Energy Maps And Method Of Making

• US 20110246019A1
• Filed: 03/30/2010
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Mineta, Kenichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,527,132 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/12 using control strategies taking into account route information estimation or calculation of non-directly measurable driving parameters B60W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• 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 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3807 characterised by the type of data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3848 Data obtained from both position sensors and additional sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/00 Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled logic circuits H03K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096816 where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

An energy map for a motor vehicle and a method of making the energy map are disclosed. The energy map includes energy information related to energy consumption and energy recharging of various power sources along various roadway segments. A probe vehicle is used to measure energy consumption and energy recharging for various power sources.

Claims

1. A method of operating a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of:

determining a first location of the motor vehicle, the first location corresponding to a first portion of a roadway segment;

measuring a first state of charge of a battery at the first location;

determining a second location of the motor vehicle, the second location corresponding to a second portion of the roadway segment that is different from the first portion;

measuring a second state of charge of a battery at the second location;

submitting the first state of charge value and the first location to a service provider; and

submitting the second state of charge value and the second location to the service provider.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the steps are accomplished by a probe vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first location and the second location are determined using a GPS receiver.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first state of charge and the second state of charge are measured using a state of charge sensor.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

determining a plurality of locations corresponding to links on a route;

measuring a plurality of state of charges associated with each of the links; and

submitting the plurality of state of charges and the plurality of locations.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first state of charge, the second state of charge, the first location and the second location are submitted to the service provider over a wireless network.

7. A method of making an energy map, comprising the steps of:

receiving information related to a current state of charge of a battery in a motor vehicle;

receiving a current location of the motor vehicle;

retrieving a previous state of charge associated with the motor vehicle;

retrieving a previous location of the motor vehicle, the previous location being associated with the previous state of charge;

determining a roadway segment extending between the previous location and the current location;

determining a state of charge difference between the previous state of charge and the current state of charge; and

associating the state of charge difference with the roadway segment in the energy map.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the current location is determined using a GPS receiver.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the step of associating the state of charge difference with the roadway segment includes a step of averaging the state of charge difference with a plurality of state of charge differences associated with the roadway segment.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the state of charge difference is a discharge value indicating the amount of electricity consumed during travel along the roadway segment.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the state of charge difference is a charge value indicating the amount of electricity recharged during travel along the roadway segment.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein the state of charge information is received from a probe vehicle.

13. A method of operating a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of:

determining a location of the motor vehicle;

measuring a first energy level of a first power source and measuring a second energy level of a second power source; and

submitting the first energy level, the second energy level and the location to a service provider.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the first power source is a battery.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the second power source is combustible fuel.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the second power source is a hydrogen fuel cell.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the first power source is a fuel cell and wherein the second power source is a battery.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein the method further comprises a step of determining a plurality of locations corresponding to nodes on a route.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the method further comprises a step of making a plurality of energy level measurements for the first power source and the second power source at the plurality of locations and submitting the plurality of energy level measurements to the service provider.

20. A method of making an energy map, comprising the steps of:

receiving information related to a first energy level of a first power source;

receiving information related to a second energy level of a second power source;

receiving information related to a current location;

retrieving a first previous energy level associated with the first power source;

retrieving a second previous energy level associated with the second power source;

retrieving a previous location;

determining a roadway segment extending between the previous location and the current location;

determining a first energy level difference between the first previous energy level and the first energy level;

determining a second energy level difference between the second previous energy level and the second energy level; and

associating the first energy level difference and the second energy level difference with the roadway segment to make the energy map.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the first energy level difference is an electrical charge value associated with a battery.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the first energy level difference is an electrical discharge value associated with a battery.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the second energy level difference is a fuel consumption value associated with a combustible fuel.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein the second energy level difference is a fuel consumption value associated with a fuel cell.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the second energy level difference is a hydrogen fuel consumption value.

26. The method according to claim 20, wherein the second energy level difference is a nuclear energy consumption value.

27. A method of making an energy map, comprising the steps of:

receiving information related to a current roadway segment;

receiving energy related roadway information about the current roadway segment; and

associating the energy related roadway information with the current roadway segment in the energy map.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the energy related roadway information includes slope information.

29. The method according to claim 27, wherein the energy related roadway information includes curvature information.

30. The method according to claim 27, wherein the energy related roadway information includes altitude information.

31. The method according to claim 27, wherein the energy related roadway information includes information that may be used to estimate energy consumption along the roadway segment.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the energy related roadway information includes information that may be used to estimate energy recharging along the roadway segment.

33. The method according to claim 27, wherein the energy related roadway information is configured to be used with different types of vehicles.

34. A method of making an energy map, comprising the steps of:

receiving information related to a roadway segment;

receiving operating conditions associated with a motor vehicle;

determining a first vehicle speed associated with the roadway segment;

determining a first state of charge difference associated with traveling on the roadway segment at the first vehicle speed;

determining a second vehicle speed associated with roadway segment, the second vehicle speed being different from the first vehicle speed;

determining a second state of charge difference associated with traveling on the roadway segment at the second vehicle speed; and

storing the first state of charge difference in a first speed range associated with the roadway segment and storing the second state of charge difference in a second speed range associated with the roadway segment, the first speed range being different than the second speed range and wherein the first vehicle speed is within the first speed range and wherein the second vehicle speed is within the second speed range.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the first state of charge difference is substantially different from the second state of charge difference.

36. The method according to claim 34, wherein the first state of charge difference is substantially similar to the second state of charge difference.

37. The method according to claim 34, wherein the first state of charge difference is determined using state of charge measurements along different locations of the roadway segment while the vehicle is traveling at the first vehicle speed.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein the second state of charge difference value is determined using state of charge measurements along different locations of the roadway segment while the vehicle is traveling at the second vehicle speed.

39. The method according to claim 38, wherein the state of charge measurements associated with the first state of charge difference are taken at a substantially different time than the state of charge measurements associated with the second state of charge difference.