Accelerator level display device and accelerator level display method

• US 8,026,801 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2007
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Adachi, Akito, Komeda, Osamu, Tsujii, Hiroshi, Saito, Kan, Nakao, Hatsuo, Kodera, Haruyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland; Donnie
• Application Number:
  US12/440,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20090251304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,435 Days
• Field of Search: 340/441, 340/467, 340/461
• US Class Current: 340/441
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/174 Economic driving
• 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: F02B 77/084 indicating economy
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/106 Detection of demand or actuation
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/602 Pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

A disclosed accelerator level display device 1 includes an accelerator level detection unit 12 configured to detect an accelerator level; a target accelerator level determining unit 14b configured to determine a target accelerator level for the accelerator level; and a display unit 15a, 20 configured to display a target accelerator level indicator corresponding to the target accelerator level and an accelerator level indicator corresponding to the detected accelerator level. The display unit is configured to display the target accelerator level indicator as a fixed value regardless of the target accelerator level determined by the target accelerator level determining unit.

Claims

1. An accelerator level display device, comprising:

an accelerator level detection unit configured to detect an accelerator level;

a target accelerator level determining unit configured to determine a target accelerator level; and

a display unit configured to fix a display position of the target accelerator level and to display a level difference between the target accelerator level and the accelerator level relative to the fixed display position.

2. The accelerator level display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display unit is configured to display the level difference between the target accelerator level and the accelerator level by nonlinearly relating the accelerator level to an accelerator level indicator.

3. The accelerator level display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein an amount of change in the accelerator level indicator corresponding to a predetermined amount of change in the accelerator level varies according to the accelerator level.

4. The accelerator level display device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the display unit is configured to display the level difference by relating the accelerator level to the accelerator level indicator in such a manner that

even when a first difference between a first accelerator level and a second accelerator level greater than the first accelerator level is the same as a second difference between a third accelerator level greater than the first accelerator level and a fourth accelerator level greater than the third accelerator level,

if the accelerator level indicator crosses a predetermined threshold, a third difference between a first accelerator indicator corresponding to the first accelerator level and a second accelerator level indicator corresponding to the second accelerator level becomes different from a fourth difference between a third accelerator level indicator corresponding to the third accelerator level and a fourth accelerator level indicator corresponding to the fourth accelerator level.

5. The accelerator level display device as claimed in claim 4, wherein if the accelerator level indicator is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold, the display unit is configured to display the level difference by relating the accelerator level to the accelerator level indicator such that the fourth difference becomes greater than the third difference.

6. The accelerator level display device as claimed in claim 4, wherein if the accelerator level indicator is less than the predetermined threshold, the display unit is configured to display the level difference by relating the accelerator level to the accelerator level indicator such that the third difference becomes smaller than the fourth difference.

7. The accelerator level display device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the display unit is configured to display the level difference by relating the accelerator level to the accelerator level indicator in such a manner that

even when a first difference between a first accelerator level and a second accelerator level greater than the first accelerator level is constant,

a second difference between a first accelerator level indicator corresponding to the first accelerator level and a second accelerator level indicator corresponding to the second accelerator level increases as the accelerator level indicator increases.

8. An accelerator level display method of displaying information based on an amount of operation of an accelerator pedal, comprising the steps of:

detecting, by an accelerator level detection unit, an accelerator level;

determining, by a target accelerator level determining unit, a target accelerator level;

fixing, by a display unit, a display position of the target accelerator level; and

displaying, by the display unit, a level difference between the target accelerator level and the accelerator level relative to the fixed display position.