AMBIENT LIGHTING TO REFLECT CHANGES IN VEHICLE OPERATING PARAMETERS

• US 20110227716A1
• Filed: 03/17/2010
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Lucas, Marc
• Granted Patent: US 8,786,418 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/439
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2500/30 Arrangements for illuminating different zones in the vehicle, e.g. front/rear, different seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors

Abstract

An interior lighting system which responds to changes in vehicle operating parameters, such as fuel economy, electric power consumption and battery recharging, by changing color of interior lighting. The system includes an engine vacuum sensor associated with the internal combustion engine and, when used on a hybrid vehicle, a motor power draw sensor associated with the vehicle'"'"'s electric motor and a battery recharging sensor associated with the vehicle'"'"'s storage battery. An array of color-changing ambient interior lights is provided and is operatively associated with the vehicle system controller. The sensors measure specific changes in driving parameters and send signals to the vehicle system controller for further processing. The vehicle system controller then interprets the received information to identify any changes in operating parameters (fuel consumption, electric power consumption, storage battery recharging), and signals one or more of the ambient lights to change colors and thereby signal the driver (or other occupant) as to a change in operating parameters.

Claims

1. A system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters including fuel consumption, electric power consumption and battery recharging on a vehicle having an internal combustion engine, an electric traction motor, and a storage battery, the system comprising:

a vacuum sensor fitted to the internal combustion engine;

a motor power draw sensor operatively associated with the electric traction motor;

a battery recharging sensor operatively associated with the storage battery;

a vehicle system controller operatively associated with said vacuum sensor, said motor power draw sensor, and said battery recharging sensor; and

an array of ambient interior lights operatively associated with said vehicle system controller.

2. The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 1 wherein the internal combustion engine includes an intake manifold and wherein said vacuum sensor is fitted to said intake manifold.

3. The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 1 wherein said motor power draw sensor senses the consumption of electricity by the electric traction motor.

4. The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 1 wherein the vehicle includes an electric power generator and wherein said battery recharging sensor senses the voltage level flowing into the storage battery from the electric power generator.

5. The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 1 wherein said array of ambient interior lights include multiple color lights capable of displaying two or more different colors in response to the vehicle system controller.

6. The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 5 further including software for interpreting signals from said sensors and for directing said array of ambient interior lights to illuminate a pre-selected color.

7. The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 1 wherein said array of ambient interior lights includes lights selected from the group consisting of footwell lights, cupholder lights, dome lights, sidewall lights, lights beneath the vehicle seat, and lights beneath the vehicle'"'"'s instrument panel.

8. The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 1 wherein said array of ambient interior lights includes lights includes instrument panel gauge cluster lights.

9. The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 1 wherein said array of ambient interior lights are selected from the group consisting of light emitting diodes and incandescent bulbs.

10. A system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters, the system comprising:

an energy consumption sensor;

a vehicle system controller operatively associated with said energy consumption sensor; and

an array of ambient interior lights operatively associated with said vehicle system controller.

11. The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 10 wherein the vehicle includes an internal combustion engine and wherein said energy consumption sensor is operatively associated with the internal combustion engine.

12. The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 11 wherein the internal combustion engine includes an intake manifold and wherein said energy consumption sensor is a vacuum sensor fitted to said intake manifold.

13. The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 10 wherein the vehicle includes an electric traction motor and wherein said energy consumption sensor is a motor power draw sensor operatively associated with the electric traction motor.

14. The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 10 wherein the vehicle includes an electric power generator and a storage battery and wherein said system further includes a battery recharging sensor which senses the voltage level flowing into the storage battery from the electric power generator, said battery recharging sensor being operatively associated with said vehicle system controller.

15. The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 10 wherein said array of ambient interior lights include multiple color lights capable of displaying two or more different colors in response to the vehicle system controller.

16. The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 15 further including software for interpreting signals from said energy consumption sensor and for directing said array of ambient interior lights to illuminate a pre-selected color.

17. The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 10 wherein said array of ambient interior lights includes lights selected from the group consisting of footwell lights, cupholder lights, dome lights, sidewall lights, lights beneath the vehicle seat, and lights beneath the vehicle'"'"'s instrument panel.

18. The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 10 wherein said array of ambient interior lights includes lights includes instrument panel gauge cluster lights.

19. The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 10 wherein said array of ambient interior lights are selected from the group consisting of light emitting diodes and incandescent bulbs.

20. A system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters including fuel consumption and electric power consumption on a vehicle having an internal combustion engine and an electric traction motor, the system comprising:

a fuel consumption sensor fitted to the internal combustion engine;

a motor power draw sensor operatively associated with the electric traction motor;

a vehicle system controller operatively associated with said vacuum sensor and said motor power draw sensor;

an array of ambient interior lights operatively associated with said vehicle system controller; and

software for interpreting signals from said fuel consumption sensor and said motor power draw sensor for directing said array of ambient interior lights to illuminate a pre-selected color.