JP5359946B2 - Driving support apparatus, method and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a driving support apparatus, method, and program for adjusting the start timing of an internal combustion engine.

  Conventionally, a technique for forcibly starting an internal combustion engine under a predetermined condition is known. For example, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, the internal combustion engine is forcibly started when the remaining amount of fuel for the fuel cell is less than a reference value, and the air conditioner mounted on the vehicle is in an operating state. Accordingly, the reference value is changed to a large value. Further, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a motor is started instead of an internal combustion engine when the remaining capacity of the battery is insufficient but fuel for the fuel cell is sufficiently present.

JP 2001-298806 A

An internal combustion engine is often configured to be started in conjunction with factors other than the remaining capacity of a battery mounted on a vehicle and the remaining amount of fuel for a fuel cell. The internal combustion engine cannot be started in conjunction with factors other than the remaining amount of battery fuel. In particular, a vehicle that can be driven by a power source other than the internal combustion engine often employs a configuration in which the internal combustion engine is forcibly started when the temperature of the cooling water in the internal combustion engine is equal to or lower than a first temperature. However, in this configuration, if the internal combustion engine is always forcibly started when the temperature of the cooling water of the internal combustion engine is equal to or lower than the first temperature, the amount of fuel consumption increases.
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for suppressing the start of an internal combustion engine and improving fuel consumption.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, the internal combustion engine has a temperature that is equal to or lower than a first temperature at which the internal combustion engine is to be started, and a planned travel route within a predetermined distance from the current position of the vehicle. When a section to be started is included, control for preventing the internal combustion engine from starting is performed. That is, when the planned travel route within a predetermined distance from the current position of the vehicle includes a section where the internal combustion engine is started, the internal combustion engine is started when the vehicle travels a predetermined distance after the current position. For this reason, even when the condition for starting the internal combustion engine (the temperature of the cooling water is equal to or lower than the first temperature) is satisfied, the internal combustion engine is started on the planned travel route within a predetermined distance from the current position of the vehicle. When the section to be operated is included, the internal combustion engine is not started. As a result, the internal combustion engine is prevented from starting before the vehicle reaches the section where the internal combustion engine is started, and then the internal combustion engine is started when the vehicle reaches the section where the internal combustion engine is started. Therefore, the start of the internal combustion engine is suppressed and fuel efficiency is improved.

  Here, the temperature information acquisition means only needs to be able to acquire information indicating the temperature of the cooling water of the internal combustion engine, and may be acquired by a sensor, or a device (thermostat or the like) linked to the temperature of the cooling water or the like. It is good also as a structure which acquires the information which shows the temperature of cooling water based on a drive state.

  The travel schedule route information acquisition unit only needs to be able to acquire information indicating the planned travel route of the vehicle, and the planned travel route may be a route set in advance by a user or the like, It may be an estimated route. The latter includes a configuration in which a road existing in the direction indicated by the direction indicator mounted on the vehicle is used as an estimated route after the current vehicle, or a road having the same road number and road type as the road on which the vehicle currently exists. It is possible to adopt a configuration or the like that is an estimated route after the present.

  The internal combustion engine start control means is configured to switch the internal combustion engine when the temperature of the cooling water is equal to or lower than the first temperature and the scheduled travel path within a predetermined distance from the current position of the vehicle includes a section where the internal combustion engine is started. It is sufficient if control for preventing the start can be performed. The control for preventing the start of the internal combustion engine may be performed directly on the internal combustion engine or indirectly. For example, as the former, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the driving support device gives an instruction by a control signal to an ECU that manages the start of the internal combustion engine so that the internal combustion engine is not started. In the latter case, the driving support device gives an instruction by a control signal to a guide unit that performs various types of guidance, and a guide that causes the user to perform work for preventing the start of the internal combustion engine is output from the guide unit. It is possible to adopt a configuration for controlling as described above.

  The internal combustion engine start control means only needs to be able to perform control for preventing the internal combustion engine from starting, and may execute control so that the drive is not started when the internal combustion engine is not driven in the vehicle. .

