Control System and Control Method for Adapting the Reproduction of Visual Signals for a Vehicle Having a Hybrid Drive

Abstract

A control system for adapting a reproduction of visual signals for a vehicle having a hybrid drive. The control system includes a sensor, which is designed to sense the operating mode of an internal combustion engine and of an electric drive device of the vehicle and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is coupled to the sensor and is designed to adapt the reproduction of a visual signal in accordance with the sensed operating modes of the internal combustion engine and of the electric drive.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A control system for adapting a reproduction of visual signals for a vehicle having a hybrid drive, comprising: a sensor to sense an operating mode of an internal combustion engine and of an electric drive of the vehicle; and an electronic control unit coupled to the sensor and configured to adapt the reproduction of a visual signal in accordance with the sensed operating modes of the internal combustion engine and the electric drive.

12. The control system according to claim 11, wherein the visual signal comprises at least one of: an indication of the current driving experience mode, vehicle passenger compartment lighting, warning signal, navigation display, infotainment display, road sign detection display, steering wheel lighting, combination instrument display, keypad lighting, status display of a driving assistance system, or parking distance indication.

13. The control system according to claim 11, wherein the adaptation of the reproduction of the visual signal comprises changing at least one of the following properties of the visual signal: intensity, brightness, color, color sequence, color nuance, or flashing frequency.

14. The control system according to claim 13, wherein in response to the internal combustion engine operating alone or in addition to the electric drive, the at least one of the properties of the visual signal is changed in at least one of the following ways: increasing or reducing the intensity; increasing or reducing the brightness; changing the color; changing the color sequence; changing the color nuance; or increasing or reducing the flashing frequency.

15. The control system according to claim 11, wherein the control system further comprises: an individual sensor coupled to the electronic control unit to sense at least one individual parameter assigned to a vehicle occupant, wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to adapt the reproduction of the visual signal in accordance with the at least one individual parameter of the vehicle occupant.

16. The control system according to claim 15, wherein the at least one individual parameter is suitable for defining the adaptation of the reproduction of the visual signal and for adding to or replacing the adaptation in accordance with the sensed operating modes.

17. The control system according to claim 15, wherein a parameter that can be set and stored by the respective vehicle occupant is used as the at least one individual parameter, wherein the at least one individual parameter changes at least one of the following properties of the reproduction of the visual signal: intensity, brightness, color, color sequence, color nuance, or flashing frequency.

18. The control system according to claim 15, wherein the control system further comprises: a detection device coupled to the individual sensor and configured to: detect the identity of the vehicle occupant, and transmit the detected identity of the vehicle occupant to the individual sensor, wherein the individual sensor is further configured to sense the at least one individual parameter using the detected identity of the vehicle occupant.

19. A vehicle having an internal combustion engine and an electric drive, comprising: the control system of claim 11; and an output device to reproduce, in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, the visual signal that has been adapted in accordance with the sensed operating modes.

20. A control method for adapting a reproduction of visual signals for a vehicle having a hybrid drive, comprising: sensing an operating mode of an internal combustion engine and of an electric drive device of the vehicle; and adapting the reproduction of a visual signal in accordance with the sensed operating modes of the internal combustion engine and of the electric drive device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a control system 1 for adapting the reproduction of visual signals for a vehicle having a hybrid drive.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a simplified flow diagram illustrating a control method for adapting the reproduction of visual signals for a vehicle having a hybrid drive.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] As shown in FIG. 1, the control system 1 has a sensor 2. The sensor 2 senses which operating mode 10 is active, for instance, an operating mode 10 of an internal combustion engine and/or whether an operating mode 10 of an electric drive device is active. The sensor 2 is communicatively connected to an electronic control unit 3. The electronic control unit 3 receives information from the sensor 2 indicating which operating mode 10 is active. The electronic control unit 3 adapts the reproduction 24 of a visual signal in accordance with the sensed operating modes of the internal combustion engine and of the electric drive device.

[0041] FIG. 2 illustrates by way of example some of the method steps for adapting the reproduction of visual signals in a vehicle having a hybrid drive. Hybrid vehicles may comprise an internal combustion engine (combustion engine) and an electric drive (electric motor) which can be operational individually or together.

