Mitigating environmental-control load for a hybrid vehicle

1. A method in a vehicle control unit for a hybrid vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving vehicle trajectory plan data having at least a first speed zone and a second speed zone, the first speed zone being for a high-power operational mode and the second speed zone being for a low-power operational mode;

determining whether vehicle sensor data indicates the hybrid vehicle is in the first speed zone;

when the vehicle sensor data indicates the first speed zone:

determining an estimated time-of-travel to the second speed zone based on the vehicle trajectory plan data;

generating heat-load buffer data for prolonging a temperature setting implemented in the first speed zone into at least a portion of the second speed zone based on the estimated time-of-travel;

converting heat-load buffer data to environmental-control data; and

transmitting the environmental-control data for implementing the heat-load buffer data.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating low-power environmental-control data based on the heat-load buffer data for the second speed zone; and

transmitting the low-power environmental-control data to further prolong the temperature setting in the second speed zone.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the estimated time-of-travel to the second speed zone further comprises:

determining a distance for reaching the second speed zone from current hybrid-vehicle location data; and

determining current range data for the hybrid vehicle, based on current fuel level data and vehicle fuel efficiency data.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the distance for reaching the second speed zone from the current hybrid-vehicle location is based on at least one of:

traffic congestion data;

map speed limit data;

destination data;

historic travel data;

refueling waypoint data; and

crowdsource data.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, based on current range data, whether the hybrid vehicle can reach the second speed zone without refueling; and

in response to determining that the vehicle cannot reach the second speed zone without refueling, determining an estimated time for reaching a subsequent second speed zone based on a refueling waypoint.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle trajectory plan data comprises at least one of:

current location data;

map layer data; and

destination data.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the high-power operational mode includes enabling a combustible-fuel engine of the hybrid vehicle; and

the low-power operational mode includes enabling an electric-based engine of the hybrid vehicle.

8. A method in a vehicle control unit for a hybrid vehicle, the method comprising:

determining whether the hybrid vehicle is in a high-power operational mode;

when at a high-power operational mode:

determining an estimated time-of-travel to a change to a low-power operational mode based on vehicle trajectory plan data;

generating heat-load buffer data based on the estimated time for prolonging a temperature setting implemented while in the high-power operational mode into at least a portion of operation in the low-power operational mode;

converting heat-load buffer data to environmental-control data; and

transmitting the environmental-control data for implementing the heat-load buffer data.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

generating low-power environmental-control data based on the heat-load buffer data for a second low power operational mode; and

transmitting the low-power environmental-control data to further prolong the temperature setting in the second low-power operational mode.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the determining the estimated time-of-travel to the change to the low-power operational mode further comprises:

determining a distance from the vehicle trajectory plan data for reaching the low-power operational mode from current hybrid-vehicle location data; and

determining current range data for the hybrid vehicle, based on current fuel level data and vehicle fuel efficiency data.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the distance for reaching the low-power operational mode from the current hybrid-vehicle location being is on at least one of:

traffic congestion data;

map speed limit data;

destination data;

historic travel data;

refueling waypoint data; and

crowdsource data.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

determining, based on current range data, whether the hybrid vehicle can reach the low-power operational mode without refueling; and

in response to determining that the vehicle cannot reach the low-power operational mode without refueling, determining an estimated time for reaching a subsequent low-power operational mode based on a refueling waypoint.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the vehicle trajectory plan data comprises at least one of:

current location data;

map layer data; and

destination data.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein:

the high-power operational mode includes enabling a combustible fuel engine of the hybrid vehicle; and

the low-power operational mode includes enabling an electric-based engine of the hybrid vehicle.

15. A vehicle control unit for a hybrid vehicle comprising:

a communication interface to service communication with a network;

a processor communicably coupled to the communication interface; and

memory communicably coupled to the processor and storing:

an environmental transition module including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

receive, via the network, vehicle trajectory plan data having at least a first speed zone and a second speed zone, the first speed zone being for a high-power operational mode and the second speed zone being for a low-power operational mode;

determine whether vehicle sensor data, retrieved via the network, indicates the hybrid vehicle is in the first speed zone; and

when the vehicle sensor data indicates the first speed zone, determine an estimated time to the second speed zone based on the vehicle trajectory plan data;

a passenger comfort module including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

generate heat-load buffer data for prolonging a temperature setting implemented in the first speed zone into at least a portion of the second speed zone based on an estimated time-of-travel to the second speed zone;

convert heat-load buffer data to environmental-control data; and

transmit the environmental-control data for implementing the heat-load buffer data.

16. The vehicle control unit of claim 15 , wherein the passenger comfort module including further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

generate low-power environmental-control data based on the heat-load buffer data for the second speed zone; and

transmit the low-power environmental-control data to further prolong the temperature setting in the second speed zone.

17. The vehicle control unit of claim 15 , wherein the passenger comfort module including further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine the estimated time-of-travel to the second speed zone by:

determining a distance for reaching the second speed zone from current hybrid-vehicle location data; and

determining current range data for the hybrid vehicle, based on current fuel level data and vehicle fuel efficiency data.

18. The vehicle control unit of claim 17 , wherein the distance for reaching the second speed zone from the current hybrid-vehicle location being is on at least one of:

traffic congestion data;

map speed limit data;

destination data;

historic travel data;

refueling waypoint data; and

crowdsource data.

19. The vehicle control unit of claim 15 , wherein the environmental transition module including further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

determine, based on current range data, whether the hybrid vehicle can reach the second speed zone without refueling; and

in response to determining that the vehicle cannot reach the second speed zone without refueling, determine an estimated time for reaching a subsequent second speed zone based on a refueling waypoint.

20. The vehicle control unit of claim 15 wherein the vehicle trajectory plan data comprises at least one of:

current location data;

map layer data; and

destination data.