Granted Patent B1

US 10,056,008 · App. 14/214,008 · Granted Aug 21, 2018

Inventors: Tim Sweany (Renton, WA); Charles Michael McQuade (Issaquah, WA)

Assignee: ZONAR SYSTEMS, INC.

G09B19/167

Abstract

Claims (111)

1. A method to improve operating efficiency of a driver of a vehicle, comprising:

operating the vehicle over a plurality of selected segments, each segment having an associated segment length;

selecting, with a computing device, one or more driver-controllable fuel efficient behavior metrics on which to generate a driver efficiency score, the one or more driver-controllable fuel efficient behavior metrics drawn from a plurality of driver-controllable fuel efficient behavior metrics including:

an amount of time that the vehicle is idling or not idling within each of the plurality of selected segments,

an amount of time that the vehicle is operated above or below a determined engine speed within each of the plurality of selected segments,

an amount of time that the vehicle is operated above or below a determined vehicle speed within each of the plurality of selected segments, and

an amount of time that the vehicle is operated using or not using cruise control within each of the plurality of selected segments;

within each of the plurality of selected segments, automatically collecting vehicle data associated with each selected driver-controllable fuel efficient behavior metric, the vehicle data automatically collected with a plurality of independent sensors including at least one engine-based sensor and at least one telematics sensor;

selecting at least one model efficiency factor associated with each selected driver-controllable fuel efficient behavior metric;

calculating with the computing device a plurality of interim driver efficiency values, the plurality of interim driver efficiency values including at least one interim driver efficiency value per selected segment and per selected driver-controllable fuel efficient behavior metric, each interim driver efficiency value calculated using automatically collected vehicle data and a selected model efficiency factor;

calculating a driver efficiency score that is between a lowest efficiency value and a highest efficiency value, the driver efficiency score calculated with the computing device from some but not all of the plurality of interim driver efficiency values;

determining how much fuel is consumed by the vehicle within each of the plurality of selected segments;

determining whether or not the driver efficiency score is less than the highest efficiency value;

based on a determination that the driver efficiency score is less than the highest efficiency value, calculating a value representative of the fuel wasted within each of the plurality of selected segments due to the one or more driver-controllable fuel efficient behaviors; and

in response to a user request, concurrently displaying the driver efficiency score and the value representative of the fuel wasted.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining an amount of fuel used by the vehicle when the driver could have used cruise control but did not; and

applying a corrective factor based on efficiency gains related to cruise control use to determine an amount of fuel wasted when not using cruise control.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining an amount of fuel used by the vehicle when the driver operated the vehicle at an engine speed outside of a predetermined range;

applying a corrective factor based on efficiency gains related to operating the vehicle at an engine speed within the predetermined range; and

determining an amount of fuel wasted by not operating the vehicle at the engine speed within the predetermined range.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining an amount of fuel used by the vehicle when the driver operated the vehicle at a speed greater than a predetermined speed value;

applying a corrective factor based on an effect of speed on fuel efficiency; and

determining an amount of fuel wasted by operating the vehicle at the speed greater than the predetermined speed value.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining an amount of fuel wasted when the vehicle has idled for longer than a predetermined idle value.

6. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein automatically collecting vehicle data includes:

collecting incremental fuel use data correlated with location data; and

wherein calculating the driver efficiency score includes:

segmenting operation of the vehicle into a plurality of segments, each segment associated with a sequential incremental fuel use reading;

calculating an amount of fuel consumed during each segment;

calculating a length of each segment using the location data;

determining a vehicle fuel efficiency for each segment;

associating the vehicle fuel efficiency for each segment with at least one of the plurality of driver-controllable fuel efficient behavior metrics; and

producing a per segment cost of fuel wasted.