  The first temperature may be defined in advance as the temperature of the cooling water for starting the internal combustion engine. That is, in a normal case where the planned travel route within a predetermined distance from the current position of the vehicle does not include a section where the internal combustion engine is started, the temperature is set as the temperature for preventing the cooling water temperature from excessively decreasing. The temperature of 1 should just be determined beforehand.

  The predetermined distance may be set as a distance (or a distance corresponding to the time) at which the internal combustion engine may be stopped when the internal combustion engine is started after traveling for the predetermined distance. That is, the predetermined distance only needs to be set so that the temperature of the cooling water does not excessively decrease even if the internal combustion engine is not started until the predetermined distance is traveled.

  The section in which the internal combustion engine is started may be a section in which the internal combustion engine is started for a reason that does not depend on the temperature of the cooling water by traveling in the section. For example, in a section where the average vehicle speed associated with the roads constituting the section is equal to or higher than a predetermined vehicle speed, it is considered that the internal combustion engine is started by operating the throttle pedal, and the section is a section where the internal combustion engine is started. It is possible to adopt the configuration as follows. Further, when the internal combustion engine is started in a section ahead of the vehicle when compared with the current vehicle state, the section may be set as a section in which the internal combustion engine is started. For example, when the current position of the vehicle is in a traffic jam section and there is a section where the traffic jam is resolved ahead of the traffic jam section, the section where the traffic jam is resolved may be the section where the internal combustion engine is started. . Further, when the vehicle is currently stopped, a section in front of the vehicle may be a section where the internal combustion engine is started. The section where the internal combustion engine is started as described above may be specified based on the map information. For example, if information indicating the average vehicle speed on each road is included in the map information, it is possible to specify a section where the internal combustion engine is started by referring to the map information.

  Furthermore, the present invention may be applied to a configuration in which another element is a condition for starting the internal combustion engine in addition to the temperature of the cooling water. For example, it is possible to assume a configuration in which the condition for starting the internal combustion engine is satisfied when the temperature of the cooling water is equal to or lower than the first temperature and the heater mounted on the vehicle is driven. It is. In other words, in the heater mounted on the vehicle, the air is heated by exchanging heat with the cooling water of the internal combustion engine so as to function the heating. Therefore, when the temperature of the cooling water falls below the first temperature, the heating is performed. Does not work. For this reason, generally, the condition for starting the internal combustion engine is satisfied when the temperature of the cooling water is equal to or lower than the first temperature and the heater mounted on the vehicle is driven, The internal combustion engine is configured to be started.

  Therefore, even when the temperature of the cooling water is equal to or lower than the first temperature and the condition for starting the internal combustion engine is satisfied by driving the heater mounted on the vehicle, When a section in which the internal combustion engine is started is included in the planned travel route within a predetermined distance from the vehicle, a control for prohibiting the start of the internal combustion engine may be performed. According to this configuration, since the internal combustion engine is not started in the section until the vehicle reaches the section where the internal combustion engine is started, the start of the internal combustion engine can be suppressed and fuel consumption can be improved. Furthermore, since the internal combustion engine is driven after traveling for a predetermined distance, the heater can function effectively, the period until the heater functions does not become excessively long, and the user does not feel uncomfortable.

  In order to provide guidance for stopping the driving of the heater when a condition for starting the internal combustion engine is satisfied and a section in which the internal combustion engine is started is included in a scheduled travel route within a predetermined distance from the vehicle. It is good also as a structure which performs control of these. According to this configuration, it is possible to urge the condition for starting the internal combustion engine not to be satisfied in the section until the vehicle reaches the section in which the internal combustion engine is started. As a result, if the user stops the heater, the start of the internal combustion engine is suppressed and fuel efficiency is improved. Furthermore, when the temperature in the vehicle is equal to or lower than the second temperature, the control for performing the guidance for stopping the driving of the heater may not be performed. According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent unnecessary guidance when the user is unlikely to stop the heater.

