ELECTRIC VEHICLE RANGE PREDICTION

• US 20160368396A1
• Filed: 06/17/2015
• Published: 12/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: KONET, HEATHER, TAHA, ELOI
• Granted Patent: US 9,776,528 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/662 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/18 by enquiring driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/20 by driver identification
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/52 drive range estimation, e.g. of estimation of available travel distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• 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

Electric vehicle range prediction may include identifying vehicle transportation network information representing a vehicle transportation network, identifying expected departure temporal information, identifying a route from a first location to a second location in the vehicle transportation network using the vehicle transportation network information, identifying a predicted ambient temperature based on the first location and the expected departure temporal information, identifying vehicle state information for an electric vehicle, identifying an expected efficiency value for the electric vehicle based on the predicted ambient temperature, determining an expected operational range, such that, on a condition that the electric vehicle traverses the vehicle transportation network from the first location to the second location in accordance with the expected departure temporal information and the route, the expected operational range indicates an estimated operational range from the second location, and outputting the expected operational range for presentation at a portable electronic computing and communication device.

Claims

1. A method of generating an expected operational range for an electric vehicle, the method comprising:

identifying vehicle transportation network information representing a vehicle transportation network, the vehicle transportation network including a first location and a second location;

identifying expected departure temporal information;

identifying a route from the first location to the second location in the vehicle transportation network using the vehicle transportation network information;

identifying a predicted ambient temperature based on the first location and the expected departure temporal information;

identifying current vehicle state information for an electric vehicle;

identifying an expected efficiency value for the electric vehicle based on the predicted ambient temperature;

determining, by a processor in response to instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, an expected operational range, such that, on a condition that the electric vehicle traverses the vehicle transportation network from the first location to the second location in accordance with the expected departure temporal information and the route, the expected operational range indicates an estimated operational range from the second location;

generating a representation of the expected operational range; and

outputting the representation of the expected operational range for presentation at a portable electronic computing and communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the vehicle transportation network information includes at least one of reading at least a portion of the vehicle transportation network information from a memory of the portable electronic computing and communication device, or receiving at least a portion of the vehicle transportation network information from an external communicating device via an electronic computer communication link.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the vehicle transportation network information includes:

identifying the first location in the vehicle transportation network information, wherein the first location indicates a current location of at least one of the electric vehicle or the portable electronic computing and communication device; and

identifying the second location in the vehicle transportation network information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the expected departure temporal information includes:

reading the expected departure temporal information from a memory of the portable electronic computing and communication device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the expected departure temporal information includes:

generating a request for the expected departure temporal information;

outputting the request for the expected departure temporal information for presentation at a portable electronic computing and communication device;

in response to outputting the request for the expected departure temporal information, receiving input indicating the expected departure temporal information via an electronic computer communication link; and

storing the expected departure temporal information in a memory of the portable electronic computing and communication device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the predicted ambient temperature includes:

receiving the predicted ambient temperature from an external communicating device via an electronic computer communication link.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the predicted ambient temperature includes:

generating a predicted ambient temperature request, the predicted ambient temperature request indicating the first location and the expected departure temporal information;

outputting the predicted ambient temperature request; and

in response to outputting the predicted ambient temperature request, receiving a response indicating the predicted ambient temperature.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the route includes:

reading a defined route from a memory of the portable electronic computing and communication device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the route includes:

generating the route based on the vehicle transportation network information;

outputting a representation of the route for presentation at the portable electronic computing and communication device;

in response to outputting the representation of the route, receiving input indicating the route; and

storing the route in a memory of the portable electronic computing and communication device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the vehicle state information includes:

identifying the vehicle state information such that the vehicle state information indicates a current state of charge of a battery of the electric vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the vehicle state information includes:

generating a vehicle state information request indicating the electric vehicle;

outputting the vehicle state information request to an external communicating device via an electronic computer communication link; and

in response to outputting the vehicle state information request, receiving a response indicating the vehicle state information from an external communicating device via an electronic computer communication link.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the expected efficiency value includes:

on a condition that a user-specific efficiency profile is unavailable, identifying the expected efficiency value from a user-agnostic efficiency profile based on the predicted ambient temperature;

on a condition that the user-specific efficiency profile is available, and on a condition that the user-specific efficiency profile omits a user-specific efficiency value corresponding to the predicted ambient temperature, identifying the expected efficiency value from the user-agnostic efficiency profile based on the predicted ambient temperature; and

on a condition that the user-specific efficiency profile is available, and on a condition that the user-specific efficiency profile includes the user-specific efficiency value corresponding to the predicted ambient temperature, identifying the user-specific efficiency value as the expected efficiency value.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the expected operational range includes:

