Improvements relating to range prediction electric vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016129803-A1
Application number	US-201414897460-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 16, 2014
Priority date	Jun 27, 2013
Publication date	May 12, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A first method of predicting the range of an electric vehicle comprises, determining a range value during a current vehicle operating cycle using a first range model, wherein the first range model is dependent on an energy consumption rate value recorded during a previous vehicle operating cycle. A second method of predicting the range of an electric vehicle comprises, monitoring a trailer detecting means of the vehicle; and determining a first range value if the trailer detecting means detects that a trailer is attached to the vehicle.

First claim

1 . A method of predicting a range of an electric vehicle, the method comprising determining a range value during a current vehicle operating cycle using a first range model, wherein the first range model is dependent on an energy consumption rate value recorded during a previous vehicle operating cycle.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying a range metric to a vehicle user, the range metric based on the range value during the current vehicle operating cycle.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the range metric includes a distance range value being indicative of a maximum distance that the vehicle can travel until an energy store of the vehicle is depleted.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the range metric includes a time range value being indicative of a time for which the vehicle may remain operational until an energy store of the vehicle is depleted.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the time range value is displayed to a user during a predetermined vehicle state.

6 . (canceled)

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first range model includes calculating a composite energy consumption rate value based on i) a current energy consumption rate value associated with the current vehicle operating cycle and ii) the energy consumption rate value recorded during the previous vehicle operating cycle, and determining the range value based on the composite energy consumption rate value.

8 . The method of claim 1 , including determining one or more further range values using a respective one or more further range models, and determining an average range value based on the range value during the current vehicle operating cycle and the one or more further range values.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the average range value is determined using a weighted average technique.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more further range models includes a dynamic vehicle model configured to determine a range value based on one or more of the following parameters: vehicle speed, vehicle mass, drive-train efficiency, motor efficiency, vehicle drag coefficient, rolling resistance, air density, battery state of charge, battery temperature and battery energy.

11 . The method of claims 8 , wherein the one or more further range models includes a state of charge model configured to determine a range value based on a measured state of charge of a vehicle battery and a current energy consumption rate value.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the range value during the current vehicle operating cycle includes calculating a current energy gradient value as a ratio of a distance travelled during the current vehicle operating cycle and energy consumed during the current vehicle operating cycle.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein determining the range value during the current vehicle operating cycle includes calculating a product of the current energy gradient value and an instantaneous measured energy available in an energy store of the vehicle.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first range model is configured to calculate the range value during the current vehicle operating cycle based on whether a trailer is attached to the vehicle.

15 . A method for predicting a range of a vehicle, the method comprising:
monitoring a trailer detector of the vehicle; and determining a first range value if the trailer detector detects that a trailer is attached to the vehicle.

16 . The method of claim 15 , including determining a second range value if the trailer detector detects that a trailer is not attached to the vehicle.

17 . (canceled)

18 . The method of claim 16 , including displaying a range metric to a user, wherein the range metric is based on the first range value or the second range value.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the range metric includes a distance range value being indicative of a maximum distance that the vehicle can travel until an energy store of the vehicle is depleted.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the range metric includes a time range value being indicative of a time for which the vehicle may remain operational until an energy store of the vehicle is depleted.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the time range value is displayed to the user during a predetermined vehicle state.

22 . (canceled)

23 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the first range value is dependent on a first stored energy gradient value indicating an energy consumption rate of the vehicle during a previous vehicle operating cycle in which a trailer was attached to the vehicle, and wherein the second range value is dependent on a second stored energy gradient value indicating an energy consumption rate of the vehicle during a previous operating cycle in which a trailer was not attached to the vehicle.

24 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the second range value is dependent on a stored energy gradient value indicating an energy consumption rate of the vehicle during a previous vehicle operating cycle in which a trailer was not attached to the vehicle, and wherein the first range value includes modifying the second stored energy gradient value by a predetermined factor to represent an increased energy consumption rate associated with a trailer attached to the vehicle.

25 - 27 . (canceled)

28 . A processing system for an electric vehicle having a controller configured to implement the method of claim 1 .

29 . An electric vehicle including an energy store, an electric drive system, and an on-board processing system having the controller of claim 28 .

30 - 34 . (canceled)

35 . A processing system for an electric vehicle having a controller configured to implement the method of claim 15 .

36 . An electric vehicle including an energy store, an electric drive system, and an on-board processing system having a controller configured to implement the method of claim 15 .

Assignees

• Jaguar Land Rover Ltd

Inventors

• Grewal Karmjit
• Burrows Andrew

Classifications

• G01R31/382

  Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC · CPC title

• B60L58/13

  Maintaining the SoC within a determined range · CPC title

• Y02T10/84

  Data processing systems or methods, management, administration · CPC title

• B60L2260/54

  Energy consumption estimation · CPC title

• B60L2260/52

  drive range estimation, e.g. of estimation of available travel distance · CPC title