System and method for maximizing vehicle energy storage in infrastructure limited situations

Abstract

A vehicle includes a battery, one or more fuel tanks, and a controller. The controller performs operations including: receiving data indicative of a location of the gas station relative to a current location of the vehicle; receiving data indicative of a state of charge of the battery; receiving data indicative of a fuel level for each fuel tank; determining an amount of energy required to reach the gas station from the current location; selecting at least one fuel tank for refueling based on the location of the gas station, the state of charge of the battery, the fuel level of at least one of the one or more fuel tanks, and the determined amount of energy; and pre-treating the selected at least one fuel tank by converting fuel in the selected at least one fuel tank from the first form of energy to the second form of energy.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 699,319, filed on September 26, 2024, entitled “System and Method for Maximizing Vehicle Energy Storage in Infrastructure-Constrained Situations,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. Technical Field

[0003] This invention relates to systems and methods for refueling based on infrastructure constraints. Background Technology

[0004] Internal combustion engines can be fueled by various types of fuels (e.g., natural gas, gasoline, hydrogen, etc.). Infrastructure limitations can affect the availability of gas stations in different locations. Summary of the Invention

[0005] One embodiment relates to a vehicle. The vehicle includes: a battery; one or more fuel tanks; and a controller including a memory storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations. These operations may include: receiving data indicating the location of a gas station relative to the vehicle's current location; receiving data indicating the state of charge of the battery; receiving data indicating the fuel level of each of the one or more fuel tanks; determining the amount of energy to be utilized to reach the gas station from the vehicle's current location; selecting at least one of the one or more fuel tanks for refueling based on the location of the gas station, the state of charge of the battery, the fuel level of at least one of the one or more fuel tanks, and the determined amount of energy; and pre-processing the selected at least one fuel tank. Pre-processing the selected at least one fuel tank may include converting the fuel in the selected at least one fuel tank from a first form of energy to a second form of energy.

[0006] Another embodiment relates to a vehicle. The vehicle includes: a battery; one or more fuel tanks; and a controller including a memory storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations. These operations may include: receiving data indicating the location of a gas station relative to the vehicle's current location; receiving one or more operating conditions of the vehicle; and temporarily increasing an upper limit of the battery's state of charge based on at least one of the one or more vehicle operating conditions.

[0007] Another embodiment relates to a method. The method includes receiving, by one or more processors, data indicating the location of a gas station relative to the current location of a vehicle; receiving, by one or more processors, data indicating the state of charge (SOC) of a vehicle battery; receiving, by one or more processors, data indicating the fuel level of one or more fuel tanks of the vehicle; determining, by one or more processors, the amount of energy to be utilized to reach the gas station from the vehicle's current location based on the location of the gas station, the SOC of the battery, the fuel level of at least one of the one or more fuel tanks, and a determined amount of energy; preprocessing, by one or more processors, selecting at least one fuel tank from the one or more fuel tanks; preprocessing, by one or more processors, the selected at least one fuel tank, wherein preprocessing includes converting fuel in the selected at least one fuel tank from a first form of energy to a second form of energy; and the one or more processors conveying instructions to replace the selected at least one fuel tank with a new fuel tank whose fuel level is at or above a predetermined threshold level.

[0008] Numerous specific details are provided to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the subject matter of the invention. The described features of the subject matter of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments and / or implementations. In this regard, one or more features of one aspect of the invention may be combined with one or more features of different aspects of the invention. Furthermore, additional features may be recognized in some embodiments and / or implementations that may not be present in all embodiments or implementations. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of a system for use in a vehicle according to an example embodiment.

[0010] Figure 2 According to the example embodiment Figure 1 A block diagram of the vehicle's controller.

[0011] Figure 3 Control according to the example embodiment Figure 1 The flowchart of the method for the vehicle.

[0012] Figure 4 Control according to the example embodiment Figure 1 A flowchart of a method for determining the state of charge of a vehicle's battery. Detailed Implementation

[0013] The following is a more detailed description of various concepts, methods, apparatuses, computer-readable media, and systems implemented in connection with pre-treating a fuel system before reaching a gas station to increase or maximize a vehicle's energy storage. In some embodiments, one or more controllers may be used to determine the distance between the vehicle's location and the location of the gas station, the state of charge (SOC) of the vehicle's battery, and the fuel level indication of one or more fuel tanks of the vehicle to convert the fuel stored in one of the fuel tanks to increase or maximize energy storage. For example, the fuel may be converted into electrical energy to fully charge the vehicle's battery.

[0014] Before turning to the accompanying drawings, which detail certain exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the details or methods set forth in the specification or shown in the drawings. It should also be understood that the terminology used herein is for descriptive purposes only and should not be considered limiting.

[0015] Technically and advantageously, the systems, methods, computer-readable media, and apparatuses described herein according to various embodiments provide improvements or maximization of energy storage on a vehicle, particularly in situations where infrastructure constraints exist. As described herein, one or more fuel tanks of a hybrid vehicle may be pre-treated for refueling before reaching a gas station. Pre-treatment may include depleting the fuel in the fuel tanks such that the amount of fuel lost during refueling is reduced or minimized, and the amount of energy stored on the vehicle is maximized upon leaving the gas station. Converting fuel into electrical energy to increase the state of charge of the vehicle's battery enables maximum energy (e.g., fuel and electricity) storage on the vehicle.

[0016] In various situations, vehicles may face difficulties refueling. For example, for certain types of fuel, infrastructure along the vehicle's route may be lacking, preventing the vehicle from reaching refueling parameters. Furthermore, for some vehicles, access to infrastructure stations may be difficult, limiting the availability and / or accessibility of refueling. Consequently, various vehicles may travel extended distances without refueling, which can be dangerous or lead to potential problems. For instance, a vehicle might run out of fuel midway through its route without refueling. Systems according to various embodiments identify refueling opportunities, thereby increasing or maximizing energy storage, enabling the vehicle to continue driving when refueling opportunities are limited.

[0017] Furthermore, in some cases, when a vehicle with multiple fuel tanks arrives at a gas station, the tanks may have different fuel levels. For example, some tanks may be almost or nearly full, some may be partially full (e.g., half, three-quarters, one-third, etc.), and some may be almost or nearly empty. When a gas station exchanges nearly or partially full tanks for full tanks, the remaining fuel may be effectively "donated" or "lost." That is, the remaining fuel, for example, was previously purchased by the vehicle owner and has not been used by the vehicle, but the cost of the unused fuel is still borne by the fuel purchaser. This can result in cost losses for the driver, the vehicle owner, the company owning the vehicle, etc.

[0018] Technically and advantageously, the systems and methods described in the various embodiments herein allow for improved or maximized energy storage on a vehicle to increase vehicle range, thereby reducing the likelihood of the vehicle being unable to reach a gas station and reducing costs incurred due to wasted unused fuel. As described above, the systems and methods of the various embodiments described herein include pre-treating the vehicle's fuel tank before refueling. Pre-treating may include converting fuel into electrical energy to increase the battery's state of charge (SOC). The battery's SOC may be increased to full or its maximum limit, thereby providing the vehicle with the maximum range available for battery-powered operation. This conversion also allows the fuel tank to become substantially empty upon arrival at a gas station. Thus, when an empty fuel tank is exchanged for a full fuel tank (e.g., the vehicle receives the maximum net amount of fuel), the reduced amount of fuel is lost or "donated." Multiple fuel tanks may be pre-treated and emptied before refueling. Thus, one or more fuel tanks may be refueled at a gas station, thereby allowing at least a full battery SOC and at least one full fuel tank.

[0019] As used herein, the term "estimation" and similar terms refer to determining an approximate value based on data (e.g., sensor data, historical sensor data, real-time sensor data, etc.), which may be close to but not necessarily exactly the actual value. In some embodiments, one or more models (e.g., statistical models, artificial intelligence models, machine learning models, etc.) may be used to perform estimations of current or future values. For example, estimating the driving range of an electric powertrain's battery may include using data (such as sensor data) in conjunction with a model to determine a driving range value.

[0020] As used herein, the term "driving range" and similar terms refer to the maximum distance a vehicle can travel before running out of fuel and / or battery power. Vehicle driving range can be an estimate. Driving range can be expressed in distance, such as remaining miles or kilometers, in time, such as remaining driving hours, and / or as a percentage of the remaining distance and / or time before refueling or charging is required.

[0021] As used herein, the term "measurement" and similar terms are used to refer to determining an approximate value based on the detection or reception of information about the measured value / parameter (e.g., using a sensor). A measured value may be closer to the actual value (e.g., compared to an estimated value), but is not necessarily exactly the actual value of the parameter.

[0022] As described herein, a power system may include an engine. An engine may be an internal combustion engine (ICE) configured to burn fuel. For example, an ICE may be configured to burn hydrogen, natural gas, gasoline, diesel, biodiesel, propane, etc. It should be understood that an ICE can burn any type of fuel. During engine operation, a control system (e.g., a controller) may control the operation of the power system and / or one or more of its components or systems.

