# US 8,543,287 B2 · System, method and computer program for simulating vehicle energy use > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,543,287 B2 - Document ID: US8543287B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/143,948 - Filed: 2010-09-24 - Published: 2011-11-03 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2009-09-25 - Assignees: Cross Chasm Technologies Inc. - Applicants: Matthew Stevens; Christopher J. Mendes - Inventors: Matthew Stevens; Christopher J. Mendes - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8543287B2 ## CPC - F02D 19/026: {Measuring or estimating parameters related to the fuel supply system} - G06Q 10/04: Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" (market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202) - G07C 5/008: {communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C)} - G07C 5/0816: {Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction} - F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - 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 ## Abstract A system, method and computer program for simulating vehicle energy use is provided. The system comprises a server, an energy modeling tool is linked to a server and generates energy consumption data that provides an energy consumption function of a vehicle under consideration. The data logging tool is linked to test vehicles and collects drive cycle data from real-world driving conditions. The data logging tool then communicates the drive cycle data to the server over a network. The fleet management tool is also linked to the server and combines the energy consumption data with the drive cycle data to estimate the energy use of a vehicle under consideration. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for simulating energy use of one or more vehicles under consideration, the system characterized by: (a) a network accessible server; (b) an energy modeling tool linked to the server by means of the network, the energy modeling tool operable to generate energy consumption data that provides an energy consumption function of a vehicle under consideration; (c) a data logging tool associated with one or more test vehicles for collecting one or more sets of drive cycle data based on real-world driving conditions, the data logging tool operable to communicate the drive cycle data to the server over the network; and (d) a fleet management tool linked to the server for combining the energy consumption data with the drive cycle data to estimate the energy use of the one or more vehicles under consideration. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the energy modeling tool comprises a vehicle energy modeling tool, a battery lifetime modeling tool, a vehicle maintenance cost modeling tool, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the vehicle energy modeling tool comprises one or more component models, each component model generating component consumption data corresponding to a vehicle powertrain component. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that one or more component models are developed based on empirical data, analytic equations, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the data logging tool is linked to each of the one or more test vehicles by means of an on-board diagnostic port provided by one or more of the test vehicles. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that data logging tool includes a GPS-enabled device operable to collect speed versus time data corresponding to one or more of the test vehicles. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the data logging tool includes a memory for storing the drive cycle data prior to the data logging tool communicating the drive cycle data to the server. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the drive cycle data includes telematic data and informational data. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the telematic data includes speed versus time, GPS, road grade, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the informational data includes environmental factors related to the real-world driving conditions, payload mass, torque, drag, temperature, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a post processing tool linked to the server, the post processing tool operable to provide fleet data corresponding to the energy use of a plurality of vehicles under consideration, a plurality of test vehicles, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the energy consumption function is used to determine vehicle range for one or more of the vehicles under consideration. ### Claim 13 A method for simulating energy use of one or more vehicles under consideration, the method characterized by: (a) generating energy consumption data for a vehicle under consideration, the energy consumption data providing an energy consumption function of the vehicle under consideration; (b) collecting one or more sets of drive cycle data based on real-world driving conditions associated with one or more test vehicles; and (c) combining the energy consumption data with the drive cycle data to estimate the energy use of the one or more vehicles under consideration. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method as claimed in claim 13, characterized in the drive cycle data is communicated by a network to a server, the server operable to combine the energy consumption data with the drive cycle data. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the energy consumption data is generated by means of a vehicle energy modeling tool, a battery lifetime modeling tool, a vehicle maintenance cost modeling tool, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the vehicle energy modeling tool comprises one or more component models, each component model generating component consumption data corresponding to a vehicle powertrain component. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method as claimed in claim 16, characterized by the further step of developing one or more component models based on empirical data, analytic equations, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the drive cycle data is collected by means of an on-board diagnostic port provided by one or more of the test vehicles. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the drive cycle data is determined by collecting speed versus time data corresponding to one or more of the test vehicles. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The method as claimed in claim 14, characterized by the further step of storing the drive cycle data to a memory prior to communicating the drive cycle data to the server. ### Claim 21 (depends on 13) The method as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the drive cycle data includes telematic data and informational data. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method as claimed in claim 21, characterized in that the telematic data includes speed versus time, GPS, road grade, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The method as claimed in claim 21, characterized in that the informational data includes environmental factors related to the real-world driving conditions, payload mass, torque, drag, temperature, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 24 (depends on 13) The method as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that it further comprises a post processing tool linked to the server, the post processing tool operable to provide fleet data corresponding to the energy use of a plurality of vehicles under consideration, a plurality of test vehicles, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 25 (depends on 13) The method as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the energy consumption function is used to determine vehicle range for one or more of the vehicles under consideration.