BRAKING POWER MANAGEMENT

• US 20180079304A1
• Filed: 09/29/2017
• Published: 03/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iQar Inc.
• Original Assignee: Invently Automotive Inc. (iQar Inc.)
• Inventors: Koebler, Martin, Goldstein, Nicole G., Brown, Stephen J., Harper, Jason H.
• Granted Patent: US 10,919,409 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/174 Economic driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/15 Output devices or features thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/174 Economic driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/20 Output arrangements, i.e. from vehicle to user, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/44 Wheel Hub motors, i.e. integrated in the wheel hub
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/443 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/445 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• 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 2240/662 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/665 : Light intensity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/667 : Precipitation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/68 : Traffic data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 : by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 : by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/28 : Four wheel or all wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/50 : by future state prediction
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 : Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/62 : charged by low-power generators primarily intended to support the batteries, e.g. range extenders
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 : responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/16 : responding to battery ageing, e.g. to the number of charging cycles or the state of health [SoH]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/12 : for vehicles propelled by dc motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/003 : Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 1/10 : by utilising wheel movement for accumulating energy, e.g. driving air compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/586 : the retarders being of the electric type
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/04 : Hill descent control
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/36 : Global Positioning System [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/18 : operated by wayside apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 : initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 : including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/11 : Stepped gearings
• 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 2552/20 : Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 : Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 : of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/103 : Speed profile
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 : Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 : Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 : Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 : using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/00 : Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled logic circuits H03K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 : communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 : using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 : where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 : where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 : Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• 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 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

An apparatus comprising an interface, a memory and a processor. The interface may be configured to receive sensor data samples during operation of a vehicle. The memory may be configured to store the sensor data samples over a number of points in time. The processor may be configured to analyze the sensor data samples stored in the memory to detect a pattern. The processor may be configured to manage an application of brakes of the vehicle in response to the pattern.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an interface configured to receive sensor data samples during operation of a vehicle;

a memory configured to store said sensor data samples over a number of points in time; and

a processor configured to (i) analyze said sensor data samples stored in said memory to detect a pattern and (ii) manage an application of brakes of said vehicle in response to said pattern.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processor is further configured to perform a power management calculation to efficiently control an amount of power applied to a power train of said vehicle.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said power management calculation comprises (i) said application of said brakes of said vehicle and (ii) power recovered in response to regenerative braking.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said power management calculation further comprises calculating an application of an accelerator in combination with said application of said brakes.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pattern is used to (i) determine historical braking data based on an amount of braking applied by a driver and (ii) said application of said brakes is based on (a) said historical braking data and (b) current conditions.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said current conditions comprise at least one of:

drag, wind resistance, tire resistance, a location relative to a destination, traffic patterns, geographical information, an elevation of said vehicle, a grade of a road, a location of stoplights, a timing of stoplights, an amount of vibration, a fuel supply, a battery supply, a condition of tires of said vehicle, a condition of a motor of said vehicle, a condition of a power train of said vehicle, a time of day, a day of the week, a date, and traction.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said processor uses said historical braking data corresponding to conditions that approximate said current conditions to manage said application of said brakes.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said historical braking data further comprises information corresponding to an application of an accelerator of said vehicle.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said managing of said application of said brakes is performed autonomously.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein (i) said vehicle comprises an infotainment system, (ii) said apparatus is configured to receive driver input from said infotainment system and (iii) said infotainment system provides an option for a driver to select a mode of operation configured to manage said application of said brakes autonomously.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said managing said application of said brakes is implemented by generating an alert for a driver.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said alert for said driver comprises a suggestion to apply said brakes.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pattern is used to (i) determine operational parameters of said vehicle and (ii) said application of said brakes is managed in response to said operational parameters.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said operational parameters comprise a sequence of route segments to reach a destination, an amount of power consumed by said vehicle, a condition of an engine of said vehicle and a travel speed.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pattern is used to (i) determine environmental information and (ii) said application of said brakes is managed in response to said environmental information.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said environmental information comprises at least one of:

an amount of light energy, a position of the sun, weather, a wind direction, a wind velocity, a temperature, air pressure, moisture and visibility.

17. A method for managing vehicle braking, comprising the steps of:

(A) monitoring a plurality of sensors to generate sensor data samples during operation of a vehicle;

(B) storing said sensor data samples over a number of points in time;

(C) analyzing said sensor data samples to determine a pattern; and

(D) managing an application of brakes of said vehicle in response to said pattern.

18. A vehicle comprising:

a power train;

a drive train;

an interface configured to receive sensor data samples during operation of said vehicle;

a storage device configured to store said sensor data samples over a number of points in time; and

a processing device configured to (i) analyze said sensor data samples stored in said storage device to detect a pattern and (ii) manage an application of brakes of said vehicle in response to said pattern.