Method for reducing fuel consumption of vehicle

Abstract

A method (50) for reducing the fuel consumption of a vehicle (10) operable by a driver, the method being performed by a processing device (12, 20) and comprising: acquiring (S01) driving data indicative of the operation of the vehicle (10); determining (S02), based on the driving data, a driving score indicative of a degree of fuel consumption for operating the vehicle (10) by the driver; associating (S03) a respective number of tokens indicative of an amount of tokens dependent on said degree of fuel consumption of the vehicle (10) with a driving score; and assigning (S04) the token amount to one or more target wallets (30, 40) through the blockchain, the one or more target wallets (30, 40) being a driver wallet (30) of the driver and / or a fleet owner wallet (40) of a fleet owner having the vehicle (10).

Description

[0001] Cross - reference to related applications

[0002] This patent application claims the priority of Italian Patent Application No. 102022000017538, filed on August 24, 2022, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical field

[0003] The present invention relates to a method for reducing the fuel consumption of a vehicle. The present invention also relates to said vehicle, a system including said vehicle, and a computer program product thereof.

[0004] Although not exclusive nor restrictive, the present invention finds its preferred application in work vehicles or heavy vehicles, preferably in fleets (e.g., truck fleets). Background art

[0005] Modern vehicles are typically driven and controlled by a driver to maximize their performance, such as to maximize their driving speed or to minimize the time required to perform a certain operation (e.g., lifting a heavy load by a heavy vehicle such as a wheel loader).

[0006] However, this general behavior in controlling and driving vehicles causes them to often operate in a high - performance mode (e.g., by driving at high speed or generating high hydraulic pressure in the vehicle's hydraulic system), thus requiring high fuel consumption.

[0007] Since fuel economy and vehicle performance are usually traded off against each other, several solutions are known to optimize one at the expense of the other. Other known solutions enable the driver to choose the desired compromise level among several possibilities (e.g., the driver can select the most suitable option for fuel consumption and vehicle performance based on the task to be performed).

[0008] These solutions have proven to be effective in reducing the fuel consumption of vehicles.

[0009] However, it has been verified that drivers generally do not fully comply with the requirements and the optimal operating range of the selected compromise level, and for example, force the vehicle to operate at a higher performance than the optimal performance for the selected compromise level (e.g., force the vehicle to drive at a higher speed than the speed predefined for the selected fuel consumption and vehicle performance option).

[0010] This non - compliance of the driver with the optimal operating range of the selected driving mode results in additional fuel consumption that should have been avoided.

[0011] Therefore, there is a felt need to provide solutions that prompt the driver to comply with the optimal driving mode and, more generally, enable the reduction of the fuel consumption of vehicles. Summary of the Invention

[0012] The object of the present invention is to meet the above-mentioned needs.

[0013] The above object is achieved by a method for reducing the fuel consumption of a vehicle, a vehicle, a system including the vehicle, and a computer program product as claimed in the appended claims. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014] For a better understanding of the present invention, preferred embodiments are described below by way of non-limiting examples with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0015] · Figure 1 is a block diagram schematically showing a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] · Figure 2 is a block diagram schematically showing a method for reducing fuel consumption when driving a Figure 1 vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] · Figure 3 is a block diagram schematically showing a system including a Figure 1 fleet of vehicles according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Description of the Embodiments

[0018] Figure 1 Vehicle 10 is shown. In particular, vehicle 10 is a heavy vehicle (e.g., a truck) or a work vehicle (e.g., a tractor or a wheel loader).

[0019] Vehicle 10 includes a control unit 12 configured to control vehicle 10. For example, control unit 12 is a vehicle control unit VCU of a type known per se.

[0020] For example, control unit 12 may include a communication module (not shown and of a type known per se, such as a transceiver module capable of communicating via RF or wireless technology) for sending and receiving data outside vehicle 10, as discussed better below.

[0021] In particular and in a manner known per se, in use, control unit 12 generates one or more vehicle control signals that control the operation of vehicle 10, and more particularly, control one or more driving conditions of vehicle 10 (e.g., driving speed, positioning of the boom of vehicle 10, air conditioning level, etc.).

