Patent ID: 8229693

Claim:
A calibration tool for calibrating an on-board vehicle monitoring device, comprising: a processor having a clock or access to a time signal, and constructed and arranged for receiving and processing signals representing at least one of engine, power-train and vehicle operating parameters from a vehicle on-board diagnostics (OBD) port or vehicle sensors, means for storing hard data relating to the vehicle and its engine and codes identifying the available on-board diagnostics (OBD) port outputs and inputs, and wherein the processor includes processor programming for calculating vehicle-specific coefficients over an operating range for the vehicle and to populate an array with the coefficients and enabling the processor or the vehicle monitoring device to look up a corresponding co-efficient from the array when certain values are not available or are delayed so that a desired value or output can be obtained using available inputs or signals; wherein the calculated vehicle-specific coefficients include each of the coefficients: a coefficient describing the losses in converting rotational energy from the vehicle crankshaft to forward motion in the vehicle, a coefficient describing the conversion of chemical energy into rotational energy at the crankshaft, a coefficient describing the work done by the engine to gather intake air and trap it in the cylinder for combustion, a coefficient describing the work done by the engine to force exhaust gases into the atmosphere through the exhaust, a coefficient to describe the exhaust gas temperature from fuel injected, a coefficient to describe the torque produced from the fuel injected, a coefficient to describe the exhaust gas composition from fuel, air, and EGR quantities in the combustion process, and a coefficient to describe the chemical reaction rates within the catalyst(s) from exhaust gas compositions and temperatures.