System and method for managing power in a vehicle

• US 9,008,874 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2011
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Wippler, Erik Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith, Jack W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chuong P
• Application Number:
  US13/014,541
• Publication Number:
  US 20120191279A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,539 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/123, 702 60- 63, 340/636.1, 340/439, 903/903, 903/907
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/02 to electric heating circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/14 to electric lighting circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/34 Cabin temperature
• 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 2240/647 Surface situation of road, e.g. type of paving
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• 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: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 : Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 : Data processing systems or methods, management, administration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 : having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/907 : Electricity storage, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

A system and method for managing power in a vehicle is provided herein. The vehicle includes a battery, an electric motor, and a plurality of electric devices. The electric motor is operable to drive the vehicle. The battery provides power to the electric motor and each of the electric devices. A first sensor is operable to detect the amount of power each of the electric devices is consuming and a display is operable to provide the power consumption for each of the electric devices and the battery power. Accordingly, the user is able to identify and manage how the battery'"'"'s power is being distributed during the operation of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for managing power in a vehicle, the vehicle having a battery, an electric motor and a plurality of electric devices, the electric motor configured to drive the vehicle and the battery providing power to the electric motor and each of the plurality of electric devices, the system comprising:

a sensor unit detecting the amount of power each of the plurality of electric devices is consuming;

a processor in communication with the battery and the sense unit; and

a display configured to show the percentage of battery power each of the plurality of electric devices is consuming and how much battery power is available to power the electric motor; and

wherein the processor calculates a maximum driving range, wherein the maximum driving range is calculated using the amount of power each one of the plurality of electric devices is consuming detected by the sensor unit, the power demand of the electric motor and the amount of power left in the battery, and wherein the processor is further configured to automatically recalculate the maximum driving range when the operation of any one of the plurality of electric devices changes so as to provide a user with an updated estimated vehicle range based upon the operation of any one of the plurality of electric devices, the maximum driving range is displayed on the display.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to calculate a plurality of maximum driving ranges, wherein the driving ranges are calculated using the amount of power used by a selected one of the plurality of electric devices and the amount of power left in the battery so as to provide the user with an estimated vehicle range based upon the continued operation of the selected one of the plurality of electric devices.

3. The system as set forth in claim 2, further including an input, wherein each of the plurality of maximum ranges is based upon the use of at least two or more of the electric devices, and wherein the processor actuates each of the selected electric devices of the corresponding selected maximum range.

4. The system as set forth in claim 3, further including a database configured to store driving habits of the user, the processor in communication with the database and configured to process the amount of power available in the battery, the amount of power used by the plurality of electric devices, and the user'"'"'s driving habits to calculate the maximum driving range.

5. The system as set forth in claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to calculate a plurality of maximum ranges, wherein each of the plurality of maximum ranges is based upon the use of one or more of the electric devices and the driving habits of the user.

6. The system as set forth in claim 3, further including a plurality of icons, each of the plurality of icons representing one of the plurality of electric devices, the plurality of icons displayed on the display.

7. The system as set forth in claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of icons includes a meter, the meter showing how much power the electric device is using.

8. The system as set forth in claim 2, further including a navigation system configured to detect the vehicle'"'"'s current location, store a selected destination, and provide a route from the vehicle'"'"'s current location and the selected destination, the navigation system further configured to provide geographical and road information related to the route.

9. The system as set forth in claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of maximum ranges is based upon the use of one or more of the electric devices, the driving habits of the users, and the current location and the geographical and road information related to the route.

10. A method for managing power in a vehicle, the vehicle having a battery, an electric motor and a plurality of electric devices, the electric motor configured to drive the vehicle and the battery providing power to the electric motor and to each of the electric devices, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting the amount of power each of the plurality of electric devices is consuming;

displaying the percentage of battery power each of the plurality of electric devices is consuming and how much battery power is available to power the electric motor; and

calculating a maximum driving range using the amount of power each one of the plurality of electric devices is consuming;

the power demand of the electric motor and the amount of power left in the battery, and automatically recalculating the maximum driving range when the operation of any one of the plurality of electric devices changes so as to provide a user with an updated estimated vehicle range based upon the operation of any one of the plurality of electric devices; and

displaying the maximum driving range on the display.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10, further including the step of calculating a plurality of maximum driving ranges, the each of the plurality of maximum driving ranges indicating the distance the vehicle may travel based upon the amount of power left in the battery and the amount of power used by a selected one or more of the plurality of electric devices.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11, further including the step of providing an input, the input configured to select one of the plurality of maximum ranges, and wherein the vehicle actuates the corresponding selected one or more of the plurality of electric devices when a maximum driving range is selected.

13. The method as set forth in claim 11, further comprising the step of processing the amount of power available in the battery, the amount of power used by the plurality of electric devices, and the user'"'"'s driving habits to calculate the maximum driving range.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13, wherein the plurality of maximum ranges is based upon the use of one or more of the electric device and the driving habits of the user.

15. The method as set forth in claim 11, further including providing a navigation system configured to detect the vehicle'"'"'s current location, store a selected destination, and provide a route from the vehicle'"'"'s current location and the selected destination, the navigation method further configured to provide geographical and road information related to the route.

16. The method as set forth in claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of maximum ranges is based upon the use of one or more of the electric devices, the driving habits of the users, and the current location and the geographical and road information related to the route.

17. The method as set forth in claim 10, further including the step of providing a plurality of icons, each of the plurality of icons representing one of the plurality of electric devices, the plurality of icons displayed on the display.

18. The method as set forth in claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of icons includes a meter, the meter showing how much power the electric device is using.