Route planning device and route planning system

• US 8,751,077 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2011
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Hiruta, Tomoaki, Okude, Mariko, Kumagai, Masatoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIPALA, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US13/034,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20110224900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/70, 701/93, 701/117, 701/123, 701/29.1, 701/29.3, 701/29.4, 701/31.4, 701/31.5, 701/32.3, 701/32.4, 701/32.5, 701/32.7, 701/32.9, 701/33.2, 701/34.2, 701/34.4, 701/400, 701/408, 701/409, 701/410, 701/411, 701/412, 701/418, 701/420, 701/421, 701/423, 701/425, 701/426, 701/431, 701/438, 701/439, 701/450, 701/451, 701/453, 701/454, 701/457, 701/461, 701/465, 701/467, 701/468, 701/482, 701/483, 701/484, 701/487, 701/516, 701/517, 701/522, 701/527, 701/532, 701/533, 701/537, 701/538, 701/300, 701/302, 180/65.1, 180/65.21, 180/65.265, 180/65.27, 180/65.275, 180/65.285, 180/65.29, 340/901, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995.1, 340/995.11, 340/995.12, 340/995.14, 340/995.15, 340/995.16, 340/995.17, 340/995.18, 340/995.19, 340/995.2, 340/995.21, 340/995.23, 340/995.24, 340/995.25, 340/995.27
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• 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 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3476 using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• 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 90/12 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

Abstract

A route planning device includes: a search unit that searches for a plurality of facilities located near the minimum-cost route from a current position to the destination, where the battery can be charged; a guided route calculation unit that sets a waypoint on the minimum-cost route via which the moving object can be guided to each facility, and calculates a guided route from the waypoint to the each facility and a first power requirement indicating an amount of power required to travel through the guided route; and a facility designating unit that designates a target facility to which the moving object is to be guided, based upon third power requirements each calculated by adding a second power requirement, indicating an amount of power required to allow the moving object to travel from the current position to the waypoint, to the first power requirement and remaining power in the battery.

Claims

1. A route planning device installed in a moving object equipped with a motor driven with a battery, comprising:

an input unit via which a user input is entered by a user;

a minimum-cost route calculation unit that calculates, in response to a destination input indicating a destination entered by the user via the input unit, costs of a plurality of road links included in map information and calculates a minimum-cost route achieving a smallest sum of the costs, which extends from a current position of the moving object to the destination;

a position calculation unit that determines the current position by using a sensor installed in the moving object;

a search unit that searches through the map information for a plurality of facilities located near the minimum-cost route, where the battery can be charged or replaced;

a guided route calculation unit that sets a waypoint on the minimum-cost route via which the moving object can be guided to each of the plurality of facilities, and calculates in advance a guided route from the waypoint to the each of the plurality of facilities and a first power requirement indicating an amount of power required to travel through the guided route;

a facility designating unit that designates a facility among the plurality of facilities as a target facility to which the moving object is to be guided, based upon third power requirements each calculated by adding a second power requirement, indicating an amount of power required to allow the moving object to travel from the current position on the minimum-cost route to the waypoint, to the first power requirement having been calculated in advance and remaining power in the battery; and

a display unit at which a position of the target facility and the guided route corresponding to the target facility are displayed.

2. A route planning device according to claim 1, wherein:

the waypoint is a node included in the minimum-cost route;

the plurality of facilities satisfy a predetermined search condition set by the search unit; and

a cost of the guided route from the waypoint to the each of the plurality of facilities is smaller than a cost of a guided route from the waypoint to another facility satisfying the predetermined search condition.

3. A route planning device according to claim 2, wherein:

the predetermined search condition stipulates that the plurality of facilities each be located within a predetermined distance from the waypoint.

4. A route planning device according to claim 2, wherein:

the predetermined search condition stipulates that the plurality of facilities each have a history of having been frequently patronized by the user.

5. A route planning device according to claim 2, wherein:

the predetermined search condition stipulates that the plurality of facilities each be located within a reachable range from the waypoint, calculated for the moving object based upon the remaining battery power.

