U.S. patent application number 09/681658 was filed with the patent office on 2002-11-21 for rate of consumption gauge with variable rate of consumption limits.
Invention is credited to Crombez, Dale Scott, Napier, Steven Lee, Ochocinski, Christopher A..
Application Number | 20020171541 09/681658 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26944045 |
Filed Date | 2002-11-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020171541 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Crombez, Dale Scott ; et
al. |
November 21, 2002 |
RATE OF CONSUMPTION GAUGE WITH VARIABLE RATE OF CONSUMPTION
LIMITS
Abstract
The present invention provides an improved method and system to
monitor vehicle operation state and operator requests. The
invention combines into a single, easy to read, gauge information
indicating the current vehicle operating state and the ability to
increase power assist. This involves a display of instantaneous
rate of consumption usage superimposed over the available rate of
power consumption limits. The present invention can display whether
an operator is requesting power assist, regenerative braking or
battery charging while also showing the amount of power assist,
regenerative braking or battery charging that is possible for the
vehicle under present operating conditions. Through the use of a
vehicle system controller (VSC) or similar type controller
connected to the display of the present invention, the
instantaneous rate of consumption usage or charge can be limited to
the available rate of power consumption or charge limits. The
invention can use analog needles or light emitting diodes in
various configurations as well as adding warning lamps or chimes
when the instantaneous rate of consumption usage approaches or
exceeds the available rate of power consumption limits.
Inventors: |
Crombez, Dale Scott;
(Livonia, MI) ; Napier, Steven Lee; (Canton,
MI) ; Ochocinski, Christopher A.; (Canton,
MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC
SUITE 600 - PARKLANE TOWERS EAST
ONE PARKLANE BLVD.
DEARBORN
MI
48126
US
|
Family ID: |
26944045 |
Appl. No.: |
09/681658 |
Filed: |
May 17, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60254423 |
Dec 11, 2000 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
340/461 ;
340/439; 340/450.2; 340/462 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60K 35/00 20130101;
B60K 2370/174 20190501; Y02T 10/84 20130101; B60L 2250/16 20130101;
G07C 5/004 20130101; B60Y 2200/90 20130101; B60R 16/0232
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
340/461 ;
340/462; 340/439; 340/450.2 |
International
Class: |
B60Q 001/00 |
Claims
1. A combination display for a vehicle showing instantaneous rate
of energy consumption superimposed over available rate of energy
consumption.
2. The display of claim 1 further comprising: a vehicle system
controller (VSC); an energy source connected to the VSC; a set of
vehicle state inputs connected to the combination display; and an
output from the display to the VSC, wherein the VSC limits the
instantaneous rate of energy consumption to the available rate of
energy consumption.
3. The display of claim 1 wherein the available rate of energy
consumption comprises a charge side and an assist side.
4. The display of claim 1 wherein the instantaneous rate of energy
consumption is shown by an analog needle and the available rate of
energy consumption is shown by light emitting diodes (LEDs).
5. The display of claim 1 wherein the instantaneous rate of energy
consumption is shown by LEDs and the available rate of energy
consumption is shown by LEDs.
6. The display of claim 1 wherein the instantaneous rate of energy
consumption is shown by an analog needle and the available rate of
energy consumption is shown by analog needles.
7. The display of claim 1 further comprising a warning when desired
instantaneous rate of energy consumption approaches the available
rate of energy consumption.
8. The display of claim 1 further comprising a warning when desired
instantaneous rate of energy consumption exceeds the available rate
of energy consumption.
9. The display of claim 7 wherein the warning is an indicator lamp
on the display.
10. The display of claim 8 wherein the warning is an indicator lamp
on the display.
11. The display of claim 7 wherein the warning is a chime.
12. The display of claim 8 wherein the warning is a chime.
13. A method of monitoring vehicle energy status comprising the
steps of: monitoring instantaneous rate of energy consumption;
monitoring available rate of energy consumption; and superimposing
the monitoring of instantaneous rate of energy consumption over the
monitoring of available rate of energy consumption.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of monitoring available
rate of energy consumption comprises the steps of monitoring charge
and monitoring assist.
15. The method of claim 13 wherein monitoring is achieved using
light emitting diodes.
16. The method of claim 13 wherein monitoring is achieved using an
analog needle.
17. The method of claim 13 wherein monitoring is achieved using a
combination of analog needles and LEDS.
18. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of warning
an operator when a desired instantaneous rate of energy consumption
approaches the available rate of energy consumption.
19. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of warning
an operator when a desired instantaneous rate of energy consumption
exceeds the available rate of energy consumption.
20. The method of claim 18 wherein the warning is achieved using an
indicator lamp.
