JP2006078326A - Fuel consumption information providing system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fuel consumption information providing system capable of providing useful fuel-consumption-related information. <P>SOLUTION: Actual fuel consumption information acquired on a plurality of vehicles is collected in a center. Useful fuel-consumption-related information generated through the use of the collected fuel consumption information is provided for individual vehicle users in the fuel consumption information providing system. Both a position detection means 40 for detecting the present position of a vehicle and a route search means 42 for retrieving a plurality of route candidates from the detected present position of the vehicle to a destination set by a vehicle user are provided for the side of the vehicle or the side of the center. Both a reception means for receiving predicted fuel consumption information corresponding to each searched route generated by the center and an output means 44 for relating each searched route to the predicted fuel consumption information and outputting them on a screen are provided for the side of the vehicle. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel efficiency information providing system that aggregates actual fuel efficiency information acquired by a plurality of vehicles in a center and provides useful fuel efficiency related information generated using the aggregated actual fuel efficiency information to users of individual vehicles. .

  Conventionally, in an information distribution system including a center for registering and managing fuel consumption information and the like sent from each user's vehicle, an average vehicle speed at which the center obtains fuel consumption data sent from the vehicle. There is known a technique for generating corrected fuel consumption data by providing corrections in consideration of driving conditions such as the number of stops and the number of stops, and providing the corrected fuel consumption data to the user (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This conventional technology does not compare the fuel consumption data among users as they are, but compares them as corrected fuel consumption data that is corrected by taking into account the respective driving conditions, thereby achieving a fuel consumption comparison under equal conditions between users. try to.

In addition, a navigation device that searches for a route that consumes less fuel or a route that requires less time is known (for example, see Patent Documents 2 and 3). The navigation device of Patent Document 2 searches for a route with less fuel consumption based on distance information from a departure point to an arrival point, gradient information, load information, road congestion, and the like. In addition, the navigation system of Patent Document 3 stores information on fuel consumption and required time obtained by actual traveling, and searches for the highest fuel consumption route and the shortest required time route based on this information.
JP 2002-296040 A JP 2000-2553 A Patent 2759815

  However, since the techniques such as Patent Documents 2 and 3 described above can use only the actual fuel consumption information acquired by the host vehicle, it takes a considerable amount of time until the actual fuel consumption information is sufficiently accumulated. There is a problem that is greatly limited. On the other hand, when trying to use the actual fuel consumption information acquired by multiple vehicles, in addition to the difference in driving conditions, it is necessary to consider many different conditions that can affect the fuel consumption, such as differences in vehicle type. . In this regard, in the technique of Patent Document 1 described above, the actual fuel consumption information of one vehicle is compared with the actual fuel consumption information of another vehicle by partially considering such a difference in conditions. The information provided by the technology is only fuel consumption related information obtained as a result of actual driving, and there is an insufficient aspect in the usefulness of the provided information and the information providing mode.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a fuel efficiency information providing system capable of at least partially eliminating the various problems and tradeoffs described above and providing more useful fuel efficiency related information.

In order to solve the above-described problem, according to one aspect of the present invention, the actual fuel consumption information acquired by a plurality of vehicles is aggregated in a center, and useful fuel efficiency related information generated using the aggregated actual fuel consumption information is individually In the fuel efficiency information provision system provided to users of vehicles
Position detecting means for detecting the current position of the vehicle;
From the detected current position of the vehicle to a destination set by the user of the vehicle, a route search means capable of searching a plurality of routes as candidates is provided on the vehicle side or the center side,
Receiving means for receiving predicted fuel consumption information for each of the search routes generated by the center;
A fuel consumption information providing system is provided, characterized in that the vehicle side is provided with output means for associating each searched route with the predicted fuel consumption information and outputting it on the screen.

