Energy mapping systems

• US 8,935,090 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2013
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Mineta, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US13/955,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20140163865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: 701/25, 701/24, 701/123, 701/33.4, 701/32.3, 701/408, 701/409, 701/468, 903/903, 903/904, 903/905, 903/906, 903/907, 903/908, 700/291
• US Class Current: 701/409
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/12 using control strategies taking into account route information estimation or calculation of non-directly measurable driving parameters B60W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3807 characterised by the type of data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3848 Data obtained from both position sensors and additional sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/00 Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled logic circuits H03K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096816 where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

An energy map for a motor vehicle and an energy mapping system for making the energy map are disclosed. The energy map includes energy information related to energy consumption and energy recharging of various power sources along various roadway segments. The energy mapping system may include a navigation system for a motor vehicle comprising a GPS receiver, various energy level sensors, and an electronic control unit. A probe vehicle may be used to measure energy consumption and energy recharging for various power sources. The energy mapping system may also include a service provider. The navigation system may measure energy levels for the various power sources along various roadway segments and transmit the measurements to the service provider. The service provider may then associate differences in the measured energy levels for each of the various power sources with the various roadway segments.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle configured to collect energy information for use in an energy mapping system, the motor vehicle comprising:

a navigation system including an electronic control unit;

a first energy level sensor configured to detect an amount of energy associated with a first power source;

a second energy level sensor configured to detect an amount of energy associated with a second power source, wherein the second power source is different than the first power source; and

a GPS receiver configured to determine a location of the motor vehicle;

wherein the electronic control unit is in communication with the first energy level sensor, the second energy level sensor, and the GPS receiver; and

wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to perform the steps of;

receiving a first location of the motor vehicle corresponding to a first portion of a roadway segment from the GPS receiver;

measuring a first energy level value of the first power source from the first energy level sensor and measuring a second energy level value of the second power source from the second energy level sensor, the first energy level value and the second energy level value corresponding to the first location;

receiving a second location of the motor vehicle corresponding to a second portion of the roadway segment from the GPS receiver; and

measuring a third energy level value of the first power source from the first energy level sensor and measuring a fourth energy level value of the second power source from the second energy level sensor, the third energy level value and the fourth energy level value corresponding to the second location.

2. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the motor vehicle is in communication with a service provider over a wireless network;

and

wherein the electronic control unit is configured to transmit at least the first location, the first energy level value, the second energy level value, the second location, the third energy level value, and the fourth energy level value to the service provider via the wireless network.

3. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first power source is an engine and the first energy level sensor is a fuel level sensor configured to measure an amount of fuel in a fuel tank associated with the engine.

4. The motor vehicle of claim 3, wherein the second power source is an electric motor and the second energy level sensor is a battery charge sensor configured to measure a state of charge of a battery associated with the electric motor.

5. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first power source is selected from one of an engine fueled by gasoline, an engine fueled by mixed fuels, an electric motor, and a motor powered by a hydrogen fuel cell.

6. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the motor vehicle further comprises at least one of a vehicle speed sensor, an accelerometer, and an altitude sensor.

7. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to measure the first energy level value and the second energy level value simultaneously at the first location.

8. An energy mapping system for collecting energy information associated with a plurality of roadway segments, the energy mapping system comprising:

a service provider configured to receive energy information from a plurality of probe vehicles travelling along the plurality of roadway segments; and

the plurality of probe vehicles, each probe vehicle comprising;

a navigation system including an electronic control unit;

a first energy level sensor configured to detect an amount of energy associated with a first power source;

a second energy level sensor configured to detect an amount of energy associated with a second power source, wherein the second power source is different than the first power source; and

a GPS receiver configured to determine a location of the probe vehicle;

wherein, for each probe vehicle, the electronic control unit is in communication with the first energy level sensor, the second energy level sensor, and the GPS receiver; and

wherein, for each probe vehicle, the electronic control unit is further configured to perform the steps of;

