Apparatus for promoting improvement of driving skill to improve fuel efficiency

• US 8,970,360 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2009
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Fujiki, Yuji, Takemoto, Hideharu, Enomoto, Keiji
• Primary Examiner(s): YANG, JAMES J
• Application Number:
  US13/121,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20110205043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,993 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340438-439
• US Class Current: 340/439
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/174 Economic driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/174 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: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/10 of the electric type
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2207/30 Displays providing further information, in addition to measured values, e.g. status
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 7/00 Indicating measured values
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 7/04 using a separate indicating element for each variable
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/167 Control of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

An apparatus for performing a display indicating a state of fuel efficiency of a vehicle according to a driving operation, detects an operating state of the vehicle according to a driving operation performed by a driver of the vehicle. A score for representing the state of fuel efficiency of the vehicle according to the driving operation is determined. Here, the score is allocated to correspond to the operating state. A display indicating the score is performed as the display indicating the state of fuel efficiency. The allocation of the score to the operating state of the vehicle is changed according to a value obtained by accumulating the score. For example, the allocation of the score to the operating state is changed such that the score is lower as the value obtained by accumulating the score is higher. Thus, a degree of strictness with which the score is marked is higher as the level of the driving skill represented by the accumulated value is higher.

Claims

1. An apparatus for performing a display indicating a quality of driving operation in terms of fuel efficiency of a vehicle, comprising a control unit configured to:

detect a predetermined driving operation performed by a driver of the vehicle;

detect an operating state of the vehicle at a time when the predetermined driving operation is detected;

determine, on the basis of the detected operating state, a score that represents a quality of the detected driving operation in terms of the fuel efficiency; and

perform a display indicating the determined score,

wherein the control unit determines the score every time that the predetermined driving operation is detected, determines an integrated value or an average value of the score over every one driving cycle of the vehicle, and determines a lifetime score by performing an accumulation of the integrated value or the average value of the score every time that the respective driving cycle ends,

wherein a strictness of the determination of the score for the operating state of the vehicle increases as the value of the lifetime score increases, such that the score determined for identical operating states of equal quality decreases as the value of the lifetime score increases,

wherein the control unit displays the integrated value or the average value of the score with a number of predetermined graphics while changing the shape of the graphics according to the value of the lifetime score.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit converts the integrated value or the average value of the score every one driving cycle into a predetermined converted value, and determines the lifetime score by accumulating the converted value,

wherein, when the integrated value or the average value of the score is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the conversion is made such that the converted value takes a positive value,

wherein, when the integrated value or the average value of the score is less than the predetermined value, the conversion is made such that the converted value takes a negative value.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the accumulation of the integrated value or the average value of the score is prohibited when at least one of the condition where a travel distance of the vehicle in the one driving cycle is equal to or less than a predetermined value and the condition where a maximum value of a vehicle speed in the one driving cycle is equal to or less than a predetermined value is met.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit identifies a driver of the vehicle,

wherein the accumulation of the integrated value or the average value of the score is performed for each driver.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined driving operation is an operation for accelerating the vehicle,

wherein the operating state includes an engine rotation speed and a throttle valve opening, and

wherein the score is a value depending on a detected throttle valve opening at a detected engine rotation speed.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit is further configured to modify the score determined with respect to a predetermined driving operation, based on a vehicle speed detected at the time when the predetermined driving operation is detected, by using a vehicle speed coefficient which is predetermined to have a value depending on a vehicle speed.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to modify the score determined with respect to a predetermined driving operation, based on a vehicle speed detected at the time when the predetermined driving operation is detected, by using a vehicle speed coefficient which is predetermined to have a value depending on a vehicle speed.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined driving operation is an operation for decelerating the vehicle,

wherein the operating state includes a vehicle speed and a deceleration, and

wherein the score is a value depending on a detected deceleration at a detected vehicle speed.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to modify the integrated value or the average value determined for a current driving cycle, based on a travel distance of the current driving cycle.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the integrated value or the average value determined for every one driving cycle is limited to a predetermined maximum value.

11. An apparatus for performing a display indicating a quality of driving operation in terms of fuel efficiency of a vehicle, comprising a control unit configured to:

detect a predetermined driving operation performed by a driver of the vehicle;

detect an operating state of the vehicle at a time when the predetermined driving operation is detected;

determine, on the basis of the detected operating state, a score that represents a quality of the detected driving operation in terms of the fuel efficiency; and

perform a display indicating the determined score,

wherein the control unit determines the score every time that the predetermined driving operation is detected, determines an integrated value or an average value of the score over every one driving cycle of the vehicle, and determines a lifetime score by performing an accumulation of the integrated value or the average value of the score every time that the respective driving cycle ends,

wherein an allocation of the score to the operating state of the vehicle is changed such that the score becomes lower as the value of the lifetime score is higher,

wherein the control unit displays the integrated value or the average value of the score with a number of predetermined graphics while changing the shape of the graphics according to the value of the lifetime score,

wherein the control unit converts the integrated value or the average value of the score every one driving cycle into a predetermined converted value, and determines the lifetime score by accumulating the converted value,

wherein, when the integrated value or the average value of the score is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the conversion is made such that the converted value takes a positive value,

wherein, when the integrated value or the average value of the score is less than the predetermined value, the conversion is made such that the converted value takes a negative value,

wherein the converted value ranges within a range defined by a positive maximum value and a negative minimum value which are predetermined so that an absolute value of the minimum value is greater than an absolute value of the maximum value.