US 5,913,917 A · Fuel consumption estimation

A method for estimation of fuel consumption by a vehicle in traveling from a first location to a second location, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving information on a selected trip route to be traveled by a vehicle on a trip in moving from a first selected location to a second selected location within a selected time interval, where the trip route comprises one or more selected road segments;
receiving a reference fuel consumption value representing estimated fuel consumption for the trip route for a reference set of conditions for the trip;
for at least one road segment on the trip route, receiving information on at least one of the following route information items concerning the trip route and selected time interval:
(1') whether the road segment includes terrain with an upward slope having a slope magnitude that is greater than a selected slope threshold;
(2') whether the fuel used by the vehicle will provide vehicle mileage that is substantially less than a reference fuel mileage;
(3') whether the condition of tires used by the vehicle differ substantially from a condition of new vehicle tires;
(4') whether the tire air pressure differs substantially from optimal air pressure;
(5') whether the condition of the roadbed for the road segment is substantially less than normal quality;
(6') whether an expected average vehicle velocity will lie outside a selected optimal vehicle velocity range;
(7') whether vehicle traffic along the road segment will be substantially heavier than average vehicle traffic for that road segment;
(8') whether any of a selected group of vehicle accessories will be activated while the vehicle is traveling on the road segment;
(9') whether the vehicle is expected to encounter a strong head wind on the road segment;
(10') whether the weather encountered on the road segment is expected to include non-normal weather conditions;
and (11') whether the driver profile for the person who will operate the vehicle on the road segment differs substantially in a negative sense from a selected reference driver profile;
when at least one of the questions (1'), (2'), (3'), (4'), (5'), (6'), (7'), (8'), (9'), (10') and (11') is answered affirmatively, selecting a positive fuel consumption increment corresponding to the question that is answered affirmatively;
for the at least one road segment on the trip route, receiving information on at least one of the following route information items concerning the trip route and selected time interval:
(1") whether the road segment includes terrain with a downward slope having a slope magnitude that is greater than a selected slope threshold;
(2") whether the fuel used by the vehicle will provide vehicle mileage that is substantially greater than a reference fuel mileage;
(9") whether the vehicle is expected to encounter a strong tail wind on the road segment;
and (11") whether the driver profile for the person who will operate the vehicle on the road segment differs substantially in a positive sense from a selected reference driver profile;
when at least one of the questions (1"), (2"), (9") and (11") is answered affirmatively, selecting a negative fuel consumption increment corresponding to the question that is answered affirmatively;
and
estimating fuel consumption for the trip as a sum of the reference fuel consumption value, plus each selected positive fuel consumption increment, minus each selected negative fuel consumption increment that represents an estimate of fuel consumption for the vehicle trip over the trip route.

20 more elements

A method for estimation of fuel consumption by a vehicle in traveling from one location to another location, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving information on actual fuel usage, for each of a plurality of selected road segments that comprise a trip route, for a trip made by a vehicle in moving from a selected first location to a second location along the trip route, where the trip route followed in making the trip and the second location are not initially specified;
for each of the selected road segments, receiving information on at least one of the following trip information items as the vehicle moves from the trip route from the first location to the second location:
a representative altitude of the road segment;
a representative altitude of the road segment;
a representative slope of the road segment;
a speed limit that is effective for the road segment;
an expected vehicle average speed along the road segment;
length of the road segment;
condition of the road segment;
condition of the vehicle tires;
vehicle tire air pressure;
vehicle fuel used;
expected vehicle traffic density along the road segment;
applicable constraints on vehicle operation along the road segment;
expected ambient weather conditions along the road segment;
selected vehicle accessories that will be used on a portion or all of the trip route;
a time interval during which the trip will be made;
and vehicle driver profile information;
for each of the selected road segments, estimating vehicle fuel consumption for the road segment oriented in a reverse direction, using the actual fuel usage for the road segment and from the information on the at least one trip information item received for the road segment;
and
estimating vehicle fuel consumption for a return trip from the second location to the first location along a return trip route, which is comprised of the selected road segments oriented in a reverse direction, as a sum of the estimated fuel consumption for each of the selected road segments oriented in the reverse direction.

