Power management systems and devices

• US 20070112475A1
• Filed: 11/17/2005
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iQar Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motility Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Brown, Stephen, Harper, Jason, Koebler, Martin, Goldstein, Nicole
• Granted Patent: US 7,925,426 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/12 by confirmation, e.g. of the input
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

Described herein are devices, systems, and methods for managing the power consumption of an automotive vehicle, and thereby for optimizing the power consumption of the vehicle. The devices and systems for managing the power consumption of the vehicle typically include power management logic that can calculate an applied power for the vehicle engine based on information provided from the external environment of the vehicle, the operational status of the vehicle, one or more command inputs from a driver, and one or more operational parameters of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A device for managing the power consumption of an automotive vehicle comprising:

power management logic operable to calculate an applied power for the vehicle engine from;

information about the external environment of the vehicle;

information about the operational status of the vehicle;

one or more command inputs; and

one or more operational parameters of the vehicle.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a processor responsive to the power management logic.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the processor comprises a microprocessor.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising a motor control mechanism, wherein the motor control mechanism controls the application of power to the vehicle engine.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein information about the external environment of the vehicle is selected from the group consisting of:

the current location of the vehicle, the elevation of the vehicle, upcoming elevations of the vehicle, the current slope/grade of road, the predicted slope/grade of the next segments of road, traffic surrounding the vehicle, the location of stoplights, the timing of stoplights, a map of the roadway, the present angle of the sun, the predicted angle of the sun for upcoming route segments, the weather around the vehicle, present wind direction, the predicted wind direction for upcoming route segments, present wind velocity, the predicted wind velocity for upcoming route segments, current temperature, the predicted temperature for upcoming route segments, current air pressure, predicted air pressure for upcoming route segments, time of day, date, day of week, visibility, present road conditions, predicted road conditions for upcoming route segments, and the distance from other vehicles.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein information about the operational status of the vehicle is selected from the group consisting of:

the vehicle'"'"'s current speed, the motor speed, the vehicle'"'"'s current orientation, the RPM of the vehicle'"'"'s motor, wheel rotations per minute, the battery state, the voltage of the battery, the amp hours from the battery, the state of the battery, temperature of battery, the age of the battery, and the number of times the battery has charged and discharged, the tire pressure, the drag force due to rolling resistance of the vehicle, the weight of vehicle, the amount of air going to the engine, the amount of gas going to engine, and the weight of driver.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the command input is selected from the group consisting of:

the acceleration applied by a driver, the braking applied by a driver, the vehicle'"'"'s known or predicted final destination, the vehicle'"'"'s known or predicted interim destination, preferred speed, maximum and minimum range over which speed should adjust, and preferred route.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the operational parameter of the vehicle is selected from the group consisting of:

aerodynamic parameters (CDA), rolling resistance parameters (Crr1 and Crr2), drive train efficiency parameters, motor efficiency parameters, and battery model parameters, battery charge and discharge relationships, type of battery.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising a memory containing vehicle information about one or more operational parameters for the vehicle.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the vehicle engine comprises an engine selected from the group consisting of:

an internal combustion engine (gasoline, diesel, ethanol and other derivatives), a hybrid internal combustion/electric engine, an electric engine powered by the electric grid (plug-in), an electric engine powered by the sun (solar), an electric engine powered by hydrogen fuel cell.

11. A system for managing the power consumption of an automotive vehicle, comprising:

a first input, operable to receive information about the external environment of the vehicle;

a second input, operable to receive information about the operational status of the vehicle;

a third input, operable to receive one or more command inputs from a driver of the vehicle;

a memory containing vehicle information about one or more operational parameters of the vehicle;

power management logic operable to calculate an applied power for the vehicle engine from the first input, the second input, the third input, and the memory; and

a processor responsive to the power management logic.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a motor control mechanism, wherein the motor control mechanism regulates the application of power to the vehicle engine.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the first input is selected from the group consisting of:

the current location of the vehicle, the elevation of the vehicle, upcoming elevations of the vehicle, the current slope/grade of road, the predicted slope/grade of the next segments of road, the vehicle'"'"'s known or predicted final destination, the vehicle'"'"'s known or predicted interim destination, traffic surrounding the vehicle, the location of stoplights, the timing of stoplights, a map of the roadway, the present angle of the sun, the predicted angle of the sun for upcoming route segments, the weather around the vehicle, present wind direction, the predicted wind direction for upcoming route segments, present wind velocity, the predicted wind velocity for upcoming route segments, current temperature, the predicted temperature for upcoming route segments, current air pressure, predicted air pressure for upcoming route segments, time of day, date, day of week, visibility, present road conditions, predicted road conditions for upcoming route segments, and the distance from other vehicles.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the second input is selected from the group consisting of:

the vehicle'"'"'s current speed, the motor speed, the vehicle'"'"'s current orientation, the RPM of the vehicle'"'"'s motor, wheel rotations per minute, the battery state, the voltage of the battery, the amp hours from the battery, the state of the battery, temperature of battery, the age of the battery, and the number of times the battery has charged and discharged, the tire pressure, the drag force due to rolling resistance of the vehicle, the weight of vehicle, the amount of air going to the engine, the amount of gas going to engine, and the weight of driver.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the third input is selected from the group consisting of:

the acceleration applied by a driver, the braking applied by a driver, the intended destination, preferred speed, maximum and minimum range over which speed should adjust, and preferred route.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the memory includes at least one operational parameter of the vehicle selected from the group consisting of:

aerodynamic parameters (CDA), rolling resistance parameters (Crr1 and Crr2), drive train efficiency parameters, motor efficiency parameters, and battery model parameters, battery charge and discharge relationships, type of battery.

17. A method of managing the power consumption of a vehicle, comprising:

calculating an applied power for the vehicle using a processor, the processor receiving;

a first input comprising information about the environment of the vehicle;

a second input comprising information about the operational status of the vehicle;

a third input comprising a command input from the driver of the vehicle;

a fourth input comprising vehicle information about the operational parameters of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising applying the applied power to the engine of the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of calculating an applied power further comprises:

determining a route;

segmenting the route into one or more segment destinations;

calculating an energy efficient speed for the vehicle to travel to the segment destination;

determining a target speed for the vehicle to travel to the segment destination; and

calculating the applied power from the target speed.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising continuously calculating the applied power until a final destination is reached.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of determining a target speed for the vehicle further comprises determining a historical speed for a similar destination.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising notifying the operator of the vehicle of the calculated applied power.