# US 12,179,628 B2 · Battery consumption simulation of a machine based on fuel burn data of the machine

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- Number: US 12,179,628 B2
- Document ID: US12179628B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/804,029
- Filed: 2022-05-25
- Published: 2023-11-30
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2022-05-25
- Assignees: Caterpillar Inc.
- Applicants: Caterpillar Inc.
- Inventors: Scott Allen Marks; Royce E. Leaders; Frank Stadelmann
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12179628B2

## CPC

- B60L 58/12: responding to state of charge [SoC]
- B60L 15/2045: {for optimising the use of energy}
- B60W 10/06: including control of combustion engines
- B60W 10/26: for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
- B60L 50/62: charged by low-power generators primarily intended to support the batteries, e.g. range extenders
- B60L 2200/40: Working vehicles
- B60L 2240/44: related to combustion engines
- B60L 2260/54: Energy consumption estimation
- B60W 2710/0644: Engine speed
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- 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

## Abstract

A controller may determine a battery consumption configuration of the machine based on information regarding the machine, and obtain fuel burn data indicating an amount of fuel burned by the machine. The controller may determine a simulated battery consumption of the machine based on the battery consumption configuration and the fuel burn data. The controller may determine a simulated battery charge level based on the simulated battery consumption. The controller may determine whether the simulated battery charge level satisfies a charge level threshold. The controller may derate an engine of the machine based on determining that the simulated battery charge level does not satisfy the charge level threshold.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method performed by a device of a machine, the method comprising:
obtaining a battery consumption configuration of the machine based on information regarding the machine;
obtaining fuel burn data indicating an amount of fuel burned by the machine while performing a task;
determining, based on the battery consumption configuration and the fuel burn data, a simulated battery consumption that indicates an amount of battery power that would be consumed by the machine while performing the task;
determining a simulated battery charge level based on the simulated battery consumption;
determining that the simulated battery charge level does not satisfy a charge level threshold; and
derating an engine of the machine based on determining that the simulated battery charge level does not satisfy the charge level threshold.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the battery consumption configuration comprises:
obtaining machine type information identifying a machine type of the machine,
wherein the information regarding the machine includes the machine type information; and
determining the battery consumption configuration based on the machine type information.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the battery consumption configuration comprises:
obtaining engine size information identifying a size of the engine,
wherein the information regarding the machine includes the engine size information; and
determining the battery consumption configuration based on the engine size information.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the battery consumption configuration comprises:
obtaining machine utilization information identifying the task,
wherein the information regarding the machine includes the machine utilization information; and
determining the battery consumption configuration based on the machine utilization information.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
providing a notification to one or more devices associated with the machine,
wherein the notification includes information identifying the simulated battery charge level.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, further comprising:
determining a simulated battery discharging rate based on the battery consumption configuration and the fuel burn data; and
determining a remaining amount of machine operating time based on the simulated battery discharging rate,
wherein the machine operating time indicates an amount of time during which the machine is able to perform the task, and
wherein providing the notification includes providing information identifying the remaining amount of machine operating time.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
continuing derating the engine until the simulated battery charge level satisfies the charge level threshold.

### Claim 8

A machine controller of a machine, the machine controller comprising:
one or more memories; and
one or more processors configured to:
obtain a battery consumption configuration of the machine based on information regarding the machine;
obtain fuel burn data indicating an amount of fuel burned by the machine while performing a task;
convert the fuel burn data to a simulated battery consumption of the machine based on the battery consumption configuration, wherein the simulated battery consumption indicates an amount of battery power that would be consumed by the machine while performing the task;
determine a simulated battery charge level based on the simulated battery consumption;
determine whether the simulated battery charge level enables the machine to continue to perform a current task; and
prevent the machine from continuing to perform the current task based on whether the simulated battery charge level enables the machine to continue to perform the current task.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The machine controller of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
receive a request to simulate a battery charging operation;
simulate the battery charging operation based on receiving the request; and
prevent the machine from continuing to perform the current task while simulating the battery charging operation.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The machine controller of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
determine a battery charging configuration of the machine;
determine a simulated battery charging rate of the machine based on the battery charging configuration;
determine a simulated amount of time until the simulated battery charge level satisfies a charge level threshold; and
provide information indicating the simulated amount of time to one or more devices associated with the machine.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The machine controller of claim 9, wherein, to simulate the battery charging operation, the one or more processors are configured to:
determine a location of the machine; and
simulate the battery charging operation based on receiving the request and based on the location of the machine.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The machine controller of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
determine a simulated battery discharging rate of the machine based on the battery consumption configuration and the fuel burn data; and
provide information indicating the simulated battery discharging rate to one or more devices associated with the machine.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The machine controller of claim 8,
wherein, to obtain the fuel burn data, the one or more processors are configured to:
obtain the fuel burn data from an engine controller of an engine of the machine, and
wherein, to prevent the machine from continuing to perform the current task, the one or more processors are configured to at least one of:
provide, to the engine controller, a command to limit an engine speed of the engine; or
provide, to the engine controller, a command to limit an amount of torque of the engine.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The machine controller of claim 8, wherein, to obtain the battery consumption configuration, the one or more processors are configured to:
obtain one or more of:
engine size information identifying a size of an engine of the machine, or
machine utilization information identifying the current task; and
determine the battery consumption configuration based on the one or more of the engine size information or the machine utilization information.

### Claim 15

A machine, comprising:
an engine;
a first controller associated with the engine; and
a second controller configured to:
obtain a battery consumption configuration of the machine based on information regarding the machine;
obtain, from the first controller, fuel burn data indicating an amount of fuel burned by the machine while performing a task;
determine, based on the battery consumption configuration and the fuel burn data, a simulated battery consumption that indicates an amount of battery power that would be consumed by the machine while performing the task;
determine that a simulated battery charge level, based on the simulated battery consumption, does not satisfy a charge level threshold; and
provide a command to reduce an output of the engine to prevent a movement of an implement based on determining that the simulated battery charge level does not satisfy the charge level threshold.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The machine of claim 15, wherein, to obtain the battery consumption configuration, the second controller is further configured to:
obtain one or more of:
machine type information identifying a machine type of the machine,
engine size information identifying a size of the engine, or
machine utilization information identifying the task; and
determine the battery consumption configuration based on the one or more of the machine type information, the engine size information, or the machine utilization information.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The machine of claim 15, wherein, to provide the command, the second controller is further configured to at least one of:
provide, to the first controller, a command to limit an engine speed of the engine; or
provide, to the first controller, a command to limit an amount of torque of the engine.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The machine of claim 15, wherein the second controller is further configured to:
receive a request to simulate a battery charging operation;
simulate the battery charging operation, based on the request, to increase the simulated battery charge level; and
maintain a reduced output of the engine to continue to prevent the movement of the implement until the simulated battery charge level satisfies the charge level threshold.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The machine of claim 15, wherein the second controller is further configured to:
determine a remaining amount of machine operating time based on a simulated battery discharging rate; and
provide a notification that includes:
information identifying the simulated battery charge level, and
information identifying the remaining amount of machine operating time.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The machine of claim 15, wherein the charge level threshold is a first charge level threshold, and
wherein the second controller is further configured to:
determine a battery charging configuration of the machine;
determine a simulated battery charging rate of the machine based on the battery charging configuration;
determine a simulated amount of time until the simulated battery charge level satisfies a second charge level threshold that exceeds the first charge level threshold; and
provide information indicating the simulated amount of time to one or more devices associated with the machine.