Fuel consumption analysis in a vehicle

• US 9,517,773 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2013
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scania CV AB (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Scania CV AB (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Roos, Fredrik, Bredberg, Linus
• Primary Examiner(s): Amin, Bhavesh V
• Application Number:
  US14/443,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20150314789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0236 for economical driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/10 Weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/16 Driving resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/02 related to ambient conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/04 Traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/072 Curvature of the road
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/076 Slope angle of the road
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/1005 Driving resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

Method (400), calculation device (131) and display (130) for causal analysis of the fuel/energy consumption in a vehicle (100), which is driven by a driver (101): Division (401) of the vehicle'"'"'s fuel/energy consumption over a number of fuel/energy consumers, calculation (402) of the subdivided (401) fuel/energy consumers'"'"' fuel/energy consumption in a calculation device (131), and visualization (403) of the subdivided (401) fuel/energy consumers'"'"' calculated (402) fuel/energy consumption, on a display (130), which is controlled by the calculation device (131).

Claims

1. A method for determining fuel/energy consumption in a vehicle, which is driven by a driver, the method comprising:

collecting measurement data from a plurality of different function sensors in the vehicle;

dividing fuel/energy consumption of the vehicle over a plurality of fuel/consumers which are respectively associated with different categories of the fuel/energy consumption, wherein some of the categories are impacted by the driver'"'"'s driving style and others of the categories are not impacted by the driver'"'"'s driving style;

separately calculating each of the subdivided fuel consumers'"'"' fuel/energy consumption subdivided into the categories in a calculation device based on the collected measurement data; and

determining the fuel/energy consumption in the vehicle sub-divided by the categories.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising visualizing the determined fuel/energy consumption in the vehicle sub-divided by the categories on a display and controlling the display by the calculation device.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the categories into which the fuel/energy consumers are divided comprise at least several of:

the vehicle'"'"'s kinetic energy, the vehicle'"'"'s potential energy, the vehicle'"'"'s air resistance, the vehicle'"'"'s rolling resistance, friction losses in the vehicle'"'"'s engine, powertrain losses in the vehicle, braking losses, energy consumption in the auxiliary systems in the vehicle, and energy loss as a consequence of the combustion efficiency in the vehicle'"'"'s engine.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the subdivided fuel/energy consumers is configured such that it may be impacted by the driver'"'"'s driving style, and wherein the method further comprises:

establishing how large a part of the fuel/consumers'"'"' calculated fuel/energy consumption may be reduced, if the vehicle is driven with an alternative driving style.

5. A method according to claim 4, further comprising calculating a time difference which the alternative driving style would have entailed for a driving distance, in relation to a duration with the driver'"'"'s driving style actually used.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the subdivided fuel/energy consumers is not directly impacted by the driver'"'"'s driving style, and wherein the method further comprises:

detecting the fact that the fuel/energy consumers'"'"' calculated fuel/energy consumption exceeds a limit value.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising performing the calculating of the divided fuel/energy consumers'"'"' fuel/energy consumption in real time.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the calculating of the subdivided fuel/energy consumers'"'"' fuel/energy consumption comprises collecting a measured parameter value, which is related to the vehicle'"'"'s fuel/energy consumption.

9. A method according to claim 8, further comprising the collecting of the measured parameter value related to the vehicle'"'"'s fuel/energy consumption is from at least one of a sensor, a virtual sensor and information connected to a navigation system, and the parameter comprises at least one of:

road slope, curve radius, traffic ahead of the vehicle, distance to the vehicle ahead, roundabout detection.

10. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

sending the calculated fuel/energy consumption of the categories of subdivided fuel/energy consumers to an external data storage device.

11. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium and a computer program comprising program code contained in the computer-readable medium for determining the fuel/energy consumption in a vehicle, which is driven by a driver, and the program being configured for implementation of the method according to claim 1 when the computer program is executed in a processor circuit in a calculation device.

12. A calculation device for determining fuel/energy consumption in a vehicle which is driven by a driver;

the calculation device comprising a processor circuit configured and operable to;

collect measurement data related to fuel/energy consumption from a plurality of different sensors in the vehicle;

divide the vehicle'"'"'s fuel/energy consumption over a number of fuel/consumers associated with different categories of fuel/energy consumption of the vehicle, wherein some of the categories of fuel/energy consumption are impacted by the driver'"'"'s driving style and some of the categories are not impacted by the driver'"'"'s driving style;

separately calculate each of the subdivided fuel consumers'"'"' fuel/energy consumption subdivided into categories in a calculation device based on the collected measurement data; and

determine the fuel/energy consumption in the vehicle which has been sub-divided by category of fuel/energy consumption.

13. A calculation device according to claim 12, wherein at least one of the subdivided fuel/energy consumers is configured such that it may be impacted by the driver'"'"'s driving style, wherein the processor circuit is configured and operable to establish how large a part of the fuel/energy consumers'"'"' calculated fuel/energy consumption may be reduced, if the vehicle is driven with an alternative driving style.

14. A calculation device according to claim 13, wherein the processor circuit is also arranged to calculate the time difference which the alternative driving style would entail for a driving distance, in relation to the duration with the driving style actually used by the driver.

15. A calculation device according to claim 13, wherein the processor circuit is also configured and operable to calculate the difference in fuel/energy consumption and/or fuel/energy cost which the alternative driving style would entail for a driving distance, in relation to the fuel/energy consumption and/or fuel/energy cost with the driving style actually used by the driver.

16. A calculation device according to claim 12, wherein at least one fuel/energy consumer may not be directly impacted by the driver'"'"'s driving style, and wherein the processor circuit is also configured and operable to detect that the fuel/energy consumers'"'"' calculated fuel/energy consumption exceeds a limit value.

17. A calculation device according to claim 16, wherein the processor circuit is also configured and operable to control a display configured and operable to visualize a detected exceeded limit value, in the form of a measure recommendation.

18. A calculation device according to claim 12, wherein the processor circuit is also configured and operable to calculate and control a display to visualize the fuel/energy consumers'"'"' fuel/energy consumption in real time.

19. A calculation device according to claim 12, wherein the processor circuit is also configured and operable to calculate the fuel/energy consumers'"'"' fuel/energy consumption by collecting a measured parameter value related to the vehicle'"'"'s fuel/energy consumption.

20. A calculation device according to claim 19, further comprising a sensor configured and operable for collecting and measuring of a parameter value related to the vehicle'"'"'s fuel/energy consumption, a virtual sensor and/or information connected to a navigation system and comprises one, several or all of:

road slope, curve radius, traffic ahead of the vehicle, distance to the vehicle ahead, roundabout detection, junction detection, red light indication, road condition, temperature, spinning detection on driving wheels, and air pressure in the vehicles'"'"' tires.

21. A calculation device according to claim 12, further comprising a communications module configured and operable to send the fuel/energy consumers'"'"' calculated fuel/energy consumption to an external data storage device.

22. A vehicle comprising a calculation device according to claim 12.