JP2013046494A - Charge control system for electric vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To save charge cost and charge time by suppressing the quantity of charge from an external power source to a battery to the minimum necessary, in an electric vehicle mounting a solar cell.SOLUTION: When a user inputs running schedule data on the next day by operating a remote control device 26, a controller 2 computes its running route and computes the electric energy of a battery 3 that is estimated as necessary. The controller 2 acquires weather information about the vicinity of the running route in its time period and reliability from an external network 20, and estimates the electric energy generated by the solar cell 5. The controller 2 calculates the electric energy for charge required to get the electric energy required by the battery 3 from the electric energy left in the battery 3 and the electric energy generated by the solar cell 5, and makes it execute the charge to the battery 3, using, for example, night power. The controller 2 always monitors whether there is no change in necessary electric energy and generated electric energy, in actual running of an electric vehicle.

Description

  The present invention relates to a charging control system for an electric vehicle that controls charging of the battery in an electric vehicle including a traveling motor, a rechargeable battery, and a solar battery.

  In recent years, as a contribution to solving environmental and energy problems, an electric vehicle having a traveling motor driven by a battery (secondary battery) as a power source, or a so-called plug-in type hybrid vehicle (collectively referred to as an electric vehicle) The spread is progressing. These electric vehicles are configured such that the battery can be charged by an external power source. For example, the battery is charged at a charging station or a parking lot equipped with a charging facility, and the battery is charged at home using a household power source. It is also possible to do.

  When charging a battery at home using a household power source, it is desirable to charge using midnight power with a low power charge. In view of this, conventionally, it has been considered that a user can set a charging start time, that is, a charging reservation is possible (see, for example, Patent Document 1). According to this, for example, in preparation for traveling of the electric vehicle the next day, the battery can be charged with inexpensive late-night power at the night of the previous day.

  In a hybrid vehicle, for example, a solar cell (solar power generation panel) that converts solar energy into electric power is mounted on the roof portion of the vehicle so that the power generated by the solar cell can be charged to the battery. It is considered (for example, refer to Patent Document 2).

JP 2009-60728 A JP 2000-125407 A

  By the way, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, after starting the charging of the battery at the reserved time, the charging is automatically terminated when the power amount of the battery reaches a predetermined value (80% of full charge). ing. However, in such a case where the battery is always charged until reaching a certain amount of electric power, it is not always possible to perform appropriate charging. For example, in terms of cost and charging time, excessive charging exceeding the required amount is required. Can be done. In particular, in an electric vehicle equipped with a solar cell as disclosed in Patent Document 2, if it is considered that the power generated by the solar cell during daytime driving is used for charging the battery, the battery using external power is equivalent to that amount. It is considered that the amount of charge of the battery can be reduced.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to minimize the amount of charge from an external power source to the battery when charging a battery serving as a power source for a travel motor in an electric vehicle equipped with a solar cell. An object of the present invention is to provide a charging control system for an electric vehicle that can be limited to a minimum and can save charging cost and charging time.

  In order to achieve the above object, a charging control system for an electric vehicle according to the present invention includes a traveling motor, a rechargeable battery serving as a power source for the traveling motor, and a solar cell capable of generating power during traveling. In the electric vehicle, charging by the external power source for the battery and charging by the generated electric power of the solar cell are controlled, and the traveling schedule data including the date and the destination and the destination of the electric vehicle that are input by the user A travel schedule acquisition means for acquiring a route information acquisition means for acquiring a travel route to the destination in the travel schedule data, and a required electric energy a of the battery predicted to be necessary when traveling on the travel route. Necessary power calculation means for calculating, and weather information acquisition means for acquiring weather information in the vicinity of the travel route in the travel time zone of the travel schedule data A power generation amount predicting means for predicting a power generation amount b of the solar battery when traveling on the travel route during the travel time period using a power generation efficiency according to the weather information, and a remaining power amount c of the battery, Charging execution means for obtaining a charging power amount d required for obtaining the required power amount a of the battery from the generated power amount b of the solar cell and charging from the external power source before reaching the scheduled traveling date and time. (Invention of claim 1)

  According to the above configuration, when travel schedule data for the next day or after the next day input by the user using an in-vehicle operation device, a personal computer, a portable terminal, or the like is acquired by the travel schedule acquisition means, the route information acquisition means A travel route to the ground is obtained. Once the travel route to the destination is obtained, the required power calculation means can calculate the required power amount a of the battery that is predicted to be necessary when traveling on the travel route. Further, the weather information acquisition means acquires weather information near the travel route in the scheduled time zone, and the power generation amount prediction means determines the power generation amount b of the solar cell when traveling on the travel route in the time zone, Prediction can be made using power generation efficiency according to the weather information.

  Then, the charge execution means obtains the charge power amount d required to obtain the required power amount a from the remaining power amount c of the battery and the generated power amount b, and the external power source before the scheduled driving date and time is reached. To charge the battery. Therefore, in this case, since it is only necessary to perform the minimum necessary charging from the external power source in consideration of the amount of charging power generated by the solar cell, the charging cost and the charging time can be saved. At this time, since the planned travel route is known, the required power amount a can be predicted with sufficient certainty, and the weather information is used to predict the generated power amount b of the solar cell. Can be performed with sufficient certainty in accordance with reality.

