DRIVE ASSIST APPARATUS

• US 20140163854A1
• Filed: 07/11/2012
• Published: 06/12/2014
• 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: Takahashi, Kentaro, Matsumoto, Satoru, Endo, Masato
• Granted Patent: US 10,112,620 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/123
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/16 Type of output information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/16 Type of 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 of a drive assist apparatus 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, 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 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.

Claims

1. A drive assist apparatus for assisting a driver driving a vehicle that travels by using at least an electric power externally supplied to and charged in a battery installed thereon by superimposing and displaying a travelable range on a vicinity map including a current position of the vehicle, the drive assist apparatus being configured to:

determine, for the electric power externally supplied to and charged in the battery, a travelable range of the vehicle for each electric power identified by electric power source information for identifying a source of the supplied electric power based on an electric power generation method; and

superimpose and display the determined travelable ranges of the vehicle for the respective identified electric powers on the vicinity map of the vehicle in a distinguishable manner, to present the travelable ranges to the driver of the vehicle.

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

the vehicle travels by further using a driving power of an internal combustion engine; and

the drive assist apparatus is configured to;

determine each of the travelable ranges of the vehicle using each of the identified electric powers as well as a travelable range of the vehicle using the driving power of the internal combustion engine; and

superimpose and display the determined travelable ranges of the vehicle using the respective identified electric powers and the determined travelable range of the vehicle using the driving power of the internal combustion engine on the vicinity map of the vehicle in a distinguishable manner, to present the travelable ranges to the driver of the vehicle.

5. A drive assist apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electric power source identification information comprises information for identifying a green electric power having a source generated by an electric power generation method using a natural energy low in environmental load and a non-green electric power having a source other than the source of the green electric power.

6. A drive assist apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the travelable range of the vehicle comprises a travelable range for making a round trip of the vehicle departing from a current position to return to the current position again.

7. A drive assist apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the vehicle moves from one determined travelable range of the vehicle to another travelable range during travel, the movement between the travelable ranges is notified to the driver of the vehicle.

8. A drive assist apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

the electric power source identification information comprises information for identifying a green electric power having a source generated by an electric power generation method using a natural energy low in environmental load and a non-green electric power having a source other than the source of the green electric power; and

when the vehicle moves from, among the determined travelable ranges of the vehicle, a travelable range for traveling by using the green electric power to a travelable range for traveling by using the non-green electric power, the movement between the travelable ranges and necessity for charge of the battery with the green electric power are notified to the driver of the vehicle.

9. A drive assist apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising navigation means for detecting the current position of the vehicle and searching for a path to a predetermined location to guide the path,

wherein, when the vehicle moves from, among the determined travelable ranges of the vehicle, a travelable range for traveling by using the green electric power to a travelable range for traveling by using the non-green electric power:

the navigation means is controlled to search for a path to a charge station for charging the battery with the green electric power; and

the found charge station is notified to the driver of the vehicle.

10. A drive assist apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the travelable ranges of the vehicle are superimposed and displayed on the vicinity map of the vehicle in colors different for each travelable range, to present the travelable ranges to the driver of the vehicle.

11. A drive assist apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the travelable ranges of the vehicle for the respective identified electric powers are superimposed and displayed on the vicinity map of the vehicle in colors different for each travelable range, to present the travelable ranges to the driver of the vehicle.

12. A drive assist apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive assist apparatus is configured to set a usage order of the electric powers charged in the battery and identified by the electric power source identification information.

3. A drive assist apparatus for assisting a driver driving a vehicle that travels by using at least an electric power externally supplied to and charged in a battery installed thereon by superimposing and displaying a travelable range on a vicinity map including a current position of the vehicle,

the drive assist apparatus comprising:

identification information acquisition means for acquiring, for the electric power externally supplied to and charged in the battery, at least electric power source identification information for identifying a source of the supplied electric power based on an electric power generation method;

cruising distance calculation means for calculating, for each electric power charged in the battery and identified by the electric power source identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition means, a cruising distance of the vehicle using the each identified electric power;

travelable range determination means for determining, by using each of the cruising distances of the vehicle calculated for each of the identified electric powers by the cruising distance calculation means, a travelable range of the vehicle for the each of the identified electric powers; and

travelable range presentation means for superimposing and displaying the travelable ranges of the vehicle using the respective identified electric powers determined by the travelable range determination means on the vicinity map of the vehicle in a distinguishable manner, to present the travelable ranges to the driver of the vehicle.

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

the vehicle travels by further using a driving power of an internal combustion engine;

the cruising distance calculation means calculates each of the cruising distances of the vehicle using each of the identified electric powers as well as a cruising distance of the vehicle using the driving power of the internal combustion engine;

the travelable range determination means determines the travelable range of the vehicle using the each of the identified electric powers, as well as determines a travelable range of the vehicle using the driving power of the internal combustion engine by using the cruising distance of the vehicle using the driving power of the internal combustion engine calculated by the cruising distance calculation means; and

the travelable range presentation means superimposes and displays the travelable ranges of the vehicle using the respective identified electric powers and the travelable range of the vehicle using the driving power of the internal combustion engine, which are determined by the travelable range determination means, on the vicinity map of the vehicle in a distinguishable manner, to present the travelable ranges to the driver of the vehicle.

13. A drive assist apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the travelable range determination means determines distances along which the vehicle travels from the current position on a plurality of available roads, specifies a location where the determined distance is shorter than the cruising distance of the vehicle calculated by the cruising distance calculation means for each of the plurality of available roads, and connects a group of the specified locations to each other to determine the travelable range of the vehicle.

14. A drive assist apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the travelable range determination means sets a section for each predetermined angular range over an entire circumference in a circumferential direction of the vehicle, determines a location having a maximum straight-line distance from the current position of the vehicle from among the specified locations included in each of the set sections, and connects the determined locations for the respective sections to each other to determine the travelable range.

15. A drive assist apparatus for assisting a driver driving a vehicle that travels by using at least an electric power externally supplied to and charged in a battery installed thereon by superimposing and displaying a travelable range on a vicinity map including a current position of the vehicle,

the vehicle traveling by further using a driving power other than the electric power charged in the battery,

the drive assist apparatus being configured to:

determine a travelable range of the vehicle using the electric power charged in the battery and a travelable range of the vehicle using the driving power other than the electric power charged in the battery; and

superimpose and display the determined travelable range of the vehicle using the electric power charged in the battery and the determined travelable range of the vehicle using the driving power other than the electric power charged in the battery on the vicinity map of the vehicle in a distinguishable manner, to present the travelable ranges to the driver of the vehicle.