FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT 1970
[39 OF 1970]
&
The Patents Rules, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
[See Section 10 and Rule 13]
TITLE: “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPTIMIZING FUEL CONSUMPTION
IN A VEHICLE”
Name and address of the Applicant:
TATA MOTORS LIMITED, an Indian company having its registered office at Bombay
house, 24 Homi Mody Street, Hutatma Chowk, Mumbai 400 001, Maharashtra, INDIA.
Nationality: INDIAN
The following specification particularly describes the nature of the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.

TECHNICAL FIELD
Present disclosure generally relates to the field of automobile engineering. Particularly but not exclusively, the present disclosure relates to method and apparatus for optimizing fuel consumption in a vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
One of the most used methods by vehicle users to reduce wastage of fuel consumption in vehicles is to switch off an engine of the vehicle, when the vehicle is in an idle state. As an example, when the vehicle is at a temporary halt in a traffic signal, the general notion is to switch off the engine of the vehicle to save fuel consumption. However, when the temporary halt of the vehicle is for a short duration, switching off the engine of the vehicle may consume more fuel than the fuel required for the vehicle to be in idle state. Therefore, it is necessary to determine when the engine of the vehicle needs to be switched off to ensure efficient fuel usage.
Some of the existing techniques switched off the injector of engine when the vehicle is in an idle state, after a predefined time elapses. As an additional functionality, some other existing techniques disclose methods to prohibit turning off the injector of engine when special operations such as electric power steering that require power are activated in the vehicle. However, the existing techniques fail to consider dynamic conditions of the vehicle for determining when the injector of engine needs to be switched off. Moreover, the existing techniques automatically switched off the injector of the engine after the predefined time, that may lead to additional fuel consumption, as the dynamic conditions of the vehicle are not considered.
The information disclosed in this background of the disclosure section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the disclosure and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
One or more shortcomings of the conventional systems are overcome by system and method as claimed and additional advantages are provided through the provision of system and method as claimed in the present disclosure. Additional features and advantages are realized through

the techniques of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed disclosure.
In one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure discloses a method of optimizing fuel consumption in a vehicle. The method includes detecting, by a control device associated with a vehicle, a state of the vehicle based on one or more vehicle parameters. Further, the method includes receiving, by the control device, a first value corresponding to fuel consumed when the vehicle is in an idle state and a second value corresponding to fuel consumed when the vehicle is cranked, from at least one fuel consumption sensor associated with the vehicle, when the state of the vehicle is detected to be the idle state. The first value is measured in real¬time when the vehicle is in the idle state and the second value is recorded when the vehicle is initially cranked. Thereafter, the method includes determining, by the control device, a trigger time based on the first value and the second value. Finally, the method includes triggering, by the control device, an alert to switch off ignition of the vehicle, when the vehicle is in the idle state, based on the trigger time.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the one or more vehicle parameters comprises at least one of accelerator pedal position, brake pedal position, and vehicle speed.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, determining the trigger time comprises determining an optimum idling time based on the first value and the second value. The optimum idling time indicates time upto which the vehicle can remain in the idle state without consuming fuel more than the fuel consumed when the vehicle’s engine is cranked. Upon determining the optimum idling time, determining the trigger time by reducing a predefined buffer time from the optimum idling time.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the alert to switch off ignition of the vehicle is triggered when a countdown timer completes count down starting from the trigger time.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the first value corresponding to the fuel consumed when the vehicle is in the idle state is determined by the at least one fuel consumption sensor, based on fuel consumed by engine of the vehicle and fuel consumed by one or more auxiliary systems running in the vehicle.
In another non-limiting embodiment of the disclosure, a control device for optimizing fuel consumption in a vehicle comprising a processor and a memory communicatively coupled to

the processor. The memory stores the processor-executable instructions, which, on execution, causes the processor to detect a state of the vehicle based on one or more vehicle parameters. Further, the process receives a first value corresponding to fuel consumed when the vehicle is in an idle state and a second value corresponding to fuel consumed when the vehicle is cranked, from at least one fuel consumption sensor associated with the vehicle, when the state of the vehicle is detected to be the idle state. The first value is measured in real-time when the vehicle is in the idle state and the second value is recorded when the vehicle is initially cranked. Thereafter, the processor determines a trigger time based on the first value and the second value. Finally, the processor triggers an alert to switch off ignition of the vehicle, when the vehicle is in the idle state, based on the trigger time.
It is to be understood that aspects and embodiments of the disclosure described above may be used in any combination with each other. Several aspects and embodiments may be combined together to form a further embodiment of the disclosure.
The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to drawings and the following detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING FIGURES
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the disclosed principles. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numbers are used throughout the figures to reference like features and components. Some embodiments of system and/or methods in accordance with embodiments of the present subject matter are now described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:
FIG.1 illustrates an exemplary architecture for optimizing fuel consumption in a vehicle, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIG.2 shows a detailed block diagram of a control device for optimizing fuel consumption in a vehicle, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG.3 illustrates a flowchart of a method for optimizing fuel consumption in a vehicle, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure; and
FIG.4 is a block diagram of an exemplary computer system for implementing embodiments consistent with the present disclosure.
It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any block diagrams herein represent conceptual views of illustrative systems embodying the principles of the present subject matter. Similarly, it will be appreciated that any flow charts, flow diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudo code, and the like represent various processes which may be substantially represented in computer readable medium and executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown.
The figures depict embodiments of the disclosure for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the system illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In the present document, the word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any embodiment or implementation of the present subject matter described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.
While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiment thereof has been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail below. It should be understood, however that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternative falling within the scope of the disclosure.
The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, “includes” or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a setup, device or method that includes a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup or device or method. In other words, one or more elements in a system or apparatus proceeded by “comprises… a” does not,