  In the present invention, the weather information acquisition unit is configured to acquire the reliability of the weather information together with the weather information, and the power generation amount prediction unit includes the generated power amount b of the solar cell as the weather information. The prediction can be made in consideration of the reliability of the information (the invention of claim 2). As a result, when the predicted weather and the actual weather are different, the error between the predicted power generation amount b predicted by the solar cell and the actual power generation amount is reduced, and a more reliable prediction is performed. be able to.

  By the way, the electric power of the battery is consumed not only for driving (related to driving of the driving motor) but also in other in-vehicle devices such as a car air conditioner and a car audio. In this case, the power consumption of the in-vehicle device varies according to the user's preference. In the present invention, the required power calculation means calculates the required power amount a of the battery based on the usage mode of the in-vehicle device preferred by the user, taking into account the power of the battery expected to be consumed in the in-vehicle device. (Invention of claim 3). According to this, calculation of the required electric energy a of a battery can be performed more precisely.

  In addition, the required power amount a and the generated power amount b based on the travel schedule as described above can be predicted with sufficient certainty, but there is a traffic jam in the travel route during actual travel. Or there may be unexpected fluctuations in the weather, and there is a risk that the forecast will not match the actual situation.

  Therefore, in the present invention, when the actual electric vehicle travels based on the travel schedule, it is always monitored whether there is any fluctuation in one or both of the prediction of the required power amount a and the prediction of the generated power amount b. Monitoring means can be provided (invention of claim 4). According to this, when the actual electric vehicle travels, the monitoring means monitors how much the actual required power amount a of the battery and / or the generated power amount b of the solar cell varies from the prediction. Can do.

  More specifically, the monitoring means recalculates the required power amount a of the battery based on actual traffic jam information of the travel route and / or based on actual weather information along the travel route. Thus, the power generation amount b of the solar cell can be recalculated (invention of claim 5). This makes it possible to monitor the required power amount a of the battery and / or the generated power amount b of the solar cell in accordance with the actual situation.

  At this time, probe information acquisition means for acquiring probe information from another vehicle preceding the travel route is provided, and the monitoring means is configured to detect actual traffic jam information of the travel route and / or the travel based on the probe information. You may comprise so that the actual weather information along a path | route may be supplemented (invention of Claim 6). According to this, the required power amount a of the battery and / or the generated power amount b of the solar cell can be calculated more precisely.

  Further, when the actual electric vehicle is traveling based on the traveling schedule, a determination unit that determines whether or not the amount of power of the battery is insufficient before reaching the destination, and the determination unit causes a shortage of the amount of power. Then, it is possible to provide a notifying unit that prompts the user to perform an adjustment operation that suppresses the power consumption of the in-vehicle device when it is determined (invention of claim 7). When the user adjusts the in-vehicle device in response to the notification from the notification means, it is possible to reduce the subsequent power consumption of the battery and avoid a situation in which the amount of battery power is insufficient.

  Alternatively, a charging facility search means for searching for a chargeable charging facility along or in the vicinity of the travel route, and the amount of electric power of the battery until the destination is reached during actual travel of the electric vehicle based on the travel schedule And determining means for determining whether or not there is a shortage of power and guidance means for guiding the charging equipment searched for by the charging equipment searching means when the determining means determines that a shortage of electric power occurs. (Invention of claim 8). As a result, when there is a possibility that the battery power may be insufficient during traveling to the destination, the user can easily stop at the charging facility and charge his / her vehicle. Can be prepared for.

1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an electrical configuration of a charge control system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The flowchart which shows the process sequence at the time of the charge reservation which a control apparatus performs The flowchart which shows the process sequence at the time of driving | running | working which a control apparatus performs FIG. 3 equivalent view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

  Hereinafter, a first embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an electric vehicle will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 schematically shows the overall configuration of a charge control system 1 according to the present embodiment mounted on an electric vehicle. In this embodiment, the charging control system 1 is configured including (also used as) an in-vehicle navigation system, and includes a control device 2 that controls the entire system in a shared form. The control device 2 is mainly configured by a computer including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, an I / O, and a bus line that interconnects them, and executes various processes related to navigation and battery charging control, as will be described later. .

  Here, although not shown in detail, an electric vehicle as an electric vehicle includes a traveling motor as a power source for rotationally driving wheels, and a battery 3 such as a lithium ion secondary battery serving as a power source for the traveling motor. It has. The “battery” in the present invention is a concept including a capacitor that can be repeatedly charged and discharged. The electric vehicle is also provided with other in-vehicle devices such as a car air conditioner and a car audio, and the battery 3 serves as a power source for these other in-vehicle devices.

  At this time, as shown in part in FIG. 1, a charging connector 4 (charging port) is provided, for example, on the side wall of the body of the electric vehicle. The charging connector 4 is detachably connected to a charging facility as an external power source via a charging cable. Examples of the charging facility include a household power outlet, an external charging facility provided in a charging station, a parking lot, and the like. The user can charge the battery 3 at home or use a public external charging facility to charge the battery. 3 can be charged.

  As also shown only in FIG. 1, a solar cell (solar power generation panel) 5 is mounted on the roof portion of the body of the electric vehicle. As is well known, the solar cell 5 converts light energy such as sunlight into electric energy, and generates electric power according to the amount of irradiated light energy. In the present embodiment, as will be described later, the battery 3 can be charged by the generated power of the solar cell 5. The charge control system 1 is provided with a charge management ECU 6 that controls (executes) charging of the battery 3.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a position detector 7 as a vehicle position detection means for detecting the position of the vehicle, a map for inputting map data, to the control device 2 of the charge control system (vehicle-mounted navigation system) 1. A data input device 8, an operation switch group 9, an external memory 10 such as a hard disk device, for example, a display device 11 comprising a full color liquid crystal display, and a remote control sensor 12 are connected. The remote control sensor 12 receives a signal from a remote control terminal 13 (hereinafter referred to as “remote control terminal 13”).

  The position detector 7 is a well-known GPS (positioning) that detects (positions) the position of the vehicle based on radio waves transmitted from the geomagnetic sensor 14, the gyroscope 15, the distance sensor 16, and a GPS artificial satellite. A GPS receiver 17 for the Global Positioning System) is included. Based on inputs from the sensors 14 to 17 constituting the position detector 7, the control device 2 accurately determines the current position (absolute position), traveling direction, speed, travel distance, current time, etc. of the vehicle. Detect with. Depending on the accuracy, the position detector 7 may be constituted by a part of the above, and a steering rotation sensor, a wheel sensor of each rolling wheel, or the like may be used.

  The map data input device 8 inputs various data including so-called map matching data, map data, and landmark data for improving the accuracy of position detection. As a medium, a DVD-ROM (or CD-ROM) is generally used because of its data amount, but a medium such as a hard disk or a memory card may be used. On the screen of the display device 11, the current position of the vehicle detected by the position detector 7, the map data input from the map data input device 8, and additional data such as a guidance route are displayed in an overlapping manner. Can do.

  The map data consists of a road network that expresses roads on a map of Japan as a line, for example, and is divided into a plurality of parts with intersections, branching points, etc. as nodes, and link data that defines the parts between the nodes as links As given. This link data includes data such as link-specific link ID (identifier), link length, link start point, end point (node) position data (longitude, latitude), angle (direction) data, road width, road type, and the like. Consists of.

  The operation switch group 9 includes a touch panel provided on the screen of the display device 11 and a mechanical switch provided around the display device 11, and the user can perform various inputs such as destination setting and selection setting. It can be performed. The destination can be similarly set by operating the remote control terminal 13. The control device 2 calculates and recommends a recommended route from the departure point (current location) to a destination set by, for example, the operation of the user's operation switch group 9 or the like by performing route search and a guidance program. The route guidance function for guiding the route is executed. Therefore, in this embodiment, the control device 2 functions as a route information acquisition unit.

  For the above route search, for example, the well-known Dijkstra method is used, and the map data (link and node data) input from the map data input unit 8 is used to move from the departure place (current location) to the destination. Search for roads (links) to the next reachable intersection (node) and calculate the cost (evaluation value) in order, and find the connected route (link string) that minimizes the cost to the destination. Is done. In this route search, road traffic information, weather information, and the like obtained by communication from the outside can be taken into consideration. As is well known, the route guidance displays the route to be traveled on the road map on the screen of the display device 11 in a color different from that of other roads, for example, and the current position of the vehicle reaches a predetermined point. Further, it is performed by outputting a guidance voice by a voice output device (not shown).

  The control device 2 is connected to a mobile phone 18 and an in-vehicle communication device 19 for performing wireless communication with the outside, and thereby connected to an external network 20 (the Internet or a dedicated information center). It is possible. At this time, for example, the latest road traffic information (information on traffic jams, accidents, construction, lane regulations, traffic regulations, etc.) provided from the Road Traffic Information Center, or the latest weather information (weather information) provided by the Japan Meteorological Agency , Wind direction, etc.). In the present embodiment, as will be described later, the control device 2 acquires the weather information in the vicinity of the travel route of the vehicle and the reliability of the weather information in the scheduled travel time zone via the external network 20. Therefore, the mobile phone 18 and the in-vehicle communication device 19 function as weather information acquisition means.

  In addition, signals from the parking brake 21 and the vehicle speed sensor 22 are also input to the control device 2. Further, the control device 2 is mutually connected to the body system EUC 23, the travel control system ECU 24, the ETC vehicle-mounted device 25, the remote operation device 26, and the charge management ECU 6 via an in-vehicle LAN (not shown) such as a CAN (Controller Area Network). It is connected. The remote operation device 26 is for performing various inputs and setting operations for navigation and other in-vehicle devices, charging instructions (reservation) for the battery 3 by an external power source, and the like. The console portion is provided with a joystick and a plurality of operation switches.

