Charging station guide apparatus and method of the same

• US 10,119,832 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2016
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Choi, Hye Jin, Lim, Sang Yeon, Gin, Jake, Kim, Yeonji, Lee, Yongho, Lee, Jeong Won, Yang, Hyun Seung, Cho, Sungtae
• Primary Examiner(s): Jos, Basil T.
• Application Number:
  US15/363,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20170299401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/72 Charging station selection relying on external data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/00 Electric propulsion with power supplied within the vehicle with power supply from force of nature, e.g. sun or wind, B60L8/00; for monorail vehicles, suspension vehicles or rack railways B60L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/51 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

The present disclosure provides charging station guide apparatus and method. The charging station guide apparatus includes: a global positioning system (GPS) receiving a GPS signal transmitted from a GPS satellite; a storage unit storing charging station information including map information and charging station position information; a control unit generating a first display window including a vehicle object representing vehicle position information and a charging station position object representing charging station position information based on the GPS signal, the map information, and the charging station information, generating a second display window including a charging station distance object representing charging station distance information, and also generating an image so that the second display window overlaps with one end of the first display window; and a display unit displaying an image generated from the control unit.

Claims

1. A charging station guide apparatus, comprising:

a global positioning system (GPS) configured to receive a GPS signal transmitted from a GPS satellite;

a storage unit configured to store charging station information including map information and charging station position information;

a control unit configured to generate a first display window including vehicle position information, the charging station position information, and a driving display region within a set angle range with respect to a driving direction of a vehicle, and configured to generate a second display window including charging station distance information and charging station altitude information, the control unit configured to generate an image so that the second display window overlaps with one end of the first display window; and

a display unit configured to display the image generated from the control unit,

wherein the control unit is configured to cause the second display window to render the charging station distance information on a distance display window when a charging station distance object is selected, and configured to cause the second display window to render the charging station altitude information on an altitude display window when a charging station altitude object is selected.

2. The charging station guide apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to determine the driving direction of the vehicle based on the vehicle position information, and the charging station position information includes a first position object representing a charging station positioned in the driving direction, and a second position object representing a charging station positioned out of the driving direction,

wherein the altitude display window includes an eco way indication based on altitude information.

3. The charging station guide apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least one of sizes, colors, or forms of the first position object and the second position object are different from each other.

4. The charging station guide apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second display window includes a change object for switching between the distance display window and the altitude display window.

5. The charging station guide apparatus of claim 2, wherein when the second position object is selected, the control unit is configured to reset the driving display region to include the second position object.

6. The charging station guide apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to calculate a driving range using fuel amount information and average fuel efficiency, and the first display window further includes a driving display region representing the driving range.

7. The charging station guide apparatus of claim 1, wherein when a change request is input by a driver, the second display window is changed to the distance display window or the altitude display window.

8. The charging station guide apparatus of claim 1, wherein the distance display window further includes a selection object for selecting a charging station distance object among a plurality of charging station distance objects displayed on the distance display window.

9. The charging station guide apparatus of claim 1, wherein fuel of the vehicle is electricity or hydrogen, and the vehicle is driven by a driving motor using electric energy.

10. A method for guiding, by a charging station guide apparatus, a charging station, the method comprising:

generating, by a control unit, a first display window including vehicle position information, charging station position information based on a GPS signal, map information, and charging station information, the first display window further including a driving display region within a set angle range with respect to a driving direction of a vehicle;

generating, by the control unit, a second display window including charging station distance information and charging station altitude information;

generating, by the control unit, an image including the first display window and the second display window;

displaying, by a display unit, the image;

causing, by the control unit, the second display window to render the charging station distance information on a distance display window when a charging station distance object is selected; and

causing, by the control unit, the second display window to render the charging station altitude information on an altitude display window when a charging station altitude object is selected.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the generating the first display window includes:

determining, by the control unit, the driving direction based on the vehicle position information, and

the charging station position information includes a first position object representing a charging station positioned in the driving direction and a second position object representing a charging station positioned out of the driving direction, and

wherein the altitude display window includes an eco way indication based on altitude information.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the second display window further includes a change object for switching between the distance display window and the altitude display window, and

the method further comprises adjusting a scale of the first display window, when a charging station is selected on the first display window, to display a whole route from a current position of the vehicle to the selected charging station position.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising resetting the driving display region to include the second position object, when the second position object is selected.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the generating the first display window includes:

calculating a driving range using fuel amount information and average fuel efficiency, and

the first display window further includes a driving display region representing the driving range.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein a scale of the distance information of the second display window is changed depending on charging station setting number information or the driving range.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the distance display window further includes a selection object for selecting a charging station distance object among a plurality of charging station distance objects displayed on the distance display window.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein when a change request is input by a driver, the second display window is changed to the distance display window or the altitude display window.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein in the generated image, the second display window overlaps with one end of the first display window.