US 11,867,520 B2
Energy assessment for charging a towed vehicle
Rahul Madineni, Farmington Hills, MI (US); and Gary Gloceri, Livonia, MI (US)
Assigned to Rivian IP Holdings, LLC, Irvine, CA (US)
Filed by Rivian IP Holdings, LLC, Plymouth, MI (US)
Filed on Aug. 31, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/007,094.
Prior Publication US 2022/0065643 A1, Mar. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. G01C 21/34 (2006.01); B60L 58/31 (2019.01); B60L 58/12 (2019.01); G01C 21/36 (2006.01); B60L 53/24 (2019.01)
CPC G01C 21/3469 (2013.01) [B60L 53/24 (2019.02); B60L 58/12 (2019.02); B60L 58/31 (2019.02); G01C 21/3697 (2013.01); B60L 2260/52 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system comprising:
a computing system transportable aboard at least one of a towing vehicle and a towed vehicle, wherein the computing system includes computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions configured to:
receive towing data, efficiency data, and charging data from a data store, wherein the towing data comprises fuel usage data and fees for towing different types of towed vehicles, the efficiency data is used to determine costs of towing the towed vehicle based on how operating at least one rotating electromagnetic device of the towed vehicle affects a load on the towing vehicle, and the charging data is used to determine an extent to which the at least one rotating electromagnetic device should be operated to provide a desired level of charge to at least one power cell of the towed vehicle;
based on the received towing data, efficiency data, and charging data, identify a quantity of charging energy to be supplied to the at least one power cell of the towed vehicle by the at least one rotating electromagnetic device of the towed vehicle generating and supplying electrical power to charge the at least one power cell of the towed vehicle while the towed vehicle is towed by the towing vehicle; and
determine a quantity of towing energy expendable by the towing vehicle in towing the towed vehicle to provide the quantity of charging energy to the at least one power cell of the towed vehicle.