Method for determining a remaining range

• US 8,688,364 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2011
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Lange, Rainer
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, YUEN H
• Application Number:
  US13/988,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20130325309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: 701/123, 701/512
• US Class Current: 701/123
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3453 Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/18 for evaluating statistical data , e.g. average values, frequency distributions, probability functions, regression analysis forecasting specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04

Abstract

A method determines a partial area of a map which is described by features, the partial area describing the remaining range of a motor vehicle. An energy-storage system supplies a drive system which acts on at least one wheel of the motor vehicle. The remaining range is determined as a function of energy stored in the energy-storage system using an algorithm which expands from a current position of the motor vehicle. The method uses divides the map into geometric, in particular rectangular, structures of equal size. Whenever, in the context of the expansion, a feature lying in a structure or corresponding to a structure is added, the structure is added to the partial area.

Claims

1. A method for determining a partial area of a map, which partial area describes a remaining travel range of a motor vehicle, comprising:

determining, using a computer, the remaining travel range based on energy remaining in an energy storage system for supplying a drive acting on at least one wheel of the motor vehicle, the remaining travel range being determined with an algorithm that expands starting from a current position of the motor vehicle and adds map features while expanding; and

dividing the map into rectangular geometrical structures of equal size, wherein whenever a map feature lying in a geometrical structure is added while expanding, the geometrical structure is added to the partial area.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the algorithm is a Dijkstra algorithm or a route-finding algorithm derived from the Dijkstra algorithm, and

the algorithm uses energy values as a cost function.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the algorithm assigns energy values to area segments and considers the area segments while expanding.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the geometrical structures correspond to the area segments.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein an edge of the partial area is smoothed, and/or regions which are surrounded by the partial area and do not belong to the partial area are added to the partial area.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising smoothing an edge of the partial area and filling in holes in the partial area so as to add regions to the partial area if the regions are at least partially surrounded by the partial area.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the partial area is displayed together with the map on a display apparatus of the motor vehicle, and

the partial area is displayed in a manner such that it can be distinguished from regions of the map which do not belong to the partial area.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the energy storage system comprises a fuel tank and/or a battery.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the energy storage system comprises a fuel tank and a battery.

10. A motor vehicle comprising:

a drive acting on at least one wheel of the motor vehicle;

an energy storage system for supplying the drive with energy; and

a calculation apparatus to determine a partial area of a map, which partial area describes a remaining travel range of the motor vehicle, the remaining travel range being determined based on energy remaining in the energy storage system, the remaining travel range being determined with an algorithm that expands starting from a current position of the motor vehicle and adds map features while expanding, the calculation apparatus dividing the map into rectangular geometrical structures of equal size, such that whenever a map feature lying in a geometrical structure is added while expanding, the geometrical structure is added to the partial area.

11. The motor vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the calculation apparatus is part of a navigation system.