US 11,987,234 B2
Adaptable orientation optimization for vehicles with solar photovoltaic surfaces
Ross Dykstra Pursifull, Dearborn, MI (US); and Yeo-Wang John Lee, Plymouth, MI (US)
Assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed by FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed on Jun. 7, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/834,233.
Prior Publication US 2023/0391318 A1, Dec. 7, 2023
Int. Cl. H02S 10/40 (2014.01); B60W 30/06 (2006.01); B60W 40/02 (2006.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01); H02S 20/32 (2014.01)
CPC B60W 30/06 (2013.01) [B60W 40/02 (2013.01); G05D 1/0011 (2013.01); G05D 1/0088 (2013.01); G05D 1/0278 (2013.01); H02S 10/40 (2014.12); H02S 20/32 (2014.12); B60W 2555/20 (2020.02); B60W 2556/50 (2020.02)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A transportation vehicle, comprising:
a solar power generation apparatus mounted on the vehicle with a layout such that at any particular solar altitude angle a power output of the solar power generation apparatus varies according to an azimuth orientation of the vehicle; and
a controller coupled to the solar power generation apparatus, wherein the controller includes a database of calibration curves relating an expected power output to a respective range of the azimuth orientation each corresponding to a respective solar altitude angle, and wherein the controller is configured to:
perform a self-learning sequence comprising (a) collecting a magnitude of the power output while the vehicle is driven in a path which traverses the respective range of the azimuth orientation, (b) identifying a current solar altitude angle, and (c) storing a resulting calibration curve in the database; and
perform a parking sequence for a parking event, comprising (a) selecting one of the calibration curves from the database according to the current solar altitude angle, (b) determining a target vehicle azimuth angle which optimizes a cumulative power output based on the selected calibration curve and a current solar azimuth, and (c) initiating a movement of the vehicle according to the target vehicle azimuth angle.