Efficiency gauge for plug-in electric vehicle

• US 9,292,976 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2013
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Skaff, Ryan J., Donald, Henry F. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): THOMAS, ANA D
• Application Number:
  US14/046,388
• Publication Number:
  US 20150100226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/169 Remaining operating distance or charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/174 Economic driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/23 using reflectors
• 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: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0051 combined with averaging
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/12 related to parameters of the vehicle itself , e.g. tyre models
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/004 Indicating the operating range of the engine economical driving B60R16/0236, F02B77/084; measuring liquid fuel of an engine G01F9/00
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A user interface for a vehicle may include an information display configured to display an efficiency gauge having an efficiency indicator. The position of the efficiency indicator may correspond to a range per full charge value. The range per full charge value may be calculated based on an amount of usable energy per full charge for an energy storage device and a distance-based energy consumption rate. An instantaneous energy consumption rate may be used to calculate an instantaneous range per full charge value. Similarly, an average energy consumption rate may be used to calculate an average range per full charge value. The efficiency gauge may include an instantaneous efficiency indicator corresponding to an instantaneous range per full charge value, an average efficiency indicator corresponding to an average range per full charge value, or both.

Claims

1. An information display system for a plug-in electric vehicle including an electric motor operable to provide torque to propel the vehicle and an energy storage device configured to provide electrical energy to the electric motor, the information display system comprising:

a controller configured to;

receive input indicative of an amount of usable energy per full charge of the energy storage device;

receive input indicative of at least one energy consumption rate, wherein the at least one energy consumption rate is based on a distance;

calculate at least one range per full charge value based on the amount of usable energy per full charge and the at least one energy consumption rate, wherein the at least one range per full charge value is distance-based; and

an interface in communication with the controller and configured to display an efficiency gauge having at least one efficiency indicator on an information display, wherein a position of the at least one efficiency indicator on the efficiency gauge corresponds to the at least one range per full charge value even when the energy storage device is at less than full charge.

2. The information display system of claim 1, wherein the at least one energy consumption rate is an instantaneous energy consumption rate and the at least one range per full charge value is an instantaneous range per full charge value.

3. The information display system of claim 2, wherein the at least one energy consumption rate is an average energy consumption rate and the at least one range per full charge value is an average range per full charge value.

4. The information display system of claim 3, wherein the at least one efficiency indicator includes an instantaneous efficiency indicator corresponding to the instantaneous range per full charge value and an average efficiency indicator corresponding to the average range per full charge value.

5. The information display system of claim 1, wherein the interface is further configured to display an energy consumption history chart including a plurality of graphical elements collectively representing an elapsed interval, each graphical element associated with a discrete sub-interval and indicative of an average range per full charge value over the discrete sub-interval.

6. The information display system of claim 5, wherein the elapsed interval is a rolling interval.

7. The information display system of claim 6, wherein the elapsed interval is a time-based interval.

8. The information display system of claim 6, wherein the elapsed interval is a distance-based interval.

9. The information display system of claim 1, wherein the energy consumption rate is communicated in terms of distance per unit of energy consumed.

10. The information display system of claim 9, wherein the range per full charge value is calculated by at least multiplying the amount of usable energy per full charge by the energy consumption rate.

11. The information display system of claim 1, wherein the energy consumption rate is communicated in terms of energy consumed per unit of distance.

12. The information display system of claim 11, wherein the range per full charge value is calculated by at least dividing the amount of usable energy per full charge by the energy consumption rate.

13. A control system comprising:

a controller configured to receive input indicative of an energy consumption rate and calculate a range per full charge value based on the energy consumption rate and an amount of usable energy per full charge of an energy storage device; and

an interface in communication with the controller and configured to display the range per full charge value when the energy storage device is at less than full charge.

14. The control system of claim 13, wherein the interface includes an information display configured to display an efficiency gauge having an efficiency indicator, the efficiency indicator on the efficiency gauge corresponding to the range per full charge value.

15. The control system of claim 13, wherein the energy consumption rate is communicated in terms of distance per unit of energy consumed.

16. The control system of claim 15, wherein the range per full charge value is calculated by at least multiplying the amount of usable energy per full charge by the energy consumption rate.

17. The control system of claim 13, wherein the energy consumption rate is communicated in terms of energy consumed per unit of distance.

18. The control system of claim 17, wherein the range per full charge value is calculated by at least dividing the amount of usable energy per full charge by the energy consumption rate.

19. A method for displaying an efficiency metric comprising:

receiving, at a controller, input indicative of an energy consumption rate;

calculating a distance per full charge value based on the energy consumption rate and an amount of usable energy per full charge of an energy storage device; and

displaying the distance per full charge value on an information display even when the energy storage device is at less than full charge.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein displaying the distance per full charge value on an information display comprises displaying an efficiency gauge having an efficiency indicator, wherein a position of the efficiency indicator on the efficiency gauge corresponds to the distance per full charge value.