Route guidance device, method, and program

• US 8,874,358 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2009
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Naito, Takashi, Hayashi, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malhotra, Sanjeev
• Application Number:
  US12/654,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20100185384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,764 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/23, 701/25, 701/99, 701/200, 701/201, 701/209, 701/211, 318/66, 417/22, 606/15, 180/65.25
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects

Abstract

Route guidance devices, methods, and programs provide guidance for a vehicle that is provided with a drive motor and an engine as drive sources. The devices, methods, and programs acquire a departure point and a destination for the vehicle and specify one or more motor drive recommended links for which driving with the drive motor as the drive source is recommended. The devices, methods, and programs specify a route that includes only motor drive recommended links and by which the vehicle can drive from the departure point to the destination using only the drive motor as the drive source and output the specified route on a display.

Claims

1. A route guidance device for a vehicle that is provided with a drive motor and an engine as drive sources, comprising:

a controller that;

acquires a departure point and a destination for the vehicle;

determines candidate links;

estimates a driving force of the vehicle that is required for driving each candidate link;

specifies from among the candidate links one or more motor drive recommended links for which the estimated driving force of the vehicle is not greater than a specified threshold value, the specified threshold value being a driving force value above which the engine of the vehicle must be operated in addition to the drive motor, the motor drive recommend links being links for which the vehicle can drive using only the drive motor as the drive source;

specifies a route that includes only motor drive recommended links and by which the vehicle can drive from the departure point to the destination using only the drive motor as the drive source; and

outputs the specified route on a display.

2. The route guidance device according to claim 1, wherein the controller:

acquires an amount of energy remaining in a battery that supplies electric power to the drive motor; and

specifies the route based on the acquired amount of remaining battery energy.

3. The route guidance device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a data storage portion that stores;

a map database; and

a learning database including a record of each link traveled by the vehicle or a probe vehicle in the past, a driving force required to drive each link traveled by the vehicle or the probe vehicle in the past, and an amount of energy required to drive each link traveled by the or the probe vehicle in the past;

wherein the controller specifies the one or more motor drive recommended links based on the learning database.

4. The route guidance device according to claim 1, wherein the controller:

searches for an alternate route that includes at least one link that is not a motor drive recommended link when the route that includes only motor drive recommended links cannot be specified, or if an input is received requesting the alternate route.

5. The route guidance device according to claim 4, wherein the controller:

calculates an EV driving ratio for the alternate route; and

displays the EV driving ration on the display.

6. The route guidance device according to claim 1, further comprising the display.

7. A navigation device comprising the route guidance device according to claim 1.

8. A route guidance method for a vehicle that is provided with a drive motor and an engine as drive sources, comprising:

acquiring a departure point and a destination for the vehicle;

determining candidate links;

estimating a driving force of the vehicle that is required for driving each candidate link;

specifying from among the candidate links one or more motor drive recommended links for which the estimated driving force of the vehicle is not greater than a specified threshold value, the specified threshold value being a driving force value above which the engine of the vehicle must be operated in addition to the drive motor, the motor drive recommend links being links for which the vehicle can drive using only the drive motor as the drive source;

specifying a route that includes only motor drive recommended links and by which the vehicle can drive from the departure point to the destination using only the drive motor as the drive source; and

outputting the specified route on a display.

9. The route guidance method according to claim 8, further comprising:

acquiring an amount of energy remaining in a battery that supplies electric power to the drive motor; and

specifying the route based on the acquired amount of remaining battery energy.

10. The route guidance method according to claim 8, further comprising:

accessing a map database;

accessing a learning database including a record of each link traveled by the vehicle or a probe vehicle in the past, a driving force required to drive each link traveled by the vehicle or the probe vehicle in the past, and an amount of energy required to drive each link traveled by the or the probe vehicle in the past; and

specifying the one or more motor drive recommended links based on the learning database.

11. The route guidance method according to claim 8, further comprising:

searching for an alternate route that includes at least one link that is not a motor drive recommended link when the route that includes only motor drive recommended links cannot be specified, or if an input is received requesting the alternate route.

12. The route guidance method according to claim 11, further comprising:

calculating an EV driving ratio for the alternate route; and

displaying the EV driving ration on the display.

13. The route guidance method according to claim 8, wherein each step of the method is performed by a controller.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer executable program usable to provide route guidance for a vehicle that is provided with a drive motor and an engine as drive sources, the program comprising:

instructions for acquiring a departure point and a destination for the vehicle;

instructions for determining candidate links;

instructions for estimating a driving force of the vehicle that is required for driving each candidate link;

instructions for specifying from among the candidate links one or more motor drive recommended links for which the estimated driving force of the vehicle is not greater than a specified threshold value, the specified threshold value being a driving force value above which the engine of the vehicle must be operated in addition to the drive motor, the motor drive recommend links being links for which the vehicle can drive using only the drive motor as the drive source;

instructions for specifying a route that includes only motor drive recommended links and by which the vehicle can drive from the departure point to the destination using only the drive motor as the drive source; and

instructions for outputting the specified route on a display.