JP7205247B2 - Energy supply support device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an energy replenishment support device.

Patent Literature 1 discloses a technique in which, when the remaining amount of fuel becomes equal to or less than a first level, an automatic operation control unit automatically drives the vehicle to a gas station reachable with the remaining amount of fuel. In the technology described in Patent Document 1, a service inquiry unit inquires of a server whether a service for refueling at any replenishment location can be provided, and a candidate notification unit receives a response from the server and determines the gasoline to which the vehicle is headed. The service requesting unit requests the server to provide the selected service, and the vehicle is sent to any refueling location by the automatic driving control unit. Go by self-driving.

JP 2018-100926 A

However, in the conventional technology described above, the vehicle is an unmanned autonomous vehicle, and an energy supply station such as a gas station or a charging station that can be reached with the remaining amount of energy such as fuel and stored electricity in the vehicle is a so-called self-driving vehicle. In the case of a conventional energy replenishing stand, there is a problem that energy cannot be replenished.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and its object is to provide a self-driving vehicle even if the vehicle is an unmanned self-driving vehicle and the energy supply station that can be reached with the remaining amount of energy in the vehicle is self-service. To provide an energy replenishment support device capable of receiving replenishment support from a worker.

In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the above objects, an energy replenishment support device according to the present invention is provided, when information is input that the remaining amount of energy for running a vehicle is below a predetermined level. A control unit that outputs a control signal to switch to automatic operation with an energy supply station that the vehicle can reach as a destination depending on the remaining amount of and a communication unit that transmits information to the energy supply station.

According to the energy replenishment support device according to the present invention, information regarding the necessity of replenishment support can be transmitted to the energy replenishment stand before the vehicle arrives at the energy replenishment stand. Even if the energy replenishment station reachable by the remaining amount of energy in the vehicle is a self-service station, it is possible to receive assistance in replenishing energy from the worker.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an energy replenishment support system to which an energy replenishment support device according to one embodiment of the present invention can be applied. FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the processing flow of the energy replenishment support method according to one embodiment of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in all the drawings of the following embodiments, the same reference numerals are given to the same or corresponding parts. Moreover, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

First, an energy replenishment support system to which an energy replenishment support device according to an embodiment of the present invention can be applied will be described. FIG. 1 shows an energy replenishment support system according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the energy replenishment support system 1 has an energy replenishment support center 2, a plurality of vehicles 3, and a plurality of energy replenishment stations 4 that can communicate with each other via a network 10. FIG.

The network 10 is composed of an Internet line network, a mobile phone line network, and the like. The network 10 is, for example, a public communication network such as the Internet, such as a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), a telephone communication network such as a mobile phone, a public line, a VPN (Virtual Private Network), and a It consists of one or a combination of several such as leased lines. Network 10 is an appropriate combination of wired and wireless communications.

(Energy Supply Support Center)
In this embodiment, the energy replenishment support center 2 as an energy replenishment support device includes a control section 21 , a storage section 22 and a communication section 23 . The energy replenishment support center 2 is a server that supports replenishment of fuel such as gasoline and electric power to the vehicle 3 which is an unmanned automatic vehicle. The energy replenishment support center 2 receives vehicle identification information, travel history information, vehicle information, information related to replenishment of energy (hereinafter referred to as energy replenishment information), etc. regarding each vehicle 3 transmitted from a plurality of vehicles 3 having a communication unit 32. receives various information via the network 10 .

The vehicle identification information includes various information for identifying individual vehicles 3 from each other. The travel history information includes information such as travel route and travel area of each vehicle 3 and map information. The travel route information includes information on whether a specific road is up or down, information on whether a specific road is up or down, or the like. The driving area information includes driving route information, municipal information, prefecture information, and area information such as Kanto and Tokai. The map information includes information capable of outputting a specific map image and road condition information. The vehicle information includes information on the ignition timing, fuel injection amount, injection timing, throttle opening, VVT, and EGR valve control amount as information on the vehicle 3, particularly on the internal combustion engine. Vehicle information may further include information such as total mileage, position information, speed information, acceleration information, sensor group acquisition information, and vehicle type.

Specifically, the control unit 21 includes processors such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), and the like. main memory (none of which is shown). The control unit 21 loads the program stored in the storage unit 22 into the work area of the main storage unit, executes it, and controls each component through the execution of the program, thereby realizing a function that meets a predetermined purpose. can.

When the remaining energy amount in the energy storage unit 35 that stores the energy for running the vehicle 3 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined level, the control unit 21 stores one energy that the vehicle can reach based on the remaining energy amount in the energy storage unit 35. Outputs a control signal to switch to automatic operation with the energy supply station as the destination.

In this embodiment, the control unit 21 executes a program to execute the functions of the list creation unit 21a and the vehicle discrimination unit 21b. The list creating unit 21a performs a process of creating a list of energy replenishment stations corresponding to replenishment of energy when the vehicle 3 is an unmanned self-driving vehicle. The list creation unit 21 a stores the created list data in the storage unit 22 . The vehicle discrimination unit 21b discriminates the vehicle 3 based on the vehicle identification information included in the vehicle information transmitted from the vehicle 3, and specifies the vehicle 3 to which the list data created by the list creation unit 21a is sent. I do.

The storage unit 22 is physically selected from volatile memory such as RAM, nonvolatile memory such as ROM, EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), hard disk drive (HDD), removable media, and the like. Consists of media. Note that removable media are, for example, USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, or disk recording media such as CD (Compact Disc), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), and BD (Blu-ray (registered trademark) Disc). be. Alternatively, the storage unit 22 may be configured using a computer-readable recording medium such as a memory card that can be attached from the outside. The storage unit 22 can store an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, various databases, and the like for executing the operations of the energy replenishment support center 2 . Various programs also include an energy replenishment support program according to the present embodiment. These various programs can be recorded on computer-readable recording media such as hard disks, flash memories, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, flexible disks, etc., and can be widely distributed.

As described above, the storage unit 22 stores the received information regarding energy supply, and the vehicle identification information and vehicle information of the vehicle 3 in a searchable manner. The storage unit 22 further accumulates and updates the list data generated by the list creation unit 21a of the control unit 21, and stores the list data.

The communication unit 23 is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface board or a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication. The LAN interface board and wireless communication circuit are connected to a network 10 such as the Internet, which is a public communication network. A communication unit 23 as a transmission unit and a reception unit is connected to the network 10 and communicates with the plurality of vehicles 3 . The communication unit 23 receives various information such as vehicle identification information, travel history information, and vehicle information from each vehicle 3, and transmits various information such as list data and control signals to the vehicle 3. or send information.

The vehicle identification information includes various information for identifying individual vehicles 3 from each other. The travel history information includes information such as the travel route and travel area of each vehicle 3, map information, and weather information. The travel route information includes information on whether a specific road is up or down, information on whether a specific road is up or down, or the like. The driving area information includes driving route information, municipal information, prefecture information, and area information such as Kanto and Tokai. The map information includes information capable of outputting a specific map image and road condition information. The weather information includes outside temperature and humidity information, and weather information such as sunny, cloudy, raining, or snowing. The outside temperature and humidity information may include not only information on the temperature and humidity during running, but also information on the actual measured temperature and humidity of the outside air. The weather information may also include information associated with wind direction, wind speed, and traveling direction of the vehicle 3 . The vehicle information includes information on the ignition timing, fuel injection amount, injection timing, throttle opening, VVT, and EGR valve control amount as information on the vehicle 3, particularly on the internal combustion engine. Vehicle information may further include information such as total mileage, position information, speed information, acceleration information, sensor group acquisition information, and vehicle type.

(vehicle)
The vehicle 3 is, for example, an automatic driving vehicle configured to be able to autonomously travel according to a given operation command. Vehicle 3 includes control unit 31 , communication unit 32 , drive unit 33 , storage unit 34 and energy storage unit 35 . Control unit 31 and storage unit 34 are physically similar to control unit 21 and storage unit 22 described above, respectively. The control unit 31 comprehensively controls operations of various components mounted on the vehicle 3 by executing programs stored in the storage unit 34 .

The communication unit 32 as a transmission unit and a reception unit includes, for example, an in-vehicle communication module (DCM: Data Communication Module). The communication unit 32 communicates with at least the energy supply support center 2 and the energy supply station 4 by wireless communication via the network 10 .

The drive unit 33 is a conventionally known drive unit necessary for running the vehicle 3 . Specifically, the vehicle 3 includes an internal combustion engine serving as a drive source, a motor serving as an electric motor, a drive transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force from the drive source, and driving wheels for running. The engine of the vehicle 3 may be configured to generate power using an electric motor or the like driven by fuel combustion. The generated power charges a rechargeable battery.

Various types of information including vehicle identification information, map information, travel history information, vehicle information, and list data of the vehicle 3 are stored in the storage unit 34 in an accumulable and updateable manner. Various data detected by various sensors (not shown) in the vehicle 3 are stored in the storage unit 34 as sensor information so that they can be accumulated and updated. The vehicle 3 further includes an input/output unit, a sensor group, a GPS unit (none of which are shown), and the like.

The energy storage unit 35 is a storage unit for storing the energy necessary for running the vehicle 3, and is composed of, for example, a tank such as a fuel tank that stores fuel, a battery that stores electricity, and the like. By supplying the energy stored in the energy storage unit 35 to the drive unit 33, the drive unit 33 is driven and the vehicle 3 can run. The remaining amount of energy in the energy storage unit 35 is detected by a predetermined remaining amount sensor (not shown) and output to the control unit 31 as remaining energy amount data.

The control unit 31 causes the storage unit 34 to sequentially store information such as map information, travel history information, and vehicle information based on information obtained from a group of sensors (not shown) while the vehicle 3 is running or stopped. . On the other hand, the control unit 31 is sequentially input with remaining energy amount data from the remaining amount sensor. The control unit 31 communicates information such as travel history information and vehicle information stored in the storage unit 34 at a timing based on the remaining energy amount, specifically at a timing when the remaining energy amount becomes equal to or less than a predetermined level. It is transmitted to the energy replenishment support center 2 through the unit 32 . In the energy supply support center 2 , information such as travel history information and vehicle information received from each vehicle 3 is stored in the storage unit 22 . As a result, the information on the current position of the vehicle 3 is updated in the storage unit 22 of the energy replenishment support center 2 at the timing based on the remaining energy amount in the energy storage unit 35 of the vehicle 3 .

