Vehicle range projection for multiple drivers of a shared vehicle

• US 8,803,678 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2012
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Abboud, Eugenie
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US13/686,142
• Publication Number:
  US 20140145841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.13, 340/426.16, 340/426.17, 340/426.36, 340/438, 340/439, 340/576, 701/1, 701/409, 726/28
• US Class Current: 340/439
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/00 Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor for lighting vehicle interior B60Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/004 Indicating the operating range of the engine economical driving B60R16/0236, F02B77/084; measuring liquid fuel of an engine G01F9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

Vehicle range projection includes detecting, via a vehicle antenna, a key fob within range of the vehicle. The key fob is associated with an individual. The vehicle range projection also includes searching, via a computer processor embedded in the vehicle, a database for a record having an identifier that matches an identifier of the key fob. The record stores historical drive cycle data associated with the key fob and the individual. The vehicle range projection further includes retrieving the historical drive cycle data and calculating a projected electric range value indicative of a distance in which the vehicle is capable of traveling on electric-only power. The projected electric range value is calculated as a function of a distance calculated based on available battery charge that is adjusted based on a driving style of the individual. The driving style of the individual is determined from the historical drive cycle data.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a computer processor;

an antenna;

a data bus communicatively coupling the antenna to the computer processor within a vehicle; and

logic executable by the computer processor, the logic configured to implement a method, the method comprising;

detecting, via the antenna, a key fob within range of the vehicle, the key fob associated with an individual;

searching a database for a record having an identifier that matches an identifier of the key fob, the record storing historical drive cycle data associated with the key fob and the individual;

retrieving the historical drive cycle data;

calculating a projected electric range value indicative of a distance in which the vehicle is capable of traveling on electric-only power, the projected electric range value calculated as a function of a distance calculated based on remaining battery charge and adjusted based on a driving style of the individual, the driving style of the individual determined from the historical drive cycle data; and

transmitting the projected electric range value over the data bus to a device in the vehicle, and presenting the projected electric range value via the device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to implement:

recalculating the projected electric range value periodically throughout a duration of a drive cycle; and

presenting a recalculated projected electric range value via the device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to implement:

detecting another key fob within range of the vehicle, the other key fob associated with another individual; and

prompting a driver of the vehicle, via a display device, to enter an identifier of the key fob associated with the driver, the driver representing one of the individual and the other individual;

wherein the identifier entered by the driver is used to perform the searching.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the historical drive cycle data includes:

average electrical energy consumption rate;

average speed;

average rate of acceleration; and

average rate of deceleration.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the projected electric range value is further adjusted based on current temperature.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the projected electric range value is further adjusted based on terrain information derived from at least one of a navigation system of the vehicle and accelerator data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is at least one of:

a display device of an infotainment system in the vehicle;

an audio device of an infotainment system in the vehicle; and

an instrument panel cluster in the vehicle.

8. A method, comprising:

detecting, via an antenna embedded in a vehicle, a key fob within range of the vehicle, the key fob associated with an individual;

searching, via a computer processor embedded in the vehicle, a database for a record having an identifier that matches an identifier of the key fob, the record storing historical drive cycle data associated with the key fob and the individual;

retrieving the historical drive cycle data;

calculating a projected electric range value indicative of a distance in which the vehicle is capable of traveling on electric-only power, the projected electric range value calculated as a function of a distance calculated based on available battery charge and adjusted based on a driving style of the individual, the driving style of the individual determined from the historical drive cycle data; and

transmitting the projected electric range value over a data bus to a device in the vehicle, and presenting the projected electric range value via the device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

recalculating the projected electric range value periodically throughout a duration of a drive cycle; and

presenting a recalculated projected electric range value via the device.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

detecting another key fob within range of the vehicle, the other key fob associated with another individual; and

prompting a driver of the vehicle, via a display device, to enter an identifier of the key fob associated with the driver, the driver representing one of the individual and the other individual;

wherein the identifier entered by the driver is used to perform the searching.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the historical drive cycle data includes:

average electrical energy consumption rate;

average speed;

average rate of acceleration; and

average rate of deceleration.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the projected electric range value is further adjusted based on current temperature.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the projected electric range value is further adjusted based on terrain information derived from at least one of a navigation system of the vehicle and accelerator data.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the device is at least one of:

a display device of an infotainment system in the vehicle;

an audio device of an infotainment system in the vehicle; and

an instrument panel cluster in the vehicle.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having instructions embodied thereon, which when executed by a computer processor, causes the computer processor to implement a method, the method including:

detecting, via an antenna embedded in a vehicle, a key fob within range of the vehicle, the key fob associated with an individual;

searching a database stored in a vehicle for a record having an identifier that matches an identifier of the key fob, the record storing historical drive cycle data associated with the key fob and the individual;

retrieving the historical drive cycle data;

calculating a projected electric range value indicative of a distance in which the vehicle is capable of traveling on electric-only power, the projected electric range value calculated as a function of a distance calculated based on available battery charge and adjusted based on a driving style of the individual, the driving style of the individual determined from the historical drive cycle data; and

transmitting the projected electric range value over the data bus to a device in the vehicle, presenting the projected electric range value via the device.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the method further includes:

recalculating the projected electric range value periodically throughout a duration of a drive cycle; and

presenting a recalculated projected electric range value via the device.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the method further includes:

detecting another key fob within range of the vehicle, the other key fob associated with another individual; and

prompting a driver of the vehicle, via a display device, to enter an identifier of the key fob associated with the driver, the driver representing one of the individual and the other individual;

wherein the identifier entered by the driver is used to perform the searching.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the historical drive cycle data includes:

average electrical energy consumption rate average speed;

average rate of acceleration; and

average rate of deceleration.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the projected electric range value is further adjusted based on current temperature.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the projected electric range value is further adjusted based on terrain information derived from at least one of a navigation system of the vehicle and accelerator data.