  Furthermore, even if the conditions for starting the internal combustion engine are satisfied as in the present invention, if the section for starting the internal combustion engine is reached by traveling within a predetermined distance, The method for preventing the start can also be applied as a program or a method. In addition, the above-described device, program, and method may be realized as a single device or may be realized by using components shared with each part of the vehicle, and include various aspects. It is a waste. For example, it is possible to provide a navigation device, a method, and a program that include the above devices. Further, some changes may be made as appropriate, such as a part of software and a part of hardware. Furthermore, the invention is also established as a recording medium for a program for controlling the apparatus. Of course, the software recording medium may be a magnetic recording medium, a magneto-optical recording medium, or any recording medium to be developed in the future.

It is a block diagram of the navigation apparatus containing a driving assistance device. It is a flowchart which shows a driving assistance process. It is a flowchart which shows a driving assistance process.

Here, embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following order.
(1) Configuration of navigation device:
(2) Driving support processing:
(3) Other embodiments:

(1) Configuration of navigation device:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a navigation device 10 including a driving support device according to the present invention. The navigation apparatus 10 includes a control unit 20 including a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and the like, and a recording medium 30, and the control unit 20 can execute a program stored in the recording medium 30 and the ROM. In the present embodiment, the driving support program 21 can be executed as this program. The driving support program 21 has a function of controlling the start of the internal combustion engine in accordance with the driving schedule of the vehicle. The driving support program 21 is in a state in which a driving schedule route is set in advance by processing of a navigation program (not shown). Executed.

  Map information 30a is recorded in the recording medium 30 in advance, and when a planned travel route is set, planned travel route information 30b indicating the planned travel route is recorded. The map information 30a is information used for searching a planned travel route, specifying the position of the vehicle, and specifying a section where the internal combustion engine is started, and node data indicating a node set on a road on which the vehicle runs, It includes shape interpolation point data for specifying the shape of the road between the nodes, link data indicating the connection between the nodes, data indicating the features existing on the road and its surroundings, and the like. In the present embodiment, information indicating the average travel time on the road indicated by each link is associated with each link data. The control unit 20 can specify the average vehicle speed on the road indicated by the link based on the average travel time and the distance between nodes corresponding to the end points of the link. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the average vehicle speed of the vehicle traveling on each road is substantially associated with each road. The planned travel route information 30b is information indicating a node on the planned travel route, and the control unit 20 can specify the planned travel route ahead of the vehicle by referring to the planned travel route information 30b. Is possible.

  The vehicle in this embodiment includes a GPS receiver 41, a vehicle speed sensor 42, a gyro sensor 43, a heater 44, a drive control ECU 45, an internal combustion engine 46, an electric motor 47, and a temperature sensor 48. The GPS receiver 41 receives radio waves from GPS satellites and outputs information for calculating the current position of the vehicle via an interface (not shown). The control unit 20 acquires this signal and acquires the current position of the vehicle. The vehicle speed sensor 42 outputs a signal corresponding to the rotational speed of the wheels provided in the vehicle. The control unit 20 acquires this signal via an interface (not shown) and acquires the speed of the vehicle. The gyro sensor 43 outputs a signal corresponding to the angular velocity acting on the vehicle. The control unit 20 acquires this signal via an interface (not shown) and acquires the traveling direction of the vehicle. The vehicle speed sensor 42 and the gyro sensor 43 are used for correcting the current position of the vehicle specified from the output signal of the GPS receiver 41. Further, the current position of the vehicle is appropriately corrected based on the travel locus of the vehicle.

