Stochastic range

• US 9,513,135 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2014
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: MacNeille, Perry Robinson, Liu, Yimin, Loftus, Michael Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Assistant Examiner(s): JHA, ABDHESH K
• Application Number:
  US14/487,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20160076899A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09685 where the complete route is computed only once and not updated
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

A system may identify an expected time-of-arrival distribution to a waypoint along a vehicle route, determine energy usage along the route according to a plurality of arrival timing states of a traffic control located at the waypoint given the expected time-of-arrival distribution, and display a map including the vehicle route and range contours indicative of alternative results of arriving at the waypoint at the plurality of arrival states. The system may also determine energy usage along the vehicle route and update an expected available range of the vehicle along the route.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor configured to

identify an expected time-of-arrival distribution to a waypoint along a vehicle route,

utilize map data to determine alternate routes branching from the route,

determine energy usage along the route according to a plurality of arrival timing states of a traffic control located at the waypoint given the expected time-of-arrival distribution,

determine energy usage along the alternate routes,

form range contours by connecting points along the route and the alternate routing having substantially equal likelihoods of running out of fuel, the range contours including a first range contour indicating a first likelihood of running out of fuel and a second range contour indicating a second likelihood of running out of fuel greater than the first likelihood, and

display a map including the vehicle route and the range contours indicative of alternative results of arriving at the waypoint at the plurality of arrival states.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify a second expected time-of-arrival distribution to a second waypoint along the vehicle route, and

determine energy usage along the route further according to a second plurality of arrival timing states of a second traffic control located at the second waypoint given the second expected time-of-arrival distribution.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the waypoint along the route is a traffic light, and the processor is further configured to determine the plurality of arrival timing states according to timing information associated with the traffic light.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to query a traffic control service for the timing information.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the energy usage according to expected propulsion energy usage and expected accessory energy usage of the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to estimate accessory energy usage based on climate control user interface input, ambient temperature, and information indicative of power draw of climate control functions.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to estimate propulsion energy usage according to distance to a destination of the vehicle route and information indicative of energy efficiency of the vehicle.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to estimate propulsion energy usage further according to engine idle time.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to display the map in a user interface display of the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the first range contour indicates a 10% likelihood of running out of fuel and the second range contour indicates a 20% likelihood of running out of fuel.

10. A system comprising:

a processor configured to

compute a probability distribution of a plurality of arrival timing states of a traffic control located at a waypoint along a vehicle route based on an expected time-of-arrival to the waypoint,

utilize map data to determine alternate routes branching from the vehicle route at the waypoint,

determine energy usage along the vehicle route according to the probability distribution, expected propulsion energy usage, and expected accessory energy usage of the vehicle,

determine energy usage along the alternate routes,

form range contours by connecting points along the route and the alternate routing having substantially equal likelihoods of running out of fuel, the range contours including a first range contour indicating a first likelihood of running out of fuel and a second range contour indicating a second likelihood of running out of fuel greater than the first likelihood, and

update an expected available range of the vehicle along the route using the determined energy usage along the vehicle route.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the waypoint along the route is a traffic light, and the processor is further configured to determine the probability distribution of the plurality of arrival timing states according to timing information associated with the traffic light.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to estimate accessory energy usage based on climate control user interface input, ambient temperature, and information indicative of power draw of climate control functions.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to estimate propulsion energy usage according to distance and information indicative of energy efficiency of the vehicle.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the first range contour indicates a 10% likelihood of running out of fuel and the second range contour indicates a 20% likelihood of running out of fuel.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying instructions that, when executed by a processor, are configured to cause the processor to:

compute a probability distribution of a plurality of arrival timing states of a traffic control located at a waypoint along a vehicle route based on an expected time-of-arrival to the waypoint,

utilize map data to determine alternate routes branching from the vehicle route at the waypoint,

determine energy usage along the vehicle route according to the probability distribution, expected propulsion energy usage, and expected accessory energy usage of the vehicle,

determine energy usage along the alternate routes,

form range contours by connecting points along the route and the alternate routing having substantially equal likelihoods of running out of fuel, the range contours including a first range contour indicating a first likelihood of running out of fuel and a second range contour indicating a second likelihood of running out of fuel greater than the first likelihood, and

at least one of (i) update an expected available range of the vehicle along the route and (ii) display a map including the vehicle route and the range contours indicative of alternative results of arriving at the waypoint at the plurality of arrival states.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further embodying instructions configured to cause the processor to:

identify a second waypoint along the route having a second plurality of timing possibilities,

determine the probability distribution of the second plurality of timing possibilities, and

determine the energy usages along the route further according to the second plurality of timing possibilities.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the waypoint along the route is a traffic light, and the processor is further configured to determine the probability distribution of the plurality of arrival timing states according to timing information associated with the traffic light.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, further embodying instructions configured to cause the processor to query a traffic control service for the timing information.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the first range contour indicates a 10% likelihood of running out of fuel and the second range contour indicates a 20% likelihood of running out of fuel.