Range- and/or consumption calculation with energy costs associated with area segments

• US 8,706,389 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2011
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2010
• 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:
  US13/988,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20130325310A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 701/123, 701/512
• US Class Current: 701/123
• 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

Abstract

Energy costs which are assigned to area segments are used when calculating the range and/or consumption for a vehicle.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

dividing a digitally represented map into area segments, the area segments being rectangular tiles having different sizes; and

calculating, using a processor, a range and/or consumption for a vehicle by assigning energy costs, with an energy cost being assigned to each area segment.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein larger tiles are used to represent cross-country routes, and smaller tiles are used to represent areas having a plurality of different roads.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the energy costs are energy costs which are incurred when traveling with the vehicle through the area segments.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the energy costs are dependent on a direction in which the vehicle travels through the area segments.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the energy costs are independent of a direction in which the vehicle travels through the area segments.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the energy costs are determined based on costs assigned to roads.

7. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein calculating the range and/or consumption comprises:

starting with a range corresponding to a first area segment; and

expanding the range from the first area segment to a second area segment which adjoins the first area segment and which has a lowest assigned energy cost of all the area segments adjoining the first area segment.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein calculating the range and/or consumption further comprises expanding from the first area segment and second area segment to a third area segment which adjoins the first area segment and which has the lowest assigned energy cost after the second area segment of all the area segments adjoining the first area segment, or which adjoins the second area segment if lower energy costs are assigned in total to the first, second and third area segments than are assigned in total to the first area segment and the area segment which has the lowest assigned energy cost after the second area segment of all the area segments adjoining the first area segment.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first area segment corresponds to a current position of the vehicle.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein calculating the range and/or consumption comprises:

starting with a range corresponding to a first area segment; and

expanding the range from the first area segment to other area segments,

wherein the area segments are expanded in a star shape and/or recursively in order to calculate the range and/or consumption.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein calculating the range and/or consumption comprises:

starting with a range corresponding to a first area segment; and

expanding the range from the first area segment to other area segments on expansion paths extending from the first area segment,

wherein calculating the range and/or consumption on a current expansion path is aborted if a sum of the energy costs of the area segments on the current expansion path reaches or exceeds a predefined quantity of energy.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein calculating the range and/or consumption comprises:

starting with a range corresponding to a first area segment; and

expanding the range from the first area segment to other area segments on expansion paths extending from the first area segment,

wherein calculating the range and/or consumption is aborted if a sum of the energy costs of the area segments to which expansion occurred reaches or exceeds a predefined quantity of energy on every expansion path.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein a total range area is set with a contour having smoothed edges about the area segments to which expansion has occurred.

14. A navigation system for a vehicle, comprising:

a route formulating device;

a digitally represented map; and

a calculation unit to divide the digitally represented map into area segments, the area segments being rectangular tiles having different sizes, and to calculate a range and/or consumption for the vehicle by assigning an energy cost to each area segment.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a computer program that causes a computer to perform a method comprising:

dividing a digitally represented map into area segments, the area segments being rectangular tiles having different sizes; and

calculating a range and/or consumption for a vehicle by assigning an energy cost to each area segment.