  The vehicle of this embodiment is a hybrid vehicle including an internal combustion engine 46 that uses fuel accumulated in a fuel tank as a power source and an electric motor 47 that uses a rechargeable battery as a power source. The internal combustion engine 46 and the electric motor 47 are connected to a power transmission mechanism (not shown), and the vehicle is moved forward or backward by converting the rotational driving force into the driving force of the vehicle by the power transmission mechanism. The internal combustion engine 46 and the electric motor 47 are controlled by the drive control ECU 45. The drive control ECU 45 can output a control signal to the internal combustion engine 46 and the electric motor 47 in accordance with an operation of a throttle pedal (not shown), and outputs a control signal to the internal combustion engine 46 and the electric motor 47 to output the internal combustion engine. One or both of the motor 46 and the electric motor 47 are controlled to generate a rotational driving force. A pipe for flowing cooling water is formed in the internal combustion engine 46, and the pipe also passes through the heater 44. Therefore, the cooling water circulates while passing through the piping in the internal combustion engine 46 and the heater 44. In the present embodiment, the control signal for driving the internal combustion engine 46 and the electric motor 47 output from the drive control ECU 45 is also output to the control unit 20. Therefore, the control unit 20 can specify whether or not the internal combustion engine 46 and the electric motor 47 are driven based on the control signal.

  The heater 44 includes a heater unit and a mechanism that blows air toward an opening that opens toward the vehicle interior, and the heater unit performs heat exchange for performing heat exchange with the cooling water that passes through the pipe. Department. That is, the air sent into the vehicle interior exchanges heat with the cooling water in the piping by passing through the heat exchange unit, and the air after the heat exchange is sent into the vehicle interior. Therefore, when the temperature of the cooling water is not increased, the air sent into the passenger compartment is not sufficiently warmed and heating does not function effectively.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the temperature of the cooling water is equal to or lower than the first temperature and the heater 44 is driven, the internal combustion engine 46 is driven to warm the cooling water. It is. That is, the vehicle in the present embodiment is provided with a temperature sensor 48 for detecting the temperature of the cooling water, and an output signal of the temperature sensor 48 is input to the drive control ECU 45 and the control unit 20. ing. The drive control ECU 45 and the control unit 20 can acquire information indicating the temperature of the cooling water based on the output signal of the temperature sensor 48. Further, when the heater 44 is driven, a signal indicating that the heater 44 is being driven is output to the drive control ECU 45 and the control unit 20, and the drive control ECU 45 and the control unit 20 are based on the signal. It can be specified that the heater 44 is being driven.

  The drive control ECU 45 is configured to output a control signal for starting the internal combustion engine 46 when the temperature of the cooling water is equal to or lower than the first temperature and the heater 44 is driven. ing. When the internal combustion engine 46 is not driven, the internal combustion engine 46 is started according to the control signal, and the cooling water is warmed so that the heating functions effectively. Note that the first temperature is a temperature defined in advance as the temperature of the cooling water at which the internal combustion engine 46 is to be started in order for the heater 44 to function effectively, and in the present embodiment, the current position of the vehicle In a normal case where the planned travel route within a predetermined distance from the vehicle does not include a section where the internal combustion engine 46 is started, the temperature is predetermined as a temperature for preventing the temperature of the cooling water from excessively decreasing. is there.

  When the control of the internal combustion engine 46 according to the temperature of the cooling water and the driving state of the heater 44 is performed, the heating by the heater 44 can be effectively functioned. However, when the temperature of the cooling water is equal to or lower than the first temperature and the heater 44 is driven, if the stopped internal combustion engine 46 is always started, the fuel consumption by the internal combustion engine 46 increases. Resulting in. That is, if the internal combustion engine 46 is started in a section close to the current position of the vehicle, the effect of the heater 44 does not change much even if the state where the internal combustion engine 46 is not started until the section is reached. Therefore, even if the internal combustion engine 46 is not started until it reaches the section, the internal combustion engine 46 is driven and the heater 44 functions immediately after reaching the section, and the user does not feel uncomfortable. .

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, even if the temperature of the cooling water is equal to or lower than the first temperature and the heater 44 is driven by the processing of the driving support program 21, the current position of the vehicle is determined. The internal combustion engine 46 is configured not to start when the scheduled travel route within a predetermined distance includes a section where the internal combustion engine is started. The predetermined distance is set so that the temperature of the cooling water does not decrease excessively even if the internal combustion engine is not started until the predetermined distance is traveled. That is, even if the heater 44 is not functioning, a distance that does not make the user feel uncomfortable may be set as a predetermined distance.

  In order to perform this process, the driving support program 21 includes a temperature information acquisition unit 21a, a planned travel route information acquisition unit 21b, and an internal combustion engine start control unit 21c. The temperature information acquisition unit 21 a is a module that causes the control unit 20 to realize a function of acquiring information indicating the temperature of the cooling water of the internal combustion engine 46. That is, the control unit 20 refers to the output signal of the temperature sensor 48 by the process of the temperature information acquisition unit 21a, and acquires information indicating the temperature of the cooling water of the internal combustion engine 46. The planned travel route information acquisition unit 21b is a module that causes the control unit 20 to realize a function of acquiring information indicating the planned travel route of the vehicle. That is, the control unit 20 acquires the planned travel route information 30b by the processing of the planned travel route information acquisition unit 21b.

  The internal combustion engine start control unit 21c is configured such that the temperature of the cooling water is equal to or lower than the first temperature, the heater 44 is driven, and the internal combustion engine is on a planned travel route within a predetermined distance from the current position of the vehicle. This is a module that causes the control unit 20 to realize a function of prohibiting the start of the internal combustion engine 46 when a section to be started is included. That is, when the temperature of the cooling water is equal to or lower than the first temperature and the heater 44 is driven, the control unit 20 performs the map information 30a and the planned travel route information by the processing of the internal combustion engine start control unit 21c. Based on 30b, it is determined whether or not the scheduled travel route within a predetermined distance from the current position of the vehicle includes a section in which the internal combustion engine 46 is started. When it is determined that the scheduled travel route within the predetermined distance from the current position of the vehicle includes a section in which the internal combustion engine is started, the control unit 20 prohibits the drive control ECU 45 from starting the internal combustion engine 46. A control signal indicating this is output.

  When a control signal indicating that the start of the internal combustion engine 46 is prohibited is output, the drive control ECU 45 does not start the internal combustion engine 46. That is, even when the temperature of the cooling water is equal to or lower than the first temperature and the heater 44 is driven, a control signal for starting the internal combustion engine 46 is output to the internal combustion engine 46. do not do. The state in which the start of the internal combustion engine 46 is prohibited by the control signal indicating that the start of the internal combustion engine 46 is prohibited is canceled when the vehicle reaches the section where the internal combustion engine 46 is started. Therefore, after the vehicle reaches the section where the internal combustion engine 46 is started, the internal combustion engine 46 is started when the temperature of the cooling water is equal to or lower than the first temperature and the heater 44 is driven. The For this reason, according to the present embodiment, the internal combustion engine 46 is prevented from starting in the section until the vehicle reaches the section in which the internal combustion engine 46 is started, and the vehicle is in the section in which the internal combustion engine 46 is started. When it reaches, the internal combustion engine 46 is started, and the start of the internal combustion engine 46 can be suppressed within a range that does not give the user a sense of incongruity, thereby improving fuel efficiency.

(2) Driving support processing:
Next, driving support processing by the driving support program 21 will be described. The driving support program 21 is executed every predetermined period (for example, 100 ms). FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a driving support process executed by the driving support program 21. When the process of the driving support program 21 is started, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the motor is currently running by the process of the internal combustion engine start control unit 21c (step S100). That is, the control unit 20 determines whether the internal combustion engine 46 is not driven and the electric motor 47 is driven based on the control signal output from the drive control ECU 45. If it is not determined in step S100 that the motor is running, the process ends. When it is determined in step S100 that the motor is running, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the heater 44 is being driven (step S102). That is, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the heater 44 is driven based on a control signal output from the drive control ECU 45. If it is not determined in step S102 that the heater 44 is being driven, the electric motor travel is continued (step S120). That is, no instruction is given to the drive control ECU 45 by the process of the control unit 20, and the state in which the motor 47 is running according to the operation by the user's throttle pedal or the like is maintained.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S102 that the heater 44 is being driven, the control unit 20 performs processing of the temperature information acquisition unit 21a and the internal combustion engine start control unit 21c so that the temperature of the cooling water is the first. It is determined whether the temperature is equal to or lower than the temperature (step S105). That is, the control unit 20 acquires information indicating the temperature of the cooling water based on the output signal of the temperature sensor 48 by the processing of the temperature information acquisition unit 21a, and the cooling water by the processing of the internal combustion engine start control unit 21c. It is determined whether or not the temperature of the cooling water is equal to or lower than the first temperature based on the information indicating the temperature.

