DESC:TECHNICAL FIELD
The present disclosure generally relates to field of automobile engineering. Particularly but not exclusively, the present disclosure relates to gear shift indication in vehicles. Further embodiments of the present disclosure, discloses a system and method for indicating gear shift in multi drive mode vehicles.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
Transmission is an aggregate in a vehicle which controls optimum utilization of engine power through a gear train. Gear train is a sequence of gears and shafts, through which the engine power is transmitted to the wheels of a vehicle. Generally powertrain of the vehicle consists of engine, clutch, gearbox or transmission, differential and drive shafts to facilitate forward and backward movement of a vehicle depending on the requirement. In other words, the complete path of power from the engine to the wheels is called power train.

The vehicle transmission generally includes plurality of gears with the ability to switch between them depending on the requirement of torque and speed of the vehicle. In the vehicles, switching of gears can be done either manually by the user or automatically with suitable auto transmission mechanism, to maneuver the vehicle in different conditions. In the vehicles which are equipped with the manual transmission a shift lever will be provided in the vehicle cabin for shifting gear by a user. The shift lever is operated by the user to shift the gears depending on the requirement of acceleration and vehicle speed during operation of the vehicles.

With the development of technology in the automobile industry, persistent focus is on improvements in the Engine performance. One of the critical aspects which enhances engine performance in the manual transmission vehicles is optimal gear shifting. There are high possibilities that the users will be driving the vehicle in the gear which is different from optimum gear with respect to the travelling state of the vehicle. This suboptimal gear shifting is often due to user not knowing the precise gear to be selected for particular running condition of the vehicle powered by a specific engine, which necessitates the need for Gear Shift Indicator (GSI) in the vehicles.

Gear Shift Indicator (GSI) is the user informative interface provided in the vehicles, to assist the user in selecting the optimum gear to achieve desired optimum performance of the vehicle.
Conventionally, the gear shift indicators are provided in some of the vehicles to indicate the requirement of gear shift based on various parameters to improve the overall performance of the vehicle. The gear shift indicators are interfaced with the control unit of the vehicle, and are adapted to indicate up shift and down shift of the gear based on the decision taken by the control unit by comparing input values with pre-set values and look-up tables. However, such gear shift indicators are limited to normal vehicles i.e. the vehicles which run in a single mode.

With the on-going efforts to improve user satisfaction, the vehicle manufacturers have developed some vehicles which can be operated in different drive modes to accomplish one or more objectives such as maximum fuel efficiency, maximum performance or combination of both depending on user requirement. The different drive modes include save mode to achieve maximum fuel efficiency, power mode to drive vehicles at high speed and acceleration, to utilize maximum power of the vehicle or normal mode to attain combination of fuel efficiency, high speed and acceleration. Conventionally, there is no system in such vehicles for indicating gear shift based on different driving modes to help the user to shift the gears in right instances to reap maximum benefits out of the multi-drive mode feature. This results in sub optimal gear shifting by the user due to lack of information system, and ultimately results in suboptimal performance of the vehicle in the selected drive mode.

In light of the foregoing discussion, there is a need to develop gear shift indication system and method for a multi drive-mode vehicle to overcome one or more limitations stated above.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
One or more shortcomings of the conventional systems are overcome by system and method as claimed and additional advantages are provided through the provision of system and method as claimed in the present disclosure.

Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniques of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed disclosure.

In one non-limiting embodiment of the disclosure there is a method for indicating gear shift in a multi drive-mode vehicle. The method comprising acts of, firstly detecting one of plurality of drive modes of the vehicle being selected, by an Electronic Control Unit (ECU). Then, values of accelerator pedal position and engine speed are detected based on inputs received from plurality of sensors, by the ECU. The method further comprises acts of comparing detected values of accelerator pedal position and engine speed with pre-set values of accelerator pedal position and engine speed in look-up table corresponding to the detected drive mode, by the ECU, wherein each of the plurality of drive modes comprises a corresponding look-up table. Lastly, the method comprises act of indicating up shift and down shift of the gear on a display unit associated with the ECU, based on comparison by the ECU.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the look-up tables corresponding to each of the plurality of drive modes of the vehicle are stored in a memory unit associated with the ECU.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the plurality of drive modes includes city mode, economy mode and sports mode and these drive modes are selected through a plurality of selection units provided in the vehicle.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the plurality of sensors is engine speed sensor, acceleration pedal position sensor and vehicle speed sensor.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the gear shift indication is activated by the ECU when clutch pedal is in rest position and gear shift is not operated for predetermined time. The display unit indicates up shift and down shift of the gear as at least one of numerical value, graphical representation, and combination of numerical value and graphical representation.

In another non-limiting embodiment of the disclosure there is provided by a system for indicating gear shift in a multi drive-mode vehicle. The system comprises a memory unit configured to store a plurality of look-up tables, wherein at least one of the plurality of look-up tables corresponds to at least one of the plurality of drive modes of the vehicle. The system further comprises an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in communication with the memory unit, the ECU is configured to perform detection of one of plurality of drive-modes of the vehicle being selected, detection of values of accelerator pedal position and engine speed based on inputs received from plurality of sensors, comparison of the detected values of accelerator pedal position and engine speed with pre-set values of accelerator pedal position and engine speed in the look-up table corresponding to the detected drive mode and indication, on a display unit associated with the ECU, up shift and down shift of the gear, based on comparison by the ECU.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the display unit is configured in an instrument cluster of the vehicle, wherein the display unit is at least one of display screen, blinker, flasher and indicator.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the system comprises a plurality of sensors which sends signals to the ECU, wherein the plurality of sensors include engine speed sensor, accelerator pedal position sensor and vehicle speed sensor.

In another non-limiting embodiment of the disclosure, there is provided a vehicle comprising a system for indicating gear shift.

It is to be understood that the aspects and embodiments of the disclosure described above may be used in any combination with each other. Several of the aspects and embodiments may be combined together to form a further embodiment of the disclosure.

The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING FIGURES
The disclosure itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying figures. One or more embodiments are now described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures wherein like reference numerals represent like elements and in which:

FIG.1 illustrates block diagram of a system for indicating gear shift in multi drive-mode vehicles, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG.2 illustrates a block diagram of an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) of a vehicle which is interfaced with a plurality of sensors and display unit for indicating gear shift in multi drive-mode vehicles, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG.3 shows pictorial representation of an instrument cluster of a vehicle comprising display unit in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG.4 illustrates a flow chart illustrating circumstances under which gear shift indicator is activated in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIG.5 shows a flowchart illustrating method for indicating gear shift in a multi drive-mode vehicle, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any block diagrams herein represent conceptual views of illustrative systems embodying the principles of the present subject matter. Similarly, it will be appreciated that any flow charts, flow diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudo code, and the like represent various processes which may be substantially represented in computer readable medium and executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown.

The figures depict embodiments of the disclosure for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the system illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The foregoing has broadly outlined the features and technical advantages of the present disclosure in order that the detailed description of the disclosure that follows may be better understood. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present disclosure. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the disclosure, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present disclosure.

To overcome one or more drawbacks mentioned in the background, the present disclosure provides a system and method for gear shift indication in a multi drive mode vehicle. The gear shift indicator feature is provided to indicate optimal gear in which the vehicle should be running in, for the selected drive mode. The present disclosure assists the user to shift the gear by indicating up shift or down shift depending on various signals received by the Electronic Control Unit (ECU).

Commonly, multi drive mode vehicles will have at least three drive modes, namely – economy mode, sports mode and city mode. These drive modes are configured to cater to different needs of the user of the vehicle. Drive modes allow a vehicle to have multiple characteristics in the way it is driven and handled as opposed to a single set of characteristics. Generally, a vehicle will have a certain kind of single drive mode. For instance, the vehicle may be a dedicated sports car, another vehicle may be dedicated to economy, and vehicles may have characteristics which are a combination of sports and economy. Whereas, vehicles with multiple drive modes allows the user to select the required drive mode through dedicated buttons or switches. In the economy mode, the engine, transmission and other parameters such as air conditioning is altered to produce best fuel economy the vehicle can offer. Whereas, in the sports mode which is also called dynamic mode, vehicle components are altered to attain stiff ride, less body roll and better traction control. Further, when accelerator pedal is pressed in the sports mode, the throttle response is adjusted such that the engine responds quickly to attain desired speeds of the vehicle. The other driving mode – city mode which is supposed to be a balance between the economy mode and sports mode which is best suited when vehicle is driven within the city limits.

With the presence of gear shift indication system, the optimal gear in which the vehicle should be running in for achieving fuel efficiency or performance is pre-set to respective mode. As an example, if the user has selected an eco-mode, the gear in which the vehicle should be running for a particular speed limit is pre-set in an Electronic Control Unit [ECU]. But when the user is below or above the particular speed limit, then an indication is provided to shift the gear, thereby providing an option to the user to save the consumption of fuel. Similarly, gear shift indication is provided for the other drive modes namely sport mode and city mode. The ECU will store data for efficient driving pattern of each drive mode and that data is co-related with the live data of the vehicle and the power train for indicating the gear shifts for efficient drive with respect to the selected drive mode, and accordingly gear shift is indicated by the Gear shift indication system.

The present disclosure discloses a system and method for gear shift indication in a multi drive mode vehicle. The system for indicating gear shift in a multi drive mode vehicle comprises an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) which detects the drive mode of the vehicle selected. The ECU is also configured to detect values of accelerator pedal position, engine speed based on inputs received from plurality of sensors. The system further comprises a memory unit configured to store a plurality of look-up tables corresponding to plurality of drive modes of the vehicle. The ECU in association with the memory unit compares the detected values of accelerator pedal position and engine speed with the pre-set values of accelerator pedal position and engine speed in the plurality of look-up tables. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the memory unit is part of the ECU. The system comprises a display unit configured on an instrument cluster of the vehicle to indicate up shift and down shift of the gear based on comparison by the ECU.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the drive modes include city mode, economy mode and sports mode. These drive modes are selected using a selection unit which is powered by a power source.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the vehicle referred herein above and below refers to a manual transmission vehicle, and the user referred herein above and below refers to driver of the vehicle.

The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variations thereof used in the specification, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a system or method that comprises a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup or method. In other words, one or more elements in a system or apparatus proceeded by “comprises… a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the system or apparatus.

FIG.1 is an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, which illustrates block diagram of a system (100) for indicating gear shift in a multi drive-mode vehicle. The system (100) comprises an Engine Management System (EMS). The EMS controls the running of an engine by monitoring various engine parameters such as but not limiting to engine speed, load, engine temperature and providing the ignition spark at the right time for the prevailing conditions. In order to achieve this, the EMS works in conjunction with the engine and transmission units of the vehicle. The functions of EMS are predominantly carried out by the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) (101) such as engine control unit. In an embodiment of the disclosure, the ECU is configured as a part of EMS or interfaced with the EMS to communicate various data for controlling the engine.

The ECU (101) is configured to receive signals from various components of the system (100) for indicating gear shift in the vehicle, and process the values to indicate the appropriate gear to be selected by the user. The ECU (101) primarily detects signals when the user selects a particular drive-mode of the vehicle. The gear shift indication system (100) comprises a plurality of selection units (108) which allows the user to select the required drive mode of the plurality of drive modes (102). These selection units (108) are interfaced with ECU (101) to communicate the selected drive mode to the ECU (101). Further, each of the plurality of selection units (108) are designated with one of the drive mode including city mode, economical mode and the sports mode. The user can select any of these three modes for operating the vehicle depending on the requirement. In an embodiment of the disclosure, the plurality of selection units (108) is provisioned in the vehicle cabin, as an example in the instrument cluster (107) of the vehicle. The plurality of selection units (108) is at least one of switches, knobs, buttons, gesture recognition units or touch panel. The plurality of selection units (108) is powered by a power source (109). In an embodiment of the present disclosure, all the electronic components are powered by the power source (109), for example, battery. However, the present disclosure is not limited to any particular arrangement of switches, buttons or touch panel and one should not consider battery as the only kind of power source that can be used. The ECU (101) is also configured to detect values of accelerator pedal position and engine speed from a plurality of sensors (104). The plurality of sensors (104) includes engine speed sensor, acceleration pedal position sensor, engine temperature sensor, vehicle speed sensor.

Referring now to FIG.2 which illustrates in greater detail the system (100) for indicating gear shift in the vehicle with ECU (101) and other associated components. As shown in FIG. 2 the system (100) comprises a memory unit (106) which is associated with the ECU (101). The memory unit (106) stores plurality of sets of data such as but not limiting to values of accelerator pedal position and engine speed corresponding to plurality of drive modes (102) of the vehicle. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the memory unit (106) stores data in the form of plurality of look-up tables (103) also referred to as shift maps. In an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, the memory unit (106) stores three look-up tables (103), in which at least one of the look tables corresponds to one of the drive mode of the vehicle. Each of the plurality of look-up tables (103) store values of accelerator pedal position and engine speed according to corresponding drive modes (102) of the vehicle. The pre-set values are stored in the memory unit (106) in the form of look-up tables (103). In an embodiment of the disclosure, the look-up tables (103) store the data of engine speed in RPM and accelerator pedal position in degrees, for up shift and down shift of gears. The data stored is unique for each drive mode of the vehicle, i.e. sports mode, economy mode and city mode have corresponding look-up tables (103) so as to optimize the gear shifting and derive the best output as per the drive mode selected.

As shown in FIG.2 the ECU (101) of the system (100) is associated with the memory unit (106), and is configured to receive inputs from a plurality of sensors (104). In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the memory unit (106) is part of the ECU (101). The sensors (104) include, but are not limiting to, engine speed sensor, acceleration pedal sensor, and vehicle speed sensor. The sensors (104) sense the signals from engine and transmission unit and transmit this signal to the ECU (101). The ECU (101) then detects these signals and converts it into the form of values such as accelerator pedal position and engine speed. In an embodiment of the disclosure, the accelerator pedal position is measured in the form of degrees and engine speed in the form of Revolutions per Minute (RPM). Then, the ECU (101) compares the detected values of accelerator pedal position and engine speed are with the pre-set values of accelerator pedal position and engine speed stored in one of the plurality of look-up tables (103) corresponding to detected drive mode of the vehicle. After the comparison of the detected values and pre-set values, the ECU (101) indicates gear shift on a display unit (105) which is associated with the ECU (101). The display unit (103) indicate to the user to either up shift or down shift of gear based on the comparison. In an embodiment of the disclosure, the display unit (105) indicates the gear shift in at least one of graphical and numerical form. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the display unit (105) in the multi drive mode vehicle is configured with arrow indicators along with digital display, and is adapted to indicate the up-shift or down shift of gear with numerical indication of the current gear. This eliminates the requirement of separate digital display unit in the instrument cluster for indicating the up-shift or downshift of gear thereby reduces the total cost.

Embodiment of the disclosure illustrates different values for gear up shift and down shift. For example, look-up table for sports mode stores the range of values for up shift and down shift. Suppose, current gear of the vehicle is 1, engine speed of vehicle is greater than 3100 RPM and accelerator pedal position is greater than 15 degrees then the display unit (105) which is associated with the ECU (101) indicates up shift in the form of upper arrow. The display unit (105) also displays the gear number to be selected. In an embodiment of the disclosure, the display unit (105) is configured in the vehicle cabin, for example in the instrument cluster (107).

Referring to FIG.3, which is an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure illustrating a pictorial representation of an instrument cluster (107) comprising display unit (105). The instrument cluster (107) which is a set of instrumentation generally includes speedometer, fuel indicator, headlight indicator etc. In addition, the instrument cluster (107) of the present disclosure includes a plurality of selection units (108) in the form of switches or touch panel and a display unit (105). The display unit (105) is communicably interfaced with the ECU (101) and is at least one of display screen, blinker, flasher and indicator. The display unit (105) is configured to display the optimal gear in which the vehicle is to be driven according to the drive mode selected. In an embodiment of the disclosure, the display unit (105) is configured to indicate two parameters that is displayed, firstly it indicates up shift or down shift of gear in the graphical form, and also displays the gear in which the vehicle is to be driven in numerical form. For example, if current gear of the vehicle is 3 and based on inputs received and processing by the ECU the optimal gear in which the vehicle should be driven is 4. The ECU (101) accordingly sends out a signal to the display unit (105) which displays the gear to be driven in – 4 and also there is an indication of upshift on the display unit (105). The display unit (105) thus recommends up shift or down shift as up arrow and down arrow symbols respectively for user action thereafter.

The system (100) for indicating gear shift in a multi drive mode vehicle is activated only under certain conditions as illustrated in FIG.4. These conditions include clutch pedal not pressed for a pre-determined period of time and gear shift is not done for predetermined time. The other conditions under which gear shift indication system (100) is active, is when safety features like Anti-Locking Breaking System (ABS), cruise control etc is not active. The ECU (101) will monitor all the aforesaid conditions, and if all the conditions are met then the ECU (101) will activate the system (100) for indicating the gear shift.

FIG.5 is an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure which illustrates a flowchart of method of indicating gear shift in a multi drive-mode vehicle.

As illustrated in FIG.5, the method comprises one or more blocks for gear shift indication in a vehicle. The method may be described in the general context of processor executable instructions. Generally, the executable instructions can include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, procedures, modules, and functions, which perform particular functions or implement particular abstract data types.

The order in which the method is described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described method blocks can be combined in any order to implement the method. Additionally, individual blocks may be deleted from the methods without departing from the scope of the subject matter described herein. Furthermore, the method can be implemented in any suitable hardware, software, firmware, or combination thereof.

At block 501, the ECU (101) inspects whether conditions for activating the gear shift indication system (100) is true. The gear shift indication system (100) is active only under certain conditions i.e. when clutch pedal is in rest position and gear shift is not done for pre-determined time. If these conditions are satisfied, the ECU (101) receives signals from various units of the gear shift indication system (100) as shown in block 502. As indicated in the block 503, the ECU (101) receives signals from the selection units (108) on the drive mode selected from a plurality of drive modes (102). Plurality of drive modes (102) includes sports mode, city mode and economy mode. The memory unit (106) which stores plurality of look-up tables (103) consist data such as accelerator pedal position and engine speed corresponding to each of the plurality of drive modes (102). After detecting the drive mode selected the ECU (101) detects values of accelerator pedal position and engine speed from a plurality of sensors (104). The ECU (101) then compares these detected values with the values stored in plurality of look-up tables (103) depending on the drive mode.

At block 504, the ECU (101) compares the detected values of the acceleration pedal position and the engine speed with the pre-set values of acceleration pedal position and the engine speed stored in the look-up table corresponding to selected drive mode.

The ECU generates a recommendation signal after comparing the values at step 504. In an embodiment, the recommendation value will be generated based on the mode. For example, if the selected drive mode (102) is sports mode, the ECU (101) recommends getting the best pedal response. If the selected drive mode (102) is economy mode, recommendation by the ECU (101) is to get fuel economy from the vehicle. If the selected drive mode (102) is city mode, the ECU (101) recommends such that there is a trade-off between the pedal response and fuel economy. After comparison in block 504 the ECU checks for gear shift indication system (100) as indicated in block 501. If condition of the gear shift indication system is still true, then the ECU (101) takes the next step of action.

At block 506, the display unit (105) in association with the ECU (101) indicates up shift and down shift of gear and also displays the gear in which the vehicle should be driven in, to get the best response from the vehicle. The display unit (105) is configured in the instrument cluster (107) of the vehicle.

The ECU (101) may be used for implementing all the computing systems that may be utilized to implement the features of the present disclosure. The ECU (101) may comprise a processing unit. The processing unit may comprise at least one data processor for executing program components for executing user- or system-generated requests. The processor may include specialized processing units such as integrated system (bus) controllers, memory management control units, floating point units, graphics processing units, digital signal processing units, etc. The processing unit may include a microprocessor, such as AMD Athlon, Duron or Opteron, ARM’s application, embedded or secure processors, IBM PowerPC, Intel’s Core, Itanium, Xeon, Celeron or other line of processors, etc. The processing unit may be implemented using mainframe, distributed processor, multi-core, parallel, grid, or other architectures. Some embodiments may utilize embedded technologies like application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), etc.

The processing unit may be disposed in communication with one or more input/output (I/O) devices via I/O interface. The I/O interface may employ communication protocols/methods such as, without limitation, audio, analog, digital, monoaural, RCA, stereo, IEEE-1394, serial bus, universal serial bus (USB), infrared, PS/2, BNC, coaxial, component, composite, digital visual interface (DVI), high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), RF antennas, S-Video, VGA, IEEE 802.n /b/g/n/x, Bluetooth, cellular (e.g., code-division multiple access (CDMA), high-speed packet access (HSPA+), global system for mobile communications (GSM), long-term evolution (LTE), WiMax, or the like), etc.

In some embodiments, the ECU (101) may be disposed in communication with one or more memory devices (e.g., RAM, ROM etc.) via a storage interface. The storage interface may connect to memory devices including, without limitation, memory drives, removable disc drives, etc., employing connection protocols such as serial advanced technology attachment (SATA), integrated drive electronics (IDE), IEEE-1394, universal serial bus (USB), fibre channel, small computing system interface (SCSI), etc. The memory drives may further include a drum, magnetic disc drive, magneto-optical drive, optical drive, redundant array of independent discs (RAID), solid-state memory devices, solid-state drives, etc.

In some embodiments, the memory unit (106) may store data as described in this disclosure. Such databases may be implemented as fault-tolerant, relational, scalable, secure databases such as Oracle or Sybase. Alternatively, such databases may be implemented using standardized data structures, such as an array, hash, linked list, struct, structured text file (e.g., XML), table, or as object-oriented databases (e.g., using ObjectStore, Poet, Zope, etc.). Such databases may be consolidated or distributed, sometimes among the various computing units discussed above in this disclosure. It is to be understood that the structure and operation of the any computer or database component may be combined, consolidated, or distributed in any working combination.

Furthermore, one or more computer-readable storage media may be utilized in implementing embodiments consistent with the present disclosure. A computer-readable storage medium refers to any type of physical memory on which information or data readable by a processor may be stored. Thus, a computer-readable storage medium may store instructions for execution by one or more processors, including instructions for causing the processor(s) to perform steps or stages consistent with the embodiments described herein. The term “computer-readable medium” should be understood to include tangible items and exclude carrier waves and transient signals, i.e., are non-transitory. Examples include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), volatile memory, non-volatile memory, hard drives, CD ROMs, DVDs, flash drives, disks, and any other known physical storage media.

Advantages of the present disclosure
The present disclosure provides a method to indicate gear shift in different driving modes of the vehicle which improves fuel efficiency in the economy mode, best pedal response in sports mode, and trade-off between pedal response and fuel efficiency based on driving conditions in the city.

The present disclosure provides a method and system to indicate gear shift in multi-drive mode vehicle which indicates appropriate gear shift in each drive mode of the vehicle and also avoids engine over run.

Equivalents
With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.

It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, are generally intended as "open" terms (e.g., the term "including" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to," the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least," the term "includes" should be interpreted as "includes but is not limited to," etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding the description may contain usage of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles "a" or "an" limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least one" and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an" (e.g., "a" and/or "an" should typically be interpreted to mean "at least one" or "one or more"); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of "two recitations," without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to "at least one of A, B, and C, etc." is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to "at least one of A, B, or C, etc." is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, or C" would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase "A or B" will be understood to include the possibilities of "A" or "B" or "A and B."

While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated in the description.

Referral Numerals:

Reference Number Description
100 A system for indicating gear shift
101 Electronic Control Unit (ECU)
102 Drive - modes
103 Lookup tables
104 Sensors
105 Display unit
106 Memory unit
107 Instrument cluster
108 Selection units
109 Power source
501-506 Flow-chart blocks ,CLAIMS:We claim:

1. A method for indicating gear shift in a multi drive-mode vehicle, the method comprising acts of:
detecting, by an Electronic Control Unit [ECU] (101), one of plurality of drive modes (102) of the vehicle being selected;
detecting, by the ECU (101), values of accelerator pedal position and engine speed based on inputs received from plurality of sensors (104);
comparing, by the ECU (101), detected values of accelerator pedal position and engine speed with a pre-set values of accelerator pedal position and engine speed in look-up table (103) corresponding to the detected drive mode, wherein each of the plurality of drive modes (102) comprises a corresponding look-up table (103);
indicating, on a display unit (105) associated with the ECU (101), up shift and down shift of the gear based on comparison by the ECU (101).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the look-up tables (103) corresponding to each of the plurality of drive modes (102) of the vehicle are stored in a memory unit (106) associated with the ECU (101).

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of drive modes (102) includes city mode, economy mode and sports mode.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive modes (102) are selected through a plurality of selection units (108) provided in the vehicle.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors (104) is engine speed sensor, acceleration pedal sensor and vehicle speed sensor.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 comprises an act of activating gear shift indication by the ECU (101) when clutch pedal is in rest position and gear shift is not operated for predetermined time.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display unit (105) indicates up shift and down shift of the gear as at least one of numerical value, graphical representation, and combination of numerical value and graphical representation.

8. A system (100) for indicating gear shift in a multi drive-mode vehicle, the system (100) comprising:
a memory unit (106) configured to store a plurality of look-up tables (103), wherein at least one of the plurality of look-up tables (103) corresponds to at least one of the plurality of drive modes (102) of the vehicle; and
an Electronic Control Unit [ECU] (101) in communication with the memory unit (106), the ECU (101) is configured to perform:
detection of one of plurality of drive-modes (102) of the vehicle being selected;
detection of values of accelerator pedal position and engine speed based on inputs received from plurality of sensors (104);
comparison of the detected values of accelerator pedal position and engine speed with pre-set values of accelerator pedal position and engine speed in the look-up table (103) corresponding to the detected drive mode; and
indication, on a display unit (105) associated with the ECU (101), up shift and down shift of the gear, based on comparison by the ECU (101).

9. The system (100) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the display unit (105) is configured in an instrument cluster (107) of the vehicle.

10. The system (100) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the display unit (105) is at least one of display screen, blinker, flasher and indicator.

11. The system (100) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the plurality of drive-modes (102) include city mode, economy mode and sports mode.

12. The system (100) as claimed in claim 8 comprises a plurality of selection units (108) to select the drive mode of the vehicle.

13. The system (100) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the plurality of selection units (108) is powered by a power source (109).

14. The system (100) as claimed in claim 8 comprises a plurality of sensors (104) which sends signals to the ECU (101).

15. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the plurality of sensors (104) include engine speed sensor, accelerator position sensor and vehicle speed sensor.

16. The system (100) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the ECU (101) activates gear shift indication when clutch pedal is in rest position and gear shift is not operated for predetermined time.

17. A vehicle comprising a system (100) for indicating gear shift as claimed in claim 8.