# US 8,786,418 B2 · Ambient lighting to reflect changes in vehicle operating parameters

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- Number: US 8,786,418 B2
- Document ID: US8786418B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/725,642
- Filed: 2010-03-17
- Published: 2011-09-22
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2010-03-17
- Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Applicants: Marc Lucas
- Inventors: Marc Lucas
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8786418B2

## CPC

- B60L 3/12: Recording operating variables {; Monitoring of operating variables}
- B60L 50/61: by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
- B60Q 3/80: Circuits; Control arrangements (for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47)
- B60L 2250/16: by display
- B60Q 2500/30: Arrangements for illuminating different zones in the vehicle, e.g. front/rear, different seats
- Y02T 10/62: Hybrid vehicles
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

An interior lighting system that responds to changes in vehicle operating parameters, such as fuel economy, electric power consumption and battery recharging, by changing color of interior lighting. The system includes an engine vacuum sensor associated with the internal combustion engine and, when used on a hybrid vehicle, a motor power draw sensor associated with the vehicle's electric motor and a battery recharging sensor associated with the vehicle's storage battery. An array of color-changing ambient interior lights is provided and is operatively associated with the vehicle system controller. The sensors measure specific changes in driving parameters and send signals to the vehicle system controller for further processing. The vehicle system controller then interprets the received information to identify any changes in operating parameters (fuel consumption, electric power consumption, storage battery recharging), and signals one or more of the ambient lights to change colors and thereby signal the driver (or other occupant) as to a change in operating parameters.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters including fuel consumption, electric power consumption and battery recharging on a vehicle having an internal combustion engine, an electric traction motor, and a storage battery, the system comprising:
a vacuum sensor fitted to the engine;
a motor power draw sensor associated with the motor;
a battery recharging sensor associated with the battery;
a vehicle system controller associated with said sensors; and
ambient interior lights that are associated with said controller and that include footwell lights, cupholder lights, dome lights, sidewall lights, lights beneath the vehicle seat, lights beneath the vehicle's instrument panel, or a combination thereof, whereby the controller is programmed to change a color of the lights from a warm color to a harsh color in response to increased fuel consumption, change the color of the lights to green during motor electric power consumption, change the color of the lights to green during battery charging, or a combination of the color changes.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 1 wherein the internal combustion engine includes an intake manifold and wherein said vacuum sensor is fitted to said intake manifold.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 1 wherein said motor power draw sensor senses the consumption of electricity by the electric traction motor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 1 wherein the vehicle includes an electric power generator and wherein said battery recharging sensor senses the voltage level flowing into the storage battery from the electric power generator.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 1 wherein said ambient interior lights include multiple color lights capable of displaying two or more different colors in response to the vehicle system controller.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 5 further including software for interpreting signals from said sensors and for directing said ambient interior lights to illuminate a pre-selected color.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 1 wherein said ambient interior lights includes lights includes instrument panel gauge cluster lights.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 1 wherein said ambient interior lights are selected from the group consisting of light emitting diodes and incandescent bulbs.

### Claim 9

A system providing visual notification of changes in hybrid-vehicle operating parameters comprising:
an energy consumption sensor;
a vehicle system controller associated with said sensor; and
ambient interior lights that are associated with said controller and that include footwell lights, cupholder lights, dome lights, sidewall lights, lights beneath the vehicle seat, lights beneath the vehicle's instrument panel, or a combination thereof, wherein the controller changes a color of the ambient interior lights between warm and harsh colors in response to changes in fuel consumption, to green in response to electric power consumption, or to green in response to battery charging.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 9 wherein the vehicle includes an internal combustion engine and wherein said energy consumption sensor is operatively associated with the internal combustion engine.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 10 wherein the internal combustion engine includes an intake manifold and wherein said energy consumption sensor is a vacuum sensor fitted to said intake manifold.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 9 wherein the vehicle includes an electric traction motor and wherein said energy consumption sensor is a motor power draw sensor operatively associated with the electric traction motor.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 9 wherein the vehicle includes an electric power generator and a storage battery and wherein said system further includes a battery recharging sensor which senses the voltage level flowing into the storage battery from the electric power generator, said battery recharging sensor being operatively associated with said vehicle system controller.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 9 wherein said ambient interior lights include multiple color lights capable of displaying two or more different colors in response to the vehicle system controller.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 14 further including software for interpreting signals from said energy consumption sensor and for directing said ambient interior lights to illuminate a pre-selected color.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 9 wherein said ambient interior lights includes lights includes instrument panel gauge cluster lights.

### Claim 17 (depends on 9)

The system for visually informing a vehicle occupant of changes in vehicle operating parameters of claim 9 wherein said ambient interior lights are selected from the group consisting of light emitting diodes and incandescent bulbs.

### Claim 18

A vehicle system controller that is attachable to a fuel-consumption sensor and a motor-power-draw sensor and that is programmed with software to execute operations comprising:
receiving signals from the fuel-consumption sensor and the motor-power-draw sensor;
based on the signals, calculating a change in operating parameters related to an engine or a motor; and
changing a color of ambient lights between warm and harsh colors in response to changes in fuel consumption or to green in response to electric power consumption, wherein the ambient lights include footwell lights, cupholder lights, dome lights, sidewall lights, lights beneath the vehicle seat, lights beneath the vehicle's instrument panel, or a combination thereof.