In-vehicle drive pattern optimization for reduced road wear

• US 9,153,129 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2014
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lynar, Timothy M., Steer, Kent C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, YUEN H
• Application Number:
  US14/161,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20140136018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/00 Input parameters relating to infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/00 Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/00 Details of control systems for road vehicle drive control not related to the control of a particular sub-unit , e.g. process diagnostic or vehicle driver interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/16 Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0145 for active traffic flow control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09626 where the origin of the information is within the own vehicle, e.g. a local storage device, digital map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0967 Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station

Abstract

The present principles are directed to in-vehicle drive pattern optimization for reduced road wear. A method includes monitoring statuses of various vehicle functions. The method further includes controlling the various vehicle functions to optimize the vehicle drive pattern for reduced road wear, responsive to an output of the monitoring step and known information at least about a road segment currently being or about to be traversed.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle drive pattern optimization method, comprising:

monitoring, by a vehicle status monitor, statuses of various vehicle functions; and

providing, by a suggested vehicle driving pattern indicator, a user perceptible indication of a suggested vehicle driving pattern that reduces road wear responsive to an output of the monitoring step and known information about a road segment currently being or about to be traversed,

wherein the vehicle drive pattern is optimized for reduced road wear based on minimizing an aggregate wear increment and minimizing a maximum wear for the road segment.

2. The in-vehicle drive pattern optimization method of claim 1, further comprising logging a driving pattern of a user on the road.

3. The in-vehicle drive pattern optimization method of claim 1, wherein the user perceptible indication of the suggested vehicle driving pattern is provided at least one of visually, audibly, and tactilely.

4. The in-vehicle drive pattern optimization method of claim 1, wherein the known information further comprises ambient information with respect to a location of the current road segment.

5. The in-vehicle drive pattern optimization method of claim 4, wherein the ambient information comprises traffic conditions, road conditions, traffic signals, speed limits, route information, area map, and weather.

6. An in-vehicle drive pattern optimizer, comprising:

a vehicle status monitor for monitoring statuses of various vehicle functions; and

a suggested vehicle driving pattern indicator for providing a user perceptible indication of a suggested vehicle driving pattern that reduces road wear responsive to an output of the vehicle status monitor and known information about a road segment currently being or about to be traversed,

wherein the vehicle drive pattern is optimized for reduced road wear based on minimizing an aggregate wear increment and minimizing a maximum wear for the road segment.

7. The in-vehicle drive pattern optimizer of claim 6, further comprising a vehicle driving pattern logging device for logging a driving pattern of a user on the road.

8. The in-vehicle drive pattern optimizer of claim 6, further comprising at least one of a transceiver and data input port for receiving the known information at least about the current road segment.

9. The in-vehicle drive pattern optimizer of claim 6, wherein the known information further comprises ambient information with respect to a location of the current road segment.

10. The in-vehicle drive pattern optimizer of claim 9, wherein the ambient information comprises traffic conditions, road conditions, traffic signals, speed limits, route information, area map, and weather.