EV Driver Profile Control for Automatic Manual-Mode Switching

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing battery electric vehicles with multiple control modes, including those simulating manual transmission internal combustion engine vehicles, require drivers to manually set preferences each time they use the vehicle, leading to increased effort and decreased convenience.

Innovation Solution

A battery electric vehicle equipped with a controller that automatically sets control modes based on linking information stored in its memory, which associates candidate drivers with preferred control modes and settings, allowing the vehicle to recognize and adapt to new drivers by switching to their pre-set preferences.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple control modes are provided to simulate manual transmission internal combustion engine vehicles, then driver entertainment and realism are improved, but driver convenience deteriorates due to increased manual settings effort

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol mode varietyVSAvoiddriver convenience
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by automatically setting control modes based on pre-stored driver preferences in the memory unit. When a driver enters the vehicle, the controller retrieves and applies the driver's preferred control mode settings without requiring manual input, thus resolving the contradiction between providing multiple adaptable modes and maintaining ease of operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The vehicle serves itself by automatically selecting and configuring control modes based on stored driver profiles. The controller autonomously manages the setting process by retrieving preferences from memory and applying them to the control system, eliminating the need for driver intervention in mode selection and thereby improving convenience while maintaining versatility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Measurement precision

If driver preferences are manually set each time the vehicle is used, then control mode accuracy is improved, but time consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepreference setting accuracyVSAvoidsettings time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Driver preferences are determined and stored in advance in the memory unit during previous vehicle uses. The controller automatically retrieves these pre-determined preferences and applies them when the driver enters the vehicle, thereby maintaining high preference setting accuracy while eliminating the time required for manual re-setting of control modes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by storing driver preference information in memory based on previous vehicle usage patterns. This feedback loop allows the controller to automatically recall and apply accurate driver preferences without requiring the driver to re-specify them, thus reducing time consumption while preserving setting precision

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4570567A1Battery electric vehicle
Publication Date: 2025.06.18 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
  • EP4570567A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4570567A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4570567A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A battery electric vehicle (100) includes: a driving operation member (22); a pseudo shifting operation member (24) imitating an operation member that is used to perform a shifting operation of a manual transmission internal combustion engine vehicle; and a controller (101) configured to control the battery electric vehicle (100) according to an operation of the driving operation member (22). A plurality of control modes includes a manual mode and an automatic mode. The controller (101) includes a memory (103). The controller (101) determines, upon starting of the battery electric vehicle (100), whether a new driver who has entered the battery electric vehicle (100) is included in one or more candidate drivers. When the new driver is included in the one or more candidate drivers, the controller (101) starts the control mode linked with the new driver.