identifying a current operational power from the vehicle state information;

identifying a quotient of the current operational power and the expected efficiency value; and

identifying the expected operational range as a difference between the quotient and a spatial distance indicated by the route from the first location to the second location.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the expected operational range includes:

identifying a current operational power from the vehicle state information;

identifying an expected power cost for traversal of the vehicle transportation network from the first location to the second location in accordance with the expected departure temporal information and the route, wherein identifying the expected power cost includes identifying the expected power cost as a product of a spatial distance indicated by the route and the expected efficiency value;

determining an expected operational power as a difference between the current operational power and the expected power cost; and

identifying the expected operational range as a product of the expected operational power and the expected efficiency value.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying second expected departure temporal information;

identifying a second predicted ambient temperature based on the second location and the second expected departure temporal information;

identifying a second route from the second location to a third location in the vehicle transportation network using the vehicle transportation network information;

determining a second expected operational range, such that, on a condition that the electric vehicle traverses the vehicle transportation network from the first location to the second location in accordance with the expected departure temporal information and the route, and on a condition that the electric vehicle subsequently traverses the vehicle transportation network from the second location to the third location in accordance with the second expected departure temporal information and the second route, the second expected operational range indicates an estimated operational range from the third location;

generating a representation of the second expected operational range; and

outputting the representation of the second expected operational range for presentation at the portable electronic computing and communication device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the third location is the first location.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the expected operational range includes determining an expected operational power, and wherein determining the second expected operational range includes:

identifying a second expected power cost for traversal of the vehicle transportation network from the second location to the third location in accordance with the second expected departure temporal information and the second route, wherein identifying the second expected power cost includes identifying the second expected power cost as a product of a spatial distance indicated by the second route and the second expected efficiency value;

determining a second expected operational power based on the expected operational power and the second expected power cost; and

identifying the second expected operational range as a product of the second expected operational power and the second expected efficiency value.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the expected operational range includes determining an expected operational power, and wherein determining the second expected operational power includes:

identifying a remote charging duration;

on a condition that the remote charging duration is within a minimum remote charging duration, determining a second expected operational power as a difference between the expected operational power and the second expected power cost; and

on a condition that the remote charging duration exceeds the minimum remote charging duration, determining the second expected operational power by;

identifying a sum of the expected operational power and a product of a remote charging rate and the remote charging duration as the second expected operational power, and

on a condition that the second expected operational power exceeds a power capacity of the electric vehicle, identifying the power capacity as the second expected operational power.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein identifying the remote charging duration includes:

identifying a difference between the second expected departure temporal information and an arrival temporal information for traversal of the vehicle transportation network from the first location to the second location in accordance with the departure temporal information and the route as the remote charging duration.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein:

identifying the route from the first location to the second location includes identifying a first portion of the route from the first location to a third location in the vehicle transportation network and identifying a second portion of the route from the third location to the second location;

identifying the predicted ambient temperature includes identifying second expected departure temporal information, the second expected departure temporal information corresponding to an expected departure from the third location;

identifying the predicted ambient temperature includes identifying a second predicted ambient temperature based on the third location and the second expected departure temporal information;

determining the expected operational range includes determining a second expected operational range, such that, on a condition that the electric vehicle traverses the vehicle transportation network from the first location to the third location in accordance with the expected departure temporal information and the first portion of the route, and on a condition that the electric vehicle subsequently traverses the vehicle transportation network from the third location to the second location in accordance with the second expected departure temporal information and the second portion of the route, the second expected operational range indicates an estimated operational range from the third location;

generating the representation of the expected operational range includes generating a representation of the second expected operational range; and

outputting the representation of the expected operational range includes outputting the representation of the second expected operational range.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the predicted ambient temperature includes:

identifying a plurality of predicted ambient temperatures based on the expected departure temporal information and the route, wherein each predicted ambient temperature from the plurality of predicted ambient temperatures corresponds with a respective location along the route and a respective expected temporal information corresponding to the respective location along the route; and

determining an aggregation of the plurality of predicted ambient temperatures as the predicted ambient temperature.

