Route guidance apparatus, route guidance method and computer program

• US 10,094,677 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2017
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishibashi, Yoshihito
• Primary Examiner(s): INGRAM, THOMAS P
• Application Number:
  US15/811,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20180073883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 330 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/642 Slope of road
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/54 Energy consumption estimation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

There is provided a route guidance apparatus including a route search unit which searches for at least one route, to a predetermined destination, which is to be traveled by an electric vehicle propelled by electric power stored in a secondary battery provided within the vehicle, and a power consumption calculation unit which calculates power consumption of the electric vehicle when a route to a destination, which was searched for by the route search unit, is traveled by the electric vehicle, based on information on electric power to be consumed when the electric vehicle travels and geographical information relating to the route.

Claims

1. A navigation device for an electric vehicle comprising:

at least one processor configured as a route search unit;

a recording unit including gradient information for a road recorded therein;

a power information holding unit including electrical power consumption information of the electric vehicle per gradient angle and regenerative electrical energy information of the electric vehicle per gradient angle;

a current location acquisition unit including a current location of the electric vehicle; and

a navigation control unit,

wherein the navigation control unit calculates electrical power consumption of the electric vehicle, which was searched for by the route search unit, based on the gradient information, the electrical power consumption information of the electric vehicle per gradient angle, and the regenerative electrical energy information of the electric vehicle per gradient angle, and

wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause a display unit to display a route to the destination with at least electrical power consumption to the destination according to a remaining amount of electric power of the battery.

2. The navigation device according to claim 1,

wherein the route search unit searches for a plurality of respective routes to a plurality of predetermined destinations, and

wherein the display displays a route to a destination, among the plurality of destinations, to which less electric power of the electric vehicle is to be consumed.

3. The navigation device according to claim 1,

wherein the navigation control unit calculates power electrical consumption of the electric vehicle in traveling the route to the destination, which was searched for by the route search unit, with consideration of electrical power consumption of a device provided on the electric vehicle.

4. The navigation device according to claim 3,

wherein the navigation control unit recalculates electrical power consumption of the electric vehicle in traveling the route to the destination, which was searched for by the route search unit, when variation in electrical power consumption of the device has been detected.

5. The navigation device according to claim 1,

wherein the navigation control unit calculates electrical power consumption of the electric vehicle in traveling the route to the destination, which was searched for by the route search unit, with consideration of a load of the electric vehicle.

6. The navigation device according to claim 5,

wherein the navigation control unit calculates, in taking into account of the load of the electric vehicle, electrical power consumption of the electric vehicle in traveling the route to the destination, which was searched for by the route search unit, with consideration of the number of persons on the electric vehicle.

7. The navigation device according to claim 1,

wherein the navigation control unit calculates electrical power consumption of the electric vehicle in traveling the route to the destination, which was searched for by the route search unit, with consideration of external circumstances in which the electric vehicle travels.

8. The navigation device according to claim 1,

wherein the navigation control unit preferentially searches for a route in which less electric power of the electric vehicle is to be consumed, when a remaining amount of electric power of the secondary battery is less than or equal to a predetermined amount.

9. The navigation device according to claim 1,

wherein the navigation control unit recalculates electrical power consumption of the electric vehicle when operation of the power consumption device is changed.

10. The navigation device according to claim 1,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the display to display only a single route with the least electric power consumption of the electric vehicle and information relating to the single route.

11. The navigation device according to claim 1,

wherein the current location acquisition unit is a global positioning system device.

12. The navigation device according to claim 1,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the display to display an amount of calculated electrical power which needs to be reduced to reach the destination.

13. The navigation device according to claim 1,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the display to display at least one countermeasure to reduce an amount of electrical power being consumed by a power consuming device other than a driving unit.

14. A navigation method for an electric vehicle comprising:

searching, by at least one processor, for at least one route;

receiving, from a recording unit, gradient information for a road recorded therein;

receiving, from a power information holding unit, electrical power consumption information of the electric vehicle per gradient angle and regenerative electrical energy information of the electric vehicle per gradient angle;

receiving, from a current location acquisition unit, a current location of the electric vehicle;

calculating, by a navigation control unit, electrical power consumption of the electric vehicle, which was searched for the at least one route, based on the gradient information, the electrical power consumption information of the electric vehicle per gradient angle, and the regenerative electrical energy information of the electric vehicle per gradient angle; and

displaying, by a display unit, a route to the destination with at least electrical power consumption to the destination according to a remaining amount of electric power of the battery.

15. A non-transitory computer program product stored on a computer readable medium that when executed by a processor performs steps for:

searching, by at least one processor, for at least one route;

receiving, from a recording unit, gradient information for a road recorded therein;

receiving, from a power information holding unit, electrical power consumption information of the electric vehicle per gradient angle and regenerative electrical energy information of the electric vehicle per gradient angle;

receiving, from a current location acquisition unit, a current location of the electric vehicle;

calculating, by a navigation control unit, electrical power consumption of the electric vehicle, which was searched for the at least one route, based on the gradient information, the electrical power consumption information of the electric vehicle per gradient angle, and the regenerative electrical energy information of the electric vehicle per gradient angle; and

displaying, by a display unit, a route to the destination with at least electrical power consumption to the destination according to a remaining amount of electric power of the battery.