JP5503399B2 - Navigation system for electric vehicle and electric vehicle - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a navigation system for an electric vehicle provided with a motor for traveling, and an electric vehicle.

  In recent years, electric vehicles equipped with a motor for traveling have attracted attention. An electric vehicle is also provided with a secondary battery (hereinafter referred to as “battery”) that stores electric power supplied to a motor for traveling. In addition, navigation systems that provide route guidance to users (drivers) are widespread, and it is considered that navigation systems are widely provided in electric vehicles.

  As a navigation system for an electric vehicle, “Navigation device and navigation method” of Patent Document 1 is known. This patent document 1 searches a plurality of routes to a destination and proposes an optimum route to the user based on the remaining amount (type) of the battery, the undulation status of the route, and the like.

JP 2005-127873 A

  However, even if the user selects the optimum route, there may be a case where it is difficult to reach the destination because the battery power is consumed in addition to traveling due to a break or traffic jam during the course of travel. Regarding how to deal with such a case, Patent Document 1 does not provide any solution.

  In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an electric vehicle that can appropriately cope with a situation in which an excessive amount of battery power is consumed.

  The present inventors have conducted intensive research to achieve the above-mentioned object, and electric vehicles are more susceptible to external influences (weather, road surface conditions, etc.) than gasoline vehicles, and power consumption tends to be uncertain. Focusing on this, the present invention has been completed.

That is, the present invention (Claim 1) that solves the above problems includes a travel motor, a power storage device that stores electric power supplied to the travel motor, a remaining amount detection device that detects a remaining amount of the power storage device, The navigation system for electric vehicles applied to the electric vehicle which is a vehicle provided with. The navigation system for an electric vehicle includes (1) a route search unit for searching for a route to a destination, and (2) a first required for reaching the destination by a currently set route on the way to the destination. And a reachability determination unit that determines whether or not the destination can be reached based on the current remaining amount of the power storage device, and (3) a route that is currently set on the way to the destination At least one other route than the other is detected, the second power consumption required to reach the destination by the detected other route is calculated, and the destination can be reached based on the current remaining amount of the power storage device A reachable route detection unit for detecting another route; and (4) a route detected by the reachable route detection unit when the reachability determination unit determines that the route cannot be reached, is guided to the user via a guide device. It is equipped with a guide And wherein the Rukoto.

According to the configuration of claim 1, when it is determined that it is difficult to reach the destination on the current route based on the remaining battery level, another route that can reach the destination is searched, and Route (alternate route) guidance. Note that the “currently set route” may remain the route selected at the start or may be changed in the middle depending on the current remaining amount of the power storage device. When going to the destination, the route with the lowest power consumption is not always set when the route is first set (selected). “Unreachable” may include “unreachable” as a possibility.

  In the navigation system for an electric vehicle of the present invention (Claim 2), the reachable route detection unit starts the process when it is determined that the reachability determination unit cannot be reached.

  According to the configuration of the second aspect, the processing order of the reachability determination unit and the processing order of the reachable route detection unit are defined, and the process of the reachable route detection unit is performed after the determination of the reachability determination unit. (Refer to a second embodiment described later). In claim 1, the processing order of the reachability determination unit and the processing order of the reachable route detection unit are not defined.

In the navigation system for an electric vehicle of the present invention (Claim 3), the reachability determination unit is configured such that the current remaining amount of the power storage device approaches the first power consumption within a predetermined range. Is reached when the current remaining amount of the power storage device is equal to or less than the first power consumption after the first determination and the first determination that the reachability has decreased. A second determination is made to determine that it cannot be performed. And when the said determination part judges that reachability fell by the said 1st judgment, it warns to that effect via the said guidance apparatus, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  According to the configuration of the third aspect, the destination is reached on all routes by warning the user of the route change while the destination can be reached on a route (a plurality of routes) other than the current route. It is possible to prompt the user to change the route before it becomes impossible (see the fourth embodiment described later).

  In the navigation system for an electric vehicle of the present invention (Claim 4), at least one of the first and second power consumptions is a travel parameter (vehicle weight, distance, height difference, speed / · · ·) Based on the calculation.

  The first power consumption is calculated by the reachability determination unit, and the second power consumption is calculated by the reachable route detection unit. According to the configuration of claim 4, at least one of the travel parameters in each route is calculated. (Refer to the first embodiment to be described later). Here, the travel parameters include vehicle weight, distance, height difference, vehicle speed, and the like.

  In the navigation system for an electric vehicle according to the present invention (Claim 5), at least one of the first and second power consumptions is calculated based on past power consumption information (described later). (Refer to the first embodiment, the sixth embodiment, etc.).

  According to the configuration of claim 5, the power consumption is calculated based on the past power consumption information. Incidentally, past power consumption information includes information based on the history of the vehicle and information based on the history of the travel route.

  In the navigation system for an electric vehicle according to the present invention (Claim 6), a power consumption information storage unit that stores a plurality of the power consumption information for each vehicle driving condition, and a driving condition determination that determines the current driving condition of the vehicle. A section. Then, at least one of the reachability determination unit and the reachable route detection unit obtains corresponding power cost information from the power cost information storage unit based on the travel status determined by the travel status determination unit as the past power cost information. It is characterized by doing.

  With the configuration of this sixth aspect, it is possible to calculate the first power consumption and the second power consumption with an appropriate power consumption according to the running situation (running situation) (see the sixth embodiment to be described later).

In the navigation system for an electric vehicle according to the present invention (Claim 7), the guide unit is configured such that the reachable route detection unit is other than the route currently set based on the current remaining amount of the power storage device. If the arrival at the destination detects the other possible paths of is characterized by guiding a plurality of routes the detected.

  According to this configuration, the user can select an appropriate route by the guidance of the guide unit.

  In the navigation system for an electric vehicle according to the present invention (Claim 8), the power storage device provided in the vehicle has a characteristic that the voltage decreases as the remaining amount decreases, and the vehicle includes the power storage device. The travel motor is driven by the power supply voltage of the power storage device, and field-weakening control is performed as the back electromotive voltage generated by the travel motor increases with respect to the power supply voltage. The navigation system includes a cooperative control unit that limits the rotational speed of the traveling motor in cooperation with the control unit that controls the traveling motor when the reachable route is not detected by the reachable route detecting unit. It is characterized by.

  According to the configuration of the eighth aspect, power saving is achieved by not performing field-weakening control, and attempts to reach the destination (see the fifth embodiment described later).

  In addition, the present invention (Claim 9) that solves the above-described problems is an electric vehicle equipped with the navigation system for an electric vehicle according to any one of Claims 1 to 8.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, even when the situation where the electric power of a battery is consumed excessively arises, the navigation system for electric vehicles which can respond appropriately, and an electric vehicle can be provided.

It is a conceptual diagram which shows the structure of the electric vehicle of embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the navigation system for electric vehicles of 1st Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a route diagram for explaining operation of the navigation system for electric vehicles of a 1st embodiment concerning the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the navigation system for electric vehicles of 1st Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a path | route setting policy table which showed the policy at the time of setting a path | route. It is a 1st and 2nd power consumption (expected power consumption) calculation example. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the navigation system for electric vehicles of 2nd Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the detail of step S8 of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the navigation system for electric vehicles of 3rd Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is the figure which extracted a part of flowchart of FIG. 4 or FIG. FIG. 10 is a route diagram for explaining a specific example in which information acquired from the information center of FIG. 9 is used. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the navigation system for electric vehicles of 4th Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a graph which shows the influence of the calculation error etc. in calculation of required energy, such as the calculation error in the residual amount of a high voltage battery. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the navigation system for electric vehicles of 5th Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the navigation system for electric vehicles of 5th Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a graph which shows the idea regarding calculation of the required energy in the navigation system for electric vehicles of 6th Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the navigation system for electric vehicles of 6th Embodiment which concerns on this invention. (A) is the required energy calculation flow which simplified the idea of FIG. 16, (b) is the example of the calculation result.

