Instrument panel of vehicle, control method for braking system indicator and vehicle

The present invention relates to a vehicle instrument panel and a method of controlling a brake system indicator.

Non-conventional vehicles such as fuel cell vehicles (FCVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs) are anti-lock braking systems. (Anti-lock brake system: ABS) and electro-hydraulic brake (RBS) with regenerative braking systems (RBS) EHB) system is often used. Since the EHB system in these non-standard vehicles has no feedback to the brake pedals even when the ABS is activated, the vehicle driver may feel uncomfortable with the behavior of the vehicle when the ABS is activated. This is in contrast to mechanical ABS, which vibrates the brake pedal during ABS operation to provide feedback information to the vehicle driver. The vehicle driver knows that the brake pedal should not be pumped, as this feedback makes the vehicle driver aware of the ABS operation.

The EHB system separates the hydraulic circuit from the brake pedal, so there is no brake pedal vibration that provides feedback information to inform the vehicle driver of ABS operation. For this reason, the vehicle driver may feel strange behavior according to the dynamic characteristics of the vehicle when ABS is activated, and this strange feeling causes the vehicle driver to pump the brake pedal, thereby impairing the function of ABS control. Therefore, the braking ability will be reduced.

In addition, it may be desirable to visually display the operating state of the vehicle's ABS or RBS. This allows the vehicle driver to know that the braking system should be inspected by a serviceman.

<p> Therefore, there is a need for an instrument panel that provides feedback to the vehicle driver when the ABS is operating and has a display means to indicate whether the ABS or RBS is abnormal.</p>

<p> Accordingly, the present invention provides a vehicle instrument panel with display means for providing feedback to the vehicle driver when ABS is in operation.</p><p> The present invention also provides a vehicle instrument panel with display means for displaying to the vehicle driver when there is an abnormality in the antilock braking system or the regenerative braking system.</p><p> The present invention further provides a display means for feeding back to the vehicle driver that ABS is operating and displaying to the vehicle driver when there is an abnormality in the antilock braking system or the regenerative braking system, both of which. Provides an instrument panel for vehicles in which the display of is displayed in different colors in a single window.</p><p> The present invention also provides a vehicle instrument panel equipped with an antilock braking system and a regenerative braking system. The instrument panel provides a first display means configured to display in a first color when an abnormal condition is detected in either the antilock braking system or the regenerative braking system. I have. The second display means is configured to display this in a second color different from the first color when the antilock braking system is activated. This provides visual feedback to the driver of the vehicle.</p><p> The present invention further provides a method of displaying brake system information on a vehicle equipped with an antilock braking system and a regenerative braking system. The present invention includes a step of displaying an abnormality in the antilock braking system in a first color when there is an abnormality in the antilock braking system. When the anti-lock braking system is operating and it is determined that the anti-lock braking system is normal, the operation of the anti-lock braking system is a second color different from the first color above. Is displayed. When there is an abnormality in the regenerative braking system and the antilock braking system is not operating, the presence of the abnormality in the regenerative braking system is displayed in the first color.</p><p> The present invention also provides a vehicle including an antilock braking system and a regenerative braking system. This vehicle includes an instrument panel with a first display means and a second display means. The first display means is configured to display in the first color when an abnormal condition is detected by either the antilock braking system or the regenerative braking system. The second display means is configured to display this in a second color different from the first color when the antilock braking system is operating. This provides visual feedback information to the driver of the vehicle.</p>

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a part of the vehicle 10 according to the present invention. Vehicle 10 includes a friction braking system 12 and a regenerative braking system (RBS) 14. The braking controller 16 has been shown to communicate with the friction braking system 12 and the vehicle system controller (VSC). A single braking controller is shown in Figure 1, but one vehicle, such as vehicle 10, may have a separate braking controller for the friction braking system 12 and RBS 14. Figure 1 shows that the braking controller 16 communicates directly with the friction braking system 12 instead of with the RBS 14, but it can also be seen that the braking controller 16 can communicate with the RBS 14 via the VSC 18. Understood. In addition, the VSC 18 is a braking controller 16 or a powertrain control module: It may be integrated with other controls such as PCM). So the various systems in vehicle 10 can be controlled by a single controller, by a separate software controller in a single hardware, or by a separate software and hardware controller. It may be controlled by the combination of.

