Regenerative braking halo and method

• US 20070295544A1
• Filed: 02/20/2007
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Borroni-Bird, Christopher E., Mercurio, Joseph F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,750,796 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/165
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/188 Displaying information using colour changes
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/188 Displaying information using colour changes
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/90 Vehicles comprising electric prime movers

Abstract

A variably illuminable display is provided for use with a vehicle having a regenerative braking capability with a detectable recharging rate. The display has a variable width, variable color, and variable intensity that are proportionately and continuously variable in response to the detected charging rate. The display is adapted to at least partially circumscribe a circular instrument gauge to thereby form an illuminable halo. A method is also provided for displaying the rate of energy transfer of a regenerative braking system aboard a vehicle, including detecting the recharging rate or rate of energy transfer of the regenerative braking process, communicating the detected recharging rate to a controllable display, and continuously varying at least one of the variable width, variable color, and variable intensity of the controllable display in proportion to the detected rate of energy transfer.

Claims

1. A variably illuminable display for use with a vehicle having a regenerative braking energy conversion system with an energy storage device and a detectable recharging rate, said display having at least one variable appearance feature that is controllably variable in proportionate response to said recharging rate.

2. The display of claim 1, wherein said at least one variable appearance feature is selected from the group of variable width, variable intensity, and variable color.

3. The display of claim 1, wherein said illuminable display is adapted to at least partially circumscribe an instrument gauge.

4. The display of claim 1, wherein said illuminable display comprises a halo substantially circumscribing an instrument gauge, and wherein said instrument gauge is a speedometer.

5. The display of claim 1, wherein said display includes an illuminable halo substantially circumscribing an instrument gauge and having a variable width and variable intensity, wherein said display is adapted to elicit a positive emotional response by continuously varying at least one of said variable intensity and said variable width in proportionate response to said recharging rate.

6. A vehicle comprising:

an energy storage device;

a motor/generator adapted to provide regenerative braking of said vehicle and having a detectable energy transfer rate corresponding to the rate of transfer between said motor/generator and said energy storage device;

a variably illuminable display at least partially circumscribing an instrument gauge, thereby forming a halo around said instrument gauge; and

at least one sensor configured to detect said detectable rate and transmit said detectable rate to said variably illuminable display;

wherein said halo of said variably illuminable display has at least one variable appearance feature that is in proportion to said detected rate.

9. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein said at least one variable feature is selected from the group of variable width, variable intensity, and variable color.

7. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein said halo substantially circumscribes said instrument gauge.

8. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein said instrument gauge is a speedometer having a center display area configured to display the speed of said vehicle in a digital format.

10. A method of displaying a detected rate of energy transfer between an energy storage device and a regenerative braking system aboard a vehicle, the method comprising detecting and communicating said rate to a variably illuminable display and sufficiently varying at least one of the width, color, and intensity of said display in proportionate response to said detected rate, whereby to improve the awareness of said detected rate.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said controllable display is a circular halo at least partially encircling an instrument gauge.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said instrument gauge is a speedometer.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said at least one of said width, color, and intensity is proportionately variable in response to said detected rate.