Information Display System And Method

• US 20120179319A1
• Filed: 01/05/2012
• 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: Gilman, Dale, Aldighieri, Paul, Watson, David L., Watson, Angela L., Greenberg, Jeffrey Allen, Sandvig, Craig, Bodnar, Leslie
• Granted Patent: US 8,755,994 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/16 Type of output information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/172 Driving mode indication
• 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 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/52 drive range estimation, e.g. of estimation of available travel distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/54 Energy consumption estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• 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

Abstract

A vehicle display may convey vehicle trip information and vehicle range information graphically to assist drivers in qualitatively visualizing and determining whether they can successfully make it to their destination before an on-board energy source is depleted. A trip gauge may include indicators corresponding to the relative locations of the vehicle, the destination, and a projected zero charge location associated with the vehicle'"'"'s range or distance to empty value. The positions of the indicators relative to one another may indicate whether the excess energy is available for the vehicle to reach the destination or whether the energy available is insufficient. A battery gauge may also convey information associated with the vehicle range. Portions of the trip gauge and the battery gauge, as well as one or more of the associated indicators, may assigned various color values for display based upon energy consumption, vehicle range, and target distance information.

Claims

1. A display control system for a vehicle comprising:

a controller configured to receive input indicative of an estimated vehicle range and output a display color signal based on the input; and

a display in communication with the controller and including a battery gauge for conveying a battery state of charge (SOC), wherein at least a portion of the battery gauge is displayed in a predetermined color based upon the estimated vehicle range in response to the display color signal.

2. The display control system of claim 1, wherein the portion of the battery gauge is displayed in a first color when the estimated vehicle range is above an estimated vehicle range threshold.

3. The display control system of claim 2, wherein the portion of the battery gauge is displayed in at least a second color when the estimated vehicle range is below the estimated vehicle range threshold, the second color being different from the first color.

4. The display control system of claim 3, wherein the display further includes a trip gauge having a first end associated with a trip start location, a second end, a vehicle indicator associated with a vehicle location and disposed between the first end and the second end, and an empty indicator associated with a zero battery charge location and spaced apart from the vehicle indicator based upon the estimated vehicle range.

5. The display control system of claim 4, wherein the empty indicator is displayed in the first color when the estimated vehicle range is above the estimated vehicle range threshold and at least the second color when the estimated vehicle range is below the estimated vehicle range threshold.

6. The display control system of claim 4, wherein the trip gauge further includes a target indicator associated with a target location, the input being further indicative of a target distance corresponding to a distance from the vehicle location to the target location, the controller being further configured to calculate a surplus distance based on the difference between the estimated vehicle range and the target distance.

7. The display control system of claim 6, wherein the trip gauge is displayed according to a first color scheme when the surplus distance is positive.

8. The display control system of claim 7, wherein the trip gauge is displayed according to a second color scheme when the surplus distance is negative and the estimated vehicle range is above the estimated vehicle range threshold.

9. The display control system of claim 8, wherein the trip gauge is displayed according to a third color scheme when the surplus distance is negative and the estimated vehicle range is below the estimated vehicle range threshold.

10. The display control system of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate an energy budget threshold based upon the battery SOC and the target distance.

11. The display control system of claim 10, wherein the input is further indicative of an instantaneous energy consumption rate, the display being configured to display the vehicle indicator in one of a number of predetermined color states based upon a difference between the instantaneous energy consumption rate and the energy budget threshold.

12. A display method comprising:

calculating an estimated vehicle range based upon a state of charge (SOC) of a battery; and

displaying a battery gauge including a SOC indicator associated with the battery SOC, wherein at least a portion of the battery gauge is displayed in one of a number of predetermined colors based upon the estimated vehicle range.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the portion of the battery gauge is displayed in a first color when the estimated vehicle range is above an estimated vehicle range threshold and at least a second color when the estimated vehicle range is below the estimated vehicle range threshold, the second color being different from the first color.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

displaying a trip gauge including a vehicle indicator associated with a current vehicle location and an empty indicator associated with a zero battery charge location and spaced apart from the vehicle indicator based upon the estimated vehicle range.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the empty indicator is displayed in the first color when the estimated vehicle range is above the estimated vehicle range threshold and at least the second color when the estimated vehicle range is below the estimated vehicle range threshold.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the trip gauge further includes a target indicator associated with a target destination and spaced apart from the vehicle indicator based upon a target distance between the vehicle location and the target destination, the method further comprising:

calculating a surplus distance based on the difference between the estimated vehicle range and the target distance; and

displaying at least the target indicator according to one of a number of predetermined color schemes based upon the surplus distance and the estimated vehicle range.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving an instantaneous energy consumption rate;

calculating an energy budget threshold based upon the battery SOC and the target distance; and

displaying the vehicle indicator in one of a number of predetermined color states based upon the difference between the instantaneous energy consumption rate and the energy budget threshold.

18. A vehicle display comprising:

a battery gauge including a state of charge (SOC) indicator corresponding to a battery SOC; and

a trip gauge including a first end associated with a trip start location, a second end, a vehicle indicator associated with a vehicle location and disposed between the first end and the second end, and an empty indicator associated with a zero battery charge location;

wherein at least a portion of the battery gauge and the empty indicator are displayed in one of number of predetermined colors based upon an estimated vehicle range.

19. The vehicle display of claim 18, wherein the trip gauge is displayed according to one of a number of predetermined color schemes based upon the estimated vehicle range and a distance to a target destination.

20. The vehicle display of claim 18, wherein the vehicle indicator is displayed in one of a number of predetermined color states based upon the battery SOC, a distance to a target destination, and an instantaneous energy consumption rate.