  In this aspect, the center may generate the predicted fuel consumption information using actual fuel consumption information related to each searched route. The center holds the actual fuel consumption information together with external conditions that affect the fuel consumption such as the time zone, day of the week, weather, and traffic conditions when the center is acquired. The predicted fuel consumption information may be generated in consideration of such external conditions. The center may hold the actual fuel consumption information together with a traveling condition when it is acquired, and the center may generate the predicted fuel consumption information in consideration of the traveling condition. The center holds the actual fuel consumption information so as to be separable according to the driving characteristics of the user, and the center uses the actual fuel consumption information corresponding to the driving characteristics of the user of the vehicle that requests the predicted fuel consumption information. The predicted fuel consumption information may be generated. The center holds the actual fuel consumption information in a separable manner according to the degree of awareness of the user's fuel consumption, and uses the actual fuel consumption information corresponding to the degree of awareness of the user's fuel consumption of the vehicle that requests the predicted fuel consumption information. The predicted fuel consumption information may be generated. The predicted fuel consumption information may include necessary total fee information obtained by adding a fuel fee and a road usage fee when it is assumed that the vehicle has traveled on each searched route. When the center holds a plurality of actual fuel consumption information for one searched route, the center generates reference fuel consumption information based on the actual fuel consumption information with good fuel consumption together with the predicted fuel consumption information. The reference fuel efficiency information may be output on the screen together with the predicted fuel efficiency information. When the center has a plurality of actual fuel consumption information for one search route, the center generates a plurality of reference fuel consumption information ranked in the order of good fuel consumption together with the predicted fuel consumption information, and the output means outputs the prediction fuel consumption information. The reference fuel efficiency information may be output on the screen together with the fuel efficiency information. The center holds the actual fuel consumption information together with external conditions that affect the fuel consumption such as the time zone, day of the week, weather, and traffic conditions when the center is acquired. It may be generated based on the actual fuel consumption information related to the vehicle type corresponding to the vehicle type of the vehicle, and may be corrected in accordance with the external conditions related to the vehicle to be provided. The center transmits intermediate progress information to the vehicle in a midway process until the vehicle that has transmitted the predicted fuel efficiency information reaches the destination, and the output means outputs the intermediate progress information to the user. It may be. The intermediate progress information may include predicted fuel efficiency information regenerated for a route on which the vehicle is currently traveling. The intermediate progress information may include evaluation information for actual fuel consumption information in a route portion that has already traveled. The center transmits intermediate progress information to the vehicle in a midway process until the vehicle that has transmitted the predicted fuel efficiency information reaches a destination, and the output means outputs the intermediate progress information to the user. In such a fuel consumption information providing system, the intermediate progress information may include information related to the reference fuel consumption information. The center regenerates the predicted fuel consumption information in response to the occurrence of a disturbance such as a new traffic jam or a route change in an intermediate process until the vehicle that has transmitted the predicted fuel efficiency information reaches the destination. Good. The center may refer to a time stamp included in a signal received from the vehicle to determine an external condition related to the vehicle to be provided. Means for judging the degree of consciousness of the user's fuel consumption may be further provided on the vehicle side or the center side, and the information output mode by the output means may be changed according to the judgment result of the degree of consciousness.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a fuel consumption information providing system capable of generating useful fuel consumption related information.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  The fuel efficiency information providing system according to the present invention includes a center 10 and a vehicle 20. The center 10 and the vehicle 20 are capable of bidirectional communication via appropriate communication means. The center 10 will be described below as one, but it is not always necessary to have one or one center. As long as each of the centers 10 is capable of bidirectional communication, a plurality of centers 10 may be set. Good.

  First, the configuration of the fuel efficiency information providing system on the vehicle 20 side will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a main part of a vehicle side configuration. The vehicle 20 includes a communication module 24 capable of bidirectional communication with the center 10 and a master control device 26 that performs overall control of bidirectional communication with the center 10. The communication module 24 may be a module integrated with the master control device 26, or may be a unit (for example, an information terminal such as a mobile phone) detachably connected to the master control device 26. Alternatively, the communication module 12 may be a unit connected to the master control device 20 via a wireless communication network or a LAN.

  Various electronic components in the vehicle are connected to the master control device 26 via an appropriate bus such as a CAN (controller area network). In particular, the navigation ECU 32 and the engine ECU 50 are connected to the master control device 26 of the present embodiment.

  The navigation ECU 32 functions as a main component of the navigation device. The navigation ECU 32 is composed of a microcomputer and includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, an I / O, and the like.

  The navigation ECU 32 includes a map database 34 that holds map data on a recording medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM, a display device 36 such as a liquid crystal display that outputs a map display or route guidance display as a video, and a touch panel that serves as a user interface. The operation input unit 38 and the like are connected. The map database 34 stores given map data. The map data includes coordinate information of each node corresponding to a junction / branch point of an intersection / highway, link information connecting adjacent nodes, road width information corresponding to each link, and a national road corresponding to each link. -Includes road types such as prefectural roads and expressways, traffic regulation information for each link, and traffic regulation information between links.

  The navigation ECU 32 includes a host vehicle position detection unit 40, a route search unit 42, and an information output unit 44.

