System and method for measuring and reducing vehicle fuel waste

• US 8,924,138 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2011
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tenstreet, LLC
• Original Assignee: Vnomics Corp. (Tenstreet, LLC)
• Inventors: Chauncey, David Charles, McCarthy, Edward Charles, Roth, Peter Joseph, Elliott, Nicholas Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Tyler J
• Application Number:
  US13/313,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20120143449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 701/51, 701/123, 701/29.3, 706/1, 706/2, 702/1, 702/108, 702/176, 702/182, 235375-377, 235/384, 340/438, 340/450.2
• US Class Current: 701/123
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/174 Economic driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/174 Economic driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• 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: B60R 16/0236 for economical driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/50 characterised by the display information being shared, e.g. external display, data transfer to other traffic participants or centralised traffic controller
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/10 Change speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/16 Ratio selector position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/165 Rate of change
• 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: G01F 9/00 Measuring volume flow relative to another variable, e.g. of liquid fuel for an engine
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 9/023 with electric, electro-mechanic or electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

One way to improve fuel efficiency of a vehicle is to improve the usage of various gears. One way to measure the amount of fuel wasted due to suboptimal gear shifting is to compare the actual gear used for various driving conditions with the optimal gear used. Such comparisons may be combined with determinations of amount of fuel used to determine how much fuel has been lost due to suboptimal shifting. These techniques are applicable to tracking employment of other driving best practices as well.

Claims

1. A system for determining a minimum amount of fuel required for a series of time frames in a sortie, the system comprising:

at least one sensor configured to detect fuel use information of a vehicle during operation of the vehicle;

a data storage device; and

a controller, coupled to the data storage device, the controller comprising;

a categorization module configured to obtain the fuel use information from the at least one sensor for each time frame in the series of time frames and to categorize the fuel use information for each time frame into either at least one of a plurality of normal fuel use categories or at least one of a plurality of wasted fuel use categories; and

a determination module configured to subtract a total amount of fuel used during each time frame in the series of time frames where the fuel use information is categorized in the plurality of wasted fuel use categories from a total amount of fuel used over the series of time frames for storage in the data storage device as the minimum amount of fuel required for the series of time frames.

2. The system of claim 1, comprising a global positioning satellite receiver.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the determination module is further configured to determine an amount of fuel wasted over the series of time frames by subtracting the stored minimum amount of fuel required for the series of time frames from the total amount of fuel used over the series of time frames.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the series of time frames comprises all time frames in the sortie.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the data storage device further comprises a sortie profile configured to store sortie information.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the sortie information comprises at least one of a predefined route, an at least one waypoint, or a schedule for the sortie.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the series of time frames includes all times frames between a start of the sortie and the at least one waypoint.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the series of time frames includes all time frames between the at least one waypoint and an end of the sortie.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the predefined route is determined based on an operating cost of the minimum amount of fuel required for the series of time frames.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a feedback module configured to generate cues for an operator of the vehicle.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the feedback module further comprises an audiovisual device configured to present the cues to the operator of the vehicle.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the cues indicate driving actions to be taken by the operator of the vehicle to optimize fuel consumption.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wasted fuel categories includes at least one category for fuel wasted while the vehicle is idle.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wasted fuel categories includes at least one category for fuel wasted while the vehicle is in an improper gear.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wasted fuel categories includes at least one category for fuel wasted while the vehicle is in an excessive speed.

16. A system for determining a minimum amount of fuel required for a sortie, the system comprising:

at least one sensor configured to detect fuel use information of a vehicle during operation of the vehicle;

a data storage device; and

a controller, coupled to the data storage device, the controller comprising;

a categorization module configured to obtain the fuel use information from the at least one sensor for each of a number of time frames over the sortie and to categorize the fuel use information for each of the time frames into either at least one of a plurality of normal fuel use categories or at least one of a plurality of wasted fuel use categories; and

a determination module configured to subtract a total amount of fuel used during each of the number of time frames where the fuel use information is categorized in the plurality of wasted fuel use categories from a total amount of fuel used over the sortie for storage in the data storage device as the minimum amount of fuel required for the sortie.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the determination module is further configured to determine an amount of fuel wasted over the sortie by subtracting the stored minimum amount of fuel required for the sortie from the total amount of fuel used over the sortie.