Electric vehicle efficiency profile management

• US 9,482,544 B1
• Filed: 06/17/2015
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Taha, Eloi, Konet, Heather
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pipala, Edward J
• Application Number:
  US14/742,186
• Time in Patent Office: 503 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects

Abstract

Electric vehicle efficiency profile management may include storing user-specific efficiency information associated with an electric vehicle and a current user of a portable electronic computing and communication device in response to detecting, by the portable electronic computing and communication device, a direct electronic communication link with an electric vehicle, and, in response to detecting, by the portable electronic computing and communication device, a disconnection of the direct electronic communication link, determining a current efficiency value, and storing a user-specific efficiency profile incorporating the current efficiency value.

Claims

1. A method of generating a user-specific efficiency profile for an electric vehicle, the method comprising:

in response to detecting, by a portable electronic computing and communication device, a first direct electronic communication link between the portable electronic computing and communication device and an electric vehicle, storing, in a memory of the portable electronic computing and communication device, first user-specific efficiency information associated with the electric vehicle and associated with a current user of the portable electronic computing and communication device, wherein storing the first user-specific efficiency information includes;

identifying a first current location, and

storing one or more of a user identifier indicating the current user, a vehicle identifier indicating the electric vehicle, the first current location, first current vehicle state information, a first current ambient temperature, or first current temporal information; and

in response to detecting, by the portable electronic computing and communication device, a disconnection of the first direct electronic communication link, storing, in the memory, second user-specific efficiency information associated with the current user and associated with the electric vehicle, wherein storing the second user-specific efficiency information includes;

identifying a second current location,

determining a current efficiency value based on the first user-specific efficiency information and the second user-specific efficiency information, and

storing a user-specific efficiency profile incorporating the current efficiency value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the first user-specific efficiency information includes:

storing the first user-specific efficiency information on a condition that a difference between the first current location and a first identified location is within a first geospatial proximity threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the first user-specific efficiency information includes:

identifying the first current location, wherein the first current location indicates a current location of the portable electronic computing and communication device, temporally proximate to detecting the first direct electronic communication link.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein identifying the first current location includes:

generating, by the portable electronic computing and communication device, a first location request;

transmitting the first location request to an external communicating device via an electronic computer communication link;

in response to transmitting the first location request, receiving, from the external communicating device, first current location information indicating the first current location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the first user-specific efficiency information includes:

identifying the first current vehicle state information, the first current vehicle state information indicating one or more of a first current state of charge of a battery of the electric vehicle or first current odometry information for the electric vehicle, temporally proximate to detecting the first direct electronic communication link.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein identifying the first current vehicle state information includes:

generating a first vehicle state information request indicating the electric vehicle;

outputting the first vehicle state information request to an external communicating device via an electronic computer communication link; and

in response to outputting the first vehicle state information request, receiving a response indicating the first current vehicle state information from the external communicating device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the first user-specific efficiency information includes:

identifying the first current ambient temperature, wherein the first current ambient temperature indicates a current ambient temperature for the first current location, temporally proximate to detecting the first direct electronic communication link.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein identifying the first current ambient temperature includes:

generating a first ambient temperature information request indicating the first current location;

outputting the first ambient temperature information request to an external communicating device via an electronic computer communication link; and

in response to outputting the first ambient temperature information request, receiving a response indicating the first current ambient temperature from the external communicating device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the second user-specific efficiency information includes:

storing the second user-specific efficiency information on a condition that a difference between the second current location and a second identified location is within a second geospatial proximity threshold.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the second user-specific efficiency information includes:

storing one or more of the user identifier indicating the current user, the vehicle identifier identifying the electric vehicle, the second current location, second current vehicle state information, or second current temporal information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein storing the second user-specific efficiency information includes:

identifying the second current location, wherein the second current location indicates a current location of the portable electronic computing and communication device, temporally proximate to detecting the disconnection.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein identifying the second current location includes:

generating, by the portable electronic computing and communication device, a second location request;

transmitting the second location request to an external communicating device via an electronic computer communication link;

in response to transmitting the second location request, receiving, from the external communicating device, second current location information indicating the second current location.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein storing the second user-specific efficiency information includes:

identifying the second current vehicle state information, the second current vehicle state information indicating one or more of a second current state of charge of the battery or second current odometry information for the electric vehicle, temporally proximate to detecting the disconnection.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein identifying the second current vehicle state information includes:

generating a second vehicle state information request indicating the electric vehicle;

outputting the second vehicle state information request to an external communicating device via an electronic computer communication link; and

in response to outputting the second vehicle state information request, receiving a response indicating the second current vehicle state information from the external communicating device.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein storing the second user-specific efficiency information includes:

identifying vehicle transportation network information representing a vehicle transportation network, the vehicle transportation network including the first current location and the second current location;

identifying a route from the first current location to the second current location in the vehicle transportation network using the vehicle transportation network information; and

storing the second user-specific efficiency information in response to the electric vehicle traversing the vehicle transportation network from the first current location to the second current location using the route, wherein storing the second user-specific efficiency information includes storing route information representing the route.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the first current vehicle state information includes a first odometry value, the second current vehicle state information includes a second odometry value, and wherein storing the second user-specific efficiency information includes:

storing a difference between the second odometry value and the first odometry value as a determined route distance.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first current vehicle state information includes a first current state of charge of a battery of the electric vehicle, temporally proximate to detecting the first direct electronic communication link, the second current vehicle state information includes a second current state of charge of the battery of the electric vehicle, temporally proximate to detecting the disconnection, and wherein determining the current efficiency value includes:

determining an operational cost as a product of a power capacity of the electric vehicle and a difference between the second current state of charge and the first current state of charge; and

determining the current efficiency value as a quotient of the operational cost and the determined route distance.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein storing the second user-specific efficiency information includes:

identifying, from the user-specific efficiency profile, a user-specific aggregate efficiency value corresponding to the current ambient temperature;

generating an updated user-specific aggregate efficiency value based on the user-specific aggregate efficiency value and the current efficiency value; and

updating the user-specific efficiency profile to include the updated user-specific aggregate efficiency value.

19. A method of generating a user-specific efficiency profile for an electric vehicle, the method comprising:

in response to detecting, by a portable electronic computing and communication device, a first direct electronic communication link between the portable electronic computing and communication device and an electric vehicle, storing, in a memory of the portable electronic computing and communication device, first user-specific efficiency information associated with the electric vehicle and associated with a current user of the portable electronic computing and communication device, wherein storing the first user-specific efficiency information includes;

identifying a first current location, wherein the first current location indicates a current location of the portable electronic computing and communication device, temporally proximate to detecting the first direct electronic communication link,

identifying first current vehicle state information, the first current vehicle state information indicating one or more of a first current state of charge of a battery of the electric vehicle or first current odometry information for the electric vehicle, temporally proximate to detecting the first direct electronic communication link,

identifying a first current ambient temperature, wherein the first current ambient temperature indicates a current ambient temperature for the first current location, temporally proximate to detecting the first direct electronic communication link, and

storing one or more of a user identifier indicating the current user, a vehicle identifier indicating the electric vehicle, the first current location, the first current vehicle state information, the first current ambient temperature, or first current temporal information; and

in response to detecting, by the portable electronic computing and communication device, a disconnection of the first direct electronic communication link, storing, in the memory, second user-specific efficiency information associated with the current user and associated with the electric vehicle, wherein storing the second user-specific efficiency information includes;

identifying a second current location, wherein the second current location indicates a current location of the portable electronic computing and communication device, temporally proximate to detecting the disconnection,

identifying second current vehicle state information, the second current vehicle state information indicating one or more of a second current state of charge of the battery or second current odometry information for the electric vehicle, temporally proximate to detecting the disconnection,

determining a current efficiency value based on the first user-specific efficiency information and the second user-specific efficiency information,

storing one or more of the user identifier indicating the current user, the vehicle identifier identifying the electric vehicle, the second current location, the second current vehicle state information, or second current temporal information, and

storing a user-specific efficiency profile incorporating the current efficiency value.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein storing the first user-specific efficiency information includes:

identifying vehicle transportation network information representing a vehicle transportation network, the vehicle transportation network including a first identified location and a second identified location;

storing the first user-specific efficiency information on a condition that a difference between the first current location and a first identified location is within a first proximity threshold; and

wherein storing the second user-specific efficiency information includes;

storing the second user-specific efficiency information a condition that a difference between the second current location and a second identified location is within a second proximity threshold.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein storing the second user-specific efficiency information includes:

determining a difference between the second current odometry information and the first current odometry information as a determined route distance;

determining an operational cost as a product of a power capacity of the electric vehicle and a difference between the second current state of charge and the first current state of charge; and

determining the current efficiency value as a quotient of the operational cost and the determined route distance.

22. A method of generating a user-specific efficiency profile for an electric vehicle, the method comprising:

in response to detecting, by a portable electronic computing and communication device, a first direct electronic communication link between the portable electronic computing and communication device and an electric vehicle, storing, in a memory of the portable electronic computing and communication device, first user-specific efficiency information associated with the electric vehicle and associated with a current user of the portable electronic computing and communication device, wherein storing the first user-specific efficiency information includes;

identifying a first current location, and

storing one or more of a user identifier indicating the current user, a vehicle identifier indicating the electric vehicle, the first current location, first current vehicle state information, a first current ambient temperature, or first current temporal information; and

in response to detecting, by the portable electronic computing and communication device, a disconnection of the first direct electronic communication link, storing, in the memory, second user-specific efficiency information associated with the current user and associated with the electric vehicle, wherein storing the second user-specific efficiency information includes;

identifying a second current location,

determining a current efficiency value based on the first user-specific efficiency information and the second user-specific efficiency information,

identifying, from a user-specific efficiency profile associated with the user and the electric vehicle, a user-specific aggregate efficiency value corresponding to the current ambient temperature,

generating an updated user-specific aggregate efficiency value based on the user-specific aggregate efficiency value and the current efficiency value,

updating the user-specific efficiency profile to include the updated user-specific aggregate efficiency value, and

storing the user-specific efficiency profile.