Method and Apparatus for Energy Usage Display

• US 20120179313A1
• 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: Hartl, Derek, Skaff, Ryan, Watson, Angela L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,613,473 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/172 Driving mode indication
• 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: B60R 16/0236 for economical driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/085 Power
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/305 Power absorbed by auxiliaries
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/209 Fuel quantity remaining in tank
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes displaying a plurality of power consuming and producing vehicle components. The method also includes determining what components are currently consuming power and what components are currently delivering power, and to what magnitude the power is flowing between components. The method additionally includes displaying one or more arrows showing a powerflow from at least one power producing component to at least one power consuming or producing component. The method further includes displaying an indicia indicating the magnitude of the powerflow associated with the one or more arrows. Also, the method includes, for at least one power consuming component, displaying a gauge relating to a level of power being consumed by the at least one power consuming component.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

displaying a plurality of power consuming and producing vehicle components;

determining, using a vehicle computing system, what components are currently consuming power and what components are currently delivering power, and to what magnitude the power is flowing between components;

displaying one or more arrows showing a powerflow from at least one power producing component to at least one power consuming or producing component, based at least in part on the determining;

displaying an indicia indicating the magnitude of the powerflow associated with the one or more arrows, based at least in part on the determining; and

for at least one power consuming component, displaying a gauge relating to a level of power being consumed by the at least one power consuming component.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicia is a brightness level.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicia is a change of color.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicia is the speed of a pulse moving along the one or more arrows.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the gauge represents a relative level of power usage of a component compared to a maximum level of power usage of a component.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the gauge represents a relative level of power usage of a component compared to a total power usage of all components.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the gauge represents an absolute level of power usage of a component compared.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a fuel tank component including a fuel level indicator displayed in conjunction with the fuel tank component.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a power-grid component including an arrow running from the power-grid component to a battery component, the arrow operative to be actively displayed when power is being drawn from a power-grid into the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying numeric values for remaining travel distance and/or time based on remaining fuel, wherein the numeric values adjust dynamically as power consuming components are set to consume more or less power.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein fuel includes gasoline.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein fuel includes electricity.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a numeric indicator next to the one or more arrows, the indicator relating to a level of powerflow between the components connected by the arrow.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

displaying an arrow connecting the fuel tank component to an engine component; and

displaying a numeric value corresponding to a current projected drive time remaining at a current fuel consumption level, the value determined based at least in part on current fuel remaining.

15. A computer readable storage medium, storing instructions that, when executed, cause a vehicle computing system to perform the method comprising:

displaying a plurality of power consuming and producing vehicle components;

determining what components are currently consuming power and what components are currently delivering power, and to what magnitude the power is flowing between components;

displaying one or more arrows showing a powerflow from at least one power producing component to at least one power consuming or producing component, based at least in part on the determining;

displaying an indicia indicating the magnitude of the powerflow associated with the one or more arrows, based at least in part on the determining; and

for at least one power consuming component, displaying a gauge relating to a level of power being consumed by the at least one power consuming component.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

displaying a power-grid component including an arrow running from the power-grid component to a battery component, the arrow operative to be actively displayed when power is being drawn from a power-grid into the vehicle.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

displaying a fuel tank component including a fuel level indicator displayed in conjunction with the fuel tank component.

18. A vehicle system comprising:

one or more power consuming components;

one or more power producing components, operable to provide power to at least one of the power consuming components;

a vehicle computing system, operable to determine the existence of and magnitude of a powerflow between each of the power producing components and the power consuming components, wherein the vehicle computing system is further operable to determine a level of power usage for at least a plurality of the power consuming components; and

a display output in communication with the vehicle computing system, operable to send instructions to a display,

wherein, when the vehicle computing system determines that power is flowing from at least one power producing component to at least one power consuming component, the vehicle computing system instructs the display output to send instructions instructing a display of an arrow running from the power producing component to the power consuming component, the arrow indicating at least a magnitude of the powerflow, and

wherein the vehicle computing system further instructs the display output to send instructions instructing a display of at least one power consuming component currently consuming power, the display of at least one power consuming component including a gauge relating to the amount of power being consumed by the at least one power consuming component.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the vehicle computing system further instructs the display output to send instructions instructing a display of at least a power-grid component including an arrow running from the power-grid component to a battery component when power is being drawn from a power-grid into the vehicle

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the vehicle computing system further instructs the display output to send instructions instructing a display of at least a fuel tank component including a fuel level indicator displayed in conjunction with the fuel tank component.