Methods and apparatus for determining a route having an estimated minimum fuel usage for a vehicle

• US 7,783,417 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2007
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Vavrus, Jon
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner; Mark
• Application Number:
  US11/684,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20080221787A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/201, 701/213, 701/231
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects

Abstract

Apparatus, methods, processors and computer readable media for determining a suggested route having an estimated minimum fuel usage for a vehicle based on a estimated fuel efficiency for the vehicle for different speeds of the vehicle and based on estimated speeds for the route. The estimated fuel efficiency for the vehicle is based on aggregated data for the vehicle. Alternatively, the estimated fuel efficiency is based on actual data for the vehicle. In some embodiments, suggested routes are constrained by user route preferences, and real-time route information. Alternatively or additionally, the estimated fuel usage is based on actual driver behavior data.

Claims

1. A method of determining a route for a vehicle having a motive source, comprising the steps of:

inputting a start location;

receiving at a computer device a destination location;

determining at the computer device a suggested route having an estimated minimum fuel usage from the start location to the destination location for the vehicle based on estimated fuel efficiency for the vehicle for different speeds of the vehicle and further based on at least one estimated speed for at least a portion of the route;

outputting at the computer device a list of a plurality of driving styles for consumption by a user;

receiving at the computer device a selected driving style from the user;

determining the suggested route partially based on the received driving style; and

outputting at the computer device the route for consumption by the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising inputting a start location by determining at the computer device the start location for the vehicle based on received signals from a GPS system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising inputting a start location at an input device by a user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining a suggested route further comprises determining based on the number of estimated stops in a route and further based on the estimated number of times the vehicle will slow down to turn, and further based on the estimated number of times the vehicle will slow down due to a bend in a portion of the route.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving at the computer device a user route preference, and further comprising determining the suggested route based at least partially on the user route preference, wherein the user route preference is at least one of:

not including dangerous intersections in the route, not including highways in the route, not including toll roads, and not including street with less than a minimum speed limit.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimated fuel efficiency for the vehicle is based on at least one of:

the number of cylinders in the vehicle, the year the vehicle was manufactured, historical data for the vehicle, measured data for the vehicle, and the vehicle type classification.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining a suggested route further comprises determining based on the number of turns in a route, the number of toll booths in a route, and the number of estimated stops in a route, wherein the number of estimated stops is determined based on the speed limits of the route, if the stop information for an intersection is not available in the database.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining a suggested route further comprises determining based on the grade of the route.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining a suggested route based on the fuel type the vehicle is using, wherein the fuel type is selected from unleaded, premium, alcohol, or diesel.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining a suggested route at least partially based on actual driving behavior for a driver of the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the actual driving behavior of the driver of the vehicle is at least one of whether the driver speeds, whether the driver accelerates faster than an average acceleration, whether the driver drives slower than the speed limit a greater amount of time than an average amount of time of driving slower than the speed limit, and whether the driver applies the brakes more frequently than an average number of applications of the brakes.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining a suggested route at least partially based on real-time information, wherein the real-time information comprises at least one of current traffic conditions, and time of day variations of traffic regulations.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of continuously outputting at the computer device a recommended speed for the vehicle, wherein the recommended speed is based on the current speed limit, the estimated fuel efficiency of the vehicle, and an estimated fuel usage for the route from the start location to the destination location.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

monitoring actual speed of the vehicle;

determining a current location for the vehicle based on receiving signals from a GPS system;

determining a new suggested route having a minimum fuel usage from the current location to the destination location for the vehicle, if the actual fuel usage is greater than the estimated fuel usage for the route from the start location to the destination location;

outputting at the computer device the new suggested route for consumption by a user.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

measuring actual fuel efficiency for the vehicle;

determining a new suggested route from the current location to the destination location for the vehicle based on the measured fuel efficiency for the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of determining a suggested route at least partially based on estimating the fuel usage for a route by estimating the number of stops at intersections the vehicle will make based on at least one estimated speed for at least a portion of the route.

17. An apparatus for determining a suggested route for a vehicle, comprising:

an antenna for receiving signals from GPS satellites;

a GPS system communicatively coupled to the antenna operable to determine current location for the vehicle based on received signals from GPS satellites;

an input device communicatively coupled to the GPS system operable to receive a destination location from a user and to receive a selected driving style from the user, the driving style being selected from a list of a plurality of driving styles;

a navigation system having a route determiner operable to determine a suggested route having an estimated minimum fuel usage from a start location to the destination location for the vehicle based on estimated fuel efficiency for the vehicle for different speeds of the vehicle, at least one estimated speed for at least a portion of the route, and the received driving style; and

an output computer device operable to output the suggested route for consumption by the user.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the start location is the current location of the vehicle determined by the GPS system.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the start location is input by the user at the input device.

20. A memory or a computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method of

determining at a computer device a start location for a vehicle;

receiving at the computer device a destination location;

determining at the computer device a suggested route having an estimated minimum fuel usage from the start location to the destination location for the vehicle based on estimated fuel efficiency for the vehicle for different speeds and further based on at least one estimated speed for at least a portion of the route;

outputting at the computer device a list of a plurality of driving styles for consumption by a user;

receiving at the computer device a selected driving style from the user;

determining the suggested route partially based on the received driving style; and

outputting at the computer device the route for consumption by the user.