Device for teaching a driver to drive in a fuel efficient manner

• US 9,718,476 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2015
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jonathan David Lonski
• Original Assignee: Jonathan David Lonski
• Inventors: Lonski, Jonathan David
• Primary Examiner(s): MOTT, GENNA M
• Application Number:
  US14/798,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20170015332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/16 Pitch
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/146 Speed limiting
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/188 Controlling power parameters of the driveline, e.g. determining the required power
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

A device is provided for teaching a driver of a vehicle in real-time to operate the vehicle in a fuel efficient manner based on feedback from a plurality on on-board sensors on the vehicle.

Claims

1. An instruction device for instructing a driver of a vehicle comprising:

a display screen displaying visual instructions;

a speaker outputting audio instructions;

sensors detecting an inclination angle of the vehicle;

at least one light sensor to monitor heating of an interior of the vehicle by detecting an amount of sunlight entering the interior of the vehicle; and

a controller for obtaining;

vehicle diagnostics from an on-board diagnostic system of the vehicle;

GPS information from a geo-mapping service; and

the inclination angle from the sensors;

wherein the controller determines instructions for fuel efficient driving based at least in part on the vehicle diagnostics, the GPS information and the inclination angle, and outputs the instructions via the display screen and speaker in real-time while the driver is driving the vehicle;

wherein the controller calculates a score indicating how fuel efficiently the driver is driving based at least in part on the instructions, the vehicle diagnostics, the GPS information, and the inclination angle; and

wherein the controller updates the score based on the amount of sunlight.

2. The instruction device according to claim 1,

wherein the controller obtains speed limits of roads the vehicle is traveling on and outputs a maximum vehicle speed to an adaptive speed governor system of the vehicle.

3. The instruction device according to claim 1,

wherein the controller obtains speed limits of the road the vehicle is traveling on and outputs instructions in real-time via the display screen and speaker to the driver based on the obtained speed limits.

4. The instruction device according to claim 1,

wherein the controller obtains maintenance information from the on-board diagnostic system, determines if vehicle maintenance is affecting fuel efficiency and outputs the determination thereof to the driver.

5. The instruction device according to claim 1,

wherein the controller outputs the score to a web server.

6. The instruction device according to claim 1,

wherein the controller outputs the score to a cell phone of the driver.

7. The instructions device according to claim 1, further comprising:

connectors connecting the controller to the on-board diagnostic system.

8. A method of providing driving instructions to a driver of a vehicle comprising the steps of:

obtaining vehicle diagnostics from an on-board diagnostic system of the vehicle;

obtaining GPS information from a geo-mapping service;

obtaining an inclination angle of the vehicle;

determining and outputting instructions for fuel efficient driving for the driver of the vehicle in real-time while the driver is driving the vehicle based at least in part on the vehicle diagnostics, the GPS information and the inclination angle;

calculating a score indicating how fuel efficiently the driver is driving based at least in part on the instructions, the vehicle diagnostics, the GPS information, and the inclination angle; and

monitoring heating of an interior of the vehicle by detecting an amount of sunlight entering the interior of the vehicle from light sensors and updating the score based on the amount of sunlight.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of:

outputting visual instructions for the driver of the vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of:

outputting audio instructions for the driver of the vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of:

obtaining speed limits of the road the vehicle is traveling on and outputting a maximum vehicle speed to an adaptive speed governor system of the vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of:

obtaining speed limits of the road the vehicle is traveling on and outputting visual instructions and audio instructions to the driver in teal-time based on the obtained speed limits.

13. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of:

obtaining maintenance information from the on-board diagnostic system and determining if vehicle maintenance is affecting fuel efficiency.

14. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of:

outputting the score to a web server.

15. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of:

outputting the score to a cell phone of the driver.