Method and device for determining a road route for an electric vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and device for determining a road route for an electric vehicle, said method being implemented by at least one processor and comprising the following steps: - receiving (31) a first data point representing the charge level of a vehicle battery; - obtaining (32) a second data point representing a time-smoothed value of the electrical consumption level of a vehicle's air conditioning or heating system; and - determining (33) the road route based on the first and second data points. Figure 3 for the abstract

Description

Title of the invention: Method and device for determining a road route for an electric vehicle technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to methods and devices for determining a road route for an electric vehicle, for example but not exclusively for a motor vehicle. Technological background

[0002] It is common for an electric (or hybrid) vehicle to be equipped with a road navigation system that implements an electric vehicle routing function. This electric vehicle routing function determines road routes based on the vehicle's range. In particular, this electric vehicle routing function calculates routes that include battery charging stops when the battery's charge level is insufficient to reach a desired destination.

[0003] To this end, the electric vehicle routing function calculates the charging stages for the vehicle's battery based on the instantaneous charge level of the vehicle's battery and the instantaneous power consumption of the vehicle's onboard air conditioning or heating system. The power consumption of the vehicle's air conditioning or heating system, although secondary, does indeed impact the range of the electric (or hybrid) vehicle, and the electric vehicle routing function must take this power consumption into account to best estimate the locations of the charging stages.

[0004] However, the energy consumption of a vehicle's air conditioning or heating system varies considerably. For example, in very cold weather, significant electrical consumption will be required to reach a set temperature of around 21°C. However, this electrical consumption will be much lower to maintain the temperature inside the vehicle's passenger compartment at 21°C.

[0005] The electrical consumption of the vehicle's air conditioning or heating system can therefore vary considerably, to the point of biasing the routes provided by the electric vehicle routing function. For example, when starting the vehicle in cold weather, the electric vehicle routing function will tend to determine routes with charging stops close to the starting points of these routes, considering the vehicle's electrical consumption. electric (or hybrid) is important, but its range is reduced. Conversely, when the vehicle's air conditioning or heating system maintains a set temperature, the electric vehicle routing function provides routes with longer intervals between charging stops because the vehicle's range is then considered to be greater than it was at the start of the vehicle's journey.

[0006] The electric vehicle routing function therefore recalculates the route during the vehicle's journey, which a user may perceive as unstable and unreliable vehicle behavior. The user may then doubt the accuracy of the range and route information provided by the electric vehicle.

[0007] One problem is to improve the current electric vehicle routing function. Summary of the present invention

[0008] One object of the present invention is to solve at least one of the problems of the technological background described above.

[0009] According to a first aspect, the present invention relates to a method for determining a road route for an electric vehicle, said method being implemented by at least one processor and comprising the following steps: - receipt of initial data representing the charge level of a vehicle battery; - obtaining a second data point representing a smoothed value over a time interval of the electrical consumption level of a vehicle's air conditioning or heating system; and - determination of the road route based on the first and second data points.

[0010] The method makes it possible to smooth out variations in the electrical consumption of the electric vehicle's air conditioning or heating system over a time interval so that the electric vehicle routing function does not have to recalculate the locations of charging stops along a vehicle's route. Thus, from the first route calculation after the electric vehicle starts, the charging stops will be correctly positioned along the route, despite the use of the air conditioning or heating system.

[0011] According to one variant, the smoothed value can be obtained from an outside temperature value of a vehicle interior, an inside temperature value of the vehicle interior and a setpoint temperature value.

[0012] According to one variant, the smoothed value can be an average value of the electrical consumption level of the vehicle's air conditioning or heating system over the time interval.

[0013] According to one variant, the time interval can be defined for the interior temperature value of the vehicle's passenger compartment to reach the setpoint temperature value.

[0014] According to one variant, the smoothed value can be obtained from a table or abacus stored in memory.

[0015] According to one variant, the memory can be embedded in the vehicle.

[0016] According to a second aspect, the present invention relates to a device for determining a road route for an electric vehicle, the device comprising a memory associated with a processor configured for implementing the steps of the process according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0017] According to a third aspect, the present invention relates to a vehicle, for example of the automobile type, comprising a device as described above according to the second aspect of the present invention.

[0018] According to a fourth aspect, the present invention relates to a computer program which includes instructions adapted for carrying out the steps of the process according to the first aspect of the present invention, in particular when the computer program is executed by at least one processor.

