Vehicle Route Weighting for Travel Time and Energy Use

Solution Overview

Problem

Modern vehicles and navigation systems do not support real-time or near real-time routing options that optimize energy efficiency, despite advancements in vehicle technology, leading to suboptimal energy use and increased emissions.

Innovation Solution

A system and method for generating navigation routes that consider real-time data and user preferences, using a processor to compute weighted routes based on time and energy consumption models, incorporating static and dynamic information such as road characteristics, traffic, and vehicle specifics, to provide a compromise between time efficiency and energy efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If navigation systems prioritize fastest routes, then travel time is reduced, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetravel timeVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The navigation system dynamically adjusts routing priorities based on real-time conditions and user preferences. The system transitions from static route selection to dynamic route optimization by continuously evaluating traffic conditions, vehicle state, and user-defined weightings between time and energy efficiency, allowing the optimal route to change adaptively throughout the journey.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the optimization parameter from purely time-based to a weighted combination of time and energy consumption. By introducing an energy efficiency parameter and allowing users to adjust the weighting between time and energy, the system transforms the single-objective optimization problem into a multi-objective optimization problem, enabling flexible trade-offs between conflicting goals.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Use of energy by moving object

If navigation systems prioritize energy-efficient routes, then energy consumption is reduced, but travel time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoidtravel time

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The navigation system dynamically adjusts routing priorities based on real-time conditions and user preferences. The system transitions from static route selection to dynamic route optimization by continuously evaluating traffic conditions, vehicle state, and user-defined weightings between time and energy efficiency, allowing the optimal route to change adaptively throughout the journey.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the optimization parameter from purely time-based to a weighted combination of time and energy consumption. By introducing an energy efficiency parameter and allowing users to adjust the weighting between time and energy, the system transforms the single-objective optimization problem into a multi-objective optimization problem, enabling flexible trade-offs between conflicting goals.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Measurement precision

If real-time routing data is collected and processed, then routing accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverouting accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the complex routing problem into distinct modules: data collection from multiple sources, real-time processing of traffic and vehicle information, energy consumption calculation based on vehicle state, and route optimization algorithms. This modular segmentation allows each component to be developed and optimized independently while maintaining overall system accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS10890459B2Systems and methods for variable energy routing and tracking

Publication Date: 2021.01.12 MATSUMURA JOHN

AI summary

A method for generating navigation routes for a vehicle includes: receiving an origin position, in a road network, of the vehicle; receiving a destination position, in the road network; receiving a user preference from a user interface device, the user preference indicating a tradeoff value having one of a plurality of values between travel time and energy efficiency; computing a time value for each of a plurality of road segments of the road network using a time consumption model; computing an energy consumption for each of the plurality of road segments of the road network using an energy consumption model; identifying a weighted route from the origin position to the destination position based on the time value and the energy consumption for the road segments and based on the user preference; and supplying the identified weighted route to a navigation system of the vehicle.