REAL-TIME ROUTE AND RECHARGE PLANNING

• US 20110288765A1
• Filed: 05/21/2010
• Published: 11/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Conway, Adrian E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,538,694 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/72 Charging station selection relying on external data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096816 where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• 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

A system may include a processing device and a routing application included on the processing device. The routing application may be configured to receive a destination location for a vehicle; determine a fuel efficiency of the vehicle; and determine a route for the vehicle from a current location to the destination location, the route being based on the fuel efficiency of the vehicle, a fuel capacity of the vehicle, an amount of fuel remaining for the vehicle, and navigation information including the location of at least one charging station.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processing device; and

a routing application included on the processing device and configured to;

receive a destination location for a vehicle;

determine a fuel efficiency of the vehicle; and

determine a route for the vehicle from a current location to the destination location, the route being based on the fuel efficiency of the vehicle, a fuel capacity of the vehicle, an amount of fuel remaining for the vehicle, and navigation information including the location of at least one charging station.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the routing application is further configured to determine the route according to at least one of Dijkstra'"'"'s algorithm and the A* algorithm.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing device is further configured to add at least one charging station as a destination on the route to ensure that the vehicle retains adequate fuel to complete the route.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing device is at least one of a mobile telephone, a global positioning system device, and a computing device embedded within the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the routing application is further configured to determine the fuel efficiency based on at least one of:

i. vehicle specification data including fuel efficiency data for a model vehicle;

ii. average actual vehicle efficiency obtained from historical vehicle statistics;

iii. weather information; and

iv. estimated speed of travel.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the routing application is further configured to:

receive an indication of a change in at least one factor that affects fuel efficiency of the vehicle;

update the fuel efficiency of the vehicle based on the indication; and

update the route based on the updated fuel efficiency.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a communications network in selective communications with the processing device; and

a navigation data system in communication with the processing device over the communications network;

wherein the processing device is further configured to receive at least a portion of the navigation information from the navigation data system.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a weather data system in communication with the processing device over the communications network and configured to send weather information to the routing application;

wherein the routing application is further configured to determine the fuel efficiency for the vehicle accounting for weather conditions indicated by the received weather information.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising a traffic data system in communication with the processing device over the communications network and configured to send traffic information to the routing application;

wherein the routing application is further configured to determine the route for the vehicle according to the received traffic information.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor associated with the vehicle, wherein the processing device is in selective communication with the at least sensor.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one sensor includes a position sensor configured to determine a location of the vehicle, and where the routing application is configured to determine the current location of the vehicle according to the position sensor.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one sensor includes a charge level sensor configured to determine the amount of fuel remaining for the vehicle, and where the routing application is configured to receive the determined amount of fuel remaining for the vehicle from the charge level sensor.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one sensor includes at least one of a temperature sensor configured to determine an temperature of the vehicle and a weight sensor configured to determine a weight of the vehicle, and where the routing application is configured to:

receive an indication of a change in at least one of temperature and vehicle weight;

update the fuel efficiency of the vehicle based on the indication; and

update the route based on the updated fuel efficiency.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising an application server, wherein the routing application is configured to determine the route in part by sending a message to the application server including the destination location, and receiving the determined route from the application server.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing device is further configured to:

receive a second destination location for the vehicle; and

determine the route for the vehicle further including the second destination location.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processing device is further configured to:

receive an indicated ordering of the destination location and the second destination location; and

determine the route according to the indicated ordering.

17. A method, comprising:

receiving a destination location for a vehicle;

determining by a processing device a fuel efficiency of the vehicle; and

determining by the processing device a route for the vehicle from a current location to the destination location, the route being based on the fuel efficiency of the vehicle, a fuel capacity of the vehicle, an amount of fuel remaining for the vehicle, and navigation information including the location of at least one charging station.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising displaying the route as at least one of superimposed on a map, a list of destinations including charging stations, and as textual descriptions of movements necessary to follow the route.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining the route further based additional factors that affect the fuel efficiency of the vehicle, including at least one of real-time traffic conditions, weather conditions, terrain conditions, vehicle condition, and vehicle weight.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining the fuel capacity of the vehicle accounting for a threshold amount that offsets the maximum fuel capacity.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising optimizing the route according to at least one of a shortest path heuristic, a fastest route heuristic, a most fuel-efficient route heuristic, a least expensive fuel when refueling heuristic, and a partial fuel fill-up heuristic.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving reports of the present status of at least one charging station; and

determining the route further based on the received reports.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining the route for the vehicle taking into account locations of charging stations.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein charging stations include fixed charging stations and vehicles configured to provide excess fuel to other vehicles.

25. A computer-readable medium tangibly embodying computer-executable instructions configured to cause a processing device to:

receive a destination location for a vehicle;

determine a fuel efficiency of the vehicle; and

determine a route for the vehicle from a current location to the destination location, the route being based on the fuel efficiency of the vehicle, a fuel capacity of the vehicle, an amount of fuel remaining for the vehicle, and navigation information including the location of at least one charging station.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, further including instructions configured to cause a processing device to:

receive an indication of a change in at least one of temperature and weight;

update the fuel efficiency of the vehicle based on the indication; and

update the route based on the updated fuel efficiency.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, further including instructions configured to cause a processing device to:

receive reports of the present status of at least one charging station;

determine at least a subset of charging station from the at least one charging station capable of refueling the vehicle; and

determine the route further based on the subset of charging stations capable of refueling the vehicle.