U.S. patent application number 16/824781 was filed with the patent office on 2020-07-09 for systems and methods for measuring and reducing vehicle fuel waste.
The applicant listed for this patent is Vnomics Corporation. Invention is credited to David Charles Chauncey, Michael David Joseph.
Application Number | 20200216001 16/824781 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 54767279 |
Filed Date | 2020-07-09 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200216001 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chauncey; David Charles ; et
al. |
July 9, 2020 |
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MEASURING AND REDUCING VEHICLE FUEL
WASTE
Abstract
A method of determining an amount of fuel wasted by a vehicle
due to sub-optimal performance of at least one component of the
vehicle includes receiving information about operation of the
vehicle from at least one sensor positioned on the vehicle,
categorizing, with a processor, a fuel use by the vehicle as a
normal fuel use or a wasted fuel use due to the at least one
component performing at a sub-optimal level by comparing the
received information to expected information from the at least one
sensor when the vehicle is operating at optimal performance, and
determining, with the processor, the amount of fuel wasted due to
the at least one component operating at the sub-optimal level based
on categorized fuel use.
Inventors: |
Chauncey; David Charles;
(Fairport, NY) ; Joseph; Michael David; (Fairport,
NY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Vnomics Corporation |
Pittsford |
NY |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
54767279 |
Appl. No.: |
16/824781 |
Filed: |
March 20, 2020 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
14728646 |
Jun 2, 2015 |
10632941 |
|
|
16824781 |
|
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|
62006590 |
Jun 2, 2014 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R 16/0236 20130101;
B60W 2555/20 20200201; B60W 2510/0623 20130101; B60W 2540/30
20130101; B60W 2555/60 20200201; B60W 50/14 20130101; F02D 28/00
20130101; G01C 21/3469 20130101; G07C 5/0808 20130101; B60W 2530/10
20130101; B60W 2552/15 20200201; Y02T 10/84 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B60R 16/023 20060101
B60R016/023; B60W 50/14 20060101 B60W050/14; G07C 5/08 20060101
G07C005/08; G01C 21/34 20060101 G01C021/34; F02D 28/00 20060101
F02D028/00 |
Claims
1. A data storage device embodying computer-executable
instructions, that when executed by a processor, cause the
processor to optimize a vehicle having an engine control unit
programmed with a first vehicle profile for a route of travel by
executing operations comprising: dividing a route of travel into a
plurality of segments; identifying a segment characteristic of each
of the plurality of segments; determining, with the processor, a
second vehicle profile, the second vehicle profile dependent upon
one or more of a fuel use and the segment characteristics; and
reprogramming the engine control unit with the second vehicle
profile.
2. The data storage device of claim 1, wherein the segment
characteristic is selected from the group consisting of a slope,
distance, government imposed traffic controls, volume of traffic,
and weather conditions.
3. The data storage device of claim 2, wherein the segment
characteristic is a government imposed traffic control, and the
determining operation comprises determining the second vehicle
profile dependent upon the government imposed traffic control.
4. The data storage device of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle
profile is associated with a first fuel use, and the determining
operation comprises determining the second vehicle profile
dependent upon the fuel use, such that the fuel use of the second
vehicle profile is less than the first fuel use for one or more of
the plurality of segments.
5. The data storage device of claim 1, wherein the identifying
operation further comprises identifying one or more additional
segment characteristics.
6. A system comprising: memory; a processor coupled to the memory,
wherein the processor is configured to optimize a vehicle having an
engine control unit programmed with a first vehicle profile for a
route of travel by being further configured to: divide a route of
travel into a plurality of segments; identify a segment
characteristic of each of the plurality of segments; determine,
with the processor, a second vehicle profile, the second vehicle
profile dependent upon one or more of a fuel use and the segment
characteristics; and reprogram the engine control unit with the
second vehicle profile.
7. The data storage device of claim 6, wherein the segment
characteristic is selected from the group consisting of a slope,
distance, government imposed traffic controls, volume of traffic,
and weather conditions.
8. The data storage device of claim 7, wherein the segment
characteristic is a government imposed traffic control, and the
determining operation comprises determining the second vehicle
profile dependent upon the government imposed traffic control.
9. The data storage device of claim 6, wherein the first vehicle
profile is associated with a first fuel use, and the determining
operation comprises determining the second vehicle profile
dependent upon the fuel use, such that the fuel use of the second
vehicle profile is less than the first fuel use for one or more of
the plurality of segments.
10. The data storage device of claim 6, wherein the identifying
operation further comprises identifying one or more additional
segment characteristics.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser.
No. 14/728,646 filed Jun. 2, 2015, which claims priority to U.S.
Provisional Patent Application No. 62/006,590, filed on Jun. 2,
2014, the contents of which are incorporated fully herein by
reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to fuel efficiency of vehicles and to
determining fuel-efficient travel routes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Improving fuel efficiency of a variety of vehicles continues
to be an important challenge, especially given the role of fossil
fuels in both climate change and international relations. Many
approaches to different fuels, e.g., biodiesel and electric cars,
have been proposed, as have many different engine designs. One
previously overlooked area of research is improving the operation
of existing vehicles.
[0004] The inventors have recognized that there is a need to
measure the fuel lost by a vehicle due to suboptimal performance by
one or more components of that vehicle. Additionally, the inventors
have recognized that there is a need to measure the fuel lost by a
vehicle due to the application of excessive horsepower and torque
beyond the minimum amount of horsepower and torque necessary to
move the vehicle along its route. Further, the inventors have
recognized that it would be desirable to select a vehicle and a
route of travel between a departure and a destination that
optimizes fuel economy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] Aspects of the invention relate to methods of and systems
for determining an amount of fuel wasted by a vehicle due to
sub-optimal performance of at least one component of the vehicle;
determining fuel use of a vehicle for at least one segment of a
route of travel; optimizing a traveling route of a vehicle between
a departure and a destination based on fuel consumption; and
determining a fuel economy associated with a minimum amount of
horsepower and torque to move a vehicle across at least one segment
of a traveling route.
[0006] In accordance with one aspect, the invention provides a
method of determining an amount of fuel wasted by a vehicle due to
sub-optimal performance of at least one component of the vehicle.
The method includes receiving information about operation of the
vehicle from at least one sensor positioned on the vehicle;
categorizing, with a processor, a fuel use by the vehicle as a
normal fuel use or a wasted fuel use due to the at least one
component performing at a sub-optimal level by comparing the
received information to expected information from the at least one
sensor when the vehicle is operating at optimal performance; and
determining, with the processor, the amount of fuel wasted due to
the at least one component operating at the sub-optimal level based
on the categorized fuel use.
[0007] In accordance with another aspect, the invention provides a
method of determining fuel use of a vehicle for at least one
segment of a route of travel. The method includes determining one
or more vehicle characteristics of the vehicle, the vehicle
characteristics including at least one of a vehicle profile or a
vehicle load; determining one or more segment characteristics of
the at least one segment, including at least one of a slope,
government imposed traffic controls, volume of traffic, or weather
conditions; and determining, with a processor, a fuel economy for
the vehicle relating to the at least one segment as a function of
the one or more vehicle characteristics and the one or more segment
characteristics.
[0008] In accordance with yet another aspect, the invention
provides a method of optimizing a traveling route of a vehicle
between a departure and a destination based on fuel consumption.
The method includes determining one or more vehicle characteristics
of the vehicle, the vehicle characteristics including at least one
of a vehicle profile or a vehicle load; determining one or more
segment characteristics of each of a plurality of segments between
the departure and the destination, the segment characteristics
including at least one of a slope, government imposed traffic
controls, volume of traffic, or weather conditions for the at least
one segment; determining, with a processor from the one or more
vehicle characteristics and the one or more segment
characteristics, a fuel use for the vehicle relating to each
segment in the plurality of segments between the departure and the
destination; determining, with the processor, an optimized
traveling route by identifying a combination of segments between
the departure and the destination providing the lowest level of
fuel use for the vehicle as the optimized traveling route; and
presenting the optimized traveling route.
[0009] In accordance with still yet another aspect, the invention
provides a method of determining a fuel economy associated with a
minimum amount of horsepower and torque to move a vehicle across at
least one segment of a traveling route. The method includes sensing
information about the operation of the vehicle from at least one
sensor positioned on the vehicle, the information including a
current amount of horsepower and torque; determining one or more
vehicle characteristics of the vehicle, the vehicle characteristics
including at least one of a vehicle profile or a vehicle load;
determining one or more segment characteristics of the at least one
segment, the segment characteristics including at least one of a
slope, government imposed traffic controls, volume of traffic, or
weather conditions; determining, with a processor, a minimum amount
of horsepower and torque to move the vehicle across the at least
one segment as a function of the one or more characteristics of the
vehicle and the one or more characteristics of the at least one
segment; comparing the current amount of horsepower and torque with
the determined minimum amount of horsepower and torque; and
calculating, with the processor, a wasted amount of fuel based on
the difference between the current amount of horsepower and torque
and the determined minimum amount of horsepower and torque.
[0010] In accordance with other aspects, the invention provides a
system for determining an amount of fuel wasted by a vehicle due to
sub-optimal performance of at least one component of the vehicle.
The system includes at least one sensor configured to detect fuel
use information of a vehicle during operation of the vehicle, and a
controller. The controller may include a categorization module
configured to obtain the fuel use information from the at least one
sensor for each time frame in a 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 categories, wherein the
plurality of wasted fuel categories includes at least one category
for fuel wasted due to the at least one component of the vehicle
operating at a sub-optimal level and at least one category for fuel
wasted due to excessive horsepower or excessive torque. The
controller may also include 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 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.
[0011] In still another aspect, the invention provides a system for
determining fuel use of a vehicle for at least one segment of a
route of travel. The system includes at least one sensor configured
to sense one or more vehicle characteristics of the vehicle
including at least one of a vehicle profile or a vehicle load, a
database comprising information regarding one or more segment
characteristics of the at least one segment, including at least one
of a slope, government imposed traffic controls, volume of traffic,
or weather conditions, and a controller. The controller may include
a determination module configured to determine a fuel economy for
the vehicle relating to the at least one segment by comparing the
one or more vehicle characteristics sensed by the at least one
sensor to corresponding information in the database.
[0012] In yet another aspect, the invention provides a system for
optimizing a traveling route of a vehicle between a departure and a
destination based on fuel consumption. The system includes at least
one sensor configured to sense one or more vehicle characteristics
of the vehicle including at least one of a vehicle profile or a
vehicle load, a database comprising information regarding one or
more segment characteristics of each of a plurality of segments
between the departure and the destination, the segment
characteristics including at least one of a slope, government
imposed traffic controls, volume of traffic, or weather conditions,
and a controller. The controller may include a determination module
configured to determine a fuel economy for the vehicle relating
each of a plurality of segments by comparing the one or more
vehicle characteristics sensed by the at least one sensor to
corresponding information in the database regarding the one or more
segment characteristics of each of a plurality of segments. The
controller may also include a mapping module configured to
identify, from the plurality of segments, a combination of one or
more segments between the departure and the destination providing
an optimized fuel economy and configured to present an optimized
traveling route comprising the combination of one or more segments
between the departure and the destination providing an optimized
fuel economy.
[0013] In another embodiment, the invention provides a method of
selecting a vehicle for a particular route. The method includes
dividing a route of travel into a plurality of segments;
identifying a segment characteristic of each of the plurality of
segments; determining, with a processor, a fuel use for each of a
plurality of vehicles moving across the segments, the fuel use
dependent upon the segment characteristic; selecting, with the
processor, from the plurality of vehicles, a vehicle having a
relative optimized fuel economy for the plurality of segments by
comparing the determined fuel use of each vehicle; and presenting
information regarding the vehicle having a relative optimized fuel
economy.
[0014] In still another embodiment, the invention provides a method
of optimizing a vehicle having an engine control unit programmed
with a first vehicle profile for a route of travel. The method
includes dividing a route of travel into a plurality of segments;
identifying a segment characteristic of each of the plurality of
segments; determining, with a processor, a second vehicle profile,
the second vehicle profile dependent upon one or more of a fuel use
and the segment characteristics; and reprogramming the engine
control unit with the second vehicle profile.
[0015] In yet another embodiment, the invention provides a method
of determining a load weight of a vehicle. The method includes
sensing information about the operation of the vehicle from at
least one sensor positioned on the vehicle, the information
including an acceleration of the vehicle; determining, with a
processor, an amount of energy used by the vehicle for the
acceleration dependent upon a vehicle profile of the vehicle and
the acceleration; and determining, with a processor, the load
weight dependent upon the amount of energy and the vehicle
profile.
[0016] In still another embodiment, the invention provides a system
for optimizing a traveling route of a vehicle between a departure
and a destination based on fuel consumption. The system includes a
database having information regarding one or more vehicle
characteristics of the vehicle including at least one of a vehicle
profile or a vehicle load weight sensed by at least one sensor and
regarding one or more segment characteristics of each of a
plurality of segments between the departure and the destination,
the segment characteristics including at least one of a slope,
government imposed traffic controls, volume of traffic, or weather
conditions. The system also includes a controller. The controller
includes a determination module configured to determine a fuel
economy for the vehicle relating each of a plurality of segments by
comparing the one or more vehicle characteristics sensed by the at
least one sensor to corresponding information regarding the one or
more segment characteristics of each of a plurality of segments.
The controller further includes a mapping module configured to
identify, from the plurality of segments, a combination of one or
more segments between the departure and the destination providing
an optimized fuel economy and configured to present an optimized
traveling route comprising the combination of one or more segments
between the departure and the destination providing an optimized
fuel economy.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The invention is best understood from the following detailed
description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings,
with like elements having the same reference numerals. When a
plurality of similar elements is present, a single reference
numeral may be assigned to the plurality of similar elements with a
small letter designation referring to specific elements. When
referring to the elements collectively or to a non-specific one or
more of the elements, the small letter designation may be dropped.
This emphasizes that according to common practice, the various
features of the drawings are not drawn to scale unless otherwise
indicated. On the contrary, the dimensions of the various features
may be expanded or reduced for clarity. Included in the drawings
are the following figures:
[0018] FIG. 1a is a block diagram illustrating a system for
optimizing fuel use in accordance with aspects of the present
invention;
[0019] FIG. 1b is a functional diagram of a system for optimizing
fuel use in accordance with aspects of the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 1c is a flow diagram illustrating a process of
categorizing fuel use in accordance with aspects of the present
invention;
[0021] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of
determining an amount of fuel wasted due to suboptimal performance
of vehicle component(s) in accordance with aspects of the present
invention;
[0022] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of
determining fuel use of a vehicle for segments between a departure
and a destination in accordance with aspects of the present
invention;
[0023] FIG. 4a is a flow diagram illustrating a method of
optimizing a traveling route of a vehicle between a departure and a
destination based on fuel consumption in accordance with aspects of
the present invention;
[0024] FIG. 4b is a flow diagram illustrating a method for
determining a combination of segments having the lowest level of
fuel use for use in the method illustrated in FIG. 4a;
[0025] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating alternative routes of
travel having multiple segments in accordance with aspects of the
present invention;
[0026] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of
determining fuel use associated with a minimum amount of horsepower
and torque to move a vehicle across at least one segment of a
traveling route in accordance with aspects of the present
invention;
[0027] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of selecting
a vehicle for a route of travel in accordance with aspects of the
present invention;
[0028] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of optimizing
a vehicle having an engine control unit for a route of travel in
accordance with aspects of the present invention; and
[0029] FIG. 9 is a flow diagram depicting a method of determining a
load weight of a vehicle in accordance with aspects of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0030] Aspects of the invention are directed to methods of and
systems for measuring the fuel used by a vehicle during a sortie,
determining the amount of fuel wasted, selecting travel routes
optimized for the fuel economy of a particular vehicle, and
selecting vehicles having the best relative fuel economy for
traveling a particular route.
[0031] As used herein, "vehicle" means any type of transport having
an engine (e.g., a piston engine, a diesel engine, a rotary engine,
an electric motor, or turbine engine) that propels the vehicle by
consuming fuel. An exemplary vehicle, used to illustrate several
principles of the invention, is a tractor-trailer carrying
commercial freight. This disclosure is not so limited, however, and
is also directed to other vehicles such as ground vehicles (e.g.,
gasoline or hybrid), watercraft, aircraft, or remote controlled
vehicles.
[0032] As used herein, "fuel" means any energy source that the
engine consumes to propel the vehicle and operate auxiliary
equipment. Generally the fuel used by the vehicle is a combustible
material, such as gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, hydrogen,
natural gas, propane, and/or ethanol. One of ordinary skill in the
art will understand that other fuels, whether combustible,
chemical, electrochemical, biological, solar, photovoltaic,
nuclear, kinetic, and potential energy source, are also envisioned,
are within the scope of the instant invention.
[0033] As used herein, "route of travel" or "traveling route" each
relate to a road, course, or way of travel used by a vehicle to
move from a departure to a destination. As one of ordinary skill in
the art will understand, multiple discrete traveling routes may be
used to move a vehicle from a departure to a destination. Further,
each route of travel may be further broken down into a series of
continuous segments.
[0034] As used herein, "driver" or "operator" refers to the
individual or hardware/software module that controls the vehicle,
either onboard or remotely, during a sortie and whose behavior may
affect the amount of fuel consumed by the vehicle. One of ordinary
skill in the art will understand that the methods and systems
described herein can be applied to manually controlled vehicles as
well as autonomous, autonomous assist, semi-autonomous, or unmanned
vehicles while still remaining within the scope of the present
invention.
[0035] As used herein, "sortie" refers to the period or route of
travel between the start of a trip at an origin location (i.e., the
departure) and the location at the end of the trip (i.e., the
destination) for a particular vehicle. The "start" and the "end" of
a sortie may correspond to an operator-input, a time event and/or a
position event. For instance, an operator-input event may be a
command input (e.g., a pushbutton) from the operator of the
vehicle. Time events may include all the activities of the vehicle
within a time period (e.g., 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM). Position events
may define the start of a sortie when a vehicle embarks from a
first location (e.g., a start line) and/or at the end of a sortie
when the vehicle arrives at a second location (e.g., a finish
line). The first and second locations may be the same when the
vehicle completes a round-trip.
[0036] As used herein, "fuel economy" refers to the fuel efficiency
relationship between distance traveled by a vehicle and the amount
of fuel consumed. An optimized fuel economy, therefore, refers to a
maximized distance traveled per amount of fuel consumed.
[0037] Generally, aspects of the invention address fuel waste which
can occur from: (1) fuel waste attributable to actions by the
operator and/or (2) fuel waste independent of the operator's
actions. Regarding the first category, ideally, the operator would
not waste any fuel. That is, the operator would use the minimum
amount of fuel necessary during the sortie. However, during a
sortie, an operator may waste fuel due to poor driving technique
(e.g., changing gears at the wrong time or traveling at excessive
speeds), excessive idling (e.g., failing to turn the vehicle off
during long stops) or high-Idling (any vehicle use that leads to an
altered and less than optimal fuel map due to, e.g., higher energy
requirements or RPMs). Also, fuel may be wasted if the vehicle is
not properly configured, such as in the case where a vehicle is
setup for making heavy haul deliveries performs a sortie requiring
a large number of light deliveries in stop-and-go conditions.
[0038] The operator may also waste fuel by operating the vehicle
using more horsepower and torque than the minimum amount required
to move the vehicle along a route of travel. Moving the vehicle
along a particular route of travel requires a certain amount of
horsepower and torque in order to overcome forces upon the vehicle
including friction, gravity, and aerodynamic drag. The minimum
amount of horsepower and torque also depends upon, e.g.,
characteristics of the route of travel including terrain, distance,
weather conditions and government imposed traffic controls. One
example of potentially wasteful vehicle operation in this regard is
when an operator follows another vehicle too closely, resulting in
unnecessary speed changes and excessive horsepower and torque.
[0039] The operator may also select a route of travel which results
in greater fuel use than other routes of travel that may be used to
move the vehicle from the departure to the destination. For
example, one route of travel may have route characteristics that
cause greater fuel waste when compared to other routes of travel
having different route characteristics. Route characteristics which
may contribute to fuel waste include terrain, distance, weather
conditions and government imposed traffic controls.
[0040] Similarly, the operator may select a vehicle having a
suboptimal fuel economy for a given route of travel. When
considering the vehicle profile (e.g., vehicle type, mechanical
operating condition, transmission type, engine type including
horsepower and torque ratings, fuel type, and carrying capacity
including load weight, length, and height), a particular vehicle
may have a suboptimal fuel economy (as compared to other available
vehicles) for traversing a given route of travel.
[0041] Fuel waste may also occur as a result of the mechanical
operating condition of the vehicle, which is independent of the
operator's control of the vehicle. In particular, fuel waste may
occur as the result of one or more components of the vehicle
performing at a suboptimal level. For example, an improperly
functioning fuel delivery system (e.g., stuck fuel injector, worn
fuel pump), emission control system (e.g., stuck exhaust gas
recirculation valve, plugged diesel particulate filter), or other
component can result in lost fuel.
[0042] FIG. 1a is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary vehicle
in which embodiments consistent with the present disclosure may be
implemented. The vehicle may include operator controls, a drive
train, sensor devices, an audiovisual device and a communication
device.
[0043] The operator controls are components of the vehicle that
receive inputs from the operator that affect the vehicle's fuel
consumption. The operator's controls may include, for example,
steering inputs (e.g., steering wheel, stick, yoke), breaking
inputs, trim inputs, throttle inputs and transmission inputs (e.g.
gear selection).
[0044] The drive train includes vehicle components that transform
fuel into kinetic energy to propel the vehicle. The drive train may
include an engine, a transmission, and a final drive (e.g., drive
wheels, continuous tracks, propeller, etc.).
[0045] Sensors are devices that measure or detect real-world
conditions and convert the detected conditions into analog and/or
digital information that may be stored, retrieved and processed. As
shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle's sensors include control input
sensors, vehicle position/motion sensors, and drive train sensors.
One of ordinary skill in the art will be aware of other relevant
sensors, such as those for sensing mass air flow rate, turbo boost
pressure, etc. The control input sensors detect and/or measure
changes in the state of the control input devices.
[0046] The vehicle motion/position sensors detect and/or measure
the vehicle's position, orientation, velocity, acceleration and
changes in the state thereof. The motion/position sensors may
include accelerometers that measure acceleration (translational or
angular). Based on the vehicle's acceleration in any direction over
time, its speed and position can be derived. In some embodiments,
some or all of the motion/position sensors are provided by an
inertial measurement unit (IMU), which is an electronic device that
measures and reports on a vehicle's velocity, orientation and
gravitational forces, using a combination of accelerometers and/or
gyroscopes without the need for external references. Additionally,
the motion/position sensors may be provided by a global positioning
system (GPS) navigation device. GPS devices provide latitude and
longitude information, and may also calculate directional velocity
and altitude. The vehicle may also include speed sensors that
detect the speed of the vehicle. Based on the speed, the sensor may
also detect the distance traveled by the vehicle (e.g., odometer).
Additionally or alternatively, wheel speed sensors may be located
on the wheels, the vehicle's differential, or a pilot tube may
measure the velocity of air with respect to the motion of the
vehicle. Sensors external to the vehicle (e.g., sensors located on
other roadway objects separate from the vehicle, such as
"connected" bridges or traffic signals) may similarly measure and
transmit vehicle information.
[0047] The drive train sensors include devices that determine
operating parameters of the engine and transmission. For example,
the drive train sensors may detect engine speed (e.g., RPM),
horsepower, torque, air flow, fuel flow, oxygen, use of auxiliary
equipment, and idle speed. Based on this information, the vehicle's
fuel consumption may be determined at any given time. This
information may also be used to determine, e.g., a current
horsepower and torque for the vehicle. The drive train sensors may
also indicate whether a vehicle component, such as a component of
the fuel delivery system, emission control system or other
component is functioning at a suboptimal level.
[0048] The audiovisual device generates visual and aural cues to
present the operator with feedback, and coaching. The audiovisual
device may include a video display, such as a liquid crystal
display, plasma display, cathode ray tube, and the like. The
audiovisual device may include an audio transducer, such as a
speaker. Furthermore, the audiovisual display may include one or
more operator-input devices, such as bezel keys, a touch screen
display, a mouse, a keyboard and/or a microphone for a
voice-recognition unit. Using the audiovisual device, information
obtained from the vehicle's sensors may be used to provide feedback
to the operator indicating driving actions or navigational
instructions that should have been taken or avoided to optimize
fuel consumption by the vehicle. The audiovisual device may also be
configured to provide the same or similar feedback to autonomous or
unmanned vehicles.
[0049] The communication device sends and/or receives information
from the vehicle over one or more communication channels to other
vehicles, one or more communication channels to external sensor
sources (e.g., sensors located on external infrastructure devices,
traffic management devices, etc.), a remote supervisor, and/or a
remote server (not shown). The communication device may provide,
for example, information collected by the sensors and reports
generated by the fuel tracking system describing fuel use, fuel
wasted, operator performance and vehicle performance to a
back-office server (not shown).
[0050] The communication device may use wired, fixed wireless, or
mobile wireless information networks that communicate a variety of
protocols. The networks may comprise any wireless network, wireline
network or a combination of wireless and wireline networks capable
of supporting communication by the vehicle using ground-based
and/or space-based components. The network can be, for instance, an
ad-hoc wireless communications network, a satellite network, a data
network, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), an integrated
services digital network (ISDN), a local area network (LAN), a wide
area network (WAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), all or a
portion of the Internet, and/or other communication systems or
combination of communication systems at one or more locations. The
network can also be connected to another network, contain one or
more other sub-networks, and/or be a sub-network within another
network.
[0051] The controller may be one or more devices that exchange
information with the sensors, the memory device, the data storage
device, the audiovisual device and/or the communication device. The
controller includes a processor and a memory device. The processor
may be a general-purpose processor (e.g., INTEL or IBM), or a
specialized, embedded processor (e.g., ARM). The memory device may
be a random access memory ("RAM"), a read-only memory ("ROM"), a
FLASH memory, or the like. Although the memory device is depicted
as a single medium, the device may comprise additional storage
media devices.
[0052] In some embodiments, the controller is a stand-alone system
that functions in parallel with other information processing
devices (e.g., a mission computer, engine control unit, cockpit
information unit, and/or autonomous driving unit) operating on the
vehicle. In other embodiments, the functions of the controller may
be incorporated within one or more other information processing
devices on the vehicle. In certain embodiments, the controller or
certain of its components may be external to the vehicle (e.g., at
a location remote to the vehicle). As described in more detail
below, the controller may be configured to perform some or all of
the functionality described herein.
[0053] The controller processes the received information to
determine the amount of fuel required for the vehicle during a
sortie, the amount of fuel required for a vehicle moving across a
particular route of travel during the sortie, the amount of fuel
required for a vehicle moving across a segment of a particular
route of travel, and the amount of fuel wasted during the sortie.
The controller may also identify a particular route of travel as
resulting in the least amount of fuel waste consumed relative to
other potential routes of travel. The determinations made by the
controller may be output via the audiovisual device to provide
feedback and/or operator coaching. In one embodiment, the
controller provides determinations in the form of navigational
instructions to the operator for a route of travel that is more
fuel efficient than other potential routes of travel. In addition,
the determinations may be reported to a supervisor or a back-office
server via the communication device.
[0054] The data storage device may be one or more devices that
store and retrieve information, including computer-readable program
instructions and data. The data storage device may be, for
instance, a semiconductor, a magnetic or an optical-based
information storage/retrieval device (e.g., flash memory, hard disk
drive, CD-ROM, or flash RAM).
[0055] The controller interface device may be one or more devices
for exchanging information between the host and the devices on the
vehicle. The controller interface device may include devices
operable to perform analog-to-digital conversion, digital-to-analog
conversion, filtering, switching, relaying, amplification and/or
attenuation.
[0056] Furthermore, the controller interface device may store the
received information for access by the processor. In some
embodiments, the data interface includes a diagnostic data port,
such as OBDII (On-board diagnostics II) or a J1708/J1939 bus
interface as described in the Society of Automotive Engineers SAE
International Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice.
[0057] The computer-readable program instructions may be recorded
on the data storage device and/or the memory device. As shown in
FIG. 1a, the instructions include a recording module, a
categorization module, a determination module, a feedback module,
and a mapping module. The recording module configures the
controller to obtain information provided to the controller by the
sensors and stores the sensor information in the data storage
device. The categorization module configures the controller to
categorize the amount of fuel used during the sortie based on
information received from the sensors and control inputs. The
determination module obtains information from the fuel-use log and
determines the amount of fuel used during all or a portion of the
sortie, the amount of fuel wasted, and the minimum amount of fuel
required to complete all or a portion of the sortie. The mapping
module identifies one or more routes of travel between a departure
and a destination. The mapping module may further break down each
route of travel into a plurality of continuous segments of the
route of travel. In one embodiment, the mapping module is remote to
the vehicle, e.g., in a back-office server, and may transmit a
calculated route to the vehicle.
[0058] The data stored on the data storage device includes a
vehicle profile, an operator profile, and/or a sortie profile. The
vehicle profile includes Information describing the configuration
and predetermined limits of the vehicle. For instance, the vehicle
profile may include a vehicle identifier, a vehicle type, a make, a
model, vehicle options, vehicle age, defects, maintenance history
and predetermined limitations (e.g., road speed limit). In
addition, the vehicle profile may store information about the
engine, such as the engine type, size, power, power curve, torque
curve and idle speed. Also, the vehicle profile may store
information about the drivetrain, such as gear ratios, wheel size,
threshold speeds, optimal engine speed for the gears in the
transmission, and/or a map of the ideal shift patterns and/or
throttle position for the transmission including considering
various forms of shifting gears such as manual, manual assist,
automatic, and automated manual (AMT) etc. given the conditions the
vehicle is being operated under. Additionally, the profile includes
a variety of information including specifics about the vehicle and
the vehicle load and how each affects fuel economy. As used herein,
"vehicle load" and "vehicle load weight" refer broadly to both the
laden and unladen weight of the vehicle.
[0059] The operator profile stores information describing the
operator including identification information, experience
information, skill-rating information, performance information and
goal information. The operator profile may also store information
regarding autonomous, autonomous assist, semi-autonomous, or
unmanned operation.
[0060] The sortie profile stores information corresponding to a
sortie. The sortie profile information may include a sortie type, a
sortie description and a load description. In addition, the sortie
profile may include thresholds corresponding to the sortie, such as
speed, distance, time, stops and load. Furthermore, the sortie type
may include information describing the sortie, including, the
environment of the sortie (e.g., urban, suburban, rural, long-haul,
infrastructure devices such as bridges and traffic signals, combat,
enforcement, patrol, or training) along with corresponding
performance thresholds. Sortie type information may be stored in a
database for later use in the sortie profile, or it may be obtained
in real time via a third party information provider. Exemplary
third party information providers include companies such as
TrafficLand of Fairfax, Va. (traffic reporting), Global Weather
Corp. of Boulder, Colo. (weather reporting), and Navteq of Chicago,
Ill. (mapping services). In addition, the sortie description may
include a plurality of predefined routes, waypoints and schedules
for the sortie. A load type may include, for example, descriptors
of the load including size, weight, scheduled delivery time,
fragility and/or hazardous material identifiers.
