Methods and systems for APU data acquisition and actions from combined sources and user incentives for use

• US 10,773,667 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2017
• Issued: 09/15/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thermo King Corporation (Trane Technologies plc)
• Original Assignee: Thermo King Corporation (Trane Technologies plc)
• Inventors: Srnec, Matthew, Weiss, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed, Masud
• Application Number:
  US15/857,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20190202382A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 705 4, 705413
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/023 for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/167 Control of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances

Abstract

Methods, system, and user interface for collecting, combining, analyzing, providing feedback on APU data and external data are disclosed. The disclosed embodiments can help to track the quality of the APU, to improve the APU, and to make the APU better. The disclosed embodiments can help to improve APU reliability and to set service (or maintenance) intervals. The disclosed embodiments can help to establish a robust APU operating profile and provide a low cost, flexible, and high data-yield solution that can benefit the APU manufactures (or designers, maintainers) and the APU end users. The disclosed embodiments can also provide a low-cost data acquisition from the external devices and the APU through the use on an incentive-based user interface. The disclosed embodiments can utilize the existing mobile device display as HMI and the existing mobile device data plan and network connections as the data channel.

Claims

1. A method for collecting, combining, analyzing, and providing feedback on auxiliary power unit (APU) data and external data, the method comprising:

an APU controller linking to an APU of a vehicle, the vehicle having a primary power source configured to power the vehicle to operate including powering a primary heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system; and

the APU being configured to power a secondary HVAC system when the primary power source is unavailable;

the APU controller collecting APU data from the APU, the APU data indicating an operational state of the APU;

an external controller linking to at least one device that is external to the APU;

the external controller collecting external data from the device, the external data indicating an operational state of the device;

a central controller linking to the APU controller and the external controller;

the central controller determining an APU usage status based on the APU data and the external data, the APU usage status indicating an APU usage information under the operational state of the device;

when the APU is in an APU ON state and the device is in a device OFF state for a period of time greater than a predetermined time, the central controller setting a user performance to an incentive status;

when the period of time is less than or equal to the predetermined time, the central controller setting the user performance to a coaching status.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the APU controller, the external controller, and the central controller are located within a mobile device and communicate with an APU mobile human machine interface (HMI).

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface linking to the central controller; and

the user interface providing a feedback to users based on the APU usage status.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the user interface is an APU mobile human machine interface (HMI).

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the feedback includes APU performance data.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

adjusting operational parameters of the APU based on the APU performance data, and

operating the APU based on the adjusted operation parameters.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the APU controller linking to a data store;

the data store storing the APU data from the APU controller;

the external controller linking to the data store;

the data store storing the external data from the external controller.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the central controller is located in a server.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the device includes a smart inverter, the device operational state includes a smart inverter power consumption rate, and the APU operational state includes an APU charge state,

the method further comprising:

the central controller determining whether the smart inverter power consumption rate exceeds a predetermined rate,

when the smart inverter power consumption rate exceeds the predetermined rate, the central controller setting a user performance to a warning status based on the APU charge state, and

when the smart inverter power consumption rate is less than or equal to the predetermined rate, the central controller setting the user performance to a normal status based on the APU charge state.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the device includes a battery of a vehicle,

the device operational state further includes a battery charging status,

the central controller is configured to further base on the battery charging status when setting the APU usage status to the warning status or to the normal status.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting operational parameters of the APU based on the APU usage status, and

operating the APU based on the adjusted operation parameters.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting predetermined reward parameters, and

the central controller is configured to further base on the predetermined reward parameters when determining the APU usage status.

2. The method of aspect 1, wherein the external controller linking to the device includes a vehicle controller linking to a plurality of components of the vehicle;

the operational state of the device includes a vehicle operational state.

14. A system for collecting, combining, analyzing, providing feedback on auxiliary power unit (APU) data and external data, the system comprising:

an APU controller configured to;

link to an APU of a vehicle, the vehicle having a primary power source configured to power the vehicle to operate including powering a primary heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system; and

the APU being configured to power a secondary HVAC system when the primary power source is unavailable; and

collect APU data from the APU, the APU data indicating an operational state of the APU;

an external controller configured to;

link to at least one device that is external to the APU, and

collect external data from the device, the external data indicating an operational state of the device; and

a central controller configured to;

link to the APU controller and the external controller,

determine an APU usage status based on the APU data and the external data, the APU usage status indicating an APU usage information under the operational state of the device,

when the APU is in an APU ON state and the device is in a device OFF state for a period of time greater than a predetermined time, set a user performance to an incentive status,

when the period of time is less than or equal to the predetermined time, set the user performance to a coaching status.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the external controller includes a vehicle controller, the vehicle controller is configured to link to a plurality of components of the vehicle, and the vehicle controller is configured to determine a vehicle operational state.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising a mobile device,

wherein the APU controller, the external controller, and the central controller are located within the mobile device.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising a user interface, the user interface is configured to link to the central controller, and the user interface is configured to provide a feedback to users based on the APU usage status.

18. The system of claim 14, further comprising a data store,

wherein the APU controller is configured to link to the data store;

the data store is configured to store the APU data from the APU controller;

the external controller is configured to link to the data store; and

the data store is configured to store the external data from the external controller.

19. A system for collecting, combining, analyzing, providing feedback on auxiliary power unit (APU) data and external data, the system comprising:

an APU controller configured to;

link to an APU of a vehicle, and

collect APU data from the APU, the APU data indicating an operational state of the APU;

an external controller configured to;

link to at least one device that is external to the APU, and

collect external data from the device, the external data indicating an operational state of the device; and

a central controller configured to;

link to the APU controller and the external controller, and

determine an APU usage status based on the APU data and the external data, the APU usage status indicating an APU usage information under the operational state of the device,

wherein the device operational state includes a device OFF state, and the APU operational state includes an APU ON state,

the central controller is further configured to;

determine whether the APU is in the APU ON state and the device is in the device OFF state for a period of time greater than a predetermined time,

set a user performance to an incentive status when the period of time is greater than the predetermined time, and

set the user performance to a coaching status when the period of time is less than or equal to the predetermined time.