  In Step S105, when it is not determined that the temperature of the cooling water is equal to or lower than the first temperature, the control unit 20 continues the electric motor travel (Step S120). That is, when the heater 44 is driven in a state where the temperature of the cooling water is not equal to or lower than the first temperature, the heater 44 functions effectively without starting the internal combustion engine 46, so that the electric motor 47 travels. Maintain the state.

  When it is determined in step S105 that the temperature of the cooling water is equal to or lower than the first temperature, the control unit 20 performs the processing from the current position of the vehicle by the processing of the planned travel route information acquisition unit 21b and the internal combustion engine start control unit 21c. It is determined whether or not there is a section in which the internal combustion engine is started on the planned travel route within a predetermined distance (step S110). In other words, the control unit 20 refers to the recording medium 30 and acquires the planned travel route information 30b by the processing of the planned travel route information acquisition unit 21b. Further, the control unit 20 specifies the current position of the vehicle based on the output signals of the GPS receiving unit 41, the vehicle speed sensor 42, and the gyro sensor 43 by the processing of the internal combustion engine start control unit 21c. In addition, the control unit 20 refers to the map information 30a, identifies a planned travel route ahead of the current position of the vehicle, and roads having an average vehicle speed of a predetermined value or more in a section within a predetermined distance ahead of the current position of the vehicle. It is determined whether or not exists. That is, in the present embodiment, when a road whose average vehicle speed is a predetermined value or more is included in the planned travel route, the section is regarded as a section where the internal combustion engine 46 is started. Note that when the vehicle reaches the section where the internal combustion engine 46 is started, it is not considered that there is a section where the internal combustion engine 46 is started within a predetermined distance.

  In step S110, when it is not determined that there is a section in which the internal combustion engine 46 is started on the planned travel route within a predetermined distance from the current position of the vehicle, the internal combustion engine 46 is started (step S115). That is, when the signal indicating that the heater 44 is being driven is output from the heater 44 and the signal indicating that the cooling water is equal to or lower than the first temperature is output from the temperature sensor 48, the drive control is performed. The ECU 45 starts the internal combustion engine 46 in response to these signals. As described above, when there is no section in which the internal combustion engine 46 is started on the planned travel route within the predetermined distance, the drive control ECU 45 starts the internal combustion engine 46, so that the heater 44 functions effectively. . In a state where there is a section in which the internal combustion engine 46 is started on the planned travel route within a predetermined distance, when the vehicle reaches this section, the internal combustion engine 46 is started on the planned travel route within the predetermined distance in step S110. It will not be determined that there is an interval. Accordingly, when the vehicle reaches the section where the internal combustion engine 46 is started on the planned travel route within the predetermined distance, the internal combustion engine 46 is started in step S115.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S110 that there is a section in which the internal combustion engine 46 is started on the planned travel route within a predetermined distance from the current position of the vehicle, the control unit 20 continues the motor travel (step S120). That is, the control unit 20 outputs a control signal for prohibiting the start of the internal combustion engine 46 to the drive control ECU 45. In this case, even if a signal indicating that the heater 44 is being driven is output from the heater 44 and a signal indicating that the cooling water is equal to or lower than the first temperature is output from the temperature sensor 48, The drive control ECU 45 does not start the internal combustion engine 46. For this reason, the state in which the electric motor 47 is running is maintained.

