Method for generating an energy-efficient track for a vehicle in operation moving along a highway and a non-transitory computer-readable medium
View Patent ↗The proposed invention relates to methods for controlling energy consumption by a motor vehicle, and can be used in transportation industry. The technical problem to be solved by the claimed invention is to provide a method and a non-transitory computer-readable medium that do not possess the drawbacks of the prior art and thus make it possible to generate an accurate energy-efficient track for a motor vehicle that allows to reduce energy consumption by the motor vehicle moving along a highway, including as part of a convoy.
1 . A method for generating an energy-efficient track for a vehicle in operation moving along a highway, that is performed by a CPU of a computer device, the method comprising at least the following steps:
generating a first energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation including at least a speed profile for the vehicle in operation;
determining a second motor vehicle that is located in front of the vehicle in operation in its direction of movement along the highway and generating an energy-efficient track for the second motor vehicle;
generating a second energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation, based on its speed profile and evaluation of its energy efficiency when the vehicle in operation is moving in accordance with the energy-efficient track for the second motor vehicle;
comparing the second energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation with the first energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation in order to generate a control signal to assign an energy-efficient track to the vehicle in operation;
assigning an energy-efficient track to the vehicle in operation, wherein the energy-efficient track to be assigned is one of the first energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation and the second energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation;
wherein generating the first energy-efficient track comprises at least the following steps:
collecting primary data, which involves obtaining data associated with a first motor vehicle; data associated with a portion of a route to be passed by the first motor vehicle, and data associated with the vehicle in operation, wherein the vehicle in operation passes the portion of the route after the first motor vehicle;
collecting secondary data, which involves generating a track for the first motor vehicle, wherein said track is generated based on how the first motor vehicle passed the portion of the route;
generating an estimated track for the vehicle in operation, wherein said estimated track is generated based on the track generated for the first motor vehicle;
wherein the track for the first motor vehicle is generated by performing at least the following steps:
generating a speed profile of the first motor vehicle on the passed portion of the route;
evaluating energy efficiency of the first motor vehicle on the passed portion of the route;
wherein when the vehicle in operation is passing through the portion of the route, its actual speed profile is determined in at least one moment in time, and when the actual speed profile of the vehicle in operation deviates from its estimated speed profile, which is a part of said track for the vehicle in operation, an energy consumption control signal is generated for the vehicle in operation; and the energy consumption control signal for the vehicle in operation is a signal for a motion control system of the vehicle in operation and/or an on-board information system of the vehicle in operation, and this signal is a signal to decrease or increase wheel speed of at least one wheel of the vehicle in operation.
2 . The method of claim 1 , characterized in that the data associated with the first motor vehicle include at least one of the following: the type and model of the first motor vehicle, its mass, its aerodynamic characteristics, its wheel formula, its estimated and/or actual energy consumption and data from its acceleration sensors and/or speed sensors, data from its positioning sensors, weight sensors, and wheel speed sensors, and/or a combination thereof; the data associated with the vehicle in operation include at least one of the following: the type and model of the vehicle in operation, its mass, its aerodynamic characteristics, its wheel formula, its estimated and/or actual energy consumption and data from its acceleration sensors and/or speed sensors, data from its positioning sensors, weight sensors, and wheel speed sensors, and/or a combination thereof; and the data associated with the portion of the route to be passed by the first motor vehicle include at least one of the following: the geometry of the portion of the route, the road grade of the portion of the route, the allowed speed on the portion of the route, the quality of road surface of the portion of the route, speed limits on the portion of the route, turns on the portion of the route, weather conditions on the portion of the route, infrastructure of the portion of the route, and/or a combination thereof.
3 . The method of claim 1 , characterized in that the track for the first motor vehicle is generated by performing the following additional steps:
refining the primary data associated with the first motor vehicle based on how it passed the portion of the route;
refining the primary data associated with the portion of the route based on how it was passed by the first motor vehicle;
wherein the refining of the primary data associated with the portion of the route is also based on data obtained from the environmental sensors of the first motor vehicle.
