ROUTE GUIDANCE APPARATUS, ROUTE GUIDANCE METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM

• US 20110257879A1
• Filed: 04/05/2011
• Published: 10/20/2011
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 9,846,048 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• 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 route guidance apparatus comprising:

a route search unit configured to 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.

2. The route guidance apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a recording unit which has gradient information for a road recoded therein; and

a power information holding unit which holds information on power consumption of the electric vehicle per gradient and information on an acquisition amount of regenerative energy of the electric vehicle per gradient,

wherein the power consumption calculation unit calculates power consumption using the gradient information recorded in the recording unit and the information held in the power information holding unit.

3. The route guidance apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a power consumption presenting unit on which a route, which was searched for by the route search unit, is presented together with power consumption calculated by the power consumption calculation unit.

4. The route guidance apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the power consumption presenting unit presents a route in which the least electric power of the electric vehicle is to be consumed in traveling to a destination, among routes which were searched for by the route search unit.

5. The route guidance apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the predetermined destination is multiple, and

wherein the power consumption presenting unit presents a route to a destination, among the multiple destinations, to which less electric power of the electric vehicle is to be consumed.

6. The route guidance apparatus according to claim 1,

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

7. The route guidance apparatus according to claim 6,

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

8. The route guidance apparatus according to claim 1,

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

9. The route guidance apparatus according to claim 8,

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

10. The route guidance apparatus according to claim 1,

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

11. The route guidance apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the power consumption calculation 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.

12. A route guidance method comprising:

searching 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

calculating power consumption of the electric vehicle when a route to a destination, which was searched for by the step of route-searching, 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.

13. A computer program product stored on a computer readable medium that when executed by a processor performs steps for:

searching 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

calculating power consumption of the electric vehicle when a route to a destination, which was searched for by the step of route-searching, 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.