Vehicle assistance device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016123754-A1
Application number	US-201514688454-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 16, 2015
Priority date	Oct 29, 2014
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fuel supply prompting method obtains a remaining fuel level of a vehicle from a detection unit, determines a fuel economy of the vehicle, and determines an available moving distance of the vehicle that the remaining fuel level can sustain according to the fuel economy of the vehicle. The method recalls a navigation system to determine a distance of a route from a current position of the vehicle to a destination. The method compares the available moving distance with the distance of the route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination, to determine whether the vehicle can reach the destination without refueling. The method further generates a first prompt when the vehicle cannot reach the destination without refueling. And a related vehicle assistance device is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicle assistance device comprising:
a storage system; a processor; and one or more programs stored in the storage system and executed by the processor, the one or more programs operable to:
obtain a remaining fuel level of a vehicle from a detection unit;
determine a fuel economy of the vehicle;
determine an available moving distance of the vehicle that the remaining fuel level can sustain according to the fuel economy of the vehicle;
recall a navigation system to determine a distance of a route from a current position of the vehicle to a destination;
compare the available moving distance with the distance of the route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination to determine whether the vehicle can reach the destination without refueling; and
generate a first prompt when the vehicle cannot reach the destination without refueling.

2 . The vehicle assistance device as described in claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs are further operable to:
recall the navigation system to determine a distance of a route from the destination to a gas station nearest the destination when the vehicle can reach the destination without refueling; determine whether the vehicle can reach the gas station nearest the destination without refueling according to the distance of the route from the destination to the gas station nearest the destination; and generate a second prompt to the prompt unit when the vehicle cannot reach the gas station nearest the destination without refueling.

3 . The vehicle assistance device as described in claim 2 , wherein the one or more programs are further operable to:
determine a total distance to be a total of the distance of the route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination and the distance of the route from the destination to the gas station nearest the destination, and compare the available moving distance with the total distance; determine that the vehicle can reach the gas station nearest the destination without refueling when the available moving distance is greater than or equal to a sum of the total distance and the preset distance; and determine that the vehicle cannot reach the gas station nearest the destination without refueling when the available moving distance is less than the sum of the total distance and the preset distance.

4 . The vehicle assistance device as described in claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs are further operable to determine that the fuel economy of the vehicle is a default value provided by a vehicle manufacturer.

5 . The vehicle assistance device as described in claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs are further operable to determine that the fuel economy of the vehicle is input by a driver depending on driving experience.

6 . The vehicle assistance device as described in claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs are further operable to detect a movement distance travelled by the vehicle during a preset period, detect an amount of fuel consumed by the vehicle during the preset period, and divide the movement distance travelled by the vehicle during the preset period by the amount of fuel consumed by the vehicle during the preset period to determine the fuel economy of the vehicle.

7 . The vehicle assistance device as described in claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs are further operable to:
determine that the vehicle can reach the destination without refueling when the available moving distance is greater than or equal to a sum of the distance of the route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination and a preset distance; and determine that the vehicle cannot reach the destination without refueling when the available moving distance is less than the sum of the distance of the route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination and the preset distance.

8 . A fuel supply prompting method comprising:
obtaining a remaining fuel level of a vehicle from a detection unit, determining a fuel economy of the vehicle, and determining an available moving distance of the vehicle that the remaining fuel level can sustain according to the fuel economy of the vehicle; recalling a navigation system to determine a distance of a route from a current position of the vehicle to a destination; comparing the available moving distance with the distance of the route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination, to determine whether the vehicle can reach the destination without refueling; and generating a first prompt when the vehicle cannot reach the destination without refueling.

9 . The fuel supply prompting method as described in claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
recalling the navigation system to determine a distance of a route from the destination to a gas station nearest the destination when the vehicle can reach the destination without refueling; determining whether the vehicle can reach the gas station nearest the destination without refueling according to the distance of the route from the destination to the gas station nearest the destination; and generating a second prompt to the prompt unit when the vehicle cannot reach the gas station nearest the destination without refueling.

10 . The fuel supply prompting method as described in claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises:
determining a total distance to be a total of the distance of the route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination and the distance of the route from the destination to the gas station nearest the destination, and comparing the available moving distance with the total distance; determining that the vehicle can reach the gas station nearest the destination without refueling when the available moving distance is greater than or equal to a sum of the total distance and the preset distance; and determining that the vehicle cannot reach the gas station nearest the destination without refueling when the available moving distance is less than the sum of the total distance and the preset distance.

11 . The fuel supply prompting method as described in claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
determining that the fuel economy of the vehicle is a default value provided by a vehicle manufacturer.

12 . The fuel supply prompting method as described in claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
determining that the fuel economy of the vehicle is input by a driver depending on driving experience.

13 . The fuel supply prompting method as described in claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
detecting a movement distance travelled by the vehicle during a preset period; detecting an amount of fuel consumed by the vehicle during the preset period; and dividing the movement distance travelled by the vehicle during the preset period by the amount of fuel consumed by the vehicle during the preset period to determine the fuel economy of the vehicle.

14 . The fuel supply prompting method as described in claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
determining that the vehicle can reach the destination without refueling when the available moving distance is greater than or equal to a sum of the distance of the route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination and a preset distance; and determining that the vehicle cannot reach the destination without refueling when the available moving distance is less than the sum of the distance of the route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination and the preset distance.

15 . A non-transitory storage medium st

Assignees

• Fih Hong Kong Ltd

Inventors

• Li yu-lun

Classifications

• B60K35/22

  Display screens · CPC title

• B60K35/10

  Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• B60K35/00

  Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles · CPC title

• G01C21/3469 Primary

  Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects · CPC title

• G01C21/3697

  Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level (G01C21/3679 takes precedence) · CPC title