7. A computing device arranged to improve operating efficiency of a driver of a vehicle, comprising:

a sensor interface to communicatively couple a plurality of independent sensors to the computing device, the vehicle sensors including at least one engine-based sensor and at least one telematics sensor;

a positioning system device arranged to provide geographic data indicating operation of the vehicle over a plurality of selected segments, each segment having an associated segment length;

a logic module including a processor and memory having processor-executable instructions stored thereon, the processor-executable instructions arranged to select one or more driver-controllable fuel efficient behavior metrics on which to generate a driver efficiency score, the one or more driver-controllable fuel efficient behavior metrics drawn from a plurality of driver-controllable fuel efficient behavior metrics including:

an amount of time that the vehicle is idling or not idling within each of the plurality of selected segments,

an amount of time that the vehicle is operated above or below a determined engine speed within each of the plurality of selected segments,

an amount of time that the vehicle is operated above or below a determined vehicle speed within each of the plurality of selected segments, and

an amount of time that the vehicle is operated using or not using cruise control within each of the plurality of selected segments;

wherein the processor-executable instructions are further arranged to:

within each of the plurality of selected segments, automatically collect vehicle data associated with each selected driver-controllable fuel efficient behavior metric, the vehicle data received via the sensor interface;

select at least one model efficiency factor associated with each selected driver-controllable fuel efficient behavior metric;

calculate a plurality of interim driver efficiency values, the plurality of interim driver efficiency values including at least one interim driver efficiency value per selected segment and per selected driver-controllable fuel efficient behavior metric, each interim driver efficiency value calculated using the vehicle data received via the sensor interface and a selected model efficiency factor;

calculate a driver efficiency score that is between a lowest efficiency value and a highest efficiency value, the driver efficiency score calculated from some but not all of the plurality of interim driver efficiency values;

determine how much fuel is consumed by the vehicle within each of the plurality of selected segments;

determine whether or not the driver efficiency score is less than the highest efficiency value;

based on a determination that the driver efficiency score is less than the highest efficiency value, calculate a value representative of the fuel wasted within each of the plurality of selected segments due to the one or more driver-controllable fuel efficient behaviors; and

in response to a user request, concurrently display the driver efficiency score and the value representative of the fuel wasted.

8. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein the processor-executable instructions of the logic module are further arranged to:

determine an amount of fuel used by the vehicle when the driver could have used cruise control but did not; and

apply a corrective factor based on efficiency gains related to cruise control use to determine an amount of fuel wasted when not using cruise control.

9. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein the processor-executable instructions of the logic module are further arranged to:

determine an amount of fuel used by the vehicle when the driver operated the vehicle at an engine speed outside of a predetermined range;

apply a corrective factor based on efficiency gains related to operating the vehicle at an engine speed within the predetermined range; and

determine an amount of fuel wasted by not operating the vehicle at the engine speed within the predetermined range.

10. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein the processor-executable instructions of the logic module are further arranged to:

determine an amount of fuel used by the vehicle when the driver operated the vehicle at a speed greater than a predetermined speed value;

apply a corrective factor based on an effect of speed on fuel efficiency; and

determine an amount of fuel wasted by operating the vehicle at the speed greater than the predetermined speed value.

11. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein the processor-executable instructions of the logic module are further arranged to:

determine an amount of fuel wasted when the vehicle has idled for longer than a predetermined idle value.

12. The computing device of claim 7 ,

wherein an automatic collection of vehicle data includes:

collecting incremental fuel use data correlated with location data; and

wherein a calculation of the driver efficiency score includes:

segmenting operation of the vehicle into a plurality of segments, each segment associated with a sequential incremental fuel use reading;

calculating an amount of fuel consumed during each segment;

calculating a length of each segment using the location data;

determining a vehicle fuel efficiency for each segment;

associating the vehicle fuel efficiency for each segment with at least one of the plurality of driver-controllable fuel efficient behavior metrics; and

producing a per segment cost of fuel wasted.

