Distance to empty energy compensation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9552678-B2
Application number	US-201414471618-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2014
Priority date	Aug 28, 2014
Publication date	Jan 24, 2017
Grant date	Jan 24, 2017

Abstract

A method of estimating distance to empty (DTE) for a vehicle includes, in response to detecting an energy loss condition expected to be present during an initial portion of a drive cycle for a period of time needed for a current temperature or pressure associated with the vehicle to achieve a steady state, outputting a DTE. The DTE is based on an amount of drive energy available and an energy loss factor associated with the energy loss condition that accounts for conversion of some of the drive energy to heat as the current temperature or pressure increases to the steady state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A distance to empty (DTE) system for a vehicle comprising:
a controller programmed to, in response to a difference between current and expected steady state temperatures associated with the vehicle, output a DTE based on an amount of drive energy available and an energy loss factor that accounts for conversion of some of the drive energy to heat to raise the current temperature to the steady state temperature.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the temperatures associated with the vehicle are transmission oil temperatures and wherein the expected steady state temperature is associated with a predetermined threshold transmission oil temperature.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the temperatures associated with the vehicle are vehicle cabin temperatures and wherein the expected steady state temperature is associated with a threshold cabin temperature.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the temperatures associated with the vehicle are heater core temperatures and wherein the expected steady state temperature is associated with a threshold heater core temperature.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the DTE is further based on an energy consumption rate.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the energy consumption rate is a learned energy consumption rate.

7. A vehicle comprising:
at least one tire; and
a controller programmed to, in response to a difference between current and expected steady state pressures of the at least one tire, output a distance to empty based on an amount of drive energy available and an energy loss factor that accounts for conversion of some of the drive energy to heat as the current pressure of the at least one tire increases to the steady state pressure.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the distance to empty is further based on an energy consumption rate.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the energy consumption rate is a learned energy consumption rate.

10. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the steady state pressure is associated with a predetermined threshold pressure.

11. A method of estimating distance to empty (DTE) for a vehicle comprising:
in response to detecting an energy loss condition expected to be present during an initial portion of a drive cycle for a period of time needed for a current temperature or pressure associated with the vehicle to achieve a steady state, outputting a DTE based on an amount of drive energy available and an energy loss factor associated with the energy loss condition that accounts for conversion of some of the drive energy to heat as the current temperature or pressure increases to the steady state.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the temperature associated with the vehicle is a transmission oil temperature and wherein the steady state is associated with a predetermined threshold transmission oil temperature.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the temperature associated with the vehicle is a vehicle cabin temperature and wherein the steady state is associated with a threshold cabin temperature.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the temperature associated with the vehicle is a heater core temperature and wherein the steady state is associated with a threshold heater core temperature.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the pressure associated with the vehicle is a tire pressure and wherein the steady state is associated with a threshold tire pressure.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the DTE is further based on an energy consumption rate.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the energy consumption rate is a learned energy consumption rate.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Meyer Jason
• Sangameswaran Sangeetha
• Treharne William David
• Bolger Bryan Michael

Classifications

• B60W40/12 Primary

  related to parameters of the vehicle itself {, e.g. tyre models} · CPC title

• B60L2260/52

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

• Y02T10/70

  Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries · CPC title

• B60L3/12 Primary

  Recording operating variables {; Monitoring of operating variables} · CPC title

• B60L2240/36

  Temperature of vehicle components or parts · CPC title