[0023] As used herein, the terms “control,” “regulation,” “change,” and similar terms are used interchangeably to refer to altering or modifying operating parameters by generating and / or transmitting control signals (e.g., via a controller, computing system, etc.) to one or more systems, sensors, and / or components, thereby causing a change in the operation of the system, sensor, and / or component. Such regulation can be iterative, with multiple adjustments performed until a desired output is achieved. For example, the desired output may include desired operating characteristics, target values ​​for operating characteristics, and / or thresholds (e.g., target emission output, target engine torque output, target speed, target fuel injection timing, and / or mass, etc.). In some embodiments, regulation may be based on statistical models and / or machine learning models (e.g., artificial intelligence). In these embodiments, regulation is not necessarily performed in a predetermined manner. Rather, regulation may be unique for a single device (engine, vehicle, operating environment, etc.).

[0024] Now for reference Figure 1 A block diagram of system 100 is shown according to an example embodiment. System 100 may be embodied in a vehicle, which may be configured as an on-road or off-road vehicle (e.g., a front-end loader, bulldozer, etc.), including but not limited to long-haul trucks, medium-duty trucks (e.g., pickup trucks), passenger cars (e.g., sedans), and any other type of vehicle. In other embodiments, system 100 or portions thereof may be embodied in non-vehicle applications, such as generator sets. It should also be understood that in other embodiments, system 100 may include more, different, and / or fewer components of system 100 without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0025] In some embodiments, system 100 can be any type of on-road or off-road vehicle, including but not limited to wheel loaders, forklifts, long-haul trucks, medium-duty trucks (e.g., pickup trucks), cars, sedans, tanks, aircraft, boats, and any other type of vehicle. All such variations are intended to fall within the scope of this invention.

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, system 100 includes a battery, a fuel system 120, an engine 130, and a controller 140 (e.g., ...). Figure 2 (As shown), sensors 150 and operator I / O devices 160. Each component of system 100 is communicatively coupled to each other. The vehicle can be configured as a hybrid vehicle, such as a hybrid vehicle comprising one or more electric motors and one or more internal combustion engines.

[0027] In the illustrated example, system 100 is at least partially driven by an internal combustion engine (ICE), shown as engine 130. The ICE may consume fuel (e.g., hydrogen, diesel, gasoline, natural gas, etc.) to generate power. According to one embodiment, engine 130 is configured as a compression-ignition internal combustion engine using hydrogen fuel. However, in various alternative embodiments, engine 130 may be configured as any other type of engine (e.g., spark-ignition) using any type of fuel (e.g., gasoline, natural gas, diesel, etc.).

[0028] Engine 130 can power and / or propel a vehicle embodying system 100 via a powertrain. The powertrain can be an electric / hybrid system. In some embodiments, the powertrain is a hybrid powertrain having a combination of an internal combustion engine and at least one electric motor (not shown) coupled to at least one battery 110. For example, system 100 may include an electric motor (e.g., electric motor, electric generator, electric starter, etc.) coupled to engine 130 via a shaft (e.g., output shaft, drive shaft, crankshaft, etc.). In some embodiments, system 100 may be configured as a mild hybrid system, a parallel hybrid system, a series hybrid system, or a series-parallel hybrid system.

[0029] In various embodiments, the power system may include one or more batteries 110. Batteries 110 may be used to power system 100 (e.g., an electric motor). Batteries 110 may be coupled to the electric motor of a hybrid powertrain system. Fuel system 120 is configured to supply electrical energy from batteries 110 to the electric motor. In some embodiments, fuel system 120 is configured to supply electrical energy to batteries 110 from the electric motor and / or from an alternator coupled to engine 130.

[0030] In various embodiments, battery 110 may have specific charging thresholds associated with the degree of charging and / or discharging of the battery. For example, battery 110 being "fully charged" may mean that battery 110 is charged within a specific range and the stored charge is at or above a predetermined threshold. For example, a battery at 98% or higher may constitute a "fully charged" battery. Furthermore, battery 110 being "empty" or discharged may mean that battery 110 has been discharged to a specific range and the stored charge is at or below a predetermined threshold. For example, a battery with 3% or less of remaining battery life may constitute a "depleted" or discharged battery.

[0031] In various embodiments, battery 110 may have multiple associated SOC ranges. For example, during standard operation, battery 110 may have an upper SOC limit of 95% and a lower SOC limit of 5%. In various embodiments, during altered operation, battery 110 may have an increased SOC range. For example, during altered operation, battery 110 may have an upper SOC limit of 97% and / or a lower SOC limit of 3%.

[0032] In some arrangements, the controller 140 includes hardware, software, or any combination of hardware and software, configured to facilitate the operation of components of system 100. For example, and as... Figure 1 As shown, controller 140 includes preprocessing circuitry 220, which includes any combination of hardware and software for making computer-generated predictions or estimates based on one or more statistical models. In some embodiments, controller 140 includes any combination of hardware and software, including dedicated processing circuitry, application programs, executable files, etc., for controlling, managing, or facilitating the operation of other computing systems (including fuel system 120) of system 100. For example, controller 140 includes preprocessing circuitry for controlling the operation of fuel system 120.

[0033] Fuel system 120 includes a storage tank, conduits, pumps, filters, and other components, configured to deliver a fluid, such as hydrogen fuel, to engine 130. Fuel system 120 is coupled to engine 130. Fuel system 120 is configured to supply fuel to engine 130. Fuel system 120 is configured to receive fuel (e.g., from a gas station, from a removably coupled storage tank, etc.). Fuel may be, for example, hydrogen, diesel, gasoline, natural gas, etc.

[0034] In some embodiments, the fuel system 120 includes one or more fuel tanks 125 configured to store fuel. In some embodiments, the one or more fuel tanks 125 are removable, such that each fuel tank can be removed and / or replaced. For example, an empty fuel tank 125 can be replaced with a filled or partially filled fuel tank. In some embodiments, the fuel system 120 can selectively supply fuel to the engine 130 from one or more fuel tanks 125. For example, the fuel system 120 can supply fuel to the engine 130 from a first fuel tank 125 of one or more fuel tanks, and subsequently from a second fuel tank 125 of one or more fuel tanks.

[0035] In various embodiments, fuel tank 125 may store multiple types of fuel for use by engine 130. For example, first fuel tank 125 may store hydrogen fuel, and second fuel tank 125 of system 100 may store diesel fuel. In various embodiments, a fuel tank may be referred to as "full" or "filled" when the fuel level is at or above a predetermined threshold. Furthermore, a fuel tank may be considered "empty" or require refueling when the fuel level is at or below a predetermined threshold.

[0036] In some embodiments, controller 140 is coupled to, and particularly communicatively coupled to, one or more sensors 150 associated with system 100. Therefore, controller 140 is configured to receive data from one or more sensors 150 and to provide instructions / information to one or more sensors. The received data can be used by controller 140 to control one or more components in system 100 as described herein.

[0037] As shown in the figure, one or more sensors 150 are included in system 100. In some embodiments, the number, location, and type of sensors 150 may vary. Sensor 150 may be a gas composition sensor (e.g., NO). x Sensors include oxygen sensors, H2O / humidity sensors, hydrogen sensors, etc.; temperature sensors; particulate matter (PM) sensors; flow sensors (e.g., mass flow sensors, volumetric flow sensors, etc.); other exhaust emission component sensors; pressure sensors; and some combination thereof. In an example embodiment, sensor 150 is configured as a temperature sensor to acquire data about the temperature of fluids, such as air in or near fuel system 120, engine 130, or other fluids in system 100, and / or to acquire data about the temperature of components of system 100.

[0038] System 100 may also include additional sensors. These sensors may include engine-related sensors (e.g., torque sensors, speed sensors, pressure sensors, flow sensors, temperature sensors, etc.). Sensor 150 may also include sensors associated with other components of the vehicle, such as fuel system 120. For example, sensor 150 may be located at or near fuel system 120, one or more fuel tanks 125, etc., and may be configured to receive indications of fuel level or value and / or data indicating fuel level or value. Furthermore, sensor 150 may be configured as a state of charge (SOC) sensor and may be located at or near battery 110. The SOC sensor may be configured to receive the SOC value or level of battery 110. In some embodiments, the SOC sensor receives data indicating the SOC value or level of battery 110. One or more sensors 150 may also be configured to receive location data of system 100, GPS coordinates, and / or other location data of system 100.

[0039] Sensor 150 can be real or virtual (i.e., a non-physical sensor configured as part of the program logic in controller 140 for various estimations or determinations). For example, an engine speed sensor can be a real or virtual sensor arranged to measure or otherwise acquire data, values, or information indicating the rotational speed (typically expressed in revolutions per minute) of engine 130. This sensor is coupled to the engine (when configured as a real sensor) and configured to send a signal to controller 140 indicating the rotational speed of engine 130. When configured as a virtual sensor, controller 140 can use at least one input in algorithms, models, lookup tables, etc., to determine or estimate engine parameters (e.g., power output, etc.). Any sensor 150 described herein can be real or virtual.

[0040] Operator input / output (I / O) device 160 can be coupled to controller 140, enabling information to be exchanged between controller 140 and I / O device 160, wherein such information may involve Figure 1 The determination of one or more components or controllers 140 (described below). Operator I / O device 160 enables the operator of system 100 to communicate with controller 140 and Figure 1 The system 100 communicates with one or more components. For example, operator I / O device 160 may include, but is not limited to, an interactive display, a touch screen device, one or more buttons and switches, a voice command receiver, etc.

[0041] In this way, operator I / O device 160 can provide the operator with one or more instructions or notifications, such as a fault indicator light (MIL). Additionally, I / O device 160 may include a port enabling controller 140 to connect to or couple to a scanning tool (such as a laser scanner, camera, or other suitable scanning tool). The scanning tool can be configured to scan codes (e.g., barcodes, QR codes, etc.) and provide the scanned codes to controller 140. In this way, controller 140 can receive information about the scanned codes.

[0042] Controller 140 is configured to at least partially control the operation of system 100 and associated subsystems (such as engine 130 and operator I / O devices 160). Communication between components can be made via any number of wired or wireless connections. For example, wired connections may include serial cables, fiber optic cables, Category 5 cables, or any other form of wired connection. In contrast, wireless connections may include the Internet, Wi-Fi, cellular networks, radio, etc. In one embodiment, a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus provides the exchange of signals, information, and / or data. The CAN bus includes any number of wired and wireless connections. Because controller 140 is communication coupled to... Figure 1 The system and components, so the controller 140 is configured to... Figure 1 One or more components shown receive data.

[0043] because Figure 1 The components are shown as being included in system 100, so controller 140 can be configured as one or more electronic control units (ECUs), such as one or more microcontrollers. Controller 140 may be independent of or included in at least one of a transmission control unit, an exhaust aftertreatment control unit, a powertrain control module, an engine control unit, an engine control module, etc.

[0044] Now for reference Figure 2 This illustrates an example embodiment. Figure 1 The controller 140, as shown, includes at least one processing circuitry 210 having at least one processor 212 and at least one memory device 214, a preprocessing circuitry 220, a state-of-charge (SOC) extension circuitry 230, and a communication interface 250. The controller 140 is configured to control the operation of other components of the system 100. In some embodiments, the controller 140 may control the operation of the fuel system 120, the engine 130, and / or other components of the system 100 to achieve desired or target life-cycle emission values. For example, the controller 140 may operate one or more valves, motors, actuators, heaters, or other suitable devices to achieve target life-cycle emission values.

[0045] In one configuration, controller 140 is implemented as a machine- or computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by a processor (such as processor 212). As described herein and in other uses, the machine-readable medium facilitates the performance of certain operations to achieve the reception and transmission of data. For example, the machine-readable medium may provide instructions (e.g., commands, etc.) to a device, such as a data acquisition device. In this regard, the machine-readable medium may include programmable logic defining the data acquisition frequency (or data transmission frequency). The computer-readable medium instructions may include code that can be written in any programming language, including but not limited to Java and any conventional procedural programming language, such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages. The computer-readable program code may execute on one processor or multiple remote processors. In the latter case, the remote processors may be interconnected via any type of network (e.g., CAN bus, etc.).

[0046] In another configuration, controller 140 is embodied as a hardware unit, such as one or more electronic control units. Therefore, controller 140 may be embodied as one or more circuit components, including but not limited to processing circuitry, network interfaces, peripherals, input devices, output devices, sensors, etc. In some embodiments, controller 140 may take the form of one or more analog circuits, electronic circuits (e.g., integrated circuits (ICs), discrete circuits, system-on-a-chip (SoCs) circuits, microcontrollers, etc.), telecommunications circuits, hybrid circuits, and any other type of "circuit". In this respect, controller 140 may include any type of components for performing or facilitating the implementation of the operations described herein. For example, the circuits described herein may include one or more transistors, logic gates (e.g., NAND, AND, NOR, OR, XOR, NOT, XNOR, etc.), resistors, multiplexers, registers, capacitors, inductors, diodes, wiring, etc.

[0047] Controller 140 may also include or be programmable hardware devices, such as field-programmable gate arrays, programmable array logic, programmable logic devices, etc. The powertrain control circuitry may include one or more memory devices for storing instructions executable by the processor of controller 140. The one or more memory devices and processor may have the same definitions provided below with respect to memory device 214 and processor 212. In some hardware unit configurations, controller 140 may be geographically distributed across various locations within system 100. Alternatively, as shown, controller 140 may be embodied in a single unit / enclosure or within a single unit / enclosure, as illustrated in the figure.

[0048] In the illustrated example, controller 140 includes at least one processing circuit 210 having at least one processor 212 and at least one memory device 214. Processing circuit 210 may be constructed or configured to execute or implement the instructions, commands, and / or control processes described herein with respect to preprocessing circuit 220 and / or SOC expansion circuit 230. The illustrated configuration represents preprocessing circuit 220 and SOC expansion circuit 230 as machine- or computer-readable media (which may be stored by memory device 214) embodying stored instructions. However, as noted above, this illustration is not intended to be limiting, as other embodiments are contemplated where each of preprocessing circuit 220 and SOC expansion circuit 230 is configured as a hardware unit. All such combinations and variations are intended to fall within the scope of this invention.

[0049] Processor 212 may be implemented as one or more single-chip or multi-chip processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and / or suitable processors (e.g., other programmable logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. to perform the functions described herein). The processor may be a microprocessor, a set of processors, etc. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0050] In some embodiments, one or more processors may be shared by multiple circuits (e.g., preprocessing circuitry 220 and / or SOC expansion circuitry 230 may include or otherwise share the same processor, which in some example embodiments may execute instructions stored or otherwise accessed via different regions of memory). Alternatively or additionally, one or more processors may be configured to perform or otherwise perform certain operations independently of one or more coprocessors. In other example embodiments, two or more processors may be bus-coupled to enable independent, parallel, pipelined, or multithreaded instruction execution. All these variations are intended to fall within the scope of this invention.

[0051] Memory device 214 (e.g., memory, memory cell, storage device) may include one or more devices (e.g., RAM, ROM, flash memory, hard disk storage) for storing data and / or computer code to perform or facilitate the various processes, layers, and modules described herein. For example, memory device 214 may include dynamic random access memory (DRAM). Memory device 214 may be communicatively connected to processor 212 to provide computer code or instructions to processor 212 to perform at least some of the processes described herein. Furthermore, memory device 214 may be or include tangible, non-transitory volatile memory or non-volatile memory. Therefore, memory device 214 may include database components, object code components, script components, or any other type of information structure to support the various activities and information structures described herein.

[0052] Communication interface 250 may include any combination of wired and / or wireless interfaces (e.g., jacks, antennas, transmitters, receivers, transceivers, wired terminals) for data communication with various systems, devices, or networks configured to enable in-vehicle communication (e.g., between and within the components of the vehicle) and external communication (e.g., with a remote server). For example, regarding external / system communication, communication interface 250 may include an Ethernet card and ports for sending and receiving data via an Ethernet-based communication network, and / or a Wi-Fi transceiver for communication via a wireless communication network. Communication interface 250 may be configured to communicate via a local area network or a wide area network (e.g., the Internet) and may use various communication protocols (e.g., IP, LON, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, radio, cellular, near-field communication).

[0053] like Figure 2 As shown, the communication interface 250 enables communication with the fuel system 120, the engine 130, one or more sensors 150 and / or operator input / output devices 160.

[0054] Pre-processing circuit 220 is configured to receive information from one or more components of system 100 to increase or maximize the energy storage of system 100 (e.g., a vehicle). Specifically, pre-processing circuit 220 may be configured to increase the state of charge (SOC) of one or more energy storage devices (e.g., battery 110) of system 100 as system 100 approaches a refueling point (e.g., an infrastructure station, a gas station), at which one or more fuel tanks 125 may be filled or refilled. The SOC of battery 110 may be increased by pre-processing one or more fuel tanks for refueling via pre-processing circuit 220. Pre-processing the fuel tanks may include converting remaining fuel in fuel tank 125 into electrical energy available to battery 110 via pre-processing circuit 220. This may result in one or more fuel tanks 125 being as empty as possible upon arrival at the gas station.

[0055] Removing an empty or nearly empty fuel tank 125 from the system 100 and exchanging it for a full fuel tank 125 results in the fuel tank 125 being as empty as possible. This reduces the amount of fuel delivered (e.g., fuel removed from the vehicle or not used by the vehicle), thereby reducing costs. Additionally, converting fuel energy into electrical energy (i.e., battery power) increases the charge on the battery 110, thus increasing the total energy of the system 100 when the empty fuel tank 125 becomes full (and therefore increasing the total driving range).

