TRAVEL SUPPORT SYSTEM, METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20100121590A1
• Filed: 11/06/2009
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Kato, Kazuya
• Granted Patent: US 8,412,476 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/63
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/00 Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/62 Vehicle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/642 Slope of road
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/645 Type of road
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/54 Energy consumption estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/08 Interaction between the driver and the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A travel support system for a vehicle includes: a required power amount obtaining unit determining a required power amount in a rechargeable battery required for travel of a predetermined section of a route; a remaining power amount obtaining unit determining a remaining power amount as the amount of power currently remaining in the rechargeable battery; an excess power amount obtaining unit determining an excess power amount as a portion of the remaining power amount in the rechargeable battery in excess of the required power amount; and a communication unit notifying a user of the vehicle of information indicating the availability of an electrical component of the vehicle in traveling the predetermined section, based on the excess power amount.

Claims

1. A travel support system for a vehicle, comprising:

a required power amount obtaining unit obtaining a required power amount as an amount of power required of a rechargeable battery for travel of a predetermined section in the vehicle;

a remaining power amount obtaining unit obtaining a remaining power amount as the amount of power currently remaining in the rechargeable battery;

an excess power amount obtaining unit obtaining an excess power amount as a portion of the remaining power amount in the rechargeable battery in excess of the required power amount; and

a communication unit notifying a user of the vehicle of availability information indicating the availability for use of an electrical component of the vehicle in traveling the predetermined section, based on the excess power amount.

2. The travel support system according to claim 1, wherein

the communication unit notifies the user of a name and available time for operation of the electrical component.

3. The travel support system according to claim 2, wherein:

the excess power amount obtaining unit obtains a predicted transition of the excess power amount, the predicted transition being in continuing operation of a currently operated electrical component; and

the communication unit informs the user of the predicted transition of the excess power amount.

4. The travel support system according to claim 3, wherein

the communication unit notifies the user of an electrical component which may be continuously operated on the excess power throughout travel of the predetermined section.

5. The travel support system according to claim 3, wherein

the availability information indicates the availability of a combination of a plurality of the electrical components selected by the user for operation throughout travel of the predetermined section.

6. The travel support system according to claim 2, wherein

the communication unit notifies the user of an electrical component which may be continuously operated on the excess power throughout travel of the predetermined section.

7. The travel support system according to claim 6, wherein

the availability information indicates the availability of a combination of a plurality of the electrical components selected by the user for operation throughout travel of the predetermined section.

8. The travel support system according to claim 2, wherein

the availability information indicates the availability of a combination of a plurality of the electrical components selected by the user for operation throughout travel of the predetermined section.

9. The travel support system according to claim 1, wherein

the availability information indicates the availability of a combination of a plurality of the electrical components selected by the user for operation throughout travel of the predetermined section.

10. The travel support system according to claim 1, wherein:

the excess power amount obtaining unit obtains a predicted transition of the excess power amount, the predicted transition being in continuing operation of a currently operated electrical component; and

the communication unit informs the user of the predicted transition of the excess power amount.

11. The travel support system according to claim 10, wherein

the communication unit notifies the user of an electrical component which may be continuously operated on the excess power throughout travel of the predetermined section.

12. The travel support system according to claim 11, wherein

the availability information indicates the availability of a combination of a plurality of the electrical components selected by the user for operation throughout travel of the predetermined section.

13. The travel support system according to claim 10, wherein

the availability information indicates the availability of a combination of a plurality of the electrical components selected by the user for operation throughout travel of the predetermined section.

14. The travel support system according to claim 1, wherein

the communication unit notifies the user of an electrical component which may be continuously operated on the excess power throughout travel of the predetermined section.

15. The travel support system according to claim 14, wherein

the availability information indicates the availability of a combination of a plurality of the electrical components selected by the user for operation throughout travel of the predetermined section.

16. A travel support method for a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

determining a required power amount required of a rechargeable battery for travel of a predetermined section of a route in the vehicle;

determining a current remaining power amount as an amount of power currently remaining in the rechargeable battery;

determining an excess power amount as a portion of the remaining power amount in the rechargeable battery in excess of the required power amount; and

notifying a user of the vehicle of information indicating the availability of an electrical component of the vehicle in traveling the predetermined section, based on the excess power amount.

17. A travel support program encoded on a computer-readable medium, the program causing a computer to execute the functions of:

determining a required power amount required of a rechargeable battery for travel of a predetermined section of a route in the vehicle;

determining a current remaining power amount as an amount of power currently remaining in the rechargeable battery;

determining an excess power amount as a portion of the remaining power amount in the rechargeable battery in excess of the required power amount; and

notifying a user of the vehicle of information indicating the availability of an electrical component of the vehicle in traveling the predetermined section, based on the excess power amount.