receiving a first location of the probe vehicle corresponding to a first portion of a roadway segment from the GPS receiver;

measuring a first energy level value of the first power source from the first energy level sensor and measuring a second energy level value of the second power source from the second energy level sensor, the first energy level value and the second energy level value corresponding to the first location;

receiving a second location of the probe vehicle corresponding to a second portion of the roadway segment from the GPS receiver; and

measuring a third energy level value of the first power source from the first energy level sensor and measuring a fourth energy level value of the second power source from the second energy level sensor, the third energy level value and the fourth energy level value corresponding to the second location.

9. The energy mapping system of claim 8, wherein each probe vehicle of the plurality of probe vehicles is in communication with a service provider over a wireless network;

and

wherein, for each probe vehicle, the electronic control unit is configured to transmit at least the first location, the first energy level value, the second energy level value, the second location, the third energy level value, and the fourth energy level value to the service provider via the wireless network.

10. The energy mapping system of claim 8, wherein, for each probe vehicle, the first power source is an engine and the first energy level sensor is a fuel level sensor configured to measure an amount of fuel in a fuel tank associated with the engine.

11. The energy mapping system of claim 10, wherein, for each probe vehicle, the second power source is an electric motor and the second energy level sensor is a battery charge sensor configured to measure a state of charge of a battery associated with the electric motor.

12. The energy mapping system of claim 8, wherein, for each probe vehicle, the first power source is selected from one of an engine fueled by gasoline, an engine fueled by mixed fuels, an electric motor, and a motor powered by a hydrogen fuel cell.

13. The energy mapping system of claim 8, wherein each probe vehicle further comprises at least one of a vehicle speed sensor, an accelerometer, and an altitude sensor.

14. The energy mapping system of claim 8, wherein, for each probe vehicle, the electronic control unit is configured to measure the first energy level value and the second energy level value simultaneously at the first location.

15. An energy mapping system for collecting energy information associated with a plurality of roadway segments, the energy mapping system comprising:

a service provider configured to receive energy information from a probe vehicle travelling along the plurality of roadway segments; and

the probe vehicle, comprising;

a navigation system including an electronic control unit,

a fuel level sensor configured to detect an amount of liquid fuel in a fuel tank associated with an engine;

a battery charge sensor configured to detect a state of charge of a battery associated with an electric motor; and

a GPS receiver configured to determine a location of the probe vehicle; and

a wireless network connection in communication with the service provider over a wireless network;

wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to perform the steps of;

receiving a first location of the motor vehicle corresponding to a first portion of a roadway segment from the GPS receiver;

measuring a value of a first fuel level of the fuel tank using the fuel level sensor and measuring a value of a first state of charge of the battery using the battery charge sensor, the first fuel level and the first state of charge corresponding to the first location;

receiving a second location of the motor vehicle corresponding to a second portion of the roadway segment from the GPS receiver;

measuring a value of a second fuel level of the fuel tank using the fuel level sensor and measuring a value of a second state of charge of the battery using the battery charge sensor, the second fuel level and the second state of charge corresponding to the second location; and

transmitting at least the first location, the first fuel level, the first state of charge, the second location, the second fuel level, and the second state of charge to the service provider through the wireless network connection.

16. The energy mapping system of claim 15, wherein the probe vehicle further comprises at least one of a vehicle speed sensor, an accelerometer, and an altitude sensor.

17. The energy mapping system of claim 15, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to measure the first fuel level and the first state of charge simultaneously at the first location.

18. The energy mapping system of claim 15, wherein the service provider comprises a map database.

19. The energy mapping system of claim 15, wherein the service provider comprises an energy database.

20. The energy mapping system of claim 15, wherein the service provider is configured to perform the steps of:

determining a first difference between the first fuel level and the second fuel level;

determining a second difference between the first state of charge and the second state of charge; and

associating the first difference and the second difference with the roadway segment in an energy map.