  Hereinafter, a navigation system for an electric vehicle and an embodiment for implementing the electric vehicle (hereinafter referred to as “embodiment”) according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  The embodiments to be described below all relate to a navigation system for an electric vehicle (referred to as “vehicle” as appropriate), and the power storage device (hereinafter referred to as “battery”) at any time during traveling to a set destination. The remaining amount or the like is monitored, and other routes are guided to the user as necessary. Among these, (1) 1st Embodiment is basic embodiment. (2) The second embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. In addition, (3) the third embodiment acquires and utilizes road condition information by communicating with an external information center. Moreover, (4) 4th Embodiment notifies early that it becomes impossible to reach | attain a destination. Moreover, (5) 5th Embodiment performs vehicle speed restriction | limiting in cooperation with motor ECU.

<< First Embodiment >>
First, the first embodiment, which is a basic embodiment, will be described.
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of an electric vehicle. The configuration of a vehicle V according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the following description, the vehicle V is an electric vehicle in a narrow sense. However, other than the electric vehicle, EV traveling using only electric power from a battery such as a hybrid vehicle (plug-in hybrid vehicle) or a fuel cell electric vehicle is possible. As the vehicle V also corresponds to an electric vehicle, the navigation system for electric vehicles of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as “navigation system”) can be applied.

(Vehicle configuration)
As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle V includes a high-voltage battery 2, an inverter 3, a traveling motor 4, and the like as a high-voltage electric system, and also includes a navigation system 1.

  The high-voltage battery 2 is configured as a high-voltage assembled battery of about several hundred volts, for example, in which single cells such as lithium ion batteries are connected in series (and in parallel as appropriate). The battery is charged from the power source. The inverter 3 has one end connected to the high voltage battery 2 via a VCU (Voltage Control Unit) (not shown) and a high voltage wiring, and the other end connected to the traveling motor 4 via a three-phase high voltage wiring. Yes.

  The inverter 3 is composed of a semiconductor switching element or the like, generates a three-phase alternating current from a direct current supplied from the high voltage battery 2 via a VCU (not shown), and drives the traveling motor 4 by PWM (Pulse Width Modulation). The three-phase regenerative current generated by the traveling motor 4 has a function of converting to DC power for charging the high voltage battery 2. The vehicle V is configured such that the high voltage battery 2 is charged with electric power from a power source (a charging stand or a household charging device) outside the vehicle via a charging port (not shown).

The traveling motor 4 is, for example, an induction motor, and generates a rotational driving force by a three-phase alternating current having a variable voltage variable frequency from the inverter 4. The rotational driving force generated by the travel motor 4 is transmitted to a transmission (not shown) to rotate the wheels.
Incidentally, the vehicle V is a front-wheel drive vehicle, the traveling motor 4 is mounted in front of the vehicle V, and the high voltage battery 2 is mounted under the center floor of the vehicle V. Needless to say, the mounting position is an example.

(Hardware configuration of navigation system)
Next, with reference to the block diagram of FIG. 2, the navigation system 1 of 1st Embodiment with which the vehicle V is provided is demonstrated. As shown in FIG. 2, the navigation system 1 according to the first embodiment includes a navigation ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 1a, an input device 1b, a display device 1c, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver 1d, a vehicle speed as hardware configurations. A sensor 1e, a yaw rate sensor 1f, a storage device 1g, and the like are provided. The display device 1c is an example of a “guidance device”.

The navigation ECU 1a includes a central processing unit (CPU), a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), various input / output interfaces, a power supply circuit, and the like (all not shown). The navigation ECU 1a is connected to an input device 1b, a display device 1c, a GPS receiver 1d, a vehicle speed sensor 1e, a yaw rate sensor 1f, a storage device 1g, and the like by various input / output interfaces. The navigation ECU 1a is connected to other ECUs such as a battery ECU 2a via an in-vehicle network such as CAN (Controlled Area Network). Incidentally, in this example, the navigation ECU 1a acquires information on the remaining amount and voltage of the high-voltage battery 2 from the battery ECU 2a.
The software configuration of the navigation ECU 1a will be described later.

  The input / output device 1b is provided with operation buttons and the like, and has a function of receiving a user's operation input and transmitting it to the navigation ECU 1a. User input includes destination input, route search information input, and the like. The display device 1c is a liquid crystal monitor or the like, and has a function of displaying screen information generated by the navigation ECU 1a (display processing unit 15) on the screen. The input / output device 1b and the display device 1c may be integrally configured as a touch panel device.

The GPS receiver 1d includes a receiving circuit that receives radio waves transmitted to the ground by 30 GPS satellites S orbiting the earth, and includes data (satellite orbit information and time information) included in the received radio waves. It has a function of outputting to the navigation ECU 1a. The vehicle speed sensor 1e has a function of receiving a pulse signal from each vehicle speed pulse sensor (not shown) provided in each wheel, calculating the vehicle body speed of the vehicle V as the vehicle speed, and outputting the vehicle speed to the navigation ECU 1a. Further, the yaw rate sensor 1f has a function of calculating a speed at which the rotation angle of the vehicle V changes in the turning direction based on a change in the Coriolis force when the vehicle V turns, and outputting the calculated speed to the navigation ECU 1a. Note that the vehicle speed sensor 1e and the yaw rate sensor 1f do not have to be dedicated to the navigation system 1, but may be configured to be shared with others, or may be supplied with values of the vehicle speed and yaw rate from another ECU or the like. .

  The storage device 1g is a non-volatile storage device such as a hard disk or a flash memory, and the storage area stores a map database 21, power consumption information 22 and the like. In response to a read / write request from the navigation ECU 1a, It has a function of causing the navigation ECU 1a to read stored information and writing it to the storage device 1g. Note that the entire storage device 1g is not necessarily nonvolatile, and can be replaced with a volatile memory.

(Navi ECU)
Next, the software configuration of the navigation ECU 1a will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the navigation ECU 1 a includes blocks such as a position calculation unit 11, a route search unit 12, a reachability determination unit 13, a reachable route detection unit 14, and a display processing unit 15 as a software configuration. These blocks are read out from the ROM to the RAM when the power is turned on, and are executed by the CPU. All or a part of these blocks may be configured as hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

  The position calculation unit 11 acquires, from the GPS receiver 1d, data included in the radio waves that the GPS receiver 1d has received from at least four (three) GPS satellites S through the receiving antennas at approximately the same time. It has a function of calculating the latitude and longitude (altitude) of its own position (the position of the receiving antenna) using a known equation using satellite orbit information and time information. Further, the position calculation unit 11 performs relative detection by inertial navigation using vehicle speed, yaw rate, etc., when the GPS receiver 1d cannot receive the radio wave from the GPS satellite S in a tunnel, behind a mountain or a building. It has a function to grasp the correct position. With these functions, the navigation system 1 grasps the position (latitude / longitude) of the vehicle V on which the navigation system 1 is mounted, for example, with an accuracy of several m to 10 m. Since the position calculation by the position calculation unit 11 is a well-known technique, illustration and further description thereof are omitted.

The route search unit 12 is a map database 21 stored in the storage device 1g based on the latest own position (current position) calculated by the position calculation unit 11 and the destination input by the user using the input device 1b. The road data composed of nodes and links as the position information registered in is referred to and the route from the current position of the vehicle V to the destination is guided to the user. The route guidance to the user is performed by causing the display processing unit 15 to display image information on which processing such as map matching has been performed on the display device 1c. When there are a plurality of routes, the user is guided to the display device 1c by the route search unit 12, prompted to select, and the route determined by the user using the input device 1b is the current route, and the reachability determination unit 13 Will be notified.
In addition, since the map database 21 is a well-known thing, description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The reachability determination unit 13 selects the power consumption (first power consumption) required for reaching the destination by the currently set route on the way to the destination after the route search unit 12 selects the route to the destination. ). In addition, it has a function of determining whether or not the destination can be reached based on the remaining amount of the high-voltage battery 2 acquired from the battery ECU 2a and the calculated first power consumption. The calculation of the first power consumption and the determination of reachability are performed at appropriate timing, for example, every minute, every 500 m, or at a place 500 m before an intersection or branch road. The reachability determination unit 13 has a function of notifying the determination result to the reachable route detection unit 14.

