Charge-discharge management apparatus and computer readable medium comprising instructions for achieving the apparatus

• US 20080319596A1
• Filed: 06/18/2008
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Yamada, Kazunao
• Granted Patent: US 8,290,648 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/442 Series-parallel switching type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/14 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/32 Driving direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/642 Slope of road
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/26 by pedal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/42 by adaptive correction
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/44 by parameter estimation
• 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 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• 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 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 : Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/11 : using model predictive control [MPC] strategies, i.e. control methods based on models predicting performance utilising navigation and traffic information in the control strategy B60W20/12
• 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 2552/15 : Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 : Historical data
• 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: G01C 21/3415 : Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 : Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• 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 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

After a final estimated route for a hybrid vehicle is specified, a navigation ECU determines a start point of a scheduled path, which a charging schedule is to be created for. The start point corresponds to a position at a travel distance, which is equivalent to a distance traveled from a present position of the hybrid vehicle along the estimated route for a time period required for creating a charging schedule.

Claims

1. A charge-discharge management apparatus for a battery of a hybrid vehicle, which uses an internal combustion engine driven by fuel combustion and a motor driven by the battery as a power source for running, the apparatus comprising:

an estimated route specification control unit configured to specify an estimated route expected to be traveled by the hybrid vehicle;

a scheduling control unit configured to, after the estimated route is specified, (i) determine a schedule about whether or not to drive the hybrid vehicle using the motor and to charge the battery on a scheduled path along the estimated route and (ii) estimate transition of a remaining quantity of the battery along the estimated route based on the schedule;

a scheduled running control unit configured, when the hybrid vehicle runs on the estimated route and enters the scheduled path, to (i) start a control over whether or not to drive the hybrid vehicle using the motor and to control charging of the battery in accordance with the schedule and (ii) continue the control on the scheduled path; and

a start point determination control unit configured to, after the estimated route is specified, determine a start point of the scheduled path, the start point being assumed to be a reference position at a reference distance from a present position of the hybrid vehicle along the estimated route.

2. The charge-discharge control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a learning control unit configured to record a history of a route traveled by the hybrid vehicle,

wherein the estimated route specification control unit specifies a destination expected to be targeted by the hybrid vehicle based on the recorded history and specifies the scheduled route as a route expected to be traveled by the hybrid vehicle toward the destination.

3. The charge-discharge management apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the scheduled running control unit is configured to control a hybrid control apparatus that changes an operation mode thereof between an autonomous control mode and a passive control mode based on control from the scheduled running control unit, the autonomous control mode being for keeping a remaining quantity of the battery equal to a reference remaining quantity by selecting whether or not to drive the hybrid vehicle using the motor and to charge the battery independently of control from the scheduled running control unit, the passive control mode being for selecting whether or not to drive the hybrid vehicle using the motor and to charge the battery in accordance with control based on the schedule from the scheduled running control unit;

wherein the scheduled running control unit is configured to change an operation mode of the hybrid control apparatus from the autonomous control mode to the passive control mode at the start point of the scheduled path when the hybrid vehicle runs on the estimated route; and

wherein the scheduling control unit is configured to determine the schedule on the scheduled path assuming that a remaining quantity of the battery equals the reference remaining quantity at the start point of the scheduled path.

4. The charge-discharge management apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the reference distance is a travel distance of a hybrid vehicle, the travel distance being equivalent to a reference time required to start and finish determining the schedule and estimating the transition of the remaining quantity of the battery.

5. The charge-discharge management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a map matching control unit configured to determine which road the hybrid vehicle is running; and

a map-matching distance estimation control unit configured to estimate a map-matching travel distance, which is a travel distance measured after the hybrid vehicle starts running until the map matching control unit provides an accurate determination,

wherein the reference position is located ahead of a position at the map-matching distance from the start point of the estimated route along the estimated route.

6. The charge-discharge management apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the map matching control unit is configured to use position information from a GPS sensor provided in the hybrid vehicle to determine on which road the hybrid vehicle is running, and

wherein the map-matching distance estimation control unit is configured to shorten the map-matching distance in proportion to an increase of precision of the position information based on precision information indicating precision of the position information.

7. The charge-discharge management apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the map matching control unit is configured to use position information from a GPS sensor provided in the hybrid vehicle to determine on which road the hybrid vehicle is running;

wherein the charge-discharge management apparatus includes an accuracy history recording control unit configured to record precision information equivalent to precision of position information received from the GPS sensor at each of a plurality of positions traveled by the hybrid vehicle; and

wherein the reference position is one of the plurality of positions for recording the precision information and first becomes more accurate than a reference accuracy.