  As described above, when there is a section in which the internal combustion engine 46 is started on the scheduled travel route within the predetermined distance, the internal combustion engine 46 is started before the cooling water is excessively lowered by the vehicle reaching the section. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the state where the running by the electric motor 47 is performed is maintained. Therefore, even when the conditions for starting the internal combustion engine 46 are satisfied, if there is a section in which the internal combustion engine 46 is started on the planned travel route within a predetermined distance, the internal combustion engine 46 is started. It is prevented from being done.

  In the state where the running by the electric motor 47 is continued, the processing after step S102 in FIG. 2 is executed every predetermined period. Therefore, when the vehicle reaches the section in which the internal combustion engine 46 is started, it is considered in step S110 that there is no section in which the internal combustion engine 46 is started within a predetermined distance. Is started. By the above processing, the internal combustion engine 46 is prevented from starting in the section until the vehicle reaches the section where the internal combustion engine 46 is started, and when the vehicle reaches the section where the internal combustion engine 46 is started, the internal combustion engine 46 is reached. Is started. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the internal combustion engine 46 from starting in order to make the heater 44 function, and to improve fuel consumption.

(3) Other embodiments:
The above embodiment is an example for carrying out the present invention, and even when the conditions for starting the internal combustion engine are satisfied, the vehicle reaches the section where the internal combustion engine is started by traveling within a predetermined distance. If so, various other embodiments may be employed as long as the internal combustion engine is prevented from starting. For example, the temperature of the cooling water of the internal combustion engine may be acquired based on the starting state of a device (such as a thermostat) linked to the temperature of the cooling water.

  Further, the planned travel route may be an estimated route after the current time of the vehicle. For example, a configuration in which a road existing in the direction indicated by the direction indicator mounted on the vehicle is used as an estimated route after the current vehicle, or a road having the same road number and road type as the road on which the vehicle currently exists is used after the current vehicle It is possible to adopt a configuration that uses the estimated route.

  Furthermore, the control for preventing the start of the internal combustion engine may be performed directly on the internal combustion engine as described above, or may be performed indirectly. As the latter, for example, when the driving support device gives an instruction by a control signal to a guidance unit that performs various types of guidance, guidance for causing the user to perform work for preventing the start of the internal combustion engine is provided. It is possible to adopt a configuration for controlling so that the signal is output from.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a driving support process employed when the internal combustion engine is prevented from being started by the guidance. The process shown in FIG. 3 is executed in a vehicle including a user I / F unit that outputs images, sounds, and the like in addition to the configuration shown in FIG. In the process shown in FIG. 3, steps S200 to S215 are the same as steps S100 to S115 shown in FIG. Then, in step S220 shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 20 provides guidance for prompting the heater 44 to stop by the processing of the internal combustion engine start control unit 21c. That is, the control unit 20 outputs a control signal for outputting an image or sound that prompts the user I / F unit to stop the heater 44. The user I / F unit outputs an image or sound that prompts the heater 44 to stop according to the control signal.

  As a result, if the user stops the heater 44, the condition “the heater 44 is being driven”, which is one of the conditions for starting the internal combustion engine 46, is not satisfied. Unless the other conditions for starting the engine 46 are satisfied, the start of the internal combustion engine 46 is stopped. According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the internal combustion engine 46 from starting in order to make the heater 44 function, and to improve fuel efficiency. In addition, when the temperature in a vehicle is below 2nd temperature, it is good also as a structure which does not perform the guidance which stops the heating machine 44. FIG. According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent unnecessary guidance when the user is unlikely to stop the heater 44.