[0022] For example, the control unit 12 is operatively coupled to an actuating device 14 of the vehicle 10, and the actuating device 14 receives vehicle control signals from the control unit 12 during use and controls the vehicle 10 accordingly.

[0023] The vehicle 10 further includes: a sensor device 16, which is operatively coupled to the control unit 12 and is configured to acquire driving data of the vehicle 10. In particular, the driving data indicates the operation of the vehicle 10 and, for example, one or more driving conditions of the vehicle 10. As an illustrative and non-limiting example, the driving data includes at least one of the measured driving speed of the vehicle 10, the measured positioning of the telescopic boom of the vehicle 10, the temperature in the cab of the vehicle 10, the positioning of the steering wheel, etc.

[0024] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 12 implements a method 50 for reducing fuel consumption.

[0025] Figure 2 The method 50 is shown.

[0026] At step S01 of the method 50, the control unit 12 acquires the driving data of the vehicle 10 through the sensor device 16.

[0027] In step S02 of the method 50, following step S01, the control unit 12 determines a driving score based on the driving data. In particular, the driving score indicates the quality of the driver's driving of the vehicle 10, and more specifically, indicates the degree of fuel consumption of the vehicle 10. In other words, the driving score indicates the correlation between the driver's driving behavior and the vehicle fuel consumption.

[0028] For example, the driving score is inversely proportional to the degree of fuel consumption, and thus increases as the fuel consumption required to drive the vehicle 10 decreases, and decreases as the fuel consumption increases. Therefore, if the driver has a driving behavior that reduces the fuel consumption of the vehicle 10, the driving score increases. In particular, the driving score can vary between a minimum driving score (e.g., 0) and a maximum driving score (e.g., 100), where the minimum driving score corresponds to the highest degree of fuel consumption when driving the vehicle 10, and the maximum driving score corresponds to the lowest degree of fuel consumption when driving the vehicle 10.

[0029] More specifically, the driving score is calculated according to criteria and techniques known per se used in currently available systems such as a driver evaluation system (DES), a driving style evaluation (DSE), or a driving attention support (DAS) system. For example, the DAS system evaluates the driver's attention and driving style by analyzing data such as the movement of the steering wheel, the driver's voluntary and involuntary movements, and the operating parameters of the vehicle 10; this also enables the detection of drowsy driving and provides an alert to the driver when necessary.

[0030] More specifically, a driving score is determined by comparing the driving data with a predefined range of driving data (e.g., by comparing the measured driving speed of the vehicle with one or more predefined driving speed thresholds).

[0031] At step S03 of method 50, following step S02, the control unit 12 associates the number of tokens with the driving score.

[0032] The number of tokens indicates the driving score (e.g., is proportional thereto) and thus indicates the degree of fuel consumption of the vehicle 10. Thus, if the driver has a driving behavior that reduces the fuel consumption of the vehicle 10, the number of tokens increases, otherwise the number of tokens decreases. In particular, the number of tokens can vary between a minimum number of tokens (e.g., 0) and a maximum number of tokens (e.g., 1000), where the minimum number of tokens corresponds to the minimum score value and thus to the highest degree of fuel consumption when driving the vehicle 10, and the maximum number of tokens corresponds to the maximum driving score and thus to the lowest degree of fuel consumption when driving the vehicle 10.

[0033] For example, based on the driving score, the number of tokens is determined by means of a look-up table that associates the respective number of tokens with each driving score (alternatively, associates the respective range of token numbers with each range of driving scores).

[0034] The number of tokens is the number of tokens that are managed (e.g., exchanged) via the blockchain.

[0035] As is well known, the blockchain is a shared, programmable, and immutable data structure formed by a growing list of records (called blocks) that are securely linked together using cryptography. The blocks indicate the respective actions regarding token manipulation (e.g., generation and transfer), which are managed by the respective smart contracts stored in the blocks.

[0036] Specifically, each block includes the cryptographic hash of the previous block, a timestamp, and the transaction data of the respective smart contract. The timestamp attests that the transaction data existed when the block was published for inclusion in its hash. Since each block includes information about the previous block, they form a chain, where each additional block strengthens the security and immutability of the block before it. Thus, the blockchain is resistant to modification of its data because once recorded, the data in any given block cannot be retroactively changed without changing all subsequent blocks.