6. A route planning device according to claim 2, wherein:

the predetermined search condition stipulates that a sum of the cost of the guided route from the waypoint to the each of the plurality of facilities and the cost of a route from the each of the plurality of facilities to the destination achieve a smallest value.

7. A route planning device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a route guiding unit that guides the moving object to a specific facility, among facilities each designated as the target facility, based upon the guided route, once a number of the facilities each designated as the target facility among the plurality of facilities becomes smaller than a specific value.

8. A route planning device according to claim 7, further comprising:

an acquisition unit that obtains information indicating availability conditions at the facilities each designated as the target facility, wherein;

the route guiding unit determines the specific facility based upon the information indicating the availability conditions obtained via the acquisition unit.

9. A route planning system, comprising:

a route plan transmission device; and

a route plan reception device installed in a moving object equipped with a motor driven with a battery, wherein;

the route plan transmission device comprises;

a minimum-cost route calculation unit that calculates costs of a plurality of road links included in map information and calculates a minimum-cost route achieving a smallest sum of the costs, which extends from a current position of the moving object to a destination;

a search unit that searches through the map information for a plurality of facilities located near the minimum-cost route, where the battery can be charged or replaced;

a guided route calculation unit that sets a waypoint on the minimum-cost route via which the moving object can be guided to each of the plurality of facilities and calculates in advance a guided route from the waypoint to the each of the plurality of facilities and a first power requirement indicating an amount of power required to travel through the guided route; and

a first communication unit that transmits to the route plan reception device first information indicating the waypoint calculated by the guided route calculation unit, the each of the plurality of facilities, the guided route and the first power requirement and receives second information from the route plan reception device; and

the route plan reception device comprises;

an input unit via which a user input is entered by a user;

a position calculation unit that determines the current position by using a sensor installed in the moving object;

a second communication unit that receives the first information transmitted via the first transmission unit and transmits to the route plan transmission device the second information indicating the destination entered by the user via the input unit and the current position;

a facility designating unit that designates a facility, among the plurality of facilities, as a target facility to which the moving object is to be guided, based upon third power requirements each calculated by adding a second power requirement, indicating an amount of power required to allow the moving object to travel from the current position on the minimum-cost route to the waypoint, to the first power requirement having been calculated in advance and remaining power in the battery; and

a display unit at which a position of the each of the plurality of facilities and the guided route corresponding to the target facility are displayed.

10. A route planning system according to claim 9, wherein:

the waypoint is a node included in the minimum-cost route;

the plurality of facilities satisfy a predetermined search condition set by the search unit; and

a cost of the guided route from the waypoint to the each of the plurality of facilities is smaller than a cost of a guided route from the waypoint to another facility satisfying the predetermined search condition.

11. A route planning system according to claim 10, wherein:

the predetermined search condition stipulates that the plurality of facilities each be located within a predetermined distance from the waypoint.

12. A route planning system according to claim 10, wherein:

the predetermined search condition stipulates that the plurality of facilities each have a history of having been frequently patronized by the user.

13. A route planning system according to claim 10, wherein:

the second information further indicates the remaining power in the battery; and

the predetermined search condition stipulates that the plurality of facilities each be located within a reachable range from the waypoint, calculated for the moving object based upon the remaining battery power.

14. A route planning system according to claim 10, wherein:

the predetermined search condition stipulates that a sum of the cost of the guided route from the waypoint to the each of the plurality of facilities and the cost of a route from the each of the plurality of facilities to the destination achieve a smallest value.

15. A route planning system according to claim 9, wherein:

the route plan reception device further comprises;

a route guiding unit that guides the moving object to a specific facility among facilities each designated as the target facility based upon the guided route, once a number of the facilities each designated as the target facility among the plurality of facilities becomes smaller than a specific value.

16. A route planning system according to claim 15, wherein:

the route plan reception device further comprises;

an acquisition unit that obtains information indicating availability conditions at the facilities each designated as the target facility; and

the route guiding unit determines the specific facility based upon the information indicating the availability conditions obtained via the acquisition unit.