Deceleration Feedback Gauge for Driver Coaching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Drivers face challenges in improving fuel economy and vehicle range due to unclear guidance on optimal driving habits, particularly in relation to deceleration behavior, which affects powertrain efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A display control system and method that provides deceleration feedback to drivers through a user interface, using a controller to calculate deceleration scores based on vehicle deceleration, powertrain output, and braking percentage, and displaying these scores via a deceleration feedback gauge, with the option to adjust the gauge's color based on the scores, employing fuzzy logic algorithms to adapt feedback over time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If driving behavior feedback is provided to improve fuel economy, then fuel efficiency improves, but driver confusion increases due to unclear guidance on optimal driving habits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses color-coded feedback indicators (e.g., green, yellow, red zones) to represent different deceleration quality levels. This visual encoding transforms complex deceleration metrics into intuitive color signals that drivers can immediately understand, directly addressing the confusion caused by unclear guidance while maintaining fuel efficiency improvements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transforms multiple deceleration parameters (rate, duration, context) into a single simplified score or rating that is easy for drivers to comprehend. This parameter aggregation converts complex technical data into actionable feedback, resolving the information loss problem while preserving the energy efficiency benefits.
2Loss of information
If multiple deceleration scores are provided to give comprehensive feedback, then feedback completeness improves, but interface complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides deceleration feedback into distinct temporal components: instantaneous deceleration scores for immediate feedback and long-term deceleration scores for overall pattern assessment. This segmentation allows comprehensive feedback coverage while organizing information into manageable, non-overlapping segments that reduce interface complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds a temporal dimension to feedback by providing both immediate (instantaneous) and cumulative (long-term) scores. This multi-temporal approach delivers comprehensive feedback information without increasing spatial interface complexity, as the different time-based scores can be displayed in a structured vertical or hierarchical layout.
Data Source
AI summary
One or more embodiments of the present application may provide a system and method for monitoring driver inputs and vehicle parameters, assessing a driver's braking deceleration behavior, and providing short-term and/or long-term feedback to the driver relating to the driver's braking deceleration behavior. The braking deceleration behavior feedback can be used to coach future braking deceleration behavior that may translate into better long-term driving habits, which in turn may lead to improvements in fuel economy or vehicle range. Moreover, the braking deceleration behavior feedback can be adapted to a driver based upon how responsive the driver is to the feedback.