JP7196719B2 - Controller for electric vehicle - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a control device for an electric vehicle configured to enable a user to perform a pre-air conditioning operation in which an air conditioner is operated before boarding the vehicle.

In Patent Document 1, in an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or the like, when a user operates a wireless terminal such as a mobile phone or a smartphone to request execution of pre-air conditioning operation, a destination for the next run is set. If so, pre-air conditioning operation will be performed within a range in which the sum of the estimated power consumption by the vehicle and the estimated power consumption by pre-air conditioning operation for the next mileage does not exceed the remaining capacity of the running battery. It is described that the pre-air conditioning operation is prohibited if the destination of the next travel is not set while the vehicle is being driven.

JP 2017-159691 A

In Patent Document 1, the pre-air conditioning operation is prohibited when the destination of the next travel is not set.

The present invention provides a control device for an electric vehicle configured to allow a user to perform a pre-air-conditioning operation in which an air conditioner is operated before boarding a vehicle. The purpose is to improve the environment inside the vehicle as much as possible while avoiding a situation where the vehicle cannot be driven.

The present invention is a control device for an electric vehicle configured to allow a user to execute a pre-air conditioning operation for activating an air conditioner before boarding, when the user requests execution of the pre-air conditioning operation before boarding. and a first determination means for determining whether or not a destination for the next travel has been set; a second determination means for determining whether or not a charging facility for the equipped running battery is installed; and if the second determination means determines that the charging facility is installed, the pre-air conditioning operation is performed. and a third determining means for determining whether or not the execution condition of is satisfied, and the amount of electric power required to travel from the current location to the location of the charging facility when the third determining means determines that the execution condition is satisfied. and means for executing the pre-air-conditioning operation by controlling the strength of the air-conditioning device so as to leave the

In short, in this configuration, when the user requests execution of the pre-air conditioning operation, even if the destination for the next run is not set, the charging facility is arranged around the current location and the charging facility is installed. The pre-air-conditioning operation is performed on the condition that the vehicle can travel to the place where the vehicle is arranged.

As a result, it is possible to improve the vehicle interior environment during boarding as much as possible by the pre-air conditioning operation while preventing the vehicle from becoming unable to travel during the next travel. As a result, when the control device of the present invention is installed in an electric vehicle, it can contribute to the improvement of usability of the electric vehicle.

By the way, the third determination means estimates the amount of power that can be used based on the remaining capacity of the battery and the amount of power required to travel from the current location to the destination. It is determined that the condition for executing the pre-air conditioning operation is established in some cases, while it is determined that the condition for executing the pre-air conditioning operation is not established when the estimated result is less than the threshold value. can.

Further, the control device includes fourth determining means for determining whether or not the battery is being charged when the first determining means determines that the destination is set, and the fourth determining means. a fifth determining means for determining whether or not conditions for executing pre-air-conditioning operation are met when it is determined that the vehicle is not being charged; a second coping means for executing the pre-air conditioning operation by controlling the capacity of the air conditioner so as to leave the electric energy necessary for running to the ground. .

In this configuration, in short, when the execution of the pre-air-conditioning operation is requested, when the destination for the next travel is set and when the battery is not being charged, the vehicle cannot travel in the middle of traveling to the destination. The pre-air conditioning operation is executed so as not to fall into

As a result, it becomes possible to improve the vehicle interior environment as much as possible through the pre-air conditioning operation while allowing the vehicle to travel to the destination. As a result, when the control device of the present invention is installed in an electric vehicle, it can contribute to the improvement of usability of the electric vehicle.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it becomes possible to improve the vehicle interior environment at the time of boarding by the pre-air-conditioning operation as much as possible, while preventing the vehicle from falling into a situation in which it is impossible to run in the middle of the next run.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of a control device for an electric vehicle according to the present invention; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a flowchart for explaining an example of a control procedure by the control device of FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a flowchart for explaining another example of a control procedure by the control device of FIG. 1;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 and 2 show one embodiment of the present invention. Examples of the electric vehicle according to the present invention include an electric vehicle that generates driving force for running only with a motor, and a plug-in hybrid vehicle that generates driving force for running from at least one of an engine and a motor.

These electric vehicles are configured such that a running battery can be charged with electric power from an external power supply. Incidentally, the external power supply, which is also called a charging facility, can be installed in the home of the user of the electric vehicle, and has been installed in various places in recent years. The place where the external power supply is installed (the location of the charging facility) other than the home is generally called a charging spot or the like.

