Cummins Inc.

Gopal Chamarthi

Mark Akins

Scott Thompson

Shu Zhang

Stephanie L Goerges

Dave O'dell

A system and method are disclosed for detecting tampering with the software, software parameters, and calibration data used by a vehicle controller. During authorized installation of controller memory images, a hash function is applied to selected regions of controller memory to obtain stored hash values. Then, periodically during operation of the vehicle, the hash function is applied to the then-current contents of the controller memory to obtain calculated hash values. If the stored hash values stored do not match the calculated hash values, a fault is logged for future retrieval by service personnel.

Tamper detection for vehicle controller

A water-in-fuel abuse detection system provides a way to determine if a vehicle operator has ignored a conventional water-in-fuel indicator light and continued to operate the vehicle beyond a certain threshold. The system includes a sensor positioned in a fuel filter capable of separating an amount of water from a source of fuel. The sensor is operatively connected to a software routine, as well as to a conventional indicator light that illuminates to alert a vehicle operator that water must be purged from the fuel filtration system. The software routine determines the duration, in distance traversed or time elapsed, that the amount of water is at or above the level of the sensor. The routine then writes a fault code to permanent memory when the threshold is exceeded. A diagnostic tool can access the permanent memory and reveal whether the fuel system has be the subject of water-in-fuel abuse.

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Farmington Hills, MI, United States of America

Gopal Chamarthi