Mode-Specific Distance to Empty Calculation for Vehicle Drive Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle systems inaccurately calculate and display the distance to empty (DTE) without distinguishing between different drive modes, leading to potential fuel shortages due to varying fuel consumption and energy usage across modes.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that collect drive data for each mode, calculate fuel efficiency, and display a more accurate DTE by using a controller to accumulate drive distance and fuel efficiency information for each drive mode, incorporating learning fuel efficiency and blending corrections to ensure accurate fuel efficiency calculations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a single overall fuel efficiency is calculated without distinguishing drive modes, then the calculation is simple, but the DTE value becomes inaccurate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the overall fuel efficiency calculation into mode-specific fuel efficiency calculations. The controller separates drive data by drive mode and calculates fuel efficiency independently for each mode, then uses the currently active mode's fuel efficiency to calculate DTE. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by improving DTE accuracy through mode-specific calculations while maintaining manageable complexity through systematic data organization and processing.
2Reliability
If mode-specific fuel efficiency calculation is implemented, then DTE accuracy improves, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the controller continuously monitors drive mode status, accumulates drive data specific to each mode, and dynamically updates mode-specific fuel efficiency calculations. The system uses feedback from the currently active drive mode to select the appropriate fuel efficiency value for DTE calculation, ensuring reliable and accurate fuel management that adapts to changing driving conditions.
3Measurement precision
If overall fuel efficiency is used for DTE calculation, then the system is simple to operate, but fuel shortage may occur due to inaccurate DTE
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically performs mode-specific fuel efficiency calculations and DTE updates without requiring driver intervention. The controller self-manages the complexity of separating drive data by mode, calculating mode-specific fuel efficiencies, and selecting the appropriate value based on the currently active drive mode. This self-service approach maintains ease of operation while improving measurement precision, as the driver simply views the accurate DTE without needing to understand the underlying calculations.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method of calculating a vehicle DTE are provided to calculate a fuel efficiency of each vehicle drive mode, and display a more accurate DTE of each drive mode. The method includes when a driver selects a drive mode and a drive distance of the selected drive mode is accumulated while a vehicle is being driven in the selected mode, collecting drive data including an accumulated drive distance of each drive mode, and fuel efficiency information of each drive mode. A final fuel efficiency of each drive mode is calculated using a drive distance of each drive mode, a consumption energy of each drive mode or a fuel efficiency of each drive mode, and a learning fuel efficiency. A DTE of each drive mode is then calculated based on the calculated final fuel efficiency of each drive mode.