Route-vehicle road load management and/or operator notification thereof

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, with a cycle efficiency management (CEM) module, conditions of a vehicle including an operator defined parameter, a fuel amount, a weather condition, a current vehicle condition, and a route condition;

determining, with the CEM module, one or more vehicle trip conditions based on at least one of the fuel amount, the weather condition, the route condition, the current vehicle condition, and the operator defined parameter;

determining, with the CEM module, to switch an operation mode of the vehicle from an active control mode to a passive control mode or from the passive control mode to the active control mode based on the one or more vehicle trip conditions and at least one of the fuel amount, the weather condition, the route condition, the current vehicle condition, and the operator defined parameter; and

controlling, with the CEM module, the vehicle to operate in the operation mode determined by the CEM module,

wherein controlling the vehicle in the passive control mode includes:

determining, with the CEM module, an operator feedback command based on at least one of the fuel amount, the weather condition, the route condition, the current vehicle condition, and the operator defined parameter,

providing the operator feedback command from the CEM module to a human machine interface (HMI), and

providing, with the human machine interface, a feedback indicator based on the operator feedback command,

wherein controlling the vehicle in the active control mode includes:

determining, with the CEM module, a control command based on the one or more vehicle trip conditions and at least one of the fuel amount, the weather condition, the route condition, the current vehicle condition, and the operator defined parameter, and

providing the control command from the CEM module to an engine control unit for controlling, at least one aspect of the vehicle based on the control command.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operator defined parameter further includes at least one of a fuel quantity buffer input, an allowable upper speed limit variance, an allowable lower speed limit variance, and a request route message.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operator feedback command includes at least one of an instantaneous fuel economy, an instantaneous operator income, an operator income selection, a fuel economy selection, a current engine torque curve output, a fuel quantity buffer output, a freight efficiency increase, an initial fuel quantity, a cruise speed set point, a gear set point, a throttle set point, a refueling stop location, a fuel quantity to refill, an available fuel quantity, and a distance to refill.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operator feedback command is provided in real time at any point along a vehicle route.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operator defined parameter includes at least one of an operator cost, a fuel cost, a trip time, a trip time factor, a coasting factor, a cruise control speed setting, a requested speed, a throttle gear setting, a speed limit excursion, an engine torque curve variation factor, and a number of refueling stops.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the weather condition is indicative of at least one of a humidity level, a wind condition, and a precipitation condition.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the route condition is indicative of at least one of a trip distance, an elevation profile, a route grade profile, a maximum speed limit, a minimum speed limit, a traffic condition, and a road condition.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more vehicle trip conditions includes a coasting gear selection, a freight efficiency, and a fuel economy.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the control command includes at least one of a transmission gear command, a cruise speed command, a torque curve command, and a throttle command.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling at least one aspect of the vehicle includes controlling at least one of a transmission, a cruise control setting, a torque provider, and a throttle.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting an off nominal condition, the off nominal condition including at least one of a brake being pressed by the operator, a severe weather condition, a severe traffic condition, an engine derate condition, and a speed limit being below a speed limit threshold.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the operation mode is further based on an operator induced event, wherein the operator induced event includes at least one of a brake being pressed by the operator, a throttle position being greater than or equal to a throttle position threshold, and a throttle position rate being greater than or equal to a throttle position rate threshold.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the current vehicle condition includes at least one of a transmission operating condition and an engine operating condition.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the feedback indicator includes at least one of a visual feedback indicator, an auditory feedback indicator, and a tactile indicator.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing, with the human machine interface, the feedback indicator includes displaying the feedback indicator on a graphical user interface.

16. A system, comprising:

a vehicle including an internal combustion engine;

a controller in electrical communication with the internal combustion engine,

wherein the controller is structured to:

receive signals indicating conditions of the vehicle including an operator defined parameter, a fuel amount, a weather condition, a current vehicle condition, and a route condition;

determine one or more vehicle trip conditions based on at least one of the fuel amount, the weather condition, the route condition, the current vehicle condition, and the operator defined parameter;

determine to switch an operation mode based of the vehicle from an active control mode to a passive control mode or from the passive control mode to the active control mode on the one or more vehicle trip conditions and at least one of the fuel amount, the weather condition, the route condition, the current vehicle condition, and the operator defined parameter; and

control the vehicle to operate in the determined operation mode,

wherein the passive control mode includes:

determining an operator feedback commands based on at least one of the fuel amount, the weather condition, the route condition, the current vehicle condition, and the operator defined parameter,

providing the operator feedback command from the controller to a human machine interface (HMI), and

providing, with the human machine interface, a feedback indicator based on the operator feedback command,

wherein the active control mode includes:

determining a control command based on the one or more vehicle trip conditions and at least one of the fuel amount, the weather condition, the route condition, the current vehicle condition, and the operator defined parameter, and

providing the control command to an engine control unit for controlling at least one aspect of the vehicle based on the control command.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the controller and the engine control unit are different devices.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the controller and the engine control unit are integrated into a same device.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the operator defined parameter further includes at least one of a fuel quantity buffer input, an allowable upper speed limit variance, an allowable lower speed limit variance, and a request route message.

