Vehicle operation assist apparatus

• US 8,939,869 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2012
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Fuke, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Wright, Dirk
• Application Number:
  US14/128,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20140129099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 477/111, 701/51, 340/439
• US Class Current: 477/111
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/174 Economic driving
• 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: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/1005 Transmission ratio engaged
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/105 characterised by the function converting demand to actuation, e.g. a map indicating relations between an accelerator pedal position and throttle valve opening or target engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/228 Warning displays
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/501 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/602 Pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/02 peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0225 in relation with the gear ratio or shift lever position
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

Depression of an accelerator pedal by a vehicle operator in an operating condition in which fuel economy is deteriorated, is restrained. An actual opening degree of the accelerator pedal and a reference guide value of the accelerator pedal opening degree which allows a vehicle to accomplish both acceleration performance and fuel economy performance in a current operating condition are indicated in a display section together. In a case where a current gear ratio of a transmission is deviated from an optimal gear ratio of the transmission which is determined based on an operating condition of the vehicle, the reference guide value is changed such that engine output of the vehicle is decreased.

Claims

1. A vehicle operation assist apparatus comprising:

a display section constructed to indicate both an actual value of a parameter that is operated by a vehicle operator in order to vary engine output of a vehicle, and a reference guide value of the parameter which allows the vehicle to realize a predetermined performance in a current operating condition, the display section serving to allow the vehicle operator to operate the parameter by using the reference guide value as an index; and

a section configured to change the reference guide value such that the engine output of the vehicle is decreased, in a case where a current gear ratio of a transmission is deviated from a gear ratio of the transmission which is determined based on an operating condition of the vehicle and provides the reference guide value of the parameter which allows the vehicle to realize predetermined performance.

2. The vehicle operation assist apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parameter is an opening degree of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle, and the reference guide value is based on an opening degree of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle which is determined to obtain a predetermined reference acceleration that allows the vehicle to realize predetermined acceleration performance in a current operating condition, and

wherein the section is configured to set the reference guide value based on a value obtained by correcting the reference acceleration in the operating condition or a reference fuel injection quantity necessary to obtain the reference acceleration in the operating condition such that the engine output of the vehicle is decreased, in a case where a current gear ratio of a transmission is deviated from a gear ratio of the transmission which is determined based on an operating condition of the vehicle and provides the reference guide value of the opening degree of the accelerator pedal which allows the vehicle to accomplish both acceleration performance and fuel economy performance.

3. The vehicle operation assist apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the section is configured to set the reference guide value based on a value obtained by correcting the reference acceleration in the operating condition or the reference fuel injection quantity in the operating condition such that the engine output of the vehicle is decreased as a current vehicle speed becomes larger than a good fuel economy limit vehicle speed that is a limit vehicle speed when the vehicle carries out good fuel economy running in the current gear ratio of the transmission, in a case where a current gear ratio of a transmission is deviated from a gear ratio of the transmission which is determined based on an operating condition of the vehicle and provides the reference guide value of the opening degree of the accelerator pedal which allows the vehicle to accomplish both acceleration performance and fuel economy performance.

4. The vehicle operation assist apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the section is configured to set the reference guide value based on a value obtained by correcting the reference acceleration in the operating condition or the reference fuel injection quantity in the operating condition such that the engine output of the vehicle is decreased as a current engine rotation speed becomes larger than an engine rotation speed corresponding to same engine output in the gear ratio of the transmission which is determined based on an operating condition of the vehicle and provides the reference guide value of the opening degree of the accelerator pedal which allows the vehicle to accomplish both acceleration performance and fuel economy performance, or as the current engine rotation speed becomes larger than a good fuel economy limit engine rotation speed at which the vehicle is allowed to carry out good fuel economy running with same engine output as a current engine output in the current gear ratio of the transmission, in a case where a current gear ratio of a transmission is deviated from a gear ratio of the transmission which is determined based on an operating condition of the vehicle and provides the reference guide value of the opening degree of the accelerator pedal which allows the vehicle to accomplish both acceleration performance and fuel economy performance.

5. The vehicle operation assist apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the section is configured to set the reference guide value based on a value obtained by correcting the reference acceleration in the operating condition or the reference fuel injection quantity in the operating condition such that the engine output of the vehicle is decreased as a current fuel injection quantity becomes larger than a fuel injection quantity corresponding to same engine output in the gear ratio of the transmission which is determined based on an operating condition of the vehicle and provides the reference guide value of the opening degree of the accelerator pedal which allows the vehicle to accomplish both acceleration performance and fuel economy performance, or as the current fuel injection quantity becomes larger than a good fuel economy limit fuel injection quantity in which the vehicle is allowed to carry out good fuel economy running with same engine output as a current engine output in the current gear ratio of the transmission, in a case where a current gear ratio of a transmission is deviated from a gear ratio of the transmission which is determined based on an operating condition of the vehicle and provides the reference guide value of the opening degree of the accelerator pedal which allows the vehicle to accomplish both acceleration performance and fuel economy performance.

6. The vehicle operation assist apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display section is highlighted.

7. A vehicle operation assist apparatus comprising:

means for indicating both an actual value of a parameter that is operated by a vehicle operator in order to vary engine output of a vehicle, and a reference guide value of the parameter which allows the vehicle to realize a predetermined performance in a current operating condition, the means serving to allow the vehicle operator to operate the parameter by using the reference guide value as an index; and

means for changing the reference guide value such that the engine output of the vehicle is decreased, in a case where a current gear ratio of a transmission is deviated from a gear ratio of the transmission which is determined based on an operating condition of the vehicle and provides the reference guide value of the parameter which allows the vehicle to realize predetermined performance.