Method for displaying the operating range of an electric drive vehicle, and display

• US 9,221,355 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2012
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Kuhn, Thomas, Meier, Herbert, Nguyen Thien, Nhu, Stege, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Tyler J
• Application Number:
  US14/126,316
• Publication Number:
  US 20140172285A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,296 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/23, 701/26, 701/123, 701/533, 340/995.27, 180/65.21, 180/65.265
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/18 lateral
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/20 angular
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/461 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/642 Slope of road
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/52 drive range estimation, e.g. of estimation of available travel distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A method and display for displaying the operating range of an electric drive vehicle and a display for carrying out same are provided. The battery energy in a vehicle is detected, and a maximum operating range of the vehicle is determined therefrom. At least one battery service station is selected as destination point for determining the maximum operating range. Based on a starting point, a reachability threshold is determined. If exceeded, the vehicle will be unable to reach the destination point with the current battery energy available, wherein said reachability threshold is displayed as an operating range in a map illustration. During the determination of the reachability threshold, the current location is used as the starting point and the current battery energy of the vehicle is used, both of which are updated at pre-defined intervals while the vehicle is moving.

Claims

1. A method for displaying (12) an operating range of an electric drive vehicle, the method comprising:

determining battery energy in the vehicle with a sensor;

deriving from the determined battery energy a maximum operating range of the vehicle;

selecting, as respective destination points (15, 15′

) for determining the maximum operating range (16), a plurality of different battery service stations, wherein all selected destination points (15, 15′

) for determining the maximum operating range (16) are battery service stations;

determining an accessibility threshold (16) using a starting point (14) as a basis, beyond which the vehicle can no longer reach at least one of the plurality of destination points (15, 15′

) with the derived battery energy; and

displaying, by a display unit (13), the determined accessibility threshold (16) as an operating range in a map illustration,

wherein the determination of the accessibility threshold (16) uses a current location of the vehicle as the starting point (14) and the current battery energy of the vehicle, the current location and the current battery energy of the vehicle being updated at predeterminable intervals while the vehicle is traveling.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one destination point (15) is automatically selected in accordance with predetermined criteria.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one destination point (15) is updatable.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a number of the different destination points (15, 15′

) are selected and the operating range (16) is displayed as combined operating range.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display of the operating range (16) in a map illustration takes place by presentation of at least one destination point (15) and the starting point (14), and an area surrounding the at least one destination point (15) and the starting point (14), the boundary of this area being defined by the operating range (16) from the starting point (14) to the at least one destination point (15).

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one destination point (15) and the starting point (14) are shown as focal points of an ellipse (16) the edge of the ellipse being defined by the total length of a group of connecting lines, corresponding to the current operating range (16), from one focal point (14) to a point on the edge of the ellipse (16), and from this point on the edge of the ellipse (16) to the other focal point (15).

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising taking into consideration the plural destination points (15, 15′

), and, for each destination point (15, 15′

), taking into consideration the respectively current starting point (14), the respective accessibility threshold (16, 16′

) being determined and shown as combined accessibility threshold (16, 16′

).

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in determining the maximum operating range (16), information relating to driving technique, vehicle power consumption management and/or information about topology in the surrounding environment is taken into consideration.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein vehicle sensors are used in determining the maximum operating range (16).

10. A display device comprising:

a display unit (13) for displaying (12) the operating range of an electric drive vehicle;

a computing unit (19) with data memory; and

a user interface (20) and a sensor unit (21) configured to determine the position of the vehicle,

wherein the computing unit (19) is configured to perform the method as claimed in claim 1.

11. The display device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the sensor unit (21) has an angle transducer, a wheel sensor, a speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, an inclination sensor, a height sensor and/or a position finding sensor.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program code that, when executed by a computing unit (19) of a display device (18), causes the display device (18) to display the operating range (16;

16′

) of an electric drive vehicle according to the method as claimed in claim 1.