VEHICLE RANGE ANALYSIS USING DRIVING ENVIRONMENT INFORMATION WITH OPTIONAL CONTINUOUS AVERAGING

• US 20140107913A1
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Equilateral Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Equilateral Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Vicharelli, Pablo A., Fagen, Donna
• Granted Patent: US 8,989,999 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/123
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/06 Road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/10 related to vehicle motion
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects

Abstract

Determining remaining vehicle range by adjusting measured estimates on the fly accounting for road effects, the state of vehicle accessories, and other conditions.

Claims

1. A method for determining range of a vehicle comprising:

obtaining information concerning an estimated range for the vehicle;

determining a route to a destination along roads available to be followed by the vehicle;

dividing the route into a number of road segments;

for each such road segment being followed by the vehicle,

determining whether the respective road segment is of a certain type of road segment; and

adding a factor to a running sum based on the type of road segment; and

adjusting the estimated range based on the running sum, to determine a location along the route where a remaining energy available for the vehicle to follow the route will reach a predetermined level.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting the estimated range further comprises continuously adjusting the range according to environmental conditions.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the environment conditions comprise determining whether the vehicle has actually followed a particular road segment of a particular type along the route.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting the estimated range additionally comprises:

continuously averaging the estimated range to account for an operating state of a vehicle accessory.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein a different estimated range is used depending upon an operating state of a vehicle accessory.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the information concerning the type of road segment is taken from a stored map.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the estimated range is derived from a fixed expected ratio of road types that include highway and city.