Method for signaling an energy trap on a motor vehicle

Abstract

A method for signaling an energy filler flap on a motor vehicle includes the steps of: detecting (23) that the destination area of ​​the vehicle guidance system is an energy charging station; detecting (24) the vehicle's arrival at the destination; and emitting (25) a voice message to the vehicle's driver, the voice message including information about the energy filler flap's position. A signaling system for an energy filler flap on a motor vehicle and a motor vehicle comprising the system are also described. Figure to be published with the abbreviation: Fig 2

Description

Title of the invention: Method for signaling an energy hatch of a motor vehicle Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for signaling an energy hatch of a motor vehicle, a computer program product, a system for signaling an energy hatch of a motor vehicle and a motor vehicle comprising such a system. State of the art

[0002] Here, energy hatches are understood to mean hatches providing access to a regular energy supply interface for the engine of a motor vehicle. In the case of a vehicle with a thermal engine, this energy hatch is a fuel hatch allowing fuel to be supplied to the fuel tank of the motor vehicle. In the case of a vehicle with an electric motor, this energy hatch is a charging hatch providing access to an electrical charging socket for recharging a battery supplying the engine of the electric vehicle.

[0003] These energy hatches are often arranged in the body structure on a side facade of the motor vehicle (generally in a rear wing). They can be on the left lateral side, on the right lateral side, or on either side of the motor vehicle (in particular, in the case of a fuel flap and a charging flap remote from a plug-in hybrid vehicle). There is, in fact, no standardization for the location side of the energy hatch.

[0004] It is, however, desirable to be able to quickly locate the location of the energy hatch when arriving at a service station or an electric charging station in order to properly position the motor vehicle. Several reasons may explain a difficulty in knowing the location of the energy hatch, such as when the user is driving a newly acquired vehicle, a rental vehicle, a vehicle that has been loaned to him, a courtesy vehicle, or simply due to forgetfulness.

[0005] Certainly, there are indications in the instrument panel of the dashboard allowing the energy hatch to be located. For example, in the case of a vehicle with a thermal engine, this indication is often represented by a pictogram of a fuel dispenser near the fuel gauge which is supplemented by an arrow (a triangle) indicating the lateral side where the energy hatch is located. In other motor vehicles, it is the side where the nozzle of the fuel pump pictogram is located which indicates whether the energy hatch is on the right or on the left.

[0006] However, most users do not notice this information. The static or permanent, unclear and unclear aspect of this indication limits its teaching. Moreover, several users choose the fuel pump on the wrong side and have to pull the pump hose to the hatch on the opposite side.

[0007] The applicant's patent application FR 3 129 880 proposes to solve the problem with a system comprising a specific display in the side mirror which is activated when the system detects that the vehicle is in a predefined zone.

[0008] The proposed system, however, has the disadvantage of requiring the addition of elements such as the display in the rearview mirror which complicates the vehicle and therefore increases its cost, as well as, more marginally, its weight.

[0009] There is therefore a real need for a method and a system for signaling an energy hatch of a motor vehicle which resolves all or part of the aforementioned drawbacks. Description of the invention

[0010] To resolve one or more of the drawbacks cited above, according to a first embodiment, a method for signaling a first energy hatch of a motor vehicle comprises the steps of: • detection that the destination area of ​​the vehicle guidance system is an energy charging station; • detection of the vehicle's arrival at its destination; and • sending a voice message to the driver of the vehicle, the voice message including information on the position of the first energy hatch.

[0011] Thus, the system reminds the user of the position of the energy hatch and, since the system only uses software adaptations of existing elements on most current vehicles, the costs of the system are marginal.

[0012] Particular characteristics or embodiments, usable alone or in combination are: • the position information includes information on the lateral side of the vehicle where the first energy hatch is located; • the vehicle is a plug-in hybrid vehicle comprising, in addition to the first energy hatch, a second energy hatch, one of the two hatches being intended to fill the vehicle's tank with fuel and the other hatch being intended to recharge the batteries with electricity; • the detection of the charging station includes a sub-step of detecting the type of energy distributed by the charging station and the voice message includes energy hatch position information corresponding to the type of energy distributed by the charging station; and / or • the detection of the charging station comprises a sub-step of detecting the type of energy distributed by the station and, the station distributing fuel and electricity, the voice message comprises position information of the first and second energy hatches.