As shown in FIG. 1, the electric vehicle shown in this embodiment includes an operation unit 1, a receiving unit 2, a motor 3 that generates driving force for running, a battery 4 for running, a navigation device 5, an air conditioner 6, and a control device. It has at least 10 mag.

The operating unit 1 is configured to be capable of wireless communication with the receiving unit 2 . This operation unit 1 responds to a human operation to provide a signal for locking the doors of the electric vehicle, a signal for unlocking the doors, a signal for setting the electric vehicle to a standby state for starting running, a pre-air conditioning signal, and a Outputs a signal or the like for requesting execution of operation.

The operation unit 1 is, for example, an electronic key attached to an electric vehicle, but can be a mobile communication terminal such as a smart phone.

The receiving unit 2 receives a signal wirelessly transmitted from the operation unit 1 and inputs the signal to the control device 10, and has a generally known configuration.

The motor 3 generates driving force for running the electric vehicle, and is operated using a battery 4 for running as a power source.

The battery 4 for driving can store electric power generated by the motor 3 and can be charged by an external power source separate from the electric vehicle (not shown). This battery 4 has a charging plug 7 connectable to the external power source.

The navigation device 5 has a known configuration that acquires vehicle position information and map information (information on roads, various public institutions, charging spots for the battery 4, etc.) using a GPS (Global Positioning System) function or the like and displays the information on a screen. is.

This navigation device 5 can be configured to be able to acquire the latest map information, weather information, and the like through a so-called connected cloud.

The air conditioner 6 air-conditions the vehicle interior by executing a heating operation for sending warm air into the vehicle interior, a cooling operation for sending cool air into the vehicle interior, a blowing operation for sending air outside the vehicle interior into the vehicle interior, and the like. , basically powered by the battery 4 .

The control device 10 is a generally known ECU (Electronic Control Unit), and although not shown in detail, includes a central processing unit (CPU), a nonvolatile storage device (Read Only Memory: ROM), a temporary It has a storage device (random access memory: RAM) and the like.

The ROM stores various control programs, maps referred to when executing the various control programs, and the like. The CPU executes arithmetic processing based on various control programs and maps stored in the ROM. The RAM is a memory that temporarily stores the calculation result of the CPU, data input from each sensor, and the like.

The control device 10 operates at least for the air conditioning operation of operating the air conditioner 6 when the user requests the execution of the air conditioning operation by operating a control panel installed inside the vehicle (not shown), A pre-air-conditioning operation for operating the air conditioner 6 is executed when a pre-air-conditioning operation execution request is made by operating the operation unit 1 at .

The air-conditioning operation is a normal air-conditioning mode in which the vehicle interior temperature, humidity, etc. are adjusted automatically or according to demand. The pre-air-conditioning operation is a mode in which the vehicle interior temperature, humidity, etc. are automatically adjusted before the user gets into the electric vehicle.

Next, the pre-air conditioning operation will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

When the user operates the operation unit 1 outside the vehicle to request execution of the pre-air conditioning operation, the control device 10 enters the flow chart shown in FIG. 2 and executes step S1.

In step S1, it is determined whether or not the destination for the next travel is set. Here, the control device 10 checks whether or not the navigation device 5 stores the destination for the next travel.

First, the case where the determination in step S1 is affirmative, that is, the case where the destination for the next run is set will be described.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S1, it is checked in steps S2 to S7 whether or not conditions for executing pre-air conditioning operation are established when the destination is set.

Specifically, in step S2, it is determined whether or not the battery 4 for driving is being charged. Here, the control device 10 checks whether or not the charging plug 7 is connected to an external power source (not shown).

If the determination in step S2 is affirmative, that is, if the battery is being charged, the pre-air-conditioning operation is performed in step S3, and then this flow chart ends.

On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in step S2, that is, if the battery is not being charged, the remaining capacity (SOC) of the battery 4 is obtained in step S4, and the electric power that enables the vehicle to travel from the current location to the destination of the next travel in step S5. The value E1 is estimated, and in step S6, it is determined whether or not the result of subtracting the electric power value E1 from the remaining capacity (SOC) of the battery 4 (usable electric power amount of the battery 4) is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value X. judge.

This threshold value X is set based on the power consumption of the air conditioner 6 required to raise the current vehicle interior temperature to a comfortable temperature at the current time by the pre-air conditioning operation. Therefore, the threshold value X is preferably estimated by the control device 10 when executing step S6.

If a negative determination is made in step S6, that is, if the conditions for executing the pre-air conditioning operation are not satisfied, execution of the pre-air conditioning operation is prohibited in step S9, and this flow chart ends.