[0019] Such a computer program may use any programming language, and be in the form of source code, object code, or an intermediate form between source code and object code, such as in a partially compiled form, or in any other desirable form.

[0020] According to a fifth aspect, the present invention relates to a computer-readable recording medium on which is recorded a computer program comprising instructions for carrying out the steps of the process according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0021] On the one hand, the recording medium can be any entity or device capable of storing the program. For example, the medium can include a storage means, such as a ROM, a CD-ROM or a microelectronic circuit-type ROM, or a magnetic recording means or a hard disk drive.

[0022] On the other hand, this recording medium can also be a transmissible medium such as an electrical or optical signal, such a signal being able to be transmitted via an electrical or optical cable, by conventional or radio frequency, by self-directing laser beam, or by other means. The computer program according to the present invention can, in particular, be downloaded from an Internet-type network.

[0023] Alternatively, the recording medium may be an integrated circuit in which the computer program is incorporated, the integrated circuit being adapted to execute or to be used in the execution of the process in question. Brief description of the figures

[0024] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the description of the particular and non-limiting embodiments of the present invention below, with reference to the attached Figures 1 to 3, in which:

[0025] [Fig-1] schematically illustrates part of the passenger compartment of an electric vehicle, according to a particular embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] [Fig.2] illustrates a device configured to determine a road route for the electric vehicle of the [Fig.1], according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] [Fig.3] illustrates a flowchart of the different stages of a process of Determination of a road route for the electric vehicle of [Fig. 1], according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. Description of embodiment examples

[0028] A method and device for determining a road route for an electric vehicle will now be described in what follows with joint reference to Figures 1 to 3. The same elements are identified with the same reference signs throughout the description that follows.

[0029] The terms "first," "second" (or "firsts," "seconds"), etc., are used in this document by arbitrary convention to allow for the identification and distinction of different elements (such as operations, means, etc.) implemented in the embodiments described below. Such elements may be distinct or correspond to a single element, depending on the embodiment.

[0030] According to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, a road route is determined by an electric vehicle routing function based on a first and a second input. The first input represents the charge level of a vehicle battery, and the second input represents a time-smoothed value of the electrical consumption level of a vehicle's air conditioning or heating system.

[0031] Fig. 1 schematically illustrates part of the passenger compartment of a vehicle 10, according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Vehicle 10 corresponds, for example, to a vehicle with electric motor(s) or a hybrid vehicle with a combustion engine and one or more electric motors. Vehicle 10 thus corresponds, for example, to a land vehicle, such as a car, a truck, or a bus.

[0033] According to a particular embodiment, the vehicle 10 can carry one or more on-board AD / AS systems, each controlled by one or more computers, for example a navigation system implementing an electric vehicle routing function. These computers, with the IVI computer, form for example a multiplexed architecture for the implementation of various services useful for the proper functioning of the vehicle 10 and to assist the driver and / or passengers of the vehicle in controlling the vehicle 10 via the control of the system(s) embedded in the vehicle 10. The computers are organized according to a network architecture such as for example a centralized type around an intelligent service box (BSI) or a vehicle supervisory module (VSM for Vehicle Supervisor Module in English) or according to an all-in-one solution such as that known as HPC (Cockpit High Performance Computer in English, in French all-in-one solution 2 for the functions of the instrument cluster and infotainment system).

[0034] The vehicle 10 also includes a passenger compartment air conditioning or heating system. This air conditioning or heating system includes (or is in communication with) a temperature sensor 12 inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle 10 and a temperature sensor outside the passenger compartment of the vehicle 10.

[0035] The vehicle 10 also includes a display system comprising a touchscreen 11 and a computer configured to control the display of content from a graphical human-machine interface (HMI) on the touchscreen. The computer corresponds, for example, to the computer of the infotainment system, known as the IVI (In-Vehicle Infotainment) computer of the vehicle 10.

[0036] The touch screen corresponds for example to an LCD type screen (from the English "Liquid Crystal Display" or in French "Affichage à cristals liquide"), for example of type TFT (from the English "Thin-Film Transistor" or in French "Transistor en film mince"), or OLED (from the English "Organic Light-Emitting Diode" or in French "Diode électroluminescente organique").

[0037] The vehicle 10 also includes a sensor (not shown) for measuring the instantaneous charge level of the vehicle 10 battery used to power at least one electric motor of the vehicle 10.

