Method and system for displaying braking information

• US 8,855,880 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2009
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Rowker, James D., Francisco, Avernethy
• Primary Examiner(s): Algahaim, Helal A
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, JELANI A
• Application Number:
  US12/573,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20110082632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,828 Days
• Field of Search: 701/70, 701/22, 701/71, 340/453, 340/461, 340/438, 340/139, 116/28.R, 703/8, 703/21
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/172 Driving mode indication
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/174 Economic driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• 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 6/20 the prime-movers consisting of electric motors and internal combustion engines, e.g. HEVs
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/24 with additional mechanical or electromagnetic braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/22 Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/188 hydraulic brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18127 Regenerative braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and system for displaying braking information such as energy dissipation braking information and regenerative braking information. The present invention can be an automobile including an energy dissipation braking system, a regenerative braking system, an energy dissipation braking sensor, a regenerative braking sensor, an energy conversions system, an energy storage unit, an energy storage sensor, a processor, an engine, and/or a display. The processor, energy dissipation braking sensor, and/or the regenerative braking system can acquire and analyze energy dissipating braking data and regenerative braking data in an automobile to determine appropriate braking information for display to a user on the display. Such braking information can include, for example, an energy efficiency rate, and/or an application percentage of the energy dissipation braking system and/or the regenerative braking system. The braking information can also be displayed in various modes to indicate desirable braking applications.

Claims

1. A system for displaying braking information comprising:

a friction braking sensor configured to generate friction brake data;

a regenerative braking sensor configured to generate regenerative brake data;

a processor configured to;

receive the friction brake data and the regenerative brake data,

analyze the friction brake data and the regenerative brake data, and

determine a value or a percentage of application of friction braking based on the analyzed friction brake data; and

a display communicatively coupled to the processor, the display configured to display an image showing a first indicator for the analyzed regenerative brake data and a second indicator for the value or the percentage of the application of friction braking.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor determines an energy efficiency rate based on the analyzed friction brake data and the analyzed regenerative brake data, and the image further shows the determined energy efficiency rate.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising an energy storing sensor communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to generate energy storage data from an energy storage unit, wherein the processor determines the energy efficiency rate based on the energy storage data.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor determines a value or a percentage of application of regenerative braking based on the analyzed regenerative brake data, and the first indicator of the image corresponds to the value or the percentage of the application of regenerative braking.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the image is displayed in a first display mode when the analyzed regenerative brake data indicate that a regenerative brake is active and the image is displayed in a second display mode when the analyzed friction brake data indicate that a friction brake is active.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the regenerative braking sensor generates the regenerative brake data from an electric motor.

7. An automobile comprising:

a hydraulic brake;

a hydraulic braking sensor configured to generate hydraulic brake data from the hydraulic brake;

a regenerative brake;

a regenerative braking sensor configured to generate regenerative brake data from the regenerative brake;

a processor configured to;

receive and analyze the regenerative brake data and the hydraulic brake data,

determine a value or a percentage of application of the hydraulic brake based on the analyzed hydraulic brake data, and

determine a value or a percentage of application of the regenerative brake based on the analyzed regenerative brake data; and

a display communicatively coupled to the processor, the display configured to display an image showing a first indicator for the analyzed regenerative brake data and a second indicator for the value or the percentage of the application of the hydraulic brake.

8. The automobile of claim 7 wherein the image is displayed in a first display mode when the value or the percentage of the application of the hydraulic brake is less than or equal to a predetermined value or percentage and in a second display mode when the value or the percentage of the application of the hydraulic brake exceeds the predetermined value or percentage.

9. The automobile of claim 7 further comprising an energy storing sensor communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to generate energy storage data from an energy storage unit,

wherein the processor determines an energy efficiency rate based on the value or the percentage of the application of the hydraulic brake and the value or the percentage of the application of the regenerative brake, and the image further shows the energy efficiency rate.

10. The automobile of claim 7 wherein the hydraulic brake is a friction brake, the regenerative braking sensor generates the regenerative brake data from an electric motor, and the processor is a powertrain control unit.

11. A method for displaying braking information for hydraulic brakes and regenerative brakes of a transportation device which utilizes braking comprising:

generating, using a hydraulic braking sensor, hydraulic brake data corresponding to the hydraulic brakes;

generating, using a regenerative braking sensor, regenerative brake data corresponding to the regenerative brakes;

analyzing, using a processor, the hydraulic brake data and the regenerative brake data;

determining, using the processor, a value or a percentage of application of the hydraulic brakes based on the analyzed hydraulic brake data; and

displaying, using a display, an image showing a first indicator for the analyzed regenerative brake data and a second indicator for the value or the percentage of the application of the hydraulic brakes.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the image includes a first portion showing the first indicator and a second portion showing the second indicator.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

generating, using an energy storage sensor, energy storage data corresponding to an energy storage unit;

determining, using the processor, an energy efficiency rate based on the generated energy storage data, the analyzed hydraulic brake data, and the analyzed regenerative brake data; and

displaying, using the display, the determined energy efficiency rate.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of displaying the image includes displaying, using the display, the image in a first display mode when the analyzed regenerative brake data indicate that the regenerative brakes are active and displaying, using the display, the image in a second display mode when the analyzed hydraulic brake data indicate that the hydraulic brakes are active.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

determining, using the processor, a value or a percentage of application of the regenerative brakes based on the analyzed regenerative brake data, wherein the first indicator of the image corresponds to the value or the percentage of the application of the regenerative brakes.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising displaying, using the display, the image in a first display mode when the value or the percentage of the application of the hydraulic brakes is less than or equal to a predetermined value or percentage and in a second display mode when the value or the percentage of the application of the hydraulic brakes exceeds the predetermined value or percentage.