without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the system or method.
Disclosed herein are method and apparatus for optimizing fuel consumption in a vehicle. As an example, the vehicle may include, but not limited to, a car, a truck, a lorry, a bus and the like. The present disclosure envisages the aspect of determining when the ignition of the vehicle can be switched off when the vehicle is in an idle state. The apparatus i.e., control device associated with the vehicle may detect a state of the vehicle based on one or more vehicle parameters. Thereafter, the control device may receive a first value corresponding to fuel consumed when the vehicle is in an idle state and a second value corresponding to fuel consumed when the vehicle is cranked, from at least one fuel consumption sensor associated with the vehicle, when the state of the vehicle is detected to be the idle state. In some embodiments, the first value is measured in real-time when the vehicle is in the idle state and the second value is recorded when the vehicle is initially cranked. Thereafter, the control device may determine a trigger time based on the first value and the second value, using which an alert is triggered to switch off ignition of the vehicle, when the vehicle is in the idle state.
The present disclosure provides a feature wherein, the first value corresponding to fuel consumed when the vehicle is an idle state is received from the fuel consumption sensor in real-time. Moreover, the first value is determined based on fuel consumed by engine of the vehicle and fuel consumed by one or more auxiliary systems running in the vehicle. Hence, the present disclosure determines the trigger time based on the first value which is accurately determined in real-time based on the real-time usage i.e., dynamic conditions of the vehicle in the idle state. The real-time fuel consumption values hence helps in accurately determining the trigger time for switching off the ignition of the vehicle.
The present disclosure provides a method and a system for optimizing fuel consumption in a vehicle. The present disclosure provides an advantage of determining an accurate time at which the ignition of the vehicle can be switched off when the vehicle is in idle state such that, the vehicle saves fuel, which otherwise would lead to more consumption of fuel than when the fuel consumed when the vehicle is left in the idle state without switching off ignition of the vehicle, due to switching off at a non-optimal time. Therefore, the present disclosure completely eliminates dependency on pre-stored static values, which do not consider dynamic conditions

of the vehicle, and hence addresses the inaccuracy issues caused due to consideration of static values of fuel consumption.
A description of an embodiment with several components in communication with each other does not imply that all such components are required. On the contrary, a variety of optional components are described to illustrate the wide variety of possible embodiments of the disclosure.
In the following detailed description of the embodiments of the disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.
FIG.1 illustrates an exemplary architecture for optimizing fuel consumption in a vehicle, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
The architecture 100 includes a vehicle 101, fuel consumption sensor 1031 to 103n (also referred as at least one fuel consumption sensor 103), sensor 1041 to 104n (also referred as one or more other sensors 104), a control device 105, and a Human Machine Interface 106. As an example, the vehicle 101 may include, but not limited to, a car, a truck, a lorry, a bus and the like. The control device 105 may be configured in the vehicle 101, for instance an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in the vehicle 101. In some other embodiments, the control device 105 may be remotely associated with the vehicle 101 via wireless communication network (not shown in FIG.1). As an example, the control device 105 may be a cloud resource configured in a cloud infrastructure or any other form of a remote server capable of communicating with the ECUs in the vehicle 101 via the wireless communication network. In some embodiments, the control device 105 may receive information related to fuel consumption of the vehicle from the at least one fuel consumption sensors 103 configured in the vehicle 101. In some embodiments, the control device 105 may include, but not limited to, a processor 107,
an Input/Output (I/O) interface 109 and a memory 111. The I/O interface 109 may be
configured to receive one or more vehicle parameters from one or more sensors configured in
the vehicle 101. As an example, the one or more vehicle parameters may include, but not
limited to, an accelerator pedal position, a brake pedal position, and a vehicle speed. In some
embodiments, the I/O interface 109 may receive the one or more vehicle parameters from the
one or more other sensors 104 configured in the vehicle 101. As an example, the one or more
other sensors 104 may be a speed sensor, a brake pedal sensor, an acceleration position pedal

