VEHICLE AND METHOD FOR ESTIMATING A RANGE FOR THE VEHICLE

• US 20130073113A1
• Filed: 09/16/2011
• Published: 03/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Wang, Qing, Yu, Hai, Perkins, William Paul, Phillips, Anthony Mark, Skaff, Ryan, Kristinsson, Johannes Geir
• Application Number:
  US13/234,391
• Publication Number:
  US 20130073113A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/11 using model predictive control [MPC] strategies, i.e. control methods based on models predicting performance utilising navigation and traffic information in the control strategy B60W20/12
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/12 using control strategies taking into account route information estimation or calculation of non-directly measurable driving parameters B60W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 19/00 Calibrated capacity measures for fluids or fluent solid material, e.g. measuring cups
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

A method to control a vehicle includes assigning a predicted driving pattern to a predicted path for the vehicle, and providing a range for the vehicle using the predicted energy efficiency and an amount of energy available to the vehicle. The predicted driving pattern has an associated predicted energy efficiency. A vehicle includes a propulsion device coupled to wheels of the vehicle via a transmission, and a controller electronically coupled to the propulsion device. The controller is configured to: (i) assign a predicted driving pattern to a predicted path for the vehicle, the predicted driving pattern having a predicted energy efficiency, and (ii) provide a range for the vehicle using the predicted energy efficiency and an amount of energy available to the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method to control a vehicle comprising:

assigning a predicted driving pattern to a predicted path for the vehicle, the predicted driving pattern having an associated predicted energy efficiency; and

providing a range for the vehicle using the predicted energy efficiency and an amount of energy available to the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the predicted path and the predicted driving pattern are based on future route information.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the range is calculated to provide a distance to empty for the vehicle when the vehicle has insufficient energy to reach an end of the predicted path.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising detecting a present driving pattern for the vehicle, the present driving pattern having an associated present energy efficiency, wherein the present energy efficiency is used in calculating the range.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising assigning the present driving pattern to be the predicted driving pattern if the predicted path is unknown.

6. The method if claim 4 wherein the range is calculated using the current energy efficiency after the predicted path to provide a distance to empty if there is sufficient energy for the vehicle to reach an end of the predicted path.

7. The method of claim 4 further comprising determining the present driving pattern using a driving pattern identification method with a present driving condition.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying the range to a user of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the predicted driving pattern using a driving pattern identification method.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the driving pattern identification method uses a predicted trip condition.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the predicted trip condition is geographic information for a trip from a navigation system.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the predicted trip condition is traffic data.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the predicted driving pattern is determined using an electronic horizon.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising using a database to reference a driving pattern and a corresponding energy efficiency, the database containing possible driving patterns for an operating state of the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising filtering the range when the driving pattern changes.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising adjusting the range using a scaling factor if an accessory load exists.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising adjusting the range using a scaling factor if a predetermined ambient condition exists.

18. A method to control a vehicle comprising providing a vehicle range using an energy efficiency corresponding to a driving pattern of the vehicle and an amount of energy available to the vehicle, the driving pattern determined using a driving pattern identification method.

20. A vehicle comprising:

a propulsion device coupled to wheels of the vehicle via a transmission; and

a controller electronically coupled to the propulsion device wherein the controller is configured to;

(i) assign a predicted driving pattern to a predicted path for the vehicle, the predicted driving pattern having a predicted energy efficiency, and (ii) provide a range for the vehicle using the predicted energy efficiency and an amount of energy available to the vehicle.