  The own vehicle position detection means 40 includes various sensors such as a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, a beacon receiver, an FM multiplex receiver, a vehicle speed sensor, and a gyro sensor. The own vehicle position detection means 40 receives a GPS signal output from a GPS satellite via a GPS antenna by a GPS receiver. The own vehicle position detection means 40 converts the GPS signal into a signal of a predetermined format and supplies it to the navigation ECU 32. The navigation ECU 32 calculates the current vehicle position and vehicle direction based on GPS signals and signals supplied from various sensors. At this time, the navigation ECU 32 uses a well-known map matching technique to superimpose the current position mark on the road position of the map display on the display device 36 corresponding to the calculated current vehicle position. The position of the current position mark is updated according to the change in position.

  The route search unit 42 searches for a guide route from the current vehicle position to the destination. For example, when a destination is set by the user via the operation input unit 38, a guide route from the current vehicle position detected by the vehicle position detection means 40 to the destination is searched for and generated. The route search unit 42 according to the present embodiment searches and generates a plurality of guide routes so that the user can select a favorite route from the plurality of guide routes. Hereinafter, information on the guidance route obtained by the route search unit 42 in this way is referred to as “guidance route information”.

  The information output unit 44 superimposes and displays the guidance routes searched by the route search unit 42 (a plurality of guidance routes when there are a plurality of guidance routes) on the map displayed on the display device 36. Moreover, the information output part 44 displays various fuel consumption related information with a guidance route so that it may mention later.

  The engine ECU 50 is an electronic control unit that controls the engine in an integrated manner, is configured by a microcomputer, and includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, an I / O, and the like. The engine ECU 50 has a fuel consumption measuring unit 52 that measures fuel consumption in addition to a function as a normal engine ECU.

  The fuel consumption measurement unit 52 calculates a fuel consumption (travel distance per unit fuel consumption) and a fuel consumption rate (fuel consumption per unit travel distance) based on data obtained by actual travel. For example, the fuel consumption measurement unit 52 calculates the fuel consumption based on the fuel injection pulse signal, and calculates the fuel consumption and the fuel consumption rate based on the travel distance obtained from the vehicle speed sensor. The fuel consumption measuring unit 52 calculates and stores not only the fuel consumption and fuel consumption rate from the departure point to the destination, but also the fuel consumption and fuel consumption rate for each relatively short section (for example, for each road link) between them. Good. Hereinafter, the information on the actual fuel consumption obtained by the fuel consumption measurement unit 52 in this way is referred to as “actual fuel consumption information”.

  The master control device 26 collects the guide route information obtained from the navigation ECU 32 as described above, the actual fuel consumption information obtained from the engine ECU 50, and other auxiliary information (described in detail below), and the center 10 via the communication module 24. Send to. The transmission signal (request signal) includes its own vehicle ID so that the center 10 can identify the transmission source vehicle 20.

  Next, the configuration on the center 10 side of the fuel efficiency information providing system will be described. FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the main part of the center side configuration.

  The center 10 includes a communication device 12 capable of two-way communication with the vehicle 20, an actual fuel consumption database 14 that stores and holds actual fuel consumption information, and a predicted fuel consumption information generation unit 16 that generates predicted fuel consumption information for a guide route. And an evaluation information generation unit 18 that performs a certain evaluation on the actual fuel consumption information sent from the vehicle 20.

  The actual fuel consumption database 14 stores actual fuel consumption information received from the vehicle 20 via the communication device 12 and other auxiliary information. The actual fuel consumption database 14 stores actual fuel consumption information from a plurality of vehicles 20. Hereinafter, various pieces of information data centered on the actual fuel efficiency information stored in the actual fuel efficiency database 14 are referred to as “actual fuel efficiency data”.

  Based on the guide route information received from the vehicle 20 via the communication device 12, the predicted fuel consumption information generation unit 16 generates predicted fuel consumption information for the guide route related to the guide route information. The predicted fuel consumption information is information related to fuel consumption that is predicted to be consumed when it is assumed that the vehicle 20 has traveled on the guide route. The predicted fuel consumption information generation unit 16 generates the predicted fuel consumption information using the actual fuel consumption data stored in the actual fuel consumption database 14.

  The evaluation information generation unit 18 performs a certain evaluation on the actual fuel consumption information sent from the vehicle 20 and generates evaluation information representing the evaluation result. At this time, the evaluation information generation unit 18 generates evaluation information based on the actual fuel consumption data in the actual fuel consumption database 14.

