Method and system for alerting a driver that a motive power system is about to be activated
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsWilliam David Treharne, Michael Paul Lindlbauer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An accelerator pedal provides feedback to a driver of a vehicle indicating that an engine is about to be started. This feedback is associated with a threshold position of the accelerator pedal. The threshold position may be fixed and a pedal mapping curve fit to pass through the threshold position. The threshold position may vary and depend on a minimum of the motive power capacity of a battery and an activation power threshold of the engine.
Claims20
A method for alerting a driver of a vehicle including a motive power source and an accelerator pedal having a threshold position beyond which the power source will activate comprising:
- determining whether the power source is active;
- and
- providing tactile feedback to the driver via the pedal if the power source is inactive and the pedal is about to exceed the threshold position to alert the driver that the power source is about to activate.
A method for alerting a driver of a vehicle including an accelerator pedal, a first motive power source and a second motive power source having an activation power threshold, that the second motive power source is about to be activated, the method comprising:
- determining whether the second motive power source is active;
- determining a motive power capacity of the first motive power source;
- determining a threshold accelerator pedal position based on the motive power capacity and the activation power threshold;
- and
- providing feedback to the driver if the second motive power source is inactive and the accelerator pedal is about to exceed the threshold accelerator pedal position, thereby alerting the driver of the vehicle that the second motive power source is about to be activated.
A system for alerting a driver of a vehicle including first and second motive power sources that the second motive power source is about to be activated, the system comprising:
- an accelerator pedal having a threshold pedal position beyond which the second motive power source will be activated;
- and
- at least one controller configured to
- determine whether the second motive power source is active, and
- provide tactile feedback via the accelerator pedal if the second motive power source is inactive and the accelerator pedal is about to exceed the threshold pedal position, thereby alerting the driver of the vehicle that the second motive power source is about to be activated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.