JPS627006B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention aims to improve the operation of an automobile engine in a desirable state in terms of fuel efficiency and acceleration performance.
This invention relates to a device that provides an indication to a driver. In particular, the present invention relates to a driving state guide device suitable for automobiles equipped with diesel engines.

While driving a car, fuel consumption varies depending on which gear is selected or how much the accelerator is depressed, and acceleration performance and other conditions also vary. A device that displays the optimal gear selection to the driver based on fuel consumption was developed in
137232 or Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 137233/1983]. These disclosed techniques are mainly related to automobiles that use gasoline as fuel, and the display content is limited to displaying the gear to be selected.

Driving to economize fuel consumption requires using the highest gear possible and avoiding accelerator operations that would cause sudden acceleration, and displays must be displayed that suit the driver's psychology. Must be.

On the other hand, the development of microcomputers has made it possible to store and process sophisticated information, and it has also become possible to use microcomputers and their auxiliary devices at low cost.

The present invention was made against this background, and an object of the present invention is to provide a device that displays to a driver a driving state that is desirable in terms of fuel efficiency and acceleration performance.

The present invention provides means for taking in the engine rotational speed, the rack position of the fuel injection pump, and the vehicle running speed as electrical signals, and the engine rotational speed and engine load in a selectable transmission gear using the electrical signals as input information. It calculates the gear to be selected in terms of fuel consumption, calculates whether the engine rotation speed is appropriate based on the rack position signal, and calculates the appropriate accelerator direction in terms of fuel consumption. The present invention is characterized by comprising means for displaying to the driver the gear change gear to be selected and the accelerator operation based on the calculation results of the means.

This will be explained in detail using drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The engine 1 includes a detection circuit 2 for detecting the rotational speed of the engine, a detection circuit 4 for detecting the easy position of the fuel injection pump 3, and a transmission gear 5.
The detection circuit 6 is equipped with a detection circuit 6 for detecting the speed of the vehicle which is the output of the vehicle. Outputs are taken out as electrical signals from each of these detection circuits 2, 4, and 6, and guided to an arithmetic circuit 8. This arithmetic circuit 8 includes a microcomputer 9. The output of the arithmetic circuit 8 is given to a display 10 installed in the driver's seat.

FIG. 2 is a running performance curve of this engine 1, and ~ indicates the first to fifth speeds of the transmission gears.
The microcomputer 9 stores this driving performance curve in a functional form. The arithmetic circuit 8 is
The present transmission gear position is determined by calculating the ratio between the engine rotation speed and the vehicle speed. Also, the engine load is calculated from the fuel injection pump rack position and engine rotation speed. Furthermore, the acceleration of the vehicle is obtained by calculating the time differential of the vehicle speed.

Figure 3 shows the isofuel consumption curve of this engine.
The horizontal axis shows engine speed and the vertical axis shows torque. The main part of this equal fuel efficiency curve is also stored in the microcomputer 9 in the form of a function.

To explain an example of the operation of such a device, now,
Assume that the vehicle speed is _V1 and the third gear is being used. This state is the state shown by a in the driving performance curve of FIG. 2, and the microcomputer 9 uses its own clock trigger to calculate whether or not a gear shift to the upper gear is possible. In other words, engine speed of upper gear = current engine speed x gear ratio of current gear / gear ratio of upper gear... (1) Engine load of upper gear = current engine load x gear ratio of upper gear / gear of current gear By calculating the ratio (2), the state when the gear is shifted to the fourth speed is predicted. If this prediction result is still possible based on the driving performance curve, the display 10 displays that it is possible to shift to the fourth speed.

Further, the microcomputer 9 determines whether or not the easy position detected by the detection circuit 4 is appropriate for economical fuel consumption and engine performance, and displays the desired direction of accelerator operation on the display 10. do.

An example of the display 10 is shown in FIG. - corresponds to gears 1st to 5th, and the lamp of the gear that can be used in the current driving state is lit. Multiple lamps may be lit at the same time. Further, arrow 11 is an instruction to further operate the accelerator in the acceleration direction, and arrow 12 is an instruction to similarly operate the accelerator in the deceleration direction.
Lamp 13 indicates that the accelerator position is appropriate. Display is performed by lighting up either the arrows 11, 12 or the lamp 13.

If the driver changes the gear to 4th gear in the state of point a in Figure 2 shown in the above example, the operating point becomes point b,
At this time, the fuel consumption shifts from point a in FIG. 3 to point b in FIG. When this device learns of the shift to point b, it further calculates and displays the possibility of changing to 5th gear or 3rd gear based on this point b.

As described above, according to the present invention, desirable driving conditions can be displayed to the driver in terms of engine fuel efficiency and acceleration performance. Driving a car is performed by determining road conditions and other traffic conditions, and cannot necessarily be performed based on engine performance. However, by displaying the desired situation to match the driver's psychological state and seeking driving that is economical and allows rational use of engine performance, it is possible to approach the ideal driving state. In particular, the present invention is a device suitable for large-sized vehicles equipped with diesel engines, and is highly effective when implemented in this type of vehicle.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a driving performance curve. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an equal fuel efficiency curve. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display device. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Engine, 2...Detection circuit (rotation speed), 3...Fuel injection pump, 4...Detection circuit (easy position), 5...Transmission gear, 6...Detection circuit (vehicle speed), 8... ...Control circuit, 9...Microcomputer, 10...Display device.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. Means for receiving the engine rotational speed, the rack position of the fuel injection pump, and the traveling speed of the vehicle as electrical signals, and the engine rotational speed and the engine in a transmission gear that can select the electrical signals as input information. Means 8 for determining an appropriate accelerator direction in terms of fuel consumption by calculating the load and calculating the transmission gear to be selected from the viewpoint of fuel consumption, and calculating whether the engine rotation speed is appropriate from the rack position signal; A driving state guide device comprising means 10 disposed at a seat and displaying to the driver the gear to be selected and the accelerator operation based on the calculation results of the means.