In-vehicle drive pattern optimization for reduced road wear

• US 8,676,442 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2012
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lynar, Timothy M., Steer, Kent C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, YUEN H
• Application Number:
  US13/474,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20130311041A1
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 701/41, 701/50
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/00 Input parameters relating to infrastructure
• 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 30/00 Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/00 Details of control systems for road vehicle drive control not related to the control of a particular sub-unit , e.g. process diagnostic or vehicle driver interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/16 Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0145 for active traffic flow control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09626 where the origin of the information is within the own vehicle, e.g. a local storage device, digital map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0967 Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station

Abstract

The present principles are directed to in-vehicle drive pattern optimization for reduced road wear. A method includes monitoring statuses of various vehicle functions. The method further includes controlling the various vehicle functions to optimize the vehicle drive pattern for reduced road wear, responsive to an output of the monitoring step and known information at least about a road segment currently being or about to be traversed.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle drive pattern optimization method, comprising:

monitoring statuses of various vehicle functions;

controlling, by a vehicle drive pattern optimization controller, the various vehicle functions to optimize the vehicle drive pattern for reduced road wear, responsive to an output of the monitoring step and known information at least about a road segment currently being or about to be traversed;

logging a driving pattern of a user on the road; and

determining compliance of a particular driver of a particular vehicle with suggested vehicle patterns for minimizing road wear using the logged driving pattern,

wherein the vehicle drive pattern is optimized for reduced road wear based on minimizing an aggregate wear increment and minimizing a maximum wear for the road segment.

2. The in-vehicle drive pattern optimization method of claim 1, wherein the various vehicle functions comprise at least one of braking, acceleration, and steering.

3. The in-vehicle drive pattern optimization method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user override for overriding the controlling of various vehicle functions by the vehicle drive pattern optimization controller.

4. The in-vehicle drive pattern optimization method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user perceptible indication of a suggested vehicle driving pattern for reduced road wear.

5. The in-vehicle drive pattern optimization method of claim 4, wherein the user perceptible indication of the suggested vehicle driving pattern is provided at least tactilely.

6. The in-vehicle drive pattern optimization method of claim 1, wherein the known information further comprises ambient information with respect to a location of the road segment.

7. The in-vehicle drive pattern optimization method of claim 6, wherein the ambient information comprises traffic conditions, road conditions, traffic signals, speed limits, route information, an area map, and weather.

8. An in-vehicle drive pattern optimizer, comprising:

a vehicle status monitor for monitoring statuses of various vehicle functions;

a vehicle drive pattern optimization controller for controlling the various vehicle functions to optimize the vehicle drive pattern for reduced road wear, responsive to an output of the vehicle status monitor and known information at least about a road segment currently being or about to be traversed; and

a vehicle driving pattern logging device for logging a driving pattern of a user on the road and determining compliance of a particular driver of a particular vehicle with suggested vehicle patterns for minimizing road wear using the logged driving pattern,

wherein the vehicle drive pattern is optimized for reduced road wear based on minimizing an aggregate wear increment and minimizing a maximum wear for the road segment.

9. The in-vehicle drive pattern optimizer of claim 8, further comprising a user override device for overriding the controlling of various vehicle functions by the vehicle drive pattern optimization controller.

10. The in-vehicle drive pattern optimizer of claim 8, further comprising at least one of a transceiver and data input port for receiving the known information at least about the road segment.

11. The in-vehicle drive pattern optimizer of claim 8, wherein the known information further comprises ambient information with respect to a location of the road segment.

12. The in-vehicle drive pattern optimizer of claim 11, wherein the ambient information comprises traffic conditions, road conditions, traffic signals, speed limits, route information, an area map, and weather.

13. An in-vehicle drive pattern optimization method, comprising:

monitoring statuses of various vehicle functions;

controlling, by a vehicle drive pattern optimization controller, the various vehicle functions to optimize the vehicle drive pattern for reduced road wear, responsive to an output of the monitoring step and known information at least about a road segment currently being or about to be traversed;

logging a driving pattern of a user on the road; and

determining compliance of a particular driver of a particular vehicle with suggested vehicle patterns for minimizing road wear using the logged driving pattern,

wherein the vehicle drive pattern is optimized for reduced road wear based on a road wear profile produced by a vehicle passage, the road wear profile being a function of a vehicle position, a vehicle velocity, and a vehicle acceleration.