  The communication device 12 performs two-way communication with the communication module 24 of the vehicle 20 and receives various types of information such as guidance route information and actual fuel consumption information from the vehicle 20 and also receives various types of information such as predicted fuel consumption information and evaluation information. Send.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an embodiment of information exchange between the vehicle 20 and the center 10 in the fuel efficiency information providing system.

  First, as step 100, when the user of the vehicle 20 sets a destination, the route search unit 42 of the navigation ECU 32 searches for a guide route from the current vehicle position to the destination as described above. The guide route information searched and generated by the route search unit 42 is superimposed on a request signal for requesting the predicted fuel efficiency information and transmitted to the center 10 via the communication module 24. In this example, it is assumed that a plurality of guide routes are searched as candidates.

  As step 110, when the center 10 receives such guide route information, the center 10 starts a process of generating predicted fuel consumption information. That is, the predicted fuel consumption information generation unit 16 of the center 10 specifies each guide route searched on the vehicle 20 side based on the received guide route information, and generates predicted fuel consumption information for each guide route. At this time, the predicted fuel consumption information generating unit 16 extracts the actual fuel consumption data corresponding to each of the above-described guide routes from the actual fuel consumption data in the actual fuel consumption database 14, and based on the extracted actual fuel consumption data, Predicted fuel consumption information is generated for each guide route. Thereby, the reliable fuel consumption information with high reliability based on the past performance data can be generated.

  In subsequent step 120, the center 10 superimposes the generated predicted fuel consumption information on the response signal and transmits the vehicle 20 via the communication device 12. This response signal includes the vehicle ID corresponding to the destination vehicle 20.

  As a subsequent step 130, when the response signal from the center 10 is received by the destination vehicle 20, the master control device 26 of the vehicle 20 extracts the predicted fuel consumption information included in the response signal, and the information output unit of the navigation ECU 32 44. The information output unit 44 outputs each guide route searched by the route search unit 42 on the screen of the display device 36 in association with each predicted fuel consumption information. As a result, each guide route is displayed together with the respective predicted fuel consumption information, so that the user can determine which guide route to use while comparing with the predicted fuel consumption information. At this time, the output form of the guide route may be changed according to the order of the predicted fuel efficiency based on the predicted fuel efficiency information. For example, for users who are highly conscious and interested in fuel consumption (this determination method will be described later), the guide route that provides the minimum predicted fuel consumption may be displayed in a different color from other guide routes.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the actual fuel consumption information and the like from the plurality of vehicles 20 is aggregated in the actual fuel consumption database 14 of the center 10 and the predicted fuel consumption information in each guide route is generated using the actual fuel consumption information and the like. Therefore, reliable fuel consumption information with high reliability can be provided. Further, by displaying the predicted fuel consumption information together with the display of each guide route, the user can select an appropriate guide route while considering the predicted fuel consumption with high reliability as described above.

  Next, an example of information exchange in the middle of the process until the vehicle 20 arrives at the destination after the predicted fuel consumption information is provided to the vehicle 20 as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, in step 200, the user of the vehicle 20 selects any of the guide routes output as described above, and starts driving according to the selected guide route.

  As step 210, the center 10 specifies which guide route the vehicle 20 is traveling. This specification may be realized based on various information (typically vehicle position information) sent from the vehicle 20 as described below.

  Thereafter, in the midway process until the vehicle 20 arrives at the destination, the center 10 generates midway progress information and transmits it to the vehicle 20 as necessary (step 215). For example, the predicted fuel consumption information generation unit 16 may newly generate predicted fuel consumption information each time the vehicle 20 travels a predetermined distance, and transmit this to the vehicle 20 as intermediate progress information. The predicted fuel consumption information generation unit 16 may newly generate predicted fuel consumption information when a disturbance such as a new traffic jam or a route change occurs, and transmit this to the vehicle 20 as intermediate progress information.

  When such midway progress information is received by the vehicle 20 as step 220, the master control device 26 of the vehicle 20 extracts the midway progress information included in the transmission signal from the center 10 and outputs information to the navigation ECU 32. Forward to unit 44. The information output unit 44 outputs the halfway progress information on the screen of the display device 36 in association with the guide route and the current travel.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the latest predicted fuel consumption information is provided to the vehicle 20 as intermediate progress information in the middle of the process until the vehicle 20 arrives at the destination. Information can be grasped.

  It should be noted that the predicted fuel consumption information regenerated in this way may be provided to the vehicle 20 only when there is a certain difference or more with respect to what was previously provided. At this time, if there is a difference between the initial prediction and the current prediction, the progress information including the difference information is provided to the vehicle 20. Accordingly, the user can know whether the vehicle is traveling at a pace that is better or worse than the initial predicted fuel consumption. Such information provision is particularly useful for users who are conscious of fuel consumption.

