Vehicular charging facility guidance device, vehicular charging facility guidance method, and computer program

• US 8,855,842 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2011
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2010
• 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): To, Tuan C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, ISAAC G
• Application Number:
  US13/011,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20110238287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/110, 701/22, 701/29.5, 701/410, 701/414, 701/420, 701/426, 701/532, 701/533, 701/123, 701/400, 701/431, 701/438, 320/109, 340/995.1, 340/995.27, 455/456.5
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence

Abstract

A vehicular charging facility guidance device is provided. The guidance device includes a route setting unit that sets a route from a departure point of a vehicle to a destination, a map display unit that displays a map on a display device, and a route display unit that displays the route set by the route setting unit to be overlapped with the map displayed on the display device. The guidance device also includes a frame display unit that displays a frame to be overlapped with the route on the display device and a frame movement unit that moves a reference position of the frame displayed by the frame display unit along the route. The guidance devise further includes a charging facility guidance unit that provides information on a charging facility located within an area delimited by the frame on the map.

Claims

1. A vehicular charging facility guidance device comprising:

a route setting unit that sets a route from a departure point of a vehicle to a destination;

a map display unit that displays a map on a display device;

a route display unit that displays the route set by the route setting unit to be overlapped with the map displayed on the display device;

a frame display unit that displays a frame to be overlapped with the route on the display device, the frame includes a reference position at a point on the route;

a frame movement unit that moves the reference position of the frame displayed by the frame display unit along the route;

a charging facility guidance unit that provides information on a charging facility located within an area delimited by the frame on the map;

a remaining energy amount prediction unit that, in case that the vehicle travels the route, predicts a remaining energy amount of an in-vehicle battery at a point on the route, the in-vehicle battery supplying electric power to a drive source of the vehicle; and

an energy amount size setting unit that sets a size of the frame, of which the reference position is allocated at the point on the route, based on the predicted remaining energy amount of the in-vehicle battery at the point.

2. The vehicular charging facility guidance device according to claim 1, further comprising a facility number size setting unit that sets a size of the frame, of which the reference position is allocated at the point on the route, based on distribution of charging facilities in the vicinity of the point.

3. The vehicular charging facility guidance device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a travel determination unit that, in case that the vehicle travels the route, determines whether the vehicle is able to travel to the destination without charging an in-vehicle battery that supplies electric power to a drive source of the vehicle;

an intermediate point prediction unit that, in case that the vehicle travels the route, predicts as an intermediate point a point at which a remaining energy amount of the in-vehicle battery becomes a predetermined value; and

an initial position setting unit that, if the travel determination unit determines that the vehicle is able to travel to the destination without charging the in-vehicle battery, sets an initial position of the reference position of the frame to the destination, and if the travel determination unit determines that the vehicle is not able to travel to the destination without charging the in-vehicle battery, sets the initial position of the reference position of the frame to the intermediate point.

4. The vehicular charging facility guidance device according to claim 1, further comprising a travel limit point prediction unit that, in case that the vehicle travels the route, predicts as a travel limit point a point which is closest to the destination among points on the route to which the vehicle is able to travel without charging an in-vehicle battery that supplies electric power to a drive source of the vehicle, wherein

the frame movement unit moves the reference position of the frame to the travel limit point if the reference position of the frame has been moved toward the destination beyond the travel limit point.

5. The vehicular charging facility guidance device according to claim 1, further comprising a charging facility determination unit that determines whether or not there is the charging facility within the area delimited by the frame on the map, wherein

the frame movement unit, if the charging facility determination unit determines that the charging facility is not within the area delimited by the frame on the map, moves the reference position of the frame to a position at which the charging facility is included in the area delimited by the frame on the map.

6. The vehicular charging facility guidance device according to claim 1, wherein

the charging facility guidance unit enlarges and displays the area delimited by the frame on the map on the display device, and displays a mark to identify a position of the charging facility to be overlapped with the map.

7. The vehicular charging facility guidance device according to claim 2, wherein the size of the frame is set based on a number of charging facilities located within a predetermined distance of the point.

8. The vehicular charging facility guidance device according to claim 2, wherein the size of the frame is set so as to display a predetermined number of charging facilities.

9. A vehicular charging facility guidance method, the method comprising:

setting, by a processor, a route from a departure point of a vehicle to a destination;

displaying, by the processor, a map on a display device;

displaying, by the processor, the route set to be overlapped with the map displayed on the display device;

displaying, by the processor, a frame to be overlapped with the route on the display device, the frame of which a reference position is allocated at a point on the route;

moving, by the processor, the reference position of the frame displayed along the route;

providing, by the processor, information on a charging facility located within an area delimited by the frame on the map;

predicting, by the processor, in case that the vehicle travels the route, a remaining energy amount of an in-vehicle battery at a point on the route, the in-vehicle battery supplying electric power to a drive source of the vehicle; and

setting a size of the frame, of which the reference position is allocated at the point on the route, based on the predicted remaining energy amount of the in-vehicle battery at the point.

10. A program stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium that causes a computer to perform the functions of:

setting a route from a departure point of a vehicle to a destination;

displaying a map on a display device;

displaying the route set by the route setting function to be overlapped with the map displayed on the display device;

displaying a frame to be overlapped with the route on the display device, the frame of which a reference position is allocated at a point on the route;

moving the reference position of the frame displayed by the frame display function along the route;

providing information on a charging facility located within an area delimited by the frame on the map;

predicting in case that the vehicle travels the route, a remaining energy amount of an in-vehicle battery at a point on the route, the in-vehicle battery supplying electric power to a drive source of the vehicle; and

setting a size of the frame, of which the reference position is allocated at the point on the route, based on the predicted remaining energy amount of the in-vehicle battery at the point.