[0037] Tokens are digital assets defined by smart contracts and managed (e.g., transferred) via the blockchain.

[0038] A smart contract is a digital contract stored on a blockchain. When the predefined terms and conditions are met, they are automatically executed. They are typically used to automate agreements so that all participants can immediately determine the outcome without the intervention of any intermediary or loss of time. They can also automate workflows, such as triggering the next action when a condition is met.

[0039] In the present case, the blockchain is of a type known per se (e.g., Ethereum) and will not be described in further detail here.

[0040] For example, the blockchain is owned and managed by the vehicle manufacturer.

[0041] For example, the blockchain is stored in an external unit (e.g., Figure 3 the control station 20) located outside the vehicle 10 and can be owned by the vehicle manufacturer. The control unit 12 is operatively coupled to the external unit, for example, via a communication module, in order to access the blockchain and add new blocks. Alternatively, the blockchain is in the cloud, and the control unit 12 can access it, for example, via a communication module.

[0042] At step S04 of method 50, following step S03, the control unit 12 allocates, via the blockchain, the number of tokens determined at step S03 to one or more target wallets.

[0043] A wallet is a device or program that stores cryptocurrency keys and allows access to these currencies. A wallet includes a public key (wallet address) and a private key required to sign cryptocurrency transactions. Anyone who knows the private key can control the currency associated with the wallet address.

[0044] More specifically, the control unit 12 communicates with the blockchain and adds a new block to the blockchain. The block includes a smart contract that transfers a certain amount of tokens (i.e., the number of tokens) from a token source to the wallet address of a target entity (alternatively, in the case of multiple target wallets, to the multiple wallet addresses of multiple target entities).

[0045] Specifically, the token source is the wallet of the manufacturer of the vehicle 10, and the one or more target entities are the driver and / or fleet owner of the vehicle 10.

[0046] Specifically, Figure 3A system 70 is shown that includes a fleet of N vehicles 10 owned by a fleet owner. The N vehicles 10 can be driven by M drivers (where N is greater than, less than, or equal to M and for example N = M). Corresponding driver wallets 30 are associated with and owned by each driver, and a fleet owner wallet 40 is associated with and owned by the fleet owner. Wallets 30 and 40 are also included in the system 70. In addition, the system 70 can further include a control station 20 (e.g., a server) that is owned by the vehicle manufacturer and operatively coupled to the vehicles 10 and wallets 30, 40.

[0047] According to an embodiment, the control unit 12 manages the transfer of all tokens to the driver's wallet 30 via a blockchain (i.e., the token quantity is transferred to the driver at 100%).

[0048] According to different embodiments, the control unit 12 manages the transfer of all tokens to the fleet owner's wallet 40 via a blockchain (i.e., the token quantity is transferred to the fleet owner at 100%).

[0049] According to a further embodiment, the control unit 12 manages the transfer of tokens partly to the driver's wallet 30 and partly to the fleet owner's wallet 40 via a blockchain (i.e., the token quantity is transferred partly to the fleet owner and partly to the driver). Specifically, the tokens are transferred to the driver's wallet 30 and the fleet owner's wallet 40 according to a predefined reallocation criterion (e.g., 50% to the driver's wallet 30 and 50% to the fleet owner's wallet 40). For example, if the token quantity determined at step S03 is equal to 700, the driver's wallet 30 can receive 350 tokens, and the fleet owner's wallet 40 can receive 350 tokens.

[0050] The tokens in wallets 30, 40 can be used by the driver and the fleet owner respectively to obtain rewards from the vehicle manufacturer. This serves to incentivize the driver to drive in a more sustainable manner, i.e., to reduce fuel consumption when driving the vehicle 10.

[0051] The tokens in wallets 30, 40 can be used by the driver or the fleet owner to obtain at least one of the following from the vehicle manufacturer: one or more gadgets (e.g., T-shirts, backpacks, etc.); discounts for purchasing one or more new vehicles; discounts for one or more services related to the vehicle 10; and one or more additional services related to the vehicle 10. For example, the quantity of discounts and available services can increase as the token quantity in the target wallet increases.