The braking controller 16 includes an antilock braking system (ABS) 20. The brake controller 16 receives input from the vehicle driver via the brake pedal 22. Specifically, the brake sensor 24 is configured to detect the position of the brake pedal 20 and send a signal to the braking controller 16. The VSC 18 and the braking controller 16 use various inputs, including the input from the sensor 24, to determine how to control the friction braking system 12 and the RBS 14.

The friction braking system 12 serves to reduce the speed of the wheels 26 through the action of one or more friction elements in a manner well known in the art. Similarly, the RBS 14 can act to slow down the wheels 26 by controlling the motor 28 to generate a negative torque transmitted to the wheels 26.

The friction braking system 12 includes one or more sensors represented by a single sensor 30 in FIG. The sensor 30 is configured to send signals regarding various states in the friction braking system 12 to the braking controller 16. For example, in the friction braking system 12, if the braking ability is reduced due to the pressure loss of the vacuum booster or the hydraulic pressure loss in the hydraulic circuit, the sensor 30 detects this state and transmits it to the braking controller 30. Then communicates with VSC 18.

Similarly, RBS 14 includes one or more sensors represented by sensor 32 in FIG. The sensor 32 can detect various states including an abnormal state in RBS 14. Such anomalous conditions include electrical anomalies in the system and communication anomalies between RBS 14 and other components in vehicle 10. Of course, these are just a few examples of the various conditions that may constitute anomalous conditions within a regenerative braking system such as RBS 14. Similarly, ABS 20 may include one or more sensors (not shown) to detect and communicate anomalous conditions within it.

When an abnormal condition is detected in the friction braking system 12, RBS 14 or ABS 20, it is transmitted to VSC 18. The VSC 18 can be programmed to deal with anomalous conditions in several different ways, some of which output to the vehicle driver through the display window 34 in the instrument panel 36. Is included. In addition to displaying anomalies in one or more vehicle braking systems, the display window 34 also provides display means to display while the ABS 20 is in operation. This is especially useful when the friction braking system 12 is not in use. Due to the lack of mechanical feedback provided by the friction braking system 12, the vehicle driver may not be aware that the ABS 20 is working. So, by using the display in the display window 34, the vehicle driver is informed that the ABS 20 is in operation and the brake pedal 22 should not be pumped.

The vehicle 10 shown in FIG. 1 is a fuel cell vehicle including a fuel cell 38 capable of supplying electric power to the motor 28 or the battery 40. Of course, a vehicle such as vehicle 10 may additionally be equipped with a torque generator such as an internal combustion engine. Thus, the present invention is applicable to a wide range of vehicle types, along with the fuel cell vehicle illustrated as an example in FIG.

FIG. 2 details a portion of the instrument panel 36. The display window 34 is just one of the various indicators on the instrument panel 36. In modern non-standard vehicles such as fuel cell vehicles and HEVs, there is a lot of information that can be displayed to vehicle drivers. For example, the instrument panel 36 shown in FIG. 2 has a speedometer 40, a water temperature gauge 42, a hydraulic gauge 44, a seatbelt indicator 46, an airbag indicator 48, a door open indicator 49, and left and right turn signals. Indicators 50, 52, high beam headlight indicator 54, fault indicator light (MIL) 56, battery charge indicator 58, tire pressure indicator 60, and parking brake indicator 62, etc. Includes "standard" indicators.

In addition to these standard indicators, the instrument panel 36 also has some indicators not found in regular vehicles. For example, indicator 64 indicates the status of the fuel cell 38. Indicator 64 provides the vehicle driver with various information related to the fuel cell status, such as when the fuel cell is START UP. The starting state may last for 30-50 seconds, after which the fuel cell begins to generate power (RUN). Indicator 64 also informs the vehicle driver that the fuel cell is SHUT DOWN and OFF. The stopped and started states are selected by the vehicle driver moving the key to the appropriate position. When the starting state is selected, the indicator 64 will automatically move to the running state when the fuel cell reaches the threshold for generating power. Similarly, when the stopped state is selected, the indicator 64 will automatically move to the off state when the fuel cell finishes the stopped operation.