4 . The method of claim 1 , characterized in that the energy-efficient track for the second motor vehicle is generated by means of the CPU of the computer device performing the following steps:
collecting primary data that involves obtaining data associated with a first motor vehicle, data associated with a portion of a route to be passed by the first motor vehicle, and data associated with the second motor vehicle, wherein the second motor vehicle passes the portion of the route after the first motor vehicle, but before the vehicle in operation;
collecting secondary data that involves generating a track of the first motor vehicle, wherein said track is generated based on how the first motor vehicle passed the portion of the route;
generating an energy-efficient track for the second motor vehicle, wherein the energy-efficient track for the second motor vehicle is generated based on the track generated for the first motor vehicle;
wherein the energy-efficient track for the first motor vehicle is generated by performing the following steps:
generating a speed profile of the first motor vehicle on the passed portion of the route;
evaluating energy efficiency of the first motor vehicle on the passed portion of the route.
5 . The method of claim 4 , characterized in that the data associated with the first motor vehicle include at least one of the following: the type and model of the first motor vehicle, its mass, its aerodynamic characteristics, its wheel formula, its estimated and/or actual energy consumption and data from its acceleration sensors and/or speed sensors, data from its positioning sensors, weight sensors, and wheel speed sensors, and/or a combination thereof; the data associated with the second motor vehicle include at least one of the following: the type and model of the second motor vehicle, its mass, its aerodynamic characteristics, its wheel formula, its estimated and/or actual energy consumption and data from its acceleration sensors and/or speed sensors, data from its positioning sensors, weight sensors, and wheel speed sensors, and/or a combination thereof; and the data associated with the portion of the route to be passed by the first motor vehicle include at least one of the: the geometry of the portion of the route, the road grade of the portion of the route, the allowed speed on the portion of the route, the quality of road surface of the portion of the route, speed limits on the portion of the route, turns on the portion of the route, weather conditions on the portion of the route, infrastructure of the portion of the route, and/or a combination thereof.
6 . The method of claim 4 , characterized in that the track for the first motor vehicle is generated by performing the following additional steps:
refining the primary data associated with the first motor vehicle based on how it passed the portion of the route;
refining the primary data associated with the portion of the route based on how it was passed by the first motor vehicle;
wherein the refining of the primary data associated with the portion of the route is also based on data obtained from the environmental sensors of the first motor vehicle.
7 . The method of claim 1 , characterized in that the second energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation is generated by means of the CPU of the computer device performing the following steps:
adjusting the first energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation to the energy-efficient track generated for the second motor vehicle;
generating the second energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation, wherein the second energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation is generated based on the energy-efficient track generated for the second motor vehicle, and wherein the energy-efficient track for the second motor vehicle includes at least a speed profile for the second motor vehicle;
wherein the first energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation is adjusted to the energy-efficient track generated for the second motor vehicle by performing the following steps:
adjusting the speed profile of the vehicle in operation to the speed profile of the second motor vehicle that is contained in the energy-efficient track for the second motor vehicle, in order to generate a first adjusted speed profile for the vehicle in operation, wherein the first adjusted speed profile for the vehicle in operation corresponds to the speed profile of the vehicle in operation moving at a speed that does not exceed that of the second motor vehicle moving in accordance with its own speed profile;
evaluating energy efficiency of the vehicle in operation moving in accordance with the first adjusted speed profile for the vehicle in operation.
8 . The method of claim 1 , characterized in that the method further comprises generating a modified energy-efficient track for the second motor vehicle, and generating a third energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation in response to the modified energy-efficient track generated for the second motor vehicle;
wherein the third energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation is generated by means of the CPU of the computer device performing the following steps:
adjusting the second energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation to the modified energy-efficient track for the second motor vehicle;
generating the third energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation, wherein the third energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation is generated based on the modified energy-efficient track for the second motor vehicle and wherein the modified energy-efficient track for the second motor vehicle includes at least a modified speed profile for the second motor vehicle;
wherein the second energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation is adjusted to the modified energy-efficient track for the second motor vehicle by performing the following steps:
adjusting the speed profile of the vehicle in operation to the modified speed profile of the second motor vehicle that is contained in the modified energy-efficient track for the second motor vehicle, in order to obtain a second adjusted speed profile for the vehicle in operation, wherein the second adjusted speed profile for the vehicle in operation corresponds to the speed profile of the vehicle in operation moving at a speed that does not exceed that of the second motor vehicle moving in accordance with its modified speed profile;
evaluating energy efficiency of the vehicle in operation moving in accordance with the second adjusted speed profile for the vehicle in operation.
