Economical management of the operation of a screen of a human-machine interface of a motor vehicle with hybrid or electric motor

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for managing the operation of a human-machine interface (2) of a motor vehicle (1) with a hybrid or electric engine, said human-machine interface (2) comprising at least one screen (3) arranged in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, the light intensity of which is adjustable. The invention also relates to a device (100) implementing such a method, as well as a motor vehicle (1) comprising such a device. Figure for the abstract: 1

Description

Title of the invention: Economical management of the operation of a screen of a human-machine interface of a motor vehicle with hybrid or electric motor Technical field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of human-machine interfaces for motor vehicles. The invention relates in particular to a method for managing the operation of a human-machine interface of a motor vehicle with a hybrid or electric engine. The invention also relates to a device implementing such a method, as well as a motor vehicle incorporating such a device. The invention applies to motor vehicles such as land motor vehicles, in particular cars. State of the prior art

[0002] In recent years, we have seen a significant increase in sales of motor vehicles with hybrid or electric engines. And to ensure that the share of these vehicles in the vehicle fleet continues to increase, manufacturers are constantly seeking to improve the autonomy of these vehicles, which still remains relatively limited compared to thermal vehicles due to the significant weight of the batteries, which limits the amount of energy that can currently be stored on board these vehicles. This need to save energy affects all the vehicle's components, which must be able to operate while consuming as little energy as possible.This is particularly the case for their human-machine interface which, in order to compete with thermal vehicles, must integrate the same equipment as that present in most modern thermal vehicles, in particular at least one screen arranged in the passenger compartment which generates relatively significant energy consumption during its operation. However, to date, no known hybrid or electric motor vehicle has the means to reduce the amount of energy consumed by the screen(s) of the human-machine interface in order to allow a significant increase in the vehicle's autonomy. Summary of the invention

[0003] The invention seeks to overcome this drawback. In particular, it aims to provide a solution for reducing the amount of energy consumed by a screen of a human-machine interface of a motor vehicle with a hybrid or electric engine. In this way, the invention aims to improve the autonomy of vehicles with a hybrid or electric engine.

[0004] In order to achieve these aims, the invention relates, according to a first aspect, to a method for managing, by a computer device on board a motor vehicle with a hybrid or electric engine, the operation of a human-machine interface of the vehicle, said human-machine interface comprising at least one screen arranged in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, the light intensity of which is adjustable, the method comprising the steps of: i. determine whether the human-machine interface has been operated to adjust the brightness of the screen; and, where it is established that this is the case, ii. determine whether the current charge level of a vehicle battery is less than a pre-established proportion of the full battery charge; and, where this is established to be the case, iii. determine whether the vehicle is being driven during the day or at night; and iv. prevent the adjustment of the screen brightness beyond a first pre-established proportion of a maximum screen brightness setting if the vehicle is traveling during the day or beyond a second pre-established proportion of the maximum screen brightness setting if the vehicle is traveling at night.

[0005] According to a variant, the pre-established proportion of the complete charge of the battery can be equal to 10%.

[0006] According to another variant, the first pre-established proportion of the maximum adjustment of the luminous intensity of the screen can be equal to 50%.

[0007] According to yet another variant, the second pre-established proportion of the maximum adjustment of the intensity of the screen can be equal to 25%.

[0008] According to yet another variant, step iii) can be carried out by determining whether a signal light or a dipped beam of the vehicle is on.

[0009] According to yet another variant, step iii) can be carried out by interacting with a light sensor arranged in the vehicle to measure the ambient brightness outside the vehicle.

[0010] According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a device for managing the operation of a human-machine interface of a motor vehicle, said human-machine interface comprising at least one screen arranged in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, the light intensity of which is adjustable, the device comprising at least one information processing unit, comprising at least one processor, and a data storage medium, which are configured to implement a method as described above.

[0011] According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a computer program comprising program code instructions for executing the steps of a method as described above when said program is executed by at least one processor.

[0012] According to a fourth aspect, the invention relates to a medium usable in a computer on which a program as described above is recorded.

[0013] According to a fifth aspect, the invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising a device as described above. Brief description of the figures

[0014] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on examining the detailed description below, and the appended figures, in which:

[0015] [Fig-1] is a diagram illustrating a motor vehicle according to the invention;

[0016] [Fig.2] is a functional diagram of a device according to the invention; and

[0017] [Fig.3] is a flowchart of the steps of a method according to the invention. Detailed description of the invention

[0018] [Fig. 1] schematically illustrates a motor vehicle 1 according to the invention. It is a vehicle with a hybrid or electric motor conventionally equipped with a human-machine interface 2, which comprises at least one screen 3 whose light intensity is adjustable. In other words, a user of the vehicle 1 can operate the human-machine interface 2 by means of an ordinary input device (e.g. touch screen, joystick, touchpad, keyboard, etc.) in order to adjust the light intensity of the screen 3.

