Method and system for providing information in a vehicle

• US 9,395,202 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2014
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Reifenrath, Christoph, Roth, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US14/522,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20150168172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 701/123
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3476 using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3673 Labelling using text of road map data items, e.g. road names, POI names
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence

Abstract

A method for providing information in a vehicle, comprising:

• • Outputting a fuel amount in the fuel tank of the vehicle,
  • Outputting a volume of the fuel tank of the vehicle,
  • Reading data on gas stations from a database, wherein the data have an identification for each gas station and/or a geographic position of each gas station and wherein the data have a price associated with the particular gas station for a fuel for the vehicle,
  • Determining a distance value for each gas station, wherein the distance value is determined from map data,
  • Determining driving cost based on consumption of the fuel for the distance value,
  • Determining cost of fueling for each gas station based on the fuel amount and the volume and the price of the fuel,
  • Determining total cost based on the driving cost and the cost of fueling, and
  • Outputting a ranking of gas stations based on the total cost.

Claims

1. A method for providing information in a vehicle, comprising:

Outputting a fuel amount in the fuel tank of the vehicle,

Outputting a volume of the fuel tank of the vehicle,

Reading data on gas stations from a database, wherein the data have an identification for each gas station and/or a geographic position of each gas station and wherein the data have a price associated with the particular gas station for a fuel for the vehicle,

Determining a distance value for each gas station, wherein the distance value is determined from map data,

Determining driving cost based on consumption of the fuel for the distance value,

Determining cost of fueling for each gas station based on the fuel amount and the volume and the price of the fuel,

Determining total cost based on the driving cost and the cost of fueling, and

Visually outputting a ranking of gas stations based on the total cost.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein visually outputting a ranking comprises:

Displaying a list with the ranking of gas stations, wherein the total cost for each gas station and/or savings for each gas station are displayed in the list.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein each entry in the list has a time difference based on the distance value.

4. The method according to claim 2, comprising:

Identifying a gas station with the lowest driving cost and/or the lowest distance value, and

Displaying in addition the gas station with the lowest driving cost and/or the lowest distance value in the list.

5. The method according to claim 2, comprising:

Identifying at least one gas station from a favorites set, and

Displaying in addition the at least one gas station from a favorites set in the list or,

Displaying only gas stations from the favorites set in the list on the ranking.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

Detecting an input of a selection of a gas station from the list by a user,

Calculating a driving route to the geographic position of the selected gas station, and

Outputting a route guidance for the driving route.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

Calculating a route from a starting point to a destination, and

Determining the distance value based on a detour which arises due to the departure from the route to the particular gas station.

8. The method according to claim 7,

wherein the starting point is based on the current position of the vehicle, and/or

wherein the destination is based on a user input, and/or

wherein the destination is based on a recorded history of driven ways.

9. The method according to claim 7, comprising:

Monitoring the fuel amount in the fuel tank, and

Initiating the calculation of the route, if fuel the amount in the fuel tank falls below a threshold.

10. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

Determining a current position of the vehicle, and

Determining the distance value based on a distance between the current position and the particular gas station.

11. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

Determining the gas stations whose data are to be read, before the reading of the data of the gas stations, the determination being particularly based on

a comparison of the distance value of the particular gas station with a threshold, and/or

a remaining range based on the fuel amount, and/or

a favorites set of gas stations, and/or

a match between at least one fuel under offer of the particular gas station and the fuel suitable for the vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the total cost of one rank is calculated based on at least two distance values for reaching at least two gas stations and at least two data of the at least two gas stations,

wherein an entry of the one rank is displayed having the at least two gas stations.

13. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

Taking an image of a price sign of a gas station,

Detecting the price for the fuel in the image of the price sign, and

Sending the price for the gas station to the database.

14. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

Determining a time dependency of change of a fuel price for each gas station based on a history of the fuel price, and

Determining the price associated with the particular gas station for the fuel based on a forecast using the determined time dependency.

15. A system for providing information for a vehicle, comprising:

a memory device,

a display for displaying in the vehicle,

a circuit, which has an interface for connecting to the memory device and the display,

wherein the circuit is configured to determine a fuel amount in the fuel tank of the vehicle,

wherein a volume of the fuel tank of the vehicle is stored in the memory device,

wherein the circuit is configured to read data on gas stations from a database, wherein the data have an identification for each gas station and/or a geographic position of each gas station and wherein the data have for each gas station a price associated with the particular gas station for a fuel for the vehicle,

wherein the circuit is configured to determine a distance value for each gas station, whereby the distance value can be determined from map data,

wherein the circuit is configured to determine driving cost based on a consumption of the fuel for the distance value,

wherein the circuit is configured to determine cost of fueling for each gas station based on the fuel amount and the volume and the price of the fuel,

wherein the circuit is configured to determine total cost based on the driving cost and the cost of fueling, and

wherein the circuit is configured to determine a ranking of gas stations based on the total cost and to visually output the ranking of gas.