The instrument panel 36 includes a fuel cell high temperature indicator 66, which specifically refers to the temperature of the fuel cell stack. The winter mode indicator 68 informs the vehicle driver that the vehicle 10 is in a traction mode that may be effective for winter driving. The fuel gauge 70 displays the hydrogen fuel level to the vehicle driver, while the indicator light 72 warns the vehicle driver that the hydrogen fuel level is low. This is similar to the gasoline fuel level and indicator system in regular vehicles.

In addition to the indicators mentioned above, the instrument panel 36 also includes an indicator 74 that indicates that the high voltage battery 40 is charging. Indicator 75 warns the vehicle driver that the high voltage battery 40 is low on charge. This is in contrast to indicator 58, which warns the vehicle driver of the charge level of the 12 volt battery used to drive the low voltage system in vehicle 10. The power limit indicator 76 is used to warn the vehicle driver when full acceleration of vehicle 10 is not possible. The warning can be a function of the condition of the fuel cell 38, the condition of the battery 40, or the condition of them or a combination of other systems in the vehicle 10.

To provide the vehicle driver with information about the vehicle braking system, the indicators in the display window 34 are specifically configured to be displayed in two different colors. In one of the embodiments, the first and second indications 78, 80 of the display window 34 are the same label (in this embodiment, the letters "ABS" and "RBS", but are limited to this. It may be a symbol, an icon, etc.), but it is displayed in a different color. The first display 78 is displayed in the first color, which is, for example, amber when an abnormal condition is detected in either ABS 20 or RBS 14. In this first display 78, the characters "ABS" and "RBS" are both displayed in amber. Of course, amber is an example, and any desired color can be used.

As such, the letters "ABS" and "RBS" are both displayed in amber on the first display 78, so that the instrument panel 36 has an abnormality in either ABS 20 or RBS 14. It will have a "first" display means to display.

In contrast, the second display 80 is displayed in a color different from the first color, such as green (second color), when the ABS 20 is in operation. It provides the vehicle driver with visual feedback indicating that ABS 20 is in use. In the second display 80, both the letters "ABS" and "RBS" will be displayed, which is the same as when there is an abnormality in ABS 20 or RBS 14, but the letters are in different colors. The display constitutes a "second" display means of indicating to the vehicle driver that the ABS 20 is in operation. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the first and second displays 78,80 are integrated within a single display window 34, thereby saving space on the instrument panel 36. This is especially important when it is desired to provide many different indicators for the vehicle driver within a fairly small area of the instrument panel.

Of course, the first and second labels, as shown by reference numerals 78 and 80, may have different labels and may be displayed in close proximity to each other, for example in a single display window. Figure 3 shows another configuration of the instrument panel display window 34'. This display window 34'includes first and second indicators 78', 80', respectively. Similar to the above, the first indicator 78'is configured to be displayed in amber when an abnormal condition is detected in either ABS 20 or RBS 14. Similarly, the second indicator 80'is configured to appear green while ABS 20 is operating. 1st and 2nd indicators 78', as shown in the center and right side of FIG. 3, respectively. The 80'is used with different labels, with different colors, to further clarify the information given to the vehicle driver. For example, the first indicator 78'is given a first label that reads "ABS / RBS failure" as shown on the right side of the figure. On the other hand, the second indicator 80'is given a second label that can be read as "ABS activated" as shown in the center of the figure.

As mentioned above, the first and second indicators 78', 80' are displayed in a single display window 34'. A pair of colored light sources 82, 84 are provided to illuminate the indicators 78', 80'. The light sources 82, 84 may be ordinary incandescent spheres or any other type of light source that serves to illuminate indicators 78', 80'. For example, in FIG. 3, the light sources 82 and 84 are light emitting diodes (LEDs).

Since the indicators 78', 80' are contained in a single display window 34', it is necessary to provide a filter to reduce the visibility of one indicator when it is illuminated. is there. This can be achieved by providing each indicator with a label that has the color of the LED of the other party. For example, it may be desirable to illuminate the first indicator 78'with an amber LED 84 and simultaneously suppress the illumination of the second indicator 80'. To achieve this, the "ABS activated" label on the second indicator 80'is provided in a transparent or translucent amber color so that it does not appear to be illuminated while the LED 84 is lit. Similarly, the "ABS / RBS Failure" label on the 1st indicator 78'is provided in clear or translucent green that matches the color of the LED 82. In this way, when the second indicator 80'is illuminated by the LED 82, the visibility of the first indicator 78' will be reduced.

