Driver assistance system for driver assistance for consumption controlled driving

• US 9,493,071 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2011
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Lindhuber, Stefan, Popp, Christian, Schulze, Christof
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Application Number:
  US13/240,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20120078496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,881 Days
• Field of Search: 701/123, 340/439
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/172 Driving mode indication
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/174 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: B60L 1/00 Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0236 for economical driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• 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: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

A driver assistance system for driver assistance for consumption controlled driving combines tactile and visual feedback functions, especially in the form of a drive configuration, a display concept and/or a deceleration assistant, wherein the emphasis is, on the one hand, on a modified accelerator pedal characteristic and, on the other hand, on the ECO tips for interactive output of efficient driving instructions.

Claims

1. A driver assistance system for assisting a driver in achieving consumption-controlled driving, the driver assistance system comprising:

an electronic control system; and

a display operatively coupled with the electronic control system and providing a visual feedback function for the driver, wherein

in at least one defined economical driving mode, the electronic control system is operatively configured to display at least one of an interactive efficiency-based evaluation and recommendation of a current driving style of the driver on the display instead of a conventional fuel consumption display, and

the interactive efficiency-based evaluation is an efficiency range that is provided on the display, the efficiency range being indicative of a range of accelerator pedal angles.

2. The driver assistance system according to claim 1, wherein the efficiency range is bar-shaped and continuously visible, when the current driving style of the driver is efficient and/or is following or has followed a recommendation, the bar-shaped efficiency range being visually highlighted.

4. The driver assistance system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of an arrow, a symbol, and text information is additionally displayed on the display as a recommendation until the driver follows or has followed the recommendation.

6. The driver assistance system according to claim 1, wherein

the range of accelerator pedal angles is an accelerator pedal characteristic-based efficiency range,

the efficiency range is bar-shaped, and

a marker is provided on the bar-shaped efficiency range, the marker being indicative of a current accelerator pedal angle in the accelerator pedal characteristic-based efficiency range, the indication being independent of any highlighting of the marker.

8. The driver assistance system according to claim 6, wherein a bar-shaped dynamic range is provided on the display to the right of the bar-shaped efficiency range, said bar-shaped dynamic range not being highlighted in any case;

and

wherein the marker for representing the current accelerator pedal angle is provided in the bar-shaped dynamic range only if the accelerator pedal angle is located in an accelerator pedal characteristic-based dynamic range assigned to the bar-shaped dynamic range.

10. The driver assistance system according to claim 6, wherein a bar-shaped recuperation range is provided on the display to the left of the bar-shaped efficiency range;

and

wherein in an overrun mode of an internal combustion engine of the vehicle, the bar-shaped recuperation range is highlighted along with the bar-shaped efficiency range in order to indicate an increase in energy.

12. The driver assistance system according to claim 8, wherein a bar-shaped recuperation range is provided on the display to the left of the bar-shaped efficiency range;

and

wherein in an overrun mode of an internal combustion engine of the vehicle, the bar-shaped recuperation range is highlighted along with the bar-shaped efficiency range in order to indicate an increase in energy.

14. The driver assistance system according to claim 1, wherein the display further comprises an additional reference field for recommending a plurality of economical driving styles;

and

wherein for each recommended driving style at least one symbol, text instruction, and text information is provided in succession in the additional reference field.

16. The driver assistance system according to claim 2, wherein the electronic control system is operatively configured to activate a defined accelerator pedal characteristic as a driver configuration providing a tactile feedback function;

and

wherein a first metering range of the defined accelerator pedal characteristic for an efficient driving style has a comparatively flat gradient, a second notification range for signaling a departure from the efficient driving style has a gradient change toward zero, and a third dynamic range with a comparatively steep gradient during which efficiency criteria are not being complied with; and

wherein only the first metering range in the form of the bar-shaped efficiency range and the third dynamic range in the form of a bar-shaped dynamic range are indicated on the display.

18. The driver assistance system according to claim 2, wherein the bar-shaped efficiency range of the display is adapted in form to a scale of the conventional fuel consumption display.

3. A driver assistance system for assisting a driver in achieving consumption-controlled driving, the driver assistance system comprising:

an electronic control system; and

a display operatively coupled with the electronic control system and providing a visual feedback function for the driver, wherein

in at least one defined economical driving mode, the electronic control system is operatively configured to display at least one of an interactive efficiency-based evaluation and recommendation of a current driving style of the driver on the display,

the display provides a continuously visible efficiency range, when the current driving style of the driver is efficient and/or is following or has followed a recommendation, the continuously visible efficiency range being visually highlighted, and

the continuously visible efficiency range being indicative of a range of accelerator pedal angles.

5. The driver assistance system according to claim 3, wherein at least one of an arrow, a symbol, and text information is additionally displayed on the display as a recommendation until the driver follows or has followed the recommendation.

7. The driver assistance system according to claim 3, wherein

the range of accelerator pedal angles is an accelerator pedal characteristic-based efficiency range,

the continuously visible efficiency range is bar-shaped, and

a marker is provided on the bar-shaped continuously visible efficiency range, the marker being indicative of a current accelerator pedal angle in the accelerator pedal characteristic-based efficiency range, the indication being independent of any highlighting of the marker.

9. The driver assistance system according to claim 7, wherein a bar-shaped dynamic range is provided on the display to the right of the bar-shaped continuously visible efficiency range, said bar-shaped dynamic range not being highlighted in any case;

and

wherein the marker for representing the current accelerator pedal angle is provided in the bar-shaped dynamic range only if the accelerator pedal angle is located in an accelerator pedal characteristic-based dynamic range assigned to the bar-shaped dynamic range.

11. The driver assistance system according to claim 7, wherein a bar-shaped recuperation range is provided on the display to the left of the bar-shaped continuously visible efficiency range;

and

wherein in an overrun mode of an internal combustion engine of the vehicle, the bar-shaped recuperation range is highlighted along with the bar-shaped continuously visible efficiency range in order to indicate an increase in energy.

13. The driver assistance system according to claim 9, wherein a bar-shaped recuperation range is provided on the display to the left of the bar-shaped continuously visible efficiency range;

and

wherein in an overrun mode of an internal combustion engine of the vehicle, the bar-shaped recuperation range is highlighted along with the bar-shaped continuously visible efficiency range in order to indicate an increase in energy.

15. The driver assistance system according to claim 3, wherein the display further comprises an additional reference field for recommending a plurality of economical driving styles;

and

wherein for each recommended driving style at least one symbol, text instruction, and text information is provided in succession in the additional reference field.

17. The driver assistance system according to claim 9, wherein the electronic control system is operatively configured to activate a defined accelerator pedal characteristic as a driver configuration providing a tactile feedback function;

and

wherein a first metering range of the defined accelerator pedal characteristic for an efficient driving style has a comparatively flat gradient, a second notification range for signaling a departure from the efficient driving style has a gradient change toward zero, and a third dynamic range with a comparatively steep gradient during which efficiency criteria are not being complied with; and

wherein only the first metering range in the form of the bar-shaped continuously visible efficiency range and the third dynamic range in the form of the bar-shaped dynamic range are indicated on the display.

19. The driver assistance system according to claim 3, wherein the continuously visible efficiency range of the display is adapted in form to a scale of the conventional fuel consumption display.