Device for monitoring the process of driving a vehicle

• US 9,159,177 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2009
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crambo, S.A., Nilo Garcia Manchado
• Original Assignee: Crambo, S.A., Nilo Garcia Manchado
• Inventors: Garcia Manchado, Nilo
• Primary Examiner(s): Algahaim, Helal A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Han, Charles J
• Application Number:
  US12/936,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20110137508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,387 Days
• Field of Search: 701 29- 30, 701/32, 701/123, 701/301, 73112-120, 340/325.06, 340/436, 340/439, 340/461, 340/462, 340/870.16, 123/478, 123/480, 447 42- 43, 447/100, 447/107
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0236 for economical driving
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/004 Indicating the operating range of the engine economical driving B60R16/0236, F02B77/084; measuring liquid fuel of an engine G01F9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

Device for monitoring the process of driving a vehicle consisting of at least the following:

• • a first means of processing a signal; a second means of detecting the vehicle movement; a means for providing an HMI type of interactive display of information for the user; and a means configured for knowing the consumption characteristics of the vehicle and its technical characteristics as far as optimum theoretical behaviour;
  • where the means for processing are configured for calculating the optimum consumption according to the characteristics of the vehicle, establishing the driving parameters required for equating the actual consumption to the optimum consumption, displaying this information to the user in the means available for display.

Claims

1. A device for monitoring the process of driving a vehicle optimizing the fuel consumption in which an interactive and real time monitoring of the driving is achieved without a connection with a center that governs the vehicle;

said device comprising;

a) a vehicle movement detector;

b) a database in which technical characteristics of the vehicle are listed, the technical characteristics including;

weights, number of cylinders, engine position, cubic centimeters, diameter stroke, valves per cylinder, type of engine fuel supply, HP/RPM, Torque (Nm)/RPM, type of traction, gearbox, miles per gallon in urban, off road and mixed driving, CO₂ emissions, suspensions, and brakes;

c) a display comprising an HMI interface comprising a menu that includes, at least;

i) a selector of the level of consumption selected between basic saving mode, average saving mode or maximum saving mode; and

ii) a selector of the level of occupancy between maximum or minimum level of occupancy; and

iii) a selector of a vehicle from the database in which the device is used; and

d) a global positioning system;

wherein the device comprises a processor configured to;

i) calculate an optimum consumption according to the technical characteristics of a vehicle selected from the database;

ii) calculate a current gear of the vehicle in real time for equating the vehicle consumption to the optimum consumption as a function of a technical specification of a vehicle selected from the database wherein the speed in which the gear change must be carried out is calculated according with the following formula;

Speed in which the gear change must be carried out=speed of the vehicle*(1+((5*(level of occupancy−

1))/100+((5*(3−

level of consumption or saving mode))/100))

a) wherein the speed of the vehicle is provided by the global positioning system;

b) wherein the level of occupancy is selected by the user in the HMI interface; and

c) wherein the level of consumption or saving mode is selected by the user in the HMI interface;

iii) calculate an estimated safety distance with respect to other devices; and

iv) calculate an anticipation distance according with the following formula;

anticipation distance=(radius turn gear*(speed of the vehicle/10))²−

inertia−

engine resistance;

wherein the inertia is the variations in inertia when driving in sloped roads and wherein the radius turn gear and the engine resistance represents the deceleration of the vehicle without stepping on the brake;

and wherein said gear, said safety distance and said anticipation distance are provided to the user by means of the display.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the global positioning system is GPS type;

said global positioning system further configured to lay out a route that are also configured to provide information of a route layout, the type of road, the position of the vehicle in the route and the orography of that route; and

wherein the processor is further configured to generate a consumption profile of said route.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the GPS is configured to obtain and establish signaling data and road traffic organization in such a way that they can be displayed to the user in the display.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to calculate:

a level of risk according to the information provided by the vehicle and in accordance with the type of driving;

a recommendation to prevent that risk; and

a warning of the legal consequences associated to that risk;

said warning being stored in a database with the current legal driving regulation.

5. The device of claim 4, which includes a communications emitter-receiver element that is configured for:

(a) sending generated risky situations to another nearby device and/or an external server;

(b) receive data from other devices and/or an external server in accordance with the location of the device, wherein said data includes the weather data and the forecast as well as the data relative to traffic; and

wherein the processor is further configured to generate a recommendation regarding the risk associated with driving according with the received data.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to calculate the economic expenditure associated with a route;

said economic expenditure comprising an estimated expenditure at the beginning of the route and an accumulated expenditure of the route at the end of that route; and

wherein the expenditure is calculated in accordance with the route, the theoretical optimum consumption for that route for a vehicle; and

instantaneously as accumulated in real time.

7. The device of claim 1, further including:

(a) a form that automatically appears in the display when the global positioning system detects a cost location that was previously stored in a data storage device;

(b) a scanner; and

(c) a combination of the above.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to

calculate an excessive acceleration or deceleration of a vehicle;

and

display the excessive acceleration.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to:

calculate the average time in which a vehicle is in acceleration or deceleration taking into account the radius of each one of the vehicle'"'"'s gears and an efficient speed;

check the speed at different moments of a route to calculate an efficient acceleration threshold and a range that is outside this efficiency;

establish if the vehicle has accelerated or decelerated abruptly; and

provide a graphic and/or aural warning when the vehicle has accelerated or decelerated abruptly.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein said device is connected with a plurality of detectors for detecting the relative location of two vehicles and provides the user with an objective location in order to take advantage of inertia;

and wherein said data is able to be shared with a vehicle automatic transmission in order to change the vehicle gear according to the distance and behavior of the vehicle that is located nearby.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the vehicle movement detector comprises an accelerometer.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to determine a non-driving position;

and

if it is established a non-driving position, the device is configured to display external information of the type that requires the attention and/or reading on the part of the user; and

if it is not established a non-driving position, the device is configured to store incoming messages in a buffer.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein the information is provided by means of a code of colours and/or large numbers in a way that the user without directly looking, can clearly interpret the recommendations provided by the device.