System and method for determining state of charge display segments and range

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8942875-B2
Application number	US-201213717416-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2012
Priority date	Apr 13, 2012
Publication date	Jan 27, 2015
Grant date	Jan 27, 2015

Abstract

A method and a system for changing the segments of an SOC indicator of a vehicle at non-linear rates or for changing the number of the segments in an on state more slowly when the SOC is high or low as opposed to when the SOC is in the middle range. The system can be implemented with a vehicle including a battery, a sensor, a processor, a controller and a display. The method may include determining a display SOC based on the SOC of the vehicle, providing, by a display, three sets of lights including a low-SOC set, a middle-SOC set, and a high-SOC set, each light is illuminated or de-illuminated based on whether the display SOC has changed by an amount greater than the light's assigned power increment or decrement, where the middle-SOC power increments and decrements are less than the low-SOC or high-SOC power increments and decrements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-based method for determining a number of lights to illuminate for a state of charge (SOC) of a vehicle, the method comprising:
determining, using a processor configured to analyze a signal received from a sensor coupled to a battery of the vehicle, an SOC of the vehicle;
determining, using the processor, a display SOC based on the SOC of the vehicle;
providing, by a display, at least a low-SOC light and a high-SOC light, each light having an on state and an off state and is illuminated or de-illuminated based on the display SOC;
assigning, using a charging state data sequence stored in a controller coupled to the display and the processor, a charging state power number to each light such that the charging state power number assigned to the low-SOC light is greater than the difference between the charging state power number assigned to the high-SOC light and the charging state power number assigned to the low-SOC light; and
illuminating, using the controller, the low-SOC light when the display SOC increases to a number greater than or equal to the charging state power number assigned to the low-SOC light, and the high-SOC light when the display SOC increases to a number greater than or equal to the charging state power number assigned to the high-SOC light.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
assigning, using a discharging state data sequence stored in the controller, a discharging state power number to each light such that the discharging state power number assigned to the low-SOC light is greater than the difference between the discharging state power number assigned to the high-SOC light and the discharging state power number assigned to the low-SOC light; and
de-illuminating, using the controller, the high-SOC light when the display SOC decreases to a number less than or equal to the discharging state power number assigned to the high-SOC light, and the low-SOC light when the display SOC decreases to a number less than or equal to the discharging state power number assigned to the low-SOC light.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:
providing, by the display, at least a middle-SOC light having an on state and an off state and is illuminated or de-illuminated based on the display SOC;
assigning, using the charging state data sequence, a charging state power number to the middle-SOC light such that the charging state power number assigned to the low-SOC light is greater than the difference between the charging state power number assigned to the middle-SOC light and the charging state power number assigned to the low-SOC light; and
illuminating, using the controller, the middle-SOC light when the display SOC increases to a number greater than or equal to the charging state power number assigned to the middle-SOC light.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:
assigning, using the discharging state data sequence, a discharging state power number to the middle-SOC light such that the discharging state power number assigned to the low-SOC light is greater than the difference between the discharging state power number assigned to the middle-SOC light and the discharging state power number assigned to the low-SOC light; and
de-illuminating, using the controller, the middle-SOC light when the display SOC decreases to a number less than or equal to the discharging state power number assigned to the middle-SOC light.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:
providing, by the display, at least a lowest-SOC light having an on state and an off state and is illuminated or de-illuminated based on the display SOC;
assigning, using the charging state data sequence, a charging state power number to the lowest-SOC light such that the charging state power number assigned to the lowest-SOC light is greater than the difference between the charging state power number assigned to the middle-SOC light and the charging state power number assigned to the low-SOC light, and the charging state power number assigned to the lowest-SOC light is greater than the difference between the charging state power number assigned to the high-SOC light and the charging state power number assigned to the middle-SOC light; and
illuminating, using the controller, the lowest-SOC light when the display SOC increases to a number greater than or equal to the charging state power number assigned to the lowest-SOC light.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:
assigning, using the discharging state data sequence, a discharging state power number to the lowest-SOC light such that the discharging state power number assigned to the lowest-SOC light is greater than the difference between the discharging state power number assigned to the middle-SOC light and the discharging state power number assigned to the low-SOC light, and the discharging state power number assigned to the lowest-SOC light is greater than the difference between the discharging state power number assigned to the high-SOC light and the discharging state power number assigned to the middle-SOC light; and
de-illuminating, using the controller, the lowest-SOC light when the display SOC decreases to a number less than or equal to the discharging state power number assigned to the lowest-SOC light.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:
providing, by the display, at least a highest-SOC light having an on state and an off state and is illuminated or de-illuminated based on the display SOC;
assigning, using the charging state data sequence, a charging state power number to the highest-SOC light such that the difference between the charging state power number assigned to the highest-SOC light and the charging state power number assigned to the high-SOC light is greater than the difference between the charging state power number assigned to the high-SOC light and the charging state power number assigned to the middle-SOC light; and
illuminating, using the controller, the highest-SOC light when the display SOC increases to a number greater than or equal to the charging state power number assigned to the highest-SOC light.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:
assigning, using the discharging state data sequence, a discharging state power number to the highest-SOC light such that the difference between the discharging state power number assigned to the highest-SOC light and the discharging state power number assigned to the high-SOC light is greater than the difference between the discharging state power number assigned to the high-SOC light and the discharging state power number assigned to the middle-SOC light; and
de-illuminating, using the controller, the highest-SOC light when the display SOC decreases to a number less than or equal to the discharging state power number assigned to the highest-SOC light.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising displaying, using the display, an image in a first display scheme or a second display scheme based on whether the display SOC is a number less than a predetermined empty SOC threshold number.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the display SOC corresponds to a number greater than the SOC of the vehicle when the SOC of the vehicle is greater than or equal to an extended charge mode threshold number and less than a full SOC power number.

11. A computer-based method for determining a number of lights to illuminate for a state of charge (SOC) of a vehicle, the method comprising:
determining, using a processor analyzing a signal received from a sensor coupled to a battery of the vehicle, an SOC of the vehicle;
determining, using the processor, a display SOC based on the SOC of the vehicle;
providing, by a display, a plurality of lights, each li

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Kusumi Hidetoshi
• Hirose Shota

Classifications

• B60L3/12 Primary

  Recording operating variables {; Monitoring of operating variables} · CPC title

• B60L11/1861

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60L2250/16

  by display · CPC title

• Y02T10/7005

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02T10/705

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic