Method of predicting energy consumption, apparatus for predicting energy consumption, and terminal apparatus

• US 20110060495A1
• Filed: 08/20/2010
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AutoNavigare LLC
• Original Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Inventors: Kono, Toshiaki, Fushiki, Takumi
• Granted Patent: US 8,694,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096833 where different aspects are considered when computing the route

Abstract

An object of the invention is to predict energy consumptions of a vehicle, using geographic characteristic values which are independent from particular driving patterns and vehicle parameters and unique to respective links. A navigation server predicts energies which are consumed when a vehicle runs on links. The navigation server calculates geographic characteristic values of respective links, the geography of the each link affecting the consumption energy with the geographic characteristic values, the calculation being based on energy consumptions collected from probe vehicles, and calculates predicted energy consumption of each link selected as a processing target, based on the geographic characteristic values. A navigation terminal obtains these predicted energy consumptions and performs route search with the obtained predicted energy consumptions as costs.

Claims

1. A method of predicting energy consumption by a system for predicting energy consumption, the system having an energy consumption prediction apparatus and at least one terminal apparatus, wherein the energy consumption prediction apparatus delivers data for route search to the terminal apparatus and the terminal apparatus performs route displaying, based on the delivered data, the method comprising:

by the energy consumption prediction apparatus,

calculating geographic characteristic values of each of links that form a road, based on energy consumptions collected from probe vehicles, wherein geography of the each link affects consumption energy thereof with the geographic characteristic values;

calculating a predicted energy consumption of each link selected as a prediction target, based on the geographic characteristic values; and

delivering the each predicted energy consumption having been calculated to the terminal apparatus;

and by the terminal apparatus,

outputting route guide information from an output section, based on the predicted energy consumptions having been delivered.

2. The method of predicting energy consumption according to claim 1, wherein the geographic characteristic values are calculated, based on a value of effect on energy consumption during acceleration, a value of effect on energy consumption during deceleration, and a value of effect on energy consumption during driving at a constant velocity.

3. The method of predicting energy consumption according to claim 1, further comprising:

by the energy consumption prediction apparatus

obtaining travel times of the links from the probe vehicles; and

calculating driving patterns each of which is a pattern with respect to acceleration/deceleration and a constant velocity of the corresponding probe vehicle, the calculation being performed from the obtained travel times of the respective links;

calculating the geographic characteristic values based on the driving patterns and the energy consumptions.

4. The method of predicting energy consumption according to claim 3, wherein the each driving pattern is an acceleration/deceleration probability being a ratio of a distance consumed by the acceleration or the deceleration of the probe vehicle to a corresponding link length.

5. The method of predicting energy consumption according to claim 1, wherein

the each energy consumption includes driving energy consumption and basic energy consumption;

the driving energy consumption is energy consumption contributing to variation in mechanical energy of a vehicle; and

the basic energy consumption is energy consumption due to internal resistance of an internal combustion engine and onboard devices of the vehicle.

6. The method of predicting energy consumption according to claim 1, wherein

the each energy consumption includes driving energy consumption and basic energy consumption;

if a vehicle is an electric vehicle, the driving energy consumption is mechanical energy of the vehicle including energy due to regeneration; and

the basic energy consumption is energy consumption by onboard devices of the vehicle.

7. The method of predicting energy consumption according to claim 1,

wherein the output section is a display device that displays information;

and wherein the terminal apparatus performs route search, with the predicted energy consumptions delivered from the energy consumption prediction apparatus as costs of the respective links which are targets for the route search, and displays a result of the route search as the route displaying on the output section.

8. The method of predicting energy consumption according to claim 1, wherein the output section performs the route displaying, with relations between data on the predicted energy consumptions and the links for which the predicted energy consumptions have been calculated.

9. An apparatus for predicting energy consumption, the apparatus delivering data for route search to a terminal apparatus, comprising:

a geographic characteristic value generation section that calculates geographic characteristic values of each of links that form a road, based on energy consumptions collected from probe vehicles, wherein geography of the each link affects consumption energy thereof with the geographic characteristic values;

a predicted energy consumption calculation section that calculates predicted energy consumption of each link selected as a prediction target, based on the geographic characteristic values; and

a communication section that delivers the predicted energy consumptions having been calculated to the terminal apparatus.

11. A terminal apparatus that performs route displaying, comprising:

a route guide section that makes an output section output route guide information, based on the predicted energy consumptions that have been delivered from the apparatus for predicting energy consumption according to claim 9, wherein the predicted energy consumptions are predicted values of energy consumed by links being prediction targets.

10. An apparatus for predicting energy consumption, the apparatus delivering data for route search to a terminal apparatus, comprising:

a geographic characteristic value generation section that calculates geographic characteristic values of each of links that form a road, based on energy consumptions collected from probe vehicles, wherein geography of the each link affects consumption energy thereof with the geographic characteristic values; and

a geographic characteristic value delivery section that delivers the calculated geographic characteristic values to the terminal apparatus.

12. A terminal apparatus that performs route displaying, comprising:

a predicted energy consumption calculation section that calculates predicted energy consumptions, based on the geographic characteristic values that have been delivered from the apparatus for predicting energy consumptions according to claim 10, wherein the predicted energy consumptions are predicted values of energy consumed by links being prediction targets; and

a route guide section that makes an output section output rout guide information, based on the calculated predicted energy consumptions.