Energy management method for a vehicle and energy management device

• US 9,440,553 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2015
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Kuhn, Mathias, Budzynski, Tobias, Lou, Jian, Petersen, Snke, Hofmann, Gustav
• Primary Examiner(s): MOYER, DALE S
• Application Number:
  US14/641,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20150258912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 556 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/169 Remaining operating distance or charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/169 Remaining operating distance or charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/52 drive range estimation, e.g. of estimation of available travel distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/24 Energy storage means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/209 Fuel quantity remaining in tank
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/00 Input parameters relating to occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/215 Selection or confirmation of options
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/00 Estimation or calculation of non-directly measurable driving parameters for road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub unit, e.g. by using mathematical models
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/085 Changing the parameters of the control units, e.g. changing limit values, working points by control input
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• 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

Abstract

An energy management method for a vehicle having an energy store and consumers, in which the energy reserve in the energy store is detected and a predicted actual range of the vehicle is calculated, a graphic object which visualizes the predicted actual range is generated and displayed, a user input is detected with which a setpoint range is set in that the graphic object is changed by an input device, after the setting of the setpoint range, on the basis of the difference between the setpoint range and the predicted actual range it is calculated by which changes in state of at least one subset of the consumers the setpoint range can be achieved, and the calculated changes in state are output as a proposal. Also disclosed is an energy management device for carrying out this energy management method.

Claims

1. An energy management method for a vehicle which comprises an energy store and a plurality of consumers, the method comprising:

detecting the energy reserve in the energy store and calculating a predicted actual range of the vehicle;

generating and displaying a graphic object which visualizes the predicted actual range;

detecting a user input with which a setpoint range is set in that the graphic object is changed by an input device;

calculating a difference between the setpoint range and the predicted actual range;

calculating changes in state of at least one subset of the consumers based on the difference between the setpoint range and the predicted actual range so that the setpoint range is achieved; and

outputting the calculated changes in state as a proposal,

wherein the predicted actual range is determined based on data relating to a route of the vehicle having route sections on which energy consumption is relatively high or energy consumption is relatively low.

2. The energy management method of claim 1, wherein the graphic object comprises a sliding controller.

3. The energy management method of claim 1, wherein a longitudinal extent of the graphic object depends on the predicted actual range, and

wherein, with the user input, the setpoint range is set by changing the longitudinal extent of the graphic object using the input device.

4. The energy management method of claim 1, wherein a destination is detected, the distance of the vehicle from the destination in a road network is determined, and the distance of the destination from a further graphic object in relation to the predicted actual range is displayed.

5. The energy management method of claim 1, wherein control signals for changing the states of the subset of the consumers are generated in accordance with the proposal when a user input with which the proposal is accepted has been detected.

6. The energy management method of claim 1, wherein a switching element for modifying the proposal is displayed, and

wherein, when the switching element has been activated, changes for individual consumers included in the proposal specifies how the predicted actual range of the vehicle changes as a result of the change for the respective consumer.

7. The energy management method of claim 1, wherein, a proposal for individual consumers is calculated and includes an indication of how the predicted actual range of the vehicle changes in in response to a change in state of the respective consumer.

8. The energy management method of claim 1, wherein the states of the subset of the consumers included in the proposal is changed individually using the input device, and when a user input for changing the state of a consumer has been detected, an updated predicted actual range of the vehicle is calculated and the display of the graphic object is changed taking into account the updated predicted actual range.

9. The energy management method of claim 1, wherein the states of the subset of the consumers of the proposal is changed individually using the input device, and a control signal for changing the state of a consumer is generated if a user input for changing the state of this consumer has been detected.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the predicted actual range is displayed alphanumerically as an indication of pure battery drive and an indication of a hybrid drive.

11. An energy management device for a vehicle which comprises an energy store and a plurality of consumers, the energy management device comprising:

a sensor device for detecting the energy reserve in the energy store of the vehicle,

a computing device, coupled to the sensor device, for calculating the predicted actual range of the vehicle;

a display device, coupled to the computing device, for generating and displaying a graphic object which visualizes the predicted actual range; and

an input device for detecting a user input, with which a setpoint range is set by changing the graphic object,

wherein, after the setting of the setpoint range, the computing device calculates the difference between the setpoint range and the predicted actual range and calculates changes in state of at least one subset of the consumers such that the setpoint range can be achieved, and

wherein the calculated changes in state are output as a proposal by the display device,

wherein the predicted actual range is determined based on data relating to a route of the vehicle having route sections on which energy consumption is relatively high or energy consumption is relatively low.

12. The energy management device of claim 11, wherein the consumers comprise thermal consumers for heating or cooling a passenger cell of the vehicle.

13. The energy management device of claim 11, wherein the consumers comprise at least one consumer group which combines a plurality of individual consumers.

14. The energy management device of claim 11, wherein the energy management device has a control device which is coupled to the computing device and which generates control signals for changing the states of the consumers as a function of a user input that accepts the proposal, or changes the state of a consumer when a user input for changing the state of this consumer has been detected.

15. A vehicle comprising:

an energy store,

a plurality of consumers

and the energy management device according to claim 11.

16. The energy management device of claim 11, wherein the predicted actual range is displayed alphanumerically as an indication of pure battery drive and an indication of a hybrid drive.