Vehicle energy control system and method of controlling energy for a vehicle
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorsStacy K Worley, Briton T. Eastman, Douglas J. Duff
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A work vehicle is configured to perform an activity in a work area. The work vehicle includes a chassis, a plurality of ground engaging members coupled to the chassis for movement of the chassis in the work area, a generator configured to generate energy from performance of the activity of the work vehicle in the work area, an energy storage device connected to the generator to store energy generated by the generator and configured to be charged to an initial charge, and a controller configured to establish an initial charge setting corresponding to the initial charge of the energy storage device based on at least one anticipated activity input of the work vehicle.
Claims20
A work vehicle configured to perform an activity in a work area, the work vehicle comprising:
- a chassis;
- a plurality of ground engaging members coupled to the chassis for movement of the chassis in the work area;
- a generator configured to generate energy from performance of the activity of the work vehicle in the work area;
- an energy storage device connected to the generator to store energy generated by the generator and configured to be charged to an initial charge;
- and
- a controller configured to establish an initial charge setting corresponding to the initial charge of the energy storage device based on at least one anticipated activity input of the work vehicle;
- wherein the controller is configured to establish the initial charge setting as less than a maximum charge based on the at least one anticipated activity input of the work vehicle comprising anticipated energy generation by the generator from performance of the activity of the work vehicle in the work area.
A method of controlling energy for an energy storage device of a work vehicle, the method comprising:
- receiving at least one anticipated activity input of the work vehicle corresponding to an anticipated activity of the work vehicle in a work area;
- establishing an initial charge setting corresponding to an initial charge of the energy storage device based on the at least one anticipated activity input;
- charging the energy storage device to the initial charge;
- generating energy in the work area by performing the anticipated activity in the work area with the work vehicle;
- and
- storing the generated energy in the energy storage device.
A work vehicle configured to perform an activity in a work area, the work vehicle comprising:
- a chassis;
- a plurality of ground engaging members coupled to the chassis for movement of the chassis in the work area;
- a generator configured to generate energy from performance of the activity of the work vehicle in the work area;
- an energy storage device connected to the generator to store energy generated by the generator and configured to be charged to an initial charge;
- and
- a controller configured to establish an initial charge setting corresponding to the initial charge of the energy storage device based on at least one anticipated activity input of the work vehicle;
- wherein the controller is configured to establish the initial charge setting as proportionally inverse to an anticipated energy generation by the generator from performance of the activity of the work vehicle in the work area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.