The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 11, 2012
Filed:
Apr. 16, 2010
Jun Tarui, Kariya, JP;
Akikazu Uchida, Obu, JP;
Toshiki Annoura, Nagoya, JP;
Hiroshi Katsurahara, Anjo, JP;
Takayoshi Nakamura, Kiyosu, JP;
Jun Tarui, Kariya, JP;
Akikazu Uchida, Obu, JP;
Toshiki Annoura, Nagoya, JP;
Hiroshi Katsurahara, Anjo, JP;
Takayoshi Nakamura, Kiyosu, JP;
Denso Corporation, Kariya, JP;
Abstract
A capacitance sensing section senses a capacitance between first and second electrodes. A temperature sensing section senses fuel temperature. A microcomputer functions as a concentration sensing section and senses a concentration of ethanol contained in fuel based on the capacitance sensed by the capacitance sensing section and the temperature sensed by the temperature sensing section. The microcomputer functions as an abnormality detecting section and performs abnormality determination to determine that an abnormality has occurred in the capacitance sensing section when the capacitance sensed by the capacitance sensing section does not change and the temperature sensed by the temperature sensing section changes. Since a dielectric constant has such a temperature characteristic that the dielectric constant changes with the temperature, the abnormality detecting section can detect occurrence of the abnormality in the capacitance sensing section.