[0038] The vehicle 10 also includes a sensor (not shown) for instantaneous measurement of the electrical consumption of the air conditioning or heating system of the vehicle 10.

[0039] The vehicle display system 10, the vehicle's on-board computers 10, the vehicle's interior 12 and exterior passenger compartment temperature sensors 10, the vehicle's battery instantaneous charge level sensor 10, and the vehicle's air conditioning or heating system instantaneous power consumption sensor 10 communicate and exchange data with each other via one or more computer buses, for example a communication bus of the CAN data bus type (from the English "Controller Area Network" or in French "Réseau de contrôlers"), CAN FD (from the English "Controller Area Network Flexible Data-Rate" or in French "Réseau de contrôlers à débit de données flexible"), FlexRay (according to the ISO 17458 standard), LIN (from the English "Local Interconnect Network" or in French "Réseau interconnecté local") or Ethernet (according to the ISO / IEC 802-3 standard).

[0040] A process for determining a road route for an electric vehicle 10 is advantageously implemented by a device or system embedded in the vehicle 10 such as a computer, i.e. by one or more processors of this device.

[0041] In a first operation of the process, a first data point is received by the computer. The first data point represents the charge level of a vehicle battery 10 obtained from the sensor measuring the instantaneous charge level of the vehicle battery 10.

[0042] In a second operation of the process, a second data point is obtained. The second data point represents a time-smoothed value of the electrical consumption level of the vehicle's air conditioning or heating system 10.

[0043] According to one variant, the smoothed value is obtained from an outside temperature value of the vehicle 10 cabin obtained from the outside temperature sensor of the vehicle 10 cabin, an inside temperature value of the vehicle 10 cabin obtained from the inside temperature sensor 12 of the vehicle 10 cabin and a setpoint temperature value obtained from a human-machine interface implemented, for example, on the touch screen 11 of the vehicle 10 display system.

[0044] According to one variant, the smoothed value is an average value of the electrical consumption level of the vehicle's air conditioning or heating system 10 over the time interval.

[0045] For example, the average value can be calculated on electrical consumption values ​​of the air conditioning or heating system measured periodically during the time interval from the instantaneous electrical consumption measurement sensor of the vehicle's air conditioning or heating system 10.

[0046] According to one variant, the time interval is defined for the value of the interior temperature of the passenger compartment of the vehicle 10 to reach the setpoint temperature value.

[0047] For example, a table or nomogram can be defined. This table or nomogram provides a smoothed value for the electrical consumption of the vehicle's air conditioning or heating system 10 as a function of an outside temperature of the vehicle's passenger compartment 10, an inside temperature of the vehicle's passenger compartment 10, and a setpoint temperature. The smoothed values, recorded in the form of Table or abacus, can be determined empirically from measurements of indoor and outdoor temperatures taken when moving vehicles in different climatic conditions and / or according to different setpoint temperature values.

[0048] According to one variant, the smoothed value is obtained from a table or abacus stored in memory.

[0049] According to one variant, the memory is embedded in the vehicle 10.

[0050] In a third operation of the process, the road route is determined based on the first and second data.

[0051] Figure 2 schematically illustrates a device 2 configured for determining of a road route for an electric vehicle, for example on vehicle 10, according to various specific and non-limiting embodiments of the present invention. Device 2 corresponds, for example, to a device embedded in vehicle 10 (for example, a computer).

[0052] Device 2 is, for example, configured to carry out at least some of the operations described opposite [Fig. 1] and / or the steps of the process described opposite [Fig. 3]. Examples of such a device 2 include, but are not limited to, embedded electronic equipment such as a vehicle's on-board computer, an electronic control unit such as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit), a TCU, a controller, a computer, a server, or a mobile communication device (e.g., embedded in a vehicle and connected to that vehicle by wired or wireless communication). The elements of device 2, individually or in combination, may be integrated into a single integrated circuit, into several integrated circuits, and / or into discrete components.Device 2 can be implemented in the form of electronic circuits or software (or computer) modules, or a combination of electronic circuits and software modules.

[0053] The device 2 comprises one (or more) processor(s) 20 configured to execute instructions for carrying out the steps of the process and / or for executing instructions from the software embedded in the device 2. The processor 20 may include integrated memory, an input / output interface, and various circuits known to those skilled in the art. The device 2 further comprises at least one memory 21, corresponding, for example, to volatile and / or non-volatile memory, and / or includes a memory storage device that may include volatile and / or non-volatile memory, such as EEPROM, ROM, PROM, RAM, DRAM, SRAM, flash, magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0054] The computer code of the embedded software(s) including the instructions to be loaded and executed by the processor is for example stored on memory 21.

