Display apparatus

• US 8,922,358 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2011
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Handa, Kazunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, An T
• Application Number:
  US13/070,927
• Publication Number:
  US 20110241859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/438, 340/439, 340/455, 340/459, 340/461, 340/988, 340/998, 701/22, 701/32.5, 701/123, 701/400, 701/408, 701/423, 903/903, 903/907, 903/908
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/16 Type of output information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/174 Economic driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/16 Type of information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/174 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 6/448 Electrical distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/52 Driving a plurality of drive axles, e.g. four-wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/425 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/26 by pedal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/28 Four wheel or all wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/44 by parameter estimation
• 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 3/00 : Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 : with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 : by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 : responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/16 : responding to battery ageing, e.g. to the number of charging cycles or the state of health [SoH]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 : having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/00 : Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor for lighting vehicle interior B60Q3/00
• 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 2510/244 : Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/246 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/16 : Driving resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 : Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 : Data processing systems or methods, management, administration
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 : having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/907 : Electricity storage, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/908 : Fuel cell

Abstract

A display apparatus includes a display plane and a control unit. The display plane configured to display a first display portion that shows a locomotion region in the first locomotion mode in a display region based on the output request and a future locomotion distance of the vehicle and a second display portion that shows a locomotion region in the second locomotion mode next to the first display portion in the display region. The control unit configured to control an image displayed in the display plane. The control unit changes a border between the first display portion and the second display portion based on the future locomotion distance in accordance with an estimation result of displacement of a switching point between the first locomotion mode and the second locomotion mode.

Claims

1. A display apparatus provided in a vehicle in which one of a first locomotion mode that an engine is stopped to perform locomotion using an electric motor for locomotion and a second locomotion mode that the engine is driven to perform locomotion is selected in accordance with an output request, comprising:

a display plane configured to display a first display portion that shows a locomotion region in the first locomotion mode in a display region based on the output request and a future travelable distance of the vehicle and a second display portion that shows a locomotion region in the second locomotion mode next to the first display portion in the display region; and

a control unit configured to calculate a relationship between the output request and an estimated future travelable distance under the first locomotion mode, calculated based on a state of a battery that supplies power to the electric motor, and to control an image displayed in the display plane, wherein the control unit changes a border between the first display portion and the second display portion based on the estimated future travelable distance in accordance with an estimation result of displacement of a switching point between the first locomotion mode and the second locomotion mode determined based on the calculated relationship; and

wherein the image includes an indicator indicative of the output request, and the indicator is displaced in a region which is a combination of the first display portion and the second display portion in accordance with the output request, the indicator moves in a first direction linearly extending in the display plane, and a scale portion configured to indicate the future travelable distance is formed on the display plane along a linear second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

2. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit displays in the display plane for a predetermined time the estimated travelable distance for which locomotion is possible in the first locomotion mode when a main switch of the vehicle is turned on.

3. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit estimates the displacement of the switching point based on a remaining capacity of electric power in the battery.

4. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first display portion and the second display portion are displayed in different colors in the display plane.

5. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image includes a frame portion that surrounds a region where the indicator moves.

6. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a luminosity of the region where the indicator moves is higher than luminosities of other regions in the display plane.

7. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a position of a minimum value of the output request indicated by the indicator and a position of a minimum value of the scale portion indicating the future travelable distance are set to the same position in the display plane.

8. The display apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the future travelable distance represents a travelable distance of the vehicle after detection of the output request indicated by the indicator, the display region is defined by a first scale portion indicating a magnitude of the output request and a second scale portion indicating the future travelable distance, the first display portion is displayed in the display region as required, shows a range of the output request when locomotion in the first locomotion mode at the time of the detection, shows an estimated range of the output request that locomotion in the first locomotion mode is estimated to be possible at each future travelable distance, the second display portion is displaced in the display region as required, shows a range of the output request when locomotion in the second locomotion mode at the time of the detection, and shows an estimated range of the output request that locomotion in the second locomotion mode is estimated to be possible at each future travelable distance, and the control unit moves the indicator to a position on the first scale portion associated with the output request at the time of the detection.