  In this embodiment, the control device 2 executes and controls charging of the battery 3 with an external power source via the charge management ECU 6. Further, the charge management ECU 6 executes charging of the battery 3 with the generated power of the solar cell 5. The charge management ECU 6 is configured to constantly monitor the remaining capacity (SOC) by monitoring the output voltage and output current of the battery 3 and display the remaining capacity (SOC), for example, in a predetermined column of the meter unit.

  As described above, the user can input an instruction regarding charging of the battery 3 by operating the remote operation device 26. In this case, it is possible to instruct execution (start) and stop (end) of the battery 3 in real time, as well as charge reservation of the battery 3 (designation of charge start (end) time). Thereby, when charging the battery 3 from a household power source at the user's home, it is possible to make a reservation so as to charge using inexpensive late-night power. At this time, when the user knows the destination and departure time (time zone) of the next day, for example, on the previous day, the control device 2 performs the following control by inputting the travel schedule data.

  That is, as will be described later in the explanation of the operation (flowchart explanation), when the user operates the remote operation device 26 and inputs the travel schedule data including the date and time of the travel schedule and the destination, first, the control device 2 The travel schedule data is acquired and a recommended travel route from the departure place (home) to the destination is calculated (acquired). At the same time, the control device 2 calculates the required power amount a of the battery 3 that is predicted to be necessary when traveling along the travel route. And the control apparatus 2 acquires the weather information (and reliability) of the driving route vicinity in the driving time zone of the said driving schedule data from the external network 20, and the solar cell 5 at the time of drive | working a driving route in the driving time zone Is predicted using the power generation efficiency corresponding to the weather information (and reliability).

  Thereafter, the control device 2 obtains the charge power amount d required to obtain the required power amount a of the battery 3 from the remaining power amount c of the battery 3 and the generated power amount b of the solar cell 5, and the charge management ECU 6 The battery 3 is charged with the charge power amount d before the scheduled travel date and time is reached.

  Therefore, the remote operation device 26 functions as a means for inputting travel schedule data. The control device 2 functions as a travel schedule acquisition unit, a route information acquisition unit, a required power calculation unit, and a power generation amount prediction unit, and also functions as a weather information acquisition unit together with the mobile phone 18 and the in-vehicle communication device 19. Further, the control device 2 functions as a charge execution unit together with the charge management ECU 6. The means for the user to input the travel schedule data is not limited to the remote operation device 26, but may be another in-vehicle operation device, an external personal computer, or a mobile terminal (mobile phone 18). When using an external input means, it can comprise so that the control apparatus 2 can acquire driving plan data by communication.

  In this embodiment, the control device 2 always checks whether there is a change in both the prediction of the required power amount a and the prediction of the generated power amount b during the actual driving of the electric vehicle based on the driving schedule. Monitor. Specifically, based on acquiring actual traffic jam information on the travel route from the external network 20, the required power amount a of the battery 3 is recalculated, and actual weather information along the travel route is obtained from the external network 20. Based on the acquisition, the power generation amount b of the solar cell 5 is recalculated.

  Furthermore, the control device 2 determines whether or not the amount of power of the battery 3 is insufficient before reaching the destination based on the result of the recalculation. When it is determined that a shortage of power occurs, the control device 2 notifies the user of an adjustment operation that suppresses the power consumption of the in-vehicle device, for example, by display on the display device 11 or audio output. Specifically, when the car air conditioner is turned on, a notification is made to urge the user to suppress the temperature and the air volume, or when enjoying the car audio, the user is prompted to reduce the volume.

  After this notification, it is determined whether or not the power amount of the battery 3 has been improved. If there has been an improvement, it is determined again whether or not the power amount of the battery 3 is insufficient before reaching the destination. It has become. On the other hand, when improvement is not seen about the electric energy of the battery 3, the control apparatus 2 searches for the charging equipment which can be charged along the driving | running | working path | route, or its vicinity, and guides it to the said charging equipment. . Therefore, the control device 2 functions as a monitoring unit and also functions as a determination unit, a notification unit, and a guidance unit.

  Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. The flowchart of FIG. 2 shows the processing executed by the control device 2 (and the charge management ECU 6) when the battery 3 is charged (reserved charging) using a household power source at home based on the input of travel schedule data on the previous day. The procedure is shown. In addition, the flowchart of FIG. 3 illustrates a processing procedure related to the charging control of the battery 3 that is executed by the control device 2 during actual traveling based on the traveling schedule.

  That is, in FIG. 2, first, in step S <b> 1, the next day's driving schedule, that is, a driving schedule consisting of a destination (including a waypoint) and a scheduled departure time (or desired arrival time) by the user's operation of the remote operation device 26. Data is entered. In step S2, a recommended travel route from the departure place (home) to the input destination is calculated. In step S3, weather information in the vicinity of the travel route in a scheduled travel time zone is collected by communication with the external network 20 using the mobile phone 18 or the in-vehicle communication device 19.

