Information System

• US 20100109856A1
• Filed: 10/29/2009
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: KUENZNER, Hermann
• Granted Patent: US 8,362,892 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/439
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/004 Indicating the operating range of the engine economical driving B60R16/0236, F02B77/084; measuring liquid fuel of an engine G01F9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/045 supported by the wheels
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/049 giving information to passengers inside the vehicles

Abstract

An information system is provided for displaying a residual range of a motor vehicle, and includes devices for determining the filling degree of a power storage device of the motor vehicle, a computing unit for determining the residual range, and a display unit for displaying the residual range, by way of the filling degree of the power storage device. A first estimated value concerning a maximal residual range of the motor vehicle can be determined. A power consumption of at least one additional consuming device of the motor vehicle can be determined and, while the power consumption of the at least one additional consuming device is taken into account, a second estimated value can be determined concerning a reduced residual range of the motor vehicle. The first estimated value can be displayed by the display device simultaneously with the second estimated value and/or a difference between the first and the second estimated values can be displayed simultaneously with at least one of the two estimated values.

Claims

1. An information system for displaying a residual range of a motor vehicle, comprising:

a filling degree device for determining a filling degree of a power storage device of the motor vehicle;

a computing unit for determining the residual range;

wherein a first estimated value indicative of a maximal residual range of the motor vehicle is determined by way of the filling degree device;

wherein a second estimated value indicative of a reduced residual range of the motor vehicle is determined as a function of a power consumption of at least one additional consuming device of the motor vehicle; and

a display unit operatively configured to display at least one of;

the first estimated value simultaneously with the second estimated value; and

a difference between the first estimated value and the second estimated value simultaneously with at least one of the first and second estimated values.

2. The information system according to claim 1, wherein the display device displays the first estimated value simultaneously with the second estimated value and the difference between the first and the second estimated values.

3. The information system according to claim 1, wherein the display device displays the difference between the first and the second estimated values in a graphic residual range representation as part of the first estimated value.

4. The information system according to claim 3, wherein the graphic residual range representation is one of a bar graph representation and a pie graph representation.

5. The information system according to claim 3, wherein the graphic residual range representation comprises at least one of:

a numerical representation of the first estimated value and the second estimated value;

a numerical representation of the first estimated value and of the difference between the first and the second estimated values; and

a numerical representation of the second estimated value and of the difference between the first and the second estimated values.

6. The information system according to claim 3, wherein the graphic residual range representation comprises a numerical representation of the first estimated value and the second estimated value and of the difference between the first and the second estimated values.

7. The information system according to claim 1, wherein the difference between the first and the second estimated values is displayed only when an additional consuming device is switched-on.

8. The information system according to claim 3, wherein the graphic residual range representation is a bar representation that comprises:

a bar for displaying the first estimated value, said bar including a first partial bar for displaying the second estimated value and a second partial bar for displaying the difference between the first and the second estimated values.

9. The information system according to claim 1, wherein the difference between the first and the second estimated values is displayable together with an identifier for the at least one additional consuming device of the motor vehicle.

10. The information system according to claim 8, wherein the second partial bar is labeled with an identifier for the at least one additional consuming device.

11. The information system according to claim 10, wherein the label is arranged completely within a contour of the second partial bar.

12. The information system according to claim 8, wherein the second partial bar is visually set-off with respect to the first partial bar by way of color.

13. The information system according to claim 1, wherein a respective power consumption of at least two additional consuming devices of the motor vehicle are determined;

and

wherein contributions of the at least two additional consuming devices are determined by the difference between the first and the second estimated values, which contributions are displayed on the display unit.

14. A method for displaying residual range information concerning a motor vehicle, the method comprising the acts of:

determining a first estimated value indicative of a maximal residual range of the motor vehicle as a function of a filling degree of a power storage device of the motor vehicle;

determining a power consumption of at least one additional consuming device of the motor vehicle;

determining a second estimated value indicative of a reduced residual range of the motor vehicle by taking into account the power consumption of the at least one additional consuming device; and

displaying on a display unit the first estimated value simultaneously with the second estimated value.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the act of:

displaying a difference between the first estimated value and the second estimated value simultaneously with at least one of the two estimated values.

16. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the act of:

displaying the first estimated value simultaneously with the second estimated value in a bar graph.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the bar graph further indicates a difference between the first and the second estimated values.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the bar graph includes numerical representations of at least one of the first estimated value, the second estimated value, and a difference between the first and the second estimated values.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein the displaying act further comprises the act of:

displaying the first estimated value and the second estimated value, together with a difference between the first and the second estimated values, in a bar representation, wherein the difference between the first and the second estimated values includes an identifier of the at least one additional consuming device.

20. A display for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a display unit having a display screen; and

wherein a first estimated value indicative of a maximum residual range of the motor vehicle is displayed on the display screen simultaneously with at least one of;

a second estimated value indicative of a reduced residual range of the motor vehicle based upon power consumption of an additional consuming device of the motor vehicle, and

a difference between the first estimated value and the second estimated value.