[0019] According to a variant, the human-machine interface 2 of the vehicle 1 according to the invention is also configured to allow a user to specify an economical operating mode of the screen 3. Thus, as will be seen below, the user can in this case advantageously choose to favor the autonomy of the vehicle 1 to the detriment of the light intensity of the screen 3.

[0020] The vehicle 1 according to the invention further comprises lighting and signaling equipment 4, which conventionally includes at least signaling lights and dipped beam headlights arranged at the front of the vehicle.

[0021] The vehicle 1 according to the invention further comprises, like most modern vehicles, a light sensor 5, which potentially forms an integral part of the lighting and signaling equipment 4 and which is arranged in the vehicle 1 in order to be able to measure the ambient brightness outside the vehicle 1 so as to be able to determine whether the vehicle is traveling during the day or at night.

[0022] The vehicle 1 according to the invention further comprises a battery management system 6, which constantly measures the state of charge of the battery of the vehicle 1.

[0023] Advantageously, the vehicle 1 according to the invention finally incorporates a device 100 for managing the operation of a human-machine interface of a motor vehicle with a hybrid or electric engine within the meaning of the present invention, such as described below, which implements a method for managing the operation of a human-machine interface of a motor vehicle with hybrid or electric motorization within the meaning of the present invention, as briefly summarized below and described in detail below.

[0024] The device 100 according to the invention initiates the implementation of the method according to the invention as soon as it establishes that the human-machine interface 2 has been operated in order to adjust the light intensity of the screen 3, in other words as soon as the user 2 of the vehicle makes an entry to carry out such an adjustment of the light intensity of the screen 3. And when this occurs, the device 100 according to the invention establishes, possibly after having determined whether the economical operating mode of the screen has been previously activated, whether the charge level of the vehicle battery is less than a pre-established proportion of the complete charge of the battery, preferably 10%.And if this is the case, it prevents the adjustment of the light intensity of the screen 3 beyond a first pre-established proportion of a maximum setting of the light intensity of the screen, preferably 50%, if the vehicle is traveling during the day or beyond a second pre-established proportion of the maximum setting of the light intensity of the screen, preferably 25%, when the vehicle is traveling at night. The consumption of the screen 3 is thus advantageously reduced when the battery of the vehicle 1 is almost empty, which in fact improves the autonomy of the vehicle 1 compared to a vehicle with a hybrid or electric motor in which these steps are not implemented.

[0025] The device 100 according to the invention is illustrated in [Fig. 2]. It is essentially a computer device, which comprises at least one information processing unit 101, with one or more processors, a data storage medium 102, on which is recorded in particular a program which comprises program code instructions for the execution of the steps of the method according to the invention described below, and an input and output interface 103 allowing the reception and transmission of data.

[0026] Preferably, the device 100 according to the invention is integrated into an independent computer and it interacts via its input and output interface 103 and by means of a wired communication network of the vehicle (e.g. CAN, Ethernet, MOST) - shown in [Fig.l] by the two-way arrows - with the human-machine interface 2, with the lighting and signaling equipment 4, with the light sensor 5 and with the battery management system 6. Alternatively, the device 100 according to the invention is partially or fully part of the human-machine interface 2. Consequently, the device 100 according to the invention can, in particular, determine whether the human-machine interface 2 has been operated in order to adjust the light intensity of the screen 3, it can determine whether the current charge level of the battery of the vehicle 1 is less than a pre-established proportion of its full charge, it can determine whether the vehicle 1 is traveling during the day or at night and it can prevent the adjustment of the light intensity of the screen 3 beyond a pre-established proportion of a maximum setting of the light intensity of the screen 3.

[0027] According to the invention, all the elements described above combine to enable the implementation of a method for managing a human-machine interface of a motor vehicle with a hybrid or electric engine, as described below in connection with Figures 1 and 3.

[0028] [Fig. 3] illustrates in the form of a flowchart the steps of the method according to the invention.

[0029] According to a first step 201 of the method according to the invention, the device 100 according to the invention determines whether the human-machine interface 2 has been operated in order to adjust the light intensity of the screen 3. To do this, it interacts with the human-machine interface 2, which detects such an operation carried out by the user of the vehicle when the latter uses the input device to make such an adjustment. According to a variant, the device 100 according to the invention verifies at this stage that the economic operating mode of the screen 3 is activated, by interrogating the human-machine interface 2 on this subject, which in return confirms the active or inactive state of the economic operating mode, in other words whether the user has activated this operating mode of the screen 3.And when it establishes that the human-machine interface has been operated in order to adjust the light intensity of the screen 3 and, possibly, that the economic operating mode of the screen 3 is active, the device 100 according to the invention proceeds by carrying out the following step of the method according to the invention described below.