[0061] The data storage device may store logs of information
generated during the sortie. This information may include a sensor
log, a fuel-use log and an operator log. The sensor log receives
information from the sensors and stores the information in
association with a corresponding time frame. A time frame is a
block of time that is one of a series that span the duration of the
sortie. The length of the time and the rate at which the time
frames are recorded may be chosen to provide different levels of
detail regarding the vehicle's fuel-use and the operator's
performance. In some embodiments, a substantially continuous
sequence of fuel-use determinations is recorded in the fuel-use
log. For instance, the recording may determine a category of
fuel-use for each time frame during the sortie. The time frame may
be, for example, 1/60th of second, one-second, ten-seconds, etc.
Other embodiments may, for example, make periodic samples. The
recording may record a fuel-use determination every ten seconds
based on a one-second time frame. One of ordinary skill in the art
will understand the aforementioned time frames to be exemplary, and
not limiting, and that other time frames (either shorter or longer)
will fall within the scope of the present invention.
[0062] The fuel-use log is a record of the fuel-used by the vehicle
during a sortie. As described below, the controller determines the
amount of fuel used and the fuel wasted during a sortie. The fuel
used and the fuel wasted is determined based on categorizing the
fuel used within a number of fixed and/or variable length time
frames during the sortie.
[0063] FIG. 1b is a functional block diagram of the exemplary
vehicle illustrated in FIG. 1a. The recording module, when executed
by the processor, configures the controller to obtain information
from the vehicle's sensors over a time frame (N) and store the
sensor information as a record in the sensor log identified to the
corresponding time frame (N), where "N" represents a current time
frame in a series of time frames [0 . . . N . . . X], where "0"
represents the first recorded time frame during the sortie, "N"
represents the current time frame, and "X" represents the final
time frame recorded at the end of the sortie. For the sake of
clarity, FIG. 1b only shows the sensor information recorded for a
single, current time frame (N). The same or similar information may
be recorded and stored in the sensor log for each time frame 0 to
X. In some embodiments, all the sensor information from each time
frame may be retained in the sensor log. In other embodiments, a
subset of the sensor information is retained. For example, to
reduce the size of the data storage device, the sensor log may
function as a buffer that stores only the latest several time
frames (e.g. N-2, N-1, and N).
[0064] The categorization module, when executed by the processor,
configures the controller to obtain sensor information stored in
the sensor log for a time frame and, based on the sensor
information, categorize the fuel used in that time frame into one
of a plurality of categories. The category information is stored in
the fuel-use log identified with the corresponding time frame (0 .
. . N . . . X). The categories include a number of categories that
identify different wasteful uses of fuel (e.g., high-idle,
excessive idle, excessive speed, gearing, improper progressive
shift, excessive horsepower and/or torque, and suboptimal
performance of one or more components of a vehicle) and at least
one category corresponding to non-wasteful uses of fuel (e.g.,
normal fuel use or a desired stop).
[0065] The determination module, when executed by the processor,
configures the controller to determine how much fuel was consumed
beyond what would have been used by best practices or by a vehicle
having optimally performing components based on information
recorded in the fuel-use log. The cumulative amount of fuel wasted
during the sortie may be determined by totaling the fuel
categorized as wasted in the time frames 0 to N. Additionally, the
fuel wasted over the entire sortie may be determined by totaling
the fuel used for each time frame categorized as wasted in the time
frames 0 to X. Furthermore, the minimum amount of fuel required
during the sortie may be determined by subtracting the cumulative
amount of fuel wasted from the cumulative fuel used during the
sortie.
[0066] The reporting module, when executed by the processor,
configures the controller to obtain information from the fuel-use
log and/or the determination module to generate a report of the
vehicle's and the operator's performance during the sortie. The
reporting module may generate a document including the information
in the report and provide the information to, for example, the
communication device for transmission to the operator's supervisor
and/or back office server. The reporting module may also share
information with the feedback module. Additionally, the reporting
module may modify and/or update route segment characteristics,
which characteristics are described below, for use in future
calculations.
[0067] The feedback module, when executed by the processor,
configures the controller to obtain information from the fuel-use
log and/or the reporting module. Based on the obtained information,
the feedback module may generate visual and aural cues for the
operator using the audiovisual device. For instance, the feedback
module may generate a horsepower and torque score that is
calculated and displayed to the operator by the audiovisual device
and/or transmitted to the operator's supervisor via the
communication device. The feedback module may also determine an
operator's performance score based on the results generated by the
categorization module and the determination module. The score may
also be used to compare performance relative to other operators in
a group. The feedback module may also generate visual and aural
navigational instructions (or machine-to-machine instructions, in
the case of autonomous, autonomous assist, semi-autonomous, or
unmanned vehicles) directing the operator to move the vehicle
across a fuel efficient route of travel. The feedback module may
also provide an indication that maintenance is required for one or
more components of the vehicle that are operating at a suboptimal
level and, thereby, contributing to fuel waste.
[0068] FIG. 1c is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process by
which the categorization module categorizes fuel-use. It will be
understood from the description herein that one or more steps of
the methods and processes described herein may be omitted and/or
performed out of the described sequence while still achieving
desired results in accordance with aspects of the invention.
[0069] The amount of fuel wasted during the sortie is determined
from the categorization of a vehicle's fuel use based on
information received from the vehicle's sensors. The categories
correspond to conditions of the vehicle caused by the operator
and/or vehicle configuration. The categories include excessive
horsepower, torque, idle, high idle, gearing, improper gear
selection (e.g., high/low progressive shifting) and excessive
speed. By determining the amount of fuel allocated to these
categories during and/or after a sortie, the system may determine
the least amount of fuel required during the sortie. Based on this,
a fleet manager may determine the operating cost of the fuel for a
sortie absent any waste. Additionally it may determine for the
fleet manager the cost of his/her operators' inefficient
behaviors.
[0070] The module depicted in FIG. 1c first determines whether the
vehicle is moving. (Step 102) This determination may be made based
on information received from the vehicle motion & position
sensors (e.g., accelerometer, INS, GPS).
[0071] If the vehicle is not moving (step 102, "No"), the
categorization module determines whether the engine speed is below
the high-idle threshold value (step 106) using information received
from the drive train sensors (e.g., tachometer). As used herein,
"high-idle threshold" means that the power takeoff ("PTO") is
engaged. The categorization module may obtain this information
from, e.g., a direct reading of the PTO engagement from the data
bus, installed sensors, or direct communication with the auxiliary
device being driven. If the PTO is engaged (step 106, "Yes"), the
categorization module stores the fuel wasted due to running
auxiliary equipment in the fuel use log in association with the
current time frame (step 108). The categorization module (step 108)
may also receive information from the vehicle data bus or external
sensors to determine that the PTO is engaged. The amount of fuel
wasted may be determined based on the difference between the
measured fuel flow at the engine speed during the current time
frame and the fuel flow rate at the high-idle threshold. The fuel
flow rate at the high-Idle threshold may be determined based on
engine speed information stored in the sensor log, or It may be
determined based on a predetermined fuel flow rate stored in the
vehicle profile.
[0072] If the vehicle is not moving (step 102, "No"), and the
engine speed is not greater than the high-idle threshold value
(step 106, "No"), the categorization module determines whether the
vehicle has been stationary for a continuous period of time that
exceeds the excessive-idle threshold value (step 112). If not (step
112, "No"), the categorization module records the fuel used during
the current time frame in the current time frame as normal fuel-use
(step 114). Otherwise, if the vehicle has been stationary for a
continuous period of time that exceeds the excessive-idle threshold
value (step 112, "Yes"), the categorization module records any
amount of fuel used for the time period exceeding the
excessive-idle threshold in the category of "excessive idle" (step
110).
[0073] If the categorization module determines that the vehicle is
moving (step 102, "Yes"), the module determines the vehicle's speed
(step 116) and the selected gear of the transmission (step 118),
based on information received from the vehicle motion and position
sensors and the drive train sensors. The module next determines the
vehicle's load weight (step 119a), based on information received
from the vehicle motion and position sensors and the drive train
sensors.
[0074] The load weight may be calculated based on energy used
during vehicle acceleration, compensating for rolling resistance,
aerodynamic drag, and elevation changes associated with traversing
a given segment of a route of travel. In particular, one of
ordinary skill in the art will understand that the force or power
required to propel a vehicle at any moment in time is customarily
presented as a "road load equation." The equation for determining
force has four terms to describe tire rolling resistance,
aerodynamic drag, acceleration, and grade effects:
F.sub.RL=mgC.sub.rr+0.5C.sub.DA.rho..sub.aV.sup.Z+m(dV/dt)+mg
sin(.theta.)
where mg is vehicle weight, C.sub.rr is tire rolling resistance, A
is the frontal area, C.sub.d is a drag coefficient based on the
frontal area, .rho..sub.a is the air density, V is the vehicle
velocity, m is vehicle mass, t is time, and sin(8) is the road
gradient (uphill positive). Neither C.sub.D nor C.sub.rr need be
constant with respect to speed, and the term C.sub.DA should not be
split without careful thought.
[0075] For road load power, the force equation is multiplied by
velocity:
P.sub.RL=mgC.sub.rrV+0.5C.sub.DA.rho..sub.aV.sup.3+mV(dV/dt)+mg
sin(.theta.)V.
[0076] In conventional vehicles the road load power is supplied by
an engine, via a transmission and one or more drive axles
characterized by an efficiency (.eta.). The engine may also supply
power for auxiliary loads (Paux), including cooling fan loads, so
that a simple engine power demand (PE) model is given by:
P E = P S L .eta. + P a u x ##EQU00001##
[0077] The force F.sub.RL may become negative while the vehicle is
decelerating or traveling on a sufficiently steep downgrade, with
"negative" power being absorbed through engine braking or friction
brakes. For hybrid-drive vehicles, some of the "negative" power may
be absorbed and stored for use in future propulsion of the vehicle.
Since hybrid vehicles have at least two sources of power during
part of their duty cycle, the engine power demand model must be
adjusted to account for the flow of power to or from other sources
during operation.
[0078] In one embodiment according to the present invention, the
load weight may be calculated based on energy used during vehicle
acceleration, compensating for rolling resistance, aerodynamic
drag, and elevation changes associated with traversing a given
segment of a route of travel. The algorithm used calculates the
acceleration during a period of time based on the rate of change in
velocity. The fuel rate is integrated over that same period of time
to determine the total energy consumed. The change in altitude is
also measured during this time period. A look-up table may be used
to determine the efficiency for the particular model of engine and
the Road Load Equation is solved to determine the weight. Although
the initial implementation assumes that rolling resistance and
aerodynamic drag are constant during the time period, this
information may also be derived from a time period in the sortie
where the acceleration is zero on flat terrain.
[0079] After determining load weight (step 119 a), the module
determines operating characteristics (step 119 b). In this step,
the module looks at environmental factors associated with the
segment being traversed such as wind speed, temperature, traffic,
and/or road terrain. Information regarding the segment may be
included on the sortie profile. For example, the sortie profile may
include information describing the condition of each segment of the
sortie, including, the environment (e.g., urban, suburban, rural,
long-haul, combat, enforcement, patrol, or training) along with
corresponding performance thresholds. The sortie profile may also
include, for a given segment of the route of travel, information
regarding the slope (e.g. grade), state and/or characteristics of
relevant infrastructure, government traffic controls (e.g., speed
limits, stop signs, traffic lights), volume of traffic, or weather
conditions (e.g., temperature, wind, barometric pressure,
precipitation). The information for the sortie profile may come
from historical data (e.g. topographic maps, speed limit databases,
etc.) or real-time data feeds (e.g. current weather, traffic,
etc.)
[0080] If the vehicle's speed is greater than a predetermined speed
threshold value (step 320, "Yes"), the fuel used during the time
frame is attributed to the excessive speed category in the fuel-use
log (step 322).
[0081] If the vehicle's speed is not greater than the predetermined
speed threshold value (step 320, "No"), the categorization module
determines whether the engine speed is outside a predetermined
range for the selected gear (step 330).
[0082] Next, the module determines the minimum horsepower and
torque required to traverse the segment in question (step 123a).
Here, the module may determine the minimum energy required to
traverse the road segment. In particular, the module determines,
based on, e.g., the Road Load equation described above, this
minimum value by compensating for weight of the vehicle at the
posted speed limit within the given environmental conditions.
Minimum fuel consumption associated with the minimum horsepower and
torque is then determined by the module (Step 124a) through, e.g.,
a lookup table which may include values of torque, engine RPM, and
fuel rate.
[0083] If the engine speed is within the predetermined range for
the selected gear (step 324, "Yes"), the categorization module
determines whether the engine speed is in a predetermined
fuel-efficient range for the selected gear (step 326). If so, the
categorization module attributes the fuel used during the current
time frame as "normal fuel use" (step 314) and stores fuel used in
the fuel-use log in association with the attributed category. On
the other hand, if the engine speed is not in the fuel-efficient
range for the selected gear (step 326, "No"), the module attributes
the amount of fuel used that is outside the efficient range to the
gearing category and records the determination in the fuel-use log
(step 328).
[0084] If the engine speed is outside the predetermined range for
the selected gear (step 324, "No"), the categorization module
determines whether the engine speed is outside the predetermined
speed range for the selected gear. If so (step 330, "Yes"), the
module attributes the fuel used in the time frame to fuel waste due
to shifting loss (step 332).
[0085] FIG. 2 depicts a flow diagram of steps of a process 200 of
determining an amount of fuel wasted by a vehicle due to
sub-optimal performance of at least one component of the vehicle
according to aspects of the invention.
[0086] In step 210, information regarding the operation of the
vehicle is sensed by at least one sensor positioned on the vehicle.
In the exemplary system described above, the drive train sensors
may sense fuel consumption by monitoring, e.g., detect engine speed
(e.g., RPM), horsepower, torque, air flow, fuel flow, oxygen and
idle speed. The drive train sensors may also preliminarily
determine whether one or more components of the vehicle are
performing at a suboptimal level resulting in fuel waste. For
example, the drive train sensors may sense one or more improperly
or degraded (i.e., not completely failed due to age or other
suboptimal components) functioning components, including a faulty
fuel delivery system (e.g. stuck fuel injector, worn fuel pump,
etc.), emission control system (e.g. stuck exhaust gas
recirculation valve, plugged diesel particulate filter, etc.), or a
variety of other improperly functioning components that one of
ordinary skill in the art would understand to have an impact on
fuel efficiency.
[0087] In step 220, the fuel consumed is categorized as a normal
fuel use or a wasted fuel use due to the at least one component
performing at a sub-optimal level. One method by which to
categorize the fuel use is by comparing the received information to
manufacturer specifications and/or expected information from the at
least one sensor, e.g., historical information obtained when the
vehicle was operating at optimal or peak performance. In this
regard, information about engine efficiency in given conditions may
be stored onboard for later comparison.
[0088] In step 230, the amount of fuel wasted due to the at least
one component operating at the sub-optimal level based on
categorized fuel use is determined. For a given time period (e.g.
sortie), the fuel wasted may be determined by totaling the fuel
used for each time frame categorized as wasted in the time frames 0
to X.
[0089] In an alternative embodiment, performance information
related to the vehicle is determined. The performance information
is determined by comparing the amount of fuel wasted to the overall
amount of fuel consumed by the vehicle. The performance information
may include an overall amount of fuel wasted due to the one or more
vehicle components functioning at a suboptimal level. The
performance information may also include a new potential fuel
economy (expressed in terms of, e.g., miles per gallon) if the
component(s) performing at a suboptimal level are brought back into
compliance.
[0090] The performance information may be presented to the operator
and/or one or more others such as the operator's supervisor (or, in
the case of autonomous, autonomous assist, semi-autonomous, or
unmanned systems, via machine-to-machine communication). Further,
the performance information may be presented visually or aurally,
as described above with respect to the feedback module. The visual
or aural cues may take the form of an indication that fuel is being
wasted due to a component performing at a suboptimal level, the
amount of fuel being wasted, and the identity of the component(s)
causing the fuel waste. The performance information may also
include a prompt that a particular component is coming due for
maintenance, and that the failure to conduct such maintenance could
result in the loss of fuel economy. The visual or aural cues may
occur during or after the sortie.
[0091] The performance information may also be presented in the
form of a report.
[0092] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a method of determining fuel use
of a vehicle for segments between a departure and a destination. In
step 310, one or more vehicle characteristics of the vehicle are
determined. The vehicle characteristics include, e.g., at least one
of a vehicle profile or a vehicle load weight. Information
regarding the vehicle profile may be acquired from the data storage
device. Vehicle profile information may include, e.g., a vehicle
type, a make, a model, vehicle options, vehicle age, defects,
maintenance history and predetermined limitations (e.g., road speed
limit). Information regarding the vehicle load may also be obtained
from a data storage device including a sortie profile, or
calculated using the method provided above. As described above, the
sortie profile information may include a sortie type, a sortie
description and a load description. Alternatively, the load weight
of the vehicle may be determined based on a sensor, such as the
drive train sensor, sensing the energy used during vehicle
acceleration, while compensating for other factors such as rolling
resistance, aerodynamic drag, and changes in elevation of the
terrain.
[0093] In step 320, one or more segment characteristics of the
segments between a departure and a destination are determined.
Information regarding the segment may be included on the sortie
profile. For example, the sortie profile may include information
describing the condition of each segment of the sortie, including,
the environment (e.g., urban, suburban, rural, long-haul, relevant
infrastructure, combat, enforcement, patrol, or training) along
with corresponding performance thresholds. The sortie profile may
also include, for a given segment of the route of travel,
information regarding the slope (e.g. grade), government traffic
controls (e.g., speed limits, stop signs, traffic lights), volume
of traffic, or weather conditions (e.g., temperature, wind,
barometric pressure, precipitation). The information for the sortie
profile may come from historical data (e.g. topographic maps, speed
limit databases, etc.) or real-time data feeds (e.g. current
weather, traffic, etc.).
[0094] In step 330, anticipated fuel use for each segment that may
be traversed by the vehicle is determined. In one embodiment, the
fuel use is a variable which is dependent upon both the vehicle
characteristic(s) and the segment characteristic(s), which may be
determined using a lookup table. The lookup table preferably
includes a range of fuel economies which may be achieved by
vehicles having certain characteristics traversing segments having
certain characteristics. Values in the lookup table may be adjusted
for, e.g., load and weather characteristics. The potential fuel
economy, based on subtracting known waste as described above, may
be expressed as MPG.
[0095] The fuel economy determined in step 330 may be presented to
the operator and/or others such as the operator's supervisor.
[0096] In one embodiment, fuel use is determined for each of a
plurality of segments. The plurality of segments may include some
or all of the segments comprising one or more potential routes of
travel.
[0097] Routes of travel may be divided into a plurality of
segments. The length of each segment may be the same or it may vary
among segments. One manner of determining the length of each
segment is by reference to route of travel characteristics (e.g.,
at least one of road intersections, slope, government imposed
traffic controls, volume of traffic, or weather conditions). Where
a given route of travel characteristic, such as slope, varies
greatly, smaller segment lengths may be desirable to increase the
accuracy of the fuel economy determined for each segment. For
example, a flat, 1 mile length of terrain having a constant speed
limit may be one segment, while the next segment could be comprised
of a 0.1 mile stretch of terrain having a 1% grade.
[0098] Turning to FIG. 4a, a flow diagram for a method of
optimizing a traveling route of a vehicle between a departure and a
destination based on fuel consumption in accordance with aspects of
the present invention is provided. In step 410, one or more vehicle
characteristics are determined. As described above, the vehicle
characteristics include, e.g., at least one of a vehicle profile or
a vehicle load-weight.
[0099] In step 420, one or more segment characteristics for each of
a plurality of identified segments between the departure and
destination is determined. The plurality of segments may be
identified based on ad hoc generated routes (such as those
generated by an onboard global positioning system) or predefined
routes (such as those stored by the sortie profile) between a given
departure and destination. Each potential route of travel may be
divided into a plurality of segments based on variations in route
of travel characteristics as described above. For example, FIG. 5
depicts a plurality of segments, including segments 515 and 516,
within three potential routes 530, 535, and 540. In this
embodiment, each segment is defined by a line between two dots.
Certain segments, such as segment 515 may fall within more than one
potential route of travel.
[0100] Segment characteristic(s) (e.g., slope, government traffic
controls, volume of traffic, or weather conditions) may then be
determined for each of the identified segments.
[0101] In step 430, a fuel use may be determined for a portion or
all of the identified segments. The fuel use for each segment may
be identified using, e.g., the lookup table described above, based
on the vehicle characteristics and the segment characteristics as
inputs.
[0102] In step 440, the combination of segments resulting in a
continuous path between the departure and the destination (i.e., a
route of travel) which achieves the lowest level of fuel use is
determined. Turning to FIG. 4b, step 440 is more fully described.
In step 441, multiple routes of travel that include one or more
segments between the departure and destination are identified. Fuel
use values are assigned to each segment in step 442. For each
combination of segments resulting in a continuous path between the
departure and the destination, the fuel use values for each segment
therein is summed in step 443. Then, in step 444, the route of
travel having the combination of segments resulting in the lowest
total fuel use is identified.
[0103] FIG. 5 illustrates multiple routes of travel 530, 535, and
540 between departure 510 and destination 550. Each route of travel
includes a plurality of segments, such as segment 515. Route of
travel 530 (shown with bolded segments) is identified in FIG. 5 as
the route of travel resulting in the lowest total fuel use.
[0104] In an exemplary embodiment, alternative routes having low
total fuel uses are also identified should the operator have a
preference beyond fuel economy (such as travel time) among the
identified routes. For example, each of the routes of travel 530,
535, and 540 could be presented to the operator, along with a
projected fuel use for each.
[0105] The optimized travel route may also include information
regarding making fuel efficient stops during the course of a
sortie, e.g., at various waypoints such as rest stops. For example,
rest stop 525, which is at the bottom of a large hill, may result
in fuel waste over the course of a sortie as compared to a rest
stop 520, which is at the top of the large hill. This is because it
takes more horsepower and torque (and thus more fuel) to bring a
truck (which stopped at the bottom of the hill) up to speed while
climbing the large hill than it does for the same truck (which did
not stop at the bottom of the hill) to maintain that speed. The
optimized travel route may also take into consideration other
obstacles such as route blockages caused by draw bridges or train
crossing (which obstacles may be reported through IOT or which are
known to have a certain probability of being up during a particular
time of day).
[0106] The optimized travel route may be presented, in accordance
with the methods described above, in step 450. The optimized travel
route may be presented as, e.g., navigational instructions
communicated to the operator of the vehicle during operation of the
vehicle.
[0107] In an exemplary embodiment, presenting the route of travel
is (e.g., the optimized route of travel) may include presenting
information to the supervisor of the operator via back-end server.
The supervisor of the operator may be a dispatcher in charge of
assembling/coordinating sorties for the company. Turning to FIG. 6,
a flow diagram depicting a method of determining fuel use
associated with a minimum amount of horsepower and torque to move a
vehicle across at least one segment of a traveling route in
accordance with aspects of the present invention is provided. In
step 610, information about the operation of a vehicle is sensed by
at least one sensor position on the vehicle. The information may
include a current amount of horsepower and torque sensed by, e.g.,
the drive train sensor.
[0108] In step 620, one or more vehicle characteristics of the
vehicle are determined. As described above, the vehicle
characteristics may include at least one of a vehicle profile or a
vehicle load. Alternatively or in addition, vehicle load
information may be determined directly from self-reporting
freight.
[0109] In step 630, one or more segment characteristics are
determined for a given segment in a route of travel.