  In this case, when the travel route is long (over a wide range), the travel route is divided into a plurality of travel strokes, and weather information is collected while considering the passage time of each travel stroke. In addition, data on the reliability of weather forecasts announced by the Japan Meteorological Agency (which are classified into A, B, and C in descending order of reliability) are also acquired. In the next step S4, the amount of generated electric power b that can be generated by the solar battery 5 when the vehicle travels on the travel route during the scheduled travel time is predicted.

  The prediction of the generated power amount b is, for example, a value obtained by multiplying the power generation amount per unit time of the reference battery 3 by the power generation efficiency determined by the weather for each travel stroke and the travel time in the travel stroke. Can be obtained by adding. At this time, when the weather is clear, the power generation efficiency is set to 100%, when it is cloudy, the power generation efficiency is set to 50%, and in the case of rain, the power generation efficiency is set to 10%. When there is reliability data, the power generation efficiency is further multiplied by a value corresponding to the reliability (for example, 80% for reliability A, 70% for reliability B, 50% for reliability C). can do.

  When the generated electric energy b is predicted in this way, in the next step S5, information on the remaining electric energy c of the battery 3 is acquired. In step S6, the charging power amount d to be charged for the battery 3 is determined. The charge power amount d is calculated (predicted) from the data on the travel route, etc., based on the travel schedule data, to calculate (predict) the required power amount a of the battery 3 required for the next day's travel. It is obtained by subtracting the amount b and the remaining power amount c.

  In the calculation of the charge power amount d, the generated power amount b and the remaining power amount c may be subtracted from the required power amount a as described above, and the margin power amount e may be added for safety. This is to reduce the possibility of unexpected battery exhaustion as much as possible. However, since adding the margin power amount e more than necessary may be useless, this amount is a predetermined small amount. For example, it can be set to a value obtained by multiplying the full charge amount (total charge amount) of the battery by a coefficient (0.01 or the like).

  Thereafter, when an instruction to start charging is given (or the time when the charging reservation is made), charging of the battery 3 is started in step S7. In this case, for example, when the user makes a reservation for charging at midnight, the battery 3 can be charged using cheap midnight power without being present at the time of charging. In addition, when making a reservation, it is a matter of course that the user performs preparatory work necessary for charging such as connection of a charging cable to the charging connector 4 in advance.

  In step S8, it is determined whether the necessary charge amount has been reached, that is, whether the charge related to the charge power amount d has been completed. If the required charge amount has not been reached (No in step S8), the process returns to step S3, and the processing from the collection of weather information is repeated. This is because the weather information may be changed during charging. When the weather information is changed, the generated power amount b and the charged power amount d may also be changed. When the necessary charge for battery 3 is completed (Yes in step S8), the charge is stopped in step S9, and the process ends.

  As a result, the necessary power amount a of the battery 3 required for traveling on the planned travel route is predicted in association with the input of the travel plan data for the next day, and the sun when the travel route is traveled. The amount of generated power b of the battery 5 can be predicted. Then, from the remaining power amount c of the battery 3 and the generated power amount b, the charge power amount d required to obtain the required power amount a is obtained, and cheap midnight power is used from the household power source the day before the scheduled travel. Thus, the battery 3 can be charged. In this case, the battery 3 only needs to be charged from the external power source in consideration of the amount of charge generated by the power generation of the solar cell 5 when traveling on the day, and the charging cost and charging time can be saved. Can do.

  Next, in the flowchart of FIG. 3 showing the processing procedure executed by the control device 2 during actual traveling, first, in step S11, information on the current remaining electric energy of the battery 3 is collected. In step S12, weather information relating to the vicinity of the planned traveling route from the current position of the vehicle is collected by communication with the external network 20 using the mobile phone 18 or the in-vehicle communication device 19. In step S13, traffic jam information (road traffic information) relating to the vicinity of the planned travel route from the current position of the vehicle is collected by communication with the external network 20 using the mobile phone 18 or the in-vehicle communication device 19.

  In the next step S14, based on the weather information collected in step S12, calculation (prediction) of the power generation amount b of the solar cell 5 from the current position of the vehicle to the destination is performed. In step S15, based on the traffic jam information (road traffic information) collected in step S13, calculation (prediction) of the required power amount a predicted to be necessary from the current position of the vehicle to the destination is performed. It is. Then, in step S16, it is determined whether or not it is possible to reach the destination with the current power amount of the battery 3, that is, whether or not there is a shortage.

  Here, the power generation amount b of the solar cell 5 and the required power amount a of the battery 3 calculated on the previous day are predictions, and may vary depending on subsequent changes in the situation (weather and road conditions). For example, if the weather information is cloudy or rainy on the previous day, but the weather information has changed to cloudy or rainy, the power generation amount b of the solar cell 5 will be less than the previous day's prediction, If there is a traffic jam on the road at the time of traveling, it takes longer time to arrive at the destination than the previous day's prediction, and the required power amount a to be consumed increases. When such a situation occurs, there is a possibility that power may be insufficient to reach the destination.

  If there is no significant variation in the prediction of the power generation amount b of the solar cell 5 and the prediction of the required power amount a of the battery 3, it is determined that the destination can be reached (no power shortage will occur). (Yes in step S16), and the processing from step S11 is repeated. On the other hand, there is a possibility that the power generation amount b of the solar battery 5 is significantly smaller than the prediction of the previous day and / or the required power amount a consumed due to traffic congestion or the like is significantly larger than the prediction of the previous day. In this case, it is determined that the destination cannot be reached (power shortage occurs) (No in step S16).

