Container, Method and Control System

Abstract

A replaceable fluid container for an engine comprising: a reservoir for holding a fluid; a fluid coupling adapted to provide fluidic communication between the reservoir and a fluid circulation system of an engine; and a data provider arranged such that positioning the container to permit fluidic communication between the reservoir and the fluid circulation system of the engine arranges the data provider for data communication with an engine control device of the engine. There is also provided a method of facilitating control of an engine and an engine control system, apparatus and a vehicle.

1 . A replaceable fluid container for an engine comprising:
 a reservoir for holding a fluid;   a fluid coupling adapted to provide fluidic communication between the reservoir and a fluid circulation system of an engine; and   a data provider arranged such that positioning the container to permit fluidic communication between the reservoir and the fluid circulation system of the engine arranges the data provider for data communication with an engine control device of the engine.   
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the data communication comprises one of: providing data to the engine control device; and receiving data from the engine control device. 
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the data provider is arranged to inhibit communication with the engine control device unless the reservoir is in fluidic communication with the fluid circulation system of the engine. 
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the data provider is configured such that communication of data with the engine control device is dependent upon the presence of fluidic communication between the fluid container and a fluid circulation system of the engine. 
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the fluid coupling comprises a self-sealing coupling arranged such that connecting the self-sealing coupling to the fluid circulation system arranges the data provider for communicating data with the engine control device. 
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 1  in which the data provider is configured to communicate with the engine control device in response to the fluid coupling being coupled to the fluid circulation system of the engine. 
     
     
         7 . The container of  claim 1  comprising a sensor adapted to sense at least one property of a fluid in the reservoir of the container, wherein the data communicated with the engine control device comprises data based on the sensed property of the fluid. 
     
     
         8 . The container of  claim 7  in which the property of the fluid is at least one property selected from the group consisting of: the amount of fluid, the temperature of fluid, the pressure of fluid, the viscosity of fluid, the density of fluid, the electrical resistance of fluid, the dielectric constant of fluid, the opacity of fluid, the chemical composition of fluid and combinations of two or more thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 7  in which the data provider comprises a memory for storing data, and in which the stored data comprises data based upon at least one sensed property of the fluid. 
     
     
         10 . The container of  claim 9  in which the stored data comprises at least one property of the fluid selected from the group consisting of: the amount of fluid, the temperature of fluid, the pressure of fluid, the viscosity of fluid, the viscosity index of the fluid, the density of fluid, the electrical resistance of fluid, the dielectric constant of fluid, the opacity of fluid, the chemical composition of fluid, the origin of the fluid and combinations of two or more thereof. 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The container of  claim 9  in which the data provider is adapted to receive data from the engine control device and to perform an action selected from the list consisting of: storing the received data in the memory; and providing data to the engine control device in response to the received data. 
     
     
         13 . A computer implemented method of facilitating control of an engine, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a fluid container, a signal indicating that the fluid container is coupled to the engine;   in response to the received signal performing an action selected from the list comprising:   providing data to an engine control device; and,   providing data to a memory at the fluid container.   
     
     
         14 . The computer implemented method of  claim 13  wherein providing data to a memory at the fluid container comprises storing data obtained from the engine control device in the memory. 
     
     
         15 . The computer implemented method of  claim 13  comprising sensing at least one property of a fluid in a reservoir of the container, wherein the data is based on the sensed property. 
     
     
         16 . The computer implemented method of  claim 13  wherein providing data to an engine control device comprises obtaining the data from memory at the fluid container. 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . The container of  claim 1  comprising a computer readable medium comprising program instructions operable to program a processor to perform a method comprising
 receiving, at a fluid container, a signal indicating that the fluid container is coupled to the engine; 
 in response to the received signal performing an action selected from the list comprising: providing data to an engine control device, and providing data to a memory at the fluid container; 
 
       and a reservoir for holding a fluid. 
     
     
         19 . The container of  claim 1  and an engine control system adapted for use with the container, wherein the engine control system is configured to perform an action selected from the list consisting of: controlling operation of the engine based on data obtained from the container; and sending data to the container for storage. 
     
     
         20 . An apparatus comprising an engine control system configured to perform an action selected from the list consisting of: controlling operation of the engine based on data obtained from the container of  claim 1  and sending data to the container for storage, and an engine comprising a fluid circulation system adapted for fluidic communication with the reservoir of the container. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20  further comprising the container. 
     
     
         22 . (canceled)