Method for estimating and displaying range of a vehicle

• US 8,874,367 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2012
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Equilateral Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Equilateral Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Vicharelli, Pablo A., Fagen, Donna
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Calvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): QUILLEN, ALLEN ERNEST
• Application Number:
  US13/650,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20130096818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 701/423
• US Class Current: 701/423
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/52 drive range estimation, e.g. of estimation of available travel distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/54 Energy consumption estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/305 Power absorbed by auxiliaries
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/16 Driving resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/209 Fuel quantity remaining in tank
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• 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 2552/40 Coefficient of friction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/10 related to vehicle motion
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

Estimating a vehicle'"'"'s driving range by combined processing of measured and calculated range data. A measured range it is adjusted to account for processes not included in the original measurements. These adjustments may include changes in road surface, terrain elevation, aerodynamic drag, or other losses. The resulting model is thus relative to the conditions used in quantifying vehicle range by calculating contributions that either penalize or enhance the measured range. This method is implemented in a software system that can also provide real-time display of the range for both a single trip or a contour that illustrates what the range is for all directions.

Claims

1. A method for estimating a range of a vehicle to follow along a projected route comprising:

within a computerized apparatus;

determining a set of N road segments that comprise the route;

receiving information concerning a measured maximum range, D_max;

determining an energy spent to travel along each such road segment, k, from

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

on the display device located in the vehicle,

displaying information representing a location along the route where remaining energy available for the vehicle to follow the route would reach a predetermined energy level.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising, on the display device located in the vehicle:

displaying information representing the route with color or gray scale coding to indicate locations along the route where remaining energy available for the vehicle to follow the route reaches two or more predetermined levels.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising, on the display device located in the vehicle:

displaying the result of adjusting the measured range as a contour line of multiple compass points referenced to a current location of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

within the display device located in the vehicle;

(d) displaying a map; and

(e) overlaying on the map the result of adjusting the measured range.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising, within the display device located in the vehicle,

displaying range contour lines with color or gray scale coding to indicate two or more predetermined range contours with reference to a starting location of the route.