sensor, and the like. A speed sensor may provide values related to the vehicle speed, a brake pedal sensor may provide values related to the brake pedal position, and an accelerator pedal position sensor may provide values related to the accelerator pedal position. In some embodiments, the I/O interface 109 may receive the one or more vehicle parameters from the one or more other sensors 104 continuously. In some other embodiments, I/O interface 109 may receive the one or more vehicle parameters from the one or more other sensors 104 at a predefined frequency. Notably, the one or more vehicle parameters and the corresponding one or more other sensors 104 mentioned are only exemplary and should not be construed as a limitation of the present disclosure. The values related to one or more vehicle parameters received from the one or more other sensors 104 may be stored in the memory 111.
Further, the I/O interface 109 may receive values related to fuel consumed by the vehicle 101 from the at least one fuel consumption sensor 103. As an example, the I/O interface 109 may receive a first value corresponding to fuel consumed when the vehicle 101 is idling and a second value corresponding to fuel consumed when the vehicle 101 is cranked. In some embodiments, the at least one fuel consumption sensor 103 may measure the first value in real¬time, when the vehicle is in an idle state. In some embodiments, the at least one fuel consumption sensor 103 may measure the second value when the vehicle 101 is initially cranked. The first value and the second value thus received by the I/O interface 109 may be stored in the memory 111.
In some embodiments, the processor 107 may detect a state of the vehicle based on the one or more vehicle parameters. As an example, the state of the vehicle may be idle and non-idle. As it can be noted, the state of the vehicle 101 is said to be idle when the vehicle 101 is at a temporary halt/stop without switching off ignition of the vehicle 101. Similarly, the state of the vehicle 101 is said to be non-idle when the vehicle 101 is being driven, or when the ignition of the vehicle is switched off.
In some embodiments, when the processor 107 detects the state of the vehicle 101 to be idle, the processor 107 may receive the first value corresponding to fuel consumed when the vehicle 101 is idling and the second value corresponding to fuel consumed when the vehicle 101 is cranked, from the at least one fuel consumption sensor 103 associated with the vehicle 101. The processor 107 may determine an alert trigger time based on the first value and the second value, which in turn enables the processor 107 to trigger an alert to switch off ignition of the vehicle 101 in real-time, when the vehicle 101 is in the idle state.

In some embodiments, the processor 107 may provide the alert via the HMI 106. As an example, the HMI 106 may be associated with a dashboard of the vehicle 101, or infotainment system of the vehicle 101 or one or more electronic devices of users associated of the vehicle 101. However, this should not be construed as a limitation of the present disclosure, as the alert may be given to users of the vehicle, mainly user in driving seat of the vehicle, through any other means such as audio alert, haptic alert, visual alerts and the like.
FIG.2 shows a detailed block diagram of a method optimizing fuel consumption in a vehicle, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
In some implementations, the control device 105 may include data 203 and modules 205. As an example, the data 203 is stored in the memory 111 configured in the control device 105 as shown in the FIG.2. In one embodiment, the data 203 may include state data 207, sensor data 209, trigger data 211 and other data 213. In the illustrated FIG.2, modules 205 are described herein in detail.
In some embodiments, the data 203 may be stored in the memory 111 in form of various data structures. Additionally, the data 203 can be organized using data models, such as relational or hierarchical data models. The other data 213 may store data, including temporary data and temporary files, generated by the modules 205 for performing the various functions of the control device 105.
In some embodiments, the data 203 stored in the memory 111 may be processed by the modules 205 of the control device 105. The modules 205 may be stored within the memory 111. In an example, the modules 205 communicatively coupled to the processor 107 configured in the control device 105, may also be present outside the memory 111 as shown in FIG.2 and implemented as hardware. As used herein, the term modules refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor 107 (shared, dedicated, or group) and memory 111 that execute one or more software or firmware programs, a combinational logic circuit, and/or other suitable components that provide the described functionality.
In some embodiments, the modules 205 may include, for example, a detecting module 221, a receiving module 223, a trigger time determining module 225, a triggering module 227 and other modules 229. The other modules 229 may be used to perform various miscellaneous

