Managing electrical power utilization in an electric vehicle

• US 9,091,559 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2010
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hancock, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): GREENE, DANIEL LAWSON
• Application Number:
  US12/817,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20110313652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,867 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/424, 701/411
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/642 Slope of road
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/645 Type of road
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/647 Surface situation of road, e.g. type of paving
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/68 Traffic data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/72 Charging station selection relying on external data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/12 by confirmation, e.g. of the input
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/30 by voice
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/44 by parameter estimation
• 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: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

Managing energy capacity in an electric vehicle based on a driver profile. This is achieved by various means, including interactively determining a travel plan with a user, calculating a total travel distance for the travel plan, determining how far the electric vehicle can travel based on its current energy level, and creating an energy replenishment plan based on the travel plan, the total travel distance, how far the vehicle can currently travel, and the driver profile.

Claims

1. A method of managing energy capacity in a vehicle, comprising:

generating, interactively with the user and by operation of one or more computer processors, a current travel plan that includes a plurality of waypoints, based on historical data relating to previous routes made by the user to one or more historical waypoints, comprising;

determining a plurality of predicted waypoints, based on the one or more historical waypoints visited by the user during the previous routes;

generating a predicted route for the current travel plan that includes the determined plurality of predicted waypoints; and

revising the predicted route based on user feedback to generate the current travel plan;

determining, an estimated amount of time the user intends to spend at each of the plurality of waypoints in the travel plan, based on a historical amount of time previously spent at the one or more historical waypoints;

determining a maximum distance the vehicle can travel based on a current energy level of the vehicle; and

upon determining that a total travel distance for the current travel plan exceeds the determined maximum distance;

creating an energy replenishment plan including one or more refueling waypoints, based on the current travel plan and a user profile that includes one or more preferences of the user for particular refueling waypoints;

calculating a charging schedule for the vehicle based on the estimated amount of time at each waypoint and a listing of off-peak charging hours, wherein the calculated charging schedule specifies that the vehicle is charged for an amount of time at a first one of the plurality of waypoints based on the estimated amount of time at the first waypoint, and wherein the calculated charging schedule specifies that the vehicle is charged during peak charging hours only as necessary to reach a level of charge that is sufficient to complete the current travel plan and that otherwise the vehicle is otherwise charged during off-peak charging hours; and

charging the vehicle at the first one of the plurality of waypoints in accordance with the charging schedule.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon determining that inadequate refueling waypoints are available;

notifying the user that inadequate refueling waypoints are available for the current travel plan;

prompting the user to modify the current travel plan to include adequate refueling waypoints; and

in response to receiving a confirmation from the user, updating the current travel plan to include the adequate refueling waypoints.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy replenishment plan is further based on at least one of the following:

i) the calculated travel distance of the current travel plan, ii) an amount of time spent at each waypoint, and iii) the maximum distance the vehicle can travel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a current travel plan further comprises:

upon receiving a response from the user that confirms the initial travel plan, adopting the initial travel plan as the current travel plan.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of waypoints includes two or more waypoints and a final waypoint, and wherein calculating a charging schedule for the vehicle further comprises:

for each of the two or more waypoints in the current travel plan;

determining whether the vehicle has sufficient power to reach a next waypoint in the current travel plan;

upon determining that the vehicle does not have sufficient power, and further upon determining that the waypoint includes charging capabilities;

determining whether the vehicle can be charged for a first amount of time during off-peak charging hours at the waypoint, sufficient to reach the next waypoint in the current travel plan;

if so, determining that the vehicle should only be charged at the waypoint during off-peak charging hours; and

if not, determining that the vehicle should be charged at the waypoint at least in part during peak charging hours.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the current travel plan further comprises:

generating an initial travel plan that specifies a predicted intended usage of the vehicle derived from the historical data and that includes at least one of the one or more historical waypoints;

presenting the initial travel plan to the user; and

upon receiving an indication from the user to alter the initial travel plan, modifying the initial travel plan based on one or more interactions with the user, to generate and present the current travel plan to the user, wherein the one or more interactions with the user include one or more responses corresponding to one or more prompts.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy replenishment plan is further based on a difference in energy cost between refueling waypoints in a plurality of refueling waypoints, relative to the one or more preferences of the user for particular refueling waypoints.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a current position of the vehicle;

upon determining that the vehicle has deviated from the current travel plan, updating the current travel plan based on the current position of the vehicle; and

re-creating the energy replenishment plan based on the updated current travel plan.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein monitoring the position of the vehicle further comprises:

receiving a plurality of signals from a plurality of Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites; and

calculating the position of the vehicle based on the plurality of signals.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a hybrid electric vehicle, and wherein determining a maximum distance the vehicle can travel further comprises:

determining a fuel distance the vehicle can travel based on a current fuel level of the vehicle;

determining an energy distance the vehicle can travel based on a current battery level of the vehicle; and

