EV Coast-Down Guidance for Regenerative Braking Timing

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional electrified vehicles do not effectively utilize environmental artifacts to optimize coasting and regenerative braking, leading to inefficient energy use as drivers often apply friction brakes instead of coasting when encountering obstacles.

Innovation Solution

A system that uses sensors to detect environmental artifacts, determines an optimal coast down deceleration rate, and notifies the driver through a human-machine interface to initiate coasting, enhancing energy efficiency by utilizing regenerative braking.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If drivers apply friction brakes in response to environmental artifacts, then vehicle deceleration is achieved, but energy efficiency deteriorates due to loss of regenerative braking opportunity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveregenerative braking energyVSAvoiddriver braking response

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection of environmental artifacts and calculates optimal coast down deceleration rates before the driver needs to brake. By notifying the driver in advance through the HMI, the system enables the driver to initiate coast down proactively, capturing regenerative braking energy before friction braking would be required.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors environmental artifacts through sensors and provides feedback to the driver via the HMI when coast down opportunities are detected. This feedback loop enables the driver to adjust their braking behavior based on real-time environmental conditions, maximizing regenerative braking energy capture while maintaining safe stopping distances.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Use of energy by moving object

If the system notifies the driver to initiate coast down, then energy efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional sensors and control systems

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevehicle energy efficiencyVSAvoidsensor and control system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The controller integrates multiple functions including artifact detection coordination, coast down deceleration rate calculation, HMI notification generation, and regenerative braking control into a single multi-functional unit. This consolidation reduces overall system complexity while maintaining the ability to optimize energy efficiency through intelligent coast down initiation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Loss of energy

If the system determines optimal coast down deceleration rate based on environmental artifacts, then regenerative braking energy is maximized, but measurement precision requirements increase for sensor detection

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveregenerative braking energy captureVSAvoidartifact detection precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system detects environmental artifacts and calculates coast down parameters in advance, providing the driver with notification and guidance before the actual braking event. This partial action approach allows the system to prepare optimal deceleration rates based on current sensor data without requiring extremely high measurement precision at the moment of braking decision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The system optimizes vehicle energy efficiency by intelligently modulating regenerative braking based on environmental factors, guiding drivers to coast down efficiently and maximize energy regeneration.

Implementation Method 1

an electric motor that provides drive torque to a driveline, the electric motor further providing regenerative braking energy to a battery system during a deceleration event

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectromagnetic induction: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentUS20250304088A1Driver guidance system to initiate vehicle coast down based on enviromental information

Publication Date: 2025.10.02 FCA US LLC

AI summary

An electric vehicle includes an electrified powertrain including an electric motor that provides drive torque to a driveline, the electric motor further providing regenerative braking energy to a battery system during a deceleration event, one or more sensors configured to detect artifacts in an environment in front of the electric vehicle, and a human machine interface (HMI). A controller is configured to receive artifact data from the one or more sensors, identify an artifact that requires vehicle deceleration, set a target distance for the identified artifact, determine a coast down deceleration rate, based on the artifact data, to slow the electric vehicle down to the target distance via regenerative braking, and notify the driver via the HMI to initiate a coast down when the electric vehicle exceeds a predetermined threshold deceleration rate to slow the electric vehicle down to the target distance by the determined coast down deceleration rate.