9 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores program code that, when executed by a CPU of a computer device, induces the CPU to perform the following steps:
generating a first energy-efficient track for a vehicle in operation moving along a highway;
determining a second motor vehicle that is located in front of the vehicle in operation in its direction of movement along the highway and generating an energy-efficient track for the second motor vehicle;
generating a second energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation, based on its speed profile and evaluation of its energy efficiency when the vehicle in operation is moving in accordance with the energy-efficient track for the second motor vehicle;
comparing the second energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation with the first energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation in order to generate a control signal to assign an energy-efficient track to the vehicle in operation;
assigning an energy-efficient track to the vehicle in operation, wherein the energy-efficient track to be assigned is one of the first energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation and the second energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation;
wherein generating the first energy-efficient track comprises at least the following steps:
collecting primary data, which involves obtaining data associated with a first motor vehicle; data associated with a portion of a route to be passed by the first motor vehicle, and data associated with the vehicle in operation, wherein the vehicle in operation passes the portion of the route after the first motor vehicle;
collecting secondary data, which involves generating a track for the first motor vehicle, wherein said track is generated based on how the first motor vehicle passed the portion of the route;
generating an estimated track for the vehicle in operation, wherein said estimated track is generated based on the track generated for the first motor vehicle;
wherein the track for the first motor vehicle is generated by performing at least the following steps:
generating a speed profile of the first motor vehicle on the passed portion of the route;
evaluating energy efficiency of the first motor vehicle on the passed portion of the route;
wherein when the vehicle in operation is passing through the portion of the route, its actual speed profile is determined in at least one moment in time, and when the actual speed profile of the vehicle in operation deviates from its estimated speed profile, which is a part of said track for the vehicle in operation, an energy consumption control signal is generated for the vehicle in operation; and the energy consumption control signal for the vehicle in operation is a signal for a motion control system of the vehicle in operation and/or an on-board information system of the vehicle in operation, and this signal is a signal to decrease or increase wheel speed of at least one wheel of the vehicle in operation.
10 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , characterized in that the data associated with the first motor vehicle include at least one of the following: the type and model of the first motor vehicle, its mass, its aerodynamic characteristics, its wheel formula, its estimated and/or actual energy consumption and data from its acceleration sensors and/or speed sensors, data from its positioning sensors, weight sensors, and wheel speed sensors, and/or a combination thereof; the data associated with the vehicle in operation include at least one of the following: the type and model of the vehicle in operation, its mass, its aerodynamic characteristics, its wheel formula, its estimated and/or actual energy consumption and data from its acceleration sensors and/or speed sensors, data from its positioning sensors, weight sensors, and wheel speed sensors, and/or a combination thereof; and the data associated with the portion of the route to be passed by the first motor vehicle include at least one of the following: the geometry of the portion of the route, the road grade of the portion of the route, the allowed speed on the portion of the route, the quality of road surface of the portion of the route, speed limits on the portion of the route, turns on the portion of the route, weather conditions on the portion of the route, infrastructure of the portion of the route, and/or a combination thereof.
11 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , characterized in that the track for the first motor vehicle is generated by performing the following additional steps:
refining the primary data associated with the first motor vehicle based on how it passed the portion of the route;
refining the primary data associated with the portion of the route based on how it was passed by the first motor vehicle;
wherein the refining of the primary data associated with the portion of the route is also based on data obtained from the environmental sensors of the first motor vehicle.
