Information display system and method

• US 8,670,885 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2012
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Gilman, Dale, Aldighieri, Paul, Watson, David L., Watson, Angela L., Sandvig, Craig, Bodnar, Leslie, Greenberg, Jeffrey Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US13/344,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20120179318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/16 Type of output information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/172 Driving mode indication
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/16 Type of information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/172 Driving mode indication
• 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: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/52 drive range estimation, e.g. of estimation of available travel distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/54 Energy consumption estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

A vehicle display may convey vehicle trip information and vehicle range information graphically to assist drivers in qualitatively visualizing and determining whether they can successfully make it to their destination before an on-board energy source is depleted. A trip gauge may include indicators corresponding to the relative locations of the vehicle, the destination, and a projected zero charge location associated with the vehicle'"'"'s range or distance to empty value. The positions of the indicators relative to one another may indicate whether the excess energy is available for the vehicle to reach the destination or whether the energy available is insufficient. A battery gauge may also convey information associated with the vehicle range. Portions of the trip gauge and the battery gauge, as well as one or more of the associated indicators, may assigned various color values for display based upon energy consumption, vehicle range, and target distance information.

Claims

1. A battery gauge for a vehicle comprising:

a first end associated with a lower battery charge limit;

a second end associated with an upper battery charge limit;

a state of charge (SOC) indicator disposed between the first end and the second end based on a battery SOC and; and

a target indicator, associated with a target destination, disposed between the first end and the second end based on a target distance.

2. The battery gauge of claim 1, wherein the target distance corresponds to a distance between the vehicle and the target destination.

3. The battery gauge of claim 2, wherein a position of the SOC indicator relative to the first end corresponds to an estimated vehicle range.

4. The battery gauge of claim 3, wherein a position of the target indicator relative to the SOC indicator indicates the target distance from a current vehicle location to the target destination.

5. The battery gauge of claim 3, wherein a position of the target indicator relative to the first end indicates the target distance from a current vehicle location to the target destination.

6. The battery gauge of claim 3, wherein a position of the target indicator relative to the SOC indicator and the first end indicates whether the vehicle is currently able to reach the target destination based on the battery SOC.

7. The battery gauge of claim 6, wherein the target indicator is disposed between the SOC indicator and the first end when the estimated vehicle range exceeds the target distance indicating surplus battery energy exists for the vehicle to reach the target destination under current operating conditions.

8. The battery gauge of claim 7, wherein the position of the target indicator relative to the SOC indicator indicates a magnitude of the surplus battery energy.

9. The battery gauge of claim 6, wherein the SOC indicator is disposed between the first end and the target indicator when the target distance exceeds the estimated vehicle range indicating insufficient battery energy is available for the vehicle to reach the target destination under current operating conditions, the insufficient battery energy corresponding to an energy deficit.

10. The battery gauge of claim 9, wherein the position of the target indicator relative to the SOC indicator indicates a magnitude of the energy deficit.

11. A display control system for a vehicle comprising:

a display including a battery gauge including a first end associated with a lower battery charge limit, a second end associated with an upper battery charge limit, a state of charge (SOC) indicator associated with a battery SOC and, and a target indicator associated with a target destination; and

a controller in communication with the display and configured to;

calculate an estimated vehicle range based at least upon the battery SOC;

calculate a target distance based on a current vehicle location and the target destination; and

output a signal causing the display to adjust a position of the target indicator relative to the SOC indicator based on the estimated vehicle range and the target distance.

12. The display control system of claim 11, wherein the position of the target indicator relative to the SOC indicator indicates the target distance from the current vehicle location to the target destination.

13. The display control system of claim 11, wherein the position of the target indicator relative to the first end indicates the target distance from a current vehicle location to the target destination.

14. The display control system of claim 11, wherein the target indicator is disposed between the SOC indicator and the first end when the estimated vehicle range exceeds the target distance indicating surplus battery energy exists for the vehicle to reach the target destination under current operating conditions.

15. The display control system of claim 14, wherein the position of the target indicator relative to the SOC indicator indicates a magnitude of the surplus battery energy.

16. The display control system of claim 11, wherein the SOC indicator is disposed between the first end and the target indicator when the target distance exceeds the estimated vehicle range indicating insufficient battery energy is available for the vehicle to reach the target destination under current operating conditions, the insufficient battery energy corresponding to an energy deficit.

17. The display control system of claim 16, wherein the position of the target indicator relative to the SOC indicator indicates a magnitude of the energy deficit.

18. A display method comprising:

calculating a target distance based upon a current vehicle location and a target destination;

calculating an estimated vehicle range based upon a battery state of charge (SOC); and

displaying a battery gauge including a first end associated with a lower battery charge limit, a second end associated with an upper battery charge limit, a state of charge (SOC) indicator associated with a battery SOC, and a target indicator associated with the target destination and spaced apart from the SOC indicator based on the estimated vehicle range and the target distance.

19. The display method of claim 18, wherein the target indicator is disposed between the SOC indicator and the first end when the estimated vehicle range exceeds the target distance indicating surplus battery energy exists for the vehicle to reach the target destination under current operating conditions.

20. The display method of claim 18, wherein the SOC indicator is disposed between the first end and the target indicator when the target distance exceeds the estimated vehicle range indicating insufficient battery energy is available for the vehicle to reach the target destination under current operating conditions.