Vehicular information-processing device

• US 9,834,196 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2015
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Morisaki, Keisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Cass, Jean-Paul
• Application Number:
  US14/826,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20160101774A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 701 22
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/12 using control strategies taking into account route information estimation or calculation of non-directly measurable driving parameters B60W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

In the first mode, a controller circuitry restrains or prohibits operation of an internal combustion engine. In the second mode, the controller circuitry activates maintains the charge amount of the battery. A controller circuitry generates a travel plan assigns one of the first mode and the second mode to each of sections, which are included in the travel route. An assessing circuitry assesses a tendency of assignment of the first mode in the travel route. A notifying device notifies information corresponding to the tendency assessed by the assessing circuitry.

Claims

1. A vehicular information-processing device for a vehicle, which processes information of the vehicle, the vehicular information-processing device comprising:

a controller circuitry configured to make the vehicle select one of a first mode and a second mode and travels,

in the first mode, the controller circuitry configured to restrain or prohibit operation of an internal combustion engine, while prioritizing operation of a motor, which consumes a charge amount of a battery,

in the second mode, the controller circuitry configured to activate at least one of the engine and the motor to maintain the charge amount of the battery,

the controller circuitry configured to generate a travel route from a departure place to a destination including a plurality of sections,

the controller circuitry configured to generate a travel plan assigns one of the first mode and the second mode to each of the sections, which are included in the travel route,

the vehicular information-processing device further comprising;

an assessing circuitry configured to assess a tendency of assignment of the first mode in the travel route, which corresponds to a magnitude of fuel efficiency improvement that will be achieved by travelling in accordance with the travel plan in comparison to the fuel efficiency of traveling for assigning the first mode in each of the sections from the departure place, wherein the assessing circuitry is configured to

calculate a sum of distances of all the sections to which the first mode is assigned in the travel route,

convert the sum into a distance from the departure place,

define the converted distance as an initial section,

in the initial section from the departure place in the travel route, define an initial distance as the distance that is planned as the first mode, and

define a ratio of the initial distance to the initial section as the tendency; and

a notifying device configured to notify information corresponding to the tendency assessed by the assessing circuitry to a driver of the vehicle, wherein the notifying device is configured to notify the information when the information corresponding to the tendency is information indicating that the magnitude of fuel efficiency improvement will be smaller than a predetermined value.

2. The vehicular information-processing device according to claim 1, wherein the notifying device is configured to, when the ratio is assessed to be greater than or equal to a predetermined ratio, notify information corresponding to the tendency as the information indicating that the magnitude of fuel efficiency improvement will be smaller than a predetermined value.

4. The vehicular information-processing device according to claim 1, wherein the notifying device is configured to, when the information is notified, notify information usable for the driver to decide whether to cause the vehicle to travel according to the travel plan or not.

3. A vehicular information-processing device for a vehicle, which processes information of the vehicle, the vehicular information-processing device comprising:

a controller circuitry configured to make the vehicle select one of a first mode and a second mode and travels,

in the first mode, the controller circuitry configured to restrain or prohibit operation of an internal combustion engine, while prioritizing operation of a motor, which consumes a charge amount of a battery,

in the second mode, the controller circuitry configured to activate at least one of the engine and the motor to maintain the charge amount of the battery,

the controller circuitry configured to generate a travel route from a departure place to a destination including a plurality of sections,

the controller circuitry configured to generate a travel plan assigns one of the first mode and the second mode to each of the sections, which are included in the travel route,

the vehicular information-processing device further comprising;

an assessing circuitry configured to assess a tendency of assignment of the first mode in the travel route, which corresponds to a magnitude of fuel efficiency improvement that will be achieved by travelling in accordance with the travel plan in comparison to the fuel efficiency of traveling for assigning the first mode in each of the sections from the departure place; and

a notifying device configured to notify information corresponding to the tendency assessed by the assessing circuitry to a driver of the vehicle,

