Methods and apparatus for estimating power usage

• US 9,459,111 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2013
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: MacNeille, Perry Robinson, Pleet, Edward Andrew, Jennings, Mark John, Gusikhin, Oleg Yurievitch, Petersen, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Kan, Yuri
• Application Number:
  US13/944,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20130304380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/29.5, 701/36, 701/117, 701/533, 701/428, 701/532, 701/118, 701/123, 340/539.11, 340/540, 340/984, 705/14.1, 706/62, 703/8
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes establishing a road network model on which a plurality of simulated vehicles may be run. The method also includes setting up a plurality of scenarios under which vehicle driving conditions vary to be run on the road network model. The illustrative method includes receiving energy usage related data for a plurality of simulated vehicles run in at least one of the plurality of scenarios on the road network model. The method further includes calculating a total energy consumption for each of the vehicles. The method additionally includes repeating the receiving and calculating steps to determine how various elements of the road network model and scenarios effect vehicle energy consumption.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented routing method comprising:

by at least one processor at a server,

receiving, via a web-based application executing on a computer in communication with the server, a route origin and a route destination,

identifying alternative routes between the route origin and route destination;

in response to identified alternative routes between the route origin and route destination, segmenting each of the identified alternative routes based on at least one of a different road, road type and speed limit;

calculating an estimated monetary fuel consumption cost for each of the alternative routes based on a calculated cost for each segment in an alternative route and a fuel economy target for a specific vehicle, and

outputting for display at the computer, via the web-based application, the estimated monetary fuel consumption costs together with the alternative routes.

2. The computer-implemented routing method of claim 1 further comprising identifying one of the alternative routes as a minimum energy route based on the estimated monetary fuel consumption costs.

3. The computer-implemented routing method of claim 1 further comprising outputting for display segments for at least one of the alternative routes.

4. The computer-implemented routing method of claim 1 further comprising, outputting for display traffic operations, speed limit, number of lanes, or road gradient for at least one of the alternative routes.

5. A computer system comprising:

a processor in an embedded platform configured to

receive input for a specific vehicle including a route origin and a route destination,

receive at least one vehicle characteristic including fuel economy for the specific vehicle,

identify alternative routes between the route origin and route destination,

segment each of the identified alternative routes based on at least one of a different road, road type and speed limit,

calculate a monetary energy consumption cost for each of the alternative routes based on each segment and the vehicle characteristics, and

output for display the monetary energy consumption costs together with the alternative routes.

6. The computer system of claim 5 wherein the embedded platform is a vehicle system.

7. The computer system of claim 5 wherein the processor is further configured to enable a web-based application to receive the origin, destination and at least one vehicle characteristic.

8. The computer system of claim 5 wherein the processor is further configured to enable a web-based application to display the monetary energy consumption costs with the alternative routes.

9. The computer system of claim 5 wherein the processor is further configured to output for display the segments for at least one of the alternative routes.

10. The computer system of claim 5 wherein the monetary energy consumption costs are a monetary value associated with energy consumption of a battery or fuel consumption of an engine.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to

in response to a route origin and a route destination, identify alternative routes sharing a segment between the route origin and route destination;

calculate an estimated fuel consumption cost for each of the alternative routes based on fuel economy targets for a specific vehicle; and

display the estimated fuel consumption costs together with the alternative routes.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to identify one of the alternative routes as a minimum energy route based on the estimated fuel consumption costs.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to segment at least one of the identified alternative routes.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to output for display the segments for at least one of the alternative routes.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to output for display traffic operations, speed limit, number of lanes, or road gradient for at least one of the alternative routes.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to enable a web-based application to receive the origin, destination and fuel economy targets for the vehicle.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to enable a web-based application to display the estimated fuel consumption costs with the alternative routes.