On the other hand, if the determination in step S6 is affirmative, that is, if the condition for executing the pre-air conditioning operation is satisfied, in step S7, the capacity of the air conditioner 6 is controlled so as to leave the electric power value E1 estimated in step S5. This flow chart ends after executing the pre-air conditioning operation.

Next, a case where a negative determination is made in step S1, that is, a case where the destination for the next run is not set will be described.

If a negative determination is made in step S1, it is checked in steps S8 to S13 whether or not the conditions for executing pre-air conditioning operation are satisfied when the destination is not set.

Specifically, in step S8, it is determined whether or not an external power supply (charging facility) is arranged around the current location. The location of this external power supply (charging facility) is called a charging spot.

If a negative determination is made in step S8, that is, if charging spots are not arranged around the current location, execution of the pre-air conditioning operation is prohibited in step S9, and this flow chart ends.

On the other hand, if an affirmative determination is made in step S8, that is, if charging spots are arranged around the current location, the remaining capacity (SOC) of the battery 4 is acquired in step S10, and the charging spot (charging spot) from the current location is obtained in step S11. location of the facility), and in step S12, the result of subtracting the power value E2 from the remaining capacity (SOC) of the battery 4 (usable power amount of the battery 4) is a predetermined value. is equal to or greater than the threshold value Y of .

This threshold value Y is set based on the power consumption of the air conditioner 6 required to raise the current vehicle interior temperature to a comfortable temperature at the current time by the pre-air conditioning operation. Therefore, the threshold value Y is preferably estimated by the control device 10 when executing step S12.

If a negative determination is made in step S12, that is, if the conditions for executing the pre-air conditioning operation are not satisfied, execution of the pre-air conditioning operation is prohibited in step S9, and this flow chart ends.

On the other hand, if an affirmative determination is made in step S12, that is, if the conditions for executing the pre-air conditioning operation are satisfied, in step S13, the capacity of the air conditioner 6 is controlled so as to leave the electric power value E2 estimated in step S11. This flow chart ends after executing the pre-air conditioning operation.

By the way, the step S1 corresponds to the first determination means described in the claims, the step S8 corresponds to the second determination means described in the claims, and the steps S10 to S12 correspond to the claims. and the step S13 corresponds to the coping means described in the claims.

As described above, according to the embodiment to which the present invention is applied, when the user requests execution of the pre-air conditioning operation, even if the destination for the next travel is not set, the external power supply ( The pre-air-conditioning operation is performed on condition that the external power source (charging facility) is installed and that the vehicle can travel to the location where the external power source (charging facility) is installed.

As a result, it is possible to improve the vehicle interior environment during boarding as much as possible by the pre-air conditioning operation while preventing the vehicle from becoming unable to travel during the next travel. As a result, when the control device 10 of the embodiment of the present invention is installed in an electric vehicle, it can contribute to the improvement of usability of the electric vehicle.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and all modifications and applications within the scope of the claims and their equivalents are possible.

Another example of the control procedure by the control device of FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG. In this embodiment, the process of step S2 in the flow chart shown in FIG. 2, that is, the process of determining whether or not the battery 4 for driving is being charged when the pre-air-conditioning operation is requested, is omitted.

Specifically, when the user operates the operation unit 1 outside the vehicle to request execution of the pre-air conditioning operation, the control device 10 enters the flow chart shown in FIG. 3 and executes step S21.

In step S21, it is determined whether or not the destination for the next travel is set. Here, the control device 10 checks whether or not the navigation device 5 stores the destination for the next travel.

First, the case where the determination in step S21 is affirmative, that is, the case where the destination for the next run is set will be described.

If an affirmative determination is made in step S21, it is checked in steps S22 to S25 whether or not conditions for executing pre-air-conditioning operation are satisfied when the destination is set.

Specifically, in step S22, the remaining capacity (SOC) of the battery 4 is acquired, in step S23, the electric power value E1 that enables traveling from the current location to the destination of the next traveling is estimated, and in step S24, the battery 4 is charged. It is determined whether or not the result of subtracting the electric power value E1 from the remaining capacity (SOC) (usable electric power amount of the battery 4) is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold X.

This threshold value X is set based on the power consumption of the air conditioner 6 required to raise the current vehicle interior temperature to a comfortable temperature at the current time by the pre-air conditioning operation. Therefore, the threshold value X is preferably estimated by the control device 10 when executing step S24.

If a negative determination is made in step S24, that is, if the condition for executing the pre-air conditioning operation is not satisfied, execution of the pre-air conditioning operation is prohibited in step S27, and this flow chart ends.