further comprising a calculating circuitry, which is configured to calculate a travel distance that is to be traveled in the first mode, wherein

the calculating circuitry is configured to calculate a travel distance that can be traveled in the first mode based on the charge amount of the battery and a predetermined road load, and

the assessing circuitry is configured to

calculate a sum of distances of all the sections to which the first mode is assigned in the travel route by the travel plan,

define the sum as a total distance, and

assess a difference between the travel distance calculated by the calculating circuitry and the total distance as the tendency,

wherein the notifying device is configured to, when the difference is assessed to be less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value, notify information corresponding to the tendency as the information indicating that the magnitude of fuel efficiency improvement will be smaller than a predetermined value.

5. A vehicular information-processing method performed by a vehicular information-processing device for a vehicle, which processes information of the vehicle, the vehicular information-processing method comprising:

by a controller circuitry, making the vehicle select one of a first mode and a second mode and travels,

in the first mode, by the controller circuitry, restraining or prohibiting operation of an internal combustion engine, while prioritizing operation of a motor, which consumes a charge amount of a battery,

in the second mode, by the controller circuitry, activating at least one of the engine and the motor to maintain the charge amount of the battery,

by the controller circuitry, generating a travel route from a departure place to a destination including a plurality of sections,

by the controller circuitry, generating a travel plan assigns one of the first mode and the second mode to each of the sections, which are included in the travel route,

by an assessing circuitry, assessing a tendency of assignment of the first mode in the travel route, which corresponds to a magnitude of fuel efficiency improvement that will be achieved by travelling in accordance with the travel plan in comparison to the fuel efficiency of traveling for assigning the first mode in each of the sections from the departure place,

by the assessing circuitry,

calculating a sum of distances of all the sections to which the first mode is assigned in the travel route,

converting the sum into a distance from the departure place,

defining the converted distance as an initial section,

in the initial section from the departure place in the travel route, defining an initial distance as the distance that is planned as the first mode, and

defining a ratio of the initial distance to the initial section as the tendency; and

by a notifying device, notifying information corresponding to the tendency assessed by the assessing circuitry to a driver of the vehicle, by notifying the information when the information corresponding to the tendency is information indicating that the magnitude of fuel efficiency improvement will be smaller than a predetermined value.

6. A vehicular information-processing method performed by a vehicular information-processing device for a vehicle, which processes information of the vehicle, the vehicular information-processing method comprising:

by a controller circuitry, making the vehicle select one of a first mode and a second mode and travels,

in the first mode, by the controller circuitry, restraining or prohibiting operation of an internal combustion engine, while prioritizing operation of a motor, which consumes a charge amount of a battery,

in the second mode, by the controller circuitry, activating at least one of the engine and the motor to maintain the charge amount of the battery,

by the controller circuitry, generating a travel route from a departure place to a destination including a plurality of sections,

by the controller circuitry, generating a travel plan assigns one of the first mode and the second mode to each of the sections, which are included in the travel route,

by an assessing circuitry, assessing a tendency of assignment of the first mode in the travel route, which corresponds to a magnitude of fuel efficiency improvement that will be achieved by travelling in accordance with the travel plan in comparison to the fuel efficiency of traveling for assigning the first mode in each of the sections from the departure place; and

by a notifying device, notifying information corresponding to the tendency assessed by the assessing circuitry to a driver of the vehicle,

by a calculating circuitry, calculating a travel distance that is to be traveled in the first mode,

by the calculating circuitry, calculating a travel distance that can be traveled in the first mode based on the charge amount of the battery and a predetermined road load, and

by the assessing circuitry,

calculating a sum of distances of all the sections to which the first mode is assigned in the travel route by the travel plan,

defining the sum as a total distance, and

assessing a difference between the travel distance calculated by the calculating circuitry and the total distance as the tendency,

by the notifying device, when the difference is assessed to be less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value, notifying information corresponding to the tendency as the information indicating that the magnitude of fuel efficiency improvement will be smaller than a predetermined value.