  From the same viewpoint, the progress information may include evaluation information generated by the evaluation information generation unit 18 of the center 10. In this case, the evaluation information generation unit 18 generates evaluation information based on the actual fuel consumption information transmitted from the vehicle 20 in the middle process. Thus, the user can obtain an objective evaluation of the actual fuel consumption information in the route portion up to the present time. For example, the driving mode is changed according to the evaluation information, such as reviewing the driving / driving method in the future route portion. It can be corrected.

  When the vehicle 20 arrives at the destination (step 230), the master control device 26 of the vehicle 20 transmits the final actual fuel consumption information to the center 10. The actual fuel consumption information transmitted at this time may include not only actual fuel consumption information for the entire guide route but also actual fuel consumption information for each section (for example, for each link) of the guide route. Alternatively, in the configuration in which the master control device 26 of the vehicle 20 periodically transmits the actual fuel consumption information to the center 10 on the midway route as described above, the final actual fuel consumption information may be derived on the center 10 side.

  In any case, the final actual fuel consumption information is stored in the actual fuel consumption database 14 so that it can be used for future effective use (step 240). In this way, the actual fuel consumption information from the vehicle 20 is accumulated in the actual fuel consumption database 14.

  Next, a preferred modification to the above embodiment will be described.

  In the first modification, the predicted fuel consumption information generation unit 16 generates reference fuel consumption information as well as the above-described predicted fuel consumption information based on the past traveling performance of the other vehicle 20 or the host vehicle 20. For example, when the predicted fuel consumption information generating unit 16 generates the predicted fuel consumption information, if the actual fuel consumption database 14 has actual fuel consumption data related to a plurality of driving results for one search route, the fuel consumption is good. Reference fuel consumption information may be generated based on actual fuel consumption data relating to the vehicle. In this case, a plurality of reference fuel efficiency information ranked in the order of good fuel efficiency may be generated. The reference fuel efficiency information is transmitted to the vehicle 20 together with the above-described predicted fuel efficiency information. The information output unit 44 of the vehicle 20 outputs the reference fuel efficiency information together with the predicted fuel efficiency information on the screen of the display device 36.

  In relation to this example, the evaluation information generation unit 18 may generate evaluation information using the reference fuel consumption information in the middle of the process until the vehicle 20 arrives at the destination. In other words, the evaluation information generation unit 18 indicates how much difference is present with respect to the track record of the vehicle with good fuel consumption (the past track record of the vehicle is acceptable), or which rank of the ranked reference fuel consumption information The current position may be generated as evaluation information. The evaluation information is included in the progress information and is transmitted to the vehicle 20 as described above. The information output unit 44 of the vehicle 20 outputs the evaluation information on the screen of the display device 36 as intermediate progress information.

  In this example, the evaluation information obtained when the vehicle 20 arrives at the destination can be information indicating a ranking related to fuel consumption including so-called other vehicles and the host vehicle. Note that such evaluation information may be unnecessary for a certain user, and may be transmitted after confirming the user's intention to participate as shown in FIG. Such a participation intention display may be notified to the center 10 from the vehicle 20 side. Note that the participation intention confirmation means may be realized by the navigation ECU 32. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the participation intention confirmation unit may confirm the user's intention to participate in consideration of the estimation result of the driver interest estimation unit that determines a user who has high awareness and interest in fuel consumption. Whether or not a user is highly conscious of fuel consumption depends on the vehicle's travel data by the user, whether the user resets the trip every time he refuels, the number of accesses to fuel efficiency information, and predicted fuel efficiency information The determination may be made based on whether a guide route is selected or whether the number of times the word “fuel consumption” is issued by voice recognition is large. In addition, when the center 10 has a driver interest estimation means for judging a user who is highly conscious and interested in fuel consumption, it may be transmitted only to a vehicle related to the highly conscious user. Note that the speech recognition may be realized by picking up sound in the vehicle interior.

  In this example, the evaluation information generation unit 18 may generate evaluation information only between a specific vehicle type or a specific user in response to a request from the user. Thus, for example, a user who wants to compare with his past performance, a user who wants to compare with a certain friend, a user who wants to compare with an equivalent vehicle type, a user who is highly conscious about fuel consumption It is possible to appropriately cope with a desired user. The request content from the user may be notified from the vehicle 20 to the center 10 by being superimposed on the request signal, for example, and thereafter registered in the center 10 so that the notification is unnecessary. The evaluation information generation unit 18 may generate the evaluation information only once, at a specific number of times, at all times, at a specific day of the week, at a specific date, and at a specific period.