12 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , characterized in that the energy-efficient track for the second motor vehicle is generated by means of the CPU of the computer device performing the following steps:
collecting primary data that involves obtaining data associated with a first motor vehicle, data associated with a portion of a route to be passed by the first motor vehicle, and data associated with the second motor vehicle, wherein the second motor vehicle passes the portion of the route after the first motor vehicle, but before the vehicle in operation;
collecting secondary data that involves generating a track of the first motor vehicle, wherein said track is generated based on how the first motor vehicle passed the portion of the route;
generating an energy-efficient track for the second motor vehicle, wherein the energy-efficient track for the second motor vehicle is generated based on the track generated for the first motor vehicle;
wherein the energy-efficient track for the first motor vehicle is generated by performing the following steps:
generating a speed profile of the first motor vehicle on the passed portion of the route;
evaluating energy efficiency of the first motor vehicle on the passed portion of the route.
13 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , characterized in that the data associated with the first motor vehicle include at least one of the following: the type and model of the first motor vehicle, its mass, its aerodynamic characteristics, its wheel formula, its estimated and/or actual energy consumption and data from its acceleration sensors and/or speed sensors, data from its positioning sensors, weight sensors, and wheel speed sensors, and/or a combination thereof; the data associated with the second motor vehicle include at least one of the following: the type and model of the second motor vehicle, its mass, its aerodynamic characteristics, its wheel formula, its estimated and/or actual energy consumption and data from its acceleration sensors and/or speed sensors, data from its positioning sensors, weight sensors, and wheel speed sensors, and/or a combination thereof; and the data associated with the portion of the route to be passed by the first motor vehicle include at least one of the following: the geometry of the portion of the route, the road grade of the portion of the route, the allowed speed on the portion of the route, the quality of road surface of the portion of the route, speed limits on the portion of the route, turns on the portion of the route, weather conditions on the portion of the route, infrastructure of the portion of the route, and/or a combination thereof.
14 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , characterized in that the track for the first motor vehicle is generated by performing the following additional steps:
refining the primary data associated with the first motor vehicle based on how it passed the portion of the route;
refining the primary data associated with the portion of the route based on how it was passed by the first motor vehicle;
wherein the refining of the primary data associated with the portion of the route is also based on data obtained from the environmental sensors of the first motor vehicle.
15 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , characterized in that the second energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation is generated by means of the CPU of the computer device performing the following steps:
adjusting the first energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation to the energy-efficient track generated for the second motor vehicle;
generating the second energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation, wherein the second energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation is generated based on the energy-efficient track generated for the second motor vehicle, and wherein the energy-efficient track for the second motor vehicle includes at least a speed profile for the second motor vehicle;
wherein the first energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation is adjusted to the energy-efficient track generated for the second motor vehicle by performing the following steps:
adjusting the speed profile of the vehicle in operation to the speed profile of the second motor vehicle that is contained in the energy-efficient track for the second motor vehicle, in order to generate a first adjusted speed profile for the vehicle in operation, wherein the first adjusted speed profile for the vehicle in operation corresponds to the speed profile of the vehicle in operation moving at a speed that does not exceed that of the second motor vehicle moving in accordance with its own speed profile;
evaluating energy efficiency of the vehicle in operation moving in accordance with the first adjusted speed profile for the vehicle in operation.
16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , characterized in that the medium stores additional program code that, when executed by the CPU, induces the CPU to perform the following: generating a modified energy-efficient track for the second motor vehicle, and generating a third energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation in response to the modified energy-efficient track generated for the second motor vehicle;
wherein the third energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation is generated by means of the CPU of the computer device performing the following steps:
adjusting the second energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation to the modified energy-efficient track for the second motor vehicle;
generating the third energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation, wherein the third energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation is generated based on the modified energy-efficient track for the second motor vehicle and wherein the modified energy-efficient track for the second motor vehicle includes at least a modified speed profile for the second motor vehicle;
wherein the second energy-efficient track for the vehicle in operation is adjusted to the modified energy-efficient track for the second motor vehicle by performing the following steps:
adjusting the speed profile of the vehicle in operation to the modified speed profile of the second motor vehicle that is contained in the modified energy-efficient track for the second motor vehicle, in order to obtain a second adjusted speed profile for the vehicle in operation, wherein the second adjusted speed profile for the vehicle in operation corresponds to the speed profile of the vehicle in operation moving at a speed that does not exceed that of the second motor vehicle moving in accordance with its modified speed profile;
evaluating energy efficiency of the vehicle in operation moving in accordance with the second adjusted speed profile for the vehicle in operation.