  For this determination, for example, a reference threshold value is set, and whether the generated power amount b is smaller than the first threshold value by the first threshold value or whether the required power amount a is more than the second threshold value than the previous day prediction value. Just judge. Here, the first threshold value and the second threshold value may be the same value or different values. Further, the second threshold value may be larger than the first threshold value. This is particularly applicable when, for example, the above-described margin power amount e is used for calculating the required power amount a. In other words, the second threshold value is increased by the margin. By doing so, the frequency of warnings and alerts to the user, which will be described later, is reduced, and the troublesomeness of the user can be reduced.

  At this time, first, in step S17, the user is informed of an adjustment operation for suppressing power consumption in the in-vehicle device, in this case, the car air conditioner or the car audio. Here, for example, notification (display on the display device 11) is made to prompt the user to change the set temperature of the air conditioner in the energy saving direction, lower the air volume, or lower the volume of the audio. In step S18, timer processing is performed. This is to wait for a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes) for the user to adjust the vehicle equipment (change the setting) after the notification in step S17.

  Thereafter, in step S19, it is determined again whether or not the destination can be reached with the current power amount of the battery 3, that is, whether or not there is a shortage. At this time, in accordance with the notification in step S <b> 17, the user may adjust the in-vehicle device, and it may be predicted that future power consumption of the battery 3 will be suppressed. As a result of suppressing the power consumption of battery 3 as described above, if it can be determined that the destination can be reached (Yes in step S19), the processing from step S11 is repeated.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the destination still cannot be reached (the power shortage of the battery 3 occurs) (No in step S19), in step S20, the current position from the host vehicle to the destination is determined. A charging facility capable of charging the battery 3 is searched along or in the vicinity of the travel route. Then, in step S21, guidance is provided to the user so as to stop at the found charging facility and charge the battery 3.

  Thereby, on the previous day, the required power amount a and the generated power amount b based on the travel schedule are predicted and the battery 3 is charged, but it is in actual travel, and the travel route The amount of power required a of the battery 3 and the amount of power generated b of the solar battery 5 during actual travel vary from the forecast even if there is traffic jam or unexpected weather fluctuations You can monitor what you are doing.

  Even if there is a possibility that the power of the battery 3 is insufficient, the following two steps can be taken. In some cases, adjustment of the in-vehicle device can reduce the power consumption of the battery 3 and avoid power shortage, so that in the corresponding first stage, it is notified that the in-vehicle device is to be adjusted. Thus, for example, it is possible to avoid a shortage of power of the battery 3 without stopping at the charging facility and performing charging. If the power shortage cannot be resolved to such an extent, as a second stage, the nearest charging facility is searched for guidance to the user. Therefore, the user can easily stop at the charging facility and charge the battery 3 of the own vehicle.

  As described above, according to the charging control system 1 of the present embodiment, the user inputs travel schedule data for the next day, thereby acquiring travel route information to the destination and weather information (and reliability) from the external network 20. ), The required power amount a of the battery 3 and the generated power amount b of the solar cell 5 are predicted with sufficient certainty, the charge power amount d is obtained, and the battery 3 is charged from the external power source. At this time, it is only necessary to perform the minimum necessary charging from the external power source in consideration of the amount of charging power generated by the solar cell 5 with respect to the battery 3, so that it is possible to save the charging cost and the charging time. Become.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, during actual driving of an electric vehicle, it is always monitored whether there is any fluctuation in the prediction of the required power amount a and the prediction of the generated power amount b. At this time, it is determined whether or not the amount of power of the battery 3 is insufficient before reaching the destination, and when it is determined that the amount of power is insufficient, an adjustment that suppresses the power consumption of the in-vehicle device to the user. Since notification for prompting the operation is performed or the charging facility is searched for and guided, appropriate measures can be taken to avoid a situation where the amount of power of the battery 3 is insufficient. Is possible.

  FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, and is a flowchart showing a processing procedure executed by the control device 2 when an actual electric vehicle is traveling based on a traveling schedule. In the second embodiment, there is provided probe information acquisition means for acquiring probe information from another vehicle preceding the scheduled travel route, and the monitoring means is configured to detect actual traffic congestion on the travel route based on the probe information. It is configured to supplement the information and actual weather information along the travel route. Note that the reservation charging process on the day before the travel schedule is executed in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and the differences from the first embodiment will be described below.

  Although not shown, an information center is connected to the external network 20, and this information center receives probe information transmitted from a large number of vehicles, and stores and stores (updates) the information. At this time, the probe information transmitted from a large number of vehicles includes, for example, the latest traffic information (information on traffic jams, accidents, construction, lane regulations, traffic regulations, etc.) It contains data on the latest weather information (information on weather, wind direction, road surface conditions, etc.). Therefore, the control device 2 functions as a probe information acquisition unit together with the mobile phone 18 and the in-vehicle communication device 19. The control device 2 also has a function of transmitting probe information to the information center.

