IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,514,061
Granted Patent B2
US 8,514,061 · App. 12/904,886 · Granted Aug 20, 2013

Display and method for calculating an “eco” meter index to be displayed for the driver of a motor vehicle

Inventor: Michael Wagner (Rimbach, DE)
Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,514,061
App. No.
12/904,886
Granted
Aug 20, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A device and method are provided for calculating an “eco” meter index that indicates the driving efficiency and to a display of this “eco” meter index for the driver of a motor vehicle. The display is based on calculating an “eco” meter index in dependence on the accelerator pedal position (Acc Pedal), the engine speed (RPM), the vehicle speed (V Speed ) and the engaged gear in such a way that a sum is formed with a portion that is directly proportional to the current accelerator pedal position and at least one portion that is dependent on the engine speed and/or the vehicle speed.

Claims (23)

1. A method for graphically visualizing a current driving state of a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of:

calculating with a processor an eco meter index in dependence on an accelerator pedal position, an engine speed, a vehicle speed, and an engaged gear;

forming with the processor a sum with a portion that is directly proportional to a current accelerator pedal position and at least one portion that is dependent on at least on of the engine speed or the vehicle speed; and

displaying, with a display, the eco meter index for graphically visualizing the current driving state of the motor vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the displaying, with the display, the eco meter index for graphically visualizing the current driving state of the motor vehicle is conducted with respect to a minimal fuel consumption.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the displaying, with the display, the eco meter index for graphically visualizing the current driving state of the motor vehicle is conducted with respect to a minimal CO 2 emission.

4. The method according to claim 1 , the sum is formed of a summand that is dependent on the accelerator pedal position, a summand for the engaged gear from the first up to a penultimate gear that can be engaged,

wherein the summand is formed of a quotient from a difference between an instantaneous engine speed and a predetermined lower engine speed threshold and a difference between a predetermined upper engine speed threshold and the predetermined lower engine speed threshold, as well as a summand for an ultimate gear that can be engaged,

wherein this summand is formed of a second quotient from the difference between an instantaneous vehicle speed and a predetermined lower vehicle speed threshold and the difference between a predetermined upper vehicle speed threshold and the predetermined lower vehicle speed threshold.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the values for vehicle speed thresholds and engine speed thresholds are read out of an engine management of the motor vehicle in a form of adjustment values.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein a lower vehicle speed threshold has a first substantially constant value of approximately 120 and an upper vehicle speed threshold has a second substantially constant value of approximately 150, and in that a lower engine speed threshold has a third substantially constant value of approximately 1800 and an upper engine speed threshold has a fourth substantially constant value of approximately 3000.

7. A device for graphically visualizing a current driving state of a motor vehicle, comprising:

a processor adapted to:

calculate an eco meter index in dependence on an accelerator pedal position, an engine speed, a vehicle speed and an engaged gear,

forming a sum with a portion that is directly proportional to at least one of a current accelerator pedal position or at least one portion that is dependent on the engine speed or the vehicle speed; and

a display adapted to display the eco meter index for graphically visualizing the current driving state of the motor vehicle.

8. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the eco meter index for graphically visualizing the current driving state of the motor vehicle is conducted with respect to a minimal fuel consumption.

9. The device according to claim 7 wherein the eco meter index for graphically visualizing the current driving state of the motor vehicle is conducted with respect to a minimal CO 2 emission

10. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the display is adapted to show the current driving state of the motor vehicle that are optimized with respect to a consumption in shades of green and non-optimized driving states in shades of yellow.

11. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the display is adapted to show the current driving state of the motor vehicle that are optimized with respect to a consumption in shades of green and non-optimized driving states in shades of red.

12. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the display is adapted to show the current driving state of the motor vehicle that are optimized with respect to a consumption with pointer regions labeled ECO and non-optimized driving states in a remaining region.

13. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the display is adapted to show the current driving state of the motor vehicle that are optimized with respect to a consumption with green light-emitting diodes and non-optimized driving states with yellow light-emitting diodes.

14. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the display is adapted to show the current driving state of the motor vehicle that are optimized with respect to a consumption with green light-emitting diodes and non-optimized driving states with red light-emitting diodes.

Assignments (4)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 7, 2014
From: WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 034287/0159 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 24, 2011
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
To: WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY
Reel/Frame 026499/0267 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 4, 2011
From: WAGNER, MICHAEL
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 025899/0555 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 10, 2011
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 025780/0482 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2009 049 367 · Oct 14, 2009 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20110148614A1 · Jun 23, 2011