JP2000131116A - Movable distance display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain the movable distance display device which can shorten the necessary time up to a destination by easily grasping the movable range of a moving body and properly selecting a replenishment place for fuel. SOLUTION: On the screen 22 of a display part 22, the current position P of the moving body which is supplied from a GPS receiver and a map M of the periphery of the current position P which is retrieved by a CD-ROM drive according to the current position P are displayed. On the map M, the movable distance Lb of the moving body which is supplied from a controller is displayed with a circle C. The movable distance Lb is found according to the fuel consumption rate of the moving body obtained from the fuel rest of the moving body supplied from a fuel sensor and the movement distance La of the moving body supplied from a distance sensor.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a vehicle,
The present invention relates to a movable distance display device that displays a distance that a mobile object such as a ship or an aircraft can move with remaining fuel.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a moving body such as a vehicle, a ship or an aircraft moving by a driving force obtained by converting the energy of fuel into kinetic energy, the movable distance is determined by the amount of fuel remaining in the moving body. (Fuel remaining).

[0003] Conventionally, when a driver (operator) wants to know the movable distance, the fuel remaining amount displayed on an indicator provided on the moving body and the fuel consumption rate (fuel efficiency) of the moving body are known. ) To calculate the movable distance of the driver.

However, since the operation of calculating the movable distance is complicated for the driver, the development and practical use of a device for automatically calculating the movable distance and displaying the calculated distance as a numerical value, for example, is proceeding. (See, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2-62804).

[0005]

In the above-described apparatus according to the prior art, the movable distance is displayed as a numerical value, so that it is difficult for the driver to grasp the movable distance as a range on a road. Met. Therefore, there has been a problem that the driver cannot select an appropriate refueling place based on the movable distance.

The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and the time required to reach a destination can be easily obtained by easily grasping the movable range of a moving body and appropriately selecting a refueling location. It is an object of the present invention to provide a movable distance display device capable of reducing the distance.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided a fuel detecting means for detecting a remaining fuel amount which is a remaining fuel amount of a moving body, and a fuel detecting means for detecting a remaining fuel amount of the moving body by a distance capable of moving with the remaining fuel amount. Calculating means for obtaining a certain movable distance; position detecting means for detecting the current position of the moving object; map searching means for searching a map around the current position based on the current position; Display means for displaying a map around the current position and displaying the movable distance as a range from the current position on the map (the invention according to claim 1). in this case,
The range indicating the movable distance is indicated on the map by, for example, a circle centered on the current position (the invention according to claim 2).

[0008] With this configuration, the driver of the moving body can easily grasp the movable range of the moving body. For this reason, it is possible to shorten the time required to reach the destination by refueling at an appropriate position and reducing the number of times of refueling performed before reaching the destination.

Further, the movable distance can be easily obtained by multiplying the fuel remaining amount by a fuel consumption rate of the moving body (the invention according to claim 3). In this case, the fuel consumption rate is obtained by dividing the increase amount of the moving distance of the moving body supplied from the distance detecting means in a predetermined period by the decrease amount of the remaining fuel amount in the predetermined period. 4).

Further, a GPS receiver may be employed as the position detecting means (the invention according to claim 5). In this case, the current position of the moving body can be accurately detected.

[0011]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a movable distance display device 10 to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied. The movable distance display device 10 is configured to calculate and display a distance (movable distance) within which the moving body can move, for example, in the vicinity of a driver's seat (pilot seat) of the moving body. It is mounted on the dashboard etc.

Here, the moving body includes a power unit that generates driving force by converting energy of fuel into kinetic energy, and includes a vehicle, a ship, an aircraft (including a helicopter, etc.) moved by the power unit. ). In addition, movement refers to traveling in a vehicle, and navigation in a ship, an aircraft, or the like. When the moving object is an aircraft or the like, the moving object includes a movement in the vertical direction. Further, the fuel includes liquid fuel such as gasoline, gaseous fuel such as methane gas, fixed fuel, electric power charged in a battery, and the like.

The movable distance display device 10 includes a fuel sensor (fuel detecting means) 12 for detecting an amount of remaining fuel (fuel remaining amount) F of the moving body, and a distance (moving distance) La moved by the moving body. Sensor (distance detecting means) 14 for detecting fuel, fuel sensor 12 and distance sensor 1
And a control device (arithmetic means) 16 to which the control unit 4 is connected.

The fuel sensor 12 includes a device for directly detecting the remaining fuel amount F and a device for calculating the detected physical amount to determine the remaining fuel amount F. In addition, the distance sensor 14 directly detects the moving distance La,
It also includes a device for calculating the detected distance and calculating the moving distance La. Note that the moving distance La may be determined by integrating the moving distance per unit time of the moving body supplied from the distance sensor 14 with the movement of the moving body in the control device 16.

The control unit 16 controls the C as a central processing unit.
PU and ROM as storage means (memory) for storing system programs, application programs, and the like
And a microcomputer including a RAM as storage means (memory) used for work and the like, and an input / output interface such as a timer for clocking (clocking means), an A / D converter, and a D / A converter. It consists of.