[0056] The preprocessing circuit 220 may receive information about the current location of system 100. This information may be received, for example, from a Global Positioning System unit, a Telematics Unit, one or more sensors 150, etc. The preprocessing circuit 220 may also receive data about vehicle operation, such as the vehicle's current speed, acceleration, current route, future route, and task. As used herein, a vehicle's "task" refers to the vehicle's origin or current location, destination, and the path between the origin / current location and the destination. In other words, a task refers to a path or route between two or more points. In some embodiments, a "task" includes a time constraint that affects the distance the vehicle can travel within the task (e.g., the maximum time allocated for the vehicle to reach a desired location (e.g., the destination)).

[0057] In various embodiments, the preprocessing circuit 220 may receive information about the route of system 100. For example, the preprocessing circuit 220 may receive information about the distance to the current route endpoint, information about the shifts of the driver of system 100 (e.g., the start and end times of the shifts), information about the amount of driving time allocated to the driver, and / or the remaining distance to the garage or rest stop.

[0058] In various embodiments, the preprocessing circuit 220 may also determine the location of one or more infrastructure stations. In some embodiments, an infrastructure station may be a site, location, or other place where the system 100 can replenish supplies. For example, an infrastructure station may be a fuel refueling station or a gas station. A gas station may be a location where, for example, the system 100 can replenish fuel levels or fuel supply, charge battery 110, etc. The term "gas station" is used herein. It should be understood that the scope of the invention is not limited to gas stations and may include any infrastructure station.

[0059] In various embodiments, preprocessing circuitry 220 may determine and / or receive (e.g., via sensor 150) indications of the location of one or more gas stations near system 100. For example, based on the current location of system 100, preprocessing circuitry 220 may determine the location of one or more gas stations within a predetermined distance (e.g., within a predetermined radius, etc.) of system 100. In various embodiments, preprocessing circuitry 220 may determine the location of one or more gas stations along the current route of system 100. Preprocessing circuitry 220 may determine the location of gas stations within a predetermined distance of the route of system 100. For example, preprocessing circuitry 220 may identify and determine gas stations within a one-mile radius of the route to reduce or minimize the amount of time and / or distance spent by the driver of system 100 leaving the route to refuel system 100.

[0060] When determining the current location of the vehicle and the locations of one or more gas stations, the preprocessing circuit 220 may determine or receive information indicating the distance between the current location of system 100 and the location of the gas station. Specifically, the preprocessing circuit 220 may determine the distance between the current location of system 100 and the desired location of the gas station (e.g., the gas station that system 100 plans, schedules, or anticipates stopping at). For example, system 100 may plan to stop at the next gas station along its route.

[0061] The pretreatment circuit 220 can also determine that the current location of the system 100 is within a predetermined distance of a gas station. For example, the pretreatment circuit 220 can determine that the system 100 is within 20 miles of a gas station. This determination can instruct the system 100 to refuel at the gas station, and one or more fuel tanks can be pretreated to prepare for refueling, filling, changing, etc.

[0062] Based on the current location of system 100 and the location of the gas station (e.g., the gas station where system 100 will refuel), preprocessing circuitry 220 can determine or receive (e.g., from sensor 150) an indication of the amount of energy required for system 100 to reach the gas station. In various embodiments, preprocessing circuitry 220 may estimate, predict, calculate, or otherwise determine the amount of energy that system 100 is expected to utilize, need, or may need to reach the gas station. Preprocessing circuitry 220 may use factors such as distance to the gas station, traffic conditions, route conditions, road conditions, terrain, etc., to determine the amount of energy. For example, the distance to the gas station may be 20 miles. However, the energy used to travel 20 miles may vary depending on various road and / or traffic conditions. For example, a certain amount of energy can be utilized when traveling 20 miles on a flat, level road (e.g., 50% of the vehicle's remaining energy level), while a greater amount of energy can be utilized when traveling 20 miles on a congested uphill route (e.g., 80% of the vehicle's remaining energy level), and a lesser amount of energy can be utilized when traveling 20 miles on a quiet downhill route (e.g., 40% of the vehicle's remaining energy level). The energy to be utilized to reach a gas station can be expressed as a percentage of the total energy available to system 100, the amount of fuel available to system 100, the amount of battery power available to system 100, etc.

[0063] The preprocessing circuit 220 can determine or receive an indication of the State of Charge (SOC) of the battery 110 of system 100 and / or data indicating that SOC. The preprocessing circuit 220 can determine the battery's SOC, for example, via sensor data transmitted from sensor 150. In various embodiments, the battery 110 transmits battery life information to the preprocessing circuit 220. The SOC of the battery 110 can indicate the remaining capacity of the battery to power system 100. SOC can be measured, for example, in terms of remaining time (e.g., two hours of driving time before the battery is depleted), remaining range, remaining voltage, remaining battery percentage, etc. The preprocessing circuit 220 can determine or receive an indication that the SOC of the battery 110 is at or below a predetermined threshold. This can indicate that the SOC of the battery 110 can be increased by preprocessing the fuel tank to convert energy into electrical energy usable by the battery 110.

[0064] The preprocessing circuit 220 may also be configured to determine the fuel level of each fuel tank 125 of the fuel system 120 and / or receive data indicating that fuel level from the sensor 150. As the system 100 travels, it consumes fuel. The system 100 may utilize multiple fuel tanks 125 in various combinations for a single route. For example, the system 100 may use first, second, and third fuel tanks 125 at various points along the route or during travel time. Therefore, the fuel tanks 125 may contain different levels of fuel. Fuel level may be expressed as, for example, a percentage of remaining fuel, a volume of remaining fuel, etc. For example, at a specific point in time, the first fuel tank 125 may have 50% fuel remaining, the second fuel tank 125 may have 80% fuel remaining, and the third fuel tank 125 may have 20% fuel remaining.

[0065] In various embodiments, system 100 may deplete each fuel tank 125 in series. For example, system 100 may use all the fuel in the first fuel tank (e.g., until the first fuel tank has, for example, 3% fuel remaining) and, in response to the depletion of the first fuel tank 125, begin using the second fuel tank. In various embodiments, preprocessing circuitry 220 may determine that the fuel level is at or below a predetermined threshold level and / or receive data indicating that the fuel level is at or below a predetermined threshold level. This may indicate that the fuel tank can be preprocessed (e.g., the remaining fuel can be converted into electrical energy for use by battery 110).

[0066] In various embodiments, as system 100 approaches a refueling station, one or more fuel tanks 125 may be emptied. Emptying one or more fuel tanks 125 may include, for example, releasing the remaining contents of the fuel tank into the atmosphere, transferring the contents of the fuel tank to one or more other designated fuel tanks 125 on system 100, converting the fuel into electrical energy (e.g., battery power), etc. For example, fuel tanks 125 may be emptied and / or replaced for regulatory reasons (e.g., entering and / or leaving areas with different regulations), compliance with fleet emission targets and / or tracking, fuel type differences, and / or system 100's inability to operate properly with the current fuel mixture in fuel system 120. Emptying fuel tanks 125 prepares the fuel tanks 125 for refueling, filling, replacement, etc.

[0067] In various embodiments, the controller 140 may determine that the fuel tank 125 will be filled in response to the fuel level being at or below a predetermined threshold. For example, the controller 140 may determine that the fuel tank is empty or substantially empty and will be filled in response to the fuel level in the fuel tank 125 being at or below 5%.

[0068] In various embodiments, system 100 can refuel one or more fuel tanks 125 at a gas station. For example, at a gas station, empty, partially emptied, or substantially empty fuel tanks 125 can be refueled or replenished to bring the fuel level to or above a predetermined threshold. For example, fuel tank 125 can be refueled until the fuel level is at or above 97%. In various other embodiments, empty, substantially emptied, or partially emptied fuel tanks 125 can be replaced with full fuel tanks. That is, empty fuel tanks 125 can be removed from system 100 and exchanged for full fuel tanks 125. This can reduce the amount of time the driver of system 100 spends at gas stations and is not on the route.

[0069] Therefore, in various embodiments, the preprocessing circuit 220 may cause one or more partially full fuel tanks 125 to be consumed before arriving at or entering a gas station or station, such that the one or more partially full fuel tanks 125 are empty or substantially empty upon arrival at the gas station. The substantially empty fuel tank 125 may now be exchanged for or replaced by one or more full or substantially full fuel tanks 125. For example, the preprocessing circuit 220 may determine that the fuel level in one fuel tank 125 on system 100 is below a threshold (e.g., less than 10%, etc.), and in some embodiments, may also determine that system 100 (e.g., a vehicle) is within a threshold distance of a gas station. The preprocessing circuit 220 may then determine that fuel tank 125 should be depleted before arriving at the gas station. Depleting fuel tank 125 may increase the SOC of battery 110. The method of depleting fuel tank 125 is described in more detail herein.

