Information display system and method

• US 8,909,404 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Crombez, Dale Scott, Skaff, Ryan J., Perkins, William Paul, Hartl, Derek
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAIGE, TYLER D
• Application Number:
  US13/832,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20140277874A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 340/439
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/174 Economic driving
• 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 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/305 Power absorbed by auxiliaries
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

A user interface for conveying tips on driving behaviors or vehicle settings that will improve vehicle efficiency may be provided. The tips may be listed on an information display along with an efficiency impact value associated with each tip. The efficiency impact values may be conveyed in terms of fuel economy, vehicle range, emissions or some other value. Accordingly, the user interface may communicate ways to improve a vehicle'"'"'s efficiency, as well as quantify the potential improvement in meaningful terms.

Claims

1. An information display system for a vehicle including an engine and an electric machine, each operable to provide torque to propel the vehicle, the vehicle further including an electric power source configured to provide electric power to the electric machine, the information display system comprising:

a controller configured to;

receive input indicative of energy usage associated with a number of vehicle operating parameters,

for each vehicle operating parameter, calculate a fuel economy impact value associated with an operating parameter modification based on the input,

rank the operating parameter modifications based on their associated fuel economy impact values, and

output a plurality of operating parameter modification messages, corresponding to the operating parameter modifications, and their associated fuel economy impact values; and

an interface in communication with the controller and configured to display the operating parameter modification messages and the associated fuel economy impact values according to their rank.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein energy usage associated with a number of vehicle operating parameters includes actively influenced energy usage associated with driver operating behavior.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein energy usage associated with a number of vehicle operating parameters includes passively influenced energy usage associated with environmental conditions.

4. A control system comprising:

a controller configured to receive input indicative of energy usage associated with a number of vehicle operating parameters and output a plurality of operating parameter modification messages and an efficiency impact value associated with each operating parameter modification message; and

an interface in communication with the controller and configured to display the operating parameter modification messages and their associated efficiency impact values.

5. The control system of claim 4, wherein the plurality of operating parameter modification messages are ranked based on the associated efficiency impact values and the interface is further configured to display the plurality of operating parameter modification messages and the efficiency impact value associated with each operating parameter modification message according to their ranking.

6. The control system of claim 4, wherein the efficiency impact value is indicative of an estimated potential improvement in an efficiency-related measurable upon compliance with the corresponding operating parameter modification message.

7. The control system of claim 6, wherein the efficiency impact value is a fuel consumption value indicative of an estimated potential impact on fuel economy.

8. The control system of claim 6, wherein the efficiency impact value is a distance value indicative of an estimated potential impact on vehicle range.

9. The control system of claim 4, wherein the efficiency impact value is indicative of an estimated potential percent improvement in efficiency based on an efficiency total.

10. A method comprising:

receiving input indicative of energy usage associated with a number of vehicle operating parameters;

for each vehicle operating parameter, calculating an efficiency impact value associated with an operating parameter modification based on the input; and

displaying a plurality of operating parameter modification messages, corresponding to the operating parameter modifications, and their associated efficiency impact values based on a ranking of the efficiency impact values.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the input is further indicative of energy usage associated with a plurality of efficiency impact factors.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

calculating an efficiency impact value for each efficiency impact factor based on vehicle conditions and energy usage.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the vehicle conditions include operating conditions and environmental conditions.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

ranking the efficiency impact factors based on their associated efficiency impact values, and

displaying a plurality of the efficiency impact factors and their associated impact values based on the ranking.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein displaying a plurality of efficiency impact factors and their associated efficiency impact values occurs during vehicle shut down.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the efficiency impact value is a fuel consumption value indicative of an estimated potential impact on fuel economy.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the efficiency impact value is a distance value indicative of an estimated potential impact on vehicle range.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the efficiency impact value is indicative of an estimated potential impact on vehicle emissions.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein calculating the efficiency impact value associated with an operating parameter modification includes normalizing a potential efficiency improvement value based on a total efficiency value.