Driving Performance Assessment Using Electrical Energy Data

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for assessing driving performance are inadequate as they rely on blunt measures like fuel consumption, which vary significantly due to vehicle type and conditions, and lack reliable data for many vehicles, making it difficult to accurately compare and improve driving efficiency across different drivers and vehicles.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that continuously read and analyze driving data sets from vehicles, classifying them into groups based on similarity and conformity to calculate energy consumption-based trip performance parameters, providing real-time feedback to drivers and managers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If fuel consumption is used to measure driving performance, then environmental impact can be tracked, but the measure is blunt and unreliable for many vehicle types

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriving performance measurement accuracyVSAvoidapplicability across different vehicle types
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from using fuel consumption data to using electrical energy consumption data from the vehicle's electrical system. This parameter change enables precise measurement of driving performance across all vehicle types including electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and conventional vehicles with electrical systems, eliminating the limitations of fuel consumption measurement

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a universal driving performance measurement system that works across multiple vehicle types (electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, conventional vehicles) by utilizing the electrical system as a common denominator. The electrical energy consumption serves as a universal metric that can be measured in all vehicle types, making the system adaptable and versatile

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Measurement precision

If driving data is collected and processed centrally, then comprehensive performance assessment is achieved, but data transmission and processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriving performance assessment accuracyVSAvoiddata transmission and processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary classification of driving data into behavioral patterns during or immediately after the test drive, rather than waiting for complete central processing. This preliminary action at the vehicle level reduces the amount of data that needs to be transmitted and processed centrally, thereby reducing time loss while maintaining assessment accuracy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3391304B1Method and system for assessing the trip performance of a driver
Publication Date: 2021.01.27 GREATER THAN SA
  • EP3391304B1 patent drawingFigure 1a
  • EP3391304B1 patent drawingFigure 1b
  • EP3391304B1 patent drawingFigure 1c

AI summary

Method for automatically assessing performance of a driver (110) of a vehicle (100) for a particular trip, wherein current driving data sets, comprising basic driving data are repeatedly read from the vehicle, which method comprises the steps a) collecting previous-trip driving data sets, comprising instantaneous vehicle energy consumption, for different previous trips, different drivers and different vehicles; b) classifying said previous-trip driving data sets into collections corresponding to vehicle classes; c) classifying the current vehicle (100) into a current class; and d) calculating a performance parameter for the current trip based upon respective performance parameters for previous-trip driving data sets in said current collection; wherein the basic parameter set comprises vehicle velocity and engine rotation speed and/or motor load and energy consumption, and wherein the class-defining parameters comprise characteristic engine rotation speed per vehicle velocity and/or characteristic energy consumption per motor load. The invention also relates to a system.