DYNAMIC VEHICLE DISPLAY FOR COMMUNICATING MULTIPLE VEHICLE PARAMETERS

• US 20140336884A1
• Filed: 05/12/2014
• Published: 11/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH, Robert Bosch LLC (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Roder, Jeffrey M., Noller, Marius, Ventimiglia, Philip, Hillenbrand, Svea, Dosch, Cornelius
• Granted Patent: US 10,683,011 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/51
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/167 Vehicle dynamics information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/155 Virtual instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/167 Vehicle dynamics information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/213 Virtual instruments
• 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: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/19 Improvement of gear change, e.g. by synchronisation or smoothing gear shift
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2063/426 with means for advising the driver for proper shift action, e.g. prompting the driver with allowable selection range of ratios
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 63/42 Ratio indicator devices

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for a graphical vehicle cluster display that conveys vehicle acceleration information. A controller is configured to receive a signal indicative of vehicle acceleration. A substantially circular icon is displayed on the screen when the signal indicates that the acceleration is approximately zero in a forward direction. A stretched elliptic icon is display on the screen when the acceleration of the vehicle in a forward direction is greater than zero. A compressed elliptic icon is displayed on the screen when the acceleration of the vehicle in the forward direction is less than zero.

Claims

1. A graphical display unit for a vehicle, the graphical display unit including a screen and a controller configured to:

receive a signal indicative of vehicle acceleration;

display a substantially circular icon on the screen when the signal indicative of the vehicle acceleration indicates an acceleration of approximately zero in a forward direction;

display a stretched elliptic icon on the screen when the signal indicative of the vehicle acceleration indicates an acceleration greater than zero in a forward direction; and

display a compressed elliptic icon on the screen when the signal indicative of the vehicle acceleration indicates an acceleration less than zero in a forward direction.

2. The graphical display unit of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to display the stretched elliptic icon by displaying a deformed circular icon that is stretched along a primary axis.

3. The graphical display unit of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to display the compressed elliptic icon by displaying a deformed circular icon that is compressed along the primary axis.

4. The graphical display unit of claim 2, wherein the primary axis is positioned vertically on the display when a lateral acceleration of the vehicle is approximately zero, and wherein the primary axis is positioned on the display at a defined angle relative to vertical when the lateral acceleration is greater than or less than zero.

5. The graphical display unit of claim 4, wherein the defined angle of the primary axis relative to vertical is determined based on a magnitude and direction of the lateral acceleration of the vehicle.

6. The graphical display unit of claim 1, wherein a diameter of the substantially circular icon is defined based on a current engine speed of the vehicle.

7. The graphical display unit of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to

determine whether the vehicle is operating in a recommended gear, and

modify the color of the substantially circular icon when it is determined that the vehicle is operating in a gear other than the recommended gear.

8. The graphical display unit of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to

determine whether the vehicle is operating in a recommended gear in a manual transmission system,

display a first color on the substantially circular icon when it is determined that the vehicle is operating in the recommended gear,

display a second color on the substantially circular icon when it is determined that the vehicle is operating in a gear higher than the recommended gear, and

display a third color on the substantially circular icon when it is determined that the vehicle is operating in a gear lower than the recommended gear.

9. The graphical display unit of claim 8, wherein the first color is blue, the second color is green, and the third color is red.

10. The graphical display unit of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to display a numeric value indicative of engine speed on the substantially circular icon.

11. A graphical display unit for a vehicle, the graphical display unit including a screen and a controller configured to:

display an acceleration map on the screen;

receive a first signal indicative of a current linear acceleration and a current lateral acceleration;

display a first icon on the acceleration map at a first location having a horizontal position indicative of the current lateral acceleration of the vehicle and a vertical position indicative of the current linear acceleration of the vehicle;

receive a second signal indicative of a subsequent linear acceleration and a subsequent lateral acceleration;

display the first icon on the acceleration map at a second location having a horizontal position indicative of the subsequent lateral acceleration of the vehicle and a vertical position indicative of the subsequent linear acceleration of the vehicle;

determine whether the second location is further from a center point of the acceleration map than the first location; and

when the first location is further from the center point of the acceleration map than the second location, display a second icon on the acceleration map at the first location.

12. The graphical display unit of claim 11, wherein the controller if further configured to:

repeatedly adjust a location of the first icon based on a linear acceleration of the vehicle and a lateral acceleration of the vehicle; and

adjust a location of the second icon only when a location of the first icon is further from the center point of the acceleration map than the current location of the second icon.

13. The graphical display unit of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine a maximum observed acceleration;

display the second icon at a location having a horizontal position indicative of the lateral acceleration component of the maximum observed acceleration and a vertical position indicative of the linear acceleration component of the maximum observed acceleration.

14. The graphical display unit of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to:

display on the screen a first numeric value indicative of the lateral acceleration component of the maximum observed acceleration; and

display on the screen a second numeric value indicative of the linear component of the maximum observed acceleration.

15. The graphical display unit of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to

display four icons on the screen positioned proximate to the acceleration map;

and

adjust a color of one or more of the four icons to indicate wheels of the vehicle that are currently subjected to a greater force due to an acceleration of the vehicle.