  By the way, the first power consumption (kwh) is calculated by dividing the remaining distance (km) to the destination on the map by the power consumption (km / kwh) of the vehicle V as the simplest method. The The remaining distance to the destination is calculated by using the current position calculated by the position calculation unit 11 and the road data in the map database 21. In addition, the power consumption is stored in the storage device 1g. The power consumption may be a value set by the manufacturer, an average value based on past driving histories, or a value according to road conditions or traffic conditions.

  Further, the first power consumption can be calculated in consideration of weight. For example, the number of occupants is counted by a seating sensor or the like, and the weight increases as the number of occupants increases. Therefore, the calculation accuracy can be improved by calculating so that the first power consumption increases as the number of occupants increases. it can. The weight can also be grasped from the value of the suspension stroke sensor. Further, the calculation accuracy may be improved by calculating so that the first power consumption increases as the vehicle speed increases. Weight, vehicle speed, height difference, and the like are parameters for calculating the first power consumption.

The reachable route detection unit 14 detects and detects at least one route other than the currently set route on the way to the destination after the route search unit 12 selects a route to the destination. It has a function of calculating the second power consumption required to reach the destination through the other route. The reachable route detection unit 14 has a function of determining whether the destination can be reached through another detected route based on the remaining amount of the high-voltage battery 2 acquired from the battery ECU 2a.
Incidentally, the second power consumption is also calculated in the same manner as the first power consumption, and the description thereof will be omitted.

When the guide unit 15 determines that the reachability determination unit 13 cannot reach the route, the route detected by the reachable route detection unit 14 is displayed on the display device 1c, and there is another route that can be reached by the user. It has a function to guide this. This display allows the user to select another route that can reach the destination. With this guidance, when the user changes the route via the input device 1b, the route after the change is set as the current route, and the position calculation unit 11, the reachability determination on the way to the destination thereafter. The process by each function in the unit 13, the reachable route detection unit 14, and the guide unit 15 is executed.
In the first embodiment, when the user does not change the route, the guide unit 15 displays a display indicating that it is difficult to reach the destination on the display device 1c, and displays a charging facility such as a reachable charging station on the map database. Search from 21 and guide to the user.

(Operation)
Hereinafter, the operation of the navigation system 1 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 as appropriate along the route diagram of FIG. 3 and the flowchart of FIG. In the following description, the operation subject of the flowchart is the navigation ECU 1a.

  The user of the vehicle V (see FIG. 1) gets on the vehicle V in order to go to the destination G with the home as the departure point S, for example. When the user turns on the ignition switch (key switch) of the vehicle V, the ECU and devices of each system of the vehicle V including the navigation system 1 are activated.

  When the navigation system 1 (the navigation ECU 1a) is activated, the position calculation unit 11 calculates the current position. In addition, the route search unit 12 prompts the user to input a destination via the display device 1c as an initial route setting process in step S0. When the user inputs a destination via the input device 1b, in this step S0, the route search unit 12 uses the current position calculated by the position calculation unit 11 as the departure point S and takes a route toward the input destination G. , By referring to the map database 21.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the route from the departure point S to the destination G is (route 1) departure point S → node N11 → node N12 → node N13 → node N14 → destination G, or (route 2) departure. A plurality of routes such as a place S → node N11 → node N21 → node N22 → destination G and (route 3) departure place S → node N11 → node N12 → node N31 → destination G are searched. As for (Route 1), there are two routes from node N13 to N14: a tunnel (link L1) and a tunnel road (link L2).
In step S0, the user can freely select a route via the input device 1b.

  Incidentally, only the routes that can be reached with the current remaining amount of the high-voltage battery 2 are displayed for each route (candidate route) of the display device 1c. Whether the vehicle is reachable or not is determined based on the distance (km) on the map between the current position (departure point S) and the destination G in the map database 21 and the vehicle stored in the electricity cost information 22. It is determined from the average power consumption (km / kwh) of V and the remaining amount (kwh) of the high-voltage battery 2 obtained from the battery ECU 2a.

  In step S0, the user selects a route with a tunnel (link L1) as an “initial route” for reasons such as good scenery, and the user performs a selection operation via the input device 1b. . Thereby, the initial route setting in step S0 is completed. Incidentally, among the routes, the route with the lowest cost in terms of power consumption is via the node N11, the node N12, and the node N31 (route 3).

After the initial route setting, the user drives the vehicle V and travels from the departure point S to the destination G, but the navigation ECU 1a calculates the current position of the vehicle V at any time by the position calculation unit 11 (step S2). The remaining amount of the high voltage battery 2 is acquired from the battery ECU 2a as needed (step S4).
The electric vehicle, which is the vehicle V, has a large variation in the travelable distance (reachable distance) due to various factors as compared with an automobile equipped with an internal combustion engine. For this reason, in this embodiment, even if the situation where the next step S6 is performed using the information obtained by steps S2 and S4 and the power of the high voltage battery 2 is excessively generated occurs. Use an electric car that can be handled appropriately.

  Next, in the navigation ECU 1a, as the reachability determination process in step S6, the reachability determination unit 13 is currently set for every 1 minute travel, for every 500m travel, for each point 500m before the node such as an intersection, etc. The first power consumption required to reach the destination through the route is calculated. The first power consumption (kwh) is obtained by dividing the remaining distance (km) to the destination G based on the latest position information by the power cost (km / kwh) of the vehicle V stored in the power cost information 22. It is calculated by doing. This point is as described above. In addition, as the determination of availability in step S6, the reachability determination unit 13 compares the first power consumption (kwh) with the latest remaining amount (kwh) of the high-voltage battery 2, and “remaining amount> first consumption”. If it is “electric power”, it is determined that the destination can be reached, and a “permitted” reachability determination flag is set. On the other hand, if it is determined that it is not possible to reach the destination, a “not” reachability determination flag is set.

  For example, the reachability determination unit 13 assumes that the vehicle V is traveling toward the northeast at a position P 500 meters before the node N12. The current location (position P) → node N12 → node N13 → straight road → node N14 → purpose It is determined whether the destination G can be reached through the current route of the location G.

  Further, following step S6 (substantially simultaneously or in parallel), the navigation ECU 1a detects a route other than the current route by the reachable route detection unit 14 as reachable route detection processing in step S8. The second power consumption required for reaching the destination by the detected other route is calculated. For example, assuming that the vehicle V is traveling at a position P, other routes other than the current route at this time are [other route 1] position P → node N12 → node N13 → tunnel road → node N14 → purpose. A plurality of other routes including the location G and [other route 2] position P → node N12 → node N21 → node N22 → destination G are detected. Subsequently, in step S8, the arrival path detection unit 14 calculates the second power consumption for each of the detected other paths. Since the second power consumption is calculated in the same manner as the first power consumption, the description thereof is omitted.

Further, as the processing of step S8, whether or not the destination G can be reached with the remaining amount of the current high-voltage battery 2 for each of the detected other routes, the second power consumption and the remaining amount for each other route. Judgment is made by comparing with. As a result of the determination, another route that can reach the destination G is detected as a reachable route in step S8.
The reachable route which is another route includes, for example, a route using a tunnel road and a route passing through the node N31.

  Next, in step S10, the process branches depending on whether the reachability determination flag in step S6 is “possible” or “no”. If Step S10 is “No”, that is, if the reachability determination flag in Step S6 is “No” and it is determined that the destination G cannot be reached on the current route, the process proceeds to Step S12. Incidentally, when step S10 is “No”, for example, the link between the departure point S → the node N11 and the link between the node N11 → the node N12 may be congested.

In step S12, the display processing unit 15 alerts the user through the display device 1c, and displays the other routes (of these reachable routes) detected in step S8. Thus, the user can know that the destination G cannot be reached on the current route, and can change the current route to another route and head toward the destination G.
When step S10 is “No” (No), when there is no other route, that is, when a reachable route cannot be detected in step S8, the process is not step S12 but the process is step S16. It is better to move to. This is because there is no reachable route that can be guided in step S12.

