Vehicle Occupant Information Controller for Stable Distance-to-Empty Readings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle information systems experience fluctuations in fuel economy due to driving habits and conditions, leading to unpredictable and confusing distance-to-empty (DTE) readings for drivers.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle occupant information controller that includes a fuel volume determining section, a fuel economy determining section, a first distance determining section, a traveled distance determining section, and a second distance determining section, which calculates a distance adjustment factor to provide a more stable and accurate DTE reading by considering the ratio of obtainable travel distances and vehicle traveled distances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional DTE calculation methods are used based on current fuel volume and fuel economy, then the system provides real-time fuel information to drivers, but the DTE value fluctuates quickly and becomes confusing due to variations in driving habits and conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary integration of fuel consumption data over a traveled distance period before calculating the final DTE value. The fuel economy determining section accumulates fuel consumption data and integrates it over the traveled distance to establish a baseline fuel economy value, which smooths out short-term fluctuations and provides a more stable foundation for DTE calculation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a traveled distance period as an intermediary parameter between raw fuel consumption data and the final DTE calculation. By measuring fuel consumption over a specific traveled distance period and using this integrated value as a baseline, the system mediates the direct relationship between instantaneous fuel economy variations and DTE readings, thereby stabilizing the output.
2Speed
If the DTE value is calculated based on instantaneous fuel economy, then the calculation is simple and responsive, but the value changes too quickly proportionally to the vehicle's travel rate, causing driver confusion
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary integration of fuel consumption data over a traveled distance period before calculating the final DTE value. The fuel economy determining section accumulates fuel consumption data and integrates it over the traveled distance to establish a baseline fuel economy value, which smooths out short-term fluctuations and provides a more stable foundation for DTE calculation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a dynamic calculation approach where the system continuously updates the baseline fuel economy value by integrating consumption data over evolving traveled distance periods. This dynamic integration maintains responsiveness to actual fuel consumption patterns while filtering out high-frequency variations that would otherwise cause excessive DTE fluctuations.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle occupant information controller includes a fuel volume determining section, a fuel economy determining section, a first distance determining section, a traveled distance determining section and a second distance determining section. The first distance determining section determines a first obtainable travel distance based on a remaining fuel volume from the fuel volume determining section and a fuel consumption rate from the fuel economy determining section. The traveled distance determining section determines a vehicle traveled distance between two locations. The second distance determining section determines a second obtainable travel distance based on a difference between a previous obtainable travel distance value and an adjusted vehicle traveled distance value, with the adjusted vehicle traveled distance value being equal to a product of the vehicle traveled distance and a distance adjustment factor that is selectively adjusted based on a ratio of the second obtainable travel distance to the first obtainable travel distance.