  Further, the section in which the internal combustion engine is started may be a section in which the internal combustion engine is started for a reason that does not depend on the temperature of the cooling water by traveling in the section. Therefore, various configurations can be adopted in addition to the configuration for specifying the section in which the internal combustion engine is started based on the average vehicle speed indicated by the map information 30a. For example, when the internal combustion engine is started in a section in front of the vehicle when compared with the current state of the vehicle, the section may be set as a section in which the internal combustion engine is started. Specifically, when the current position of the vehicle is within a traffic jam section, and there is a section where the traffic jam is resolved ahead of the traffic jam section, the section where the internal combustion engine is started in the section where the traffic jam is resolved It is good. Further, when the vehicle is currently stopped, a section in front of the vehicle may be a section where the internal combustion engine is started.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the condition for starting the internal combustion engine is that the temperature of the cooling water is equal to or lower than the first temperature and the heater 44 is being driven. However, the present invention may be applied to a configuration in which conditions other than that the heater 44 is driven are conditions for starting the internal combustion engine. Moreover, it is a condition for starting the internal combustion engine that the temperature of the cooling water is equal to or lower than the first temperature, and the present invention may be applied to a configuration in which the driving state of the heater 44 is not included in the condition. That is, when the temperature of the cooling water is equal to or lower than the first temperature, the internal combustion engine is normally started. However, the temperature of the cooling water is equal to or lower than the first temperature and is predetermined from the current position of the vehicle. When the planned travel route within the distance includes a section in which the internal combustion engine is started, control for preventing the internal combustion engine from starting may be performed.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Navigation apparatus, 20 ... Control part, 21 ... Driving support program, 21a ... Temperature information acquisition part, 21b ... Planned travel route information acquisition part, 21c ... Internal combustion engine start control part, 30 ... Recording medium, 30a ... Map information, 30b: Planned travel route information, 41: GPS receiver, 42: Vehicle speed sensor, 43 ... Gyro sensor, 44 ... Heater, 45 ... Drive control ECU, 46 ... Internal combustion engine, 47 ... Electric motor, 48 ... Temperature sensor

Claims (6)

Temperature information acquisition means for acquiring information indicating the temperature of the cooling water of the internal combustion engine mounted on the vehicle;
A planned travel route information acquisition means for acquiring information indicating the planned travel route of the vehicle;
When the temperature of the cooling water is equal to or lower than a first temperature at which the internal combustion engine is to be started and the planned travel route within a predetermined distance from the current position of the vehicle includes a section in which the internal combustion engine is started The internal combustion engine start control means for performing control for preventing the start of the internal combustion engine,
A driving support apparatus comprising: The internal combustion engine start control means is configured such that the temperature of the cooling water is equal to or lower than the first temperature, a heater mounted on the vehicle is driven, and the travel is within a predetermined distance from the vehicle. When the scheduled path includes a section where the internal combustion engine is started, control for prohibiting the start of the internal combustion engine is performed.
The driving support device according to claim 1. The internal combustion engine start control means is configured such that the temperature of the cooling water is equal to or lower than the first temperature, a heater mounted on the vehicle is driven, and the travel is within a predetermined distance from the vehicle. When the planned route includes a section where the internal combustion engine is started, control for performing guidance for stopping the driving of the heater is performed.
The driving support device according to claim 1.   The internal combustion engine start control means specifies a section in which the internal combustion engine is started based on map information.
The driving assistance apparatus in any one of Claims 1-3.   A temperature information acquisition step of acquiring information indicating the temperature of the cooling water of the internal combustion engine mounted on the vehicle;
  A scheduled travel route information acquisition step of acquiring information indicating the planned travel route of the vehicle;
  When the temperature of the cooling water is equal to or lower than a first temperature at which the internal combustion engine is to be started and the planned travel route within a predetermined distance from the current position of the vehicle includes a section in which the internal combustion engine is started Includes an internal combustion engine start control step for performing control for preventing start of the internal combustion engine,
Driving support method including.   A temperature information acquisition function for acquiring information indicating the temperature of the cooling water of the internal combustion engine mounted on the vehicle;
  A planned travel route information acquisition function for acquiring information indicating the planned travel route of the vehicle;
  When the temperature of the cooling water is equal to or lower than a first temperature at which the internal combustion engine is to be started and the planned travel route within a predetermined distance from the current position of the vehicle includes a section in which the internal combustion engine is started Includes an internal combustion engine start control function for performing control for preventing the internal combustion engine from starting.
Driving support program that realizes the computer.

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