MAP DISPLAY APPARATUS, MAP DISPLAY METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE TANGIBLE MEDIUM

• US 20100138098A1
• Filed: 07/17/2008
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Niwa, Toshiaki, Takahara, Masatoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,417,401 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/172 Driving mode indication
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/443 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/642 Slope of road
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/68 Traffic data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/46 by self learning
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/52 drive range estimation, e.g. of estimation of available travel distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• 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: G09B 29/106 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• 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 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A navigation apparatus for use in a hybrid vehicle in which an engine and a drive motor are used in combination acquires a current SOC value of a battery, geometry of roads around the vehicle, gradient information, traffic information, learning information, and so forth. A travelable range of the vehicle after the battery is charged is calculated for each of a plurality of various charge times on the basis of the acquired information. The plurality of calculated travelable ranges is simultaneously displayed on a liquid crystal display. It is thus possible to display a minimum charge time required to travel to a destination in a manner easily understandable to a user.

Claims

1. A map display apparatus comprising:

a display device that displays a map of an area around a vehicle;

a battery remaining amount acquisition device that acquires a remaining amount of a battery that supplies electric power to a motor that produces a drive force for the vehicle;

a calculation condition acquisition device that acquires, of a first calculation condition for calculating a range in which the vehicle can perform one-way travel as a travelable range and a second calculation condition for calculating a range in which the vehicle can perform round-trip travel as a travelable range, a currently set calculation condition as a condition for calculating a travelable range;

a travelable range calculation device that calculates a travelable range, wherein the vehicle can perform one of one-way travel and round-trip travel after the battery is charged depending on the calculation condition acquired by the calculation condition acquisition device, for each of a plurality of various charge times on the basis of the remaining amount of the battery acquired by the battery remaining amount acquisition device; and

a travelable range display device that simultaneously displays on the display device a plurality of travelable ranges calculated by the travelable range calculation device and the charge times respectively corresponding to the plurality of travelable ranges.

2. The map display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a gradient information acquisition device that acquires information on road gradients, wherein

the travelable range calculation device calculates the travelable range of the vehicle after the battery is charged on the basis of the road gradients.

3. The map display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a traffic information acquisition device that acquires traffic information, wherein

the travelable range calculation device calculates the travelable range of the vehicle after the battery is charged on the basis of the traffic information.

4. The map display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a vehicle operation history storage device that stores past vehicle operations performed by a driver, wherein

the travelable range calculation device calculates the travelable range of the vehicle after the battery is charged on the basis of the past vehicle operations performed by the driver.

5. The map display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a reduction device that reduces the travelable range calculated by the travelable range calculation device, wherein

the travelable range display device displays the travelable range reduced by the reduction device on the display device.

6. The map display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the reduction device reduces the travelable range at a higher reduction rate as the charge time for the travelable range becomes longer.

7. The map display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a category selection device that allows selection of a category of facilities; and

a facility display device that displays on the display device facilities that belong to the category selected using the category selection device and which are located within the travelable range calculated by the travelable range calculation device.

8. A map display method comprising:

a map display step of displaying a map of an area around a vehicle on a display device;

a battery remaining amount acquisition step of acquiring a remaining amount of a battery that supplies electric power to a motor that produces a drive force for the vehicle;

a calculation condition acquisition step of acquiring, of a first calculation condition for calculating a range in which the vehicle can perform one-way travel as a travelable range and a second calculation condition for calculating a range in which the vehicle can perform round-trip travel as a travelable range, a currently set calculation condition as a condition for calculating a travelable range;

a travelable range calculation step of calculating a travelable range, wherein the vehicle can perform one of one-way travel and round-trip travel after the battery is charged depending on the calculation condition acquired at the calculation condition acquisition step, for each of a plurality of various charge times on the basis of the remaining amount of the battery acquired at the battery remaining amount acquisition step; and

a travelable range display step of simultaneously displaying on the display device a plurality of travelable ranges calculated at the travelable range calculation step and the charge times respectively corresponding to the plurality of travelable ranges.

9. A computer-readable tangible medium storing computer-executable instructions that execute in a processor a method comprising:

a map display step of displaying a map of an area around a vehicle on a display device;

a battery remaining amount acquisition step of acquiring a remaining amount of a battery that supplies electric power to a motor that produces a drive force for the vehicle;

a calculation condition acquisition step of acquiring, of a first calculation condition for calculating a range in which the vehicle can perform one-way travel as a travelable range and a second calculation condition for calculating a range in which the vehicle can perform round-trip travel as a travelable range, a currently set calculation condition as a condition for calculating a travelable range;

a travelable range calculation step of calculating a travelable range, wherein the vehicle can perform one of one-way travel and round-trip travel after the battery is charged depending on the calculation condition acquired at the calculation condition acquisition step, for each of a plurality of various charge times on the basis of the remaining amount of the battery acquired at the battery remaining amount acquisition step; and

a travelable range display step of simultaneously displaying on the display device a plurality of travelable ranges calculated at the travelable range calculation step and the charge times respectively corresponding to the plurality of travelable ranges.