[0070] When fuel tank 125 is depleted, the now empty fuel tank 125 can be replaced with or replaced with a full fuel tank 125. For example, the now empty fuel tank 125 can be removed from system 100 and replaced with a fuel tank 125 whose fuel level is at or above a threshold (e.g., greater than or equal to 97% full). The full fuel tank can be retrieved from the refueling station, and the empty fuel tank can remain at the refueling station.

[0071] As a specific example, a partially full hydrogen fuel tank 125 may retain a certain amount of hydrogen fuel (e.g., at or below a predetermined threshold or amount). The hydrogen fuel may be consumed (e.g., converted into electrical energy) to increase the state of charge (SOC) of battery 110 before entering a refueling station (e.g., a hydrogen refueling station). The now-depleted hydrogen fuel tank 125 can be switched out or replaced with a full or nearly full hydrogen fuel tank 125. This can at least partially realize a hydrogen-powered internal combustion engine, particularly in highway environments or applications.

[0072] To increase or maximize the amount of energy stored in system 100 after leaving a gas station, preprocessing circuitry 220 can convert the energy stored in system 100 from a first form to a second form. For example, preprocessing circuitry 220 can convert energy stored as fuel in fuel tank 125 into energy stored as electrical energy for use by battery 110. By increasing the battery charge of battery 110 using fuel on the vehicle, converting energy from the first state to the second state can increase or maximize the amount of energy in system 100 (and thus increase the driving range of system 100). For example, at a gas station, there may not be a charging station available for battery 110. Therefore, in some embodiments, system 100 may reach a gas station to refuel tank 125 and leave the gas station with a full fuel tank 125 but a partially depleted battery 110, meaning that system 100 has not stored energy to its maximum extent. In various embodiments, controller 140 can control one or more components of system 100 such that system 100 does not leave the gas station if the battery SOC is not full and at least one fuel tank 125 is not full.

[0073] Furthermore, by reducing the amount of unused energy removed from the system 100 during refueling or changing of fuel tank 125, the amount of energy can be increased or maximized by converting energy from a first state to a second state. For example, when approaching a gas station, fuel tank 125 may have 20% fuel remaining. When changing the fuel tank (e.g., replacing it with a tank with 100% fuel remaining), the vehicle may "give away" the remaining 20% ​​fuel by not using it before removing it from the vehicle, thus losing fuel that could otherwise be used. However, replacing a fuel tank with 3% fuel remaining results in less "gifted" fuel compared to replacing a tank with 20% fuel remaining. Therefore, it may be beneficial for the driver, the system 100, the company owning the system 100, etc., to convert any fuel that might not be used as fuel before the refueling point into an energy form usable by the system 100. Therefore, the pretreatment circuit 220 may be configured to convert the remaining fuel into energy usable by the battery 110 of the system 100 to increase or maximize the amount of energy stored in the system 100 when leaving the gas station.

[0074] The pre-processing circuit 220 can determine that system 100 will be refueled within a predetermined time period or distance. For example, the pre-processing circuit can receive an instruction, such as via telematics data, indicating that the first gas station will be within 20 miles, and the next gas station after the first is 300 miles further along the route. The pre-processing circuit 220 can determine that system 100 will be refueled at an upcoming gas station within 20 miles based on, for example, the current fuel level and / or the current battery SOC. In various embodiments, the pre-processing circuit 220 can receive an instruction indicating that system 100 will be refueled. For example, the pre-processing circuit 220 can receive this instruction from the driver of system 100 via operator I / O device 160.

[0075] In response to receiving an instruction and / or determining that system 100 will refuel within a predefined time period or distance, preprocessing circuit 220 may determine whether refueling preprocessing is required for fuel system 120. That is, preprocessing circuit 220 may determine whether one or more fuel tanks 125 should convert energy (e.g., fuel) into a different form of energy (e.g., battery power) before reaching a gas station.

[0076] The preprocessing circuit 220 can manage fuel tank level and / or battery SOC based on the detection of one or more rest stops (e.g., based on the amount of time planned to be spent at the rest stop). During operation, system 100 may stop at a rest stop (e.g., a location where refueling is not performed). The preprocessing circuit 220 can make one or more determinations of the energy level (e.g., fuel level and / or battery SOC level) of system 100 before system 100 arrives at a rest stop, during the duration of system 100's stop at the rest stop, and / or while preparing for system 100's departure from the rest stop (e.g., preparing for system 100 to resume its route). For example, the preprocessing circuit 220 can determine whether to refuel, replace the fuel tank, or charge the battery at the upcoming refueling station.

[0077] Stopping at a rest stop may affect any of the determinations (and / or instructions) made by the preprocessing circuit 220 described above. For example, stopping at a rest stop may cause system 100 to utilize more energy than if it did not stop at a rest stop. Additionally, stopping at a rest stop may affect the time it takes to reach the gas station (e.g., system 100 may arrive at the gas station later than if it did not stop at a rest stop) and / or may reduce the time system 100 can spend at the gas station (e.g., to arrive at its destination on time). The preprocessing circuit 220 can then determine that one action should be taken instead of another to save time or to keep system 100 on schedule. For example, the preprocessing circuit 220 may determine that fuel tank 125 should be replaced instead of refueled to reduce time spent at the gas station.

[0078] In response to determining that one or more fuel tanks should convert fuel into electrical energy, preprocessing circuit 220 can determine which fuel tank 125 should be converted. In response to determining that the fuel in fuel tank 125 can be used as another form of energy for system 100, preprocessing circuit 220 can determine that fuel tank 125 will convert the stored fuel. Preprocessing circuit 220 can determine whether the fuel can be used as another form of energy based on, for example, the current fuel level, the current battery SOC, the distance to a gas station, etc. In various embodiments, preprocessing circuit 220 can utilize an algorithm to determine whether a fuel tank should convert its fuel into electrical energy. This algorithm will be described in more detail below.

[0079] As previously described, fuel system 120 may include a fuel tank 125 with multiple different fuel types (e.g., diesel, natural gas, gasoline, hydrogen, etc.). The operator and / or pretreatment circuitry 220 of system 100 can determine the order in which different types of fuel should be consumed or converted to fully charge the state of charge (SOC) before refueling system 100. For example, some fuel types may be more suitable for conversion to electricity than others.

[0080] Therefore, the pretreatment circuit 220 can determine the order in which fuel types should be utilized to increase or maximize the amount of charge received by the battery from fuel conversion. For example, the pretreatment circuit 220 can configure the fuel system 120 such that the fuel tank 125 storing diesel fuel is used first, and all diesel fuel is used to power the vehicle. The pretreatment circuit 220 can also configure the fuel system 120 such that the fuel tank 125 storing hydrogen fuel is used second, so that any remaining hydrogen fuel in the fuel tank 125 can be converted to power the battery 110 when the system 100 approaches a gas station.

[0081] In various embodiments, the preprocessing circuit 220 can determine whether fuel tank 125 needs to be refilled or replaced with a new, full, or nearly full fuel tank. The preprocessing circuit 220 can utilize an algorithm to determine whether the fuel tank needs to be refilled or replaced. Furthermore, the preprocessing circuit 220 can utilize this algorithm to determine which fuel tank should be emptied first (e.g., which fuel tank is used to power the vehicle, which fuel tank is used to convert fuel into electrical energy, etc.). The algorithm can use one or more of the following as inputs: the amount of time and / or distance to the gas station, the vehicle's route, the vehicle's schedule (e.g., whether the vehicle is scheduled to be at a specific location at a specific time and / or whether the vehicle is punctual), the driver's working hours, and / or the number of working hours allocated to the driver.

[0082] The algorithm may also use one or more of the following as input: predicted energy consumption between the vehicle's current location and the location of the gas station, predicted energy consumption for completing the vehicle's task (e.g., route, shift, etc.), available time for the refueling event, a comparison of the cost of filling the fuel tank with the cost of replacing the fuel tank, and / or historical data. Historical data may include, for example, whether the truck previously operated on this route, previous gas stations, previous decisions regarding whether the fuel tank was replaced or filled, the amount of time previously spent on refueling, etc.

[0083] The algorithm may additionally or alternatively utilize fault codes as input. For example, battery 110 may generate a fault code. The algorithm can use this information to determine that fuel should not be converted into energy for use by battery 110, as the fault code indicates that battery 110 will not be able to utilize the converted energy.

[0084] Furthermore, the algorithm can utilize predicted changes in energy as input. For example, preprocessing circuit 220 can calculate the expected or predicted amount of energy obtained from sources other than, for example, fuel and / or battery power. For instance, system 100 may be driving downhill and may be performing regenerative engine braking within 20 miles. Preprocessing circuit 220 can calculate the expected or predicted energy consumption between the vehicle's current location and a gas station, and preprocessing circuit 220 can also calculate the expected or predicted energy gain during downhill driving.

[0085] As described herein, preprocessing circuitry 220 can convert energy, for example, stored as fuel, into energy stored as battery power. In various embodiments, the range limitations of battery 110 can be extended. For example, if a gas station is beyond a predetermined distance (e.g., beyond the driving range of system 100), the battery's state of charge (SOC) can be extended, and system 100 may require extended driving range to reach the gas station. SOC extension circuitry 230 can convert fuel into battery power, thereby slightly extending the upper limit of the battery's state of charge (SOC).