functionalities of the control device 105. It will be appreciated that such aforementioned modules 205 may be represented as a single module or a combination of different modules.
In some embodiments, the detecting module 221 may detect a state of the vehicle 101. As an example, the state of the vehicle may be idle and non-idle. As it can be noted, the state of the vehicle 101 is said to be idle when the vehicle 101 is at a temporary halt/stop without switching off ignition of the vehicle 101. Similarly, the state of the vehicle 101 is said to be non-idle when the vehicle 101 is being driven, or when the ignition of the vehicle is switched off. In some embodiments, the detecting module 221 may detect the state of the vehicle 101 based on one or more vehicle parameters. As an example, the one or more vehicle parameters may include, but not limited to, an accelerator pedal position, a brake pedal position, and vehicle speed. In some embodiments, the detecting module 221 may receive the one or more vehicle parameters from one or more other sensors 104 configured in the vehicle 101, in real-time. In some embodiments, a speed sensor may provide values related to the vehicle speed, a brake pedal sensor may provide values related to the brake pedal position, and an accelerator pedal position sensor may provide values related to the accelerator pedal position. For instance, consider the vehicle speed is zero m/s and the brake pedal position indicates that the brake is applied, and the accelerator pedal position indicates that the vehicle is not being accelerated, then the processor 107 may detect that the vehicle 101 is at a temporary halt/stop, or in other words, may detect that state of the vehicle 101 is idle. On the contrary, if the vehicle speed is a non¬zero value, and the accelerator pedal position indicates that the vehicle 101 is being accelerated to gain the non-zero value of the vehicle speed, then the processor 107 may determine that the vehicle 101 is in the non-idle state. In some embodiments, the processor 107 may use other parameters such gear applied in the vehicle 101, clutch status of the vehicle 101, fuel consumed by the vehicle 101 etc., which may also help in detecting state of the vehicle 101. The one or more vehicle parameters, values associated with the one or more vehicle parameters as received from the one or more sensors and the detected state of the vehicle 101 may be stored as the state data 207.
In some embodiments, the receiving module 223 may receive a first value corresponding to fuel consumed when the vehicle 101 is in an idle state and a second value corresponding to fuel consumed when the vehicle 101 is cranked, from at least one fuel consumption sensor 103 associated with the vehicle 101. In some embodiments, the at least one fuel consumption sensor 103 may measure the first value in real-time when the vehicle 101 is in the idle state. The at

least one fuel consumption sensor 103 may determine the first value corresponding to the fuel consumed when the vehicle 101 is in the idle state based on fuel consumed by engine of the vehicle 101 and fuel consumed by one or more auxiliary systems running in the vehicle 101. As an example, the one or more auxiliary systems of the vehicle 101 may include, but not limited to, Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system, infotainment system, Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS), sensors and actuators required for performing automatic functionalities of the vehicle 101 such as auto closure of windows, rain sensing, auto cabin temperature adjustment and the like. As the number and extent of auxiliary systems used when the vehicle is idle may vary every time the vehicle is in the idle state, the real-time value measured by the at least one fuel consumption sensor 103 may also vary in real-time. Hence, it is necessary to consider the fuel consumed by the one or more auxiliary systems while determining the first value along with the fuel consumed by the engine for maintaining the vehicle in the idle state. The at least one fuel consumption sensor 103 may determine the first value based on known or predefined techniques configured in the at least one fuel consumption sensor 103. In some embodiments, a processing unit in the at least one fuel consumption sensor 103 may collect the fuel consumption values of the one or more auxiliary systems from the other fuel consumption sensors, and determine the first value as a function of each of the fuel consumption values collected from the other fuel consumption sensors. As an example, consider fuel consumption sensor 1 measures fuel consumed by the engine when the vehicle 101 is idle, fuel consumption sensor 2 measures fuel consumed by the HVAC system when the vehicle 101 is idle, fuel consumption sensor 3 measures fuel consumed by the ADAS when the vehicle 101 is idle, and fuel consumption sensor 4 measures fuel consumed by the infotainment system when the vehicle 101 is idle. In such scenarios, the configuration could be such that, a processing unit of one of the at least one fuel consumption sensor such as fuel consumption sensor 1 may collect the measured fuel consumption values from fuel consumption sensors 2, 3 and 4, and determine the first value cumulatively as a function of the measured fuel consumption values from fuel consumption sensors 1, 2, 3 and 4. In a different scenario, a separate ECU of the vehicle 101 connected with the fuel consumption sensors 1, 2, 3 and 4 may collect the measured fuel consumption values and determine the first value. Without limitation, any method or means known for determining the fuel consumed when the vehicle is idle may be utilized by the at least one fuel consumption sensor 103 and/or the control device 105 to determine the first value.

In some embodiments, the second value is measured by the at least one fuel consumption sensor when the vehicle 101 is initially cranked. As an example, when the ignition of the vehicle 101 is switched on, the processor 107 may measure the second value and record the same for future use. The second value may indicate the fuel required by the vehicle 101 to switch on ignition of the vehicle 101 or in other words, fuel required by the vehicle 101 to start from a switched off condition. The control device 105 may store the first value and the second value as the sensor data 209. In some embodiments, data received from the one or more sensors other than the at least one fuel consumption sensor 103 in the context of the present disclosure may also be stored as the sensor data 209.
In some embodiments, the trigger time determining module 225 may determine a trigger time based on the first value and the second value. Notably, trigger time is the time at which the control device 105 triggers an alert. The trigger time determining module 225 may initially determine an optimum idling time based on the first value and the second value. The optimum idling time may indicate time upto which the vehicle 101 can remain in the idle state without consuming fuel more than the fuel consumed when the vehicle’s engine is cranked. In simple words, the optimum idling time may be time for which fuel consumed by the vehicle 101 during idling would be more efficient than freshly cranking the vehicle 101. The trigger time determining module 225 may determine optimum idling time using the below Equation 1:
��
������� ������ ���� =
��
Equation 1
In the above Equation 1,
Fc represents fuel consumed when the vehicle is cranked; and FI represents fuel consumed when the vehicle is in idle state.
Upon determining the optimum idling time, the trigger time determining module 225 may determine the trigger time by reducing a predefined buffer time from the optimum idling time, as shown in the below Equation 2.
Trigger time = Optimum idling time – Predefined buffer time Equation 2
As an example, consider the optimum idling time is 10 seconds. To ensure that the user triggers correctly at the 10th second, the trigger time is determined by subtracting the predefined buffer

