Optimal electric vehicle battery recommendation system

• US 8,791,809 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2012
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Richter, Jan, STEER, Kent C. B.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNNINGS, TRAVIS R
• Application Number:
  US13/730,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20140184401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/455
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/14 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/64 Road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/66 Ambient conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/18 by enquiring driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/26 by pedal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/52 drive range estimation, e.g. of estimation of available travel distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/54 Energy consumption estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/00 Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

An optimal vehicle battery recommendation system includes at least one sensor to detect a manipulation of the vehicle. A driver behavior module determines a driving behavior of a driver of the vehicle. A vehicle consumption module determines battery information of an on-board battery currently connected to the vehicle, and determines energy consumption of the vehicle. A battery capacity advisor module is in electrical communication with the driver behavior module and the vehicle consumption module. The battery capacity module determines a replacement battery option that changes at least one battery characteristic of the on-board battery based on the driver behavior model and the vehicle consumption model.

Claims

1. An optimal vehicle battery recommendation system, comprising:

at least one sensor configured to detect a manipulation of a vehicle;

a driver behavior module configured to determine a driving behavior of a driver of the vehicle based on the manipulation;

a vehicle consumption module configured to determine battery information of an on-board battery having a first set of characteristics currently connected to the vehicle, and to determine energy consumption of the vehicle; and

a battery capacity advisor module in electrical communication with the driver behavior module and the vehicle consumption module, the battery capacity module configured to determine a replacement battery option that changes at least one battery characteristic among the first set of characteristics based on the driver behavior model and the vehicle consumption model.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the replacement battery option includes at least one of a replacement battery to replace the on-board battery and a modification of battery layers of the on-board battery, the replacement battery option changing at least one of energy storage capacity, specific energy, weight, size, charging and discharging properties and temperature dependence of the on-board battery.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one of a replacement battery and a modification of battery layers increases the first specific energy.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the driver behavior module comprises:

a driver behavior monitor module configured to determine dynamic vehicle data in response to real time manipulation of the vehicle by the driver; and

a driver behavior modeller module in electrical communication with the driver behavior monitor module, the driver behavior modeler module configured to store the dynamic vehicle data and to generate a numerical model indicating a driving behavior of the driver and at least one driving preference of the driver.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the dynamic vehicle data includes vehicle speed, vehicle acceleration, vehicle breaking, driving distance, and driving duration.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the energy consumption model is based on predetermined specifications of the vehicle and the dynamic vehicle data.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the vehicle consumption module further includes a safety determination unit that determines at least one safety condition of the vehicle, the at least one safety condition including a distance between the vehicle and a nearest recharging station.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a user interface that receives at least one driver input and that outputs at least one alert indicating the replacement battery option.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the battery capacity advisor module is in electrical communication with the UI, and the replacement battery option is further based on at least one driver input.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the alert includes at least one of a sound, text describing the replacement battery option, and an image of the replacement battery option.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the user interface further includes a communication module to wirelessly communicate the replacement battery option with a terminal device, the terminal device including at least one of a cell phone, a personal computer, a laptop computer and a tablet computer.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the battery capacity advisor module receives a driver profile input from the user interface and determines the replacement battery option based on the driver profile.

13. A system to optimize an on-board battery of a vehicle, comprising:

a user interface configured to receive at least one driver profile corresponding to a driver of the vehicle;

a driver behavior module configured to determine dynamic vehicle data in response to operation of the vehicle according to the driver, and to store the dynamic vehicle data corresponding to the driver profile;

a vehicle consumption module configured to determine energy consumption of the vehicle; and

a battery capacity advisor module in electrical communication with the driver behavior module, the vehicle consumption module and the user interface, the battery capacity module configured to determine a replacement battery option that modifies at least one battery characteristic among a set of characteristics comprising energy storage capacity, specific energy, weight, size, charging and discharging properties and temperature dependence of the on-board battery installed on the vehicle based on the dynamic vehicle data of the input driver profile and the energy consumption of the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the battery capacity module determines the replacement battery in response inputting the current driver profile among a plurality of driver profiles stored by the driver behavior module.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the replacement battery option includes at least one of a replacement battery to replace the on-board battery and a modification of battery layers of the on-board battery, the replacement battery option changing at least one of energy storage capacity, specific energy, weight, size, charging and discharging properties and temperature dependence of the on-board battery.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one of a replacement battery and a modification of battery layers increases a specific energy realized by the vehicle.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the driver behavior module comprises:

a driver behavior monitor module configured to determine dynamic vehicle data in response to real time manipulation of the vehicle by the driver; and

a driver behavior modeller module in electrical communication with the driver behavior monitor module, the driver behavior modeler module configured to generate a numerical model of the driving behavior corresponding to the current driver profile.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the driver behavior modeller module stores a previous driver profile generated according to a previous driving event, and updates the previous driver profile based on a new driving event.