MANAGING ELECTRICAL POWER UTILIZATION IN AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE

• US 20110313652A1
• Filed: 06/17/2010
• Published: 12/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: HANCOCK, STEVEN M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,091,559 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/642 Slope of road
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/645 Type of road
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/647 Surface situation of road, e.g. type of paving
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/68 Traffic data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/72 Charging station selection relying on external data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/12 by confirmation, e.g. of the input
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/30 by voice
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/44 by parameter estimation
• 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: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• 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

Managing energy capacity in an electric vehicle based on a driver profile. This is achieved by various means, including interactively determining a travel plan with a user, calculating a total travel distance for the travel plan, determining how far the electric vehicle can travel based on its current energy level, and creating an energy replenishment plan based on the travel plan, the total travel distance, how far the vehicle can currently travel, and the driver profile.

Claims

1. A method of managing energy capacity in a vehicle, comprising:

generating, interactively with the user, a current travel plan, wherein the current travel plan includes one or more waypoints, and wherein the current travel plan is generated based on historical data relating to previous trips made by the user;

calculating a travel distance for the current travel plan, wherein the travel distance is a total distance to travel to each of the one or more waypoints in the current travel plan;

determining a maximum distance the vehicle can travel based on a current energy level of the vehicle; and

if the travel distance is greater than the maximum distance, creating an energy replenishment plan including one or more refueling waypoints, based on the current travel plan and a user profile that includes one or more preferences of the user for particular refueling waypoints.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a current position of the vehicle;

updating the current travel plan based on the current position of the vehicle; and

re-creating the energy replenishment plan based on the updated current travel plan.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein monitoring the position of the vehicle further comprises:

receiving a plurality of signals from a plurality of Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites; and

calculating the position of the vehicle based on the plurality of signals.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the travel plan further includes an amount of time spent at each waypoint, and wherein creating the energy replenishment plan further comprises:

calculating a charging schedule for the vehicle, wherein the charging schedule is based on the amount of time spent at each waypoint and a listing of off-peak charging hours.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if inadequate refueling waypoints are available, prompting the user to modify the current travel plan.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a hybrid electric vehicle, and wherein determining a maximum distance the vehicle can travel further comprises:

determining a fuel distance the vehicle can travel based on a current fuel level of the vehicle;

determining an energy distance the vehicle can travel based on a current battery level of the vehicle; and

determining the maximum distance the vehicle can travel based on the fuel distance and the energy distance.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the vehicle is an electric vehicle with a range extender module.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy replenishment plan is further based on at least one of the following:

i) the calculated travel distance of the current travel plan, ii) an amount of time spent at each waypoint, and iii) the maximum distance the vehicle can travel.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the historical data specifies one or more waypoints previously visited by the user, and further comprising:

prior to generating the current travel plan, presenting an initial travel plan to the user, wherein the initial travel plan includes a likely intended usage of the vehicle derived from the historical data for the user; and

receiving a response from the user that confirms the initial travel plan, wherein the initial travel plan is subsequently used as the current travel plan.

10. A computer-readable medium containing a program which, when executed, performs an operation, comprising:

generating, interactively with the user, a current travel plan, wherein the current travel plan includes one or more waypoints, and wherein the current travel plan is generated based on historical data relating to previous trips made by the user;

calculating a travel distance for the current travel plan, wherein the travel distance is the total distance to travel to each of the one or more waypoints in the current travel plan;

determining a maximum distance the vehicle can travel based on a current energy level of the vehicle; and

if the travel distance is greater than the maximum distance, creating an energy replenishment plan including one or more refueling waypoints, based on the current travel plan and a user profile that includes one or more preferences of the user for particular refueling waypoints.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, the operation further comprising:

monitoring a current position of the vehicle;

updating the current travel plan based on the current position of the vehicle; and

re-creating the energy replenishment plan based on the updated current travel plan.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein monitoring the position of the vehicle further comprises:

receiving a plurality of signals from a plurality of Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites; and

calculating the position of the vehicle based on the plurality of signals.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the travel plan further includes an amount of time spent at each waypoint, and wherein creating the energy replenishment plan further comprises:

calculating a charging schedule for the vehicle, wherein the charging schedule is based on the amount of time spent at each waypoint and a listing of off-peak charging hours.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, the operation further comprising:

if inadequate refueling waypoints are available, prompting the user to modify the current travel plan.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the vehicle is a hybrid electric vehicle, and wherein determining a maximum distance the vehicle can travel further comprises:

determining a fuel distance the vehicle can travel based on a current fuel level of the vehicle;

determining an energy distance the vehicle can travel based on a current battery level of the vehicle; and

determining the maximum distance the vehicle can travel based on the fuel distance and the energy distance.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the vehicle is an electric vehicle with a range extender module.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the energy replenishment plan is further based on at least one of the following:

i) the calculated travel distance of the current travel plan, ii) an amount of time spent at each waypoint, and iii) the maximum distance the vehicle can travel.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the historical data specifies one or more waypoints previously visited by the user, and further comprising:

prior to generating the current travel plan, presenting an initial travel plan to the user, wherein the initial travel plan includes a likely intended usage of the vehicle derived from the historical data for the user; and

receiving a response from the user that confirms the initial travel plan, wherein the initial travel plan is subsequently used as the current travel plan.

19. A system, comprising:

a computer processor; and

a memory containing a program that, when executed on the computer processor, performs a operation for managing energy capacity in a vehicle, comprising;

generating, interactively with the user, a current travel plan, wherein the current travel plan includes one or more waypoints, and wherein the current travel plan is generated with reference to historical data relating to previous trips made by the user;

calculating a travel distance based on the current travel plan, wherein the travel distance is the total distance to travel to each of the one or more waypoints in the current travel plan;

determining a maximum distance the vehicle can travel based on a current energy level of the vehicle; and

if the travel distance is greater than the maximum distance, creating an energy replenishment plan including one or more refueling waypoints, based on the current travel plan and a user profile that includes one or more preferences of the user for particular refueling waypoints.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the program, when executed, further performs the steps of:

determining a fuel distance the vehicle can travel based on a current fuel level of the vehicle;

determining an energy distance the vehicle can travel based on a current battery level of the vehicle; and

determining the maximum distance the vehicle can travel based on the fuel distance and the energy distance.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the travel plan further includes an amount of time spent at each waypoint, and wherein the program, when executed, further performs the step of:

calculating a charging schedule for the vehicle, wherein the charging schedule is based on the amount of time spent at each waypoint and a listing of off-peak charging hours.