[0042] In order to be able to output, in changed operating modes of the vehicle or of its two drives, visual signals which can be perceived to an optimum degree by a vehicle occupant, in particular by the driver, for example using special output means (LED) in the dashboard or by means of a combination instrument, CID, ambient light, which can be associated with the passenger compartment lighting equipment of the vehicle, it is possible to proceed according to a control method such as is described below with reference to FIG. 2.

[0043] First, at step 10 the operating mode of the two drive units of the internal combustion engine and electric motor is determined. In step 12 it is checked whether the electric drive is activated (ELA). If this is the case, in step 14 it is checked whether the internal combustion engine is also activated (VM). If the internal combustion engine is operational in step 14, at step 18 the setting for the reproduction of the visual signal is selected such that it is optimized for the combined operation of the electric motor and internal combustion engine (WS-ELAVM). If the internal combustion engine is not operational in step 14, it follows that only the electric motor is operational. At step 20, the setting for the reproduction of the visual signal is then selected such that it is optimized for the sole operation of the electric motor (WS-ELA).

[0044] If step 10 reveals that the electric motor is not operational, the system continues at step 16 in which it is checked whether the internal combustion engine is operational (VM). If the internal combustion engine is operational in step 16, at step 22 the setting for the reproduction of the visual signal is selected in such a way that it is optimized for the sole operation of the internal combustion engine (WS-VM). If the internal combustion engine is not operational in step 16, it follows from this that none of the two drives is operational and the controller begins again at step 10 (BMOD) or is ended.

[0045] The respective settings for the adaptation of the reproduction of the visual signal WS-ELAVM, WS-ELA, WS-VM from the steps 18, 20, 22 are used in step 24 to be able to reproduce at least one visual signal in accordance with the settings (WG-WS), by considering the specific operating mode of the electric and/or internal combustion engine.

[0046] It is to be noted that step 24 does not necessarily have to represent the reproduction of a visual signal. Step 24 essentially illustrates that visual signals can be reproduced with the specific settings in accordance with the operating mode if there is a need for their reproduction.

[0047] The determination of the operating mode of the electric motor and internal combustion engine is carried out repeatedly during the operation of the vehicle, which is represented by the connection 26 between the steps 24 and 10. This ensures that the reproduction of a visual signal is regularly adapted to the operating modes of the two drive units.

[0048] During the adaptation of the reproduction of visual signals, individual parameters can also be considered for a driver of the vehicle. It is to be assumed that individual settings can be stored for each driver (1 to n) of a vehicle by means of data sets FID1 to FIDn, which is illustrated at 28. These data sets can also contain a standard data set which is used if a driver does not wish to store or has not stored any individual settings. The individual parameters which are considered here also relate to the outputting of visual signals. It is therefore possible, for example, to set the type of reproduction, for example a color or a color sequence, individually and store it for a respective driver. Therefore, the one driver can, for example, use a pronounced and striking color nuance for the “sport mode” for himself, while another driver would prefer a somewhat more subtle color nuance for the “sport mode” (e.g. pastel color).

[0049] In addition, the intensity can also be set individually. It is also conceivable that a driver would like to set a deviation from a standard intensity so that a visual signal is reproduced in a stronger fashion or more gentle fashion.

[0050] If individual parameters of a driver are to be taken into account, in a first step 30 a respective driver is identified (FID). These individual parameters are then assigned to the driver's identity FID1 to FIDn, and they are then taken into account for the operation of the vehicle in accordance with the identified driver, in the present case for the reproduction of visual signals.

[0051] In step 32, the individual parameters which are associated with the identified driver, for the reproduction of visual signals, are loaded (IPL) and then input into the reproduction system at a suitable location. This is illustrated by the two dashed lines 34 and 36. Irrespective of the location at which the individual parameters are read in during the method of adapting the reproduction of visual signals, said parameters are used in step 24 when a visual signal is reproduced. As already mentioned above, step 24 represents the provision of at least one visual signal which is adapted to operating modes and/or individual parameters and is reproduced visually in the case of the occurrence of a respective event, such as for example activation of the driving experience switch (sport-eco button) and the like. The individual parameters are generally read in from the associated data sets FID1 to FIDn once at the start of a journey and then used until the journey is ended and the driver leaves his vehicle. If a driver has not stored any individual parameters for himself, standard parameters are used, which are usually stored in one of the data sets FID1 to FIDn if no individual changes have been made to them.