predetermined level.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus in claim 10 wherein said means for causing said control to freeze the present value is responsive to manual control of a vehicle operator.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-03-31 | 1995-09-30 | 1996-03-31 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-03-31 | 1999-09-30 | 2000-03-31 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-03-31 | 2003-09-30 | 2004-03-31 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |