Determining weight of electric and hybrid vehicles

• US 10,071,742 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2017
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hall Logic Incorporated
• Original Assignee: NewVistas Capital, LLC
• Inventors: Hall, Michael, Myer, Seth
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Tyler J
• Application Number:
  US15/401,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20180194357A1
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 701 22, 701 302, 701 342- 344
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/16 Type of output information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/14 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/32 Driving direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/44 by parameter estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/11 using model predictive control [MPC] strategies, i.e. control methods based on models predicting performance utilising navigation and traffic information in the control strategy B60W20/12
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/15 Control strategies specially adapted for achieving a particular effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/006 Interpolation; Extrapolation
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/14 Tractor-trailers, i.e. combinations of a towing vehicle and one or more towed vehicles, e.g. caravans; Road trains
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/081 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/1005 Transmission ratio engaged
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/18 Braking system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/125 Lateral acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/16 Pitch
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/18 Roll
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/10 : Weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/13 : Load or weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 : Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/91 : Electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/92 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/92 : Driver displays
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 : Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 : using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

In various example embodiments, a system and method for determining a gross combined weight of an electric or hybrid vehicle and its load is disclosed. A method includes: providing predetermined calibration settings relating engine drive force to engine speed and electric motor drive force to motor speed for a vehicle travelling at various speeds, altering accelerometer data based on filtered vehicle pitch and roll data, determining that one or more vehicle performance parameters fall within a threshold range, storing a plurality of data pairs that include longitudinal acceleration and drive force, and determining a slope of a line that linearly approximates the plurality of data pairs, the slope indicating a total weight, the total weight comprising a weight of the vehicle and a weight being hauled by the vehicle; and transmitting the total weight to a display.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing an at least partially electric vehicle comprising one or more electric motors and sensors sensing motor performance characteristics;

providing drive force based on electric motor current, voltage and speed;

providing predetermined calibration settings relating electric motor drive force to motor speed for the at least partially electric vehicle traveling at various speeds;

providing vehicle pitch measurements, roll measurements or a combination thereof,

determining filtered data based on the combination of pitch and roll measurements;

providing accelerometer data to determine vehicle velocity, acceleration, and direction of travel;

altering the accelerometer data based on the filtered data;

determining by use of one or more processors of a machine, that one or more of a vehicle performance parameters fall within threshold ranges;

wherein the vehicle performance parameters comprise the motor performance characteristics, the drive force, and the accelerometer data;

storing, in response to the vehicle performance parameters being within the threshold ranges, a plurality of data pairs, each data pair comprising a longitudinal acceleration and the drive force, the drive force determined according to a calibrated polynomial for a current velocity of the at least partially electric vehicle;

determining a slope of a line that linearly approximates the plurality of data pairs, the slope indicating a total weight, the total weight consisting of a weight of the at least partially electric vehicle and a weight being hauled by the at least partially electric vehicle; and

transmitting the total weight to a display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the slope of the line comprises:

setting the initial y intercept of force vs. acceleration to zero; and

performing regression analysis on the plurality of data pairs resulting in a first order drive force polynomial, a first order coefficient representing the total weight.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the drive force comprises a combined drive force of all motor drive forces, engine drive forces and motive force devices;

and

wherein providing predetermined calibration settings further consists of relating engine drive force to engine speed for the at least partially electric vehicle traveling at various speeds.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the vehicle performance parameters are selected from the group consisting of lateral acceleration, velocity, electric motor speed, electric motor operating in braking mode as a generator, engine speed, longitudinal acceleration, brakes not being applied, and a transmission gear ratio.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein all settings are reset to zero and the method is restarted upon the occurrence of any one or more of the following:

vehicle being turned off;

vehicle pitch and shaking detection indicating load shift; and

vehicle travelling in reverse direction.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving one or more of the vehicle performance parameters from a computing device for the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the combined drive force is determined by determining a polynomial for each integer velocity of the at least partially electric vehicle by performing regression analysis on calibration data pairs for each integer velocity of the vehicle, the calibration data pairs comprising a calibration drive force, an electric motor speed and an engine speed, the calibration drive force determined by multiplying the weight of the vehicle with a longitudinal acceleration of the at least partially electric vehicle when the data pair was recorded.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising adjusting operation of the at least partially electric vehicle based on the weight of the at least partially electric vehicle;

wherein adjusting operation of the at least partially electric vehicle comprises at least one of adjusting brakes, adjusting a collision detection system, adjusting suspension, adjusting one or more transmission shift points, adjusting tire pressure, adjusting a throttle position sensor, adjusting electric motor performance, and tuning engine performance.

9. A system comprising:

an at least partially electric vehicle comprising one or more electric motors and sensors sensing motor performance characteristics;

one or more accelerometers that sense acceleration of the system;

one or more processors of a machine, wherein one or more of a vehicle performance parameters fall within threshold ranges;

a vehicle pitch and roll module that determines filtered data based on a vehicle pitch, roll or both, and altering accelerometer data based on the filtered data;

an interface module that retrieves one or more of the vehicle performance parameters, the vehicle performance parameters comprising at least one of parameters from a data interface for the vehicle, measurements from the one or more accelerometers, and drive force of all motive force devices;

a performance module that determines whether the vehicle performance parameters fall within respective threshold ranges;

a data module that stores, in response to the vehicle performance parameters being within the respective threshold ranges, a plurality of data pairs, each data pair comprising the longitudinal acceleration of a vehicle and a drive force for the at least partially electric vehicle, the drive force determined according to a calibrated polynomial for a current velocity of the at least partially electric vehicle;

a weight module that determines the weight being hauled by the at least partially electric vehicle by determining a slope of a line that linearly approximates the plurality of data pairs, the slope of the line indicating a total weight, the total weight consisting of a weight of the at least partially electric vehicle and a weight being hauled by the at least partially electric vehicle;

an output module that transmits the total weight to a display; and

an operation module that adjusts operation of the at least partially electric vehicle based on the total weight.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a detection module that records and compares the combined drive force RPM to vehicle speed, and uses this ratio to determine the at least partially electric vehicle'"'"'s axle ratio and tire size, which is then used to correct the calculated mass.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the vehicle performance parameters are selected from the group consisting of lateral acceleration, velocity, engine speed, longitudinal acceleration, brakes application status, and a selected transmission gear.

12. The system of claim 11, comprising system reset functions:

complete system reset upon vehicle being turned off;

complete system reset upon vehicle pitch and shaking detection indicating load shift;

and complete system reset upon vehicle travelling in reverse direction.

13. The system of claim 9, further comprising a calibration module that determines a polynomial for each integer velocity of the at least partially electric vehicle by performing regression analysis on calibration data pairs for each integer velocity of the at least partially electric vehicle, the calibration data pairs comprising a calibration drive force and an engine speed, the calibration drive force determined by multiplying the weight of the at least partially electric vehicle with a longitudinal acceleration of the at least partially electric vehicle when the data pair was received, the longitudinal acceleration including the force of gravity, the data module determining the drive force using the polynomial for a current speed of the at least partially electric vehicle.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the operation module adjusts operation of the at least partially electric vehicle by at least one of adjusting brake gain, adjusting a collision detection system, adjusting suspension, adjusting one or more transmission shift points, adjusting tire pressure, adjusting a throttle position sensor, adjusting electric motor performance, and adjusting engine performance.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing executable instructions thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations including:

retrieving one or more vehicle performance parameters for an at least partially electric vehicle by one of communicating with diagnostic port for the at least partially electric vehicle and communicating with one or more accelerometers providing accelerometer data;

determining filtered data based on vehicle pitch, roll or both;

altering the accelerometer data based on filtered data;

determining that the one or more vehicle performance parameters fall within a threshold range;

storing, in response to the vehicle parameters being within the respective threshold ranges, a plurality of data pairs, each data pair comprising a longitudinal acceleration and a drive force, the drive force determined according to a calibrated polynomial for a current velocity of the at least partially electric vehicle;

determining a slope of a line that linearly approximates the plurality of data pairs, the slope indicating a total weight, the total weight consisting of a weight of the at least partially electric vehicle and a weight being hauled by the at least partially electric vehicle; and

transmitting the total weight to a display.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operation of determining the slope of the line comprises:

setting the initial y intercept of force vs. acceleration to zero; and

performing regression analysis on the plurality of data pairs resulting in a first order drive force polynomial, a first order coefficient representing the total weight.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the combined drive force comprises all positive and negative forces from one or more electric motors, engines, and motive force devices.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the vehicle performance parameters are selected from the group consisting of lateral acceleration, velocity, engine speed, longitudinal acceleration, brakes not being applied, electric motor speed, electric motor current, electric motor voltage, and a transmission gear ratio.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the drive force is determined using a polynomial for a current speed of the at least partially electric vehicle, the polynomial generated by performing regression analysis on calibration data pairs for each integer velocity of the vehicle, the calibration data pairs comprising a calibration drive force and an engine speed, the calibration drive force determined by multiplying the weight of the at least partially electric vehicle with a longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle when the data pair was received.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising adjusting operation of the at least partially electric vehicle based on the weight being hauled by the at least partially electric vehicle;

wherein the operation of adjusting operation of the at least partially electric vehicle comprises at least one of adjusting brake gain, adjusting a collision detection system, adjusting suspension, adjusting one or more transmission shift points, adjusting tire pressure, adjusting a throttle position sensor, adjusting electric motor performance, and adjusting engine performance.