Information method of economical driving for manual transmission vehicle

• US 8,249,788 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2009
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Han, Kwonhee, Kim, Hyeonsoo, Shin, Dongjin, Kim, Sungyun, Kim, Kyuho
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US12/535,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20100036571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,113 Days
• Field of Search: 701 51- 53, 701 55- 57, 701/64, 701/67, 180170-171, 180/335
• US Class Current: 701/64
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

The present invention relates to an information method for a manual transmission vehicle that provides information for inducing stepping on an accelerator pedal for economical driving of a manual transmission vehicle and provides information for inducing changing a shift stage for the economical driving by using a driving performance guidance map showing a fuel consumption rate area in accordance with BSFC.

Claims

1. An information method of economical driving for a manual transmission vehicle, comprising the steps of:

a) estimating a present gear stage by present engine RPM and present vehicle speed;

b) designating shift stage change lines in a driving performance guidance map where a fuel consumption rate area in accordance with BSFC (“

Brake Specific Fuel Consumption”

) is displayed in the driving performance guidance map;

c) determining a present position of a vehicle in the driving performance guidance map, wherein the present position is determined by present torque and the present vehicle speed of the vehicle;

d) calculating fuel consumption rate when the vehicle changes a present shift stage to an upper stage or a lower stage;

e) judging whether or not the fuel consumption rate is improved at the time of changing the present shift stage to the upper stage or the lower stage; and

f) providing information for inducing the present shift stage to be changed to the upper stage or the lower stage if the fuel consumption rate is improved at the time of changing the present shift stage to the upper stage or the lower stage;

wherein the step of designating the shift stage change lines includes the steps of;

connecting a start point of a specific fuel consumption rate area of stage n+1 with an end point of a specific fuel consumption rate area of stage n to form a shift stage change line, wherein the start point forms a minimum vehicle speed of the stage n+1 and the end point forms a minimum vehicle speed of the stage n; and

designating a vertical line extending vertically downwards from a point intersected by a minimum torque line (TPS) in each stage and the shift stage change line in each stage.

2. The information method as defined in claim 1, wherein designating the minimum and maximum vehicle speeds further includes the steps of

modifying the minimum vehicle speed according to a vehicle speed considering a position slope of the vehicle and a minimum vehicle speed for driving the vehicle at a shift stage to be changed;

and

modifying the maximum vehicle speed at the end point of the specific fuel consumption rate area of stage n as a maximum vehicle speed by considering fuel consumption instead of acceleration.

3. The information method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

designating a green zone, which maintains constant speed in a BSFC map, wherein the green zone is enclosed by optimal operation lines (OOL), TPS lines, and vertical lines; and

providing information for inducing a change of the present vehicle speed to allow the present vehicle speed to be positioned within the green zone when the present vehicle speed is positioned outside the green zone; and

providing information for inducing the present vehicle speed to be changed to allow the present vehicle speed to be positioned within the green zone when the present vehicle speed moves toward the outside of the green zone by changing the present vehicle speed which is positioned within the green zone through a cluster.

4. The information method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

checking whether a back-up lamp switch is on or a clutch pedal switch is on before the step of a),

wherein the steps a) to f) are not executed if the back-up lamp switch is on or the clutch pedal switch is on.

5. The information method as defined in claim 4, wherein the steps a) to f) are executed if the back-up lamp switch is not on and the clutch pedal switch is not on.

6. The information method as defined in claim 1, wherein the information in the step f) of providing information is transferred via a cluster of the vehicle.