[0013] In a second embodiment, a computer program product downloadable from a communications network and / or recorded on a computer-readable medium and / or executable by a processor comprises program code instructions for implementing the above method.

[0014] In a third embodiment, a signaling system for an energy hatch of a motor vehicle comprises: • a vehicle guidance device adapted to determine that the guidance destination is an energy charging station; connected to • a voice synthesizer adapted to, upon arrival at the vehicle's destination, emit a voice message to the driver of the vehicle, the voice message including information on the position of the energy hatch.

[0015] In a fourth embodiment, a motor vehicle comprises a system according to the third embodiment. Brief description of the figures

[0016] The invention will be better understood on reading the following description, given solely by way of example, and with reference to the appended figures in which: • [Fig.l] represents a top view of a vehicle comprising a signaling system for an energy hatch according to one embodiment; • [Fig.2] represents a flowchart of a signaling process of a energy trap according to one embodiment. • [Fig.3] represents a top view of a vehicle comprising a system of signaling of an energy hatch according to a first variant embodiment; and • [Fig.4] represents a flowchart of a signaling process of a energy trap according to the first variant of the embodiment. Methods of implementation

[0017] The embodiments presented below refer to a motor vehicle, a car. However, those skilled in the art understand that these are also usable with other types of vehicles such as vans, vans, etc.

[0018] The terms “front”, “rear”, “top”, “bottom”, “transverse” are understood in relation to the vehicle.

[0019] With reference to [Fig.l], a motor vehicle 1 comprises an energy hatch 3 on the right side, at the rear of the vehicle 1. It is of the fuel hatch type or of the electrical outlet type.

[0020] The vehicle 1 comprises an energy trap signaling system 5.

[0021] The system comprises a guidance device 7 connected to a voice synthesizer 9 capable of transmitting voice messages to the driver.

[0022] The guidance device 7 is conventional in most of its functions. In particular, it has a suitable menu allowing the driver to choose a destination from points of interest including energy recharging stations: service station for petroleum fuels and electric recharging terminal. However, within the framework of the signaling system 5, the guidance device 7 only considers recharging stations suitable for the vehicle's energy type. The guidance device 7 may even have an option to eliminate irrelevant recharging stations from the list of points of interest.

[0023] The voice synthesizer 9 has in memory, or is capable of managing, messages indicating the position of the energy hatch 3 on the vehicle 1. For example, the voice synthesizer 9 can emit the message “The electrical charging socket is located on the right of the vehicle, at the rear”.

[0024] The system 5 can, for example, be integrated into the vehicle control system 1, as an advanced driver assistance system, commonly called AD AS (for “Advanced driver-assistance Systems” according to English terminology) which makes all driving decisions based on the environment and the programmed destination. The motor vehicle is then referred to as an autonomous motor vehicle. But it can also be a centralized vehicle management system including, or not, driving aids.

[0025] The transfer of data between the different elements is preferably carried out by a CAN (for “Controller Area Network” in English, or “controller area network”) or LIN (for “Local Interconnect Network” in English, or “Local interconnected network” in French) type data bus.

[0026] The operation of system 5 is as follows, [Fig.2].

[0027] The driver selects, step 21, a destination on the guidance device 7.

[0028] This detects, step 23, that the destination corresponds to an energy recharging station.

[0029] Then, when the vehicle 1 detects, step 24, that it is arriving at its destination, the voice synthesizer 9 emits, step 25, an information message to the driver on the position of the charging hatch, thus allowing the latter to position the vehicle 1 correctly in relation to the pump or the electrical station.

[0030] [Fig.l] illustrates a system according to certain embodiments. The cutting presented is for educational purposes to highlight the various functions. However, it is understood that each block can be implemented using different means or their combinations, such as hardware components, software, one or more computers and / or electronic circuits. Each of the components may include at least one computer or a control-command unit. At least one memory may be included in each component. The memory may include computer program instructions or software code.

[0031] The computers can be implemented by any type of data processing device, such as a central computing unit, a signal processing processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a programmable gate array, etc. The computers can be implemented as a single controller, or a plurality of controllers or computers.

[0032] The different modules are connected to each other by data links adapted to the environment. These can be wired or wireless.

