CONSERVATIONAL VEHICLE ROUTING

• US 20110166774A1
• Filed: 08/26/2010
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Schunder, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,185,302 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects

Abstract

A route-determination method includes gathering road-related data in a vehicle navigation system (VNS) for a plurality of routes between two locations. This may include weighting two or more of the possible routes in the VNS based at least on the road-related data. Also, this may include adjusting the weighting in the VNS for each weighted route based on projected fuel consumption and determining an optimal fuel usage route in the VNS based on the adjusted weighting. Further, this may include outputting at least one optimal fuel usage route.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

gathering data in a vehicle navigation system (VNS) for a plurality of routes between two locations;

weighting two or more possible routes in the VNS based at least on the data;

adjusting the weighting in the VNS for each weighted route based on projected fuel consumption;

determining an optimal fuel usage route in the VNS based on the adjusted weighting; and

outputting at least one fuel usage route corresponding to input fuel-usage desires.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining one or more energy generating systems associated with a vehicle;

correlating one or more elements of the data to the one or more energy generating systems, wherein

the weighting is based at least in part on an indication, based on the data, that favorable conditions for energy generation occur over a portion of or all of the possible route.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the energy generating systems include at least a regenerative braking system or a solar power generator.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein at least one element of the data includes elevation data and the elevation data is correlated with the regenerative braking system.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein at least one element of the data includes stop sign data and the stop sign data is correlated with the regenerative braking system.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein at least one element of the data includes traffic light data and the traffic light data is correlated with the regenerative braking system.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein at least one element of the data includes traffic data and the traffic data is correlated with the regenerative braking system.

8. A method comprising:

receiving input to a vehicle navigation system (VNS) instructing determination of a continuous travel route;

gathering data in the VNS for a plurality of routes between two locations;

weighting two or more of the routes in the VNS based on potential stopping points indicated by the data;

selecting the weighted route in the VNS whose weighting indicates the least likely number of stopping points; and

outputting, from the VNS, the selected route having the least likely number of stopping points.

9. The route determination method of claim 8, wherein the data includes stop sign data.

10. The route determination method of claim 8, wherein the data includes historical traffic data.

11. The route determination method of claim 8, wherein the data includes real time traffic data.

12. The route determination method of claim 8, wherein the data includes traffic light data.

13. A route determination method comprising:

determining, through a vehicle navigation system (VNS) in communication with a vehicle computing system, a low fuel condition, including a point-of-no-return;

calculating a projected remaining travelable distance based at least in part on a remaining fuel value;

locating, in the VNS, one or more refueling stations within the remaining travelable distance; and

providing, via the VNS, an option to re-route a travel route to include a stop at one of the one or more refueling stations.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the providing further comprises:

presenting, via the VNS, a selectable option to re-route the travel route; and

dependant on selection of the option, modifying in the VNS and displaying via the VNS a travel route including a stop at one of the one or more refueling stations.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the selectable option is touch-selectable.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the selectable option is voice-selectable.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the modifying further comprises:

maintaining a previous final destination of the travel route; and

modifying, via the VNS, the travel route to include a stop at the one of the one or more refueling stations and to end at the previous final destination.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining, via the VNS, that only one refueling station is within the remaining travelable distance; and

warning the driver, via the VNS, that only one refueling station is within the remaining travelable distance.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

warning the driver, via the VNS, that passing the point-of-no-return may result in an out-of-fuel condition, wherein the warning includes a visual or verbal indicator prior to reaching the point-of-no-return.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining, via the VNS, that no refueling stations exist within the remaining travelable distance;

finding, in the VNS, the closest refueling station outside the remaining travelable distance;

notifying the driver, via the VNS, of a likely out-of-fuel condition;

notifying the driver, via the VNS, of the closest refueling station; and

suggesting, via the VNS, one or more measures the driver may wish to undertake to preserve fuel.