METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PROVIDING ECO-DRIVING INFORMATION

• US 20130124077A1
• Filed: 06/15/2012
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Park, Jae Hyun, Kim, Jae Woong, Park, Joon Hyung, Kim, Sang Hun
• Granted Patent: US 8,718,914 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/123
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0236 for economical driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/10 Weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/16 Driving resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/13 Load or weight
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

Disclosed is a device and method of providing a driver with eco-driving information. More specifically, the disclosed method and device induces a driver to operate a vehicle in an eco-friendly manner by computing for and displaying to the driver a fuel efficiency oriented vehicle speed that maximizes the vehicle'"'"'s driving distance based on the vehicle'"'"'s current weight and electrical load.

Claims

1. A method for providing eco-driving information of a vehicle, comprising:

calculating, by a controller, a current weight of the vehicle;

computing, by the controller, an electrical load currently being used to drive a plurality of auxiliary machinery currently being used by the vehicle;

calculating, by the controller, a fuel efficiency oriented vehicle speed that maximizes a vehicle'"'"'s driving distance based on the calculated current vehicle weight and the current electrical load, from a map correlating the vehicle'"'"'s driving distance to the vehicle'"'"'s current weight, electrical load, and vehicle speed; and

informing, by a display unit, a driver of the fuel efficiency oriented vehicle speed.

2. The method for providing eco-driving information of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the weight of the vehicle is calculated from the power consumption of a vehicle driving motor, an air density, an air resistance coefficient, a projected area of the vehicle, the vehicle speed, a friction coefficient of a road the vehicle is currently driving on, a gravity acceleration, and a slope of the road the vehicle is currently driving on.

3. The method for providing eco-driving information of a vehicle of claim 2, wherein the weight of the vehicle is calculated by the following equation

4. The method for providing eco-driving information of a vehicle of claim 3, wherein the air density ρ

_air is a standard density of general air, the friction coefficient μ

of the current road is a friction coefficient of a general road, and θ

of the current road is 0.

5. The method for providing eco-driving information of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the electrical load of the auxiliary machinery is computed by summing up electrical loads of all auxiliary machineries currently being used by the vehicle by monitoring a controller area network (CAN) of the vehicle.

6. The method for providing eco-driving information of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein a fuel efficiency level of the current vehicle speed is compared and displayed together with the fuel efficiency oriented vehicle speed.

7. A device for providing eco-driving information of a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle weight calculating unit configured to calculate a current weight of the vehicle based on data received from a plurality of devices within the vehicle;

an electrical load computing unit configured to compute an electrical load of auxiliary machinery currently being used in the vehicle;

a vehicle speed calculating unit configured to calculate a fuel efficiency oriented vehicle speed that maximizes the vehicle'"'"'s driving distance according to the calculated vehicle weight and the calculated electrical load; and

a display device configured to display the calculated fuel efficiency oriented vehicle speed to a user.

8. The device for providing eco-driving information of a vehicle of claim 7, wherein the vehicle weight calculating unit calculates the weight of the vehicle from the power consumption of a vehicle driving motor, an air density, an air resistance coefficient, a projected area of the vehicle, the vehicle speed, a friction coefficient of a current road, a gravity acceleration, and a slope of the current road.

9. The device for providing eco-driving information of a vehicle of claim 7, wherein the electrical load computing unit computes the electrical load of the auxiliary machinery by summing up electrical loads of all used auxiliary machineries by monitoring CAN of the vehicle.

10. The device for providing eco-driving information of a vehicle of claim 7, wherein the vehicle weight calculating unit, the electrical load computing unit, and the vehicle speed calculating unit are packaged in a single chip and the map of the mileage for the vehicle weight, the electrical load, and the vehicle speed used by the vehicle speed calculating unit is embedded in the chip.

11. The device for providing eco-driving information of a vehicle of claim 7, wherein the display device compares and schematically displays a fuel efficiency level of the current vehicle speed as well as displaying the fuel efficiency oriented vehicle speed.