21. The method of claim 18 wherein the warning is achieved using a
chime.
22. The method of claim 19 wherein the warning is achieved using an
indicator lamp.
23. The method of claim 19 wherein the warning is achieved using a
chime.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is the non-provisional application of
provisional patent application No. 60/254423 titled, "Rate of
Consumption Gauge with Variable Rate of Consumption Limits," filed
Dec. 11, 2000.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to a vehicle
monitoring system and method, and more particularly to a combined
system and method to superimpose a monitor that communicates the
instantaneous rate of consumption usage over a monitor that
communicates the limits of the available rate of consumption, both
positive and negative.
[0003] The need to reduce fossil fuel consumption and emissions in
automobiles and other vehicles predominately powered by internal
combustion engines (ICEs) is well known. Vehicles powered by
electric motors or other power sources attempt to address these
needs. Other alternative solutions combine a smaller ICE with
electric motors or other power sources into one vehicle. Vehicles
that combine the advantages of an ICE vehicle and an electric
vehicle are typically called Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs). See
generally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,970 to Severinsky.
[0004] The desirability of combining an ICE with other power
sources such as an electric motor is clear. There is great
potential for reducing vehicle fuel consumption and emissions with
no appreciable loss of vehicle performance or drive-ability. An HEV
not only allows the use of smaller ICEs, but also allows
regenerative braking, electric power assist in the vehicle's
powertrain, and even powering the vehicle without assistance from
the ICE.
[0005] New ways must be developed to operate these dual powered
vehicles. In conventional ICE vehicles, several familiar gauges
provide vehicle state information such as vehicle speed, engine
temperature, engine RPMs, and alternator function. The HEV and
other more sophisticated and complex vehicles must convey new types
of vehicle state information to the operator. These monitoring
systems must be simple and easy to read.
[0006] For example, operators must be notified of HEV state
information on available power assist limits by stored power
sources such as batteries because the operator must known when
powertrain requests cannot be met under present vehicle operating
conditions. More specifically, in an electric or partial electric
(hybrid) vehicle, the available power to accelerate the vehicle may
be inconsistent due to many factors. For example, when the battery
is at a low state of charge or excessively warm, the battery power
available to a vehicle's electric motors may be temporary limited.
The operator must be aware of these conditions and know when the
battery power is limited so that a maneuver that may require
battery power to the electric motor is not attempted.
[0007] Battery energy displays, gauges, or monitors for electric
vehicles are known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 6,175,303 B1 to
Theofanopoulos et al. describes a battery energy-measuring device
indicating maximum available battery current on an analogue scale
as a percentage. U.S. Pat. No. 5,532,671 Bachman et al. signals to
an operator of an electric vehicle that the battery is at a reduced
state of charge by requiring the accelerator to be depressed
farther to provide an equivalent accelerator command to the
controller that controls the motor. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 378,500 to
Nakai et al. describes an ornamental design for residual battery
capacity and electric vehicle range.
[0008] It is also common in an electric or partial electric vehicle
to include a vehicle operator request status gauge that displays
whether the operator is requesting power assist, regenerative
braking or battery charging. An analog gauge can be used to convey
this information.
[0009] Unfortunately, these two separate indicators, battery state
and vehicle operator request status, can be complicated and
confusing to an operator and clutter the vehicle dashboard.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0010] Accordingly, the present invention provides an improved
method and system to monitor vehicle operation state and operator
requests.
[0011] The main object of the present invention is to combine into
a single, easy to read gauge information indicating the current
vehicle operating state and the ability to increase power
assist.
[0012] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
single gauge that combines the available rate of power consumption
limits and instantaneous rate of consumption usage.
[0013] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
vehicle gauge that displays whether an operator is requesting power
assist, regenerative braking or battery charging while also showing
the amount of power assist, regenerative braking or battery
charging that is possible for the vehicle under present operating
conditions.
[0014] The instantaneous rate of consumption usage or charge can be
limited to the available rate of power consumption or charge limits
by a vehicle system controller (VSC) or similar type controller.
The invention can use analog needles or light emitting diodes in
various configurations as well as adding warning lamps or chimes
when the instantaneous rate of consumption usage approaches or
exceeds the available rate of power consumption limits.
[0015] Other objects of the present invention will become more
apparent to persons having ordinary skill in the art to which the
present invention pertains from the following description taken in
conjunction with the accompanying figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0016] The foregoing objects, advantages, and features, as well as
other objects and advantages, will become apparent with reference
to the description and figures below, in which like numerals
represent like elements and in which:
[0017] FIG. 1 illustrates a gauge for the present invention under
normal operating conditions.
[0018] FIG. 2 illustrates a gauge for the present invention under
partially limited assist conditions.
