Drive mode guide system for vehicle and method thereof

• US 8,924,146 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2012
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Inventors: Choi, Seunggil, Lee, Jeong Woo, Kee, Jung Do
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malhotra, Sanjeev
• Application Number:
  US13/536,316
• Publication Number:
  US 20130151142A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/25, 701/36, 701/201, 701/207, 701/208, 701/210, 701/211, 701/423, 704/270, 705/52, 709/223, 340/942, 340/995.1, 340/995.27
• US Class Current: 701/423
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/10 Air crafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/22 Microcars, e.g. golf cars
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/32 Waterborne vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/642 Slope of road
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/645 Type of road
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/68 Traffic data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/12 by confirmation, e.g. of the input
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/18 by enquiring driving style
• 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: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• 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

Disclosed is drive mode guide system for a vehicle provided with a plurality of drive modes. More specifically, a road information storage unit stores information related a road state. A real-time information storage unit receives and stores environmental information in real time. A vehicle information storage unit stores information related to the vehicle. A control unit then extracts a possible-traveling path and a drive mode and an outputs the possible-traveling path. A suggested drive mode received from the control unit based on the information stored in the road information storage unit, the real-time information storage unit, and the vehicle information storage unit.

Claims

1. A drive mode guide system for a vehicle provided with a plurality of drive modes, comprising:

an input unit configured to receive data input by the user, wherein the data input by the user is destination data;

a road information storage unit configured to store information related to a road state;

a real-time information storage unit configured to receive and store environmental information in real time;

a vehicle information storage unit configured to store information related to the vehicle;

a control unit configured to extract a possible-traveling path and a drive mode for the vehicle based on the real-time information, vehicle information and road state information; and

an output unit configured to output the possible-traveling path and the drive mode received from the control unit,

wherein the control unit is configured to;

extract the possible-traveling path for the vehicle from the destination data received from the input unit,

extract an expected consumed energy flow for the possible-traveling path from information received from the road information storage unit, the real-time information storage unit, and the vehicle information storage unit, and

extract a drive mode suitable for the expected consumed energy flow for the possible-traveling path and the traveling information from the plurality of drive modes, wherein the expected consumed energy flow is extracted by configuring the control unit to;

calculate a dynamic load state applied to the vehicle during virtual travel through the possible-traveling path from information received from the road information storage unit, the real-time information storage unit, and the vehicle information storage unit;

calculate a fluid resistance state applied to the vehicle during the virtual travel through the possible-traveling path from information received from the real-time information storage unit and the vehicle information storage unit;

calculate a fuel consumption rage of the vehicle during virtual travel through the possible-traveling path from information on the calculated dynamic load state and fluid resistance state of the vehicle; and

calculate a heat load state of the vehicle from information received from the vehicle information storage unit based on the expected energy flow in the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

extract a plurality of possible-traveling paths for the vehicle from information inputted to the input unit,

extract the expected consumed energy flow for each of the plurality of possible-traveling paths,

extract a possible-traveling path with minimum energy consumption from the plurality of possible-traveling paths in consideration of the expected consumed energy flow for each of the possible-traveling paths, and

extract a drive mode suitable for the traveling information of the possible-traveling path with the minimum energy consumption.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit further configured to:

extract a plurality of possible-traveling paths of the vehicle from the information inputted to the input unit,

extract the expected consumed energy flow for each of the plurality of possible-traveling paths, and

extract a drive mode suitable for the expected consumed energy flow and the traveling information for each of the possible-traveling paths.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the road state information stored in the road information storage unit includes geographical characteristics of the road and traffic rule information of the road.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the environmental information stored in the real-time information storage unit includes real-time road traffic situation information and weather information.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle state information stored in the vehicle information storage unit includes heat load state information of the vehicle.

7. A drive mode guide output method of a drive mode guide system for a vehicle including a plurality of drive modes, the method comprising:

inputting a destination;

extracting, by a control unit, a possible-traveling path for the vehicle from the inputted destination;

collecting, by the control unit, road state information related to the extracted possible-traveling path for the vehicle, real-time environmental information, and vehicle information;

extracting, by the control unit, an expected consumed energy flow from the collected road state information, real-time environmental information, and vehicle information, wherein the expected consumed energy flow is extracted by;

calculating a dynamic load state applied to the vehicle during virtual travel through the possible-traveling path from information received from the road information storage unit, the real-time information storage unit, and the vehicle information storage unit,

calculating a fluid resistance state applied to the vehicle during virtual travel through the possible-traveling path from information received from the real-time information storage unit and the vehicle information storage unit,

calculating a fuel consumption rate of the vehicle during virtual travel through the possible-traveling path from information on the calculated dynamic load state and fluid resistance state of the vehicle, and

calculating a heat load state of the vehicle from information received from the vehicle information storage unit based on the expected energy flow in the vehicle;

extracting, by the control unit, a suggested drive mode suitable for the expected consumed energy flow for the possible-traveling path and the traveling information from the plurality of drive modes; and

outputting, by the control unit, the suggested drive mode.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein when a plurality of possible-traveling paths for the vehicle are extracted, the expected consumed energy flow is extracted for each of the possible-traveling paths.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

extracting, by the control unit, a possible-traveling path with the minimum energy consumption from the plurality of possible-traveling paths in consideration of the expected consumed energy flow extracted for each of the possible-traveling paths.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the road state information is selected from a group consisting of geographical characteristics of the road and traffic rule information along the possible-traveling path. from a group consisting of real-time road traffic situation information and weather information.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the real-time environmental information is selected from a group consisting of real-time road traffic situation information and weather information.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the vehicle state information includes heat load state information of the vehicle.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions executed by a processor or controller, the computer readable medium comprising:

program instructions that extract at least one possible-traveling path for the vehicle from an input destination;

program instructions that collect road state information related to the extracted possible-traveling path for the vehicle, real-time environmental information, and vehicle information;

program instructions that extract an expected consumed energy flow from the collected road state information, real-time environmental information, and vehicle information, wherein the expected consumed energy flow is extracted by;

calculating a dynamic load state applied to the vehicle during virtual travel through the possible-traveling path from information received from the road information storage unit, the real-time information storage unit, and the vehicle information storage unit,

calculating a fluid resistance state applied to the vehicle during virtual travel through the possible-traveling path from information received from the real-time information storage unit and the vehicle information storage unit,

calculating a fuel consumption rate of the vehicle during virtual travel through the possible-traveling path from information on the calculated dynamic load state and fluid resistance state of the vehicle, and

calculating a heat load state of the vehicle from information received from the vehicle information storage unit based on the expected energy flow in the vehicle;

program instructions that extract a suggested drive mode suitable for the expected consumed energy flow for the possible-traveling path and the traveling information from the plurality of drive modes; and

program instructions that output the suggested drive mode.