Device for predicting energy consumption and method for predicting energy consumption

• US 9,417,081 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2014
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kano, Junichi, Nakano, Yuzo
• Primary Examiner(s): Elchanti, Hussein A.
• Application Number:
  US14/782,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20160040995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 701/123
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0625 Fuel consumption, e.g. measured in fuel liters per 100 kms or miles per gallon
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/501 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/701 Information about vehicle position, e.g. from navigation system or GPS signal
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/702 Road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 7/00 Measuring the steady or quasi-steady pressure of a fluid or a fluent solid material by mechanical or fluid pressure-sensitive elements G01L11/004 takes precedence; transmitting or indicating the displacement of mechanical pressure-sensitive elements by electric , e.g., photoelectric or magnetic means G01L9/00; measuring differences of two or more pressure values G01L13/00; measuring two or more pressure values simultaneously G01L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/02 Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00

Abstract

A device for predicting energy consumption includes an obtaining unit (110), an air resistance calculating unit (140, 150), and an energy consumption predicting unit (150). The obtaining unit (110) is configured to obtain road information including traveling speed information set for each route. The air resistance calculating unit (140, 150) is configured to calculate air resistance as a calculated air resistance value by an air resistance calculation formula on the basis of the traveling speed information of the scheduled traveling route and to correct the calculated air resistance value so that the air resistance is higher according as the traveling speed along the scheduled traveling route is lower. The air resistance is caused when a vehicle travels along a scheduled traveling route. The energy consumption predicting unit (150) is configured to predict an energy consumption of the scheduled traveling route on the basis of the corrected air resistance value.

Claims

1. A device for predicting energy consumption comprising:

an obtaining unit configured to obtain road information including traveling speed information set for each route;

an air resistance calculating unit configured to

calculate air resistance as a calculated air resistance value by using an air calculation formula on a basis of the traveling speed information of a scheduled traveling route, air resistance being caused when a vehicle travels along the scheduled traveling route, and

correct the calculated air resistance value so that the calculated air resistance increases as a traveling speed along the scheduled traveling route decreases; and

an energy consumption predicting unit configured to predict energy consumption over the scheduled traveling route on a basis of the corrected calculated air resistance value.

2. The device for predicting energy consumption according to claim 1, wherein

the road information includes inclination information for each route, and

the air resistance calculating unit corrects the calculated air resistance value so that the air resistance decreases as an inclination in the scheduled traveling route becomes steeper.

3. The device for predicting energy consumption according to claim 1, further comprising:

a loss calculating unit configured to

calculate loss in a drive-train as a calculated loss value by using a loss calculation formula on the basis of the traveling speed information, the loss in a drive-train being caused when the vehicle travels along the scheduled traveling route, and

correct the calculated loss value so that the loss in the drive-train increases as the traveling speed decreases, wherein

the energy consumption predicting unit predicts the energy consumption on a basis of the calculated air resistance value and the calculated loss value.

4. The device for predicting energy consumption according to claim 3, wherein

the road information includes inclination information for each route, and

the loss calculating unit corrects the calculated loss value so that the loss in the drive-train increases as an inclination of the scheduled traveling route becomes steeper.

5. The device for predicting energy consumption according to claim 1, further comprising:

a rolling resistance calculating unit configured to calculate rolling resistance as a calculated rolling resistance value by using a rolling resistance calculation formula, the rolling resistance being caused when the vehicle travels along the scheduled traveling route, wherein

the rolling resistance calculating unit calculates the calculated rolling resistance value on a basis of ambient air temperature, and

the energy consumption predicting unit predicts the energy consumption on a basis of the calculated air resistance value and the calculated rolling resistance value.

6. The device for predicting energy consumption according to claim 5, wherein

the rolling resistance calculating unit calculates the calculated rolling resistance value so that the calculated rolling resistance value increases as the ambient air temperature decreases.

7. The device for predicting energy consumption according to claim 5, wherein

the rolling resistance calculating unit obtains the ambient air temperature by obtaining information of the ambient air temperature from an external device or predicting the ambient air temperature on a basis of at least one or more conditions, and

the conditions are a season, a month, a date, a region of the scheduled traveling route, and a latitude and a longitude of the scheduled traveling route.

8. The device for predicting energy consumption according to claim 7, wherein

the rolling resistance calculating unit, at the time of predicting the ambient air temperature on the basis of at least one or more of the season, the month, the date, the region of the scheduled traveling route, and the latitude and the longitude of the scheduled traveling route, predicts at smaller temperature intervals between predicted values of the ambient air temperature as the ambient air temperature decreases.

9. The device for predicting energy consumption according to claim 3, wherein

the loss calculating unit corrects the calculated loss value so that the loss in the drive-train decreases as the rolling resistance increases.

10. The device for predicting energy consumption according to claim 3, wherein

the loss calculating unit corrects the calculated loss value by using a coefficient corresponding to a type of vehicle.

11. A method for predicting energy consumption comprising:

calculating air resistance as a calculated air resistance value, via a device for predicting energy consumption, by using an air resistance calculation formula on a basis of traveling speed information of a scheduled traveling route, the air resistance being caused when a vehicle travels along the scheduled traveling route;

correcting the calculated air resistance value, via the device, so that the air resistance increases as a traveling speed of the scheduled traveling route decreases; and

predicting energy consumption over the scheduled traveling route, via the device, on a basis of the corrected calculated air resistance value.