On the other hand, if an affirmative determination is made in step S24, that is, if the execution conditions for the pre-air conditioning operation are satisfied, then in step S25 the capacity of the air conditioner 6 is controlled so as to leave the electric power value E1 estimated in step S23. This flow chart ends after executing the pre-air conditioning operation.

Next, the case where the determination in step S21 is negative, that is, the case where the destination for the next run is not set will be described.

If a negative determination is made in step S21, it is checked in steps S26 to S31 whether or not the conditions for executing pre-air conditioning operation are satisfied when the destination is not set.

Specifically, in step S26, it is determined whether charging spots are arranged around the current location. A charging spot is a place where an external power source is installed so that the battery 4 can be charged.

If a negative determination is made in step S26, that is, if charging spots are not arranged around the current location, execution of the pre-air conditioning operation is prohibited in step S27, and this flow chart ends.

On the other hand, if the determination in step S26 is affirmative, that is, if charging spots are arranged around the current location, the remaining capacity (SOC) of the battery 4 is acquired in step S28, and the external power source is arranged from the current location in step S29. An electric power value E2 that enables traveling to a place is estimated, and in step S30, the result of subtracting the electric power value E2 from the remaining capacity (SOC) of the battery 4 (usable electric power amount of the battery 4) is a predetermined threshold value Y It is determined whether or not the above is satisfied.

This threshold value Y is set based on the power consumption of the air conditioner 6 required to raise the current vehicle interior temperature to a comfortable temperature at the current time by the pre-air conditioning operation. Therefore, the threshold value Y is preferably estimated by the control device 10 when executing step S30.

If a negative determination is made in step S30, that is, if the conditions for executing the pre-air conditioning operation are not satisfied, execution of the pre-air conditioning operation is prohibited in step S27, and this flow chart ends.

On the other hand, if an affirmative determination is made in step S30, that is, if the execution conditions for the pre-air conditioning operation are satisfied, in step S31, the capacity of the air conditioner 6 is controlled so as to leave the electric power value E2 estimated in step S29. This flow chart ends after executing the pre-air conditioning operation.

By the way, the step S21 corresponds to the first determination means described in the claims, the step S26 corresponds to the second determination means described in the claims, and the steps S28 to S30 correspond to the claims. and the step S31 corresponds to the coping means described in claims.

According to this embodiment, as in the above embodiment, when the user requests the execution of the pre-air conditioning operation, even if the destination for the next travel is not set, external power sources (charging facilities) are installed around the current location. is arranged, and the pre-air conditioning operation can be executed on the condition that the vehicle can travel to the location where the external power supply (charging facility) is arranged.

As a result, it is possible to improve the vehicle interior environment during boarding as much as possible by the pre-air conditioning operation while preventing the vehicle from becoming unable to travel during the next travel. As a result, when the control device 10 of the embodiment of the present invention is installed in an electric vehicle, it can contribute to the improvement of usability of the electric vehicle.

Moreover, in this embodiment, when the execution of the pre-air-conditioning operation is requested, if the destination for the next travel is set and the battery 4 is not being charged, the vehicle cannot travel halfway to the destination. The pre-air conditioning operation is executed so as not to fall into a situation.

As a result, it becomes possible to improve the vehicle interior environment as much as possible through the pre-air conditioning operation while allowing the vehicle to travel to the destination. As a result, when the control device 10 of the embodiment of the present invention is installed in an electric vehicle, it can contribute to the improvement of usability of the electric vehicle.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is applicable to a control device for an electric vehicle configured to allow a user to perform pre-air conditioning operation in which an air conditioner is operated before boarding.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 operation unit 2 reception unit 3 motor 4 battery for driving 5 navigation device 6 air conditioner 7 charging plug 10 control device

Claims (1)

A control device for an electric vehicle configured to enable a user to perform a pre-air conditioning operation in which an air conditioner is operated before boarding the vehicle,
a first determination means for determining whether or not a destination for the next travel is set when the user requests execution of the pre-air conditioning operation before boarding the vehicle;
If the first determination means determines that the destination is not set, it determines whether or not there is a charging facility for the running battery installed in the electric vehicle around the current location. 2 determination means;
a third determination means for determining whether or not a condition for executing pre-air conditioning operation is satisfied when the second determination means determines that the charging facility is installed;
When the third determination means determines that the vehicle is established, the pre-air conditioning operation is performed by controlling the strength of the air conditioning device so as to leave the electric energy necessary for traveling from the current location to the location of the charging facility. and a control device for an electric vehicle, comprising:

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