Vehicle Energy Management with Target Range Suggestions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current energy management systems for vehicles do not allow drivers to easily and intuitively adapt energy consumption to achieve a desired range, lacking a straightforward method to suggest necessary changes in consumer states to optimize energy use.

Innovation Solution

An energy management method and device that calculates a predicted actual range, allows users to set a target range using a graphical interface, and suggests state changes for consumers to achieve the target range, minimizing driver distraction and enhancing safety.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If the driver manually adjusts individual consumer settings to achieve a desired range, then the energy consumption can be optimized, but the operation complexity and time required increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy consumption optimizationVSAvoidoperation simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The energy management system automatically calculates and suggests consumer state adjustments without requiring manual driver intervention. The system serves itself by monitoring energy reserve, predicting actual range, and autonomously generating optimization suggestions based on target range inputs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a feedback loop where the driver inputs a target range, the system calculates the difference between target and predicted actual range, and then suggests specific consumer state changes to bridge this gap. The driver can review and accept/reject suggestions, creating an iterative optimization process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Use of energy by moving object

If the system provides detailed suggestions for multiple consumer state changes, then the energy optimization potential increases, but the information complexity and driver distraction increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy optimization potentialVSAvoidinformation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the complex energy optimization task into manageable components: it identifies individual consumers that can be adjusted, calculates their specific energy consumption impact, and presents them as separate, actionable suggestions rather than a overwhelming mass of data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system focuses on suggesting changes for only those consumers that will actually help achieve the target range, rather than managing all consumers. It performs partial action on the subset of consumers relevant to the specific optimization need, reducing information complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Measurement precision

If the system calculates and displays detailed consumption information for all consumers, then the energy management precision improves, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to information overload

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy management precisionVSAvoidease of use
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies local quality by providing detailed consumption information and precise calculations only for the specific consumers that are relevant to achieving the target range, rather than uniformly displaying information for all consumers. This localized detail maintains precision while avoiding unnecessary information overload.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP2921366B1Energy management method for a vehicle and energy management device
Publication Date: 2023.08.16 VOLKSWAGEN AG
  • EP2921366B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2921366B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2921366B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The present invention relates to an energy management method for a vehicle (1) comprising an energy storage device (2) and several consumers (4), wherein the energy supply in the energy storage device (2) is recorded and a predicted actual range of the vehicle (1) is calculated, a graphical object (10) is generated and displayed which visualizes the predicted actual range, a user input is recorded with which a target range is set by changing the graphical object (10) by means of an input device (8), after the target range has been set, the difference between the target range and the predicted actual range is used to calculate which changes in state of at least a subset of the consumers (4) can achieve the target range, and the calculated changes in state are output as a suggestion.Furthermore, the invention relates to an energy management device for carrying out this energy management method.