  Moreover, the evaluation information generation part 18 may evaluate the actual fuel consumption information in the part (designated section) designated / set by the user, not the entire guide route. As shown in FIG. 5, such a designated section is set by the user by the section setting means and stored by the section storage means. These means may be realized by the navigation ECU 32. In such a configuration, the user may be notified that there is a designated section before the vehicle 20 enters the designated section (for example, 3 km before), and it may be confirmed whether or not there is an intention to perform an evaluation. This confirmation may be based on, for example, the user touching the operation input unit (touch panel) 38. The designated section may be prepared and set in advance by the center 10.

  Next, in the second modified example, the predicted fuel consumption information generation unit 16 generates necessary total fee information including road usage charges when it is assumed that the vehicle has traveled along each guide route together with or instead of the predicted fuel consumption information. May be. The necessary total fee information is obtained by adding the fuel fee (so-called gasoline fee) based on the predicted fuel consumption obtained from the actual fuel consumption data in the actual fuel consumption database 14 and the road usage fee of the toll road that can be in each guide route as described above. It may be a combination.

  Next, in the third modified example, when the predicted fuel efficiency information generation unit 16 generates the above-described predicted fuel efficiency information, the current situation related to the vehicle 20 and the actual fuel efficiency information in the actual fuel efficiency database 14 are collected. Consider the different conditions between the situation and the situation. Differences in conditions include, for example, differences in external conditions such as time zone, day of the week, weather, and traffic conditions when actual fuel consumption information is acquired. These external conditions can be obtained from an information providing center such as a traffic information center or a weather forecast center. Further, the external condition related to the current vehicle 20 may be determined by a time element based on a timing stamp attached to a request signal sent from the vehicle 20, and a regional element may be determined by position information of the vehicle 20.

  The differences in conditions are: vehicle type, average vehicle speed, maximum vehicle speed, minimum vehicle speed, maximum acceleration, maximum deceleration, vehicle weight, number of passengers, operating condition of A / C (air conditioner), outside temperature, road in guide route This includes differences in driving conditions such as slope conditions and the number of intersection stops. These travel conditions are supplied from the vehicle 20 to the center 10 together with the above-described actual fuel consumption information, and are stored in the actual fuel consumption database 14 in association with the actual fuel consumption information. The predicted fuel consumption information generating unit 16 generates the predicted fuel consumption information based on the actual fuel consumption information in the actual fuel consumption database 14, the driving conditions (actually measured values) when the actual fuel consumption information to be used is acquired, and the current vehicle 20 is compensated for the difference between the travel condition relating to 20 (predicted value from the above-mentioned external condition and the past learning result of the travel condition by the same user).

  The difference in conditions includes a difference in driving characteristics (driving type) between users and / or a difference in awareness of driving fuel consumption among users. The driving characteristics of the user may be determined based on the driving data of the vehicle by the user, and the driving characteristics may be generalized and grouped. For example, driving characteristics (driving type) include a type that prefers acceleration and a type that prefers relatively low speed driving. In addition, as described above, the degree of consciousness about driving fuel consumption is recognized based on vehicle travel data by the user, trip reset frequency, frequency of access to fuel consumption information, guide route selection probability according to predicted fuel consumption information, and voice recognition. This may be determined based on the number of utterances of “fuel consumption”. When the predicted fuel consumption information generating unit 16 generates predicted fuel consumption information based on the actual fuel consumption information in the actual fuel consumption database 14, the user has driving characteristics belonging to the same group and / or the same level of consciousness. The above-described predicted fuel consumption information is generated by using the actual fuel consumption information. Alternatively, when the predicted fuel consumption information generating unit 16 generates the predicted fuel consumption information based on the actual fuel consumption information in the actual fuel consumption database 14, the driving characteristics related to the user of the actual fuel consumption information to be used and the user of the destination vehicle 20 Correction may be performed so that the difference between the driving characteristics and the like is compensated.

  Note that information such as external conditions and travel conditions is stored as auxiliary information together with the actual fuel consumption information in the actual fuel consumption database 14 so that the predicted fuel consumption information generation unit 16 can determine the difference between these conditions. In the processing with reference to FIG. 4 described above, this auxiliary information may be transmitted to the center 10 together with the final actual fuel consumption information in the above step 240.