[0086] In various embodiments, "extending" the battery SOC limit can mean switching from a first set of range limits to a second set of range limits with a larger upper limit and / or a smaller lower limit. Extending the SOC range allows for an expanded range of system 100. For example, the absolute maximum upper limit of the battery SOC could be 98%. During normal charging operation, battery 110 can be charged to 95%. In various embodiments, the SOC extension circuit 230 can adjust the SOC range limit such that the pre-processing circuit 220 can convert fuel into battery power so that battery 110 is charged to 97%.

[0087] SOC extension circuit 230 can temporarily “flexibly adjust” the SOC limit of battery 110. This “temporary” adjustment can be based on at least one of time or other operational units of measurement (e.g., distance). The “temporary” adjustment can be a relatively instantaneous adjustment (e.g., less than a few minutes or miles) to predefined operational characteristics. For example, SOC extension circuit 230 can temporarily increase the SOC limit (e.g., upper limit) of battery 110 based on one or more operating conditions of system 100. For example, SOC extension circuit 230 can receive or determine data indicating the tank pressure of each of one or more fuel tanks 125 and / or the tank fill percentage of each of one or more fuel tanks 125. Based on this data (e.g., the tank pressure and / or tank fill percentage are below a threshold), SOC extension circuit 230 can temporarily increase the limit of the state of charge (SOC) of battery 110. In some embodiments, the SOC extension circuit 230 may additionally or alternatively increase the limit of the SOC of the battery 110 based on the SOC of the battery 110 and / or the distance from the current location of the system 100 to the gas station.

[0088] Alternatively, the SOC extension circuit 230 can adjust the SOC range limit so that the pretreatment circuit 220 can convert fuel into battery power, thereby slightly expanding the lower limit of the state of charge of battery 110. For example, the absolute minimum lower limit of battery SOC could be 3%. During normal operation, battery 110 can be utilized up to 5% of its remaining battery life. In various embodiments (i.e., when battery 110 operates in an extended range), battery 110 can be utilized up to 4% of its remaining battery life. Therefore, the SOC extension circuit 230 can adjust the SOC limit so that the pretreatment circuit 220 can begin converting fuel into battery power when the battery power is 4% instead of 5%.

[0089] In various embodiments, the extension of the battery SOC limit may be used selectively and / or temporarily, for example, when extending the battery SOC range is useful and / or necessary. For example, system 100 may stop at a gas station to refuel fuel tank 125 and / or charge battery 110. For example, preprocessing circuitry 220 and / or SOC extension circuitry 230 may determine that the next gas station is 300 miles from the current gas station. This determination may be performed automatically, for example by controller 140 (e.g., using route information, telematics data, GPS data, etc.).

[0090] In various other embodiments, this determination can be made by the driver of system 100. For example, the driver can communicate information about the distance to the next gas station to controller 140 via operator I / O device 160. The determination of the extended battery SOC limit can be performed before reaching the gas station. For example, system 100 may reach the first gas station within 20 miles. SOC extension circuit 230 can receive an indication that the next gas station is 300 miles from the first gas station. Therefore, at some point before reaching the first gas station (e.g., the last chance to refuel and / or charge system 100 before the 300-mile station), SOC extension circuit 230 can determine that the battery SOC limit will be extended, and SOC extension circuit 230 can perform this extension. For example, SOC extension circuit 230 can switch the SOC limit from a first set of parameters to a second set of parameters.

[0091] In various embodiments, the SOC extension circuit 230 may extend the SOC limit at or before the start of preprocessing of system 100 (e.g., when preprocessing circuit 220 converts fuel into battery power) so that the converted fuel can be used to charge battery 110 to the extended upper limit.

[0092] In various embodiments, the SOC extension circuit 230 can determine whether to extend the battery SOC. The determination of whether to extend the battery SOC can be based on, for example, the vehicle's route, the vehicle's mission, and / or fuel availability, type, and / or cost along that route. For example, extended battery SOC may be utilized, allowed to be utilized, etc., when the destination is within a predefined threshold distance and / or when a gas station is beyond a predefined threshold distance.

[0093] In response to determining that an extended battery SOC should be utilized, SOC extension circuit 230 can determine the value by which the battery SOC will be extended. This determination may be based on, for example, a predicted distance that system 100 will travel before refueling, the amount of fuel available that can be converted into battery energy, etc. Therefore, the value by which the battery SOC is extended can be a dynamic value. SOC extension circuit 230 can increase the upper and / or lower limits of battery 110 SOC during preprocessing of system 100 (e.g., when converting fuel into battery power). In various embodiments, the SOC range can be extended by predetermined values. For example, SOC extension circuit 230 can change the SOC range from a first set of parameters with an upper limit of 95% to a second set of parameters with an upper limit of 97%, regardless of the distance of system 100 from the gas station or any other parameters.

[0094] When the battery's State of Charge (SOC) is extended, the SOC extension circuit 230 enables the system 100 to operate in a changed state relative to standard or "normal" operating conditions. To protect the battery 110, it may be beneficial to allow the system 100 to operate in an extended SOC state for a reduced or minimal time and / or distance. Operating the system 100 in this changed state can, for example, be configured such that electrical energy (i.e., the battery 110) initially powers the system 100 after leaving the gas station, rather than using fuel, to reduce or minimize the amount of time the battery 110 operates in the extended range.

[0095] In various embodiments, the SOC extension circuit 230 can predict or otherwise determine the distance and / or duration the vehicle will travel before the battery's SOC drops to a normal range. For example, the battery may be extended to 97%, while the normal SOC limit may be 95%. The SOC extension circuit 230 can predict or determine that the battery range will drop to 95% after the system 100 has operated for five miles. The SOC extension circuit 230 can modify the operation of the engine 130 to reduce or minimize the time and / or distance required for the battery range to drop to 95% or below.

[0096] Now for reference Figure 3 According to an example embodiment, a flowchart of a method 300 for improving or maximizing energy storage is shown. In some embodiments, the controller 140 or its components (such as preprocessing circuitry 220) are configured to perform method 300 alone, or in combination with one or more components / systems of system 100.

[0097] At step 302, the preprocessing circuit 220 receives data (e.g., system 100) indicating the location of a gas station relative to the vehicle's current location. The preprocessing circuit 220 may receive this data from, for example, sensors (e.g., sensor 150), GPS data, telematics data, etc. At step 302, the preprocessing circuit 220 may also determine that the vehicle is within a predetermined distance of the gas station. For example, the preprocessing circuit 220 may receive or determine location data indicating the vehicle's current location from a sensor. The preprocessing circuit 220 may also receive, or otherwise determine and / or receive an indication of the gas station's location (e.g., the nearest gas station) from a sensor. The preprocessing circuit 220 may determine or receive data indicating the distance from the current location of system 100 to the gas station.

[0098] At process 304, preprocessing circuit 220 receives an indication of the vehicle battery's state of charge (SOC) and / or data indicating the SOC of the vehicle battery. Preprocessing circuit 220 may receive data indicating the SOC of the battery (e.g., battery 110) in response to a determination, for example, at process 302, that the vehicle's current location is within a predetermined distance of a gas station. Preprocessing circuit 220 may receive data indicating the SOC of the battery from sensor 150.

[0099] The state of charge (SOC) of a battery indicates the amount of electrical energy available for powering system 100 using battery 110. The SOC also indicates the range (e.g., distance, miles, kilometers, etc.) that the vehicle can travel before the battery is depleted. For example, at process 304, preprocessing circuit 220 may receive an indication of the SOC of battery 110 and / or data indicating the SOC of battery 110 (e.g., 50%). Preprocessing circuit 220 may determine that the SOC is at or below a threshold indicating that the battery needs charging.

[0100] At process 306, preprocessing circuit 220 receives an indication of the fuel level in each of one or more fuel tanks of the vehicle and / or data indicating the fuel level in each fuel tank. Preprocessing circuit 220 may receive data indicating the fuel level in each fuel tank in response to determining that the battery's state of charge (SOC) is at or below a predetermined threshold. Preprocessing circuit 220 may receive data indicating the fuel level in each fuel tank from sensor 150. For example, when the battery's SOC is at or below a predetermined threshold, preprocessing circuit 220 may receive or determine the fuel level and / or data indicating the fuel tank 125 to determine which (if any) fuel tanks have fuel that can be converted into electrical energy to power battery 110.

[0101] The preprocessing circuit 220 can, for example, determine that the fuel tank 125 has fuel that can be converted into electrical energy based on the fuel level being at or below a predetermined threshold. Furthermore, the above references... Figure 2 The described algorithm can be used to determine which fuel tanks, if any, need to be refilled, pre-treated, and / or replaced.

