CENTRAL APPARATUS, DRIVING SUPPORT SYSTEM, AND DRIVING SUPPORT METHOD

• US 20150338225A1
• Filed: 05/26/2015
• Published: 11/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: SUZUKI, KENJI, ISOMURA, YOSUKE
• Application Number:
  US14/721,415
• Publication Number:
  US 20150338225A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/68 Traffic data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/52 drive range estimation, e.g. of estimation of available travel distance
• 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 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• 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 central apparatus that communicates with an information terminal mounted in a vehicle that travels by employing stored energy, includes: a reception unit that receives position information for the information terminal or for the vehicle, and a search condition inputted to the information terminal; a potential driving distance calculation unit that calculates an energy consumption amount for each of various road links based upon the position information and the search condition, and calculates a potential driving distance based upon the energy consumption amounts that have been calculated; and a transmission unit that transmits to the information terminal information relating to the potential driving distance that has been calculated for display upon the information terminal.

Claims

1. A central apparatus that communicates with an information terminal mounted in a vehicle that travels by employing stored energy, comprising:

a reception unit that receives position information for the information terminal or for the vehicle, and a search condition inputted to the information terminal;

a potential driving distance calculation unit that calculates an energy consumption amount for each of various road links based upon the position information and the search condition, and calculates a potential driving distance based upon the energy consumption amounts that have been calculated; and

a transmission unit that transmits to the information terminal information relating to the potential driving distance that has been calculated or display upon the information terminal.

2. The central apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the search condition is at least one of information related to road classification, information related to whether or not an on-hoard device other than the information terminal is used, information related to a type of the vehicle, and congestion information for a departure time or a arrival time.

3. A driving support system, comprising:

a central apparatus according to claim 1; and

an information terminal that is mounted in a vehicle and that communicates with the central apparatus, wherein

the information terminal receives information related to the potential driving distance of the vehicle from the central apparatus, and includes a display unit to display the information upon the information terminal.

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

the display unit presents the potential driving distance by displaying roads upon which travel is possible with a remaining amount of energy in a battery mounted to the vehicle in units of road links.

5. The driving support system according to claim 4, wherein

the display unit changes a display method for the potential driving distance according to the remaining amount of energy.

6. A driving support method for an information terminal mounted in a vehicle that travels by employing stored energy and a central apparatus that communicates with the information terminal, wherein:

the information terminal comprises a display unit, transmits position information for the information terminal or for the vehicle and a search condition inputted to the information terminal to the central apparatus, receives information related to potential driving distance from the central apparatus, and presents the information upon the display unit; and

the central apparatus receives the position information and the search condition from the information terminal, calculates an energy consumption amount for each of various road links based upon the position information and the search condition that have been received, calculates a potential driving distance based upon the energy consumption amounts that have been calculated, and transmits information relating to the potential driving distance that has been calculated to the information terminal.