13. A non-transitory memory medium having machine instructions stored thereon, said machine instructions configured to perform acts comprising:

while operating a vehicle over a plurality of selected segments, each segment having an associated segment length, automatically collecting vehicle data, the vehicle data automatically collected with a plurality of independent sensors including at least one engine-based sensor and at least one telematics sensor;

selecting one or more driver-controllable fuel efficient behavior metrics on which to generate a driver efficiency score for a driver of the vehicle, the one or more driver-controllable fuel efficient behavior metrics drawn from a plurality of driver-controllable fuel efficient behavior metrics including:

an amount of time that the vehicle is idling or not idling within each of the plurality of selected segments, an amount of time that the vehicle is operated above or below a determined engine speed within each of the plurality of selected segments, an amount of time that the vehicle is operated above or below a determined vehicle speed within each of the plurality of selected segments, and an amount of time that the vehicle is operated using or not using cruise control within each of the plurality of selected segments;

selecting at least one model efficiency factor associated with each selected driver- controllable fuel efficient behavior metric;

calculating a plurality of interim driver efficiency values, the plurality of interim driver efficiency values including at least one interim driver efficiency value per selected segment and per selected driver-controllable fuel efficient behavior metric, each interim driver efficiency value calculated using automatically collected vehicle data and a selected model efficiency factor;

calculating a driver efficiency score that is between a lowest efficiency value and a highest efficiency value, the driver efficiency score calculated from some but not all of the plurality of interim driver efficiency values;

determining how much fuel is consumed by the vehicle within each of the plurality of selected segments;

determining whether or not the driver efficiency score is less than the highest efficiency value;

based on a determination that the driver efficiency score is less than the highest efficiency value, calculating a value representative of the fuel wasted within each of the plurality of selected segments due to the one or more driver-controllable fuel efficient behaviors; and

in response to a user request, concurrently displaying the driver efficiency score and the value representative of the fuel wasted.

14. The non-transitory memory medium having machine instructions stored thereon of claim 13 , said machine instructions further configured to perform acts comprising:

determining an amount of fuel used by the vehicle when the driver could have used cruise control but did not; and

applying a corrective factor based on efficiency gains related to cruise control use to determine an amount of fuel wasted when not using cruise control.

15. The non-transitory memory medium having machine instructions stored thereon of claim 13 , said machine instructions further configured to perform acts comprising:

determining an amount of fuel used by the vehicle when the driver operated the vehicle at an engine speed outside of a predetermined range;

applying a corrective factor based on efficiency gains related to operating the vehicle at an engine speed within the predetermined range; and

determining an amount of fuel wasted by not operating the vehicle at the engine speed within the predetermined range.

16. The non-transitory memory medium having machine instructions stored thereon of claim 13 , said machine instructions further configured to perform acts comprising:

determining an amount of fuel used by the vehicle when the driver operated the vehicle at a speed greater than a predetermined speed value;

applying a corrective factor based on an effect of speed on fuel efficiency; and

determining an amount of fuel wasted by operating the vehicle at the speed greater than the predetermined speed value.

17. The non-transitory memory medium having machine instructions stored thereon of claim 13 , said machine instructions further configured to perform acts comprising:

determining an amount of fuel wasted when the vehicle has idled for longer than a predetermined idle value.

18. The non-transitory memory medium having machine instructions stored thereon of claim 13 , wherein automatically collecting vehicle data includes:

collecting incremental fuel use data correlated with location data; and

wherein calculating the driver efficiency score includes:

segmenting operation of the vehicle into a plurality of segments, each segment associated with a sequential incremental fuel use reading;

calculating an amount of fuel consumed during each segment;

calculating a length of each segment using the location data;

determining a vehicle fuel efficiency for each segment;

associating the vehicle fuel efficiency for each segment with at least one of the plurality of driver-controllable fuel efficient behavior metrics; and

producing a per segment cost of fuel wasted.

Assignments (4)

Continuity (15)

Cited By (6)

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