[0102] At process 308, the preprocessing circuit determines the amount of energy the vehicle needs to utilize to travel from its current location to the gas station. For example, preprocessing circuit 220 can predict, estimate, or determine the amount of energy required to travel from the vehicle's current location to the gas station.

[0103] At process 310, the preprocessing circuit 220 selects at least one fuel tank from one or more fuel tanks for refueling. The preprocessing circuit 220 may select at least one fuel tank for refueling based on at least one or more of the following: the location of the gas station, the battery's state of charge, the fuel level in the fuel tank, and / or the amount of energy to be utilized upon arrival at the gas station. For example, the preprocessing circuit 220 may determine that the vehicle is within a predetermined distance of the gas station, the battery's state of charge is at or below a predetermined threshold, the fuel level in the fuel tank is at or below a predetermined threshold (making the fuel tank eligible for preprocessing and / or refueling), and the vehicle estimates that it will utilize a certain amount of energy to travel from its current location to the gas station.

[0104] In response to determining that the fuel level in the fuel tank is at or below a predetermined threshold, the fuel tank can be pre-treated, refilled, and / or replaced. Furthermore, process 310 may include selecting at least one fuel tank (e.g., refilling, replacing, pre-treating, etc.) based on the purging sequence of one or more fuel tanks (e.g., converting fuel energy into electrical energy). Therefore, method 300 may also include determining the purging sequence of one or more fuel tanks by pre-treatment circuitry 220.

[0105] In various embodiments, the fuel tank to be refueled can be selected based on the type of fuel in the fuel tank. For example, a fuel tank containing hydrogen fuel can be selected for pretreatment and refueling, while a fuel tank containing diesel fuel may not be selected for pretreatment and / or refueling.

[0106] In various embodiments, the pretreatment circuit 220 selects at least one fuel tank from one or more fuel tanks for pretreatment (e.g., instead of refueling). For example, the pretreatment circuit 220 may select at least one fuel tank from one or more fuel tanks for pretreatment based on at least one or more of the location of the gas station, the state of charge of the battery, the fuel level in the fuel tank, and / or the amount of usable energy determined upon arrival at the gas station.

[0107] At process 312, pretreatment circuit 220 pretreatments at least one selected fuel tank for refueling. Pretreatment circuit 220 may pretreatment of a selected fuel tank (e.g., at process 310). Pretreatment of the selected fuel tank may include converting fuel from a first form of energy to a second form of energy. In various embodiments, fuel may be converted from fuel energy to electrical energy to power a battery or otherwise improve the battery's state of charge. In various embodiments, the fuel tank may be pretreated before the vehicle arrives at a gas station.

[0108] In various embodiments, preprocessing circuitry 220 (e.g., to a user via the user interface of system 100) conveys instructions to fill the selected fuel tank. For example, preprocessing circuitry 220 may generate and / or send an indication or notification displayed on the user interface of system 100, indicating that the selected fuel tank will be filled (e.g., at the next gas station). In various embodiments, preprocessing circuitry 220 (e.g., to a user via the user interface of system 100) conveys instructions to replace the selected fuel tank with a new fuel tank whose fuel level is at or above a predetermined threshold level. For example, preprocessing circuitry 220 may send an indication displayed on the user interface of system 100 indicating that the selected fuel tank will be replaced with a new fuel tank whose fuel level is at or above a predetermined threshold level (e.g., at or above 95% full).

[0109] Now for reference Figure 4 A flowchart of a method 400 for controlling the state of charge of a vehicle battery is shown according to an example embodiment. In some embodiments, the controller 140 or its components (such as the state of charge extension circuit 230) is configured to perform the method 400 alone, or in combination with one or more components / systems of the system 100.

[0110] At process 402, the state of charge extension circuit 230 determines or receives an indication of the state of charge (SOC) of the battery of system 100. In some embodiments, the preprocessing circuit 220 may determine or receive an indication of the SOC of the battery of system 100 and transmit the battery's SOC information to the state of charge extension circuit 230.

[0111] At process 404, the State of Charge (SOC) extension circuit 230 receives data indicating the location of a gas station relative to the vehicle's current location (e.g., system 100). The SOC extension circuit 230 may receive this data from, for example, sensors (e.g., sensor 150), GPS data, telematics data, etc. In some embodiments, the preprocessing circuit 220 may determine or receive data indicating the location of a gas station relative to the system 100's current location and transmit SOC information to the SOC extension circuit 230.

[0112] At process 406, the state-of-charge extension circuit 230 receives data indicating one or more operating conditions of the vehicle. The one or more operating conditions of the vehicle may include the fuel tank pressure of each of one or more fuel tanks and / or the fuel tank fill percentage of each of one or more fuel tanks.

[0113] At process 408, the state of charge (SCC) extension circuit 230 temporarily increases the upper limit of the battery's SCC based on at least one of one or more operating conditions of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the SCC extension circuit 230 temporarily increases the upper limit of the battery's SCC based on data indicating the location of a gas station relative to the vehicle's current location, determined by the SCC extension circuit 230 in process 404.

[0114] In some embodiments, the state-of-charge (SOC) extension circuit 230 temporarily lowers the lower limit of the battery's SOC based on at least one of one or more operating conditions of the vehicle. The SOC extension circuit 230 may then determine that the battery's SOC is less than or equal to the lower limit (e.g., a reduced lower limit) and, in response to this determination, replenish the battery's SOC using fuel from one or more fuel tanks. For example, the SOC extension circuit 230 may convert fuel from at least one fuel tank from a first form of energy (e.g., fuel energy) to a second form of energy (e.g., electrical energy or battery energy).

[0115] Adjusting the battery's State of Charge (SOC) offers several advantages. For example, controller 140 can determine that the gas station for the fuel system 120 is more than a predetermined distance from the vehicle's current location. Therefore, the controller can temporarily increase the SOC limit of battery 110 to receive more charge, thereby enabling the vehicle to be powered by the battery for a longer period to reach the gas station when needed. As another example, controller 140 can determine that the next charging station is more than a predetermined distance and / or (estimated) time from the vehicle's current location and increase the SOC limit to receive more charge if a greater distance and / or time is anticipated to reach the charging station. As yet another example, by adjusting the SOC limit, controller 140 can consider fuel tank pressure and / or level at or below a predetermined threshold, which may indicate insufficient fuel or that the fuel supply may be insufficient to reach the desired destination or perform the desired task. Increasing the SOC limit allows the battery to provide more power for a longer period to meet the task objective. Therefore, controller 140 can provide several advantages by adjusting the battery's SOC.

[0116] As used herein, the terms “approximately,” “about,” “substantially,” and similar terms are intended to have a broad meaning, consistent with common and accepted usage by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter of this invention pertains. Those skilled in the art, upon reviewing this invention, will understand that these terms are intended to allow for the description of certain features of the described and claimed subjects, without limiting the scope of those features to the precise numerical ranges provided. Therefore, these terms should be interpreted as indicating that non-substantial or irrelevant modifications or alterations to the described and claimed subject matter are considered to fall within the scope of the invention set forth in the appended claims.

[0117] It should be noted that the term "example" and its variations, as used herein to describe various embodiments, are intended to indicate that these embodiments are possible examples, representations, or illustrations of possible embodiments (and these terms are not intended to imply that these embodiments are necessarily special or optimal examples).

[0118] The term "coupled" and its variations, as used herein, refers to two components that are directly or indirectly connected to each other. Such connections can be fixed (e.g., permanent or fixed) or movable (e.g., removable or releasable). Such connections can be achieved by: two components being directly coupled to each other; two components being coupled to each other using one or more separate intermediate components; or two components being coupled to each other using an intermediate component that is integrally formed with one of the two components as a single entity.

[0119] If "coupled" or its variants are modified by an additional term (e.g., directly coupled), then the general definition of "coupled" provided above is modified by the common linguistic meaning of the additional term (e.g., "directly coupled" means two components connected without any separate intermediate component), resulting in a narrower definition than the general definition of "coupled" provided above. Such coupling can be mechanical, electrical, or fluid. For example, circuit A being communicatively "coupled" to circuit B could mean that circuit A communicates directly with circuit B (i.e., without intermediaries) or indirectly with circuit B (e.g., through one or more intermediaries).

[0120] References to the positions of elements herein (e.g., "top", "bottom", "above", "below") are used only to describe the orientation of the various elements in the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the orientation of the various elements may differ according to other exemplary embodiments, and such variations are intended to be covered by this invention.

[0121] although Figure 2 Various circuits with specific functions are illustrated herein; however, it should be understood that controller 140 may include any number of circuits for performing the functions described herein. For example, the activities and functions of preprocessing circuit 220 may be combined in multiple circuits or as a single circuit. Additional circuits with additional functions may also be included. Furthermore, controller 140 may control other activities beyond the scope of this invention.

