SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISPLAYING AN OVERALL EFFICIENCY OF A HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE

• US 20100106352A1
• Filed: 10/28/2008
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hartl, Derek, Louch, Robert Jay, Howard, Anthony, Burke, Stephen, Bryan, Paul Stephen, Watson, Angela L., Watson, David, Skaff, Ryan J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,276 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/174 Economic driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

A system and method for determining and displaying an overall efficiency value of a vehicle. The vehicle may include an engine and an electric machine that operates to provide torque to propel the vehicle. In addition, the vehicle may have an electric power source that provides electric power to the electric machine. A controller may determine and transmit the overall efficiency value so that the information display displays the number of efficiency indicators. Also, the number of efficiency indicators displayed may be based on the overall efficiency value.

Claims

1. An information display system for a vehicle including an engine and an electric machine, each operable to provide torque to propel the vehicle, the vehicle further including an electric power source configured to provide electric power to the electric machine, the information display system comprising:

an information display configured to display a number of efficiency indicators; and

a controller being configured to receive information related to an amount of fuel consumed and electrical energy used in order to propel the vehicle, the controller further being configured to determine an overall energy efficiency value based upon the amount of fuel consumed and the electrical energy used, and the controller further being configured to transmit the overall energy efficiency value so that the information display displays the number of efficiency indicators based upon the overall energy efficiency value.

2. The information display system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to receive information related to a specified time period, the controller determining the overall energy efficiency value from a time when the vehicle is turned on until the specified time period has elapsed.

3. The information display system of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to receive information related to a predetermined distance traveled, the controller further being configured to determine the overall energy efficiency value from a time when the vehicle is turned on until the predetermined distance traveled has been reached.

4. The information display system of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the overall energy efficiency value from a time when the vehicle is turned on until the time the vehicle is turned off.

5. The information display system of claim 3 further comprising a driver interface system, the driver interface system being configured to receive the specified time period and predetermined distance traveled, and the driver interface system further being configured to transmit the specified time period and predetermined distance traveled to the controller.

6. The information display system of claim 3 further comprising a memory used to store the predetermined time period and the predetermined distance, and the controller further being configured to retrieve the predetermined time period and the predetermined distance from the memory.

7. The information display system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to receive information related to a specified time period, and the controller further being configured to determine the overall energy efficiency value from a time after the vehicle is turned on until the specified time has elapsed.

8. The information display system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to receive information related to a predetermined distance, and the controller further being configured to determine the overall energy efficiency value from a time after the vehicle is turned on until a predetermined distance has been traveled by the vehicle.

9. A method for displaying an efficiency information about a vehicle using an information display system, the vehicle including an engine and an electric machine, each operable to provide torque to propel the vehicle, the vehicle further including an electric power source configured to provide electric power to the electric machine, the method comprising:

receiving information related to an amount of fuel consumed and electrical energy used in order to propel the vehicle;

determining an overall energy efficiency value of the vehicle using the amount of fuel consumed and the electrical energy used information;

transmitting the overall energy efficiency value to an information display;

displaying a number of efficiency indicators on the information display based on the overall energy efficiency value.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of receiving information related to an amount of fuel consumed and electrical energy used in order to propel the vehicle comprises receiving information related to a fuel flow rate and an energy density, and the step of determining an overall energy efficiency value of the vehicle using the amount of fuel consumed and the electrical energy used information comprises determining a fuel power value using the received fuel flow rate and energy density information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of receiving information related to an amount of fuel consumed and electrical energy used in order to propel the vehicle further comprises receiving information related to a battery voltage and a battery current, and the step of determining an overall energy efficiency value of the vehicle using the amount of fuel consumed and the electrical energy used information further comprises determining a battery power value using the received battery voltage and battery current information.

12. The method of claim 11, the step of determining an overall energy efficiency value of the vehicle using the amount of fuel consumed and the electrical energy used information further comprises determining a fuel energy value and a battery energy value using the determined fuel power value and the determined battery power value.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of determining an overall energy efficiency value of the vehicle using the amount of fuel consumed and the electrical energy used information further comprises determining a vehicle energy value using the determined fuel energy value and the battery energy value.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of determining an overall energy efficiency value of the vehicle using the amount of fuel consumed and the electrical energy used information further comprises determining an energy used per distance value using the vehicle energy value and the distance traveled value.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of determining an overall energy efficiency value of the vehicle using the amount of fuel consumed and the electrical energy used information further comprises determining the overall energy efficiency value by averaging any number of previous energy used per distance values.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of determining the overall energy efficiency value by averaging any number of previous energy used per distance values comprises determining the overall energy efficiency when the speed of the vehicle is below a speed threshold value and increasing the averaged number of previous energy used per distance values.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising storing in a memory the average overall energy efficiency value, and the step of transmitting the overall energy efficiency value to an information display comprises transmitting the average overall energy efficiency value to the information display.

19. The information display system of claim 16 further comprising a driver interface system, the driver interface system being configured to receive the information relating to the comparison vehicle, and the driver interface system further being configured to transmit the input comparison vehicle information to the controller.

20. The information display system of claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to receive information related to a fuel price, the controller further being configured to determine the overall monetary amount saved value using the received information relating to the fuel price.

18. An information display system for a vehicle including an engine and an electric machine, each operable to provide torque to propel the vehicle, the vehicle further including an electric power source configured to provide electric power to the electric machine, the information display system comprising:

an information display configured to display a number of efficiency indicators; and

a controller being configured to receive information related to a fuel efficiency of the vehicle, a fuel efficiency of a comparison vehicle, and a distance traveled by the vehicle, the controller further being configured to determine an overall monetary amount saved value using the received information that relates to the fuel efficiency of the vehicle, the fuel efficiency of the comparison vehicle, and the distance traveled by the vehicle, and the controller further being configured to transmit the overall monetary amount saved value so that the information display displays the number of efficiency indicators based upon the overall monetary amount saved value.