[0052] These rewards can be provided for free by the vehicle manufacturer (e.g., discounts on new vehicles or on new services or availability, such as automatically granted when the target wallet exceeds a token amount threshold) or provided upon token payment (e.g., gadgets can be purchased from the vehicle manufacturer with tokens previously collected in the target wallet in response to the driver's driving behavior).

[0053] Thus, in cases where token payment is required to obtain a reward, method 50 can additionally include additional steps following S04 and not shown in Figure 2 wherein the vehicle manufacturer receives, via the blockchain and from the target wallet (with the consent of the target entity), a predetermined token amount corresponding to the payment of the reward to be provided to the target entity. Upon receiving the predetermined token amount, the vehicle manufacturer provides the corresponding reward to the target entity (e.g., sends a gadget to the driver). This additional step is implemented as previously discussed for step S04, i.e., by adding a new block to the blockchain that includes a smart contract registering the token transfer from the target wallet to the vehicle manufacturer's wallet (also referred to as the vehicle manufacturer's wallet).

[0054] Method 50 can be executed iteratively.

[0055] For example, method 50 can be iterated periodically (i.e., when a predetermined time interval has elapsed since the last iteration of method 50, such as every few milliseconds or minutes, or daily at a predetermined time), or at the end of each driving session (e.g., each time vehicle 10 is turned off). Additionally, the driving data collection at step S01 can be performed in real time (e.g., every millisecond), and the other steps of the method can be performed periodically or at the end of each driving session based on the driving data obtained from its last iteration (e.g., based on a statistical analysis of this driving data). Additionally, the additional steps can be performed upon request of the target entity (e.g., every few weeks or months, when the target wallet includes a sufficient amount of tokens to pay for the reward).

[0056] In view of the foregoing, the advantages of the method for reducing fuel consumption of a vehicle according to the present invention are apparent.

[0057] Method 50 enables an incentive program that incentivizes drivers and / or fleet owners (who in turn can directly incentivize drivers, for example, through a similar reward system) to drive or operate vehicle 10 in the most sustainable manner possible considering all the functions available at the vehicle level. This is achieved by using a blockchain that enables the provision of rewards and / or discounts.

[0058] Thus, method 50 enables an increase in fuel efficiency and a reduction in overall fuel consumption.

[0059] In addition, the blockchain ensures that token transactions are authenticated and cannot be tampered with, thereby enhancing the reliability of Method 50.

[0060] It is evident that modifications can be made to the methods, vehicles, systems including the vehicles, and computer program products described for reducing the fuel consumption of a vehicle without exceeding the scope of protection defined by the claims.

[0061] For example, the previously described embodiments can be combined to obtain additional solutions.

[0062] Furthermore, steps S02, S03, and S04 (and additional steps, if any) can be executed by the control station 20 owned by the manufacturer of the vehicle 10. Thus, more generally, Method 50 is executed by a processing device including the control unit 12 of the vehicle 10 and may also include the control station 20 of the vehicle manufacturer; step S01 is executed by the control unit 12, and steps S02, S03, and S04 (and additional steps, if any) can be executed by the control unit 12 or by the control station 20 of the vehicle manufacturer (or some of them are executed by the control unit 12 and others are executed by the control station 20 of the vehicle manufacturer).

[0063] In addition, step S03 can also be executed through the blockchain, that is, by adding a block including a smart contract associating the control driving score with the number of tokens to the blockchain (similar to that previously described).

Claims

1. A method (50) for reducing the fuel consumption of a vehicle (10) operable by a driver, wherein the method is executed by a processing device (12, 20), and comprises: - obtaining (S01) driving data indicative of the operation of the vehicle (10); - based on the driving data, determining (S02) a driving score indicative of the degree of fuel consumption for the driver to operate the vehicle (10); - associating (S03) a corresponding token amount with the driving score, the token amount indicating the number of tokens depending on the degree of fuel consumption of the vehicle (10); and - allocating (S04) the token amount to one or more target wallets (30, 40) via a blockchain, the one or more target wallets (30, 40) being the driver's driver wallet (30) and / or the fleet owner's fleet owner wallet (40) of the owner of the vehicle (10).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the step of allocating (S04) the token amount comprises adding a block including a smart contract in the blockchain, the smart contract registering the transfer of the token amount from the vehicle manufacturer wallet of the manufacturer of the vehicle (10) to the one or more target wallets (30, 40).

