Regenerative Braking Efficiency Display for Hybrid Vehicles
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Drivers of environmentally-friendly vehicles, such as hybrid vehicles, often misinterpret the efficiency of regenerative braking due to misleading visual representations, which can lead to suboptimal braking habits and reduced fuel efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that calculates and displays the ratio of regenerative braking to total braking on a vehicle's cluster, using sensors and a controller to provide accurate, analog or digital feedback, including a pop-up display, to educate drivers on improving their braking habits and enhance fuel efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the amount of converted electrical energy is displayed via thickness of a line connected to the battery, then the display is visually prominent, but the driver may misinterpret that a thicker line correlates to a larger amount of converted electrical energy when in fact gradual braking produces more energy than sudden braking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses color changes in the display indicator to represent different levels of regenerative braking efficiency. The indicator transitions through a color scale (e.g., from red to green) corresponding to efficiency ratios, providing intuitive visual feedback that accurately reflects the relationship between braking behavior and energy recovery without causing misinterpretation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new display dimension by showing both the converted electrical energy amount and the regenerative braking efficiency ratio simultaneously through a combined analog-digital display. This multi-dimensional presentation allows drivers to understand both the absolute energy recovered and the relative efficiency, preventing misinterpretation while maintaining visual prominence.
2Device complexity
If traditional analog display methods are used for regenerative braking information, then the display is simple and easy to implement, but the information provided is insufficient to educate drivers on improving braking habits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges analog and digital display methods into a unified hybrid display system. The analog portion provides intuitive visual representation of regenerative braking efficiency through continuous indicators, while the digital portion supplements with precise numerical data and feedback messages. This combination maintains implementation simplicity while delivering comprehensive driver education information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the display system provides real-time information to drivers about their regenerative braking efficiency. The system calculates the ratio of regenerative braking energy to total braking energy and presents this feedback through both visual analog indicators and digital readouts, enabling drivers to adjust their braking habits to maximize energy recovery.
3Loss of information
If detailed information about regenerative braking efficiency is provided to drivers, then driver education and fuel efficiency improvement are enhanced, but the display system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the display information into distinct functional zones: an analog indicator section that provides immediate visual feedback on regenerative braking efficiency through color-coded or position-coded indicators, and a digital information section that displays detailed numerical data and feedback messages. This segmentation allows comprehensive information delivery while maintaining organizational simplicity and ease of implementation.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and a system for displaying efficiency of regenerative braking for an environmentally-friendly vehicle to better educate drivers in regards to their braking habits and hopefully teach them how to improve the fuel efficiency of the vehicle through adjustment of their braking habits while improving the quality of a vehicle by displaying the regenerative braking efficiency in comparison to a total amount of braking during the braking of the environmentally-friendly vehicle on a cluster. In particular, a total amount of braking while the vehicle is braking, and a ratio of the amount of regenerative braking included in the total amount of braking is calculated by a controller. Then the controller determines whether the vehicle is stopped due to braking. Once the vehicle has stopped due to braking, the calculated ratio of the amount of regenerative braking is displayed on a cluster in the vehicle.