[0019] FIG. 3 illustrates a gauge for the present invention under
partially limited charge conditions.
[0020] FIG. 4 illustrates a gauge for the present invention under
partially limited charge and assist conditions.
[0021] FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the gauge
using three needles to demonstrate a partially limited charge and
highly limited assist condition.
[0022] FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the gauge
using only LED's to demonstrate a partially limited assist
condition.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] In the past, several gauges have developed for use in ICE
vehicles. As more sophisticated powertrains develop, there is a
desire and need to create system monitors (such as gauges, displays
and chimes) that are easy to understand and can be combined to
monitor several items of information. The main object of this
invention is to combine various vehicle state information into one
simple and easy to understand monitor. The monitors in the
preferred embodiment are used to convey the available rate of
consumption limits and instantaneous rate of consumption usage from
several types of power sources such as battery powered systems,
partially battery powered systems, fuel cell systems, pneumatic
powered systems, and hydraulic powered systems under the control of
a vehicle system controller (VSC) or similar type controller known
in the prior art (not shown).
[0024] The preferred embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 1 through
4. Here, a monitor/gauge/display superimposes instantaneous rate of
consumption usage over a gauge that communicates limits of the
available rate of consumption. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a gauge 20
receives vehicle state input 32 such as driver requests for power,
regenerative braking, battery state of charge, battery temperature,
etc. (battery not shown). The gauge 20 has an analog device such as
a needle gauge 22 to indicate instantaneous rate of consumption
usage. This instantaneous usage rate may be based on driver request
for assist or charge (such as regenerative braking). The needle 22
is superimposed over a bank of light emitting diodes (LEDs) 24 that
indicate the limits of the available rate of consumption (both
positive and negative rates of consumption). The LEDs 24 have a
center point 26, a variable positive rate of consumption limit to
one side (assist) 28, and a variable negative rate of consumption
limit (charge) 30 to the other side. Assist 28 occurs, for example,
when a vehicle's battery usage is needed to provide power to an
electric drive that, in turn, provides torque or power to a vehicle
powertrain. Negative rate of consumption, or charge 30, occurs
when, for example, the battery is being charged by a vehicle
generator or regenerative braking. Regenerative braking captures
kinetic energy of a vehicle that is usually lost as heat in the
vehicle's brakes when an operator requests slowing or stopping the
vehicle.
[0025] The needle 22 while positioned on the assist 28 side of the
LED 24 bank, as illustrated in FIG. 2, indicates the instantaneous
rate of consumption of a stored resource such as the battery or
fuel cell system (see below) in a positive direction. The more the
assist is available, the more LEDs 24 will be indicated on the
assist 28 side of the LED 24 bank. The needle 22, while positioned
on the charge 30 side of the LED 24 bank, as illustrated in FIG. 3,
also indicates the instantaneous rate of consumption of the stored
resource, such as the battery, in a negative direction. Put another
way, the stored resource is replenished to enable assist in the
future. The more the stored resource is able to replenish, the more
LEDs 24 will be indicated on the charge 30 side of the LED 24
bank.
[0026] By showing both instantaneous and available rate of
consumption, FIG. 2 illustrates how the gauge 20 indicates
available assist 28. If a limitation exists in the available assist
28 (such as limiting discharge during a low battery state of
charge), the LEDs 24 on the assist 28 side of the gauge 20 would
progressively turn off until the gauge 20 indicates that no assist
28 is available. The needle 22 can only move toward the assist 28
side of the gauge 20 to the point where the LEDs 24 are lit as
determined by a vehicle system controller (not shown). Thus, the
gauge 20 indicates to the operator how much assist 28 is available
and how much assist 28 is being used relative to the available
assist 28. The gauge 20 would also indicate when no assist 28 is
available.
[0027] Likewise, if the available charge capability is limited
(such as during a high battery state of charge), the LEDs 24 on the
charge 30 side of the gauge 20 would progressively turn off until
the gauge 20 indicates that little or no charge is available as
illustrated in FIG. 3. The needle 22 can only move toward the
charge 30 side of the gauge 20 to the point where the LEDs 24 are
lit, representing the charge 30 limit of the vehicle. The gauge 20
thus informs the operator how much charge 30 is being performed
relative to an available charging capability. The gauge 20 would
also tell the operator when no charge 30 capability is
available.
[0028] Under certain conditions, both charge 30 capability and
assist 28 capability may be limited as illustrated in FIG. 4. By
way of example, limited discharge and limited recharge may exist
when the battery temperature is too high or too low. During these
conditions, the LEDs 24 of both the charge 30 side and the assist
28 side of the gauge 20 would progressively turn off and thus the
needle 22 gauge's range of movement would be limited to the center
point 26 of the gauge 20 where the LEDs 24 are lit.
