Vehicle information display and method

• US 9,506,781 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2009
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2009
• 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., Hartl, Derek, Bryan, Paul Stephen, Watson, Angela L., Watson, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Benlagsir, Amine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Terrell, Emily C
• Application Number:
  US12/604,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20110095878A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,595 Days
• Field of Search: 340/441, 340/438, 340/439, 340/461
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/143 Touch sensitive instrument input devices
• 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 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• 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: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/06 Combustion engines, Gas turbines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/28 Structurally-combined illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 7/005 Indication of measured value by colour change
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 7/04 using a separate indicating element for each variable
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/06 in graphical form
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

An information display system for a hybrid electric vehicle configured to display one or more reasons an engine is on is provided. The information display system also indicates how close the engine is to turning on due to an engine on reason by displaying a proximity indicator representing a value associated with the engine on reason and a threshold demarcating values which cause the engine to be on.

Claims

1. A vehicle system comprising:

a display including;

at least one first threshold associated with a plurality of engine-on reasons, and

a plurality of indicators, each corresponding to a different engine-on reason; and

a controller that determines a value associated with each engine-on reason and instructs the display to display each indicator based on its associated value;

wherein the first threshold indicates the value for each engine-on reason that causes an engine to turn on.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of indicators change color based upon their proximity to the first threshold.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the value corresponds to one of a plurality of proximity levels indicating a relative proximity to the first threshold.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the display displays at least one of the engine-on reasons when the value corresponding to that engine-on reason reaches the first threshold.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein displaying at least one of the engine-on reasons includes displaying an engine-on reason explanation for the engine-on reason.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first threshold changes color when at least one indicator reaches the first threshold.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second threshold indicating the value for each engine-on reason that causes the engine to turn off, the second threshold different from the first threshold.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the second threshold is displayed when the engine is on for at least the engine-on reason corresponding to the first threshold.