time. For instance, consider the predefined buffer time is 2 seconds, then the trigger time would be: Optimum idling time – predefined buffer time i.e., 10-2 = 8 seconds. Therefore, if an alert is triggered at the 8th second as per the trigger time, the user may take about 2 seconds to observe the trigger and take a suitable action, which ensures that, correctly at the 10th second which is the optimum idling time, the user takes a suitable action. Therefore, the predefined buffer time as the name itself suggests provides buffer time for the user to act as per the trigger. In some embodiments, the abovementioned values are only illustrative and these values may vary based on the make and model of the vehicle and other factors that impact the optimum idling time and trigger time. The control device 105 may store the optimum idling time and the trigger time thus determined as the trigger data 211.
In some embodiments, the triggering module 227 may trigger an alert to switch off ignition of the vehicle 101, when the vehicle 101 is in the idle state, based on the trigger time. The triggering module 227 may initially set a countdown timer to the trigger time. As an example, consider the trigger time is 8 seconds, then the countdown timer is set to 8 seconds. Therefore, when the triggering module 227 receives the trigger time, the countdown timer is set, and the countdown starts from the set time. When the countdown starting from the set time i.e., the trigger time is complete, which means, when the countdown timer reaches 0 from the set time of 8 seconds, the triggering module 227 may trigger the alert to switch off the ignition of the vehicle 101. In some embodiments, the triggering module 227 may indicate the alert via a Human Machine Interface (HMI) 106. As an example, the HMI 106 may be associated with a dashboard of the vehicle 101, or infotainment system of the vehicle 101 or one or more electronic devices of users associated of the vehicle 101. However, this should not be construed as a limitation of the present disclosure, as the alert may be given to users of the vehicle, mainly user in driving seat of the vehicle, through any other means such as audio alert, haptic alert, visual alerts and the like. As an example, visual alert may indicate “Switch off ignition of the vehicle”, “Time to save fuel, switch off ignition”, and the like, and audio alerts may provide audio output that may read the exemplary statements to switch off ignition as given above. Sometimes, the visual alert may be a blinking LED in a red color or any other of choice. As an example, haptic feedback may provide vibrations in a particular pattern known to the user. As an example, a message notification may be sent to electronic devices of the user. Notably, these examples of providing an alert are merely illustrative and should not be construed as limitations in any manner.

Henceforth, the method of optimizing fuel consumption in the vehicle 101 is explained with the help of an exemplary scenario. However, this is only for illustrative and understanding purposes. This example and the exemplary values should not be considered as a limitation of the present disclosure.
In a scenario 1, consider user is travelling and the vehicle 101 of the user is cranked to switch on the ignition. The at least one fuel consumption sensor 103 may measure the fuel consumed when the vehicle is cranked. Thereafter, as the vehicle 101 is moving on road, consider the vehicle 101 stops at a traffic signal. The time The at least one fuel consumption sensor 103 may measure the fuel consumed when the vehicle is idle as explained in the modules earlier in the present disclosure. The measured values are as given below:
Fuel consumed when the vehicle is cranked (I1) = 0.004 litres/sec Fuel consumed when the vehicle is in idle state (I2) = 0.0001 litres/sec
The control device 105 may determine the optimum idling time using Equation 1. Therefore, in this scenario 1, the optimum idling time = I1/I2 = 0.004/0.0001 = 40 seconds
Consider the predefined buffer time is 2 seconds. Therefore, the trigger time is determined using Equation 2. In this scenario 1,
Trigger time = optimum idling time – predefined buffer time = 40 – 2 = 38 seconds.
Therefore, the control device 105 may set the countdown timer to 38 seconds, and upon expiry of the set time in the countdown timer, the control device 105 may provide an alert to the user for switching off ignition of the vehicle 101. Consider the vehicle 101 is in the idle state due to the traffic signal. Therefore, in such cases, even at 38 seconds which is trigger time, when the vehicle 101 is in the idle state, the control device 105 triggers the alert to switch off ignition of the vehicle after 38 seconds.
In a scenario 2, consider the measured values are as given below:
Fuel consumed when the vehicle is cranked (I1) = 0.0002 litres/sec Fuel consumed when the vehicle is in idle state (I2) = 0.0003 litres/sec
In this scenario 2, the optimum idling time = I1/I2 = 0.0002/0.0003 = 0.66 seconds

