HYBRID VEHICLE DRIVER COACH

• US 20120173057A1
• Filed: 12/29/2010
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cummins Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cummins Incorporated
• Inventors: Books, Martin T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,020,669 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/00 Vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator fittings acting on two or more sub-units B60W30/14; speedometers G01P; systems or devices for controlling speed in general G05D13/00 ; in traffic anti-collision system for road vehicles G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/103 Speed profile
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/106 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18127 Regenerative braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/902 Prime movers comprising electrical and internal combustion motors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

An apparatus includes a deceleration definition module that interprets a target deceleration rate, a deceleration detection module that identifies a vehicle deceleration event, and a deceleration quality module that identifies a deceleration improvement opportunity in response to the target deceleration rate and the vehicle deceleration event. The apparatus further includes an operator feedback module that provides a specific operator guidance in response to the deceleration improvement opportunity.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining a target deceleration rate;

detecting a vehicle deceleration event;

determining a deceleration improvement opportunity in response to the target deceleration rate and the vehicle deceleration event; and

providing a specific operator guidance output in response to the deceleration improvement opportunity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting comprises determining a deceleration initiation speed, a deceleration termination speed, and computing an average deceleration rate between the initiation speed and the termination speed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting further comprises determining an average deceleration rate between two speeds bounded by the initiation speed and the termination speed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific operator guidance comprises a deceleration change parameter and a speed range.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the deceleration improvement opportunity comprises integrating an area between a first curve corresponding to the target deceleration rate and a second curve corresponding to the vehicle deceleration event.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining a guidance weighting value in response to the area between the first curve and the second curve, wherein the specific operator guidance further comprises the guidance weighting value.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the specific operator guidance on an operator visible display.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the target deceleration rate in response to a torque value corresponding to a maximum regeneration torque value.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the specific operator guidance by directing an operator to increase a deceleration rate in response to the vehicle deceleration event having a deceleration rate that is lower than the target deceleration rate.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a target acceleration rate, detecting a vehicle acceleration event, and providing the specific operator guidance further in response to the target acceleration rate and the vehicle acceleration event.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining the target acceleration rate in response to a torque value corresponding to an acceleration event battery energy consumption target.

12. A method, comprising:

determining a target vehicle acceleration profile;

detecting a vehicle acceleration event;

determining an acceleration improvement opportunity in response to the target vehicle acceleration profile and the vehicle acceleration event; and

providing a specific operator guidance output in response to the acceleration improvement opportunity.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the target acceleration profile is a function of an absolute value of the acceleration.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the target acceleration profile is a function of a vehicle speed.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising selecting the target acceleration profile to maximize a parameter selected from the parameters consisting of:

fuel economy, service brake life, and battery life.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing the specific operator guidance as language-based output available to the operator during the operation of the vehicle.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

a deceleration definition module structured to interpret a target deceleration rate;

a deceleration detection module structured to identify a vehicle deceleration event;

a deceleration quality module structured to identify a deceleration improvement opportunity in response to the target deceleration rate and the vehicle deceleration event; and

an operator feedback module structured to provide a specific operator guidance in response to the deceleration improvement opportunity.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising an operator compartment display responsive to the specific operator guidance.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising an acceleration definition module structured to interpret a target acceleration rate, an acceleration detection module structured to identify a vehicle acceleration event, and an acceleration quality module structured to identify an acceleration improvement opportunity in response to the target acceleration rate and the vehicle acceleration event, wherein the operator feedback module is further structured to provide the specific operator guidance in response to the acceleration improvement opportunity.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a battery life cycle module structured to interpret a battery charge cycling target value and a battery charge cycling rate, and further structured to adjust the target acceleration rate in response to the battery charge cycling target value and the battery charge cycling rate.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising an accumulated regeneration module structured to interpret an accumulated regeneration target profile and an accumulated regeneration energy amount, and further structured to adjust at least one of the target deceleration rate and the target acceleration rate in response to the accumulated regeneration target profile and the accumulated regeneration energy amount.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a battery life cycle module structured to interpret a battery charge cycling target value and a battery charge cycling rate, and further structured to adjust the target deceleration rate in response to the battery charge cycling target value and the battery charge cycling rate.

23. A system, comprising:

a vehicle having a hybrid power train comprising two power sources, wherein one of the power sources comprises a regenerative device structured to intermittently recover vehicle kinetic energy;

the vehicle further comprising a service brake that dissipates the vehicle kinetic energy;

a controller, comprising;

a deceleration definition module structured to interpret a target deceleration rate;

a deceleration detection module structured to identify a vehicle deceleration event;

a deceleration quality module structured to identify a deceleration improvement opportunity in response to the target deceleration rate and the vehicle deceleration event; and

an operator feedback module structured to provide a specific operator guidance in response to the deceleration improvement opportunity.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising an operator visible display responsive to the specific operator guidance.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the operator feedback module is further structured to provide the specific operator guidance to a datalink.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising an external computer structured to access the datalink and receive the specific operator guidance.