System and method for improving energy efficiency of a vehicle based on known route segments
First Claim
1. A method of optimizing energy efficiency of a vehicle with an engine and a motor, for known route segments or routes, the method comprising:
- storing, in a memory, vehicle operation data for a known route segment or a known route previously travelled by the vehicle, the vehicle operation data including an energy efficiency value when the known route segment or the known route was previously travelled by the vehicle, the energy efficiency value corresponding to a power output by the engine and a power output by the motor when the known route segment or the known route was previously travelled by the vehicle;
providing a processor connected to the memory, the motor, and the engine of the vehicle;
determining, using the processor, whether the energy efficiency value is below an energy efficiency threshold;
determining or predicting, using the processor, that the vehicle will travel over the known route segment or the known route; and
adjusting, using the processor, the operation of the engine and the motor to optimize the energy efficiency of the vehicle before or when the vehicle travels over the known route segment or the known route, the adjusting includingdecreasing a power output by the engine before or when the vehicle travels over the known route segment or the known route relative to the power output by the engine when the known route segment or the known route was previously travelled, andincreasing a power output by the motor before or when the vehicle travels over the known route segment relative to the power output by the motor when the known route segment or the known route was previously travelled.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method/system for maintaining the energy efficiency history of predicted route segments in a database, providing adaptive feedback to hybrid vehicle controls, and displaying the energy efficiency history to the driver. As the vehicle travels on a route, the system stores energy efficiency information for route segments. The system may include sensors, a memory, and a processor to learn energy efficiency information based on how fuel and battery power are used over a route segment and/or route. The method/system may utilize energy efficiency information to adjust a start/stop engine threshold of a hybrid vehicle. When the processor predicts that the vehicle will travels on the predicted route segment again, the vehicle may optimize powertrain parameters such as the start/stop engine threshold during traveling on the predicted route segment and/or before reaching the predicted route segment.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method of optimizing energy efficiency of a vehicle with an engine and a motor, for known route segments or routes, the method comprising:
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storing, in a memory, vehicle operation data for a known route segment or a known route previously travelled by the vehicle, the vehicle operation data including an energy efficiency value when the known route segment or the known route was previously travelled by the vehicle, the energy efficiency value corresponding to a power output by the engine and a power output by the motor when the known route segment or the known route was previously travelled by the vehicle; providing a processor connected to the memory, the motor, and the engine of the vehicle; determining, using the processor, whether the energy efficiency value is below an energy efficiency threshold; determining or predicting, using the processor, that the vehicle will travel over the known route segment or the known route; and adjusting, using the processor, the operation of the engine and the motor to optimize the energy efficiency of the vehicle before or when the vehicle travels over the known route segment or the known route, the adjusting including decreasing a power output by the engine before or when the vehicle travels over the known route segment or the known route relative to the power output by the engine when the known route segment or the known route was previously travelled, and increasing a power output by the motor before or when the vehicle travels over the known route segment relative to the power output by the motor when the known route segment or the known route was previously travelled. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method of optimizing energy efficiency of a vehicle with an engine and a motor, for known route segments or routes, the method comprising:
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storing, in a memory, vehicle operation data for a known route segment or a known route previously travelled by the vehicle, the vehicle operation data including an energy efficiency value corresponding to power output by the engine and power output by the motor when the known route segment or the known route was previously travelled; providing a processor connected to the memory, the motor, and the engine of the vehicle; determining, using the processor, that the energy efficiency value is below an energy efficiency threshold; determining or predicting, using the processor, that the vehicle will travel over the known route segment or the known route; detecting, using an acceleration input sensor connected to the processor, an acceleration input value; determining, using the processor, a power request value based on the acceleration input value; and adjusting, using the processor, the operation of the engine based on the power request value. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of optimizing energy efficiency of a vehicle, the method comprising:
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storing, in a memory, a plurality of route segments and corresponding energy efficiency data, the energy efficiency data including an energy efficiency value corresponding to energy consumed by the vehicle when a route segment was previously travelled; storing, in the memory, at least one of an engine start threshold for starting an operation of an engine or an engine stop threshold for stopping the operation of the engine; identifying, using a processor connected to the memory, at least one route segment of the plurality of route segments; determining, using the processor, that the corresponding energy efficiency value of the identified at least one route segment is below an energy efficiency threshold; adjusting, using the processor, at least one of the engine start threshold or the engine stop threshold based on the corresponding energy efficiency data of the identified at least one route segment for optimizing the energy efficiency of the vehicle; and controlling, using the processor, a power output of the engine based on the adjusted at least one of the engine start threshold or the engine stop threshold. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. A system for optimizing energy efficiency of a vehicle for known route segments or routes, the system comprising:
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a memory for storing vehicle operation data for a known route segment or a known route previously travelled by the vehicle, the vehicle operation data including an energy efficiency value corresponding to energy consumed by the vehicle when the known route segment or the known route was previously travelled, and an engine start threshold for starting an operation of an engine or an engine stop threshold for stopping the operation of the engine; a processor connected to the memory and to the engine of the vehicle, the processor configured to; determine that the energy efficiency value corresponding to energy consumed by the vehicle when the vehicle travelled over the known route segment or the known route is below an energy efficiency threshold, determine or predict that the vehicle will travel over the known route segment or the known route, adjust the operation of the engine to optimize the energy efficiency of the vehicle by adjusting at least one of the engine start threshold or the engine stop threshold based on the energy efficiency value when the vehicle travels over the known route segment or the known route, and control a power output by the engine based on the adjusted at least one of the engine start threshold or the engine stop threshold. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification