Drive assist apparatus

• US 10,232,855 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2017
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Satoru, Takahashi, Kentaro, Endo, Masato
• Primary Examiner(s): Cass, Jean Paul
• Application Number:
  US15/425,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20170144673A1
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/16 Type of output information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/20 the prime-movers consisting of electric motors and internal combustion engines, e.g. HEVs
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/72 Charging station selection relying on external data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/52 drive range estimation, e.g. of estimation of available travel distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/54 Energy consumption estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• 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 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2756/10 Involving external transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/12 related to parameters of the vehicle itself , e.g. tyre models
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/08 Interaction between the driver and the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/92 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 : Overview of the route on the road map
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 : using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 : Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 : Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• 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 10/84 : Data processing systems or methods, management, administration
• 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: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 : having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

An electronic control unit (11) of a drive assist apparatus (10) acquires electric power source identification information for identifying a source of an electric power currently charged in a battery and electric power amount information representing an electric power amount corresponding to the source from an electric power acquisition unit (14), thereby recognizing a battery remaining amount SOCrg representing a green electric power, a battery remaining amount SOCj representing a privately generated green electric power, and a battery remaining amount SOCrs representing a non-green electric power. The unit (11) presents travelable ranges each formed by connecting a group of maximum reachable points to which a PHV can reach by using each of a battery total remaining amount SOCr and the battery remaining amounts SOCrg, SOCj, and SOCrs to a user (driver) by using an information presentation unit (12).

Claims

1. A plug-in hybrid vehicle that travels in a first travel mode and a second travel mode comprising:

a drive assist apparatus superimposing and displaying an area on a vicinity map including a current position of the vehicle,

a first sensor configured to determine first information regarding electric power stored in a battery, and

a second sensor configured to determine second information regarding driving power of an internal combustion engine, wherein

the drive assist apparatus includes;

a display; and

at least one electronic controller, by itself or cooperatively in association with one another, configured to;

determine a first area that is a first maximum distance that can be traveled in the first travel mode based upon the first information and a second area that is a second maximum distance that can be traveled in the second travel mode based upon the first and second information; and

superimpose and display the determined first and second areas on the vicinity map by delineating the determined first and second areas on the display, to present the areas to the driver of the vehicle,

the first travel mode is an electric vehicle travel mode of the plug-in hybrid vehicle for traveling by only using driving power of a motor using the electric power charged in the battery from the outside of the vehicle,

the second travel mode is an hybrid vehicle travel mode of the plug-in hybrid vehicle for traveling by using both the driving power of the motor and the driving power of the internal combustion engine,

the displayed determined first and second areas surround the current position of the vehicle, and

the second area is greater than and includes the first area.

2. The drive assist apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the drive assist apparatus includes at least one of a navigation sensor and a smartphone.

5. The drive assist apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electronic controller is configured to determine the first area by determining a plurality of first unique reachable points that are each reachable in the first travel mode and are separated from one another by a predetermined angular range in a circumferential direction.

6. The drive assist apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the at least one electronic controller is configured to determine the second area by determining a plurality of second unique reachable points that are each reachable in the second travel mode and are separated from one another by a predetermined angular range in a circumferential direction.

3. A drive assist apparatus for a plug-in hybrid vehicle:

the plug-in hybrid vehicle comprising;

a battery chargeable from an outside of the vehicle;

a motor driven by electric power charged in the battery;

an internal combustion engine;

a sensor to detect a state of charge of the battery; and

the drive assist apparatus being configured to specify a current position of the vehicle and including;

at least one electronic controller configured to, by itself or cooperatively in association with one another, calculate, based on the detected state of charge, a first maximum distance at which the vehicle can travel only by the motor using electric power charged from the outside of the vehicle; and

a display superimposing on a map;

the current position of the vehicle as a first circle whose radius is the calculated first maximum distance the plug-in hybrid vehicle can travel only by using the motor, and whose center is the current position of the vehicle;

a first area having a first color inside the first circle; and

a second area having a second color different from the first color outside the first circle and delineated by a second circle,

wherein;

the second area represents a second maximum distance that is travelable from the current position of the vehicle when the plug-in hybrid vehicle is operated using both the motor and internal combustion engine,

the displayed first and second areas surround the current position of the vehicle, and

the second area is greater than and includes the first area.

4. The drive assist apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the drive assist apparatus includes at least one of a navigation sensor and a smartphone.