Vehicle fuel efficiency optimization based on vehicle usage patterns

• US 8,793,064 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2009
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Green, Rendell L., Hamilton, Rick A. II, O'Connell, Brian M., Seaman, James W., Stephan, Richard H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatib, Rami
• Application Number:
  US12/634,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20110145042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,692 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/34.4, 701/99, 701101-115, 701/123, 731/145.2, 731/145.3, 731/145.4, 340/438, 340/439
• US Class Current: 701/123
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/174 Economic driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

Approaches for indicating a vehicle fuel efficiency for at least one vehicle usage pattern are provided. Vehicle usage patterns are analyzed to discern if the vehicle is being operated in a fuel-efficient manner. Patterns of inefficient operation are detected and conveyed to the user to inform the user of the impact of his/her inefficient operation. A fuel efficiency tool provides this capability. Specifically, the fuel efficiency tool comprises: an analysis component configured to analyze a set of vehicle usage patterns of a vehicle, and a calculation component configured to calculate a vehicle fuel efficiency for each of the set of vehicle usage patterns. The fuel efficiency tool further comprises a notification component configured to provide a notification to a user of the vehicle indicating a vehicle fuel efficiency calculated for at least one of the set of vehicle usage patterns.

Claims

1. A method for indicating a vehicle fuel efficiency for at least one vehicle usage pattern, the method comprising:

analyzing, via a computing device, a set of vehicle usage patterns of a vehicle, wherein the set of vehicle usage patterns comprises a plurality of recurring driver habits observed over a period of time;

calculating, via the computing device, a vehicle fuel efficiency for each of the plurality of recurring driver habits; and

providing, via the computing device, a real-time notification to a user of the vehicle indicating each of the following via a feedback device within the vehicle;

a numerical representation of the vehicle fuel efficiency calculated for each of the plurality of recurring driver habits; and

a monetary value indicating an amount of money sacrificed by at least one vehicle usage pattern from the set of the vehicle usage patterns that is contributing to inefficient vehicle fuel consumption.

2. The method of claim 1, the providing comprising identifying at least one vehicle usage pattern from the set of the vehicle usage patterns that is contributing to inefficient vehicle fuel consumption.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

calculating, via the computing device, an environmental impact caused by the at least one vehicle usage pattern from the set of the vehicle usage patterns that is contributing to inefficient vehicle fuel consumption; and

notifying, via the computing device, the user of the environmental impact caused by the at least one vehicle usage pattern from the set of the vehicle usage patterns that is contributing to inefficient vehicle fuel consumption.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

calculating, via the computing device, the monetary impact caused by the at least one vehicle usage pattern from the set of the vehicle usage patterns that is contributing to inefficient vehicle fuel consumption.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising generating, via the computing device, an incentive to the user of the vehicle to modify the at least one vehicle usage pattern from the set of the vehicle usage patterns that is contributing to inefficient vehicle fuel consumption.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, via the computing device, a notification to a third party indicating the vehicle fuel efficiency calculated for at least one of the set of vehicle usage patterns.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising charging, via the computing device, a fee by the third party for indicating the vehicle fuel efficiency calculated for at least one of the set of vehicle usage patterns.

8. A system for indicating a vehicle fuel efficiency for at least one vehicle usage pattern, the system comprising:

at least one processing unit;

memory operably associated with the at least one processing unit; and

a fuel efficiency tool storable in memory and executable by the at least one processing unit, the fuel efficiency tool comprising;

an analysis component configured to analyze a set of vehicle usage patterns of a vehicle, wherein the set of vehicle usage patterns comprises a plurality of recurring driver habits observed over a period of time;

a calculation component configured to calculate a vehicle fuel efficiency for each of the plurality of recurring driver habits; and

a notification component configured to;

provide a real-time notification to a user of the vehicle indicating each of the following via a feedback device within the vehicle;

a numerical representation of the vehicle fuel efficiency calculated for each of the plurality of recurring driver habits; and

a monetary value indicating an amount of money sacrificed by at least one vehicle usage pattern from the set of the vehicle usage patterns that is contributing to inefficient vehicle fuel consumption.

9. The fuel efficiency tool according to claim 8, the notification component further configured to provide feedback to the user of the vehicle identifying at least one vehicle usage pattern from the set of the vehicle usage patterns that is contributing to inefficient vehicle fuel consumption.

10. The fuel efficiency tool according to claim 9, the calculation component further configured to:

calculate an environmental impact caused by the at least one vehicle usage pattern from the set of the vehicle usage patterns that is contributing to inefficient vehicle fuel consumption; and

calculate a monetary impact caused by the at least one vehicle usage pattern from the set of the vehicle usage patterns that is contributing to inefficient vehicle fuel consumption.

11. The fuel efficiency tool according to claim 10, the notification component further configured to:

notify the user of the environmental impact caused by the at least one vehicle usage pattern from the set of the vehicle usage patterns that is contributing to inefficient vehicle fuel consumption.

