# US 11,443,563 B2 · Driving range based on past and future data

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- Number: US 11,443,563 B2
- Document ID: US11443563B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/508,221
- Filed: 2019-07-10
- Published: 2021-01-14
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2019-07-10
- Assignees: Toyota North America, Inc.
- Applicants: Toyota Motor North America, Inc.
- Inventors: José Guillermo Saavedra Román
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11443563B2

## CPC

- B60W 50/14: Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
- G07C 5/004: {Indicating the operating range of the engine (economical driving B60R16/0236, F02B77/084; measuring liquid fuel of an engine G01F9/00)}
- B60K 35/28: characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
- B60W 20/12: using control strategies taking into account route information {(estimation or calculation of non-directly measurable driving parameters B60W40/00)}
- B60W 40/09: Driving style or behaviour
- B60W 50/0097: {Predicting future conditions}
- G01C 21/3469: {Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects}
- G01C 21/3484: {Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles}
- G01C 21/3492: {employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical (traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968)}
- G06N 5/046: Forward inferencing; Production systems
- B60K 2360/169: Remaining operating distance or charge
- B60W 2050/146: {Display means}
- B60W 2510/244: Charge state
- B60W 2530/209: Fuel quantity remaining in tank
- B60W 2540/043: Identity of occupants
- B60W 2540/30: Driving style
- B60W 2552/15: Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
- B60W 2552/25: Road altitude
- B60W 2554/406: Traffic density
- B60W 2555/20: Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
- B60W 2555/60: Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
- B60W 2556/10: Historical data
- B60W 2556/50: of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
- G06N 20/00: Machine learning
- B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
- G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S)
- G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS

## Abstract

A system for determining a driving range of a vehicle includes an energy storage component to store electrical energy or fuel. The system further includes a power source to convert the electrical energy or fuel into mechanical power to propel the vehicle. The system further includes a memory to store map data including road speeds, altitude data, road grades, or stop information corresponding to at least one of stop signs or stop lights, and a first driver profile corresponding to driving behavior of a first driver. The system further includes an electronic control unit (ECU) designed to predict the driving range of the vehicle based on an amount of the at least one of the electrical energy or fuel remaining in the energy storage component, the map data, and the first driver profile. The system further includes an output device designed to output the driving range of the vehicle.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for determining a driving range of a vehicle, comprising:
an energy storage component configured to store at least one of electrical energy or fuel;
a power source configured to convert the at least one of the electrical energy or the fuel into mechanical power to propel the vehicle;
a memory configured to store:
map data that includes at least one of road speeds, altitude data, road grades, or stop information corresponding to at least one of stop signs or stop lights,
a first driver profile corresponding to driving behavior of a first driver, and
route data including at least one of schedule-related information or passenger information of at least one prior driving operation of the vehicle;
an electronic control unit (ECU) coupled to the memory and configured to predict the driving range of the vehicle based on an amount of the at least one of the electrical energy or the fuel remaining in the energy storage component, the map data, the first driver profile, and a determination that at least one of schedule-related information or passenger information associated with a driving operation match the at least one of the schedule-related information or the passenger information of the at least one prior driving operation of the vehicle included in the route data; and
an output device coupled to the ECU and configured to output the driving range of the vehicle.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the memory is further configured to store a vehicle fuel economy profile of the vehicle that corresponds to energy efficiency of the power source, wherein the ECU is further configured to predict the driving range of the vehicle based on the vehicle fuel economy profile.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the ECU is further configured to determine or update the vehicle fuel economy profile based on at least one of past performance of the power source or present performance of the power source in various driving conditions.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the ECU is further configured to determine or update the first driver profile based on at least one of past driving behavior of the first driver or present driving behavior of the first driver in various driving conditions.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein:
the ECU is further configured to determine or predict a route to be traversed by the vehicle; and
the driving range includes at least one of an indication that the energy storage component has a sufficient amount of the at least one of the electrical energy or the fuel for the vehicle to complete the route or an amount of the at least one of the electrical energy or the fuel to be consumed while the vehicle traverses the route.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein:
the memory is further configured to store a second driver profile corresponding to driving behavior of a second driver; and
the ECU is further configured to:
identify a current driver of the vehicle,
predict the driving range of the vehicle based on the first driver profile when the first driver is the current driver, and
predict the driving range of the vehicle based on the second driver profile when the second driver is the current driver.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a network access device configured to at least one of transmit the first driver profile to a cloud server for storage or receive the first driver profile from the cloud server, the first driver profile being accessible by multiple vehicles.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a network access device configured to receive at least one of weather data corresponding to weather events or traffic data corresponding to traffic events, wherein the ECU is further configured to predict the driving range of the vehicle based on the at least one of the weather data or the traffic data.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein:
the ECU is further configured to determine or predict:
a route to be driven by the vehicle, and
a burn amount of the at least one of the electrical energy or the fuel to be consumed by the power source while the vehicle is driven along the route; and
the output device is further configured to output:
the burn amount of the at least one of the electrical energy or the fuel to be consumed by the power source while the vehicle is driven along the route, and
the amount of the at least one of the electrical energy or the fuel remaining in the energy storage component.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein:
the ECU is further configured to:
determine or predict a route to be driven by the vehicle,
determine or predict a refueling event when the driving range is less than a distance associated with the route, and
identify at least one refueling location along the route that is within the driving range of the vehicle, the at least one refueling location being capable of providing electrical energy or fuel to the energy storage component;
the output device is further configured to output information corresponding to the identified at least one refueling location; and
the information is configured to be updated in real-time based on reception of live information regarding accidents or road closures affecting a forecasted driving economy of a current trip.

