Fuel economy indicator lamp control system

• US 7,646,289 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2007
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Zerbini, Mark A., Houtman, Alan J., Tamai, Goro
• Primary Examiner(s): La; Anh V
• Application Number:
  US11/626,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20070296567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 340/439, 340/450.2, 340/450.3, 340/457, 340/457.4, 340/438, 180/65.2, 180/65.21, 701/22
• US Class Current: 340/439
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0232 for measuring vehicle parameters and indicating critical, abnormal or dangerous conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A fuel economy (FE) indicator lamp regulation system for a hybrid electric vehicle having an internal combustion engine includes an FE indicator lamp, a first module that calculates an instantaneous FE of the hybrid electric vehicle and a second module that determines a velocity of the hybrid electric vehicle. A third module switches the FE indicator lamp between an on state and an off state based on the instantaneous FE and the vehicle speed.

Claims

1. A fuel economy (FE) indicator lamp regulation system for a hybrid electric vehicle having an internal combustion engine, comprising:

an FE indicator lamp;

first module that calculates an instantaneous FE of said hybrid electric vehicle;

a second module that determines a velocity of said hybrid electric vehicle; and

a third module that switches said FE indicator lamp between an on state and an off state based on said instantaneous FE and said velocity.

2. The FE indicator lamp regulation system of claim 1 wherein said FE indicator lamp is switched to said off state when said velocity is outside of a velocity range that is defined between a minimum velocity threshold and a maximum velocity threshold.

3. The FE indicator lamp regulation system of claim 1 wherein said third module determines an FE threshold based on said velocity and switches said FE indicator lamp to said on state when said instantaneous FE remains above said FE threshold for a threshold time period.

4. The FE indicator lamp regulation system of claim 1 wherein said third module determines an FE threshold based on said velocity and switches said FE indicator lamp to said off state when said instantaneous FE remains below said FE threshold for a threshold time period.

5. The FE indicator lamp regulation system of claim 1 wherein said third module initiates an off timer upon switching said FE indicator lamp to said off state, wherein switching of said indicator lamp to said on state is inhibited until said off timer achieves a threshold time.

6. The FE indicator lamp regulation system of claim 1 further comprising a fourth module that selectively initiates a hybrid engine off mode, wherein said third module switches said FE indicator lamp to said on state when in said hybrid engine off mode for a threshold time period.

7. The FE indicator lamp regulation system of claim 1 further comprising a fourth module that monitors an accelerator pedal position, wherein said third module switches said FE indicator lamp to said off state when said instantaneous FE is below a threshold FE for a threshold time, and wherein said threshold time is determined based on said accelerator pedal position.

8. The FE indicator lamp regulation system of claim 7 wherein said threshold time is reduced when said accelerator pedal position exceeds a threshold accelerator pedal position.

9. A method of regulating illumination of a fuel economy (FE) indicator lamp between an on state and an off state in a hybrid electric vehicle having an internal combustion engine, comprising:

calculating an instantaneous FE of said hybrid electric vehicle;

determining a velocity of said hybrid electric vehicle; and

switching said FE indicator lamp between said on state and said off state based on said instantaneous FE and said velocity.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said FE indicator lamp is switched to said off state when said velocity is outside of a velocity range that is defined between a minimum velocity threshold and a maximum velocity threshold.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

determining an FE threshold based on said velocity; and

switching said FE indicator lamp to said on state when said instantaneous FE remains above said FE threshold for a threshold time period.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

determining an FE threshold based on said velocity; and

switching said FE indicator lamp to said off state when said instantaneous FE remains below said FE threshold for a threshold time period.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising initiating an off timer upon switching said FE indicator lamp to said off state, wherein switching of said indicator lamp to said on state is inhibited until said off timer achieves a threshold time.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

initiating a hybrid engine off mode; and

switching said FE indicator lamp to said on state when in said hybrid engine off mode for a threshold time period.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

monitoring an accelerator pedal position; and

switching said FE indicator lamp to said off state when said instantaneous FE is below a threshold FE for a threshold time, wherein said threshold time is determined based on said accelerator pedal position.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said threshold time is reduced when said accelerator pedal position exceeds a threshold accelerator pedal position.

17. A method of regulating illumination of a fuel economy (FE) indicator lamp between an on state and an off state in a hybrid electric vehicle having an internal combustion engine, comprising:

calculating an instantaneous FE of said hybrid electric vehicle;

determining a velocity of said hybrid electric vehicle;

switching said FE indicator lamp between said on state and said off state based on said instantaneous FE and said velocity, wherein said FE indicator lamp is switched to said off state when said velocity is outside of a velocity range that is defined between a minimum velocity threshold and a maximum velocity threshold;

initiating a hybrid engine off mode; and

switching said FE indicator lamp to said on state when in said hybrid engine off mode for a threshold time period.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

determining an FE threshold based on said velocity; and

switching said FE indicator lamp to said on state when said instantaneous FE remains above said FE threshold for a second threshold time period.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

determining an FE threshold based on said velocity; and

switching said FE indicator lamp to said off state when said instantaneous FE remains below said FE threshold for a second threshold time period.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising initiating an off timer upon switching said FE indicator lamp to said off state, wherein switching of said indicator lamp to said on state is inhibited until said off timer achieves a threshold time.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

monitoring an accelerator pedal position; and

switching said FE indicator lamp to said off state when said instantaneous FE is below a threshold FE for a second threshold time, wherein said second threshold time is determined based on said accelerator pedal position.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said second threshold time is reduced when said accelerator pedal position exceeds a threshold accelerator pedal position.