Gauging driving efficiency
First Claim
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1. A method of controlling an automotive vehicle comprising:
- sampling at least one vehicle parameter;
determining at least one measure of driving efficiency based on the at least one sampled vehicle parameter; and
determining an estimate of operating cost based on the at least one measure of driving efficiency.
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Abstract
An efficiency gauge may be used for controlling an automotive vehicle. At least one vehicle parameter is sampled during vehicle operation and at least one measure of driving efficiency is determined from the sampled vehicle parameters. Efficiency measurement may include determining an estimate of kinetic energy lost. One such estimate is the sampled braking velocity cost found based on the difference of the squares of the last two vehicle velocities if the vehicle has decelerated and braking has occurred.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. A method of controlling an automotive vehicle comprising:
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sampling at least one vehicle parameter;
determining at least one measure of driving efficiency based on the at least one sampled vehicle parameter; and
determining an estimate of operating cost based on the at least one measure of driving efficiency. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
setting at least one driving efficiency limit; and
permitting an increase in maximum allowed vehicle velocity if the at least one measure of driving efficiency exceeds the at least one driving efficiency limit.
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3. A method of controlling an automotive vehicle as in claim 1 wherein driving efficiency comprises a measure of normalized cost.
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4. A method of controlling an automotive vehicle as in claim 1 further comprising displaying at least one measure of driving efficiency to an operator of the vehicle.
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5. A method of controlling an automotive vehicle as in claim 1 further comprising storing a sequence of at least one measure of driving efficiency in memory for later retrieval.
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6. A method of controlling an automotive vehicle as in claim 1 wherein driving efficiency comprises a measure of shifting and idling cost.
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7. A method of controlling an automotive vehicle as in claim 6 wherein determining at least one measure of driving efficiency comprises:
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determining a sampled idle cost as a product of sampled engine speed and an engine revolution idle cost; and
determining an instantaneous shifting and idling cost per unit distance as a ratio of the sampled idle cost to a measure of vehicle velocity.
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8. A method of controlling an automotive vehicle as in claim 6 wherein determining at least one measure of driving efficiency comprises:
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determining a sampled idle cost as a product of sampled engine speed and an engine revolution idle cost; and
determining an average shifting and idling cost per unit distance as a ratio of a sum of sampled idle costs for a number of samples to an amount of distance traveled during the number of samples.
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9. A method of controlling an automotive vehicle as in claim 1 wherein driving efficiency comprises a measure of change in vehicle kinetic energy.
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10. A method of controlling an automotive vehicle as in claim 9 wherein the measure of change in vehicle kinetic energy comprises a measure of braking velocity cost.
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11. A method of controlling an automotive vehicle as in claim 10 wherein the measure of the braking velocity cost comprises a sampled braking velocity cost proportional to a difference between a square of a current sampled vehicle velocity and a square of a previous sampled vehicle velocity if the vehicle has decelerated between the previous sampled vehicle velocity and the current sampled vehicle velocity and if braking has been applied.
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12. A method of controlling an automotive vehicle as in claim 11 wherein braking is applied if at least one from a set including asserting a vehicle brake, applying an engine brake, and applying an engine retarder occurs.
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13. A method of controlling an automotive vehicle as in claim 11 wherein determining at least one measure of driving efficiency comprises determining an instantaneous braking velocity cost per mile as the ratio of the sampled braking velocity cost to a measure of distance traveled between acquiring the previous sampled vehicle velocity and the current sampled vehicle velocity.
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14. A method of controlling an automotive vehicle as in claim 11 wherein determining at least one measure of driving efficiency comprises determining an average braking velocity cost per mile as the ratio of the sum of sampled braking velocity costs for a number of samples to an amount of distance traveled during the number of samples.
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15. A method of gauging driving efficiency for an automotive vehicle comprising:
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repetitively sampling vehicle velocity;
for at least one vehicle velocity sample, determining if the sampled vehicle velocity is less than a previously sampled vehicle velocity and determining if braking is applied;
if the sampled vehicle velocity is less than the previously sampled vehicle velocity and if braking is applied, determining the sampled braking velocity cost based on the difference between the square of the sampled vehicle velocity and the square of the previously sampled vehicle velocity; and
determining a measure of driving efficiency based on the determined sampled braking velocity cost. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of gauging driving efficiency for an automotive vehicle comprising:
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determining an engine revolutions idle cost;
repetitively sampling engine speed;
determining at least one sampled shifting and idling cost as the product of a sampled engine speed and the engine revolution idle cost; and
determining a measure of driving efficiency based on the determined sampled shifting and idling cost. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A driving efficiency gauge in communication with an engine control module for controlling an internal combustion engine in an automotive vehicle, the driving efficiency gauge comprising:
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a display for displaying at least one measure of driving efficiency;
a memory for holding a sequence of at least one measure of driving efficiency; and
control logic in communication with the electronic control module, the display, and the memory, the control logic operative to (a) receive a plurality of samples of at least one vehicle operating parameter from the electronic control module;
(b) determine the sequence of at least one measure of driving efficiency based on the plurality of samples of at least one vehicle operating parameter;
(c) display at least one of the determined sequence; and
(d) store the determined sequence in the memory. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
determine a sampled idle cost as a product of sampled engine speed and an engine revolution idle cost; and
determining an instantaneous shifting and idling cost per unit distance as a ratio of the sampled idle cost to a measure of vehicle velocity.
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35. A driving efficiency gauge as in claim 34 wherein the control logic is operative to:
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determine a sampled idle cost as a product of sampled engine speed and an engine revolution idle cost; and
determine an average shifting and idling cost per unit distance as a ratio of a sum of sampled idle costs for a number of samples to an amount of distance traveled during the number of samples.
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36. A vehicle driving efficiency gauge comprising:
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a display for displaying at least one measure of driving efficiency;
a memory for holding at least one measure of driving efficiency; and
control logic in communication with the electronic control module, the display, and the memory, the control logic operative to (a) receive a plurality of samples of vehicle velocity;
(b) determine a measure of change in vehicle kinetic energy based on at least two samples of vehicle velocity;
(c) determine a measure of driving efficiency based on the change in vehicle kinetic energy;
(d) display the measure of driving efficiency; and
(e) store the measure of driving efficiency in the memory. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A vehicle driving efficiency gauge comprising:
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a display for displaying at least one measure of driving efficiency;
a memory for holding at least one measure of driving efficiency; and
control logic in communication with the display and the memory, the control logic operative to (a) receive a plurality of samples of engine speed;
(b) determine as a measure of driving efficiency a measure of shifting and idling cost based on at least one sample of engine speed;
(c) display the measure of driving efficiency; and
(d) store the measure of driving efficiency in the memory. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45)
determine a sampled idle cost as a product of sampled engine speed and an engine revolution idle cost; and
determining an instantaneous shifting and idling cost per unit distance as a ratio of the sampled idle cost to a measure of vehicle velocity.
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45. A vehicle driving efficiency gauge as in claim 43 wherein a measure of shifting and idling cost is determined by the control logic operative to:
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determine a sampled idle cost as a product of sampled engine speed and an engine revolution idle cost; and
determine an average shifting and idling cost per unit distance as a ratio of a sum of sampled idle costs for a number of samples to an amount of distance traveled during the number of samples.
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Specification