Identifying cost effective routes using vehicle fuel economy values that are specific to the roadway type

Abstract

A method includes identifying a starting location and a destination for traveling in a vehicle and identifying multiple available routes. Each available route includes roadway segments that each have a roadway type selected from multiple roadway types that reflect a unique set of roadway conditions. The method obtains a price of fuel available to the vehicle, obtains a fuel economy value for the vehicle on each roadway type, and calculates a cost of driving each of a plurality of available routes. The cost of driving each available route is the sum of the cost of driving each segment of the route, wherein the cost of driving each roadway segment is the mathematical product of a length of the roadway segment and the available fuel price divided by the fuel economy for the vehicle on the roadway type for the roadway segment. The lowest cost route is then identified.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 identifying a starting location and a destination for traveling in a vehicle;   accessing map data identifying multiple available routes from the starting location to the destination, wherein each available route includes one or more roadway segments, wherein the map data identifies a roadway type for each roadway segment, and wherein the map data includes multiple roadway types, and each roadway type reflects a unique set of roadway conditions;   obtaining a price of fuel available to the vehicle;   obtaining a fuel economy value for the vehicle on each roadway type;   calculating a cost of driving each of a plurality of available routes, wherein the cost of driving each available route is the sum of the cost of driving each of the one or more roadway segments included within the available route, and wherein the cost of driving each roadway segment is the mathematical product of a length of the roadway segment and the price of fuel available to the vehicle divided by the fuel economy for the vehicle on the roadway type for the roadway segment; and   identifying which of the available routes is the lowest cost route for driving the vehicle from the starting location to the destination.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the map data further identifies any toll amount charged for traveling through each roadway segment, and wherein the toll amount associated with each roadway segment is added to the cost of driving the roadway segment. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein obtaining a price of fuel available to the vehicle includes receiving the fuel price in a wireless communication from a refueling pump control system at the time the fuel tank of the vehicle is being filled. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein obtaining a price of fuel available to the vehicle includes manually entering the fuel price. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein obtaining a price of fuel available to the vehicle includes accessing a database of refueling locations and fuel prices associated with each of the refueling locations. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the roadway types includes a city street and a highway, and wherein obtaining a fuel economy value for the vehicle on each roadway type includes receiving a published value for city fuel economy and a published value for highway fuel economy. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein obtaining a fuel economy value for the vehicle on each roadway type includes:
 storing a driving history for the vehicle, wherein the driving history includes a first fuel economy measured over a plurality of roadway segments of a first roadway type and a second fuel economy measured over a plurality of roadway segments of a second roadway type, wherein fuel economy is a measure of distance traveled per quantity of fuel.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the driving history for the vehicle includes vehicle speed, and wherein the first fuel economy is measured over roadway segments where the vehicle speed is less than a setpoint speed, and the second fuel economy is measured over roadway segments where the vehicle speed is greater than the setpoint speed. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the driving history for the vehicle includes vehicle stops, and wherein the first fuel economy is measured over roadway segments where the vehicle stops are more frequent than a setpoint frequency, and the second fuel economy is measured over roadway segments where the vehicle stops are less frequent than the setpoint frequency. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first roadway type is a city street and the second roadway type is a highway. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the driving history is stored in memory associated with a vehicle control system. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the vehicle control system communicates the first fuel economy and the second fuel economy to a separate navigation device using short range wireless communication. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the map data identifies a roadway segment as a first segment type if the roadway segment has greater than a setpoint number of stops per distance, and wherein the map data identifies a roadway segment as a second segment type if the roadway segment has less than a setpoint number of stops per distance. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the map data identifies a roadway segment as a first segment type if the roadway segment has a speed limit less than a setpoint speed, and wherein the map data identifies a roadway segment as a second segment type if the roadway segment has a speed limit greater than a setpoint speed. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the map data identifies a roadway segment as a second segment type if the roadway segment has a highway designation, and wherein the map data identifies a roadway segment as a first segment type if the roadway segment does not have a highway designation. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 displaying, on a display screen, the identified route and the cost associated with driving the vehicle from the starting location to the destination following the identified route.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 displaying, on a display screen, an alternative route and the cost associated with driving the vehicle from the starting location to the destination following the alternative route.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 displaying, on a display screen, an estimated duration of traveling the identified route and an estimated duration of traveling the alternative route.