determining the maximum distance the vehicle can travel based on the fuel distance and the energy distance.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the vehicle is an electric vehicle with a range extender module.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program which, when executed, performs an operation, comprising:

generating, interactively with the user, a current travel plan that includes a plurality of waypoints, based on historical data relating to previous routes made by the user to one or more historical waypoints, comprising;

determining a plurality of predicted waypoints, based on the one or more historical waypoints visited by the user during the previous routes;

generating a predicted route for the current travel plan that includes the determined plurality of predicted waypoints; and

revising the predicted route based on user feedback to generate the current travel plan;

determining, an estimated amount of time the user intends to spend at each of the plurality of waypoints in the travel plan, based on a historical amount of time previously spent at the one or more historical waypoints;

determining a maximum distance the vehicle can travel based on a current energy level of the vehicle; and

upon determining that a total travel distance for the current travel plan exceeds the determined maximum distance;

creating an energy replenishment plan including one or more refueling waypoints, based on the current travel plan and a user profile that includes one or more preferences of the user for particular refueling waypoints;

calculating a charging schedule for the vehicle based on the estimated amount of time at each waypoint and a listing of off-peak charging hours, wherein the calculated charging schedule specifies that the vehicle is charged for an amount of time at a first one of the plurality of waypoints based on the estimated amount of time for the first waypoint, and wherein the calculated charging schedule specifies that the vehicle is charged during peak charging hours only as necessary to reach a level of charge that is sufficient to complete the current travel plan and that otherwise the vehicle is otherwise charged during off-peak charging hours; and

charging the vehicle at the first one of the plurality of waypoints in accordance with carrying out the charging schedule.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, the operation further comprising:

monitoring a current position of the vehicle;

upon determining that the vehicle has deviated from the current travel plan, updating the current travel plan based on the current position of the vehicle; and

re-creating the energy replenishment plan based on the updated current travel plan.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein monitoring the position of the vehicle further comprises:

receiving a plurality of signals from a plurality of Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites; and

calculating the position of the vehicle based on the plurality of signals.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, the operation further comprising:

upon determining that inadequate refueling waypoints are available;

notifying the user that inadequate refueling waypoints are available for the current travel plan;

prompting the user to modify the current travel plan to include adequate refueling waypoints; and

in response to receiving a confirmation from the user, updating the current travel plan to include the adequate refueling waypoints.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the vehicle is a hybrid electric vehicle, and wherein determining a maximum distance the vehicle can travel further comprises:

determining a fuel distance the vehicle can travel based on a current fuel level of the vehicle;

determining an energy distance the vehicle can travel based on a current battery level of the vehicle; and

determining the maximum distance the vehicle can travel based on the fuel distance and the energy distance.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the vehicle is an electric vehicle with a range extender module.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the energy replenishment plan is further based on at least one of the following:

i) the calculated travel distance of the current travel plan, ii) an amount of time spent at each waypoint, and iii) the maximum distance the vehicle can travel.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein generating a current travel plan further comprises:

upon receiving a response from the user that confirms the initial travel plan, adopting the initial travel plan as the current travel plan.

20. A system, comprising:

a computer processor; and

a memory containing a program that, when executed on the computer processor, performs a operation for managing energy capacity in a vehicle, comprising;

generating, interactively with the user, a current travel plan that includes a plurality of waypoints, based on historical data relating to previous routes made by the user to one or more historical waypoints, comprising;

determining a plurality of predicted waypoints, based on the one or more historical waypoints visited by the user during the previous routes;

generating a predicted route for the current travel plan that includes the determined plurality of predicted waypoints; and

revising the predicted route based on user feedback to generate the current travel plan;

determining, an estimated amount of time to be the user intends to spend at each of the plurality of waypoints in the travel plan, based on a historical amount of time previously spent at the one or more historical waypoints;

determining a maximum distance the vehicle can travel based on a current energy level of the vehicle; and

upon determining that a total travel distance for the current travel plan exceeds the determined maximum distance;

creating an energy replenishment plan including one or more refueling waypoints, based on the current travel plan and a user profile that includes one or more preferences of the user for particular refueling waypoints;

calculating a charging schedule for the vehicle based on the estimated amount of time at each waypoint and a listing of off-peak charging hours, wherein the calculated charging schedule specifies that the vehicle is charged for an amount of time at a first one of the plurality of waypoints based on the estimated amount of time for the first waypoint, and wherein the calculated charging schedule specifies that the vehicle is charged during peak charging hours only as necessary to reach a level of charge that is sufficient to complete the current travel plan and that otherwise the vehicle is otherwise charged during off-peak charging; and

charging the vehicle at the first one of the plurality of waypoints in accordance with carrying out the charging schedule.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the program, when executed, further performs the steps of:

determining a fuel distance the vehicle can travel based on a current fuel level of the vehicle;

determining an energy distance the vehicle can travel based on a current battery level of the vehicle; and

determining the maximum distance the vehicle can travel based on the fuel distance and the energy distance.