18 more elements

Apparatus for estimation of fuel consumption by a vehicle in traveling from a first location to a second location, the apparatus comprising:

a microprocessor that is programmed:
to receive information on a selected trip route to be traveled by a vehicle on a trip in moving from a first selected location to a second selected location within a selected time interval, where the trip route is comprised of one or more road segments;
to receive a reference fuel consumption value representing estimated fuel consumption for the selected trip route for a reference set of conditions for the trip;
for at least one road segment on the selected trip route, to receive information on at least one of the following route information items concerning the selected trip route and selected time interval:
(1') whether the road segment includes terrain with an upward slope having a slope magnitude that is greater than a selected slope threshold;
(2') whether the fuel used by the vehicle will provide vehicle mileage that is substantially less than a reference fuel mileage;
(3') whether the condition of tires used by the vehicle differ substantially from a condition of new vehicle tires;
(4') whether the tire air pressure differs substantially from optimal air pressure;
(5') whether the condition of the roadbed for the road segment is substantially less than normal quality;
(6') whether an expected average vehicle velocity will lie outside a selected optimal vehicle velocity range;
(7') whether vehicle traffic along the road segment will be substantially heavier than average vehicle traffic for that road segment;
(8') whether any of a selected group of vehicle accessories will be activated while the vehicle is traveling on the road segment;
(9') whether the vehicle is expected to encounter a strong head wind on the road segment;
(10') whether the weather encountered on the road segment is expected to include non-normal weather conditions;
and (11') whether the driver profile for the person who will operate the vehicle on the road segment differs substantially in a negative sense from a selected reference driver profile;
when at least one of the questions (1'), (2'), (3'), (4'), (5'), (6'), (7'), (8'), (9'), (10') and (11') is answered affirmatively, to select a positive increment corresponding to the question that is answered affirmatively;
for the at least one road segment on the selected trip route, to receive information on at least one of the following route information items concerning the selected trip route and selected time interval:
(1") whether the road segment includes terrain with a downward slop having a slope magnitude that is greater than a selected slope threshold;
(2") whether the fuel used by the vehicle will provide vehicle mileage that is substantially greater than a reference fuel mileage;
(9") whether the vehicle is expected to encounter a strong tail wind on the road segment;
and (11") whether the driver profile for the person who will operate the vehicle on the road segment differs substantially in a positive sense from a selected reference driver profile;
when at least one of the questions (1"), (2"), (9") and (11") is answered affirmatively, to select a negative increment corresponding to the question that is answered affirmatively;
and
to estimate fuel consumption for the trip route as a sum of the reference fuel consumption value, plus each selected positive increment, minus each selected negative increment that represents an estimate of fuel consumption for the vehicle trip over the selected trip route.

21 more elements

Apparatus for estimation of fuel consumption by a vehicle in traveling from one location to another location, the apparatus comprising a microprocessor that is programmed:

to receive information on actual fuel usage, for each of a plurality of selected road segments that comprise a trip route, for a trip made by a vehicle in moving from a selected first location to a second location along the trip route, where the trip route followed in making the trip and the second location are not initially specified;
for each of the selected road segments, to receive information on at least one of the following trip information items as the vehicle moves from the trip route from the first location to the second location:
a representative altitude of the road segment;
a representative altitude of the road segment;
a representative slope of the road segment;
a speed limit that is effective for the road segment;
an expected vehicle average speed along the road segment;
length of the road segment;
condition of the road segment;
condition of the vehicle tires;
vehicle tire air pressure;
vehicle fuel used;
expected vehicle traffic density along the road segment;
applicable constraints on vehicle operation along the road segment;
expected ambient weather conditions along the road segment;
selected vehicle accessories that will be used on a portion or all of the trip route;
a time interval during which the trip will be made;
and vehicle driver profile information;
for each of the selected road segments, to estimate vehicle fuel consumption for the road segment oriented in a reverse direction, using the actual fuel usage for the road segment and from the information on the at least one trip information item received for the road segment;
and
to estimate vehicle fuel consumption for a return trip from the second location to the first location along a return trip route, which is comprised of the selected road segments oriented in a reverse direction, as a sum of the estimated fuel consumption for each of the selected road segments oriented in the reverse direction.

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Fuel consumption estimation

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Fuel consumption estimation

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Abstract

Claims10