Patents by Inventor Thomas J. McDade, JR.

Thomas J. McDade, JR. has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Fuel level display filter algorithm adjust to prevent fuel run out with fuel displayed on gauge
    Patent number: 11175171
    Abstract: A method is used to control a fuel level gauge of a vehicle system and includes: monitoring, via an engine controller, a fuel economy of the vehicle system; comparing, via the engine controller, the fuel economy with a predetermined fuel economy threshold to determine whether the fuel economy is less than the predetermined fuel economy threshold; adjusting, via the engine controller, a sensitivity of a display filter in response to determining that the fuel economy is less than the predetermined fuel economy threshold for a predetermined amount of time in order to maximize an accuracy of the fuel level gauge, wherein the display filter smoothes an unfiltered fuel level signal received from a fuel level sensor of the vehicle system, thereby generating a filtered fuel level signal; and controlling, via an instrument panel controller, the fuel level gauge of the vehicle system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Ayman A. Abbas, Michael V. Miceli, Thomas J. McDade, Jr.
  • FUEL LEVEL DISPLAY FILTER ALGORITHM ADJUST TO PREVENT FUEL RUN OUT WITH FUEL DISPLAYED ON GAUGE
    Publication number: 20200103267
    Abstract: A method is used to control a fuel level gauge of a vehicle system and includes: monitoring, via an engine controller, a fuel economy of the vehicle system; comparing, via the engine controller, the fuel economy with a predetermined fuel economy threshold to determine whether the fuel economy is less than the predetermined fuel economy threshold; adjusting, via the engine controller, a sensitivity of a display filter in response to determining that the fuel economy is less than the predetermined fuel economy threshold for a predetermined amount of time in order to maximize an accuracy of the fuel level gauge, wherein the display filter smoothes an unfiltered fuel level signal received from a fuel level sensor of the vehicle system, thereby generating a filtered fuel level signal; and controlling, via an instrument panel controller, the fuel level gauge of the vehicle system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Applicant: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Ayman A. Abbas, Michael V. Miceli, Thomas J. McDade, JR.