  In the present embodiment, during actual traveling of the host vehicle based on the traveling schedule, the control device 2 is necessary from the information center via the external network 20 by communication using the mobile phone 18 or the in-vehicle communication device 19. Collect probe information. In this case, as probe information, from other vehicles preceding the planned travel route (for example, 1 km ahead, 3 km ahead, 5 km ahead, 10 km ahead, etc. from the current position of the own vehicle) , Information on traffic distance, traffic time, etc.) and weather information along the travel route (information on wiper operation status of each vehicle, output of raindrop sensor, solar sensor, etc.).

  Then, the control device 2 supplements actual traffic jam information and actual weather information with the acquired probe information when monitoring whether there is any fluctuation in the prediction of the required power amount a and the prediction of the generated power amount b. It is configured as follows. That is, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4, information on the current remaining electric energy of the battery 3 is collected (step S11), and weather information from the Japan Meteorological Agency regarding the vicinity of the planned travel route is collected (step S12). In step S31, weather-related probe information is collected and the weather information is complemented.

  Then, after the congestion information related to the planned travel route is collected from the road traffic information center (step S13), the probe information related to the congestion is collected in step S32, and the congestion information is complemented. Thereafter, in step S14, calculation (prediction) of the generated power amount b of the solar battery 5 from the current position of the vehicle to the destination is performed based on the weather information supplemented in step S31. In step S15, based on the traffic jam information (road traffic information) supplemented in step S32, calculation (prediction) of required power amount a predicted to be necessary from the current position of the vehicle to the destination is performed. .

  In this case, by supplementing the weather information with the probe information in step S31, it is possible to easily cope with a case where the weather changes in a short time, such as so-called rain that suddenly stops but stops immediately. Of course, it is possible to deal with small limited areas that cannot be covered by the Japan Meteorological Agency. For example, in a spot-like area of about several kilometers square, where the weather is likely to change in a short time or where there is a tendency for weather breaks to occur, this can be done by lowering the reliability rank. be able to.

  Further, in step S32, by supplementing the traffic jam information with the probe information, traffic traffic information corresponding to the actual situation can be obtained, and the traffic jam distance (section), the time required for passing through the section, and the like with high accuracy can be obtained. Information can be obtained. As a result, the prediction of the electric power generation amount b of the solar cell 5 in step S14 and the prediction of the required electric energy a in step S15 can be performed by a more precise calculation that matches the reality, and the calculation is highly reliable. Sex is obtained. Since the processing after step S16 is the same as that in the first embodiment (FIG. 3), description thereof is omitted.

  According to the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the external power source for the battery 3 is charged when the battery 3 serving as the power source for the running motor in the electric vehicle equipped with the solar cell 5 is charged. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the amount of charge from the power source to the minimum necessary, and to obtain an excellent effect that the charge cost and the charge time can be saved. When constantly monitoring whether there is a change in the prediction of the required power amount a and the prediction of the generated power amount b during actual driving of the electric vehicle, the congestion information and the weather information are complemented based on the probe information. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a merit that the calculation of the required power amount a and the generated power amount b can be performed more precisely.

  In step 31 above, when a limited area where the weather is unstable is found, the weather reliability rank of the area is further lowered. However, since step 32 is further provided, the following weather conditions are provided. Information can also be complemented.

  For example, if you know in advance that you have to stay in a limited area where the weather is likely to change for a long period of time (more than a predetermined time) due to traffic jams, etc., the rank of the reliability of the weather will be lowered. May be maintained without lowering the rank of weather reliability. In other words, if it becomes clear in advance that there is a high possibility of staying in a place where the weather is unstable for a long period of time, it is important to predict the amount of power generated during that time. If the amount of generated power is erroneously estimated more than it actually is, there is a risk of unexpectedly running out of battery when the required amount of power increases. Therefore, this situation can be avoided by lowering the reliability rank.

  On the other hand, if it is possible to pass in a short time even if the weather is unstable, the prediction of the amount of generated power during that time will not have a significant effect even if the accuracy is reduced to some extent. Therefore, the reliability rank is not lowered. Complicated calculation processing can be reduced as much as possible, leading to faster and simpler systems. That is, when traveling in a limited area where the weather is unstable, traffic congestion information may be taken into account, and the reliability of the weather may be set according to the length of stay time in the limited area. In this way, it becomes possible to accurately predict the required amount of power while reducing complicated calculation processing as much as possible.

  Although not specifically described in each of the above embodiments, in the present invention, in calculating the required power amount a of the battery 3 that is predicted to be necessary when traveling on the travel route, the vehicle-mounted device preferred by the user is calculated. Based on the usage mode, the calculation can be performed in consideration of the electric power of the battery 3 predicted to be consumed in the in-vehicle device. For this purpose, the usage state of the vehicle-mounted device of a normal user may be stored together with the amount of power consumption and utilized. In other words, for example, the usage status of in-vehicle devices (air conditioners, audio, etc.), that is, power consumption, varies depending on the environment such as temperature, weather, time of day, and degree of congestion. And remember. Then, the past environment is compared with the current environment, and the past power consumption in a similar environment is used for prediction. According to this, the required power amount a of the battery 3 can be calculated more precisely. In addition to this, particularly when the user's preference is that of the power consumption of the in-vehicle device, the effect of suppressing the power consumption is great by the adjustment related to the setting of the in-vehicle device.