22. A method of generating an expected operational range for an electric vehicle, the method comprising:

identifying vehicle transportation network information representing a vehicle transportation network, the vehicle transportation network including a first location and a second location, wherein the first location indicates a current location of at least one of the electric vehicle or a portable electronic computing and communication device associated with the electric vehicle;

identifying expected departure temporal information;

identifying a route from the first location to the second location in the vehicle transportation network using the vehicle transportation network information;

identifying a predicted ambient temperature based on the first location and the expected departure temporal information, wherein identifying the predicted ambient temperature includes receiving the predicted ambient temperature from an external communicating device via an electronic computer communication link;

identifying current vehicle state information for an electric vehicle, such that the current vehicle state information indicates a current state of charge of a battery of the electric vehicle, wherein identifying the current vehicle state information includes receiving the current vehicle state information from an external communicating device via an electronic computer communication link;

identifying an expected efficiency value for the electric vehicle based on the predicted ambient temperature, wherein identifying the expected efficiency value includes;

on a condition that a user-specific efficiency profile is unavailable, identifying the expected efficiency value from a user-agnostic efficiency profile based on the predicted ambient temperature,

on a condition that the user-specific efficiency profile is available, and on a condition that the user-specific efficiency profile omits a user-specific efficiency value corresponding to the predicted ambient temperature, identifying the expected efficiency value from the user-agnostic efficiency profile based on the predicted ambient temperature, and

on a condition that the user-specific efficiency profile is available, and on a condition that the user-specific efficiency profile includes the user-specific efficiency value corresponding to the predicted ambient temperature, identifying the user-specific efficiency value as the expected efficiency value;

determining, by a processor in response to instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, an expected operational range, such that, on a condition that the electric vehicle traverses the vehicle transportation network from the first location to the second location in accordance with the expected departure temporal information and the route, the expected operational range indicates an estimated operational range from the second location;

generating a representation of the expected operational range; and

outputting the representation of the expected operational range for presentation at the portable electronic computing and communication device.

23. A method of generating an expected operational range for an electric vehicle, the method comprising:

identifying vehicle transportation network information representing a vehicle transportation network, the vehicle transportation network including a first location and a second location;

identifying first expected departure temporal information;

identifying a first route from the first location to the second location in the vehicle transportation network using the vehicle transportation network information;

identifying a first predicted ambient temperature based on the first location and the first expected departure temporal information;

identifying first current vehicle state information for an electric vehicle;

identifying a first expected efficiency value for the electric vehicle based on the first predicted ambient temperature;

determining, by a processor of a portable electronic computing and communication device in response to instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, a first expected operational range, such that, on a condition that the electric vehicle traverses the vehicle transportation network from the first location to the second location in accordance with the first expected departure temporal information and the first route, the first expected operational range indicates an estimated operational range from the second location;

identifying second expected departure temporal information;

identifying a second predicted ambient temperature based on the second location and the second expected departure temporal information;

identifying a second route from the second location to a third location in the vehicle transportation network using the vehicle transportation network information;

determining a second expected operational range, such that, on a condition that the electric vehicle traverses the vehicle transportation network from the first location to the second location in accordance with the first departure temporal information and the first route, and on a condition that the electric vehicle subsequently traverses the vehicle transportation network from the second location to the third location in accordance with the second expected departure temporal information and the second route, the second expected operational range indicates an estimated operational range from the third location;

generating a first output including a representation of the first expected operational range and the second expected operational range;

presenting the first output at the portable electronic computing and communication device;

receiving input indicating a fourth location in the vehicle transportation network;

identifying third expected departure temporal information;

identifying a third route from the first location to the fourth location in the vehicle transportation network using the vehicle transportation network information;

identifying a fourth route from the fourth location to the second location in the vehicle transportation network using the vehicle transportation network information;

identifying a third predicted ambient temperature based on the fourth location and the third expected departure temporal information;

identifying a third expected efficiency value for the electric vehicle based on the third predicted ambient temperature;

determining a third expected operational range, such that, on a condition that the electric vehicle traverses the vehicle transportation network from the first location to the fourth location in accordance with the first expected departure temporal information and the third route, the third expected operational range indicates an estimated operational range from the fourth location;

determining a fourth expected operational range, such that, on a condition that the electric vehicle traverses the vehicle transportation network from the first location to the fourth location in accordance with the first expected departure temporal information and the third route, and on a condition that the electric vehicle subsequently traverses the vehicle transportation network from the fourth location to the second location in accordance with the third expected departure temporal information and the fourth route, the fourth expected operational range indicates an estimated operational range from the second location;

determining a fifth expected operational range, such that, on a condition that the electric vehicle traverses the vehicle transportation network from the first location to the fourth location in accordance with the first expected departure temporal information and the third route, the electric vehicle subsequently traverses the vehicle transportation network from the fourth location to the second location in accordance with the third expected departure temporal information and the fourth route, and the electric vehicle subsequently traverses the vehicle transportation network from the second location to the third location in accordance with the second expected departure temporal information and the second route, the fifth expected operational range indicates an estimated operational range from the third location;

generating a second output including a representation of the third expected operational range, the fourth expected operational range, and the fifth expected operational range; and

presenting the second output at the portable electronic computing and communication device.