[0110] In step 640, a minimum amount of horsepower and torque to
move the vehicle across the at least one segment is determined. In
one embodiment, the minimum amount of horsepower and torque is a
variable which is dependent upon both the vehicle characteristic(s)
and the segment characteristic(s), which may be determined using a
lookup table. As described above, values in the lookup table may be
adjusted for, e.g., load and weather characteristics. This
determination may also include compensating for the vehicle weight
while the vehicle is traveling at the posted speed limit within
that particular segment. The lookup table preferably includes a
range of minimum amount of horsepower and torque which associated
with vehicles having certain characteristics traversing segments
having certain characteristics. By supplying the vehicle
characteristic(s) and the segment characteristic(s), the minimum
amount of horsepower and torque may thus be determined from the
lookup table. This determination can also provide a basis to assess
how well the vehicle is matched to the proposed sortie.
[0111] In step 650, the amount of wasted fuel due to excess
horsepower and torque beyond the determined minimum amount of
horsepower and torque is determined. In one embodiment, this value
is calculated based on the difference between the current and
minimum amounts of horsepower and torque. In one embodiment, the
fuel use associated with the minimum amount of horsepower and
torque is determined through a lookup table which maps fuel use to
torque and engine RPM. The fuel use associated with the minimum
amount of horsepower and torque may then be subtracted from the
overall fuel use to determine the amount of fuel wasted due to
excess horsepower and torque.
[0112] In an alternative embodiment, performance information
related to the vehicle is determined. The performance information
is determined by comparing the amount of fuel wasted to the overall
amount of fuel consumed by the vehicle. The performance information
may include an overall amount of fuel wasted due to the excessive
horsepower and torque. The performance information may also include
a new potential fuel economy if the minimum amount of horsepower
and torque is supplied by the operator.
[0113] The performance information may be presented to either or
both of the operator and the operator's supervisor according to the
methods described above.
[0114] Turning to FIG. 7, a flow diagram depicting a method of
selecting a vehicle for a route of travel in accordance with
aspects of the present invention is provided.
[0115] In step 710, a route of travel is divided into a plurality
of segments.
[0116] In step 720, one or more segment characteristics for each of
a plurality of identified segments between the departure and
destination is determined.
[0117] In step 730, a fuel use for each of a plurality of vehicles
moving across the segments is determined, where the fuel use Is
dependent upon the segment characteristic. In one embodiment, the
fuel use is a variable which is dependent upon both the vehicle
characteristic(s) and the segment characteristic(s), which may be
determined using a lookup table. The lookup table preferably
includes a range of fuel uses which may be achieved by vehicles
having certain characteristics traversing segments having certain
characteristics. In this manner, a fuel use can be determined for
each vehicle traversing each segment of the route of travel.
[0118] In step 740, the vehicle having a relative optimized fuel
economy for the plurality of segments as compared to other vehicles
of the plurality of vehicles is selected. For each vehicle in the
plurality of vehicles, an overall fuel use may be determined by
summing the fuel use by that vehicle for each segment of the route
of travel. The vehicle having the lowest overall fuel use may be
selected and, subsequently, presented.
[0119] In an exemplary embodiment, step 740 further Includes
selecting more than one vehicle having a relative optimized fuel
economy. In this embodiment, each vehicle having a relative
optimized fuel economy may be presented.
[0120] Turning to FIG. 8, a flow diagram depicting a method of
optimizing a vehicle having an engine control unit ("ECU") for a
route of travel in accordance with aspects of the present invention
is provided. Generally, this method permits changing the
performance of the vehicle by virtue of software loaded in the ECU.
The ECU will have a first vehicle profile, i.e., the initial
vehicle profile. The first vehicle profile may be the default
vehicle profile, or it may be a vehicle profile based on a previous
similar or identical sortie.
[0121] In step 810, a route of travel is divided into a plurality
of segments.
[0122] In step 820, one or more segment characteristics for each of
a plurality of identified segments between the departure and
destination is determined.
[0123] In step 830, a second vehicle profile for the vehicle moving
across the segments is determined. The second vehicle profile may
be selected so as to result in a lower fuel use by the vehicle
traversing the segment(s). The fuel use for the vehicle configured
with the current vehicle profile may be determined through a lookup
table. This lookup table preferably includes a range of fuel uses
which may be achieved by specific vehicle profiles for vehicles
traversing segments having certain characteristics. In this manner,
a fuel use can be determined for a vehicle configured with the
current vehicle profile while traversing each segment of the route
of travel. In one embodiment, the second vehicle profile is also
determined using a lookup table, which preferably includes a range
of fuel uses which may be achieved by specific vehicle profiles for
vehicles traversing segments having certain characteristics.
Comparisons with previous similar or identical sorties may be
desirable in determining and/or confirming the second vehicle
profile. In this manner, a second vehicle profile can be determined
for a vehicle such that, when the vehicle is configured with the
second vehicle profile, it will consume less fuel while traversing
each segment of the route of travel than the vehicle as configured
with the current vehicle profile.
[0124] The second vehicle profile may also be selected based on
location or environmental conditions. For example, the second
vehicle profile may be selected so as to result in compliance with
a posted speed limit. In this exemplary embodiment, the speed
governor on the vehicle may be adjusted to match the posted speed
limit for one or more of the segments of the route of travel. The
ECU may also be reprogrammed to lower emissions when the vehicle
enters a location that is subject to a smog advisory.
[0125] In step 840, the vehicle may be configured with the second
vehicle profile by, e.g., reprogramming the ECU. For example, the
vehicle profile may be changed by reprogramming the ECU to optimize
fuel consumed by a vehicle while traversing segment(s) within a
route of travel. Reprogramming may include changing the
fuel/horsepower/torque map based on a load weight of the vehicle.
The maximum available horsepower may be increased when the vehicle
is heavily loaded or, conversely, decreased when carrying a lighter
load. Reprogramming of this nature desirably prevents the operator
from demanding more horsepower than would be required and would
improve the overall fuel economy. One of ordinary skill in the art
will understand from this disclosure that similar reprogramming may
also be appropriate with respect to, e.g., segment terrain (flat
vs. hilly, highway vs. city driving).
[0126] Turning to FIG. 9, a flow diagram depicting a method of
determining a load weight of a vehicle in accordance with aspects
of the present Invention is provided.
[0127] In step 910, information is sensed about the operation of
the vehicle from at least one sensor positioned on the vehicle, the
information including an acceleration of the vehicle.
[0128] In step 920, a processor determines an amount of energy used
by the vehicle for the acceleration dependent upon a vehicle
profile of the vehicle and the acceleration. According to one
embodiment, the amount of energy used by the vehicle is determined
by integrating the fuel flow rate over the time period, multiplied
by the energy density of the fuel (which is, e.g., roughly 36.4
Mj/l for diesel fuel). The energy Is multiplied by the efficiency
of the powertrain (from the vehicle profile). This gives the energy
required to cause the laden vehicle (i.e., the weight of the
vehicle plus any freight and other encumbrances carried by the
vehicle) to accelerate at the measured rate of acceleration over
the change in altitude (which may be measured via GPS or other
sensor or derived from terrain Information in a database). From
this calculation, the weight of the entire laden vehicle may be
determined.
[0129] In step 930, a processor determines the load weight
dependent upon the amount of energy and the vehicle profile. The
load weight may be determined, in one embodiment, by subtracting
the weight of the unladen vehicle (which information may be stored
in the vehicle profile) from the weight of the entire laden vehicle
obtained in step 920.
[0130] In one embodiment, the method further includes obtaining
load Information from one or more units of freight which actively
or passively report load Information. This information may be
directly obtained from active and/or passive tags (RFID) which
report the freight characteristics (including load) either through
self-reporting or by being Interrogated. The processor may use this
load Information as a cross reference or direct input in
determining the overall load weight.
[0131] Although the Invention Is Illustrated and described herein
with reference to specific embodiments, the invention is not
intended to be limited to the details shown. Rather, various
modifications may be made in the details within the scope and range
of equivalents of the claims and without departing from the
Invention.
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