### Claim 11

A system for determining a driving range of a vehicle, comprising:
an energy storage component configured to store at least one of electrical energy or fuel;
a power source configured to convert the at least one of the electrical energy or the fuel into mechanical power to propel the vehicle;
a memory configured to store:
map data that includes at least one of road speeds, altitude data, road grades, or stop information corresponding to at least one of stop signs or stop lights,
a first driver profile corresponding to driving behavior of a first driver, and
route data including at least one of schedule-related information or passenger information of at least one prior driving operation of the vehicle on a route to a destination;
an electronic control unit (ECU) coupled to the memory and configured to:
determine, based on the map data, that at least a first portion and a second portion of the route include, respectively, a first road grade and a second road grade associated with, respectively, decreasing and increasing vehicle energy efficiency,
predict a future energy efficiency of the vehicle on the route (i) based on a historical energy efficiency of the power source, the map data, and the first driver profile, and (ii) in response to the determination that at least the first and the second portions the route include, respectively, the first and the second road grades, and
determine the driving range of the vehicle based on the predicted future energy efficiency of the vehicle on the route and a determination that at least one of schedule-related information or passenger information associated with a driving operation match the at least one of the schedule-related information or the passenger information of the at least one prior driving operation of the vehicle on the route; and
an output device coupled to the ECU and configured to output the future energy efficiency and the driving range of the vehicle.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein:
the memory is further configured to store a vehicle fuel economy profile of the vehicle that corresponds to the historical energy efficiency of the power source; and
the ECU is further configured to update the vehicle fuel economy profile based on a current energy efficiency of the power source and predict the future energy efficiency of the vehicle based on the vehicle fuel economy profile.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the ECU is further configured to determine or update the first driver profile based on at least one of past driving behavior of the first driver or present driving behavior of the first driver in various driving conditions.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein:
the memory is further configured to store a second driver profile corresponding to driving behavior of a second driver; and
the ECU is further configured to:
identify a current driver of the vehicle,
predict the future energy efficiency of the vehicle based on the first driver profile when the first driver is the current driver, and
predict the future energy efficiency of the vehicle based on the second driver profile when the second driver is the current driver.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, further comprising a network access device configured to receive at least one of weather data corresponding to weather events or traffic data corresponding to traffic events, wherein the ECU is further configured to predict the future energy efficiency of the vehicle based on the at least one of the weather data or the traffic data.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein:
the ECU is further configured to determine or predict:
a route to be driven by the vehicle, and
a burn amount of the at least one of the electrical energy or the fuel to be consumed by the power source while the vehicle is driven along the route; and
the output device is further configured to output:
the burn amount of the at least one of the electrical energy or the fuel to be consumed by the power source while the vehicle is driven along the route, and
an amount of the at least one of the electrical energy or the fuel remaining in the energy storage component.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein:
the ECU is further configured to determine or predict a destination for a current vehicle trip and determine a proposed route for the current vehicle trip based on the future energy efficiency of the vehicle; and
the output device is further configured to output the proposed route for the current vehicle trip.

### Claim 18

A method for determining a driving range of a vehicle, comprising:
storing, in an energy storage component, at least one of electrical energy or fuel;
converting, by a power source, the at least one of the electrical energy or the fuel into mechanical power to propel the vehicle;
storing, in a memory:
map data that includes at least one of road speeds, altitude data, road grades, or stop information corresponding to at least one of stop signs or stop lights,
a first driver profile corresponding to driving behavior of a first driver, and
route data including at least one of schedule-related information or passenger information of at least one prior driving operation of the vehicle;
predicting, by an electronic control unit (ECU), the driving range of the vehicle based on an amount of the at least one of the electrical energy or the fuel remaining in the energy storage component, the map data, the first driver profile, and a determination that at least one of schedule-related information or passenger information associated with a driving operation match the at least one of the schedule-related information or the passenger information of the at least one prior driving operation of the vehicle included in the route data; and
outputting, by an output device, the driving range of the vehicle.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, further comprising determining or updating, by the ECU, the first driver profile based on at least one of past driving behavior of the first driver or present driving behavior of the first driver in various driving conditions.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, further comprising determining or predicting, by the ECU, a route to be traversed by the vehicle, wherein the driving range includes at least one of an indication that the energy storage component has a sufficient amount of the at least one of the electrical energy or the fuel for the vehicle to complete the route or an amount of the at least one of the electrical energy or the fuel to be consumed while the vehicle traverses the route.