12. The fuel efficiency tool according to claim 9, further comprising an incentive component configured to generate an incentive to the user of the vehicle to modify the at least one vehicle usage pattern from the set of the vehicle usage patterns that is contributing to inefficient vehicle fuel consumption.

13. The fuel efficiency tool according to claim 8, the notification component further configured to provide a notification to a third party indicating the vehicle fuel efficiency calculated for at least one of the set of vehicle usage patterns.

14. The fuel efficiency tool according to claim 13, the third party configured to charge a fee for indicating the vehicle fuel efficiency calculated for at least one of the set of vehicle usage patterns.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer instructions, which when executed, enables a computer system to indicate a vehicle fuel efficiency for at least one vehicle usage pattern, the computer instructions comprising:

analyzing a set of vehicle usage patterns of a vehicle, wherein the set of vehicle usage patterns comprises a plurality of recurring driver habits observed over a period of time;

calculating a vehicle fuel efficiency for each of the plurality of recurring driver habits; and

providing a real-time notification to a user of the vehicle indicating each of the following via a feedback device within the vehicle;

a numerical representation of the vehicle fuel efficiency calculated for each of the plurality of recurring driver habits; and

a monetary value indicating an amount of money sacrificed by at least one vehicle usage pattern from the set of the vehicle usage patterns that is contributing to inefficient vehicle fuel consumption.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15, the computer instructions for providing further comprising providing feedback to the user of the vehicle identifying at least one vehicle usage pattern from the set of the vehicle usage patterns that is contributing to inefficient vehicle fuel consumption.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 16, further comprising computer instructions for:

calculating an environmental impact caused by the at least one vehicle usage pattern from the set of the vehicle usage patterns that is contributing to inefficient vehicle fuel consumption.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 17, further comprising computer instructions for:

notifying the user of the environmental impact caused by the at least one vehicle usage pattern from the set of the vehicle usage patterns that is contributing to inefficient vehicle fuel consumption; and

notifying the user of the monetary impact caused by the at least one vehicle usage pattern from the set of the vehicle usage patterns that is contributing to inefficient vehicle fuel consumption.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 16, further comprising computer instructions for generating an incentive to the user of the vehicle to modify the at least one vehicle usage pattern from the set of the vehicle usage patterns that is contributing to inefficient vehicle fuel consumption.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15, further comprising computer instructions for providing a notification to a third party indicating the vehicle fuel efficiency calculated for at least one of the set of vehicle usage patterns.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 20, further comprising computer instructions for charging a fee by the third party for indicating the vehicle fuel efficiency calculated for at least one of the set of vehicle usage patterns.

22. A method for indicating a vehicle fuel efficiency for at least one vehicle usage pattern, the method comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure configured to;

analyze a set of vehicle usage patterns of a vehicle, wherein the set of vehicle usage patterns comprises a plurality of recurring driver habits observed over a period of time;

calculate a vehicle fuel efficiency for each of the plurality of recurring driver habits; and

provide feedback to the user of the vehicle indicating, in real-time, all of the following via a feedback device within the vehicle;

a numerical representation of the vehicle fuel efficiency calculated for each of the plurality of recurring driver habits, an environmental impact caused by at least one vehicle usage pattern from the set of vehicle usage patterns that is contributing to inefficient vehicle fuel consumption, and a monetary value indicating an amount of money sacrificed by the at least one vehicle usage pattern from the set of the vehicle usage patterns that is contributing to inefficient vehicle fuel consumption.

23. The method according to claim 22, the computer infrastructure further configured to provide a notification to a third party indicating at least one of the following:

the vehicle fuel efficiency calculated for each of the set of vehicle usage patterns, the environmental impact caused by at least one vehicle usage pattern from the set of vehicle usage patterns that is contributing to inefficient vehicle fuel consumption, and the monetary impact caused by at least one vehicle usage pattern from the set of the vehicle usage patterns that is contributing to inefficient vehicle fuel consumption.

24. The method according to claim 23, the computer infrastructure further configured to charge a fee by the third party for providing a notification indicating at least one of the following:

the vehicle fuel efficiency calculated for each of the set of vehicle usage patterns, the environmental impact caused by at least one vehicle usage pattern from the set of vehicle usage patterns that is contributing to inefficient vehicle fuel consumption, and the monetary impact caused by at least one vehicle usage pattern from the set of the vehicle usage patterns that is contributing to inefficient vehicle fuel consumption.

25. The method according to claim 22, the computer infrastructure further configured to generate an incentive to the user of the vehicle to modify at least one of the set of vehicle usage patterns based on at least one of the following:

the vehicle fuel efficiency calculated for each of the set of usage patterns, the environmental impact caused by at least one vehicle usage pattern from the set of vehicle usage patterns that is contributing to inefficient vehicle fuel consumption, and the monetary impact caused by at least one vehicle usage pattern from the set of the vehicle usage patterns that is contributing to inefficient vehicle fuel consumption.

26. The method according to claim 25, the incentive comprising a monetary incentive.