  In step S14, it is determined whether or not the guided route has been accepted. As the first determination method, it is possible to determine whether or not the current position calculated by the position calculation unit 11 corresponds to a route that has been guided (reachable route). Further, as a second determination method, it is possible to prompt the user to input the intention to change the route via the display processing unit 15. In this embodiment, the will of the guide route acceptance is implicitly confirmed by monitoring the subsequent current position calculated by the position calculation unit 11 as needed, that is, by the first method. If it is confirmed that the route guided in step S14 has been accepted (Yes), the process returns to step S2 and the process is repeated. On the other hand, if step S14 is No, that is, if the vehicle V is still traveling on the same route, in step S16, it is difficult for the display processing unit 15 to reach the destination G on the display device 1c. Warning (destination arrival difficulty warning) is displayed.

  Further, the display processing unit 15 displays a route to the reachable charging facility on the display device 1c, and prompts the user to charge (step S18).

  On the other hand, if step S10 is “Yes”, that is, if the reachability determination flag in step S6 is “Yes”, the display processing unit 15 provides the user with guidance on another route. Not performed. For this reason, the travel is continued as it is on the current route passing through the road, and if the destination is reached in step S20, the process is terminated (step S20 → Yes), and if the destination is not reached (step S20 → No) ), The process returns to step S2, and the process is continued. When Step S10 is “Yes”, the display processing unit 15 may display a message such as “A destination can be reached” on the display device 1c. .

(Effect of 1st Embodiment)
According to the first embodiment described above, even when it is initially determined that the destination G can be reached on the current route, the reachability determination (step S6) is performed at an appropriate timing, and the reachable route is detected. Processing (step S8) is performed, and even when the destination cannot be reached by the current route (step S10 → No), the route that can be quickly reached can be guided to the user (step S12). That is, the navigation system 1 for an electric vehicle that can appropriately cope with a situation in which extra power is consumed by the high voltage battery 2 due to a break or traffic jam on the way to the destination G, In addition, an electric vehicle (vehicle V) can be provided.

(Other)
The initial route setting in step S0 may be performed not only immediately after the ignition switch is turned on but after running for a while, but can be handled by the navigation system 1 of the present embodiment, for example, step S0. Process from. In addition, when the destination G is changed in the middle of traveling, for example, the destination G may have been changed to “□ △ station” while the destination G was “XX park”. For example, the processing is performed from step S0.

Further, the guidance of other routes in step S12 may guide only the route with the lowest cost in terms of power consumption (the route with the least power consumption) (see the second embodiment to be described later). Further, the order of step S6 and step S8 may be reversed. Similarly, the order of step S2 and step S4 may be reversed. Further, step S8 may be performed after the determination in step S10 (see the second embodiment described later).
In each determination, a level such as “cannot be reached” or “cannot be reached after a little more” may be used (see the fourth embodiment described later).

  In addition, the factors that make it impossible to reach destination G, which should have been initially reached, are as follows: (1) Congestion is higher than expected; (2) Temperature has dropped sharply; (3) Long stay in the service area , (4) bad signal luck, (5) raining down, (6) more rapid acceleration and deceleration during driving than ordinary people, (7) vehicle speed faster than expected (increase in air resistance, (8) Strong wind (head wind), (9) Increased vehicle weight due to people and luggage, (10) High availability of auxiliary equipment such as air conditioners. Incidentally, the decrease in temperature affects the amount of power that can be discharged by the high-voltage battery 2 and also increases the energy loss at the molecular level of rubber constituting the tire and affects the running resistance. As described above, it can be said that these influences are greater in the vehicle V traveling by the traveling motor 4 as in the present embodiment than in the vehicle traveling by the internal combustion engine.

Further, the processing of the route search unit 12, specifically, the initial route setting processing in step S0 is a route searched by the route search unit 12 based on the route setting policy table of FIG. 5 (route given priority). May be displayed on the display device 1c by the guidance processing unit 12 to allow the user to select a route. By the way, in FIG. 5, the route policy of “(1) Shortest time route” is “the route with the shortest expected arrival time to the destination”, using the expressway, ignoring the height difference, etc., considering traffic information Consider the number of signals. In addition, when considering traffic jam information, the structure of 3rd Embodiment mentioned later is needed.
This route setting policy table can also be used in the reachable route detection process in step S8.

  Further, the first power consumption calculated by the reachability determination unit 13 and the second power consumption calculated by the reachable path detection unit 14 are routes (such as “(1) shortest time route” as shown in FIG. (Route) Policy may be reflected. In this case, it is assumed that the past power consumption (learned values such as a, b, c, d, etc.) for each route policy is stored in the power consumption information 22 of the storage device 1g.

  Moreover, although the display device 1c has been exemplified as the guide device, it is needless to say that the guide device may perform guidance by voice or the like.

  Further, although the power consumption and the remaining amount of the high voltage battery 2 are expressed by an absolute value “kwh”, they may be expressed by a relative value (%) called SOC (State Of Charge).

<< Second Embodiment >>
Next, a second embodiment, which is a modification of the first embodiment, will be described. In the second embodiment, parts that are the same as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings to be referred to, and description thereof is omitted. In addition, the drawings in the first embodiment will be referred to as appropriate. Hereinafter, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the second embodiment. Differences from the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. First, as a first difference, as shown in FIG. 7, in the second embodiment, the reachable route detection process in step S <b> 8 is performed when step S <b> 10 is “No” (No). . That is, in the first embodiment, the reachable route detection process (step S8) is performed regardless of the determination result of the reachability determination (step S6), and when step S10 is “Yes”, the detection of step S8 is performed. The result was thrown away. However, in this second embodiment, the waste of processing is eliminated by making the order of step S8 after step S10. Incidentally, in the ECU or the like, the calculation is performed in parallel as in the processing of step S6 and step S8 of the first embodiment, and the calculation result of step S8 is discarded according to the result of step S6. That is what is generally done.

  As a second difference from the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, in the second embodiment, step S11 is provided after step S8 for performing the reachable route detection process, and reachable in step S8. The process branches depending on whether or not a route is detected. According to this, the guidance of the other route by step S12 becomes a case where the reachable route (other route) is detected in step S8 (step S11 → Yes). On the other hand, when Step S11 is No, that is, when a reachable route (other route) is not detected in Step S8, the process proceeds to Step S16 and it is difficult for the guidance processing unit 15 to reach the destination. You will be warned.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing details of step S8 (reachable route detection processing). As shown in FIG. 8, in step S8, another route is detected in step S8a. The other route is detected by the reachable route detection unit 14 using the latest current position of the vehicle V detected in step S <b> 2 and the road data stored in the map database 21. As described above, if the position P in FIG. 3 is the current position of the vehicle, as other routes than the current route, [other route 1] position P → node N12 → node N13 → tunnel road → node N14 → purpose A plurality of other routes including the location G and [other route 2] position P → node N12 → node N21 → node N22 → destination G are detected.

  Next, in step S8b, the reachable route detection unit 14 calculates the second power consumption (kwh) for each of the other routes detected in step S8a. The second power consumption is calculated in the same manner as the first power consumption. That is, it is calculated by dividing the remaining distance (km) from the current position to the destination G for each other route by the electricity cost (km / kwh) of the vehicle V stored in the electricity cost information 22.

  In step S8c, the reachable path detection unit 14 selects a minimum energy path (minimum power consumption path). That is, the path having the minimum energy is selected from the second energies of the respective paths calculated in step S8b.

  In step S8d, the remaining amount (kwh) of the high-voltage battery 2 acquired in step S4 is compared with the second power consumption (kwh) of the minimum energy path selected in step S8c, and the destination on the minimum energy path. Determine whether G is reachable. When the remaining amount of the high-voltage battery 2 is larger (step S8d → Yes (Yes)), the destination G can be reached, so that the process proceeds to step S8e and a flag “Yes” is set. On the other hand, if the remaining amount of the high-voltage battery 2 is larger (step S8d → No (No)), the destination G can be reached, so the process proceeds to step S8f, and a “No” flag is set.