20. The system of claim 16 , wherein the operator feedback command includes at least one of an instantaneous fuel economy, an instantaneous operator income, an operator income selection, a fuel economy selection, a current engine torque curve output, a fuel quantity buffer output, a freight efficiency increase, an initial fuel quantity, a cruise speed set point, a gear set point, a throttle set point, a refueling stop location, a fuel quantity to refill, an available fuel quantity, and a distance to refill.

21. The system of claim 16 , wherein the operator feedback command is provided in real time at any point along a vehicle route.

22. The system of claim 16 , wherein the control command includes at least one of a transmission gear command, a cruise speed command, a torque curve command, and a throttle command.

23. The system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is further structured to detect an off nominal condition, the off nominal condition including at least one of a brake being pressed by the operator, a severe, weather condition, a severe traffic condition, an engine derate condition, and a speed limit being below a speed limit threshold.

24. The system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is structured to determine the operation mode based on an operator induced event, wherein the operator induced event includes at least one of a brake being pressed by the operator, a throttle position being greater than or equal to a throttle position threshold, and a throttle position rate being greater than or equal to a throttle position rate threshold.

25. The system of claim 16 , wherein the feedback indicator includes at least one of a visual feedback indicator, an auditory feedback indicator, and a tactile indicator.

26. The system of claim 16 , wherein the human machine interface is structured to display the feedback indicator on, a graphical user interface.

27. A method, comprising:

receiving operation conditions a cycle efficiency management (CEM) module;

determining, with the CEM module, one or more vehicle trip conditions based on the operation conditions;

determining, with the CEM module, to switch an operation mode of a vehicle from an active control mode to a passive control mode or from the passive control mode to die active control mode based on the one or more vehicle trip conditions and at least one of the operation conditions; and

controlling, with the CEM module, the vehicle to operate in the operation mode determined by the CEM module,

wherein controlling the vehicle in the passive control mode includes:

determining an operator feedback command based on at least one of the operation conditions,

providing the operator feedback command to a human machine interface, and

providing, with the human machine interface, a feedback indicator based on the operator feedback command,

wherein controlling the vehicle in the active control mode includes:

determining a control command based on the one or more vehicle trip conditions and at least one of the operation conditions; and

providing the control command to an engine control unit for controlling at least one aspect of the vehicle based on the control command.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the received operation conditions include an operator defined parameter, a fuel amount, a weather condition, a current vehicle condition, and a route condition.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein the operator defined parameter further includes at least one of a fuel quantity buffer input, an allowable upper speed limit variance, an allowable lower speed limit variance, and a request route message.

30. The method of claim 28 , wherein the route condition is indicative of at least one of a trip distance, an elevation profile, a route grade profile, a maximum speed limit, a minimum speed limit, a traffic condition, and a road condition.

31. The method of claim 27 , wherein the operator feedback command includes at least one of an instantaneous fuel economy, an instantaneous operator income, an operator income selection, a fuel economy selection, a current engine torque curve output, a fuel quantity buffer output, a freight efficiency increase, an initial fuel quantity, a cruise speed set point, a gear set point, a throttle set point, a refueling stop location, a fuel quantity to refill, an available fuel quantity, and a distance to refill.

32. The method of claim 27 , wherein the operator feedback command is provided in real time at any point along a vehicle route.

33. The method of claim 27 , wherein controlling at least one aspect of the vehicle includes controlling at least one of a transmission, a cruise control setting, a torque provider, and a throttle.

34. The method of claim 27 , wherein determining the operation mode is further based on an operator induced event, wherein the operator induced event includes at least one of a brake being pressed by the operator, a throttle position being greater than or equal to a throttle position threshold, and a throttle position rate being greater than or equal to a throttle position rate threshold.

35. The method of claim 27 , wherein the feedback indicator includes at least one of a visual feedback indicator, an auditory feedback indicator, and a tactile indicator.

36. The method of claim 27 , wherein the one or more vehicle trip conditions includes a coasting gear selection, a freight efficiency, and a fuel economy.

37. The method of claim 36 , wherein the control command includes at least one of a transmission gear command, a cruise speed command, a torque curve command, and a throttle command.

38. The method of claim 27 , wherein providing, with the human machine interface, the feedback indicator includes displaying the feedback indicator on a graphical user interface.