Apparatus and method for providing optimal gear advice

US10436602B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• TOMTOM TELEMATICS B.V. · NL

Inventors

• Paul Roeland Verheijen · Heemstede, NL
• Jasper Johannes Anthonius Pauwelussen · The Hague, NL
• Christoph Ebert · Leipzig, DE
• Steffen Orlowsky · Dessau, DE
• Marco Leupold · Göttingen, DE
• Lars Dietzel · Schkopau, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 26, 2015
• Grant date: Oct 8, 2019
• Expiry date: Nov 26, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02T10/84
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing an indication to a driver of a geared vehicle that the vehicle is not in an optimal gear is disclosed. The method comprises determining a current gear of the vehicle and determining a current speed of a drive unit of the vehicle. An indication is then provided to the driver of the vehicle that the vehicle is not in an optimal gear when: (i) the determined current speed of the drive unit is greater than a predetermined threshold; and (ii) the determined current gear of the vehicle is less than a maximum gear of the vehicle. A method and apparatus is also disclosed for determining a score indicative of the amount of time during a journey on a road network that a geared vehicle is driven in an optimal gear.