  Further, in each of the embodiments described above, whether or not there is a change in both the required power amount a of the battery 3 and the generated power amount b of the solar cell 5 during actual driving of the electric vehicle based on the driving schedule is monitored. Although it comprised, the structure which monitors about either one may be sufficient. In each of the above-described embodiments, when it is determined that the destination cannot be reached due to insufficient power of the battery 3, the nearest charging facility is searched (step S20). It is good also as a structure which guides the reachable charging equipment when it is judged that it is searched and memorize | stored and it is judged that the destination cannot be reached.

  Further, in each of the embodiments described above, the control device 2 calculates the recommended travel route to the destination. However, the route calculation is performed in an external route calculation center, and the data is acquired by communication. A so-called center calculation type navigation system may be used. As described above, the user can input a travel schedule using an external personal computer or a portable terminal instead of the in-vehicle operation device, and can acquire the travel schedule data by communication. In addition, the present invention is not limited to an electric vehicle, and can be applied to a so-called plug-in hybrid vehicle that can charge a battery from an external power source. To get.

  In the drawings, 1 is a charge control system, 2 is a control device (route information acquisition means, required power calculation means, power generation amount prediction means, charge execution means, monitoring means, determination means, charging equipment search means), 3 is a battery, 4 Is a charging connector, 5 is a solar cell, 6 is a charge management ECU, 9 is an operation switch group, 11 is a display device (notification means, guidance means), 18 is a mobile phone (weather information acquisition means, probe information acquisition means), Reference numeral 19 denotes an in-vehicle communication device (weather information acquisition means, probe information acquisition means), 20 denotes an external network, and 26 denotes a remote operation device (travel schedule acquisition means).

Claims (8)

In an electric vehicle comprising a traveling motor, a rechargeable battery as a power source for the traveling motor, and a solar cell capable of generating electricity during traveling, the battery is charged by an external power source and the generated power of the solar cell An electric vehicle charging control system for controlling charging,
A travel schedule acquisition means for acquiring travel schedule data including a date and a destination scheduled to travel the electric vehicle input by the user;
Route information acquisition means for acquiring a travel route to the destination in the travel schedule data;
A required power calculation means for calculating the required power amount a of the battery predicted to be necessary when traveling on the travel route;
Weather information acquisition means for acquiring weather information in the vicinity of the travel route in the travel time zone of the travel schedule data;
A power generation amount prediction means for predicting the power generation amount b of the solar cell when traveling on the travel route during the travel time period, using power generation efficiency according to the weather information;
From the remaining power amount c of the battery and the generated power amount b of the solar cell, a charge power amount d required to obtain the required power amount a of the battery is obtained, and the external power source is reached before the scheduled travel date and time. A charging control system for an electric vehicle, comprising: The weather information acquisition means acquires the reliability of the weather information together with the weather information,
2. The electric vehicle charging control system according to claim 1, wherein the power generation amount prediction means predicts the power generation amount b of the solar cell in consideration of the reliability of the weather information.   The required power calculation means calculates the required power amount a of the battery based on the usage mode of the in-vehicle device preferred by the user, taking into account the power of the battery predicted to be consumed in the in-vehicle device. The charging control system for an electric vehicle according to claim 1 or 2.   And a monitoring means for constantly monitoring whether or not there is a change in one or both of the prediction of the required electric energy a and the prediction of the generated electric energy b during the actual driving of the electric vehicle based on the driving schedule. The charging control system for an electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3.   The monitoring means recalculates the required power amount a of the battery based on actual traffic jam information of the travel route and / or based on actual weather information along the travel route of the solar cell. 5. The electric vehicle charging control system according to claim 4, wherein the generated electric energy b is recalculated. Probe information acquisition means for acquiring probe information from another vehicle preceding the travel route,
6. The electric vehicle charging control according to claim 5, wherein the monitoring unit supplements actual traffic jam information on the travel route and / or actual weather information along the travel route based on the probe information. system. Judgment means for judging whether or not the amount of electric power of the battery is insufficient before reaching the destination when the actual electric vehicle is running based on the running schedule;
7. A notification unit that prompts the user to perform an adjustment operation to suppress the power consumption of the in-vehicle device when the determination unit determines that a shortage of electric power occurs. The charge control system of the electric vehicle in any one. Charging equipment searching means for searching for charging equipment that can be charged along or in the vicinity of the travel route;
Judgment means for judging whether or not the amount of electric power of the battery is insufficient before reaching the destination when the actual electric vehicle is running based on the running schedule;
8. The guide device according to any one of claims 4 to 7, further comprising a guide unit that guides the charging facility searched by the charging facility searching unit when the determining unit determines that a shortage of electric power occurs. An electric vehicle charging control system according to claim 1.

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