  After the process of step S8e or step S8f, this subroutine is exited and the process proceeds to step S11 (FIG. 7). Incidentally, in step S11, depending on whether the flag in step S8 is “possible” or “no”, if “Yes” (Yes), the process proceeds to step S12 if “No” (No) ) Shifts the processing to step S16.

(Effect of 2nd Embodiment)
According to the second embodiment described above, even if it is determined that the current route is reachable, the reachability determination (step S6) is performed at appropriate timing, and the destination cannot be reached on the current route. (Step S10 → No), reachable route detection processing (Step S8) can be performed to guide the reachable route (Step S12). For this reason, as in the first embodiment, the navigation system 1 for an electric vehicle and the electric vehicle (vehicle) can be appropriately dealt with even when a situation occurs in which the power of the high-voltage battery 2 is excessively consumed. V) can be provided.

  Note that the flowchart of FIG. 8 is the same in step 8 of the first embodiment.

«Third embodiment»
Next, a third embodiment in which information on road conditions is acquired and communicated with an external information center will be described. In the third embodiment, parts that are the same as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings to be referred to, and description thereof is omitted. In addition, the drawings in the first embodiment will be referred to as appropriate. Hereinafter, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

  FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the navigation system 1 according to the third embodiment. Differences from the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, in the third embodiment, the navigation system 1 includes a wireless communication device 1h. In addition, the navigation ECU 1 a includes a route information acquisition processing unit 16. Then, the navigation system 1 acquires the current route information (hereinafter referred to as “current route information”) via the information center C installed outside the vehicle V and the network.

  The information center C is, for example, an Internavi (registered trademark) server operated by the applicant, and various current route information (congestion information, construction information, accident information,...) The vehicle V is provided wirelessly. Incidentally, Internavi's information center C provides information that is a fusion of nationwide VICS (registered trademark) information and floating car data.

  The wireless communication device 1h is a communication device such as a mobile phone, a PHS (Personal Handy-phone System), and a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), and is hardware for enabling data communication with the information center C. Note that it is preferable that the communication base is provided with a handover function that allows continuous communication even when the vehicle V moves from one radio base station cell to another radio base station cell.

  The route information acquisition processing unit 16 of the navigation ECU 1a has a function of acquiring various information provided by the information center C as needed via the network via the wireless communication device 1h. Information to be acquired includes various information such as the latest traffic jam information, construction information, accident information, and weather information (current route information). In order to acquire the current route information, the route information acquisition processing unit 16 transmits the identification number, the current position, the destination G, etc. of the vehicle V to the information center C, and the current route information returned from the information center C. To get.

  For example, the current route information of the information center C can be used in the initial route setting in step S0 in FIG. 3 and FIG. 7, the reachability determination in step S6, step S8, and the like. 10 is a diagram in which a part of the flowchart of FIG. 4 or FIG. 7 is cut out. As shown in FIG. 10, the current path information acquisition process of step S5 is added to acquire the current path information. By doing so, in the subsequent step S6 and step S8 (see FIG. 4 and the like), processing utilizing the current route information can be performed. The current route information acquisition process can, of course, acquire the current route information in step S0 and use it for initial route setting.

  FIG. 11 is a route diagram for explaining a specific example in which information acquired from the information center C is used. The navigation system 1 according to the third embodiment uses construction information, traffic jam information, and the like acquired from the information center C. Utilize current route information.

Here, the operation of the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11 and FIGS. 7 and 8 of the second embodiment.
For example, even if there is no accident or traffic jam at the time of step S0 (see FIG. 7), after the vehicle V departs, an accident occurs on the link between the node N12 and the node N31. As a result, the link is closed. Thus, it is assumed that a traffic jam occurs on the link between the node N12 and the node N13 as a detour. The navigation system 1 acquires this by the process of step S5 (refer FIG. 10) which performs this as needed.

  In the example of the route diagram of FIG. 11, since the link between the node N12 and the node N13 is congested when traveling along the current route, the reachability determination unit 13 reaches the destination G without charging the current route. It is determined that it cannot be performed (step S6). For example, according to the acquired current route information, it takes one hour to pass the link between the node N12 and the node N13, and the current route through the tunnel is not charged due to an increase in power consumption during that time. It is determined that the destination G cannot be reached. For this reason, step S10 becomes "No (No)", and as shown in FIG. 7, the reachable route detection process by the reachable route detection part 14 is performed in step S8.

  The reachable route detection unit 14 considers the acquired current route information, and selects a route other than passing the link between the node N12 and the node N31 that is closed as a route other than the current route. Detection is performed (step S8a in FIG. 8). That is, the reachable route detection unit 14 determines, as other routes, [other route 1] position P → node N12 → node N13 → (tunnel road) → node N14 → destination G, [other route 2] position P. → node N12 → node N13 → node N31 → destination G, [other route 3] position P → node N12 → node N13 → node N31 → node N22 → destination G, [other route 4] position P → node N12 → Node N21 → Node N22 → Destination G,...

  Then, the reachable route detection unit 14 performs the processing of step S8b and step S8c in consideration of the current route information, and among the detected [other route 1] to [other route 4]. The path of the minimum energy with the minimum power consumption of 2 is selected. As a result of the calculation, it is assumed that the minimum energy path in this example (the path with the lowest cost in terms of power consumption) passes through the node N21 and the node N22 [other path 4]. Note that the second power consumption here is calculated according to the first embodiment or the like, but in the third embodiment, the current route information is taken into consideration. For example, if the link transit time (expected transit time) in the current route information is long, the calculated second power consumption becomes a correspondingly large value.

  The reachable route detection unit 14 determines in step S8d after selecting the minimum energy route in step S8c. That is, the latest remaining amount of the high-voltage battery 2 acquired in advance from the battery ECU 2a in step S4 is compared with the power consumption (that is, the second power consumption) in the other energy path 4 that is the minimum energy path. To do. If step S8d is “Yes”, a flag “Yes” is set in step S8e. Therefore, in the example of FIG. 11, [other route 4] is displayed on the display device 1c as guidance for another route in step S12 of FIG. It is assumed that the user follows the guidance and heads for the destination G by [other route 4].

(Effect of the third embodiment)
According to the third embodiment described above, it is possible to appropriately cope with a situation where extra power is consumed in the high-voltage battery 2 in consideration of the current path information obtained from the information center C. A possible navigation system 1 for an electric vehicle and an electric vehicle (vehicle V) can be provided.

(Other)
In the third embodiment, an example of internavi is shown as the information center C. However, as the information center C, various information sources can be used. Moreover, although the example of communication by radio | wireless (radio wave) was shown, optical communication may be sufficient.

  As described above, the current route information is acquired from the information center C by the route information acquisition processing unit 16 using the wireless communication device 1h to obtain the identification number, current position, destination G, etc. of the vehicle V to the information center C. If the information center C can confirm the return destination of the current route information, the identification number of the vehicle V is not necessary. Incidentally, in IP communication, the destination and source IP addresses are always described in the header of the packet.

  Further, by transmitting the current position and the destination G to the information center C, the information center C searches each route to the destination G, and the current route information on each route searched by the information center C is displayed in the navigation system 1 ( It may be returned to the route information acquisition processing unit 16). Further, each route searched by the navigation system 1 may be transmitted to the information center C, and the current route information of the corresponding route may be returned from the information center C. That is, there are various ways of requesting acquisition of the current path information to the information center C.

  Incidentally, in order for the reachability determination unit 13 to calculate the first power consumption (power consumption when traveling on the current route), it is sufficient to acquire the current route information of only the current route. On the other hand, in order for the reachable route detection unit 14 to calculate the second power consumption of each route, it is only necessary to acquire the current route place information of each route (candidate route).

  In the flowchart of FIG. 8, “minimum energy route selection” is selected (minimum energy priority mode). However, as other route selections, the time required from the current route information is taken into account (second energy and required time). (Energy / time addition mode). Further, in the route selection, steps S8b and S8c may be considered in consideration of only the required time, and it may be determined in step S8d whether the route can be reached by the shortest time route from the remaining amount of the high voltage battery 2 (shortest time). Time priority mode). These allow the user to select the “minimum energy priority mode”, “shortest time priority mode”, “energy / time consideration mode”, and the like via the input device 1b.

<< Fourth Embodiment >>
Next, a description will be given of a fourth embodiment that informs early that the destination cannot be reached. In the fourth embodiment as well, parts common to the first embodiment and the like are denoted by the same reference numerals in the referenced drawings, and description thereof is omitted. In addition, the drawings in the first embodiment and the like are referred to as appropriate. Hereinafter, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

  The device configuration of the fourth embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment (see FIG. 2). However, with regard to information processing, in the fourth embodiment, the reachability determination unit 13 performs “first determination”. ”And“ second determination ”, and reachability determination is performed. That is, according to the fourth embodiment, the reachability determination unit 13 determines that the reachability is reduced when the remaining amount of the high voltage battery 2 approaches within a predetermined amount with respect to the first power consumption. (2) After the first determination, determine that it cannot be reached when the remaining amount of the high-voltage battery 2 is equal to or lower than the first power consumption. Judgment ". Although described in detail below, in this embodiment, “power consumption” is referred to as “necessary energy”.

(Operation)
FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the navigation system 1 of the fourth embodiment. In FIG. 12, the same step numbers are assigned to portions common to FIG. 4 and FIG.

  First, the user gets on the vehicle V, inputs the destination G, and sets an initial route (step S0). Since this point has already been described, redundant description will be omitted. Depending on the user, the initial route setting may be performed after running. Moreover, the destination G may be changed on the way. Also in this case, step S0 is executed by the navigation ECU 1a.

Next, the required energy X is calculated at any time while the reachability determination unit 13 is traveling (step S30). The required energy X is “first energy consumption” and is calculated in the same manner as in the first embodiment. Note that the calculation may be performed in consideration of the current route information of the information center C as in the third embodiment.
Incidentally, in this flowchart, the “position calculation” step is omitted, but it goes without saying that the position calculation unit 11 calculates the position of the vehicle V at any time.

  After step S30, the remaining amount (remaining amount Y) of the high voltage battery 2 is acquired from the battery ECU 2a (step S4). Since this is also as already described, the description is omitted. Note that the order of step S4 and step S30 may be reversed.

  When the required energy X is calculated and the remaining amount Y is acquired, the reachability determination unit 13 determines the destination arrival probability in step S32. This determination is to determine whether the ratio of the remaining amount Y to the required energy X is larger than α (Y / X> α), and corresponds to “first determination”. Note that α is a value greater than 1. For example, if the user wants to warn the user when the remaining amount Y has decreased to 1.2 times the required energy X, α has a value of 1.2. Is done.

Here, if Step S32 is Yes, there is still room in the remaining amount of the high-voltage battery 2 when heading to the destination G, so the process proceeds to Step S34. The navigation ECU 1a does not perform any information processing or control in step S34, but may appropriately display that the route is maintained via the display device 1c by the display processing unit 15. .
On the other hand, when step S32 is No, since the remaining amount of the high voltage battery 2 is small when heading to the destination G, the process proceeds to step S36.

  In step S36, the reachable route detection unit 14 detects a route other than the current route (see FIG. 3) as in the first embodiment (see FIG. 3), and energy consumption required for reaching the destination by the detected other route ( (Second power consumption) is calculated. That is, the necessary energy X1, X2,... Of other detected routes (all candidate routes) is calculated. As in the third embodiment, the required energy X1, X2,... May be calculated with reference to the current route information acquired from the information center C.

  In the next step S38, the reachable route detection unit 14 compares the required energy X of the current route calculated in step S30 with the required energy X1, X2,... Of all candidate routes calculated in step S36. In this comparison, if the required energy X of the current route is the maximum (step S38 → Yes), the process proceeds to step S40, and the display processing unit 15 displays a warning that the reachability to the destination G has decreased. , Propose a change to another route (low energy route) that consumes less power. For example, in FIG. 3, if the position P is the current position and the energy consumption of the current route through the tunnel is maximum, the process proceeds to step 40.

  If the required energy X of the current path is not the maximum in the comparison in step S38 (step S38 → No), the process proceeds to step 42. Step S42 does not particularly perform any information processing or control. In the next step S44, the display processing unit 15 warns that the arrival probability at the destination has decreased (decrease in the destination arrival probability). For example, in FIG. 3, when the position P is the current position and the energy consumption of the other route of node N12 → node N21 → node N22 → destination G is greater than the current route passing through the tunnel, step S44 To warn of a decrease in destination arrival probability.

  This is processing performed following the first determination (step S32) and the first determination. In the fourth embodiment, the second determination is performed after this processing.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 12, the navigation system 1 (reachability determination unit 13) calculates the required energy X ′ at any time while the vehicle V is traveling (step S46). The reason for describing “X ′” is that it is necessary energy used for the second determination. However, there is no difference between step S30 and step S46 as the content of the process. Further, the latest remaining amount Y ′ of the high voltage battery 2 is acquired. Here, “Y ′” is the same as “X ′”. Moreover, there is no difference in the process of step S4 and step S48.
Incidentally, since the second determination is made after the first determination in terms of time, it can be said that the vehicle V is usually closer to the destination G than at the time of the first determination. For this reason, normally, X> X ′ and Y> Y ′.

  When the required energy X ′ is calculated and the remaining amount Y ′ is acquired, the reachability determination unit 13 determines whether or not the destination can be reached in step S50. This determination is to determine whether or not the remaining amount Y ′ is equal to or greater than the required energy X ′ (Y ′ ≧ X ′), and corresponds to “second determination”.

Here, when Step S50 is Yes, when heading to the destination G, the remaining amount of the high-voltage battery 2 is not yet less than the consumed energy, and a warning is issued in Step S40 and Step S44. Therefore, in this example, the route is maintained as it is (step S52). Note that no processing is performed in step S52. Incidentally, after step S52, the process proceeds to S46, but the process may proceed to step S30 (see the dotted arrow). This is because there is a possibility that Step S42 becomes Yes (possibility that “Y / X> α”) due to the user's travel in consideration of the power consumption.
On the other hand, when Step S50 is No (Y ′ <X ′), since the remaining amount of the high voltage battery 2 has cut in the necessary energy when going to the destination G, the process proceeds to Step S54.

  In step S54, the reachable route detection unit 14 detects a route other than the current route (see FIG. 3), similarly to step S36, and consumes energy required for reaching the destination by the detected other route (second). Power consumption). That is, the necessary energy X1 ', X2' ... of other detected routes (all candidate routes) is calculated.

  In the next step S56, the reachable path detection unit 14 obtains the latest remaining amount Y ′ of the high-voltage battery 2 acquired in step S48 and the necessary energy X1 ′, X2 ′,... Of all candidate paths calculated in step S54. Compare. Incidentally, at the time of step S56, there is almost no possibility of reaching the destination G by the current route (it can be said that it cannot be reached).

  Continuing with the description, if “Y ′ ≧ X1 ′, X2 ′...” In the comparison in step S56 (Yes), a route other than the current route, that is, in FIG. If it is traveled, it is considered that the vehicle will reach the destination G without charging, so the process proceeds to step S12 to guide other routes. Since this step S12 is as described in the first embodiment, a duplicate description is omitted.

  On the other hand, if “Y ′ ≧ X1 ′, X2 ′...” Is not satisfied in the comparison in step S56 (No), even if the route is changed, the destination G is reached depending on the changed route. Since it may not be possible, the process shifts to step S16 to warn of difficulty in reaching the destination and to guide the reachable charging equipment. Since Step S16 and Step S18 are also as described in the first embodiment, redundant description is omitted.

