Vehicle Range Surplus Display And Method

• US 20120179314A1
• Filed: 01/06/2011
• Published: 07/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Gilman, Dale, Aldighieri, Paul
• Application Number:
  US12/985,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20120179314A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• 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 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/425 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/662 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/667 Precipitation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/68 Traffic data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/16 responding to battery ageing, e.g. to the number of charging cycles or the state of health [SoH]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/27 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 : Data processing systems or methods, management, administration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

An information display for a vehicle may convey whether an on-board energy storage device contains surplus energy to propel the vehicle beyond its current destination. The energy surplus may be conveyed in a graphically emotive display to support a driver'"'"'s emotional motivation to drive the vehicle as well as provide reassurance for successfully making it to a destination before the energy storage device is depleted. The display may include one or more emotive display elements or themes. The energy surplus may be conveyed as surplus distance by a number of surplus indicators that are associated with the emotive display element.

Claims

1. An information display for a vehicle comprising:

a display screen including;

an emotive display element, and

a number of surplus indicators associated with the emotive display element, the surplus indicators corresponding to an energy surplus value indicative of an estimated amount of additional energy in an energy storage device relative to a target.

2. The information display of claim 1, wherein the energy surplus value is based upon a calculated distance to the target (DTT) value and a current estimated distance to empty (DTE) value.

3. The information display of claim 2, wherein the energy surplus value is equal to the estimated DTE value minus the calculated DTT value.

4. The information display of claim 2, wherein the target is a destination.

5. The information display of claim 2, wherein the target corresponds to an initial distance value input by a driver.

6. The information display of claim 2, wherein the target corresponds to an initial estimated DTE value by default when no target information is provided by a driver.

7. The information display of claim 1, wherein the additional energy in the energy storage device relative to the target corresponds to a distance value, and each surplus indicator represents one distance unit of the additional energy in the energy storage device.

8. The information display of claim 1, wherein an increase in the number of surplus indicators corresponds to an increase in the energy surplus value.

9. The information display of claim 1, wherein an increase in brightness of the number of surplus indicators corresponds to an increase in the energy surplus value.

10. The information display of claim 1, wherein an increase in an area of the display screen filled by the number of surplus indicators corresponds to an increase in the energy surplus value.

11. An information display system comprising:

an information display having a display screen including;

an emotive display element, and

a number of surplus indicators associated with the emotive display element; and

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

determine an energy surplus value based upon a calculated distance to a target (DTT) value and a current estimated distance to empty (DTE) value, and

transmit signals causing the information display to display the number of surplus indicators based upon the energy surplus value.

12. The information display system of claim 11, wherein the energy surplus value is equal to the estimated DTE value minus the calculated DTT value.

13. The information display system of claim 11, wherein the target corresponds to a navigation waypoint.

14. The information display system of claim 11, wherein the target corresponds to an initial estimated DTE value by default when no target information is provided by a driver.

15. The information display system of claim 11, wherein the energy surplus value is measured in units of distance and each surplus indicator represents one distance unit.

16. The information display system of claim 11, wherein an increase in the number of surplus indicators corresponds to an increase in the energy surplus value.

17. A display method comprising:

calculating a distance from a vehicle to a target (DTT);

estimating a range of the vehicle;

determining an energy surplus value based upon the calculated DTT and the estimated vehicle range; and

transmitting signals causing an information display to display a number of surplus indicators based upon the energy surplus value.

18. The display method of claim 17, wherein the step of determining an energy surplus value based upon a calculated distance to a target (DTT) value and a current estimated distance to empty (DTE) value comprises:

subtracting the calculated DTT from the estimated vehicle range.

19. The display method of claim 17, wherein the number of surplus indicators is directly related to the energy surplus value.

20. The display method of claim 17, wherein the target corresponds to a charging location and the estimated vehicle range corresponds to a distance the vehicle can travel before its energy source for locomotion is depleted.