# US 8,543,308 B2 · Systems and methods for communicating optimal driving information > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,543,308 B2 - Document ID: US8543308B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/762,612 - Filed: 2010-04-19 - Published: 2011-10-20 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2010-04-19 - Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Applicants: Michael Joseph Levy; Alexander Thomas Riegelman - Inventors: Michael Joseph Levy; Alexander Thomas Riegelman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8543308B2 ## CPC - B60W 50/14: Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention - B60K 35/81: for controlling displays - B60K 35/28: characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver - B60K 2360/174: Economic driving - B60W 2520/10: Longitudinal speed - B60W 2720/106: Longitudinal acceleration - Y02T 10/84: Data processing systems or methods, management, administration - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract Systems and methods for communicating optimal driving information through a vehicle display of a vehicle are configured to control position of an actual speed indicator along a scalar element of a display as a function of an actual speed of the vehicle; determine, in response to an actual acceleration of the vehicle, an optimal acceleration for changing vehicle speed; and control position of an optimal speed indicator along the scalar element as a function of the determined optimal acceleration. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle display system for use with a vehicle, the vehicle display system comprising: a processor; a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: determine an actual speed of the vehicle; control a position of an actual speed indicator along a length of a scalar element of a display as a function of the actual speed, wherein the length of the scalar element represents potential speeds of the vehicle; determine an optimal acceleration for changing vehicle speed; and control a position of an optimal speed indicator along the length of the scalar element as a function of the determined optimal acceleration; wherein the instructions, in being configured to cause the processor to control the position of the optimal speed indicator and to control the position of the actual speed indicator, are configured to: increase a distance between the optimal speed indicator and the actual speed indicator when the actual acceleration exceeds the optimal acceleration; and decrease a distance or maintain a minimum distance between the optimal speed indicator and the actual speed indicator when the actual acceleration does not exceed the optimal acceleration. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle display system of claim 1, wherein the optimal speed indicator includes an edge indicating optimal speed, and the instructions, in being configured to cause the processor to control the position of the optimal speed indicator, are configured to cause the processor to control position of the edge of the optimal speed indicator. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The vehicle display system of claim 2, wherein: the optimal speed includes an end fixed in position adjacent an end of the scalar element and extending from the fixed end to the edge, the edge being a distal edge of the optimal speed indicator; and the instructions, in being configured to cause the processor to control position of the optimal speed indicator, are configured to cause the processor to control the position of the distal edge, thereby changing a length of the optimal speed indicator, measured between the fixed end and the distal edge. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The vehicle display system of claim 2, wherein: the optimal speed indicator includes an end directly adjacent and moving with the actual speed indicator and extending from the end to the edge, the edge being a trailing edge of the optimal speed indicator; and the instructions, in being configured to cause the processor to control position of the optimal speed indicator, are configured to cause the processor to control the position of the trailing edge, thereby changing a length of the optimal speed indicator, measured between the end and the trailing edge. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vehicle display system of claim 1, wherein the instructions, in being configured to cause the processor to determine the optimal acceleration, are configured to cause the processor to determine the optimal acceleration as a function of fuel efficiency for the vehicle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vehicle display system of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: determine whether a distance between the actual speed indicator and the optimal speed indicator exceeds a predetermined value; and if the distance between the actual speed indicator and the optimal speed indicator exceeds the predetermined value, affect a feature of the display system. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The vehicle display system of claim 6, wherein the instructions, in being configured to, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to affect the feature of the display system, cause the processor to affect a color of the actual speed indicator as a function of the distance between the actual speed indicator and the optimal speed indicator. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The vehicle display system of claim 6, wherein the instructions in being configured to, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to affect the feature of the display system, cause the processor to affect the feature being selected from a group of features consisting of: a color of the actual speed indicator; a brightness of the actual speed indicator; a size of the actual speed indicator; a shape of the actual speed indicator; a dynamic of the actual speed indicator; a color of the optimal speed indicator; a brightness of the optimal speed indicator; and a sound. ### Claim 9 A method for communicating information with a vehicle display system for use with a vehicle, the method comprising: determining an actual speed of the vehicle with a speed sensor; displaying position of an actual speed indicator along a length of a scalar element of a display as a function of the actual speed; determining an optimal acceleration for changing vehicle speed; and displaying position of an optimal speed indicator along the length of the scalar element as a function of the determined optimal acceleration; wherein the steps of displaying the position of the optimal speed indicator and displaying the position of the actual speed indicator include: displaying an increase in distance between the optimal speed indicator and the actual speed indicator when the actual acceleration exceeds the optimal acceleration; and displaying a decrease in distance or a constant minimum distance between the optimal speed indicator and the actual speed indicator when the actual acceleration does not exceed the optimal acceleration. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the optimal speed indicator includes an edge indicating optimal speed, and the method, in controlling position of the optimal speed indicator, comprises controlling position of the edge of the optimal speed indicator. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the optimal speed indicator includes an end fixed in position adjacent an end of the scalar element and extending from the fixed end to the edge, the edge being a distal edge of the optimal speed indicator; the method further comprising changing a length of the optimal speed indicator, the length measured between the fixed end and the distal edge. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the optimal speed indicator includes an end directly adjacent and moving with the actual speed indicator and extending from the end to the edge, the edge being a trailing edge of the optimal speed indicator; the method further comprising changing a length of the optimal speed indicator, the length measured between the end and the trailing edge. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising determining the optimal acceleration as a function of fuel efficiency for the vehicle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising: determining whether a distance between the actual speed indicator and the optimal speed indicator exceeds a predetermined value; and if the distance between the actual speed indicator and the optimal speed indicator exceeds the predetermined value, affecting a feature of the display system. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein affecting a feature of the display system includes affecting a color of the actual speed indicator as a function of the distance between the actual speed indicator and the optimal speed indicator. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein affecting the feature of the display system includes affecting a feature being selected from a group of features consisting of: a color of the actual speed indicator; a brightness of the actual speed indicator; a size of the actual speed indicator; a shape of the actual speed indicator; a dynamic of the actual speed indicator; a color of the optimal speed indicator; a brightness of the optimal speed indicator; and a sound. ### Claim 17 A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: determine an actual speed of a vehicle; control position of an actual speed indicator along a length of a scalar element of a display as a function of the actual speed; determine, in response to an actual acceleration of the vehicle, an optimal acceleration for changing vehicle speed; and control position of an optimal speed indicator along the length of the scalar element as a function of the determined optimal acceleration wherein the instructions, in being configured to cause the processor to control the position of the optimal speed indicator and to control the position of the actual speed indicator, are configured to: increase a distance between the optimal speed indicator and the actual speed indicator when the actual acceleration exceeds the optimal acceleration; and decrease a distance or maintain a minimum distance between the optimal speed indicator and the actual speed indicator when the actual acceleration does not exceed the optimal acceleration. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the optimal speed indicator includes an edge indicating optimal speed, and the instructions, in being configured to cause the processor to control the position of the optimal speed indicator, are configured to cause the processor to control position of the edge of the optimal speed indicator. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the optimal speed indicator includes an end fixed in position adjacent an end of the scalar element and extending from the fixed end to the edge, the edge being a distal edge of the optimal speed indicator; and the instructions, in being configured to cause the processor to control position of the optimal speed indicator, are configured to cause the processor to control the position of the distal edge, thereby changing a length of the optimal speed indicator, measured between the fixed end and the distal edge. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the optimal speed indicator includes an end directly adjacent and moving with the actual speed indicator and extends from the end to the edge, the edge being a trailing edge of the optimal speed indicator; and the instructions, in being configured to cause the processor to control position of the optimal speed indicator, are configured to cause the processor to control the position of the trailing edge, thereby changing a length of the optimal speed indicator, measured between the end and the trailing edge.