Consider the predefined buffer time is 2 seconds. Therefore, the trigger time is determined using Equation 2. In this scenario 2,
Trigger time = optimum idling time – predefined buffer time = 0.66 – 2 = negative.
As the trigger time is a negative value, which means it would be efficient for the vehicle to be in idle state than fresh cranking.
Therefore, the control device 105 may provide an alert to the user to keep the ignition on for the vehicle 101.
FIG.3 shows a flowchart illustrating a method of optimizing fuel consumption in a vehicle, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
As illustrated in FIG.3, the method 300 includes one or more blocks illustrating a method of optimizing fuel consumption in a vehicle 101. The method 300 may be described in the general context of computer executable instructions. Generally, computer executable instructions can include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, procedures, modules, and functions, which perform functions or implement abstract data types.
The order in which the method 300 is described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described method blocks can be combined in any order to implement the method 300. Additionally, individual blocks may be deleted from the methods without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein. Furthermore, the method 300 can be implemented in any suitable hardware, software, firmware, or combination thereof.
At block 301, the method 300 may include detecting, by a processor 107 of a control device 105 associated with the vehicle 101, a state of the vehicle based on one or more vehicle parameters. In some embodiments, the one or more vehicle parameters may include, but not limited to, an accelerator pedal position, a brake pedal position, and a vehicle speed.
At block 302, the method 300 may include checking by the processor 107 a condition to see whether the vehicle is detected to be in idle state. If the vehicle is in idle state, the method proceeds to block 303 via "Yes". If the vehicle is not in idle state, the method proceeds to block 301 via "No".

At block 303, the method 300 may include receiving, by the processor 107, a first value corresponding to fuel consumed when the vehicle 101 is in an idle state and a second value corresponding to fuel consumed when the vehicle 101 is cranked, from at least one fuel consumption sensor associated with the vehicle 101. In some embodiments, the first value is measured in real-time when the vehicle is in the idle state and the second value is recorded when the vehicle is initially cranked.
At block 304, the method 300 may include determining, by the processor 107, a trigger time based on the first value and the second value. In some embodiments, to determine the trigger time, the processor 107 may determine an optimum idling time based on the first value and the second value. The optimum idling time indicates time upto which the vehicle can remain in the idle state without consuming fuel more than the fuel consumed when the vehicle’s engine is cranked. Thereafter, the processor 107 may determine the trigger time by reducing a predefined buffer time from the optimum idling time.
At block 305, the method include triggering, by the processor 107, an alert to switch off ignition of the vehicle 101 when the vehicle is in the idle state, based on the trigger time. In some embodiments, the alert to switch off ignition of the vehicle is triggered when a countdown timer completes count down starting from the trigger time.
FIG.4 is a block diagram of an exemplary computer system for implementing embodiments consistent with the present disclosure.
In some embodiments, FIG.4 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary computer system 400 for implementing embodiments consistent with the present invention. In some embodiments, the computer system 400 may be a control device 105 that is used for optimizing fuel consumption in a vehicle 101. The computer system 400 may include a central processing unit (“CPU” or “processor 107”) 402. The processor 402 may include at least one data processor 402 for executing program components for executing user or system-generated business processes. A user may include a person, a person using a device such as such as those included in this invention, or such a device itself. The processor 402 may include specialized processing units such as integrated system (bus) controllers, memory management control units, floating point units, graphics processing units, digital signal processing units, etc.

The processor 402 may be disposed in communication with input devices 411 and output devices 412 via I/O interface 401. The I/O interface 401 may employ communication protocols/methods such as, without limitation, audio, analog, digital, stereo, IEEE-1394, serial bus, Universal Serial Bus (USB), infrared, PS/2, BNC, coaxial, component, composite, Digital Visual Interface (DVI), high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), Radio Frequency (RF) antennas, S-Video, Video Graphics Array (VGA), IEEE 802.n /b/g/n/x, Bluetooth, cellular (e.g., Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA), High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA+), Global System For Mobile Communications (GSM), Long-Term Evolution (LTE), WiMax, or the like), etc. Using the I/O interface 401, computer system 400 may communicate with input devices 411 and output devices 412.
In some embodiments, the processor402 may be disposed in communication with a communication network 409 via a network interface 403. The network interface 403 may communicate with the communication network 409. The network interface 403 may employ connection protocols including, without limitation, direct connect, Ethernet (e.g., twisted pair 10/100/1000 Base T), Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), token ring, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/x, etc. Using the network interface 403 and the communication network 409, the computer system 400 may communicate with at least one fuel consumption sensor 103 (1031 up to 103n), one or more other sensors 104 (1041 up to 104n) and a Human Machine Interface (HMI) 106. The communication network 409 can be implemented as one of the different types of networks, such as intranet or Local Area Network (LAN), Closed Area Network (CAN) and such within the vehicle 101. The communication network 409 may either be a dedicated network or a shared network, which represents an association of the different types of networks that use a variety of protocols, for example, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), CAN Protocol, Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), etc., to communicate with each other. Further, the communication network 409 may include a variety of network devices, including routers, bridges, servers, computing devices, storage devices, etc. In some embodiments, the processor 402 may be disposed in communication with a memory 405 (e.g., RAM, ROM, etc. not shown in FIG.4) via a storage interface 404. The storage interface 404 may connect to memory 405 including, without limitation, memory drives, removable disc drives, etc., employing connection protocols such as Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA), Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE), IEEE-1394, Universal Serial Bus (USB), fibre channel, Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI), etc. The memory drives may further include a drum,