  Note that the remaining amount of the high-voltage battery 2 and the necessary energy (first power consumption / second power consumption) required to reach the destination G include errors as shown in FIG. . In FIG. 13, the remaining amount of the battery has a calculation error of about 5%, and a margin for not being able to use all of the remaining amount for maintaining the soundness of the high-voltage battery 2, about 10%. This shows that the remaining battery capacity that can be used effectively is reduced. Further, FIG. 13 shows that the required energy increases because the calculation error is about 10% and the user's driving method (riding method variation) is about 10%. The value of% is an example.

  Incidentally, the influence of the calculation error and the way of driving by the user can be reduced by learning. That is, more accurate required energy (first power consumption or second power consumption) can be calculated by learning.

(Effect of 4th Embodiment)
According to the fourth embodiment described above, since it is possible to quickly notify that the destination G cannot be reached (possibility), it is more convenient for the user. In other words, while the destination can be reached on a route other than the current route, a route change warning is given to the user before the destination can be reached on all routes before the destination is changed. Can prompt

(Other)
As already described, this fourth embodiment can be implemented in combination with the third embodiment. Moreover, you may transfer to step S30 after step S50. Further, in the process from step S56 to step S16, if there is only one route that can reach the destination G, the route may be guided.

«Fifth embodiment»
Next, a fifth embodiment that performs vehicle speed limitation in cooperation with the motor ECU will be described. In the fifth embodiment as well, parts common to the first embodiment and the like are denoted by the same reference numerals in the referenced drawings, and description thereof is omitted. In addition, the drawings in the first embodiment and the like are referred to as appropriate. Incidentally, since the fifth embodiment is also a modification of the fourth embodiment, differences from the fourth embodiment will be mainly described below.

The device configuration of the fifth embodiment is as shown in FIG. In FIG. 14, a cooperative control unit 17 is added, but this cooperative control unit 17 has a function of limiting the rotational speed of the traveling motor 4 when the reachable route detection unit 14 does not detect the reachable route. . That is, the cooperative control unit 17 transmits a vehicle speed restriction request to the motor ECU 4a that controls the traveling motor 4 through the in-vehicle network such as the above-described CAN, thereby realizing vehicle speed restriction.
Note that the vehicle speed limit in the fifth embodiment is a limit on the rotational speed of the traveling motor 4, and in the configuration in which the rotational driving force of the traveling motor 4 is transmitted to the drive wheels via the transmission, the maximum speed It is not directly related to the restrictions. That is, the vehicle speed may be limited (the rotational speed of the travel motor 4 is limited) even when traveling on a general road within the speed limit.

  The motor ECU 4a is an ECU that performs overall control of the traveling motor 4 such as controlling the output of the traveling motor in accordance with a user's accelerator pedal operation or brake pedal operation. Not only the traveling motor 4 of the present embodiment, but the motor has a higher back electromotive force and a lower efficiency when the rotational speed increases. For this reason, the motor ECU 4a performs field-weakening control when the back electromotive force increases.

However, since electric power is also consumed for field weakening control, in this fifth embodiment, the navigation ECU 1a cooperates with the motor ECU 4a to perform cooperative control so that field weakening control is not performed.
In general, the remaining battery level (SOC) and the open circuit voltage (OCV) of the battery have a relation that the OCV is high if the SOC is large, but this relation varies depending on the type of the battery. . Incidentally, it can be said that the higher the voltage (OCC) the higher the voltage (OCC) of the high-voltage battery 2 is, the greater the influence of the counter electromotive force when the remaining amount decreases. In addition, the high-voltage battery 2 having such characteristics can be said to have a wider field-weakening control region.

(Operation)
FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the operation of the navigation system 1 of the fifth embodiment. FIG. 15 is obtained by extracting and correcting a part of FIG. 12 which is a flowchart in the fourth embodiment from the relationship of the size of paper. For this reason, the same step number is attached | subjected about the part which is common in FIG. In this embodiment, “power consumption” is also referred to as “necessary energy”.

  Incidentally, although the description from the start to the terminal A (from step S0 to step S44) is omitted in the flowchart of FIG. 15, the description is omitted because it is the same as the flowchart of FIG. Steps S46 to S56 are also the same as those in the flowchart of FIG.

  Description will be given starting from the case where Step S56 is No. If Step S56 is Yes, the current remaining amount of the high-voltage battery 2 cannot reach the destination G on the current route, and further, other routes Since the destination G cannot be reached depending on the selection method, the navigation ECU 1a moves the process to step S60.

  In step S60, the cooperative control unit 17 requests the motor ECU 4a to limit the rotational speed of the traveling motor 4 to a limit value A (rpm) or less as a vehicle speed limit request. It should be noted that the limit value can be made stricter by lowering the limit value as the remaining amount is lower, depending on the remaining amount of the high-voltage battery 2.

  In addition, the cooperative control unit 17 notifies the reachable route detection unit 14 (and also the reachability determination unit 13) that the rotational speed of the traveling motor 4 has been limited.

  In step S62, the reachable route detection unit 14 calculates necessary energy X1 ″, X2 ″,... For all candidate routes under the condition that the vehicle speed restriction is added. For example, when vehicle speed limitation is added, 5% required energy is reduced between node N12 and node N13, 8% required energy is reduced between node N12 and node N31, and vehicle speed limitation is added. Necessary energies X1 ″, X2 ″,... Of all candidate routes are calculated.

  Subsequently, in step S64, the latest remaining amount Y 'of the high voltage battery 2 acquired from the battery ECU 2a in step S48 is compared with all candidate routes X1 ", X2" ... calculated in step S62. Incidentally, at the time of step S64 as well as at the time of step S56, there is almost no possibility of reaching the destination G by the current route (it can be said that it cannot be reached).

  Continuing with the description, if “Y ′ ≧ X1 ″, X2 ″...” (Yes) in the comparison in step S64 (Yes), as a result of speed limitation, a route other than the current route, that is, in FIG. Since it is considered that the vehicle will reach the destination G without charging if the vehicle travels on a route other than the current route passing through the saddle road, the process proceeds to step S12 to guide other routes. Since this step S12 is as described in the first embodiment, a duplicate description is omitted.

  On the other hand, if “Y ′ ≧ X1 ″, X2 ″...” Is not satisfied in the comparison in step S64 (No), even if the route is changed as well as the current route, depending on the changed route, the destination G Therefore, the process proceeds to step S16 to warn of difficulty in reaching the destination, and further guides the reachable charging equipment. Since Step S16 and Step S18 are also as described in the first embodiment, redundant description is omitted.

(Effect of 5th Embodiment)
According to the fifth embodiment described above, in addition to the effects of the first and fourth embodiments, power saving is achieved by limiting the vehicle speed (by not performing field weakening control), and the destination G is reached. Can try to reach.

(Other)
After adding the vehicle speed limit in step S60, it is determined whether or not the destination G can be reached through the current route. If the destination G cannot be reached, the processing in step S62 may be performed. Further, instead of limiting the rotational speed, the vehicle speed may be limited by a vehicle speed sensor.

<< Sixth Embodiment >>
Next, a sixth embodiment relating to calculation of necessary energy (first power consumption / second power consumption) will be described. In the description, FIGS. 1 and 2 of the first embodiment will be referred to as appropriate.

  The reachability determination unit 13 calculates the first power consumption (required energy), and the reachable path detection unit 14 calculates the second power consumption (required energy). Refer to FIG. I will explain.

  In FIG. 16, the left half shows the drive side, and the right half shows the regeneration side. First, the regeneration side will be described. For example, when trying to accelerate a vehicle V having a certain weight from a certain vehicle speed to a certain vehicle speed, energy required for acceleration is required. This is the “acceleration energy” of “a)” in FIG. However, in order to accelerate, it is necessary to consider the “rolling resistance” of “b)” of the vehicle V. In addition, the “air resistance” of “c)” of the vehicle V must be considered. For this reason, in order to accelerate the vehicle V having a certain weight from a certain vehicle speed to a certain vehicle speed, “travel energy” of “d)” is required. Incidentally, d = a + b + c.

