Utilization of navigation information for intelligent hybrid operating strategy

• US 20090012664A1
• Filed: 07/06/2007
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Christ, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,849,485 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/06 using only one supply
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/68 Traffic data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/30 using propulsion power stored mechanically, e.g. in fly-wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/13 in order to stay within battery power input or output limits; in order to prevent overcharging or battery depletion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/00 Input parameters relating to infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/406 Traffic density
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/103 Speed profile
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/182 Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 : Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A system for operating an hybrid vehicle is described. The system includes an hybrid operating strategy module for controlling hybrid operating functions of the vehicle based on input data, a navigation system providing vehicle routing input data to the hybrid operating strategy module, and a traffic information system providing traffic information input data to the hybrid operating strategy module. The hybrid operating strategy module determines electric portions of the vehicle route for charging batteries of the vehicle and inner portions of the vehicle route for prioritizing electric driving.

Claims

1. A system for operating a hybrid vehicle, comprising:

a navigation system providing vehicle routing input data of the hybrid vehicle; and

a hybrid operating strategy module for controlling hybrid operating functions of the vehicle based on the vehicle routing input data and traffic information input data received from a traffic information system; and

wherein the hybrid operating strategy module determines electric portions of the vehicle route in which to charge an energy storage device of the vehicle, and inner portions of the vehicle route in which to prioritize electric driving.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle routing input data comprises at least one of vehicle location, destination location and vehicle route.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the hybrid operating strategy module defines the inner portions of the vehicle route to be smaller than and substantially within the electric portions thereof.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the inner portions and electrical portions are substantially circular.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the hybrid operating functions comprise at least one of a energy storage device charging functionality, an electric driving functionality and an air conditioning functionality.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of energy storage devices, electrical machines and an air conditioner controlled by the hybrid operating strategy module.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the electric portions and the inner portions are defined around at least one of departure points, destination points and traffic jams along the vehicle route.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the inner portions are defined about a home and a workplace of a vehicle user.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the inner portions are defined about a traffic jam along the vehicle route.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the inner portions and the electric portions are defined by one of a selected time and a selected distance from a point of interest along the vehicle route.

11. The system according to claim 6, wherein, in the electric portions of the vehicle route, the energy storage devices are charged to meet expected high charge demands.

12. The system according to claim 6, wherein, in the inner portions of the vehicle route, the electric motors preferentially provide propulsion to the vehicle.

13. A method of operating a hybrid vehicle, comprising the acts of:

determining in a navigation system navigation data comprising a location, a destination and a route of the vehicle;

receiving, from a traffic information system, traffic location data along the route of the vehicle;

receiving in a hybrid operating strategy module the navigation data and the traffic location data to predict points of interest along the route of the vehicle; and

defining in the hybrid operating strategy module electric portions of the vehicle route for charging an energy storage device of the vehicle and inner portions of the vehicle route for prioritizing electric driving in proximity of the selected locations.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the acts of defining the inner portions substantially within the electric portions.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising instructing a energy storage device charging functionality to charge the energy storage device when in the electric portions.

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising instructing an electric drive functionality to preferentially utilize electric propulsion when in the inner portions.

17. The method according to claim 14, further comprising defining the inner portions and the electric portions about at least one of a home and a workplace specified by a user of the vehicle.

18. The method according to claim 14, further comprising defining the inner portions and the electric portions about traffic locations along the vehicle route.

19. The method according to claim 13, further comprising depicting the electric portions and the inner portions of the route on a map display.

20. The method according to claim 13, further comprising defining the electric regions and the inner regions by specifying one of a distance to and a time to a points of interest along the vehicle route.