[0029] Other variations of the preferred embodiment are possible.
For example, the gauge 20 could add an additional indicator (such
as a lamp or chime, not shown) to warn the operator that there is
no or virtually no assist or charge available. Further, the LED 24
bank may use various colors to indicate different levels of assist
and charge instead of turning the LEDs 24 off.
[0030] Many other embodiments of the present invention are
possible. For example, FIG. 5 illustrates a first alternate gauge
40 with three analog needles and no LEDs. First alternate gauge 40
has a first alternate gauge needle 42 to indicate instantaneous
rate of consumption usage. The first alternate gauge needle 42 is
superimposed over a first alternate gauge charge needle 44 and a
first alternate gauge assist needle 46 that indicate the range
limits of the available rate of consumption (both positive and
negative rates of consumption as in the preferred embodiment).
First alternate gauge charge needle 44 would indicate the charge
level available (limit), and first alternate gauge assist needle 46
would indicate the assist level available (limit). First alternate
gauge needle 42 moves between the needle 44 and needle 46 as
determined by the vehicle system controller (not shown). A first
alternate gauge center point 48 is also included to indicate no
instantaneous rate of consumption for first alternate gauge needle
42, no charge ability for first alternate gauge charge needle 44,
and no assist ability for first alternate gauge assist needle 46. A
bar 50 shows the extreme limits of assist, charge, and consumption.
The needle positions in FIG. 5 show a slight instantaneous charge
with partially limited charge and mostly limited assist
conditions.
[0031] Yet another embodiment of the present invention is
illustrated in FIG. 6. This second alternate gauge 52 is in the
form of a dual LED bar gauge. This second alternate gauge 52 uses a
second alternate gauge first LED bank 54 to act in similar fashion
as needle 22 (illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4) between the
available charge/assist and the instantaneous charge/assist. This
embodiment's second alternate gauge second LED bank 56 acts in
similar fashion as LEDs 24 (illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4).
[0032] The following examples demonstrate how the present invention
can be utilized in a variety of vehicle powertrain configurations
using a variety of vehicle state sensors and under the vehicle
system control (VSC) 60:
[0033] 1. Battery Powered Systems:
[0034] Instantaneous Rate of Consumption=battery power
[0035] Available Rate of Consumption Limits=maximum recharge power
limit, maximum discharge power limit as determined or applied by
the VSC.
[0036] Instantaneous Rate of Consumption=battery current
[0037] Available Rate of Consumption Limits=maximum recharge
current limit, maximum discharge current limit as determined or
applied by the VSC.
[0038] Instantaneous Rate of Consumption=battery voltage
[0039] Available Rate of Consumption Limits=maximum recharge
voltage limit, maximum discharge voltage limit as determined or
applied by the VSC.
[0040] 2. Fuel Cell Powered Systems:
[0041] Instantaneous Rate of Consumption=fuel cell power
[0042] Available Rate of Consumption Limits=(0) maximum recharge
power limit or minimum desired discharge power limit, maximum
discharge power limit as determined or applied by the VSC.
[0043] 3. Any Shared Power Systems: (Preferred Embodiment)
[0044] Instantaneous Rate of Consumption=component/subsystem
power
[0045] Available Rate of Consumption Limits=maximum budgeted
recharge power limit, maximum budgeted discharge power limit as
determined or applied by the VSC.
[0046] 4. Pneumatic Powered Systems:
[0047] Instantaneous Rate of Consumption=gas flow rate and pressure
(power)
[0048] Available Rate of Consumption Limits=maximum recharge gas
flow rate and pressure (power) limit, maximum discharge gas flow
rate and pressure (power) limit as determined or applied by the
VSC.
[0049] Instantaneous Rate of Consumption=pressure
[0050] Available Rate of Consumption Limits=maximum recharge gas
pressure limit, maximum discharge gas pressure limit as determined
or applied by the VSC.
[0051] 5. Hydraulic Powered Systems: Instantaneous Rate of
Consumption=fluid flow rate and pressure (power)
[0052] Available Rate of Consumption Limits=maximum recharge fluid
flow rate and pressure (power) limit, maximum discharge fluid flow
rate and pressure (power) limit as determined or applied by the
VSC.
[0053] Instantaneous Rate of Consumption=pressure
[0054] Available Rate of Consumption Limits=maximum recharge fluid
pressure limit, maximum discharge fluid pressure limit as
determined or applied by the VSC.
[0055] The above-described embodiments of the present invention are
provided purely for purposes of example. Many other variations,
modifications, and applications of the invention may be made.
* * * * *