Support server, mobile terminal, and support system

• US 10,019,853 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2015
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Ayako
• Primary Examiner(s): Do, Truc M
• Application Number:
  US14/596,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20150213657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,273 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

The fuel replenishment amount to a vehicle at each time is collected by a support server 10 through a smartphone 20. Then, information corresponding to calculation results such as the fuel remaining amount based on the information collected by the support server 10 is transmitted to a user through the smartphone 20. Thus, even when a terminal for transmitting the fuel replenishment amount to the smartphone 20 is not installed at a fuel supply station, information meaningful to the user in making a driving plan for the vehicle, such as the fuel remaining amount of the vehicle, can be provided to the user through this smartphone 20 at an appropriate timing.

Claims

1. A support server comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the support server at least to;

recognize an energy replenishment amount to a vehicle input to a mobile terminal and a cumulative travel distance acquired by the mobile terminal from the vehicle based on communication with the mobile terminal cooperating with the vehicle in a case where a first specified condition is met, and then calculate traveling energy efficiency of the vehicle based on the recognition results; and

cause the mobile terminal to recognize the traveling energy efficiency of the vehicle and at least one piece of information determined based on the traveling energy efficiency based on communication with the mobile terminal in a case where a second specified condition is met,

wherein the first specified condition represents that energy for traveling has been supplied to the vehicle, and

wherein the second specified condition represents a trigger event that has been detected by the mobile terminal.

2. The support server according to claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the support server at least to

recognize the cumulative travel distance of the vehicle recognized by the mobile terminal based on communication with the mobile terminal in a case where the second specified condition is met, calculate a present value of an energy remaining amount in the vehicle as information determined based on the traveling energy efficiency and the cumulative travel distance of the vehicle, and

cause the mobile terminal to recognize the present value of the energy remaining amount in the vehicle.

3. The support server according to claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the support server at least to

recognize a target position and search for a route to the target position as an end point based on communication with the mobile terminal in a case where the second specified condition that the target position for the route search is specified as a trigger event is met,

calculate a predicted value of an energy remaining amount in a case where the vehicle travels according to the route, and

cause the mobile terminal to recognize the predicted value of the energy remaining amount and information determined according to the predicted value of the energy remaining amount.

4. The support server according to claim 3, wherein in a case where the predicted value of the energy remaining amount is lower than a lowest reference value, the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the support server at least to

recognize an intermediate position on the route at which the energy remaining amount becomes lower than or equal to the lowest reference value, and

cause the mobile terminal to recognize and output the intermediate position as information determined according to the predicted value of the energy remaining amount of the vehicle.

5. A mobile terminal cooperating with a vehicle, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the mobile terminal at least to;

determine whether a first specified condition is met, recognize an energy replenishment amount to the vehicle and a cumulative travel distance of the vehicle input through a manipulation of the mobile terminal on condition that the determination result is affirmative, and cause a support server to recognize the energy replenishment amount and the cumulative travel distance of the vehicle; and

determine whether a second specified condition is met, and recognize and output traveling energy efficiency of the vehicle calculated by the support server according to the energy replenishment amount and the cumulative travel distance of the vehicle, and at least one piece of information determined according to the traveling energy efficiency based on communication with the support server on condition that the determination result is affirmative,

wherein the first specified condition represents that energy for traveling has been supplied to the vehicle, and

wherein the second specified condition represents a trigger event that has been detected by the mobile terminal.

6. The mobile terminal according to claim 5, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the mobile terminal at least to

recognize the cumulative travel distance of the vehicle and cause the support server to recognize the cumulative travel distance of the vehicle based on communication with the support server on condition that it is determined that the second specified condition is met, and

recognize and output a present value of an energy remaining amount in the vehicle calculated by the support server according to the cumulative travel distance of the vehicle, and at least one piece of information determined according to the present value of the energy remaining amount.

9. The mobile terminal according to claim 6, wherein in a case where the present recognition result of the energy remaining amount of the vehicle is lower than or equal to a lowest reference value, the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the mobile terminal at least to output a message for urging replenishment of traveling energy to the vehicle.

10. The mobile terminal according to claim 5, wherein in a case where the second specified condition that specification of a target position for a route search as a trigger event is detected is met, the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the mobile terminal at least to

recognize a predicted value of the energy remaining amount in the vehicle in a case where the vehicle has traveled according to a route to the target position as an end point calculated by the support server, and

output the predicted value of the energy remaining amount and at least one piece of information determined according to the predicted value of the energy remaining amount.

13. The mobile terminal according to claim 10, wherein in a case where the predicted value of the energy remaining amount in the vehicle is lower than a lowest reference value, the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the mobile terminal at least to output an intermediate point on the route at which the predicted value of the energy remaining amount in the vehicle becomes lower than or equal to the lowest reference value.

14. The mobile terminal according to claim 13, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the mobile terminal at least to output a message for urging replenishment of traveling energy to the vehicle in association with the intermediate point on the route.

7. A mobile terminal cooperating with a vehicle, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the mobile terminal at least to;

determine whether a first specified condition is met, recognize an energy replenishment amount to the vehicle and a cumulative travel distance of the vehicle input through a manipulation of the mobile terminal on condition that the determination result is affirmative, and cause a support server to recognize the energy replenishment amount and the cumulative travel distance of the vehicle;

determine whether a second specified condition is met, and recognize and output traveling energy efficiency of the vehicle calculated by the support server according to the energy replenishment amount and the cumulative travel distance of the vehicle, and at least one piece of information determined according to the traveling energy efficiency based on communication with the support server on condition that the determination result is affirmative;

recognize the cumulative travel distance of the vehicle and cause the support server to recognize the cumulative travel distance of the vehicle based on communication with the support server on condition that it is determined that the second specified condition is met; and

recognize and output a present value of an energy remaining amount in the vehicle calculated by the support server according to the cumulative travel distance of the vehicle, and at least one piece of information determined according to the present value of the energy remaining amount,

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the mobile terminal at least to dynamically output an image representing a deviation of a present recognition result from a previous recognition result of the energy remaining amount of the vehicle.

8. The mobile terminal according to claim 7, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the mobile terminal at least to dynamically output the image representing the deviation in such a manner that the image changes at a higher speed as the deviation of the present recognition result from the previous recognition result of the energy remaining amount of the vehicle increases.

11. A mobile terminal cooperating with a vehicle, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the mobile terminal at least to;

determine whether a first specified condition is met, recognize an energy replenishment amount to the vehicle and a cumulative travel distance of the vehicle input through a manipulation of the mobile terminal on condition that the determination result is affirmative, and cause a support server to recognize the energy replenishment amount and the cumulative travel distance of the vehicle; and

determine whether a second specified condition is met, and recognize and output traveling energy efficiency of the vehicle calculated by the support server according to the energy replenishment amount and the cumulative travel distance of the vehicle, and at least one piece of information determined according to the traveling energy efficiency based on communication with the support server on condition that the determination result is affirmative,

wherein in a case where the second specified condition that specification of a target position for a route search as a trigger event is detected is met, the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the mobile terminal at least to

recognize a predicted value of the energy remaining amount in the vehicle in a case where the vehicle has traveled according to a route to the target position as an end point calculated by the support server, and

output the predicted value of the energy remaining amount and at least one piece of information determined according to the predicted value of the energy remaining amount, and

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the mobile terminal at least to dynamically output an image representing a deviation of the predicted value from a present value of the energy remaining amount of the vehicle.

12. The mobile terminal according to claim 11, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the mobile terminal at least to dynamically output the image representing the deviation in such a manner that the image changes at a higher speed as the deviation of the predicted value from the present value of the energy remaining amount of the vehicle increases.

15. A support system comprising a support server and a mobile terminal, wherein

the support server comprises:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code of the support server are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the support server at least to;

recognize an energy replenishment amount to a vehicle input to a mobile terminal and a cumulative travel distance acquired by the mobile terminal from the vehicle based on communication with the mobile terminal cooperating with the vehicle in a case where a first specified condition is met, and then to calculate traveling energy efficiency of the vehicle based on the recognition results; and

cause the mobile terminal to recognize the traveling energy efficiency of the vehicle calculated by the first server arithmetic processing element and at least one piece of information determined based on the traveling energy efficiency based on communication with the mobile terminal in a case where a second specified condition is met, and

the mobile terminal comprises;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code of the mobile terminal are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the mobile terminal at least to;

determine whether the first specified condition is met, recognize an energy replenishment amount to the vehicle and a cumulative travel distance of the vehicle input through a manipulation of the mobile terminal on condition that the determination result is affirmative, and cause the support server to recognize the energy replenishment amount and the cumulative travel distance of the vehicle; and

determine whether the second specified condition is met, and recognize and output the traveling energy efficiency of the vehicle calculated by the support server according to the energy replenishment amount and the cumulative travel distance of the vehicle, and at least one piece of information determined according to the traveling energy efficiency based on communication with the support server on condition that the determination result is affirmative,

wherein the first specified condition represents that energy for traveling has been supplied to the vehicle, and

wherein the second specified condition represents a trigger event that has been detected by the mobile terminal.