Route-Based Energy Feedback for Transportation Drivers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for monitoring energy consumption in transportation vehicles do not effectively encourage energy-saving driving behaviors and fail to provide drivers with meaningful feedback to reduce overall energy consumption.

Innovation Solution

A computer-assisted monitoring system that records and compares energy consumption data for specific routes, using measurement data from onboard devices and GPS to provide drivers with real-time feedback on their energy usage relative to historical data, promoting energy-saving driving practices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If energy consumption data is displayed to drivers, then drivers are informed about their energy usage, but the data lacks meaningful context for evaluation and motivation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation completenessVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback by comparing current route energy consumption with historical data from previous journeys on the same route, providing drivers with meaningful context about their performance relative to established benchmarks, thereby enabling evaluation and motivation without excessive system complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by collecting and storing energy consumption data from test drives and previous journeys in a database before actual operation, so that when drivers operate the vehicle, ready-to-use comparison data is already available to provide immediate contextual feedback

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If route-related energy consumption data is recorded and compared, then driver behavior can be evaluated and energy-saving behaviors motivated, but additional data processing and storage infrastructure is required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy efficiencyVSAvoiddata infrastructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system achieves multi-functionality by using the same measurement devices and data processing infrastructure for multiple purposes: monitoring current energy consumption, comparing with historical data, evaluating driver behavior, and providing feedback, thereby improving energy efficiency without proportionally increasing infrastructure complexity

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

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements self-service by automatically collecting measurement data from onboard devices, storing it in the database, performing statistical evaluations, and generating feedback information without requiring external intervention, thus reducing the operational complexity of the data infrastructure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP2435792B2Computer-supported energy consumption monitoring of a means of transportation
Publication Date: 2020.02.26 SIEMENS MOBILITY GMBH
  • EP2435792B2 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2435792B2 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP2435792B2 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The invention relates to a method and arrangement allowing a determination of the energy consumption of a means of transportation per section of the route, in urban traffic, for example. In an embodiment, current energy consumption data is compared to reference data from a fleet of transportation means. The result is visually conveyed to the driver to allow him an interpretation of the energy consumption and to provide motivation for energy-saving driving behavior. An evaluation of the energy consumption data relative to the route allows specific feedback, for example, that the driver has achieved an energy-saving best value for a section of the route. The gathered data can also be used to pay bonuses or to initiate training measures.