magnetic disc drive, magneto-optical drive, optical drive, Redundant Array of Independent Discs (RAID), solid-state memory devices, solid-state drives, etc.
The memory 405 may store a collection of program or database components, including, without limitation, a user interface 406, an operating system 407, a web browser 408 etc. In some embodiments, the computer system 400 may store user/application data, such as the data, variables, records, etc. as described in this invention. Such databases may be implemented as fault-tolerant, relational, scalable, secure databases such as Oracle or Sybase.
The operating system 407 may facilitate resource management and operation of the computer system 400. Examples of operating systems include, without limitation, APPLE® MACINTOSH® OS X®, UNIX®, UNIX-like system distributions (E.G., BERKELEY SOFTWARE DISTRIBUTION® (BSD), FREEBSD®, NETBSD®, OPENBSD, etc.), LINUX® DISTRIBUTIONS (E.G., RED HAT®, UBUNTU®, KUBUNTU®, etc.), IBM®OS/2®,
MICROSOFT® WINDOWS® (XP®, VISTA®/7/8, 10 etc.), APPLE® IOS®, GOOGLETM ANDROIDTM, BLACKBERRY® OS, or the like. The User interface 406 may facilitate display, execution, interaction, manipulation, or operation of program components through textual or graphical facilities. For example, user interfaces may provide computer interaction interface elements on a display system operatively connected to the computer system 400, such as cursors, icons, check boxes, menus, scrollers, windows, widgets, etc. Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) may be employed, including, without limitation, Apple® Macintosh® operating systems’ Aqua®, IBM® OS/2®, Microsoft® Windows® (e.g., Aero, Metro, etc.), web interface libraries (e.g., ActiveX®, Java®, Javascript®, AJAX, HTML, Adobe® Flash®, etc.), or the like. In some embodiments, the computer system 400 may implement the web browser 408 stored program components. The web browser 408 may be a hypertext viewing application, such as MICROSOFT® INTERNET EXPLORER®, GOOGLETM CHROMETM, MOZILLA® FIREFOX®, APPLE® SAFARI®, etc. Secure web browsing may be provided using Secure Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTPS), Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), Transport Layer Security (TLS), etc. Web browsers 408 may utilize facilities such as AJAX, DHTML, ADOBE® FLASH®, JAVASCRIPT®, JAVA®, Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), etc. In some embodiments, the computer system 400 may implement a mail server stored program component. The mail server may be an Internet mail server such as Microsoft Exchange, or the like. The mail server may utilize facilities such as Active Server Pages (ASP), ACTIVEX®, ANSI® C++/C#, MICROSOFT®, .NET, CGI SCRIPTS, JAVA®, JAVASCRIPT®, PERL®,

PHP, PYTHON®, WEBOBJECTS®, etc. The mail server may utilize communication protocols such as Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP), Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI), MICROSOFT® exchange, Post Office Protocol (POP), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), or the like. In some embodiments, the computer system 400 may implement a mail client stored program component. The mail client may be a mail viewing application, such as APPLE® MAIL, MICROSOFT® ENTOURAGE®, MICROSOFT® OUTLOOK®, MOZILLA® THUNDERBIRD®, etc.
Furthermore, one or more computer-readable storage media may be utilized in implementing embodiments consistent with the present invention. A computer-readable storage medium refers to any type of physical memory on which information or data readable by a processor 402 may be stored. Thus, a computer-readable storage medium may store instructions for execution by one or more processors 402, including instructions for causing the processor 402 to perform steps or stages consistent with the embodiments described herein. The term “computer-readable medium” should be understood to include tangible items and exclude carrier waves and transient signals, i.e., non-transitory. Examples include Random Access Memory (RAM), Read-Only Memory (ROM), volatile memory, non-volatile memory, hard drives, Compact Disc (CD) ROMs, Digital Video Disc (DVDs), flash drives, disks, and any other known physical storage media.
The present disclosure provides a method and a system for optimizing fuel consumption in a vehicle. The present disclosure provides an advantage of determining an accurate time at which the ignition of the vehicle can be switched off when the vehicle is in idle state such that, the vehicle saves fuel, which otherwise would lead to more consumption of fuel than when the fuel consumed when the vehicle is left in the idle state without switching off ignition of the vehicle, due to switching off at a non-optimal time.
The present disclosure considers dynamically determined values of fuel consumed when the vehicle is in the idle state, which takes into consideration not only the fuel consumed by the engine of the vehicle but also fuel consumed by the auxiliary systems actively running in the vehicle when the vehicle is in the idle state. Therefore, this provides an accurate insight of the fuel consumed in real-time when the vehicle is idle, thereby helping the control device to determine an accurate trigger time for triggering an alert to switch off ignition of the vehicle, or to determine if it would be efficient if the ignition has to be continued in the switched on condition. Similarly, even the fuel consumed during cranking is determined when the vehicle

