METHOD OF OPTIMIZING ENERGY USE OF A POWER PLANT USING GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION WITHOUT USER INPUT TO THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM

• US 20130116870A1
• Filed: 11/07/2011
• Published: 05/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Harty, Ryan
• Granted Patent: US 9,045,126 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• 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 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/406 Traffic density
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

A telematics-navigation device detects that a hybrid vehicle propelled by at least two energy sources is traveling to a destination not provided to the vehicle (i.e., an unknown destination). As the vehicle travels to the destination, the device identifies a road segment between a current position of the vehicle and a next road junction that vehicle is traveling towards. A control unit determines an optimization strategy for managing the energy sources of the vehicle as the vehicle travels the road segment. The control unit executes the determined strategy.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing at least two energy sources used to propel a hybrid vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting that the vehicle is traveling to a destination not provided to vehicle;

as the vehicle travels to the destination;

identifying a road segment between a current position of the vehicle and a next road junction that the vehicle is traveling towards;

determining an optimization strategy for managing the energy sources of the vehicle as the vehicle travels the road segment; and

executing the strategy.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein road segments are continuously identified until the vehicle reaches the destination.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein strategy is determined based on information retrieved for the road segment.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the information includes at least one of geographic information, traffic information, road surface type, and weather information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the strategy comprises controlling the use of the energy sources according to the optimization strategy as the vehicle travels the road segment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined optimization strategy attempts to minimize the usage of one of the energy sources.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy sources for which the optimization strategy is determined include at least two of the following:

chemical fuel, fossil fuel, biofuel, hydrogen, ethanol, electric energy, and mechanical energy.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the next road junction is a major road junction where a first road intersects with a second road having a minimum number of lanes in one direction.

9. An energy optimization system for managing at least two energy sources used to propel a hybrid vehicle, the system comprising:

a telematics-navigation device configured to;

detect that the vehicle is traveling to a destination not provided to vehicle; and

identify a road segment between a current position of the vehicle and a next road junction that the vehicle is traveling towards as the vehicle travels to the destination; and

a control unit configured to;

determine an optimization strategy for managing the energy sources of the vehicle as the vehicle travels the road segment; and

execute the strategy.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein road segments are continuously identified until the vehicle reaches the destination.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein strategy is determined based on information retrieved for the road segment.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the information includes at least one of geographic information, traffic information, road surface type, and weather information.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein executing the strategy comprises controlling the use of the energy sources according to the optimization strategy as the vehicle travels the road segment.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the determined optimization strategy attempts to minimize the usage of one of the energy sources.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the energy sources for which the optimization strategy is determined include at least two of the following:

chemical fuel, fossil fuel, biofuel, hydrogen, ethanol, electric energy, and mechanical energy.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the next road junction is a major road junction where a first road intersects with a second road having a minimum number of lanes in one direction.

17. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums having computer-executable code for managing at least two energy sources used to propel a hybrid vehicle, the computer-executable code comprising:

a road segment module configured to;

detect that the vehicle is traveling to a destination not provided to vehicle; and

identify a road segment between a current position of the vehicle and a next road junction that the vehicle is traveling towards as the vehicle travels to the destination;

a strategy module configured to determine an optimization strategy for managing the energy sources of the vehicle as the vehicle travels the road segment; and

an execution module configured to execute the strategy.

18. The one or more computer-readable storage mediums of claim 17, wherein road segments are continuously identified until the vehicle reaches the destination.

19. The one or more computer-readable storage mediums of claim 17, wherein strategy is determined based on information retrieved for the road segment.

20. The one or more computer-readable storage mediums of claim 19, wherein the information includes at least one of geographic information, traffic information, road surface type, and weather information.

21. The one or more computer-readable storage mediums of claim 17, wherein the execution module is further configured to control the use of the energy sources according to the optimization strategy as the vehicle travels the road segment.

22. The one or more computer-readable storage mediums of claim 17, wherein the determined optimization strategy attempts to minimize the usage of one of the energy sources.

23. The one or more computer-readable storage mediums of claim 17, wherein the energy sources for which the optimization strategy is determined include at least two of the following:

chemical fuel, fossil fuel, biofuel, hydrogen, ethanol, electric energy, and mechanical energy.

24. The one or more computer-readable storage mediums of claim 17, wherein the next road junction is a major road junction where a first road intersects with a second road having a minimum number of lanes in one direction.