System and method for measuring and reducing vehicle fuel waste

• US 9,453,752 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2014
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tenstreet, LLC
• Original Assignee: Vnomics Corp. (Tenstreet, LLC)
• Inventors: Chauncey, David Charles, McCarthy, Edward Charles, Roth, Peter Joseph, Elliott, Nicholas Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Tyler J
• Application Number:
  US14/551,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20150081199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 701/123
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/174 Economic driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• 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: B60R 16/0236 for economical driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/50 characterised by the display information being shared, e.g. external display, data transfer to other traffic participants or centralised traffic controller
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/10 Change speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/16 Ratio selector position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/165 Rate of change
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 9/00 Measuring volume flow relative to another variable, e.g. of liquid fuel for an engine
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 9/023 with electric, electro-mechanic or electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

One way to improve fuel efficiency of a vehicle is to detect the vehicle operational shortcomings related to fuel consumption by determining whether fuel used during operation of the vehicle is normal fuel use or wasted fuel use. Considerations of idling, speeding and inappropriate gear shifts are some ways to measure the amount of fuel wasted due to operator shortcomings. Communicating this information to the operator in real-time so adjustments can be made will improve vehicle fuel efficiency. These techniques are applicable to tracking employment of other driving best practices as well.

Claims

1. A method of detecting vehicle operational shortcomings related to fuel consumption, comprising:

sensing information about operation of a vehicle from at least one sensor positioned on the vehicle;

recording, on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the sensed information;

determining, from the information, normal fuel use during operation of the vehicle and wasted fuel use during operation of the vehicle;

categorizing fuel used by the vehicle into one of a plurality of normal fuel use categories for the determined normal fuel use, and into one of a plurality of wasted fuel use categories for the determined wasted fuel use, wherein a first amount of the determined wasted fuel is categorized in a first of the plurality of wasted fuel use categories and a second amount of the determined wasted fuel is categorized in a second of the plurality of wasted fuel use categories;

recording, on the non-transitory computer readable medium, the categorized fuel use;

determining performance information related to the vehicle from the recorded categorized fuel used; and

presenting the performance information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining performance information step comprises determining a minimum amount of fuel required for a sortie.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the minimum amount of fuel required for the sortie comprises:

determining a total amount of fuel used for the sortie; and

subtracting a wasted amount of fuel categorized into the plurality of wasted fuel use categories for the sortie from the total amount of fuel used for the sortie.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wasted fuel use categories comprises at least one idle gear category.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wasted fuel use categories comprises at least one gear shifting category.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wasted fuel use categories comprises at least one speed category.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance information comprises operator instructions and the presenting step comprises communicating the operator instructions to an operator of the vehicle during operation of the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving global positioning satellite signals.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting occurs via a display visible to a driver of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance information comprises an amount of fuel wasted.

11. A system for detecting vehicle operational shortcomings, comprising:

at least one sensor configured to sense information about operation of a vehicle and positioned on the vehicle;

a data storage device configured to record the sensed information;

a determination module configured to determine, from the sensed information, normal fuel use during operation of the vehicle and wasted fuel use during operation of the vehicle;

a categorization module configured to categorize fuel used by the vehicle into one of a plurality of normal fuel use categories for the determined normal fuel use, and into one of a plurality of wasted fuel use categories for the determined wasted fuel use, wherein a first amount of the determined wasted fuel is categorized in a first of the plurality of wasted fuel use categories and a second amount of the determined wasted fuel is categorized in a second of the plurality of wasted fuel use categories; and

an apparatus configured to present performance information related to the vehicle,

the determination module further configured to determine the performance information from the categorized fuel used.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the determination module is further configured to determine a minimum amount of fuel required for a sortie as the performance information.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the determination module is configured to determine a total amount of fuel used for the sortie and subtract a wasted amount of fuel categorized into the plurality of wasted fuel use categories for the sortie from the total amount of fuel used for the sortie as the minimum amount of fuel required for the sortie.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of wasted fuel use categories comprises at least one idle gear category.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of wasted fuel use categories comprises at least one gear shifting category.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of wasted fuel use categories comprises at least one speed category.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the performance information comprises operator instructions and the apparatus is configured to present the operator instructions to an operator of the vehicle during operation of the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 11, comprising a global positioning satellite receiver.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the apparatus comprises a display visible to a driver of the vehicle.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the performance information comprises an amount of fuel wasted.