[0030] According to a second step 202 of the method according to the invention, the device 100 according to the invention determines whether the current charge level of a battery of the vehicle is less than a pre-established proportion of the full charge of the battery, preferably 10%. In other words, the device 100 according to the invention checks at this stage whether the charge level of the battery is critical, by interacting to do this with the battery management system 6 which is configured to continuously determine the state of charge of the battery of the vehicle 1. And when it establishes that the state of charge of the battery of the vehicle is less than or equal to the pre-established proportion, the device 100 according to the invention proceeds by carrying out the following steps of the method described below. On the contrary, if the state of charge of the battery is still greater than the pre-established proportion, the device 100 according to the invention here ends the carrying out of the method.

[0031] According to a third step 203 of the method according to the invention, the device 100 according to the invention determines whether the vehicle is traveling during the day or at night. For this, it preferentially interacts with the signaling and lighting equipment 4 in order to determine terminate if a traffic light or a dipped beam of the vehicle 1 is on. And if it establishes that a traffic light or a dipped beam is on, it deduces that the vehicle is traveling at night, while it establishes that the vehicle 1 is traveling during the day when the traffic lights and the dipped beams are off. Alternatively or cumulatively, it interacts with the light sensor 5, which communicates to it a measurement of the ambient brightness outside the vehicle 1 or a value that identifies a day or night state that the light sensor 5 determines in a conventional manner based on a measurement of the ambient brightness outside the vehicle 1 that it performs.

[0032] Finally, according to a fourth step 204 of the method, the device 100 according to the invention prevents the adjustment of the light intensity of the screen 3 beyond a first pre-established proportion of a maximum setting of the light intensity of the screen if the vehicle is traveling during the day or beyond a second pre-established proportion of the maximum setting of the light intensity of the screen 3 if the vehicle is traveling at night. In other words, when it has established during the previous step that the vehicle 1 is traveling during the day, the device 100 according to the invention restricts the adjustment of the light intensity to a first pre-established proportion of the maximum setting of the light intensity of the screen, preferably at 50% of the maximum setting.Similarly, if it has been established during the previous step that the vehicle is traveling at night, it restricts the adjustment of the light intensity to a second pre-established proportion of the maximum setting of the light intensity of the screen, preferably at 25%. Thus, when the vehicle is traveling during the day, the user cannot adjust the light intensity of the screen beyond 50% of the maximum light intensity that the screen 3 can provide, while it cannot exceed 25% of the maximum setting when the vehicle 1 is traveling at night. This is how the energy consumption of the screen is more or less minimized depending on whether the vehicle is traveling during the day or at night, which makes it possible to increase the autonomy of the vehicle 1 to a greater or lesser extent.

[0033] Consequently, thanks to the method and the device according to the invention described above, a solution is provided for reducing the amount of energy consumed by a screen of a human-machine interface of a motor vehicle with a hybrid or electric engine. By these means, the invention improves the autonomy of vehicles with a hybrid or electric engine.

Claims

Claims

1. Method for managing, by a computer device (100) on board a motor vehicle (1) with a hybrid or electric engine, the operation of a human-machine interface (2) of the vehicle, said human-machine interface comprising at least one screen (3) arranged in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, the light intensity of which is adjustable, characterized in that the method comprises the steps of: i. determining whether the human-machine interface (2) has been operated to adjust the brightness of the screen; and, where it is established that this is the case, ii. determine whether the current charge level of a vehicle battery is less than a pre-established proportion of the full battery charge; and, where this is established to be the case, iii. determine whether the vehicle is being driven during the day or at night; and iv. prevent the adjustment of the screen brightness (3) beyond a first pre-established proportion of a maximum setting of the screen brightness if the vehicle is traveling during the day or beyond a second pre-established proportion of the maximum setting of the screen brightness if the vehicle is traveling at night.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the pre-established proportion of the complete charge of the battery is equal to 10%.

3. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first pre-established proportion of the maximum adjustment of the luminous intensity of the screen is equal to 50%.

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second pre-established proportion of the maximum adjustment of the intensity of the screen is equal to 25%.

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that step iii) is carried out by determining whether a signal light or a dipped beam of the vehicle (1) is on.

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that step iii) is carried out by interacting with a light sensor (5) arranged in the vehicle to measure the ambient brightness at the exterior of the vehicle.

7. Device (100) for managing the operation of a human-machine interface (2) of a motor vehicle (1) with hybrid or electric motorization, said human-machine interface (2) comprising at least one screen (3) arranged in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, the light intensity of which is adjustable, characterized in that the device comprises at least one information processing unit (101), comprising at least one processor, and a data storage medium (102), which are configured to implement a method according to any one of the preceding claims.

8. A computer program comprising program code instructions for executing the steps of a method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 when said program is executed by at least one processor.

9. Support usable in a computer, characterized in that a program according to claim 8 is recorded therein.

10. Motor vehicle (1), characterized in that it comprises a device (100) according to claim 7.

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