System And Method For Determining An Expected Vehicle Drive Range

• US 20110166810A1
• Filed: 08/04/2010
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Grider, Duane M., Blakemore, Bruce Carvell
• Granted Patent: US 8,121,802 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/63
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/52 drive range estimation, e.g. of estimation of available travel distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/54 Energy consumption estimation
• 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

Abstract

A vehicle may include one or more controllers configured to determine a remaining energy of the vehicle'"'"'s battery, to determine a series of energy consumption rates of the vehicle, and to select a set of energy consumption rates from the series. The one or more controllers may be further configured to determine an expected drive range for the vehicle based on the remaining energy and the selected set of energy consumption rates.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

an electric machine configured to generate motive power for the vehicle;

a battery configured to store energy for the electric machine; and

one or more controllers configured to

determine a remaining energy of the battery,

determine a series of energy consumption rates for the vehicle,

determine whether at least one of the series of energy consumption rates differs from an average of the series of energy consumption rates by a predetermined amount, and

determine an expected vehicle drive range based on the remaining energy and the at least one of the series of energy consumption rates if the at least one of the series of energy consumption rates differs from the average of the series of energy consumption rates by the predetermined amount.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the one or more controllers are further configured to determine an expected vehicle drive range based on the remaining energy and all of the series of energy consumption rates if the at least one of the series of energy consumption rates does not differ from the average of the series of energy consumption rates by the predetermined amount.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein each of the series of energy consumption rates is determined for a specified distance travelled by the vehicle.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a driver interface, wherein the one or more controllers are further configured to cause the expected vehicle drive range to be at least one of displayed or played via the driver interface.

5. A vehicle comprising:

an electric machine configured to generate motive power for the vehicle;

a battery configured to store energy for the electric machine; and

one or more controllers configured to

determine a remaining energy of the battery,

determine a series of energy consumption rates for the vehicle,

select a set of energy consumption rates from the series, and

determine an expected drive range for the vehicle based on the remaining energy and the selected set of energy consumption rates.

6. The vehicle of claim 5 wherein the one or more controllers are further configured to determine whether an average of the series of energy consumption rates differs from an average of a subset of the series of energy consumption rates by a predetermined amount and wherein the one or more controllers are configured to select the set of energy consumption rates from the series based on whether the average of the series differs from the average of the subset by the predetermined amount.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 wherein the selected set of energy consumption rates includes the subset of the series of energy consumption rates if the average of the series differs from the average of the subset by the predetermined amount.

8. The vehicle of claim 5 wherein the one or more controllers are further configured to determine an average of the series of energy consumption rates, to determine a number of the energy consumption rates of the series that differ from the average by a predetermined amount, and to determine whether the number exceeds a predetermined number, and wherein the one or more controllers are configured to select the set of energy consumption rates from the series based on whether the number exceeds the predetermined number.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 wherein the selected set of energy consumption rates includes the energy consumption rates of the series that differ from the average by the predetermined amount if the number exceeds the predetermined number.

10. The vehicle of claim 5 wherein the selected set of energy consumption rates includes all of the energy consumption rates of the series.

11. The vehicle of claim 5 further comprising a driver interface, wherein the one or more controllers are further configured to cause the expected vehicle drive range to be at least one of displayed or played via the driver interface.

12. A method for advising a driver of a vehicle including a battery comprising:

determining a remaining energy of the battery;

determining a series of energy consumption rates of the vehicle;

selecting a set of energy consumption rates from the series;

determining an expected drive range for the vehicle based on the remaining energy and the selected set of energy consumption rates; and

presenting the expected drive range to the driver via a driver interface.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising determining whether an average of the series of energy consumption rates differs from an average of a subset of the series of energy consumption rates by a predetermined amount and wherein the set of energy consumption rates is selected based on whether the average of the series differs from the average of the subset by the predetermined amount.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the selected set of energy consumption rates includes the subset of the series of energy consumption rates if the average of the series differs from the average of the subset by the predetermined amount.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the selected set of energy consumption rates includes all of the energy consumption rates of the series if the average of the series does not differ from the average of the subset by the predetermined amount.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising determining an average of the series of energy consumption rates, determining a number of the energy consumption rates of the series that differ from the average by a predetermined amount, and determining whether the number exceeds a predetermined number, and wherein the set of energy consumption rates is selected from the series based on whether the number exceeds the predetermined number.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the selected set of energy consumption rates includes the energy consumption rates of the series that differ from the average by the predetermined amount if the number exceeds the predetermined number.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein each of the series of energy consumption rates is determined for a specified distance travelled by the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the set of energy consumption rates includes all of the energy consumption rates of the series.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein presenting the expected drive range to the driver via the driver interface includes at least one of playing or displaying the expected drive range via the driver interface.