Energy consumption calculation device, and energy consumption calculation method of same

• US 9,014,959 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2012
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA), Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA), Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Tagawa, Shinya, Mutou, Keisuke, Kanno, Hideyuki, Sugimoto, Mika
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, YUEN H
• Application Number:
  US14/124,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20140207363A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 701/123, 701/532
• US Class Current: 701/123
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• 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

An energy-consumption calculation device includes an energy-consumption estimation unit to estimate energy consumption in a predetermined section; an actual energy consumption identification unit to identify an actual energy consumption supplied in the predetermined section by an energy-supply unit; an energy-consumption correction unit to correct the energy consumption in the predetermined section estimated by the energy consumption estimation unit in accordance with a difference between the energy consumption in the predetermined section estimated by the energy consumption estimation unit and the actual energy consumption in the predetermined section identified by the actual energy consumption identification means; and display unit adapted to identify and display, by using the energy consumption in the predetermined section corrected by the energy consumption correction means, a possible travel range by which travel is possible with a suppliable energy amount of the energy supply unit.

Claims

1. An energy consumption calculation device, comprising:

an energy consumption estimation unit configured to estimate an energy consumption in a predetermined section of a road;

an actual energy consumption identification unit configured to identify an actual energy consumption that is actually supplied in the predetermined section of the road by an energy supply unit adapted to supply energy;

an energy consumption correction unit configured to correct the energy consumption in the predetermined section of the road estimated by the energy consumption estimation unit in accordance with a difference between the energy consumption in the predetermined section of the road estimated by the energy consumption estimation unit and the actual energy consumption in the predetermined section of the road identified by the actual energy consumption identification unit; and

a display unit configured to identify and display, by using the energy consumption in the predetermined section of the road corrected by the energy consumption correction unit, a possible travel range of a vehicle by which travel is possible with a suppliable energy amount of the energy supply unit.

2. The energy consumption calculation device according to claim 1, wherein the energy consumption correction unit corrects, when the difference between the estimated energy consumption and the actual energy consumption is equal to or more than a predetermined threshold, the energy consumption in the predetermined section of the road estimated by the energy consumption estimation unit.

3. The energy consumption calculation device according to claim 1, wherein the energy consumption correction unit corrects, when the actual energy consumption is more than the estimated energy consumption by a predetermined threshold, the energy consumption in the predetermined section of the road estimated by the energy consumption estimation unit.

4. The energy consumption calculation device according to claim 1, wherein the energy consumption correction unit identifies a difference between an amount acquired by reflecting a predetermined permissible maximum error rate to the energy consumption in the predetermined section of the road estimated by the energy consumption estimation unit and the actual energy consumption in the predetermined section of the road identified by the actual energy consumption identification unit as a correction amount, and adds the correction amount to the energy consumption in the predetermined section of the road estimated by the energy consumption estimation unit.

5. The energy consumption calculation device according to claim 1, further comprising statistical correction amount acquisition unit adapted to acquire an energy consumption correction amount that is statistically processed in the predetermined section via a network from an external center,

wherein the energy consumption correction unit corrects, by using the statistically processed energy consumption correction amount, the energy consumption in the predetermined section of the road estimated by the energy consumption estimation unit.

6. The energy consumption calculation device according to claim 5, further comprising an energy consumption correction amount transmission unit configured to calculate an energy consumption correction amount in accordance with the difference between the estimated energy consumption and the actual energy consumption, and to transmit the calculated energy consumption correction amount to the external center via the network.

7. The energy consumption calculation device according to claim 1, further comprising a path guidance unit configured to provide guidance for a predetermined recommended path,

wherein the predetermined section of the road comprises a predetermined section of the road constructing the predetermined recommended path.

8. The energy consumption calculation device according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit configured to store information on the vehicle and information on a configuration of the road in advance,

wherein the energy consumption estimation unit estimates the energy consumption in the predetermined section of the road by using the information on the vehicle and the information on the configuration of the road.

9. An energy consumption calculation method for use in an energy consumption calculation device, the method comprising:

estimating, by a processor, an energy consumption in a predetermined section of a road;

identifying, by the processor, an actual energy consumption that is actually supplied in the predetermined section of the road by an energy supply unit configured to supply energy;

correcting, by the processor, the energy consumption in the predetermined section of the road estimated in the estimating step in accordance with a difference between the energy consumption in the predetermined section of the road estimated in the estimating step and the actual energy consumption in the predetermined section of the road identified in the identifying step; and

identifying and displaying, on a display, by the processor, using the energy consumption in the predetermined section of the road corrected in the correcting step, a possible travel range of a vehicle by which travel is possible with a suppliable energy amount of the energy supply unit.