Vehicular travel guidance device, vehicular travel guidance method, and computer program

• US 8,872,675 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2011
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• 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: Niwa, Toshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dorsey, Renee
• Application Number:
  US13/017,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20110241905A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,366 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/995.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence

Abstract

A vehicular travel guidance apparatus and method are provided. The apparatus includes a map image display unit that displays a map image on a display device and a maximum energy amount acquisition unit that acquires a maximum charging energy amount of an in-vehicle battery. The apparatus further includes a charging facility information acquisition unit that acquires information regarding a charging facility capable of charging the in-vehicle battery. Also included is a travelable area acquisition unit that acquires a travelable area, within which the vehicle is able to travel from the charging facility by consuming an energy amount corresponding to a predetermined percentage of the maximum charging energy amount. The apparatus also includes a display mode change unit that varies a display mode of the map image based on the acquired travelable area.

Claims

1. A vehicular travel guidance device comprising:

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

a maximum energy amount acquisition unit that acquires an existing charging energy amount of an in-vehicle battery of a vehicle that has a drive motor as a drive source, the drive motor being driven by energy stored in the in-vehicle battery;

a charging facility information acquisition unit that acquires information regarding a charging facility capable of charging the in-vehicle battery;

a travelable area acquisition unit that, based on the existing charging energy amount of the vehicle acquired by the maximum energy amount acquisition unit and the information regarding the charging facility acquired by the charging facility information acquisition unit, acquires a travelable area, within which the vehicle is able to travel from the charging facility by consuming an energy amount corresponding to a predetermined percentage of the existing charging energy amount that is less than an existing charging energy amount; and

a display mode change unit that varies a display mode of the map image based on the acquired travelable area,

wherein the travelable area is highlighted and displayed around the charging facility.

2. The vehicular travel guidance device according to claim 1, wherein

the travelable area acquisition unit acquires the travelable area for each of a plurality of percentages, each representing a different predetermined percentage of the existing charging energy amount;

and

the display mode change unit varies the display mode of the map image based on the acquired travelable areas.

3. The vehicular travel guidance device according to claim 1, comprising a charging facility search unit that searches for the charging facility located in the travelable area, within which the vehicle is able to travel from a predetermined point on the map image displayed on the display device by consuming the existing charging energy amount, wherein

the travelable area acquisition unit acquires the travelable area, within which the vehicle is able to travel from the charging facility searched by the charging facility search unit.

4. The vehicular travel guidance device according to claim 1, further comprising a battery remaining amount guidance unit that provides information on a remaining energy amount of the in-vehicle battery using a color corresponding to a percentage of the existing charging energy amount, wherein

the display mode change unit displays the map image included in the travelable area, within which the vehicle is able to travel by consuming the energy amount corresponding to the predetermined percentage of the existing charging energy amount, in the color corresponding to the predetermined percentage among colors given by the battery remaining amount guidance unit for providing the information.

5. The vehicular travel guidance device according to claim 1, wherein the display mode change unit that varies the display mode between the map image included in the travelable area and the map image not included in the travelable area.

6. The vehicular travel guidance device according to claim 1, wherein the display mode change unit varies the display mode of the map image by highlighting a portion of the map image corresponding to the travelable area in a predetermined color.

7. The vehicular travel guidance device according to claim 2, wherein the display mode change unit varies the display mode of the map image by highlighting portions of the map image corresponding to the travelable areas in a different predetermined color for each travelable area of the travelable areas.

8. A vehicular travel guidance method, the method comprising:

displaying a map image on a display device;

acquiring an existing charging energy amount of an in-vehicle battery of a vehicle that has a drive motor as a drive source, the drive motor being driven by energy stored in the in-vehicle battery;

acquiring information regarding a charging facility capable of charging the in-vehicle battery;

acquiring, based on the existing charging energy amount of the vehicle acquired at the existing energy amount acquisition step and the information regarding the charging facility acquired at the charging facility information acquisition step, a travelable area, within which the vehicle is able to travel from the charging facility by consuming an energy amount corresponding to a predetermined percentage of the existing charging energy amount that is less than the existing charging energy amount; and

varying a display mode of the map image based on the acquired travelable area,

wherein the travelable area is highlighted and displayed around the charging facility.

9. The vehicular travel guidance method according to claim 8, wherein the display mode is varied between the map image included in the travelable area and the map image not included in the travelable area.

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

displaying a map image on a display device;

acquiring an existing charging energy amount of an in-vehicle battery of a vehicle that has a drive motor as a drive source, the drive motor being driven by energy stored in the in-vehicle battery;

acquiring information regarding a charging facility capable of charging the in-vehicle battery;

acquiring, based on the existing charging energy amount of the vehicle acquired by the existing energy amount acquisition function and the information regarding the charging facility acquired by the charging facility information acquisition function, a travelable area, within which the vehicle is able to travel from the charging facility by consuming an energy amount corresponding to a predetermined percentage of the existing charging energy amount that is less than the existing charging energy amount; and

varying a display mode of the map image based on the acquired the travelable area,

wherein the travelable area is highlighted and displayed around the charging facility.

11. The computer program according to claim 10, wherein the display mode is varied between the map image included in the travelable area and the map image not included in the travelable area.