Vehicle Power Management Systems and Methods

Abstract

A method of vehicle operation includes, using one or more processors, receiving one or more inputs from one of one or more sensors of a first vehicle and one or more external sources communicatively coupled with the one or more processors. The one or more processors determine a plurality of optional routes existing between a first location of the first vehicle and a future destination of the first vehicle. Using the one or more inputs, the one or more processors predict a vehicle route by predicting which of the optional routes the first vehicle will take to get from the first location to the future destination.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of vehicle operation, comprising:
 using one or more processors:
 receiving one or more inputs from one of one or more sensors of a first vehicle and one or more sources communicatively coupled with the one or more processors; 
 determining a plurality of optional routes existing between a first location of the first vehicle and a future destination of the first vehicle; and 
 using the one or more inputs, predicting a vehicle route by predicting which of the optional routes the first vehicle will take to get from the first location to the future destination. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the future destination is a destination at which the first vehicle will be parked and turned off. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of intermediary destinations exist between the first location and the future destination, and wherein the method further comprises predicting which of the intermediary destinations the first vehicle will traverse between the first location and the future destination. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more processors predict the intermediary destinations without determining the future destination and without having received the future destination. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, using the one or more processors, determining information about operational status of the first vehicle, user command inputs to the first vehicle, and one or more operational parameters of the first vehicle. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising updating the one or more operational parameters of the first vehicle from a remote source. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the one or more operational parameters of the first vehicle are communicated to the first vehicle from an external source. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising updating control logic of the one or more processors from a remote source. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising preventing flooding of an engine of the first vehicle by overriding a user command input. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the one or more processors using a distance between the first vehicle and a second vehicle as an input to increase an energy efficiency of the first vehicle. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus comprising:
 a first vehicle having a power source and a communication system; and   one or more processors configured to:
 receive one or more inputs from one of one or more sensors of the first vehicle and the communication system; 
 determine a plurality of optional routes existing between a first location of the first vehicle and a future destination of the first vehicle; and 
 using the one or more inputs, predict a vehicle route by predicting which of the optional routes the first vehicle will take to get from the first location to the future destination. 
   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the future destination is a destination at which the first vehicle will be parked and turned off. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein a plurality of intermediary destinations exist between the first location and the future destination, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine which of the intermediary destinations the first vehicle will traverse between the first location and the future destination. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to predict the intermediary destinations without determining the future destination and without having received the future destination. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to prevent flooding of an engine of the first vehicle by overriding a user command input. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to use a distance between the first vehicle and a second vehicle as an input to increase an energy efficiency of the first vehicle. 
     
     
         17 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a vehicle having one or more processors configured to:
 determine a vehicle route; 
 determine information about operational status of the vehicle; 
 determine information about an external environment of the vehicle, including identifying an uphill portion and a downhill portion along the vehicle route; 
 determine a location of the vehicle along the vehicle route; and 
 maximize an energy efficiency of the vehicle along the vehicle route, within one or more constraints, by controlling one of:
 a difference in a speed of the vehicle on the downhill portion relative to a speed of the vehicle on the uphill portion; and 
 a ratio of energy from a first power source of the vehicle and a second power source of the vehicle. 
 
   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the first power source comprises an electric power source and the second power source comprises an internal combustion engine, and wherein the one or more processors maximize the energy efficiency at least in part by: adjusting the ratio of energy from the first power source and the second power source while traveling on the uphill portion so that the first power source is exhausted on the uphill portion; and charging the first power source while traveling on the downhill portion. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more processors maximize the energy efficiency at least in part by increasing a speed of the vehicle on the downhill portion when the one or more processors determine that the uphill portion is upcoming. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the determined information about operational status of the vehicle includes a weight of the vehicle and a speed of the vehicle, and wherein the determined information about the external environment of the vehicle includes a road grade.