  However, “travel energy” of “d)” is not sufficient, “mechanical loss” of “e)” of the travel motor 4 or the like, and “travel motor 4 or PDU (Power Drive Unit) not illustrated” of “f)”. "Electrical loss" and "G)" "Power consumption of electrical accessories" must be considered. For this reason, in order to accelerate the vehicle V having a certain weight from a certain vehicle speed to a certain vehicle speed, energy of d + e + f + g is required.

  On the other hand, the vehicle V, which is an electric vehicle, can perform regenerative power generation. In the right half of FIG. 16, “A)” “acceleration resistance” is energy that can be recovered from the vehicle V when the vehicle V having a certain weight is decelerated from a certain vehicle speed to a certain vehicle speed. However, the “rolling resistance” of “B)” must be taken into consideration during deceleration as well as during acceleration. In addition, “air resistance” of “C)” must be taken into consideration. For this reason, if the vehicle V having a certain weight is to be decelerated from a certain vehicle speed to a certain vehicle speed, the “deceleration energy” of “D)” can be recovered. Incidentally, D = A−B−C.

  However, not all the “deceleration energy” of “D)” can be recovered as regenerative power generation, but “mechanical loss” of “E)” in the traveling motor 4 or the like, “traveling motor 4 of“ F) ”or not shown. ”Electric loss of PDU (Power Drive Unit)” and “G)” “Power consumption of electric auxiliary equipment” must be considered. Furthermore, since the brake is used at the time of deceleration, the “brake loss” of “H” must be taken into consideration. In addition, “Battery loss” of “I)” when charging the high voltage battery 2 with regenerative power must also be considered.

  Eventually, if a vehicle having a certain weight is accelerated to a certain speed and decelerated to a certain speed, the “battery discharge amount” of “J” in FIG. 16 is required. This is “necessary energy (first power consumption / second power consumption)”.

Next, the configuration of the navigation system 1 according to the sixth embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIG. 17, the navigation ECU 1a according to the sixth embodiment includes a traveling state determination unit 18 as a software configuration. As will be described later, the traveling state determination unit 18 determines whether the current traveling situation is “urban area”, “suburb”, “high speed”, “mountainous area”, “congestion”, and the like. The determination result is notified to the reachability determination unit 13, the reachable route detection unit 14, and the like so that each unit 13, 14 can be used for calculating required energy (first power consumption / second power consumption). To.

(Operation)
With reference to FIG. 18, the operation of the navigation ECU 1a according to the required energy calculation flow in which the concept of FIG. 16 is simplified will be described.
First, in step S82, the navigation ECU 1a (running condition determination unit 18) acquires route information. The route information is acquired (calculated) from the map database 21 stored in the storage device 1g as the height difference of the route (link), the number of signals, the speed limit, and the like. In the next step S84, the traveling state determination unit 18 determines a traveling situation. For example, for a route (link) having a certain height difference or more, the traveling situation is set to “mountainous area”. For example, in the case of a route (link) having an average of one or more signals within 100 m, the traveling situation is set to “city”. In the case of a route (link) with a speed limit of 80 km or more, the traveling situation is set to “high speed”.

  In step S86, the traveling state determination unit 18 confirms the traffic congestion state. For example, the speed limit acquired in step S82 is compared with the current vehicle speed obtained from the vehicle speed sensor 1e, and traffic congestion is determined based on the ratio.

  In step S88, the traveling state determination unit 18 assigns a traffic jam coefficient. For example, if the driving situation is an urban area and the ratio between the speed limit and the current vehicle speed is ..., the congestion coefficient is given as "a". That is, the navigation ECU 1a includes a function for calculating a traffic jam coefficient from the driving situation and the ratio, and correspondence information (for example, a table) (not shown) in which the driving situation, the ratio, and the traffic jam coefficient are associated with each other. .

  In step S90, the reachable route detection unit 14 calculates necessary energy (second power consumption) of all candidate routes. Here, it is calculated as shown in FIG. The representative power consumption value is a learned value in the past travel history. The representative power consumption value may be a standard value such as “LA4” or “HWY”.

(Effect of 6th Embodiment)
According to the sixth embodiment described above, it is possible to calculate the first power consumption and the second power consumption with an appropriate power consumption according to the travel situation (travel situation).

(Other)
In the sixth embodiment, the information center C (see FIG. 9) may be used as in the third embodiment.

≪Summary≫
The first to sixth embodiments described above show examples for carrying out the present invention, and it goes without saying that the present invention is not construed as being limited to the above-described embodiments. Nor. Also, the first to sixth embodiments can be implemented in appropriate combination. In addition, the present invention can naturally be applied to a vehicle such as a ship (a vehicle can be read as a vehicle).

  The present invention has great applicability as a technique for making electric vehicles that will become increasingly popular in the future convenient.

V Vehicle (electric car)
1 Navigation system (Navigation system for electric vehicles)
1a Navi ECU
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Position calculation part 12 Path | route search part 13 Reachability determination part 14 Reachable path | route detection part 15 Display processing part (guidance part)
16 route information acquisition processing unit 17 cooperative control unit 18 traveling state determination unit 1b input device 1c display device (guidance device)
2 High voltage battery (power storage device)
3 Inverter 4 Traveling motor 4a Motor ECU (control unit for controlling the traveling motor)

Claims (9)

A traveling motor;
A power storage device that stores electric power supplied to the travel motor;
A remaining amount detecting device for detecting the remaining amount of the power storage device;
A navigation system for an electric vehicle applied to an electric vehicle that is a vehicle comprising:
A route search unit for searching for a route to the destination;
On the way to the destination, the first power consumption required to reach the destination through the currently set route is calculated, and the reachability to determine whether the destination can be reached based on the current remaining amount of the power storage device A determination unit;
On the way to the destination, detect at least one other route other than the currently set route, calculate second power consumption required to reach the destination by the detected other route, and A reachable route detection unit that detects other routes that can reach the destination based on the current remaining amount;
A navigation system for an electric vehicle, comprising: a guide unit that guides a route detected by the reachable route detection unit to a user via a guide device when the reachability determination unit determines that it cannot be reached. . The navigation system for an electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the reachable route detection unit starts processing when the reachability determination unit determines that the reachability determination unit cannot reach the reachable route detection unit. The reachability determination unit
A first determination that determines that the reachability has decreased when the current remaining amount of the power storage device approaches the first power consumption within a predetermined range;
After the first determination, and performing a second determination that determines that the power storage device cannot be reached when the current remaining amount of the power storage device is equal to or less than the first power consumption,
The guide part is
The navigation for an electric vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when it is determined that the reachability is reduced by the first determination, a warning to that effect is given via the guide device. system. 4. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first power consumption and the second power consumption is calculated based on a travel parameter in each route. 5. Navigation system. The navigation system for an electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least one of the first and second power consumptions is calculated based on past power consumption information. . A power consumption information storage unit that stores a plurality of the power consumption information for each traveling state of the vehicle;
A driving condition determination unit that determines the current driving condition of the vehicle,
At least one of the reachability determination unit and the reachable route detection unit obtains corresponding power cost information from the power cost information storage unit based on the travel status determined by the travel status determination unit as the past power cost information. The navigation system for an electric vehicle according to claim 5. The guide part is
The reachable route detecting section, based on the current remaining amount of the electric storage device, if the other possible paths to reach their destinations other than the route that is currently set to multiple detection, the plurality of the detected The navigation system for an electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein another route is guided. The power storage device provided in the vehicle has a characteristic that the voltage decreases as the remaining amount decreases.
The travel motor included in the vehicle is driven by the power supply voltage of the power storage device, and field weakening control is performed as the back electromotive voltage generated by the travel motor increases with respect to the power supply voltage.
The navigation system includes:
The cooperative control part which restricts the rotation speed of the travel motor in cooperation with the control part which controls the travel motor when the reachable path is not detected by the reachable path detection part. The navigation system for an electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7.   An electric vehicle comprising the navigation system for an electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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