8. The charge-discharge management apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the map-matching distance estimation control unit causes the estimated map-matching distance to be longer when the hybrid vehicle is not found on the road than when the hybrid vehicle is found on the road.

9. A charge-discharge management apparatus for a battery of a hybrid vehicle, which uses an internal combustion engine driven by fuel combustion and a motor driven by the battery as a power source for running, the apparatus comprising:

an estimated route specification control unit configured to specify an estimated route expected to be traveled by the hybrid vehicle;

a scheduling control unit configured to (i) determine a schedule about whether or not to drive the hybrid vehicle using the motor and to charge the battery on a scheduled path along the estimated route and (ii) estimate transition of a remaining quantity of the battery along the estimated route based on the determined schedule; and

a scheduled running control unit configured, when the hybrid vehicle runs on the estimated route and enters the scheduled path, to (i) start a control over whether or not to drive the hybrid vehicle using the motor and to control charging of the battery in accordance with the schedule and (ii) continue the control on the scheduled path,

wherein the scheduling control unit is configured to determine the schedule and estimate the transition of the remaining quantity by assuming a reference position to be a start point of the scheduled path, the reference position being located at a reference distance along the estimated route from a position where the hybrid vehicle is located when the scheduling control unit starts determining the schedule and estimating the transition of the remaining quantity of the battery.

10. The charge-discharge management apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein the reference distance is a travel distance of a hybrid vehicle, the travel distance being equivalent to a reference time required to start and finish determining the schedule and estimating the transition of the remaining quantity of the battery.

11. The charge-discharge management apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a map matching control unit configured to determine which road the hybrid vehicle is running; and

a map-matching distance estimation control unit configured to estimate a map-matching travel distance, which is a travel distance measured after the hybrid vehicle starts running until the map matching control unit provides an accurate determination,

wherein the reference position is located ahead of a position at the map-matching distance from the start point of the estimated route along the estimated route.

12. The charge-discharge management apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein the map matching control unit is configured to use position information from a GPS sensor provided in the hybrid vehicle to determine on which road the hybrid vehicle is running, and

wherein the map-matching distance estimation control unit is configured to shorten the map-matching distance in proportion to an increase of precision of the position information based on precision information indicating precision of the position information.

13. The charge-discharge management apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein the map matching control unit is configured to use position information from a GPS sensor provided in the hybrid vehicle to determine on which road the hybrid vehicle is running;

wherein the charge-discharge management apparatus includes an accuracy history recording control unit configured to record precision information equivalent to precision of position information received from the GPS sensor at each of a plurality of positions traveled by the hybrid vehicle; and

wherein the reference position is one of the plurality of positions for recording the precision information and first becomes more accurate than a reference accuracy.

14. The charge-discharge management apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein the map-matching distance estimation control unit causes the estimated map-matching distance to be longer when the hybrid vehicle is not found on the road than when the hybrid vehicle is found on the road.

15. A computer readable medium comprising instructions being executed by a computer, the instructions including a computer-implemented method for managing a battery of a hybrid vehicle, which uses an internal combustion engine driven by fuel combustion and a motor driven by the battery as a power source for running, the instructions comprising:

specifying an estimated route expected to be traveled by the hybrid vehicle;

determining, after the estimated route is specified, a start point of a scheduled path along the estimated route, the start point being assumed to be a reference position at a reference distance from a present position of the hybrid vehicle along the estimated route;

determining a schedule about whether or not to drive the hybrid vehicle using the motor and to charge the battery on the scheduled path starting from the determined start point along the estimated route while estimating transition of a remaining quantity of the battery along the estimated route based on the schedule; and

starting, when the hybrid vehicle runs on the estimated route and enters the scheduled path starting from the start point, a control over whether or not to drive the hybrid vehicle using the motor and to control charging of the battery in accordance with the determined schedule and continuing the control on the scheduled path.

16. A computer readable medium comprising instructions being executed by a computer, the instructions including a computer-implemented method for managing a battery of a hybrid vehicle, which uses an internal combustion engine driven by fuel combustion and a motor driven by the battery as a power source for running, the instructions comprising:

determining a schedule about whether or not to drive the hybrid vehicle using the motor and to charge the battery on a scheduled path along an estimated route of the vehicle while estimating transition of a remaining quantity of the battery along the estimated route based on the schedule, the scheduled path starting from a start point, which is assumed to be a reference position at a reference distance from a position where the hybrid vehicle is located when the determining the schedule and estimating the transition of the remaining quantity of the battery is started; and

starting, when the hybrid vehicle runs on the estimated route and enters the scheduled path starting from the start point, a control over whether or not to drive the hybrid vehicle using the motor and to control charging of the battery in accordance with the determined schedule and continuing the control on the scheduled path.