The control device 16 samples the moving distance La and the remaining fuel amount F at a predetermined sampling period Δt (for example, 30 minutes) and stores them in the RAM. Here, the moving distance La and the remaining fuel amount F obtained by the n-th sampling from the first sampling are denoted by La (n) and F (n), respectively. Hereinafter, this n
Is referred to as a sampling number. When the sampling is performed, the sampling period Δt may include a period in which the moving body is in an idling state. In this case, the moving distance La and the remaining fuel amount F in this period are excluded. These values may be stored in the RAM as the moving distance La and the remaining fuel amount F, respectively.

The control device 16 controls the sampling period Δ
For each t, a distance (movable distance) Lb at which the mobile body can move is calculated.

Specifically, first, the moving distance La (n) and the remaining fuel amount F (n) obtained in the current sampling (for example, the n-th sampling), and a predetermined number m (for example, m = 2) previous sampling (n−
The moving distance La (n-
m) and the remaining fuel amount F (nm) are read from the RAM. Then, the CPU performs the calculation processing shown in the following equations (1) and (2) to obtain the unit fuel consumption (the fuel remaining amount F) in a predetermined period ΔT (in this case, ΔT = Δt × m). A decrease amount ΔF and a unit movement distance (an increase amount of the movement distance La) ΔLa are obtained.

ΔF = F (nm) −F (n) (1) ΔLa = La (n) −La (nm) (2) Next, the unit fuel consumption of the unit movement distance ΔLa The fuel consumption rate α, which is a ratio to ΔF, is obtained from the following equation (3).

Α = ΔLa / ΔF (3) Then, based on the fuel consumption rate α and the current fuel remaining amount F (n), the movable distance Lb of the moving body is calculated from the following equation (4). Desired.

Lb = α × F (n) (4) As the fuel consumption rate α, a value previously defined as a standard value (specification value) or the like for the moving object may be used.

The movable distance display device 10 detects a current position P of a moving object and supplies a GPS signal to a control device 16.
It has a receiver (position detecting means) 18. The GPS receiver 18 receives radio waves emitted from GPS satellites constituting the GPS system, measures the arrival time of the radio waves,
This device is configured to know its own position by calculating the distance from the GPS satellites.

The movable distance display device 10 comprises:
It has a CD-ROM drive (map search means) 19 for searching a map M around the current position P based on the current position P and supplying the map M to the control device 16. The map M includes a route R on which the moving object moves, and the like. The map M is converted into a numerical value and a CD loaded in the CD-ROM drive 19.
Recorded in a ROM (not shown). The route R
Is a road when the moving object is a vehicle, and is a navigation route when the moving object is a ship or an aircraft.

Further, the movable distance display device 10
Is the current position P, map M, supplied from the control device 16,
Display section (display means) 20 for displaying the movable distance Lb and the like
Having.

As shown in FIG. 2, a current position P and a map M around the current position P are displayed on a screen 22 of the display unit 20, and a movable distance Lb from the current position P is displayed. Are displayed numerically in the display space 24 in the lower right part, for example. Further, the movable distance Lb is a circle C having the current position P as a center point and the movable distance Lb as a radius (FIG. 2).
Shown in solid lines. ) Is displayed on the map M on the screen 22. That is, the circle C indicates a range in which the moving body can move (movable range).

As described above, the movable range of the movable body is indicated by using the circle C on the map M, so that the driver (operator) of the movable body can easily grasp the movable range. it can. Therefore, it is necessary to select the refueling location appropriately,
The time required to reach the destination can be reduced by reducing the number of fuel replenishments performed until the vehicle reaches the destination.

Note that, for example, a fuel supply location (gas station, port, airport, etc.) may be displayed on the map M. In this case, it is possible to easily find the most suitable location among the fuel supply locations. Therefore,
It is possible to prevent a problem that refueling is performed more frequently than necessary, which causes an increase in time required to reach a destination, a problem that a refueling location cannot be found, and the like.

The movable distance Lb, which is the radius of the circle C displayed on the screen 22, is updated by the control unit 16 every sampling period Δt. For example, if the circle C is obtained at the n-th sampling, the circle C 'obtained at the next (n + 1) -th sampling is obtained.
Is indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. In this circle C ',
The current position P 'is displaced from the current position P on the circle C with the movement of the moving body, and the movable distance Lb
Is reduced as the remaining fuel amount F decreases.
When the moving body moves in the vertical direction, the current position P 'is the same as the current position P.

Next, the movable distance display device 1 shown in FIG.
0, mainly the control processing by the control device 16 will be described also with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

First, the sampling number n is set to zero (n = 0) in the control device 16 (step S).
1). Then, the time t is set to zero (t = 0),
Timing of the time t is started (step S2).

Subsequently, 1 is added to the sampling number n (n = n + 1), and when the sampling number n is updated, sampling processing with a new sampling number n is started (step S3).

First, the fuel remaining amount F from the fuel sensor 12
And the moving distance La from the distance sensor 14 are fetched as the remaining fuel amount F (n) and the moving distance La (n), respectively (step S4), and stored in the RAM (step S5).

Subsequently, whether or not the movable distance Lb can be calculated, that is, the movable distance Lb
The moving distance La (nm) and the remaining fuel amount F (nm) obtained by sampling a predetermined number of times m times (n-m-th sampling) from the current time necessary for calculating b.
Is stored in the RAM (step S6). Specifically, the sampling number n is equal to or more than a value (m + 1) obtained by adding 1 to the predetermined number m (n ≧ m +
It is determined whether 1). If the result of the determination is affirmative (YES), the procedure moves to the next step S7.

In step S7, the moving distance La (n) and the remaining fuel amount F (n) obtained by the current sampling (n-th sampling) and the predetermined number of times m (eg, m = 2) Moving distance La in previous sampling (nm-th sampling)
(Nm) and the remaining fuel amount F (nm) are read. Then, the remaining fuel amount F (n) and the remaining fuel amount F (n)
-M), the moving distance La (n) and the moving distance La (n-
m), the movable distance Lb of the moving body is obtained by sequentially performing the calculations of the above equations (1) to (4).

Next, the movable distance Lb obtained in step S7 is displayed numerically in the display space 24 on the screen 22, and the current position P of the moving object is displayed on the map M displayed on the screen 22. It is displayed as a circle C having the center point and the movable distance Lb as a radius (step S
8). In this case, the current position P is constantly updated based on information from the GPS receiver 18, and a map M around the current position P is a CD-M based on the current position P.
It is assumed that the information is constantly updated by searching the ROM drive 19.

When the movable distance Lb falls below a predetermined value, a warning may be given to the driver on the screen 22 or by a sound generator (not shown). In this case, the driver can reliably know that the fuel is decreasing.

If the result of the determination in the step S6 is negative (NO), the steps S7 and S
Step 8 is not performed.

Next, the timing for performing the next sampling (the (n + 1) th sampling) is detected (step S9). In step S9, a comparison is made between the time t from the time of performing the current sampling (the n-th sampling) and the sampling period Δt (for example, 30 minutes). When it is confirmed that the time t has reached the sampling period Δt, the time t is set to zero (t = 0), and the time t is newly measured (step S10). After that, the process returns to step S3.

As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the range in which the moving body can move with the remaining fuel amount is indicated by the circle C on the map M around the current position P of the moving body. Therefore, the driver of the moving body can easily grasp the movable range of the moving body. For this reason, it is possible to shorten the time required to reach the destination by refueling at an appropriate position and reducing the number of times of refueling performed before reaching the destination.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can adopt various configurations without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0042]

According to the present invention, the driver of the moving body can easily grasp the movable range of the moving body, so that the fuel supply location can be appropriately selected and the time required to reach the destination can be reduced. Can be shortened.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a movable distance display device to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a screen of a display unit constituting the movable distance display device shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a view mainly showing the movable distance display device shown in FIG.
5 is a flowchart illustrating a process in the control device.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Movable distance display apparatus 12 ... Fuel sensor (fuel detection means) 14 ... Distance sensor (distance detection means) 16 ... Control device (calculation means) 18 ... GPS receiver (position detection means) 19 ... CD-ROM drive ( 20: display unit (display means) 22: screen F, F (n): remaining fuel amount La, La (n)
… Move distance Δt… Sampling period Lb… Moveable distance α… Fuel consumption rate P, P '… Current position M… Map R… Route C, C ′…

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2F029 AA02 AA04 AA05 AB01 AB07 AB13 AC01 AC02 AC09 AC14 AC16 2F030 CC03 CE02 CE22 CE27 CF20 5H180 AA01 AA25 AA26 AA30 BB04 BB13 CC12 CC27 EE02 FF05 FF22 FF2 BB01 HH05

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A fuel detecting means for detecting a remaining fuel amount which is a remaining fuel amount of a moving body, and a calculating means for obtaining a movable distance which is a distance that the moving body can move with the remaining fuel amount. Position detecting means for detecting a current position of the moving object; map searching means for searching a map around the current position based on the current position; displaying the current position and a map around the current position. Display means for displaying the movable distance as a range from the current position on the map. 2. The movable distance display device according to claim 1, wherein the range indicating the movable distance is indicated on the map by a circle centered on the current position. 3. The movable distance display device according to claim 1, wherein the movable distance is obtained by multiplying the fuel remaining amount by a fuel consumption rate of the movable body. . 4. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a distance detecting means for detecting a moving distance of the moving body, wherein the fuel consumption rate indicates an increasing amount of the moving distance in a predetermined period by the fuel remaining amount. A movable distance display device obtained by dividing an amount by a decrease amount in the predetermined period. 5. The movable distance display device according to claim 1, wherein said position detecting means is a GPS receiver.