Information provision apparatus and information provision method

• US 9,731,618 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2013
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Asai, Kentaro, Aga, Toshiyuki, Tani, Masamichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH-STEWART, DEMETRA R
• Application Number:
  US14/377,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20140371969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,651 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/642 Slope of road
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/72 Charging station selection relying on external data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/20 characterised by converters located in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/14 for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/16 for vehicles comprising converters between the power source and the motor
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/12 : Remote or cooperative charging
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

An information provision apparatus including: a provision control unit (40, 30) configured to provide a vehicle passenger with energy replenishment information relating to energy replenishment of a vehicle-driving energy supply source (20) that is capable of storing regenerative energy regenerated from rotational energy of a vehicle wheel, when a remaining energy amount of the energy supply source (20) falls below a determination reference value; and a modification unit (40) configured to modify a provision condition that is a condition on which the provision control unit (40, 30) provides the energy replenishment information, so that after the energy replenishment information is once provided when the remaining energy amount falls below the determination reference value, the energy replenishment information is less likely to be provided than before the energy replenishment information is once provided.

Claims

1. An information provision apparatus comprising:

a provision control unit configured to provide a vehicle passenger with energy replenishment information relating to energy replenishment of a vehicle-driving energy supply source that is capable of storing regenerative energy regenerated from rotational energy of a vehicle wheel, when a remaining energy amount of the energy supply source falls below a first determination reference value; and

a modification unit configured to modify a provision condition that is a condition on which the provision control unit provides the energy replenishment information, so that after the energy replenishment information is once provided when the remaining energy amount falls below the first determination reference value, the energy replenishment information is provided when the remaining energy amount falls below a second determination reference value,

wherein the second determination reference value is a smaller value than the first determination reference value,

wherein the provision control unit is configured to determine whether to provide the vehicle passenger with energy replenishment information based on the provision condition modified by the modification unit, after the energy replenishment information is once provided, and

wherein the modification unit is further configured to modify the provision condition such that provision of the energy replenishment information is prohibited for a predetermined time after the energy replenishment information is once provided when the remaining energy amount falls below the first determination reference value.

2. The information provision apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the modification unit is configured to modify the provision condition so that after the energy replenishment information is once provided when the remaining energy amount falls below the first determination reference value, the energy replenishment information is provided in response to a larger variation in the remaining energy amount caused by the regenerative energy than before the energy replenishment information is once provided.

3. The information provision apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the modification unit is configured to modify the provision condition so that after the energy replenishment information is once provided when the remaining energy amount falls below the first determination reference value, provision of the energy replenishment information is suppressed.

4. The information provision apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the modification unit is configured to modify the provision condition by reducing the first determination reference value.

5. The information provision apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the provision control unit configured to obtain energy replenishment facility information relating to an energy replenishment facility as the energy replenishment information by accessing an information server when the remaining energy amount falls below the first determination reference value, and provide the vehicle passenger with the obtained energy replenishment facility information.

6. The information provision apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the provision control unit prohibits provision of the energy replenishment facility information when the energy replenishment facility is set as a navigation destination of a vehicle, even if the provision condition is satisfied.

7. The information provision apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the provision control unit is configured to provide the vehicle passenger with the energy replenishment facility information when a power supply switch of the vehicle is switched OFF and then switched ON after the energy replenishment facility information is provided.

8. The information provision apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the provision control unit is configured to measure an OFF duration of the power supply switch, and when the measured OFF duration exceeds a reference time, obtain the energy replenishment facility information by accessing the information server and provide the vehicle passenger with the obtained energy replenishment facility information.

9. The information provision apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a replenishment operation detection unit configured to detect an energy replenishment operation for replenishing the energy supply source with energy,

wherein the modification unit is configured to return the provision condition to an initial condition when the energy replenishment operation is detected after the provision condition has been modified.

10. The information provision apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the modification unit is configured to return the provision condition to an initial condition when the remaining energy amount of the energy supply source exceeds a resetting determination reference value that is larger than the first determination reference value, after the provision condition has been modified.

11. The information provision apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the energy replenishment information is no longer provided based on the remaining energy amount falling below the first determination reference value until either the energy supply source is replenished so that the remaining energy amount of the energy supply source exceeds a resetting determination reference value that is larger than the first determination reference value or is replenished using an external power supply.

12. An information provision method comprising:

providing a vehicle passenger with energy replenishment information relating to energy replenishment of a vehicle-driving energy supply source that is capable of storing regenerative energy regenerated from rotational energy of a vehicle wheel, when a remaining energy amount of the energy supply source falls below a first determination reference value;

modifying a provision condition that is a condition on which the energy replenishment information is provided, so that after the energy replenishment information is once provided when the remaining energy amount falls below the first determination reference value, the energy replenishment information is provided when the remaining energy amount falls below a second determination reference value; and

modifying the provision condition such that provision of the energy replenishment information is prohibited for a predetermined time after the energy replenishment information is once provided when the remaining energy amount falls below the first determination reference value,

wherein the second determination reference value is a smaller value than the first determination reference value, and

wherein the energy replenishment information is provided to the vehicle passenger based on the modified provision condition, after the energy replenishment information is once provided.

13. The information provision method according to claim 12, wherein the energy replenishment information is no longer provided based on the remaining energy amount falling below the first determination reference value until either the energy supply source is replenished so that the remaining energy amount of the energy supply source exceeds a resetting determination reference value that is larger than the first determination reference value or is replenished using an external power supply.

14. An information provision apparatus comprising:

a provision control unit configured to provide a vehicle passenger with energy replenishment information relating to energy replenishment of a vehicle-driving energy supply source that is capable of storing regenerative energy regenerated from rotational energy of a vehicle wheel, when a remaining energy amount of the energy supply source falls below a first determination reference value; and

a modification unit configured to modify a provision condition that is a condition on which the provision control unit provides the energy replenishment information, so that after the energy replenishment information is once provided when the remaining energy amount falls below the first determination reference value, the energy replenishment information is provided when the remaining energy amount falls below a second determination reference value,

wherein the second determination reference value is a smaller value than the first determination reference value,

wherein the provision control unit configured to obtain energy replenishment facility information relating to an energy replenishment facility as the energy replenishment information by accessing an information server when the remaining energy amount falls below the first determination reference value, and provide the vehicle passenger with the obtained energy replenishment facility information,

wherein the provision control unit prohibits provision of the energy replenishment facility information when the energy replenishment facility is set as a navigation destination of a vehicle, even if the provision condition is satisfied, and

wherein the modification unit is further configured to modify the provision condition such that provision of the energy replenishment information is prohibited for a predetermined time after the energy replenishment information is once provided when the remaining energy amount falls below the first determination reference value.

15. The information provision apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the provision control unit is configured to provide the vehicle passenger with the energy replenishment facility information when a power supply switch of the vehicle is switched OFF and then switched ON after the energy replenishment facility information is provided.

16. The information provision apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the provision control unit is configured to measure an OFF duration of the power supply switch, and when the measured OFF duration exceeds a reference time, obtain the energy replenishment facility information by accessing the information server and provide the vehicle passenger with the obtained energy replenishment facility information.

17. The information provision apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the energy replenishment information is no longer provided based on the remaining energy amount falling below the first determination reference value until either the energy supply source is replenished so that the remaining energy amount of the energy supply source exceeds a resetting determination reference value that is larger than the first determination reference value or is replenished using an external power supply.