# US 8,751,083 B2 · Electric vehicle charge reduction apparatus and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,751,083 B2 - Document ID: US8751083B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/358,866 - Filed: 2012-01-26 - Published: 2013-08-01 - Granted: 2014-06-10 - Earliest claimed: 2012-01-26 - Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Applicants: Fred W. Huntzicker - Inventors: Fred W. Huntzicker - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8751083B2 ## CPC - B60L 50/30: using propulsion power stored mechanically, e.g. in fly-wheels - B60L 7/10: Dynamic electric regenerative braking (B60L7/22 takes precedence) - B60L 15/2027: {whilst maintaining constant speed} - B60L 58/40: for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells - B60L 2240/12: Speed - B60L 2240/423: Torque - B60L 2240/622: by satellite navigation - B60L 2250/26: by pedal actuation - B60W 10/06: including control of combustion engines - B60W 10/08: including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators - B60W 10/26: for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors - B60W 20/00: Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles {(hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L)} - Y02T 10/64: Electric machine technologies in electromobility - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility - Y02T 90/16: Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles - Y02T 90/40: Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells - Y10S 903/903: having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor - 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 - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract A vehicle includes a rechargeable energy storage device, such as a battery. A recharging system is operatively connected to the energy storage device and configured to selectively charge the energy storage device by transmitting energy thereto. A regenerative braking system is operatively connected to the energy storage device to selectively transmit energy thereto. A controller is operatively connected to the recharging system and configured to control the recharging system. The controller is configured to determine an amount of the vehicle's gravitational potential energy that is recoverable by the regenerative braking system over a predicted route, and to control the recharging system such that the amount of energy transferred from the recharging system to the energy storage device is based on the amount of the vehicle's gravitational potential energy that is recoverable by the regenerative braking system over the predicted route. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle comprising: a rechargeable energy storage device; a recharging system operatively connected to the energy storage device and configured to selectively charge the energy storage device by transmitting energy thereto; a regenerative braking system operatively connected to the energy storage device to selectively transmit energy thereto; and a controller operatively connected to the recharging system and configured to control the recharging system; wherein the controller is configured to determine an amount of the vehicle's gravitational potential energy that is recoverable by the regenerative braking system over a predicted route; and wherein the controller is configured to control the recharging system such that the amount of energy transferred from the recharging system to the energy storage device is based on the amount of the vehicle's gravitational potential energy that is recoverable by the regenerative braking system over the predicted route. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the energy storage system is an electric battery. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the recharging system includes an onboard source of electrical energy configured to selectively transmit electrical energy to the battery. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the onboard source includes an engine and a generator; wherein the engine is operatively connected to the generator to selectively provide power to the generator; wherein the generator is operatively connected to the electric battery to selectively transmit electrical energy thereto. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The vehicle of claim 4, further comprising a vehicle body defining an engine compartment; and wherein the engine is at least partially disposed within the engine compartment. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the recharging system is configured to receive energy from an offboard source. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the battery has a maximum energy storage capacity; and wherein the controller is configured to cause the recharging system to terminate charging the battery when the amount of stored energy in the battery is the difference between the maximum energy storage capacity of the battery and the amount of the vehicle's gravitational potential energy that is recoverable by the regenerative braking system over the route. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the battery has a maximum energy storage capacity; and wherein the controller is configured to cause the recharging system to terminate charging the battery when the amount of stored energy in the battery is the larger of (1) the difference between the maximum energy storage capacity of the battery and the amount of the vehicle's gravitational potential energy that is recoverable by the regenerative braking system over the route, and (2) a predetermined minimum energy storage amount. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to determine the amount of the vehicle's gravitational potential energy that is recoverable by the regenerative braking system by measuring a gain in the energy stored by the battery when the vehicle travels the route. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to determine the amount of the vehicle's gravitational potential energy that is recoverable by the regenerative braking system by traversing the route while the battery is fully charged, and estimating the amount of energy that the regenerative braking system would have generated and transmitted to the battery over the route if the battery had not been fully charged. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the route has a starting location and an ending location; wherein the battery has a maximum energy storage capacity; wherein the controller is configured to determine the amount of the vehicle's gravitational potential energy that is recoverable by the regenerative braking system by iteratively charging the battery at the starting location to store a predetermined amount of energy and measuring the amount of energy stored by the battery at the ending location; and wherein the predetermined amount of energy is reduced in each successive charging until the amount of energy in the battery at the ending location is less than the maximum energy storage capacity of the battery. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the route has a starting location and an ending location; and wherein the controller is configured to determine the amount of the vehicle's gravitational potential energy that is recoverable by the regenerative braking system by determining the gravitational potential energy of the starting location relative to the ending location using a database. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the route includes a starting location; and wherein the controller is configured to determine the amount of the vehicle's gravitational potential energy that is recoverable by the regenerative braking system by measuring the amount of energy used by the vehicle to travel the route to the starting location. ### Claim 14 A method for use with a vehicle having a rechargeable battery and a regenerative braking system configured to selectively transmit energy to the battery, the method comprising: determining the amount of the vehicle's gravitational potential energy that is recoverable by the regenerative braking system over a predicted route; charging the battery; and terminating charging the battery when the amount of energy stored by the battery is sufficiently less than the maximum energy storage capacity of the battery such that the battery can accommodate the amount of the vehicle's gravitational potential energy that is recoverable by the regenerative braking system over the predicted route. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein said determining the amount of the vehicle's gravitational potential energy that is recoverable by the regenerative braking system includes measuring a gain in the energy stored by the battery when the vehicle travels the route. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein said determining the amount of the vehicle's gravitational potential energy that is recoverable by the regenerative braking system includes traversing the route while the battery is fully charged, and estimating the amount of energy that the regenerative braking system would have generated and transmitted to the battery over the route if the battery had not been fully charged. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the battery has a maximum energy storage capacity; wherein said determining the amount of the vehicle's gravitational potential energy that is recoverable by the regenerative braking system includes iteratively charging the battery at the starting location of the route to store a predetermined amount of energy and measuring the amount of energy stored by the battery at the end of the route; wherein the predetermined amount of energy is reduced in each successive charging until the amount of energy in the battery at the end of the route is less than the maximum energy storage capacity of the battery. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein said determining the amount of the vehicle's gravitational potential energy that is recoverable by the regenerative braking system includes determining the gravitational potential energy of the starting location of the route using a database. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein said determining the amount of the vehicle's gravitational potential energy that is recoverable by the regenerative braking system includes measuring the amount of energy used by the vehicle to travel to the starting location of the route. ### Claim 20 A vehicle comprising: a battery; a recharging system operatively connected to the battery and configured to selectively charge the battery by transmitting energy thereto; a regenerative braking system configured to selectively receive energy from an offboard source and operatively connected to the battery to selectively transmit energy thereto; and a controller operatively connected to the recharging system and configured to control the recharging system; wherein the controller is configured to determine an amount of the vehicle's gravitational potential energy that is recoverable by the regenerative braking system over a predicted route; and wherein the controller is configured to control the recharging system such that the amount of energy transferred from the recharging system to the battery is based on the amount of the vehicle's gravitational potential energy that is recoverable by the regenerative braking system over the predicted route.