[0122] As described above, and in one configuration, the "circuit" may be implemented in a machine-readable medium for use with one or more processors of various types (such as, Figure 2The executable code is executed by the processor 212. For example, executable code may include physical or logical blocks of one or more computer instructions, which may be organized, for example, as objects, procedures, or functions. However, executable files do not necessarily have to be physically located together, but may include different instructions stored in different locations that, when logically combined, constitute the circuit and achieve the circuit's stated purpose.

[0123] In practice, computer-readable program code circuitry can be a single instruction, or multiple instructions, and can even be distributed across multiple different code segments, different programs, and span several memory devices. Similarly, operational data can be identified and described within the circuitry herein, and can be embodied in any suitable form and organized within any suitable type of data structure. Operational data can be integrated into a single dataset, or it can be distributed across different locations, including different storage devices, and can exist at least in part solely as electronic signals within a system or network.

[0124] Although the term "processor" has been briefly defined above, the terms "processor" and "processing circuit" are intended to be interpreted broadly. In this regard, as mentioned above, a "processor" can be implemented as one or more processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), or other suitable electronic data processing components configured to execute instructions provided by memory. One or more processors can take the form of a single-core processor, a multi-core processor (e.g., a dual-core processor, a triple-core processor, a quad-core processor, etc.), a microprocessor, etc.

[0125] In some embodiments, one or more processors may be located external to the device; for example, one or more processors may be remote processors (e.g., cloud-based processors). Alternatively or additionally, one or more processors may be located internally to the device and / or locally. In this regard, a given circuit or its components may be locally configured (e.g., as part of a local server, local computing system, etc.) or remotely configured (e.g., as part of a remote server such as a cloud-based server). For this purpose, the term "circuit" as used herein may include components distributed across one or more locations.

[0126] Embodiments within the scope of this invention include program products comprising computer- or machine-readable media for carrying or storing computer- or machine-executable instructions or data structures. Such machine-readable media can be any available medium accessible by a computer. Computer-readable media can be tangible computer-readable storage media storing computer-readable program code. Computer-readable storage media can be, for example, but not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, holographic, micromechanical, or semiconductor systems, apparatuses, or devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0127] More specific examples of computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, portable computer floppy disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), portable optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile optical disc (DVD), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, holographic storage media, micromechanical storage devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, a computer-readable storage medium can be any tangible medium that can contain and / or store computer-readable program code for use and / or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. Machine-executable instructions include, for example, instructions and data that cause a computer or processing machine to perform a particular function or set of functions.

[0128] Computer-readable media can also be computer-readable signal media. Computer-readable signal media can include propagated data signals embodying computer-readable program code, such as in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such propagated signals can take any of a variety of forms, including but not limited to electrical, electromagnetic, magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer-readable signal medium can be any computer-readable medium that is not a computer-readable storage medium and is capable of transmitting, propagating, or transmitting computer-readable program code for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. Computer-readable program code embodied on a computer-readable signal medium can be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, fiber optic cable, radio frequency (RF), or similar media, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0129] In one embodiment, a computer-readable medium may include a combination of one or more computer-readable storage media and one or more computer-readable signal media. For example, computer-readable program code may be both transmitted as an electromagnetic signal via fiber optic cable for processor execution and stored in RAM for processor execution.

[0130] Computer-readable program code used to perform the operations of various aspects of this invention may be written in any combination of one or more other programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java, Smalltalk, and C++, as well as traditional procedural programming languages ​​such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages. The computer-readable program code may execute entirely on the user's computer, partially (as a standalone computer-readable package) on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0131] Program code may also be stored in a computer-readable medium that instructs a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus or other apparatus to operate in a particular manner, such that instructions stored in the computer-readable medium produce an article of writing, which includes instructions that implement the functions / actions specified by one or more boxes in a schematic flowchart and / or schematic block diagram.

[0132] Although the accompanying drawings and description may show a specific order of method steps, the order of such steps may differ from the order depicted and described unless otherwise stated above. Furthermore, unless otherwise stated above, two or more steps may be performed simultaneously or partially simultaneously. Such variations may, for example, depend on the chosen software and hardware system and the designer's choices. All such variations are within the scope of this invention. Similarly, the software implementation of the described method can be implemented using standard programming techniques with rule-based logic and other logic to perform various connection steps, processing steps, comparison steps, and decision steps.

[0133] It is important to note that the construction and arrangement of the devices and systems shown in the various exemplary embodiments are illustrative only. Furthermore, any element disclosed in one embodiment may be incorporated into or utilized in any other embodiment disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising: a battery; one or more fuel tanks; and a controller comprising a memory having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: receiving data indicative of a location of a fueling station relative to a current location of the vehicle; receiving data indicative of a state of charge of the battery; receiving data indicative of a fuel level of each of the one or more fuel tanks; determining an amount of energy to be utilized to reach the fueling station from the current location of the vehicle; selecting at least one of the one or more fuel tanks for refueling based on the location of the fueling station, the state of charge of the battery, the fuel level of at least one of the one or more fuel tanks, and the determined amount of energy; and preconditioning the selected at least one fuel tank, wherein preconditioning the selected at least one fuel tank comprises: converting fuel in the selected at least one fuel tank from a first form of energy to a second form of energy.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the fuel in the selected at least one fuel tank is converted from fuel to electrical energy in order to increase the state of charge of the battery.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein selecting the at least one of the one or more fuel tanks for refueling is further based on a fuel type in the at least one fuel tank.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein a fuel tank is selected for refueling and preconditioning in response to determining that the fuel level is at or below a predetermined threshold.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising determining an evacuation order of the one or more fuel tanks, and wherein selecting the at least one of the one or more fuel tanks is further based on the evacuation order of the one or more fuel tanks.

6. The vehicle of any one of claims 1-5, wherein preconditioning the selected at least one fuel tank is performed prior to the vehicle reaching the fueling station.

7. The vehicle of any one of claims 1-5, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising communicating instructions to refuel the selected at least one fuel tank.

8. The vehicle of any one of claims 1-5, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising communicating instructions to replace the selected at least one fuel tank with a new fuel tank having a fuel level at or above a predetermined threshold level.

9. A vehicle comprising: a battery; one or more fuel tanks; and a controller comprising a memory having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: receiving data indicative of a location of a fueling station relative to a current location of the vehicle; receiving one or more operating conditions of the vehicle; and ​ ​ ​ ​ temporarily raising an upper limit of a state of charge of the battery based on at least one of the one or more operating conditions of the vehicle.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the one or more operating conditions of the vehicle include a fuel tank pressure of one or more fuel tanks or a fuel tank fill amount of one or more of the fuel tanks.

11. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the upper limit of the state of charge of the battery is temporarily raised based on the data indicative of a location of a fueling station relative to a current location of the vehicle.

12. The vehicle of any one of claims 9-11, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: temporarily lowering a lower limit of the state of charge of the battery based on at least one of the one or more operating conditions of the vehicle.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: determining that the state of charge of the battery is less than or equal to the lower limit; and in response to the determination, supplementing the state of charge of the battery with fuel from the one or more fuel tanks by: converting fuel from at least one of the one or more fuel tanks from a first form of energy to a second form of energy, wherein the first form of energy is fuel energy and the second form of energy is electrical energy.

14. A method of maximizing vehicle energy storage in an infrastructure-limited situation, comprising: receiving, by one or more processors, data indicative of a location of a fueling station relative to a current location of a vehicle; receiving, by the one or more processors, data indicative of a state of charge of a battery of the vehicle; receiving, by the one or more processors, data indicative of fuel levels of one or more fuel tanks of the vehicle; determining, by the one or more processors, an amount of energy to be utilized to reach the fueling station from the current location of the vehicle; selecting, by the one or more processors, at least one of the one or more fuel tanks for pre-processing based on the location of the fueling station, the state of charge of the battery, the fuel level of at least one of the one or more fuel tanks, and the determined amount of energy; pre-processing, by the one or more processors, the selected at least one fuel tank, wherein pre-processing the selected at least one fuel tank comprises: converting fuel in the selected at least one fuel tank from a first form of energy to a second form of energy; and communicating, by the one or more processors, instructions to replace the selected at least one fuel tank with a new fuel tank having a fuel level at or above a predetermined threshold level.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the fuel in the selected at least one fuel tank is converted from fuel to electrical energy in order to increase the state of charge of the battery. ​ 16. The method of claim 14, wherein selecting at least one of the one or more fuel tanks for pre-treatment is further based on a fuel type in the at least one fuel tank.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein a fuel tank is selected for pre-treatment and replacement in response to determining that the fuel level is at or below a predetermined threshold.

18. The method of any one of claims 14-17, further comprising determining, by the one or more processors, a drain order of the one or more fuel tanks, and wherein selecting at least one of the one or more fuel tanks is further based on the drain order of the one or more fuel tanks.

19. The method of any one of claims 14-17, wherein pre-treating the selected at least one fuel tank is performed prior to the vehicle arriving at the fueling station.

20. The method of any one of claims 14-17, wherein communicating instructions to replace the selected at least one fuel tank comprises: generating and displaying a notification to the vehicle operator.

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