Driving Behavior Feedback Interface

• US 20130173128A1
• Filed: 04/10/2012
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Syed, Fazal Urrahman, Filev, Dimitar Petrov, Nallapa, Venkatapathi Raju, Bryan, Paul Stephen, Skaff, Ryan J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,682,557 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/60 using power supplied by batteries in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

One or more embodiments of the present application may provide a system and method for monitoring driver inputs and vehicle parameters, assessing a driver'"'"'s braking deceleration behavior, and providing short-term and/or long-term feedback to the driver relating to the driver'"'"'s braking deceleration behavior. The braking deceleration behavior feedback can be used to coach future braking deceleration behavior that may translate into better long-term driving habits, which in turn may lead to improvements in fuel economy or vehicle range. Moreover, the braking deceleration behavior feedback can be adapted to a driver based upon how responsive the driver is to the feedback.

Claims

1. A control system comprising:

a controller configured to receive input indicative of at least vehicle deceleration and powertrain output power, and output at least one deceleration score based upon the input; and

an interface communicating with the controller and configured to display a deceleration feedback indicator indicative of the at least one deceleration score.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the interface includes a deceleration feedback gauge for displaying the deceleration feedback indicator, and wherein the interface is configured to adjust the deceleration feedback indicator within the deceleration feedback gauge based on the at least one deceleration score.

3. The control system of claim 2, wherein the at least one deceleration score indicated by the deceleration feedback indicator includes one of a long-term deceleration score and an instantaneous deceleration score.

4. The control system of claim 3, wherein the interface is further configured to adjust a color of at least a portion of the deceleration feedback gauge based on the other of the long-term deceleration score and the instantaneous deceleration score.

5. The control system of claim 3, wherein the input is further indicative of a braking percentage.

6. The control system of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate the instantaneous deceleration score based upon the vehicle deceleration, the powertrain output power and the braking percentage.

7. The control system of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to normalize one or more of the vehicle deceleration, the powertrain output power and the braking percentage based upon vehicle speed prior to calculating the instantaneous deceleration score.

8. The control system of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate an adapted deceleration value prior to calculating the instantaneous deceleration score, the adapted deceleration value being based on the vehicle deceleration and the long-term deceleration score.

9. The control system of claim 8, wherein the adapted deceleration value is calculated by multiplying a normalized deceleration value by the long-term deceleration score.

10. The control system of claim 8, wherein the instantaneous deceleration score is calculated using a fuzzy logic algorithm.

11. The control system of claim 3, wherein the long-term deceleration score is based at least in part upon the instantaneous deceleration score, a previous long-term deceleration score, and a forgetting factor for weighting the instantaneous deceleration score and the previous long-term deceleration score.

12. The control system of claim 11, wherein the forgetting factor is based on whether the previous long-term deceleration score is less than the instantaneous deceleration score.

13. A method for controlling a vehicle display comprising:

receiving input indicative at least of vehicle deceleration and powertrain output power;

calculating at least one deceleration score based upon the input; and

displaying a deceleration feedback gauge having a deceleration feedback indicator indicative of the at least one deceleration score.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of calculating the at least one deceleration score comprises:

calculating an instantaneous deceleration score based upon the input; and

calculating a long-term deceleration score based on the instantaneous deceleration score.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one deceleration score indicated by the deceleration feedback indicator includes one of the long-term deceleration score and the instantaneous deceleration score.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the input is further indicative of a braking percentage.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

normalizing one or more of the vehicle deceleration, the powertrain output power and the braking percentage based upon vehicle speed prior to calculating the instantaneous deceleration score.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

calculating an adapted deceleration value prior to calculating the instantaneous deceleration score, the adapted deceleration value being based on the vehicle deceleration and the long-term deceleration score.

19. A display control system comprising:

a controller configured to receive input indicative of vehicle deceleration, powertrain output power and braking percentage, calculate an instantaneous deceleration score based on the input, and provide a deceleration feedback signal corresponding to a long-term deceleration score based upon the instantaneous deceleration score; and

a display in communication with the controller and including a deceleration feedback gauge configured to display a deceleration feedback indicator indicative of the long-term deceleration score.

20. The display system of claim 19, wherein the display is further configured to adjust a color of at least a portion of the deceleration feedback gauge based on the long-term deceleration score.