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, the transfer of the token amount includes one of the following: transferring the token amount entirely to the driver wallet (30); transferring the token amount entirely to the fleet owner wallet (40); transferring a part of the token amount to the driver wallet (30) and a part to the fleet owner wallet (40).

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, the step of obtaining (S01) the driving data comprises obtaining (S01) the driving data from a sensor device (16) of the vehicle (10).

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, the driving score is inversely proportional to the degree of fuel consumption of the vehicle (10).

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, the step of associating (S03) the token amount with the driving score comprises using a look-up table that associates a corresponding token amount with each driving score, or associates a corresponding token amount range with each driving score range.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims depending on claim 2, further comprising the steps of: transferring a predetermined token amount from one of the one or more target wallets (30, 40) to the vehicle manufacturer wallet via the blockchain in exchange for a reward provided by the manufacturer of the vehicle (10) to the driver and / or the fleet owner.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The reward is at least one of the following: one or more gadgets; a discount on the purchase of one or more other vehicles; a discount on one or more services related to the vehicle (10); one or more additional services related to the vehicle (10).

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims dependent on claim 2, wherein, the blockchain is owned by the manufacturer of the vehicle (10).

10. A vehicle (10) that can be operated by a driver and includes a control unit (12), the control unit (12) being configured to: - Obtain driving data indicating the operation of the vehicle (10); - Based on the driving data, determine a driving score indicating the degree of fuel consumption for the operation of the vehicle (10) by the driver; - Associate a corresponding number of tokens indicating the amount of tokens depending on the degree of fuel consumption of the vehicle (10) with the driving score; and - Allocate the amount of tokens to one or more target wallets (30, 40) via a blockchain, the one or more target wallets (30, 40) being the driver's driver wallet (30) and / or the fleet owner's fleet owner wallet (40) of the fleet owner owning the vehicle (10).

11. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the vehicle (10) is a work vehicle or a heavy vehicle.

12. A system (70) for reducing the fuel consumption of at least one vehicle (10) that can be operated by at least one driver, the system (70) includes components operatively coupled to each other: the at least one vehicle (10); processing devices (12, 20) ； and one or more target wallets (30, 40), the one or more target wallets (30, 40) being the corresponding driver wallets (30) of the at least one driver and / or the fleet owner wallets (40) of the fleet owner owning the at least one vehicle (10), the processing devices (12, 20) being configured to: - Obtain driving data indicating the operation of the at least one vehicle (10); - Based on the driving data, determine at least one driving score indicating the corresponding degree of fuel consumption for the operation of the at least one vehicle (10) by the at least one driver; - Associate a corresponding number of tokens indicating the corresponding amount of tokens depending on the degree of fuel consumption of the at least one vehicle (10) with the at least one driving score; and - Allocate at least one amount of tokens to the one or more target wallets (30, 40) via a blockchain.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein, the processing devices (12, 20) include a control station (20) configured to implement the blockchain.

14. The system according to claim 12 or 13, including a first plurality of the vehicles (10) that can be operated by a second plurality of the drivers, the vehicles (10) forming a fleet, the processing devices (12, 20) being configured to: - Obtain the driving data from each vehicle (10); - For each vehicle (10) and based on the corresponding driving data, determine a corresponding driving score indicative of the corresponding degree of fuel consumption for operating the vehicle (10) by the corresponding driver; - Associate a corresponding number of tokens with each driving score; And - Allocate each token amount to the corresponding one or more target wallets (30, 40) via a blockchain.

15. A computer program product that can be stored in a processing device (12, 20), The computer program is designed such that when executed, the processing device (12, 20) is configured to implement the method (50) for reducing fuel consumption of a vehicle (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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