is freshly cranked. Therefore, the present disclosure completely eliminates dependency on pre-stored static values, which do not consider dynamic conditions of the vehicle, and hence addresses the inaccuracy issues caused due to consideration of static values of fuel consumption.
Additionally, the present disclosure provides computationally efficient technique to determine the trigger time, which is light on the processor in the control device.

Referral Numerals:

Reference Number Description
100 Architecture
101 Vehicle
103 At least one fuel consumption sensor
105 Control device
106 Human Machine Interface
107 Processor
109 I/O interface
111 Memory
203 Data
205 Modules
207 State data
209 Sensor data
211 Trigger data
213 Other data
221 Detecting module
223 Receiving module
225 Trigger time determining module
227 Triggering module
229 Other modules
400 Exemplary computer system
401 I/O Interface of the exemplary computer system
402 Processor of the exemplary computer system
403 Network interface
404 Storage interface
405 Memory of the exemplary computer system
406 User interface
407 Operating system
408 Web browser
409 Communication network
411 Input devices
412 Output devices

We Claim:
1. A method of optimizing fuel consumption in a vehicle (101), the method comprising:
detecting, by a control device (105) associated with a vehicle (101), a state of the vehicle (101) based on one or more vehicle parameters;
receiving, by the control device (105), a first value corresponding to fuel consumed when the vehicle (101) is in an idle state and a second value corresponding to fuel consumed when the vehicle (101) is cranked, from at least one fuel consumption sensor (103) associated with the vehicle (101), when the state of the vehicle (101) is detected to be the idle state, wherein the first value is measured in real-time when the vehicle (101) is in the idle state and the second value is recorded when the vehicle (101) is initially cranked;
determining, by the control device (105), a trigger time based on the first value and the second value; and
triggering, by the control device (105), an alert to switch off ignition of the vehicle (101), when the vehicle (101) is in the idle state, based on the trigger time.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicle parameters comprises at least one of accelerator pedal position, brake pedal position, and vehicle (101) speed.
3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein determining the trigger time comprises:
determining an optimum idling time based on the first value and the second value, wherein the optimum idling time indicates time upto which the vehicle (101) can remain in the idle state without consuming fuel more than the fuel consumed when the vehicle’s engine is cranked; and
determining the trigger time by reducing a predefined buffer time from the optimum idling time.
4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the alert to switch off ignition of the vehicle (101) is triggered when a countdown timer completes count down starting from the trigger time.
5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first value corresponding to the fuel consumed when the vehicle (101) is in the idle state is determined by the at least one

fuel consumption sensor (103), based on fuel consumed by engine of the vehicle (101) and fuel consumed by one or more auxiliary systems running in the vehicle (101).
6. A control device (105) for optimizing fuel consumption in a vehicle (101) comprising:
a processor (107); and
a memory (111), communicatively coupled to the processor (107), wherein the memory (111) stores processor (107)-executable instructions, which, on execution, causes the processor (107) to:
detect a state of the vehicle (101) based on one or more vehicle parameters;
receive a first value corresponding to fuel consumed when the vehicle (101) is in an idle state and a second value corresponding to fuel consumed when the vehicle (101) is cranked, from at least one fuel consumption sensor (103) associated with the vehicle (101), when the state of the vehicle (101) is detected to be the idle state, wherein the first value is measured in real-time when the vehicle (101) is in the idle state and the second value is recorded when the vehicle (101) is initially cranked;
determine a trigger time based on the first value and the second value; and
trigger an alert to switch off ignition of the vehicle (101), when the vehicle (101) is in the idle state, based on the trigger time.
7. The control device (105) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the one or more vehicle parameters comprises at least one of accelerator pedal position, brake pedal position, and vehicle (101) speed.
8. The control device (105) as claimed in claim 6, wherein to determine the trigger time, the processor (107) is configured to:
determine an optimum idling time based on the first value and the second value, wherein the optimum idling time indicates time upto which the vehicle (101) can remain in the idle state without consuming fuel more than the fuel consumed when the vehicle’s engine is cranked; and
determine the trigger time by reducing a predefined buffer time from the optimum idling time.

9. The control device (105) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the processor (107) triggers the alert to switch off ignition of the vehicle (101) when a countdown timer completes count down starting from the trigger time.
10. The control device (105) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the processor (107) determines the first value corresponding to the fuel consumed when the vehicle (101) is in the idle state using the at least one fuel consumption sensor (103), based on fuel consumed by engine of the vehicle (101) and fuel consumed by one or more auxiliary systems running in the vehicle (101).