[0033] For software, the implementation may include modules or units distributed in the form of procedures, functions, etc. The memories may be any type of storage circuit. They may be part of the processor circuit, or separate from it and connected via electrical data links. These may be non-volatile type memories, hard disks, random access memories, flash memories, etc.

[0034] Furthermore, the program instructions stored in the memory and processed by the computers can be any type of program code, for example, a compiled or interpreted program written in a suitable programming language.

[0035] The computer program instructions stored in the memory are such that, when executed by the computer, the latter performs one or more of the steps of the methods described above.

[0036] The invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and the preceding description. This should be considered as illustrative and given by way of example and not as limiting the invention to this description alone. Numerous alternative embodiments are possible.

[0037] In a first variant, [Fig. 3], the motor vehicle 1 is a plug-in hybrid vehicle. It therefore comprises, in addition to the first energy hatch 3 of the fuel hatch type on the right side, at the rear of the vehicle 1, a second energy hatch 31 of the electrical outlet type on the left side, at the front of the vehicle.

[0038] The guidance device 7 therefore integrates into its points of interest the service stations for petroleum fuels and the electric charging stations.

[0039] The voice synthesizer 9 is capable of emitting at least 2 different messages, one for each hatch.

[0040] The operation of the system, [Fig.4], is then as follows:

[0041] The driver selects, step 21, a destination on the guidance device 7.

[0042] This detects, step 23, that the destination corresponds to an energy recharging station.

[0043] These two steps are identical to the embodiment described previously, except that step 23 includes a sub-step 41 for determining the type of energy delivered by the station: petroleum fuel and / or electricity.

[0044] If the charging station only delivers one type of energy, when the vehicle arrives at its destination, the voice synthesizer 9 emits a message corresponding to the position of the energy hatch corresponding to the energy delivered by the station. This corresponds to step 25 of the previous embodiment.

[0045] If the charging station delivers both types of energy, either the position of the vehicle at the destination allows, step 43, the system 5 to determine which type of energy the driver wishes to use and then the voice synthesizer emits the message corresponding to the energy hatch for this type of energy according to step 25, or the system 5 is not capable of determining the type of energy and then the voice synthesizer 9 emits, step 45, a message giving the position of the two energy hatches.

[0046] Note: for the sake of simplification, step 24 is not shown in [Fig.4]. However, it is understood that steps 25, 43 and 45 are carried out once the vehicle has detected its arrival at the destination point of interest.

[0047] Generally speaking, the above description applies to all types of energy traps and not only to those for petroleum products or for electricity. The energy trap may also be intended to receive liquefied natural gas, hydrogen, ethanol, etc.

Claims

Claims

1. Method for signaling a first energy hatch of a motor vehicle comprising the steps of: • detecting (23) that the destination zone of the vehicle guidance system is an energy recharging station; • detecting (24) the arrival at the destination of the vehicle; and • transmitting (25) a voice message to the driver of the vehicle, the voice message comprising information on the position of the first energy hatch.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the position information comprises the information of the lateral side of the vehicle where the first energy hatch is located.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, in which the vehicle is a plug-in hybrid vehicle comprising, in addition to the first energy hatch, a second energy hatch, one of the two hatches being intended to fill the vehicle's tank with fuel and the other hatch being intended to recharge the batteries with electricity.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein detecting the charging station comprises a sub-step of detecting the type of energy distributed by the charging station and the voice message comprises position information of the energy hatch corresponding to the type of energy distributed by the charging station.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein detecting the charging station comprises a substep of detecting the type of energy distributed by the station and, the station distributing fuel and electricity, the voice message comprises position information of the first and second energy hatches.

6. Computer program product downloadable from a communication network and executable by a processor or recorded on a computer-readable medium, characterized in that it comprises program code instructions for implementing the method according to at least one of claims 1 to 5.

7. System (5) for signaling an energy hatch of a motor vehicle (1) comprising: • a guidance device (7) of the vehicle adapted to de- terminate that the destination of the guidance is an energy recharging station; connected to • a voice synthesizer (9) adapted to, upon arrival at the vehicle's destination, emit a voice message to the driver of the vehicle, the voice message including information on the position of the energy hatch.

8. A motor vehicle comprising a system according to claim 7.

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