  Next, in the fourth modified example, when the evaluation information generation unit 18 generates the above-described evaluation information, the situation relating to the current vehicle 20 and the actual fuel consumption information in the actual fuel consumption database 14 are collected. Consider the different conditions between situations. Differences in conditions include, for example, differences in external conditions such as time zone, day of the week, weather, and traffic conditions when actual fuel consumption information is acquired. These external conditions can be obtained from an information providing center such as a traffic information center or a weather forecast center. Further, the external condition related to the current vehicle 20 may be determined by a time element based on a timing stamp attached to a request signal sent from the vehicle 20, and a regional element may be determined by position information of the vehicle 20.

  The differences in conditions are: vehicle type, average vehicle speed, maximum vehicle speed, minimum vehicle speed, maximum acceleration, maximum deceleration, vehicle weight, number of passengers, operating condition of A / C (air conditioner), outside temperature, road in guide route This includes differences in driving conditions such as slope conditions and the number of intersection stops. When the evaluation information generating unit 18 generates the evaluation information based on the actual fuel consumption information in the actual fuel consumption database 14, the evaluation information generation unit 18 determines the travel condition (actual measurement value) when the actual fuel consumption information to be used is acquired and the current vehicle 20. The difference between the traveling conditions involved (actually measured values obtained from the vehicle 20) is compensated.

  The difference in conditions includes a difference in driving characteristics (driving type) between users and / or a difference in awareness of driving fuel consumption among users. The driving characteristics of the user may be determined based on the driving data of the vehicle by the user, and the driving characteristics may be generalized and grouped. For example, driving characteristics (driving type) include a type that prefers acceleration and a type that prefers relatively low speed driving.

  In addition, as described above, the degree of consciousness about driving fuel consumption is recognized based on vehicle travel data by the user, trip reset frequency, frequency of access to fuel consumption information, guide route selection probability according to predicted fuel consumption information, and voice recognition. This may be determined based on the number of utterances of “fuel consumption”. When the evaluation information generation unit 18 generates evaluation information based on the actual fuel consumption information in the actual fuel consumption database 14, the evaluation information generation unit 18 relates to a user who has driving characteristics belonging to the same group and / or has the same level of consciousness. The above-described evaluation information is generated using the actual fuel consumption information. Alternatively, when the evaluation information generation unit 18 generates the evaluation information based on the actual fuel consumption information in the actual fuel consumption database 14, the driving characteristics related to the user of the actual fuel consumption information to be used and the driving related to the user of the destination vehicle 20. The correction may be performed so that the difference between the feature and the like is compensated.

  Note that information such as external conditions and travel conditions is stored as auxiliary information together with the actual fuel consumption information in the actual fuel consumption database 14 so that the evaluation information generation unit 18 can determine the difference between these conditions. In the processing with reference to FIG. 4 described above, this auxiliary information may be transmitted to the center 10 together with the final actual fuel consumption information in the above step 240.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations can be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Substitutions can be added.

  For example, in each of the above-described embodiments, the center 10 or the vehicle 20 may be provided with a determination unit that determines a difference between users when a plurality of users use the same vehicle. For example, the determination means is based on the result of a biometric authentication device such as a fingerprint or a vein, regardless of whether the determination is based on user information input by the user or using an in-vehicle camera. Or may be determined based on a weight sensor provided on the seat.

  Further, in each embodiment described above, the function of the master control device 26 may be incorporated in the navigation ECU 32. Further, the functions of the vehicle position detection means 40 and / or the route search unit 42 of the navigation ECU 32 may be realized on the center 10 side.

1 is a system configuration diagram illustrating an example of a main part of a vehicle-side configuration. It is a system configuration | structure figure which shows one Example of the principal part of a center side structure. 4 is a flowchart showing an embodiment of information exchange between the vehicle 20 and the center 10 in the fuel consumption information providing system (part 1). It is a flowchart which shows one Example of the information transfer performed between the vehicle 20 and the center 10 in a fuel consumption information provision system (the 2). It is a procedure figure which shows one Example for providing ranking information.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Center 12 Communication apparatus 14 Actual fuel consumption database 16 Predicted fuel consumption information generation part 18 Evaluation information generation part 20 Vehicle 24 Communication module 26 Master control apparatus 32 Navigation ECU
34 Map database 36 Display device 38 Operation input unit 40 Vehicle position detection means 42 Route search unit 44 Information output unit

Claims (17)

