Information Display System And Method

• US 20120176231A1
• Filed: 01/06/2011
• Published: 07/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Skaff, Ryan, Gilman, Dale, Aldighieri, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,860,565 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/439
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/174 Economic driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• 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: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0236 for economical driving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

An efficiency gauge from a vehicle information display may incorporate vehicle range information in addition to an efficiency indicator. The range information may be displayed as an area on the efficiency gauge indicating a safe operating region for average driving in order for the vehicle to reach a target destination entered by a driver before an on-board energy source is depleted. By maintaining a vehicle'"'"'s average trip efficiency within the safe operating region through driving behavior, the display may convey that the vehicle will be able to make it to the target destination. Over the course of a trip, the safe operating region may be constantly updated to reflect the current state of the battery and the remaining distance to the target destination. If no target information is received, a default target distance value based on an initial distance to empty estimation may be used.

Claims

1. An information display system comprising:

an information display including an energy consumption gauge having a threshold and an efficiency indicator; and

a controller in communication with the information display and configured to;

determine a target distance,

calculate a threshold value associated with the threshold based upon a battery state and the target distance,

calculate an efficiency value associated with the efficiency indicator, and

transmit signals causing the information display to adjust the threshold based on the threshold value and the efficiency indicator based upon the efficiency value.

2. The information display system of claim 1, wherein the controller configured to determine a target distance comprises the controller configured to:

establish an initial target distance value,

calculate a current target distance value based upon the initial target distance value and a current distance traveled since the initial target distance value was established, and

set the target distance to the current target distance value.

3. The information display system of claim 2, wherein the controller configured to establish an initial target distance value comprises the controller configured to:

receive user input corresponding to the initial target distance value, and

set the initial target distance value based on the user input.

4. The information display system of claim 3, wherein the user input is an actual distance value.

5. The information display system of claim 2, wherein the controller configured to establish an initial target distance value comprises the controller configured to:

determine whether user input corresponding to the initial target distance value has been received, and

substitute a default value as the initial target distance value upon a determination that no user input was received.

6. The information display system of claim 5, wherein the controller configured to substitute a default value as the initial target distance value comprises the controller configured to:

estimate a current distance to empty (DTE) value, and

set the current DTE value as the default value.

7. The information display system of claim 6, wherein the current DTE value is based on the battery state and an energy consumption history.

8. The information display system of claim 1, wherein the controller configured to determine a target distance comprises the controller configured to:

receive the target distance from a navigation system based on a programmed route.

9. A display method comprising:

determining a target distance for a vehicle;

calculating a threshold value based upon a current battery state and the target distance;

calculating an efficiency value based on driving behavior; and

displaying an efficiency gauge having an efficiency indicator corresponding to the efficiency value and threshold corresponding to the threshold value.

10. The display method of claim 9, wherein determining the target distance comprises:

establishing an initial target distance value;

calculating a current target distance value based upon the initial target distance value and a current distance traveled since the initial target distance value was established; and

setting the target distance to the current target distance value.

11. The display method of claim 10, wherein establishing the initial target distance value comprises:

receiving user input corresponding to the initial target distance value; and

setting the initial target distance value based on the user input.

12. The display method of claim 11, wherein the user input is an actual distance value.

13. The display method of claim 10, wherein establishing the initial target distance value comprises:

determining whether user input corresponding to the initial target distance value has been received; and

substituting a default value as the initial target distance value upon a determination that no user input was received.

14. The display method of claim 13, wherein substituting a default value as the initial target distance value comprises;

estimating a current distance to empty (DTE) value; and

setting the current DTE value as the default value.

15. The display method of claim 14, wherein the current DTE value is based on the battery state and an energy consumption history.

16. The display method of claim 9, wherein determining the target distance comprises:

receiving the target distance from a navigation system based on a programmed route.

17. The display method of claim 9, wherein calculating the threshold value based upon a current battery state and the target distance comprises:

determining a current amount of energy remaining in a main battery; and

dividing the current amount of energy remaining in the main battery by the target distance.

18. An energy consumption gauge comprising:

a linear bar having an upper limit and a lower limit;

an efficiency indicator movable between the upper limit and the lower limit, the efficiency indicator corresponding to an energy consumption rate; and

an energy budget element having a base disposed at the lower limit and a threshold based upon a current battery state and a target distance.

19. The energy consumption gauge of claim 18, wherein the target distance is based on driver input.

20. The energy consumption gauge of claim 18, wherein the target distance is an initial distance to empty value estimated at the start of a trip less a trip distance.