TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for part identification. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to systems and method of identifying a service component, such as a filtration device, using an array of sensors and identification devices.

BACKGROUND

Vehicles and machines of various types and utilities may include a number of parts or service components (individually referred to herein as a “part” and collectively referred to herein as “parts”) that may be replaced due to wear on the part or depletion of the service life of the part. The service life of the part may be defined as the total life of the part from the point of sale to the point of discard, and may represent a commitment made by a manufacture that the part may function as intended and be serviceable at a performance level as dictated by the manufacturer.

Once the service life of the part has been exhausted or the part has worn to the point that replacement is due, the part may be replaced. In some instances, the part may be replaced with a non-genuine or a non-authorized replacement part. In these instances, the system operator and/or the service technician may not know that a non-genuine or non-authorized part has been installed due to misidentification of the replacement part, replacement with an equivalent aftermarket and/or non-original equipment manufacturer (“OEM”) thought to be equivalent to an OEM part, or even non-OEM parts that include advanced counterfeiting techniques used by third parties to sell parts that look like genuine OEM parts but that may include inferior qualities or characteristics. In these instances, the non-authorized part may not conform to original manufacturer performance and/or safety parameters. In such examples, use of the non-authorized part may result in damage to downstream components or other components within the vehicle.

An example system for service component authenticity detection is described in International Patent Application Publication No. WO2019090319A1 (hereinafter referred to as “the '319 reference”). In particular, the '319 reference describes determining whether an authorized or genuine service component element is installed in an automotive system. The authorized service component determination of the '319 reference is based on close-range communication technology such as radio frequency identification (“RFID”) technology where an antenna in the sensor module reads the tag information from installed service component elements in a nearby service component and sends any detected information into a filtration monitoring system. A monitoring system analyzes the returned data to determine if a genuine service component element is installed or not.

The '319 reference does not, however, employ magnetic or optical sensors devices. Further, the '319 reference does not describe any type of coding of data obtained from an identification device. Still further, the '319 reference does not describe the use of an array of sensors and/or identification devices in determining additional information regarding an installed part or serialization of the part. As a result, the system described in the '319 reference cannot assist a user such as a mechanic in determining whether an acceptable part has been coupled to a machine and the physical characteristics of the part based on a code defined by an array of identification devices.

Examples of the present disclosure are directed toward overcoming the deficiencies described above.

SUMMARY

In an example of the present disclosure, a system includes an electronic control module (“ECM”) configured to control at least one subsystem of a machine, a plurality of sensors communicatively coupled to the ECM, the plurality of sensors configured to sense at least one identification device coupled to a fluid filter associated with the subsystem of the machine, and a memory operably connected to the ECM, the memory storing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the ECM, cause the ECM to cause a sensor of the plurality of sensors to sense the at least one identification device, receive a signal from the sensor based on the sensor sensing the at least one identification device, identify a coupling of the fluid filter to the machine based on the signal, and identify at least one physical characteristic of the fluid filter based on a code defined by electromagnetic energy generated by the at least one identification device. The code includes at least one component defining the at least one physical characteristic.

In another example of the present disclosure, a fluid filter, includes a fluid inlet through which a fluid from a subsystem of a machine flows into the fluid filter, a fluid outlet fluidly connected to the fluid inlet, the fluid outlet permitting passage of filtered fluid to an engine of the machine, and a plurality of identification devices coupled to the fluid filter at a location at which at least one sensor located on the engine detects the plurality of identification devices. The plurality of identification devices produce electromagnetic energy detectable by the at least one sensor to define a code. The code includes at least one component defining that indicates at least one physical characteristic of the fluid filter.

In yet another example of the present disclosure, a method includes, with an ECM configured to control at least one subsystem of a machine, controlling an array of sensors communicatively coupled to the ECM to sense an array of identification devices coupled to a part within the subsystem of the machine, and identify information regarding the part based on a code defined by detected electromagnetic energy produced by the array of identification devices. The code includes at least one component defining at least one physical characteristic of the part.