In order to provide the vehicle driver with various information in a small area, the present invention has a so-called hierarchical structure with respect to the display of the brake system indicators such as the first and second displays 78, 80 or the indicators 78', 80'. Control so that In general, the hierarchy is such that anomalous conditions in ABS have a first priority, ABS operation has a second priority, and anomalous conditions in RBS have a third priority. It is composed. This is shown in the table in Figure 4.

Whenever there is an abnormality in ABS as indicated by the number 1 in the leftmost column of the table, the abnormal state of RBS or the operation of ABS is inactive. So the amber light is turned on for the first display 78 (or 78'). The second priority is the activation of ABS, which is indicated by the number 1 in the middle column. When the ABS is operating and there is no abnormality in the ABS, the green lamp is lit for the second display 80 (or 80') regardless of whether or not there is an abnormality in the RBS. Finally, if there is something wrong with the RBS and the ABS is not working, the amber light will be turned on for the first indication 78 (or 78'). Of course, when there is no abnormal condition and ABS is not operating, neither display is performed.

The method of controlling the brake system indicator by the hierarchical structure is shown in the flowchart 86 of FIG. This control begins in step 88 and then in step 90 a determination is made as to whether or not there is an abnormality in the ABS. When the result is YES, the amber lamp is turned on in step 92, thereby illuminating and displaying the first display 78, 78'. The term "lamp" used here has no meaning other than being a general noun indicating a light source, and can represent any type of light source that functions to illuminate a display. If it is determined in step 90 that there is no abnormality in ABS, it is determined in step 94 whether or not ABS is operating. If it is determined that the ABS is operating, the green lamp is turned on in step 96, thereby illuminating and displaying the second display 80, 80'.

The determination of whether or not there is an abnormality in the braking system or whether or not the ABS is operating is a process of updating at a predetermined frequency. Therefore, if an abnormal condition in ABS is detected while the green lamp is lit while ABS is operating, this ABS abnormality has a higher priority than ABS operation, so the green lamp will be turned off. .. If it is determined in step 94 that the ABS is not operating, then in the next step 98 it is determined whether or not there is an abnormality in the RBS. When there is an abnormality in the RBS, the amber lamp is turned on in step 92, thereby illuminating the first display 78, 78'.

As mentioned above, since various systems in the vehicle 10 are monitored at a predetermined frequency, if ABS operation is detected when the amber lamp is lit due to an abnormality in RBS, the priority of ABS operation is high. So the amber lamp will be turned off and the green lamp will be turned on. If there is still an anomaly in the RBS when the ABS operation is finished, the flow will return to step 92 and the amber lamp will be turned on again.

If no abnormal condition is detected and ABS is not working, the flow ends at step 100. However, the controls shown in the flow chart do not literally "END" and the system in vehicle 10 continues to be monitored at a given frequency. Also, Flowchart 86 is illustrated as if the various steps were performed in chronological order, but this is not always the case. Rather, the configuration of Flowchart 86 shows a hierarchical structure of how the various brake system indicators are controlled. The present invention therefore provides the vehicle driver with relevant information that can act as a substitute for mechanical feedback, and does so within a small display window, thereby providing space on the instrument panel. save.

Although the best embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, those skilled in the art of the art relating to the present invention will be able to conceive of various alternative configurations and embodiments for carrying out the invention as defined by the claims. There will be.

<figref num="1">It is the schematic of the vehicle by this invention.</figref><figref num="2">FIG. 5 is a front view of a portion of an instrument panel configured for use in the vehicle of FIG.</figref><figref num="3">A front view of a display window configured for use in an instrument panel, such as that shown in Figure 2.</figref><figref num="4">It is a table which shows the hierarchical structure in the control of the brake system indicator of the vehicle shown in FIG.</figref><figref num="5">It is a flowchart which shows the method of controlling the brake system indicator by this invention.</figref>

Code description

12 Friction braking system 20 Anti-lock braking system 14 Regenerative braking system 34,34'Display window 36 Instrument panel 78 1st display (1st display means) 78' 1st indicator (1st display means) 80th 2 Display (2nd display means) 80'2nd indicator (2nd display means) 82,84 Light emitting diode (light source)