METHOD FOR COMMUNICATING A DEVIATION OF A VEHICLE PARAMETER

• US 20100231372A1
• Filed: 09/17/2007
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Truck Corporation (AB Volvo)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Rozadas, Emma, Sandström, Joel
• Granted Patent: US 8,866,603 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/459
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1868 according to driving situations
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/188 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 35/215 characterised by the combination of multiple visual outputs, e.g. combined instruments with analogue meters and additional displays
• 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 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: G01D 7/005 Indication of measured value by colour change
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 7/02 Indicating value of two or more variables simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/08 Arrangements of scales, pointers, lamps or acoustic indicators, e.g. in automobile speedometers

Abstract

A method, a device and a system for communicating in a vehicle at least one deviation of a measured actual vehicle parameter value from its predetermined value to a driver involve determining an amount of the deviation, color-coding the amount of deviation, and communicating the amount of deviation to the driver by using the color-code. Determining the amount of deviation includes weighting a calculated difference between the measured actual vehicle parameter value and the predetermined vehicle parameter value with a weighting factor. A vehicle or more particularly a truck may include such a device and such a system and a computer programmed for performing such a method and computer readable medium comprising a program for performing such a method can be provided.

Claims

1. A method for communicating in a vehicle at least one deviation of an measured actual vehicle parameter value from its predetermined value to a driver comprising the steps of:

determining an amount of the deviation;

colour-coding said amount of deviation; and

communicating said amount of deviation to the driver by using said colour-code;

characterized by

the step of determining the amount of deviation comprising the step of weighting a calculated difference between the measured actual vehicle parameter value and the predetermined vehicle parameter value with a first weighting factor.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined vehicle value is weighted by a second weighting factor.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the predetermined vehicle value is a target value the measured actual vehicle parameter should have at a predetermined target time and/or at a predetermined target location.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the predetermined value is a calculated optimal value the measured actual vehicle parameter should have at the time and/or at the location of the actual measurement.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the calculated optimal value is determined by a nominal function dependent on time and/or location and/or a second weighting factor, particularly by an interpolation function or an extrapolation function.

6. The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the weighting with the first and/or second weighting factor comprises the calculation of a linear and/or non-linear weighting function.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first and/or second weighting factor(s) and/or the amount of deviation and/or the predetermined value are/is continuously or recurrently re-determined or re-calculated.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first and/or the second weighting factor are/is (i) at least one vehicle parameter, particularly a total vehicle weight, a vehicle'"'"'s payload, or a vehicle'"'"'s braking power, and/or (ii) at least one environmental parameter, particularly a road condition, a road characteristic, a weather parameter, a car-to-car distance, or a distance to an obstacle.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the predetermined value is determined by another vehicle-related-system, particularly by a driver assistance system, especially an ADAS and/or a navigation system.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the predetermined value is determined by a remote system and transmitted to the vehicle.

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the amount of deviation is colour-coded by gradually changing at least one of a brightness or hue of at least one colour, in particular by increasing said brightness and/or hue of said colour in case the amount of deviation increases and by decreasing said brightness and/or hue of said colour in case the amount of deviation decreases and by keeping said brightness and/or hue constant in case said amount of deviation is constant.

12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the amount of deviation is colour-coded by gradually changing a colour hue, in particular by changing the colour hue in a range (i) from green over yellow to red or, alternatively, from yellow to red in case the amount of deviation increases and (ii) from red over yellow to green or, alternatively, from yellow to green in case the amount of deviation decreases.

13. The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the colour brightness, saturation and/or hue is/are different for the case that the measured actual vehicle parameter exceeds the predetermined vehicle parameter value and for the case that the measured actual vehicle parameter is below the predetermined vehicle parameter value.

14. The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the colour brightness, saturation and/or hue can also be adapted according to ambient light conditions, particularly daytime, night-time or driving in a tunnel.

15. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the vehicle parameter is a parameter which is communicated to a driver by means of a gauge/meter (2), particularly speed, RPM and/or fuel consumption.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the gauge/meter (2) is at least partially colourable and/or illuminable.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the colour-code is implemented in the colouration/illumination of the gauge/meter (2).

18. The method according to claim 16 or 17, wherein that part of the gauge/meter (2) is coloured/illuminated which corresponds to a region (8) of the gauge/meter (2) that exceeds the predetermined value or is below said predetermined value.

19. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein the gauge/meter (2) is displayed on a monitor.

20. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the method is performed by a control unit, particularly a CPU.

21. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 19 and 20, wherein the control unit also controls the colouration/illumination of the gauge/meter (2) and/or the display of the monitor.

52. A computer program comprising a software code adapted to perform a method or for use in a method according to at least one of claims 1 to 21 when said program is run on a programmable microcomputer.

53. The computer program according to claim 52 adapted to be downloaded to a support unit or one of its components when run on a computer which is connected to the world wide web.

54. A computer program product stored on a computer readable medium, comprising a software code for use in a method according to one of claims 1 to 21 on a computer.

22. A device in a vehicle for communicating a deviation of an measured actual vehicle parameter value from its predetermined value, wherein the device comprises a colourable unit which is adapted to communicate an amount of deviation by colour-code characterized in that the amount of deviation is the result of a weighting function weighting a calculated difference between the measured actual vehicle parameter value and the predetermined vehicle parameter value with a first weighting factor.

23. The device according to claim 22, wherein the predetermined vehicle value is weighted by calculating a weighting function having a second weighting factor.

24. The device according to claim 22 or 23, wherein the predetermined vehicle value is a target value for the measured actual vehicle parameter to be reached within a predetermined time and/or at a predetermined location.

25. The device according to claim 22 or 23, wherein the predetermined value is a calculated optimal value the measured actual vehicle parameter should have at the time and/or at the location of the actual measurement.

26. The device according to claim 25, wherein the optimal value is determined by a nominal function dependent on time and/or location and/or a second weighting factor, particularly by an interpolation function or an extrapolation function.

27. The device according to any one of claim 22 or 26, wherein the weighting function(s) is/are a linear and/or non-linear weighting function.

28. The device according to any one of claim 22 or 27, wherein the first and/or second weighting factor is (i) at least one vehicle parameter, particularly a total vehicle weight, a vehicle'"'"'s payload, a vehicle'"'"'s braking power, and/or (ii) at least one environmental parameter, particularly a road condition, a road characteristic, a weather parameter, a car-to-car distance or a distance to an obstacle.

29. The device according to any one of claim 22 or 28, wherein the colourable unit is adapted to colour-code the amount of deviation by gradually changing at least one of a brightness or hue of at least one colour, in particular by increasing said brightness and/or hue of said colour in case the amount of deviation increases and by decreasing said brightness and/or hue of said colour in case the amount of deviation decreases and by keeping said brightness and/or hue constant in case said amount of deviation is constant.

30. The device according to any one of claim 22 or 29, wherein the colourable unit is adapted to colour-code the amount of deviation by gradually changing the colour hue, in particular by changing the colour hue in a range (i) from green over yellow to red or, alternatively, from yellow to red in case the amount of deviation increases and (ii) from red over yellow to green or, alternatively, from yellow to green in case the amount of deviation decreases.

31. The device according to any one of claims 22 to 30, wherein the colour brightness, saturation and/or hue is/are different for the case that the measured actual vehicle parameter exceeds the predetermined vehicle parameter value and for the case that the measured actual vehicle parameter is below the predetermined vehicle parameter value.

32. The device according to any one of claims 22 to 31, having an activation element for activating/deactivating the communication of either the fact that the measured actual vehicle parameter is below the predetermined vehicle parameter value or of the fact that the measured actual vehicle parameter exceeds the predetermined vehicle parameter value.

33. The device according to any one of claims 22 to 32, wherein the colour brightness, saturation and/or hue of the device is also adaptable to ambient light conditions, particularly daytime, night-time or driving in a tunnel, manually and/or automatically.

34. The device according to claim 32, wherein further an optical sensor is provided to sense the ambient light condition.

35. The device according to any one of claims 22 to 34, wherein the device is partially colourable.

36. The device according to any one of claims 22 to 35, wherein the device is illuminable and the colour-code is implemented in the illumination of the device.

37. The device according to any one of claims 22 to 36, wherein the device is a gauge/meter, particularly for speed, RPM and/or fuel consumption.

38. The device according to any one of claims 22 to 37, wherein the device is an analogue gauge/meter and that part of the gauge is illuminated which exceeds/succeeds the predetermined value.

39. The device according to any one of claims 22 to 38, wherein the device is a monitor.

40. A driver information system in a vehicle for communicating a deviation of a measured actual vehicle parameter value from its predetermined value to a driver comprising a calculation unit for determining said amount of deviation and a device according to any one of claims 22 to 39 which is adaptable to communicate said amount of deviation by colour-code characterized in that said amount of deviation is the result of a weighting function weighting a calculated difference between the measured actual vehicle parameter value and the predetermined vehicle parameter value with a first weighting factor.

41. The system according to claim 40, wherein the predetermined vehicle value is weighted by calculating a weighting function having a second weighting factor.

42. The system according to claim 40 or 41, wherein the predetermined vehicle value is a target value for the measured actual vehicle parameter to be reached within a predetermined time and/or at a predetermined location.

43. The system according to claim 40 or 41, wherein the predetermined value is a calculated optimal value the measured actual vehicle parameter should have at the time and/or at the location of the actual measurement.

44. The system according to claim 43, wherein the optimal value is determined by a nominal function dependent on time and/or location and/or a second weighting factor, particularly by an interpolation function or an extrapolation function.

45. The system according to any one of claims 40 to 44, wherein the weighting function(s) is/are a linear and/or non-linear weighting function.

46. The system according to any one of claims 40 to 45, wherein the calculation unit continuously or recurrently re-determines or re-calculates the first and/or second weighting factor(s) and/or the amount of deviation and/or the predetermined value.

47. The system according to any one of claims 40 to 46, wherein the first and/or second weighting factor are/is (i) at least one vehicle parameter, particularly a total vehicle weight, a vehicle'"'"'s payload, or a vehicle'"'"'s braking power, and/or (ii) at least one environmental parameter, particularly a road condition, a road characteristic, a weather parameter, a car-to-car distance or a distance to an obstacle.

48. The system according to any one of claims 40 to 47, wherein the system comprises a transmitting/receiving unit for receiving data (i) from another vehicle-related system, particularly a driver assistance system, especially an ADAS and/or navigation system, and/or (ii) from a remote system.

49. The system according to any one of claims 40 to 48, wherein the predetermined value is determined by the other vehicle-related-system and/or the remote system.

50. The system according to any one of claims 40 to 49, having an activation element for activating/deactivating the communication of either the fact that the measured actual vehicle parameter is below the predetermined vehicle parameter value or of the fact that the measured actual vehicle parameter exceeds the predetermined vehicle parameter value.

51. A vehicle, particularly a truck, comprising a device according to any one of claims 22 to 39 and a system according to any one of claims 40 to 50.

55. A computer program product stored on a computer readable medium, comprising a program code for use in a method for communicating in a vehicle at least one deviation of a measured actual vehicle parameter value from its predetermined value to a driver said method comprising the steps of:

determining an amount of the deviation;

colour-coding said amount of deviation; and

communicating said amount of deviation to the driver by using said colour-code; and

whereby the step of determining the amount of deviation comprising the step of weighting a calculated difference between the measured actual vehicle parameter value and the predetermined vehicle parameter value with a first weighting factor.