Energy management system and method for vehicle systems
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method comprising:
- controlling a vehicle to travel along a route according to a trip plan that designates first operational settings of the vehicle as a function of one or more of time or distance along the route as the vehicle moves along the route;
receiving plural requests to revise the trip plan as the vehicle moves along the route;
classifying individual requests based on a determined necessity of the requests;
determining a hierarchical order of the requests based on the determined necessity of the requests;
revising the trip plan according to one or more of the requests based on the hierarchical order;
comparing parameters of the requests that are received to identify a first optional request that corresponds to a first mandatory request;
combining the first optional request and the first mandatory request into a combined request; and
revising the first operational settings of the trip plan according to the combined request.
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Abstract
An energy management system and method for a vehicle system operate the vehicle system according to a current trip plan as the vehicle system travels along a route during a trip. The current trip plan designates operational settings of the vehicle system. The system and method also revise the current trip plan into a revised trip plan responsive to current, actual operation of the vehicle system differing from the current trip plan by at least a designated threshold amount. The revised trip plan designates operational settings of the vehicle system and includes an initial designated operational setting that matches the current, actual operation of the vehicle system.
46 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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controlling a vehicle to travel along a route according to a trip plan that designates first operational settings of the vehicle as a function of one or more of time or distance along the route as the vehicle moves along the route; receiving plural requests to revise the trip plan as the vehicle moves along the route; classifying individual requests based on a determined necessity of the requests; determining a hierarchical order of the requests based on the determined necessity of the requests; revising the trip plan according to one or more of the requests based on the hierarchical order; comparing parameters of the requests that are received to identify a first optional request that corresponds to a first mandatory request; combining the first optional request and the first mandatory request into a combined request; and revising the first operational settings of the trip plan according to the combined request. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method comprising:
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controlling a vehicle to travel along a route according to a trip plan that designates first operational settings of the vehicle as a function of one or more of time or distance along the route as the vehicle moves along the route; receiving plural requests to revise the trip plan as the vehicle moves along the route; classifying individual requests based on a determined necessity of the requests; determining a hierarchical order of the requests based on the determined necessity of the requests; revising the trip plan according to one or more of the requests based on the hierarchical order; and operating the vehicle according to the operational settings designated by the trip plan that is revised, wherein operating the vehicle according to the trip plan that is revised causes the vehicle system to one or more of consume more fuel or generate increased emissions relative to the vehicle operating according to the operational settings designated by the trip plan prior to revising the trip plan, but also causes the vehicle to one or more of consume less fuel or generate fewer emissions relative to the vehicle returning to operating according to the operational settings designated by the trip plan prior to revising the trip plan. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A method comprising:
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controlling a vehicle to travel along a route according to a trip plan that designates first operational settings of the vehicle as a function of one or more of time or distance along the route as the vehicle moves along the route; receiving plural requests to revise the trip plan as the vehicle moves along the route; classifying individual requests based on a determined necessity of the requests; determining a hierarchical order of the requests based on the determined necessity of the requests; and revising the trip plan according to one or more of the requests based on the hierarchical order; wherein receiving the plural requests includes receiving plural different estimation re-plan requests, the estimation re-plan requests based on one or more differences between one or more expected values and one or more experienced values of a parameter used to previously generate the trip plan; and arbitrating between the estimation re-plan requests based on a state of the vehicle; and generating an arbitrated re-plan request based on arbitrating between the estimation re-plan requests, wherein the trip plan is revised according to the arbitrated re-plan request. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A method comprising:
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controlling a vehicle to travel along a route according to a trip plan that designates first operational settings of the vehicle as a function of one or more of time or distance along the route as the vehicle moves along the route; receiving plural requests to revise the trip plan as the vehicle moves along the route; classifying individual requests based on a determined necessity of the requests; determining a hierarchical order of the requests based on the determined necessity of the requests; and revising the trip plan according to one or more of the requests based on the hierarchical order; wherein revising the trip plan includes; generating a transition plan that designates one or more second operational settings of the vehicle that differ from the first operational settings prior to an approaching location along the route, wherein the transition plan designates the second operational settings of the vehicle for a limited distance that is shorter than a remainder of a distance for which the trip plan was generated; and generating a prospective plan that designates one or more third operational settings of the vehicle that differ from the first and second operational settings as a function of one or more of time or distance along the route as the vehicle system at least one of moves past the approaching location or completes the transition plan, wherein the prospective plan designates the one or more third operational settings at least until an end point of the distance for which the operating plan was generated. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method comprising:
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controlling a vehicle to travel along a route according to a trip plan that designates first operational settings of the vehicle as a function of one or more of time or distance along the route as the vehicle moves along the route; receiving plural requests to revise the trip plan as the vehicle moves along the route; classifying individual requests based on a determined necessity of the requests; determining a hierarchical order of the requests based on the determined necessity of the requests; revising the trip plan according to one or more of the requests based on the hierarchical order, wherein revising the trip plan includes designating second operational settings of the vehicle as a function of one or more of time or distance along the route, the second operational settings differing from the first operational settings, wherein the second operational settings include an initial designated operational setting that matches a current, actual operation of the vehicle at a time when the trip plan that is revised is implemented; and operating the vehicle according to the second operational settings designated by the trip plan that is revised, wherein operating the vehicle according to the trip plan that is revised causes the vehicle to one or more of consume more fuel or generate increased emissions relative to the vehicle operating according to the first operational settings designated by the trip plan prior to revising the trip plan, but also causes the vehicle to one or more of consume less fuel or generate fewer emissions relative to the vehicle returning to operating according to the first operational settings designated by the trip plan prior to revising the trip plan. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A system comprising one or more processors configured to:
- determine signals for controlling a vehicle to travel along a route according to a trip plan that designates first operational settings of the vehicle as a function of one or more of time or distance along the route as the vehicle moves along the route, receive plural requests to revise the trip plan as the vehicle moves along the route, classify individual requests based on a determined necessity of the requests, determine a hierarchical order of the requests based on the determined necessity of the requests, revise the trip plan according to one or more of the requests based on the hierarchical order, compare parameters of the requests that are received to identify a first optional request that corresponds to a first mandatory request, combine the first optional request and the first mandatory request into a combined request, and revise the first operational settings of the trip plan according to the combined request.
- View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
Specification