[0055] According to various particular and non-limiting embodiments, the device 2 is coupled in communication with other similar devices or systems and / or with communication devices, for example a TCU (Telematic Control Unit), for example via a communication bus or through dedicated input / output ports.

[0056] According to a particular and non-limiting embodiment, the device 2 comprises a block 22 of interface elements for communicating with external devices. The interface elements of the block 22 comprise one or more of the following interfaces: - radio frequency RF interface, for example of the Wi-Fi® type (according to IEEE 802.11), for example in the 2.4 or 5 GHz frequency bands, or of the Bluetooth® type (according to IEEE 802.15.1), in the 2.4 GHz frequency band, or of the Sigfox type using UBN (Ultra Narrow Band) radio technology, or LoRa in the 868 MHz frequency band, LTE (Long-Term Evolution), LTE-Advanced, 5G; - USB interface (from the English "Universal Serial Bus" or "Universal Serial Bus" in French); - HDMI interface (from the English "High Definition Multimedia Interface", or "High Definition Multimedia Interface" in French); - LIN interface (from the English "Local Interconnect Network", or in French "Réseau interconnecté local").

[0057] According to another particular and non-limiting embodiment, the device 2 includes a communication interface 23 which allows communication to be established with other devices (such as other computers in the embedded system) via a communication channel 230. The communication interface 23 corresponds, for example, to a transmitter configured to transmit and receive information and / or data via the communication channel 230. The communication interface 23 corresponds, for example, to a wired LVDS (Low Voltage Differential Signaling) network.

[0058] According to a particular and non-limiting embodiment, the device 2 can provide output signals to one or more external devices, such as a display screen 240, touch or not, one or more speakers 250 and / or other peripherals 260 (projection system) via output interfaces 24, 25 and 26 respectively. According to a variant, one or more of the external devices is integrated into the device 2.

[0059] Figure 3 shows a flowchart of the different steps of a method for determining a road route for an electric vehicle 10 of Figure 1. The method is implemented by the vehicle 10, for example by the device 2 of Figure 2.

[0060] In a first step 31, a first data point is received. The first data point is representative of a charge level of a vehicle battery.

[0061] In a second step 32, a second data point is obtained. The second data point represents a time-smoothed value of the electrical consumption level of a vehicle's air conditioning or heating system.

[0062] In a third step 33, the road route is determined according to the first data and the second data.

[0063] According to one variant, the variants and examples of the operations described in relation to [Fig.1] apply to the steps of the process in [Fig.3].

[0064] Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above but extends to a method for determining a road route for an electric vehicle that would include secondary stops without falling outside the scope of the present invention. The same would apply to a device configured for implementing such a method.

[0065] The present invention also relates to a vehicle, for example a motor vehicle or more generally a land motor vehicle, comprising device 2 of [Fig.2],

Claims

Demands

1. A method for determining a road route for an electric vehicle, said method being implemented by at least one processor and comprising the following steps: - receiving (31) a first data point representing a charge level of a vehicle battery; - obtaining (32) a second data point representing a time-smoothed value of an electrical consumption level of a vehicle air conditioning or heating system; and - determining (33) the road route based on the first and second data points.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the smoothed value is obtained from an outside temperature value of a vehicle cabin, an inside temperature value of the vehicle cabin and a setpoint temperature value.

3. Method according to claim 2, wherein the smoothed value is an average value of the electrical consumption level of the vehicle's air conditioning or heating system over the time interval.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein the time interval is defined for the interior temperature value of the vehicle's passenger compartment to reach the setpoint temperature value.

5. Method according to claim 3, wherein the smoothed value is obtained from a table or abacus stored in a memory.

6. Method according to claim 5, wherein the memory is embedded in the vehicle.

7. A computer program comprising instructions for carrying out the method according to any one of the preceding claims, when such instructions are executed by a processor.

8. A computer-readable recording medium on which is recorded a computer program comprising instructions for carrying out the steps of the process according to any one of claims 1 to 6

9. 1 d O. Device (2) for determining a road route for an electric vehicle, said device comprising an associated memory (21)

10. to at least one processor (20) configured for the implementation of the steps of the process according to any one of claims 1 to 6. Vehicle comprising the device (2) according to claim 9.

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