Driver Input Analysis and Feedback System

• US 20080120175A1
• Filed: 11/20/2006
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Doering, Jeff
• Granted Patent: US 7,765,058 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0236 for economical driving
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0271 Personalized advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

A method of driver training to improve fuel economy performance of a vehicle, the method including, receiving selected vehicle and driver operating data indicative of driving conditions and operator inputs captured during previous vehicle operation, processing the received selected vehicle and driver operating data, and generating driving recommendations to improve fuel economy performance based on the processed vehicle and driver operating data.

Claims

1. A method of driver training to improve fuel economy performance of a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving selected vehicle and driver operating data indicative of driving conditions and operator inputs captured during previous vehicle operation;

processing said received selected vehicle and driver operating data; and

generating driving recommendations to improve fuel economy performance based on said processed vehicle and driver operating data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the driving recommendations include information customized to a particular driver based on a driver profile.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising generating a driver history corresponding to the driver profile, the driver history providing updated fuel economy performance information.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected data is captured in response to a driver request to monitor performance.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the driver request includes selected driving conditions in which the selected data is captured.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the driving recommendations includes rolling up windows when the vehicle travels beyond a predetermined speed.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the driving recommendations include reducing pedal excitation business.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the driving recommendations include combining shorter vehicle trips into longer vehicle trips.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the processing is performed by a computing device off-board of the vehicle.

10. A driver input analysis system to provide feedback to a vehicle operator to improve fuel economy performance, the system operating with a method comprising:

storing selected vehicle and driver operating data indicative of driving conditions and operator inputs captured during previous vehicle operation;

generating driving recommendations to improve fuel economy performance based on said selected vehicle and driver operating data; and

presenting the driving recommendations in the vehicle to the vehicle operator.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein presenting includes displaying the driving recommendations on a display screen.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein presenting includes an audio indication of the driving recommendations.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the selected data includes at least one of engine coolant temperature, engine oil temperature, and transmission fluid temperature.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the selected data includes at least one of peak accelerations and fuel flow rates.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the selected data includes pedal excitation data.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein the selected data includes at least one of vehicle speed, respective window position, ambient temperature, and climate control settings.

17. A method of marketing to a customer a driver input analysis and feedback system for improving fuel economy performance in a vehicle, the method comprising:

advertising personalized driver training using the customer'"'"'s actual driving performance, said driver training providing recommendation to improve fuel economy performance in the vehicle; and

selling the vehicle, the vehicle configured to generate said driver training based on captured driver input data via the driver input analysis and feedback system.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the personalized driver training uses vehicle specific information to improve fuel economy performance.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

providing a maintenance plan for the vehicle that includes providing updated driver training performance history.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the vehicle is configured to display said driver training on a display screen.