Route display device, route display method, route display program, and route display system

• US 8,825,402 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2011
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Hayashi, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): EVANS, GARRETT F
• Application Number:
  US13/071,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20110246061A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,258 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/533
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects

Abstract

A route display apparatus and method are provided. The apparatus includes a search unit that searches for a plurality of routes in which a plurality of destinations are stopped by in a different stopping order combination in each route. The apparatus also includes a prediction unit that predicts, for each of the routes, a travelable position that can be reached with a remaining amount of a battery. The prediction unit is configured to predict, for each of the routes, a necessity of charging based on whether the travelable position is on a side of a departure point in relation to a final destination. The apparatus also includes a display control unit that displays, for each of the routes, the necessity of charging in association with a corresponding stopping order for each of the routes, on a display part.

Claims

1. A route display device that displays a route of a vehicle, comprising:

a processor which is operable to configure;

a first search unit that searches for a route in which a plurality of destinations having mutual relation are stopped by in a relative stopping order;

a destination addition unit that adds a new destination to the route acquired by the first search unit;

a second search unit that searches for a plurality of routes in which the stopping orders are different from each other for the respective positions of the new destination;

a prediction unit that predicts, for each of the routes, a travelable position which can be reached with a remaining amount of a battery and predicts, for each of the routes, a necessity of charging based on whether the travelable position is on a side of a departure point in relation to a final destination; and

a display control unit that displays, for each of the routes, the necessity of charging in association with a corresponding stopping order for each of the routes, on a display part,

wherein the display control unit displays the plurality of routes acquired by the second search unit on the display part, the display control unit arranges and displays the plurality of destinations of the plurality of routes in the relative stopping order from the bottom to the top of the screen, and the display control unit displays travelable position indexes for the plurality of routes in a different color,

where each of the travelable position indexes indicates the farthermost position along the respective route that can be reached with the remaining amount of battery.

2. The route display device according to claim 1,

wherein, among the plurality of routes, for a route in which a charging facility is included in the destination within a travel area which can be reached with the remaining amount, the prediction unit is configured to:

predict that the remaining amount at the charging facility will be a designated charging amount that is the remaining amount after charging at the charging facility, and the travelable position on the route which can be reached from the charging facility with the designated charging amount; and

further predict the necessity of charging based on whether the travelable position is on the side of the departure point in relation to the final destination.

3. The route display device according to claim 1, wherein

the display control unit arranges and displays the plurality of destinations and the travelable position in a travel order for each of the routes.

4. The route display device according to claim 1,

wherein the prediction unit is configured to:

for each of the plurality of routes, calculate a travel time for traveling the route as a required time of the route; and

among the plurality of routes, for a route in which a charging facility is included in the destination within a travel area which can be reached with the remaining amount, calculate the required time of the route by adding a charging time at the charging facility to the travel time of the route, and

wherein the display control unit displays the required time for each of the routes.

5. The route display device according to claim 1,

wherein the prediction unit is configured to:

for each of the plurality of routes, calculate a road fee required to travel the route as a travel fee of the route; and

among the plurality of routes, for a route in which a charging facility is included in the destination within a travel area which can be reached with the remaining amount, calculate the travel fee of the route by adding a charging fee at the charging facility to the road fee of the route, and

wherein the display control unit displays the travel fee for each of the routes.

9. The route display device according to claim 1, wherein

the display control unit displays the plurality of routes such that a relative positional relation among the plurality of destinations of the plurality of routes and the travelable position is maintained.

10. The route display device according to claim 1, wherein

the display control unit displays a travel distance for each of the plurality routes and displays a route on which the destination is reachable and a route on which the destination is not reachable in different display colors.

11. The route display device according to claim 1, wherein

the display control unit displays a plurality of destinations over each of the plurality of routes.

6. A route display method for displaying a route of a vehicle, the method comprising:

searching, using a processor, for a route in which a plurality of destinations having mutual relation are stopped by in a relative stopping order;

adding a new destination to the route;

searching for a plurality of routes in which the stopping orders are different from each other for the respective positions of the new destination;

predicting, for each of the routes, a travelable position which can be reached with a remaining amount of a battery and predicting, for each of the routes, a necessity of charging based on whether the travelable position is on a side of a departure point in relation to a final destination; and

displaying on a display, for each of the routes, the necessity of charging in association with a corresponding stopping order for each of the routes,

wherein the plurality of routes are displayed on the display, the plurality of destinations of the plurality of routes are arranged and displayed in the relative stopping order from the bottom to the top of the screen, and travelable position indexes are displaced for the plurality of routes in a different color,

where each of the travelable position indexes indicates the farthermost position along the respective route that can be reached with the remaining amount of battery.

7. A program recorded on a non-transitory medium comprising program code which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to execute the steps of method claim 6.

8. A route display system including a plurality of devices capable of mutually transmitting and receiving information that displays a route of a vehicle, the route display system comprising:

a processor which is operable to configure;

a first search unit that searches for a route in which a plurality of destinations having mutual relation are stopped by in a relative stopping order;

a destination addition unit that adds a new destination to the route acquired by the first search unit;

a second search unit that searches for a plurality of routes in which the stopping orders are different from each other for the respective positions of the new destination;

a prediction unit that predicts, for each of the routes, a travelable position which can be reached with a remaining amount of a battery and predicts, for each of the routes, a necessity of charging based on whether the travelable position is on a side of a departure point in relation to a final destination; and

a display control unit that displays, for each of the routes, the necessity of charging in association with a corresponding stopping order for each of the routes on a display part,

wherein the display control unit displays the plurality of routes acquired by the second search unit on the display part, the display control unit arranges and displays the plurality of destinations of the plurality of routes in the relative stopping order from the bottom to the top of the screen, and the display control unit displays travelable position indexes for the plurality of routes in a different color,

where each of the travelable position indexes indicates the farthermost position along the respective route that can be reached with the remaining amount of battery.