In a fuel consumption information providing system that aggregates actual fuel consumption information acquired by a plurality of vehicles into a center and provides useful fuel consumption related information generated using the collected actual fuel consumption information to users of individual vehicles.
Position detecting means for detecting the current position of the vehicle;
From the detected current position of the vehicle to a destination set by the user of the vehicle, a route search means capable of searching a plurality of routes as candidates is provided on the vehicle side or the center side,
Receiving means for receiving predicted fuel consumption information for each of the search routes generated by the center;
A fuel consumption information providing system, comprising: an output unit that associates each searched route with the predicted fuel consumption information and outputs the information on a screen.   2. The fuel efficiency information providing system according to claim 1, wherein the center generates the predicted fuel efficiency information using actual fuel efficiency information related to each searched route.   The center holds the actual fuel consumption information together with external conditions that affect the fuel consumption such as the time zone, day of the week, weather, and traffic conditions when the center is acquired. The fuel efficiency information providing system according to claim 1, wherein the predicted fuel efficiency information is generated in consideration of such external conditions.   The said center has the said actual fuel consumption information with the driving | running conditions at the time of the acquisition, The said center considers this driving | running conditions, The said fuel consumption information is produced | generated. Fuel efficiency information provision system.   The center holds the actual fuel consumption information so as to be separable according to the driving characteristics of the user, and the center uses the actual fuel consumption information corresponding to the driving characteristics of the user of the vehicle that requests the predicted fuel consumption information. The fuel efficiency information providing system according to claim 1, wherein the predicted fuel efficiency information is generated.   The center holds the actual fuel consumption information in a separable manner according to the degree of awareness of the user's fuel consumption, and uses the actual fuel consumption information corresponding to the degree of awareness of the user's fuel consumption of the vehicle that requests the predicted fuel consumption information. The fuel efficiency information providing system according to claim 1, wherein the predicted fuel efficiency information is generated.   2. The fuel efficiency information providing system according to claim 1, wherein the predicted fuel efficiency information includes necessary total fee information obtained by adding a fuel fee and a road usage fee when it is assumed that the vehicle has traveled on each searched route. When the center has a plurality of actual fuel consumption information for one searched route, it generates reference fuel consumption information based on the actual fuel consumption information with good fuel consumption together with the predicted fuel consumption information,
The fuel consumption information providing system according to claim 1, wherein the output means outputs the reference fuel consumption information together with the predicted fuel consumption information on a screen. When the center has a plurality of actual fuel consumption information for one search route, the center generates a plurality of reference fuel consumption information ranked in order of good fuel consumption together with the predicted fuel consumption information,
The fuel consumption information providing system according to claim 1, wherein the output means outputs the reference fuel consumption information together with the predicted fuel consumption information on a screen. The center holds the actual fuel consumption information together with external conditions that affect the fuel consumption such as the time zone, day of the week, weather, and traffic conditions when it is acquired,
10. The reference fuel consumption information is generated based on actual fuel consumption information related to a vehicle type corresponding to a vehicle type of a destination vehicle, and is corrected according to an external condition related to the destination vehicle. Fuel efficiency information provision system. The center transmits intermediate progress information to the vehicle in a midway process until the vehicle that has transmitted the predicted fuel efficiency information reaches the destination,
The fuel consumption information providing system according to claim 1, wherein the output unit outputs the intermediate progress information to a user.   The fuel efficiency information providing system according to claim 11, wherein the halfway progress information includes predicted fuel efficiency information regenerated for a route on which the vehicle is currently traveling.   The fuel efficiency information providing system according to claim 11, wherein the halfway progress information includes evaluation information for actual fuel efficiency information in a route portion that has already traveled. The center transmits intermediate progress information to the vehicle in a midway process until the vehicle that has transmitted the predicted fuel efficiency information reaches the destination,
The fuel consumption information providing system according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the output means outputs the intermediate progress information to a user.
The midway progress information is a fuel efficiency information providing system including information related to the reference fuel efficiency information.   The center regenerates the predicted fuel consumption information in response to the occurrence of a disturbance such as a new traffic jam or a route change in an intermediate process until the vehicle that has transmitted the predicted fuel consumption information reaches a destination. Fuel consumption information providing system described in 1.   The fuel efficiency information providing system according to claim 3 or 10, wherein the center refers to a time stamp included in a signal received from a vehicle, and determines an external condition related to the vehicle to be provided. The vehicle side or the center side further includes means for judging the user's degree of consciousness about fuel consumption,
The fuel consumption information providing system according to claim 1, wherein an information output mode by the output unit is changed according to a determination result of the degree of consciousness.

Images