System and Method for Precise State of Charge Management

• US 20120253568A1
• Filed: 03/30/2011
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Uyeki, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,583,304 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

During calibration trips driving characteristics of a driver are tracked. At the end of each calibration trip, a calibration profile is created for the trip that summarizes the trip and the driving characteristics of the driver during the trip. When the driver enters a destination where he or she wishes to travel to, a calibration profile with driving characteristics is identified. The identified calibration profile created for a calibration trip that is similar to a trip the driver will be taking to reach the destination. A determination is made as to whether the electric vehicle has enough energy to reach the destination assuming the driver expresses the same driving characteristics as those of the calibration profile while traveling to the destination.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

tracking one or more driving characteristics of a driver of an electric vehicle during a first trip from a starting location to an ending location;

receiving a destination for a second trip by the driver of the electric vehicle; and

determining whether the electric vehicle has enough energy to reach the destination based on the driving characteristics tracked for the driver during the first trip.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the tracked driving characteristics comprise characteristics of the driver that affect the amount of energy remaining in a battery of the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the tracked driving characteristics include one or more of the following:

use of brakes of the vehicle, use of a throttle of the vehicle, and use of an accessory vehicle component that operates using energy of a vehicle battery.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking during the first trip one or more external factors that are out of the control of the driver and may have an influence on a travel time of the trip or a driving range of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the tracked external factors include one or more of the following:

weather conditions, traffic conditions, and gradient of roads traveled on by the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a first trip calibration profile that summarizes the first trip and the driving characteristics tracked; and

transmitting the first trip calibration profile for storage.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to receiving the destination for the second trip, identifying the driver and a route to the destination;

generating a query that includes driver information and route information;

receiving a first trip calibration profile as the closest match to the query from a plurality of calibration profiles of the driver, the first trip calibration profile summarizing the driving characteristics tracked during the first trip; and

determining whether the vehicle has enough energy to reach the destination based on the driving characteristics of the first trip calibration profile.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the vehicle has enough energy to travel to a subsequent destination after reaching the destination.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking current driving characteristics of the driver during the second trip to the destination;

determining whether the current driving characteristics deviate from the driving characteristics of the first trip;

responsive to determining that the current driving characteristics deviate from the driving characteristics of the first trip, identifying a third trip of the driver, wherein driving characteristics tracked during the third trip are in line with the current driving characteristics of the driver; and

determining whether the vehicle has enough energy to reach the destination based on the driving characteristics of the third trip.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the vehicle cannot reach the destination assuming the driver drives according to the driving characteristics of the first trip, determining a modification to one or more of the driving characteristics that will allow the vehicle to reach the destination; and

notifying the driver of the modification.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a driving range of the vehicle based on the driving characteristics tracked for the driver during the first trip; and

notifying the driver of determined the driving range.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable code comprising:

a calibration module configured to track one or more driving characteristics of a driver of an electric vehicle during a first trip from a starting location to an ending location;

a route module configured to receive a destination for a second trip by the driver of the electric vehicle; and

an energy module configured to determine whether the electric vehicle has enough energy to reach the destination based on the driving characteristics tracked for the driver during the first trip.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the tracked driving characteristics comprise characteristics of the driver that affect the amount of energy remaining in a battery of the vehicle.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the tracked driving characteristics include one or more of the following:

use of brakes of the vehicle, use of a throttle of the vehicle, and use of an accessory vehicle component that operates using energy of a vehicle battery.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the calibration module is further configured to track during the first trip one or more external factors that are out of the control of the driver and may have an influence on a travel time of the trip or a driving range of the vehicle.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising:

an identification module configured to identify the driver;

the route module further configured to identifying a route to the destination responsive to receiving the destination for the second trip; and

the energy module further configured to;

generate a query that includes driver information and route information;

receive a first trip calibration profile as the closest match to the query from a plurality of calibration profiles of the driver, the first trip calibration profile summarizing the driving characteristics tracked during the first trip; and

determine whether the vehicle has enough energy to reach the destination based on the driving characteristics of the first trip calibration profile.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, the energy module further configured to determine whether the vehicle has enough energy to travel to a subsequent destination after reaching the destination.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the energy module is further configured to:

track current driving characteristics of the driver during the second trip to the destination;

determine whether the current driving characteristics deviate from the driving characteristics of the first trip;

responsive to determining that the current driving characteristics deviate from the driving characteristics of the first trip, identify a third trip of the driver, wherein driving characteristics tracked during the third trip are in line with the current driving characteristics of the driver; and

determine whether the vehicle has enough energy to reach the destination based on the driving characteristics of the third trip.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising:

a suggestion module configured to;

determine a modification to one or more of the driving characteristics that will allow the vehicle to reach the destination, responsive to determining that the vehicle cannot reach the destination; and

notify the driver of the modification.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, the energy module further configured to:

determine a driving range of the vehicle based on the driving characteristics tracked for the driver during the first trip; and

notify the driver of determined the driving range.

21. A vehicle system comprising:

a computer processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer program modules configured to execute on the computer processor, the computer program modules comprising;

a calibration module configured to track one or more driving characteristics of a driver of an electric vehicle during a first trip from a starting location to an ending location;

a route module configured to receive a destination for a second trip by the driver of the electric vehicle; and

an energy module configured to determine whether the electric vehicle has enough energy to reach the destination based on the driving characteristics tracked for the driver during the first trip.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the tracked driving characteristics comprise characteristics of the driver that affect the amount of energy remaining in a battery of the vehicle.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the tracked driving characteristics include one or more of the following:

use of brakes of the vehicle, use of a throttle of the vehicle, and use of an accessory vehicle component that operates using energy of a vehicle battery.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the calibration module is further configured to track during the first trip one or more external factors that are out of the control of the driver and may have an influence on a travel time of the trip or a driving range of the vehicle.

25. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

an identification module configured to identify the driver;

the route module further configured to identifying a route to the destination responsive to receiving the destination for the second trip; and

the energy module further configured to;

generate a query that includes driver information and route information;

receive a first trip calibration profile as the closest match to the query from a plurality of calibration profiles of the driver, the first trip calibration profile summarizing the driving characteristics tracked during the first trip; and

determine whether the vehicle has enough energy to reach the destination based on the driving characteristics of the first trip calibration profile.

26. The system of claim 21, the energy module further configured to determine whether the vehicle has enough energy to travel to a subsequent destination after reaching the destination.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the energy module is further configured to:

track current driving characteristics of the driver during the second trip to the destination;

determine whether the current driving characteristics deviate from the driving characteristics of the first trip;

responsive to determining that the current driving characteristics deviate from the driving characteristics of the first trip, identify a third trip of the driver, wherein driving characteristics tracked during the third trip are in line with the current driving characteristics of the driver; and

determine whether the vehicle has enough energy to reach the destination based on the driving characteristics of the third trip.

28. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

a suggestion module configured to;

determine a modification to one or more of the driving characteristics that will allow the vehicle to reach the destination, responsive to determining that the vehicle cannot reach the destination; and

notify the driver of the modification.

29. The system of claim 21, the energy module further configured to:

determine a driving range of the vehicle based on the driving characteristics tracked for the driver during the first trip; and

notify the driver of determined the driving range.

30. A computer-implemented method comprising:

tracking one or more driving characteristics of a driver of an electric vehicle during a first trip from a starting location to an ending location;

determining a driving range of the electric vehicle for a second trip based on the driving characteristics tracked for the driver during the first trip; and

notifying the driver of the determined range.