METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DISPLAYING BRAKING INFORMATION

• US 20110082632A1
• Filed: 10/05/2009
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Francisco, Avernethy, Rowker, James D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,855,880 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/70
• 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: B60K 6/20 the prime-movers consisting of electric motors and internal combustion engines, e.g. HEVs
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/24 with additional mechanical or electromagnetic braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/22 Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/188 hydraulic brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18127 Regenerative braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and system for displaying braking information such as energy dissipation braking information and regenerative braking information. The present invention can be an automobile including an energy dissipation braking system, a regenerative braking system, an energy dissipation braking sensor, a regenerative braking sensor, an energy conversions system, an energy storage unit, an energy storage sensor, a processor, an engine, and/or a display. The processor, energy dissipation braking sensor, and/or the regenerative braking system can acquire and analyze energy dissipating braking data and regenerative braking data in an automobile to determine appropriate braking information for display to a user on the display. Such braking information can include, for example, an energy efficiency rate, and/or an application percentage of the energy dissipation braking system and/or the regenerative braking system. The braking information can also be displayed in various modes to indicate desirable braking applications.

Claims

1. A system for displaying braking information comprising

an energy dissipation braking sensor generating energy dissipation brake data;

a regenerative braking sensor generating regenerative brake data;

a processor receiving the energy dissipation brake data and the regenerative brake data, and analyzing the energy dissipation brake data and the regenerative brake data; and

a display communicatively coupled to the processor, the display displaying an image in either a first display mode or a second display mode based on the regenerative brake data and the energy dissipation brake data.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein in the first display mode, the image is displayed in a first color, and in the second display mode, the image is displayed in a second color different from the first color.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor determines an energy efficiency rate based on the energy dissipation brake data and the regenerative brake data, and the image corresponds to the energy efficiency rate.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising an energy storing sensor communicatively coupled to the processor generating energy storage data from an energy storage unit, wherein the processor determines the energy efficiency rate based on the energy storage data.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor determines an application percentage of energy dissipation brakes and an application percentage of regenerative brakes based on the energy dissipation brake data and the regenerative brake data, and the image corresponds to the application percentage of the energy dissipation brakes and the application percentage of the regenerative brakes.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the image is displayed in the first display mode when the regenerative brake data indicate that a regenerative brake is active and the image is displayed in the second display mode when the energy dissipation brake data indicate that an energy dissipation brake is active.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor determines an application percentage of energy dissipation brakes, and the image is displayed in the second display mode when the application percentage of energy dissipation brakes exceeds a predetermined percentage.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the energy dissipation brakes are engine brakes and a regenerative braking sensor generates regenerative brake data from an electric motor.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the energy dissipation brakes are friction brakes and a regenerative braking sensor generates regenerative brake data from an electric motor.

10. An automobile comprising:

a hydraulic brake;

a hydraulic braking sensor generating hydraulic brake data from the hydraulic brake;

a regenerative brake;

a regenerative braking sensor generating regenerative brake data from the regenerative brake;

a processor receiving the regenerative brake data and the hydraulic brake data, and determining an application percentage of the hydraulic brake based on the hydraulic brake data and an application percentage of the regenerative brake based on the regenerative brake data; and

a display communicatively coupled to the processor, the display displaying an image in either a first display mode in a first color or a second display mode in a second color different from the first color based on the application percentage of the hydraulic brake, and the application percentage of the regenerative brake.

11. The automobile of claim 11 wherein the image corresponds to the application percentage of the hydraulic brake and the application percentage of the regenerative brake.

12. The automobile of claim 11 wherein the image is displayed in the second display mode when the application percentage of hydraulic brake exceeds a predetermined percentage.

13. The automobile of claim 11 further comprising an energy storing sensor communicatively coupled to the processor generating energy storage data from an energy storage unit,

wherein the processor determines an energy efficiency rate based on the application percentage of the hydraulic brake and the application percentage of the regenerative brake, and the image corresponds to the energy efficiency rate.

14. The automobile of claim 11 wherein the hydraulic brake is a friction brake, the regenerative braking sensor generates regenerative brake data from an electric motor, and the processor is a powertrain control unit.

15. A method for displaying braking information for hydraulic brakes and regenerative brakes comprising:

generating hydraulic brake data corresponding to the hydraulic brakes;

generating regenerative brake data corresponding to the regenerative brakes;

analyzing the hydraulic brake data and the regenerative brake data; and

displaying an image in either a first display mode or a second display mode based on the regenerative brake data and the hydraulic brake data.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein in the first display mode the image is displayed in a first color and in the second display mode, the image is displayed in a second color different from the first color.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

generating energy storage data corresponding to an energy storage unit;

determining an energy efficiency rate based on the energy storage data, the hydraulic brake data, and the regenerative brake data; and

generating the image corresponding to the energy efficiency rate.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of displaying an image includes displaying the image in the first display mode when the regenerative brake data indicate that the regenerative brakes are active and displaying the image in the second display mode when the hydraulic brake data indicate that the hydraulic brakes are active.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

determining an application percentage of the hydraulic brakes based on the hydraulic brake data;

determining an application percentage of the regenerative brakes based on the regenerative brake data; and

generating the image corresponding to the application percentage of the hydraulic brakes and the application percentage of the regenerative brakes.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of displaying the image includes displaying the image in the second display mode when the application percentage of the hydraulic brakes exceeds a predetermined percentage.