Patent ID: 6961656

Claim:
An apparatus for indicating an initial distance to empty at completion of fueling of a vehicle, comprising: first means for detecting an amount of fuel in a fuel tank; second means for detecting if a fuel tank lid is open or closed; third means for detecting the vehicle speed; fourth means for calculating a fluctuating fuel consumption rate based on information from the first means, second means, and third means, and calculating an initial distance to empty available from the fuel at completion of fueling based on the fluctuating fuel consumption rate and a predetermined fixed fuel consumption rate; and fifth means for displaying the calculated initial distance to empty, wherein the fluctuating fuel consumption rate is derived from calculation of traveled distance divided by amount of fuel consumption between previous closing and current opening of the fuel tank lid, wherein the calculating the initial distance to empty comprises: calculating the first distance to empty based on the predetermined fixed fuel consumption rate and the amount of fuel; calculating the second distance to empty based on the fluctuating fuel consumption rate and the amount of fuel; calculating a compensation value defined as the first distance to empty subtracted by the second distance to empty; and calculating the initial distance to empty by calculation of the second distance to empty subtracted by the compensation value.