(Energy supply stand)
Each energy supply station 4 is composed of a gas station and a charging station provided with an energy supply facility 45 . The energy supply stand 4 includes a computer having a control section 41 , a storage section 42 , a communication section 43 and an output section 44 . Control unit 41, storage unit 42, and communication unit 43 are physically similar to control unit 21, storage unit 22, and communication unit 23 described above, respectively. The output unit 44 is composed of a touch panel display, a speaker microphone, and the like. The output unit 44 is configured to be able to notify the outside of predetermined information by displaying characters, graphics, etc. on the screen of the touch panel display or outputting audio from the speaker microphone under the control of the control unit 41. . It should be noted that an input section may be provided to enable input of predetermined information to the control section 41 by a user or the like operating a touch panel display or uttering a sound toward a speaker microphone. The control unit 41 outputs predetermined information from the output unit 44 by executing the program stored in the storage unit 42 . An energy supply facility 45 provided at the energy supply stand 4 is configured to be able to supply fuel and electric power to the vehicle 3 .

(Energy supply support method)
Next, an energy replenishment support method executed in the energy replenishment support system 1 configured as described above will be described. In the following description, transmission and reception of information are performed via the network 10, but the description of this point each time will be omitted. FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the energy replenishment support method according to this embodiment.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2, in step ST1, the list creation unit 21a of the control unit 21 of the energy replenishment support center 2 creates a list of energy replenishment stations corresponding to replenishment of energy for the vehicle 3, which is an automatic driving vehicle. . On the other hand, in step ST2, the control section 31 of the vehicle 3 determines whether or not the remaining energy amount in the energy storage section 35 has become equal to or less than a predetermined level. As a result, when the remaining energy amount becomes equal to or less than the predetermined level, the control unit 31 sends a list request signal indicating that the remaining energy amount is equal to or less than the predetermined level to the energy replenishment support center 2 via the communication unit 32 and the vehicle Send identifying information.

The control unit 21 of the energy replenishment support center 2 that has received the list request signal and the vehicle identification information retrieves the list information of the energy replenishment stations 4 that can be reached with the remaining energy amount in the energy storage unit 35 of the vehicle 3 from the storage unit 22. It retrieves it and transmits it to the vehicle 3 together with the control signal. The control signal is a signal for switching to automatic operation with the vehicle 3 reaching the selected energy supply station 4 as the destination.

Next, in step ST3, the controller 31 of the vehicle 3 selects a predetermined energy supply station 4 from the received list information. The vehicle 3 switches the destination to the selected energy supply station 4 based on the control signal received from the energy supply support center 2 . Further, the control unit 31 calculates the arrival time (estimated arrival time) at the selected energy supply station 4 based on the information input from the GPS unit, the sensor group (both not shown), and the like. Via the communication unit 32, the control unit 31 receives passenger information indicating whether the vehicle 3 is an unmanned automatic vehicle, information on the selected energy supply station 4 (selection information ) and information on the expected arrival time to the energy replenishment support center 2 .

Next, in step ST4, the vehicle determination unit 21b of the energy supply support center 2 determines the characteristics of the vehicle 3 associated with the vehicle identification information from the storage unit 22 and the energy type of the vehicle 3 based on the received vehicle identification information. read out. The energy type is the type of energy that can be supplied to the energy storage unit 35 of the vehicle 3, such as fuel such as gasoline, light oil, and high-octane gasoline, or electricity. The control unit 21 transmits the estimated arrival time received from the vehicle 3 and the read characteristics and energy type of the vehicle 3 to the energy supply station 4 via the communication unit 23 .

After that, when the vehicle 3 arrives at the energy supply station 4 in step ST5, the control section 31 transmits an arrival notice to the energy supply station 4 via the communication section 32 . Subsequently, in step ST<b>6 , the control unit 31 of the vehicle 3 stops the drive source such as the engine and the motor, and then performs control to open the energy supply port in the energy storage unit 35 .

Next, in step ST7, at the energy supply stand 4, the worker uses the energy supply equipment 45 to supply energy from the energy supply port of the energy storage unit 35 of the vehicle 3. After completing the energy supply, the worker closes the energy supply port. The control unit 41 of the energy supply station 4 transmits a signal of notification of completion of supply to the vehicle 3 through the communication unit 43 . When the vehicle 3 receives the notification of completion of replenishment via the communication unit 32, the vehicle 3 proceeds to step ST8, confirms the replenishment of energy, and then departs from the energy replenishment station 4. FIG. The vehicle 3 starts traveling toward a predetermined destination so as to return to its original position. With the above, the processing of the energy replenishment support method according to the present embodiment ends.

According to the embodiment of the present invention described above, before the vehicle 3 arrives at the energy replenishing station 4, it is possible to transmit information regarding the necessity of energy replenishment assistance to the energy replenishing station 4, so that the vehicle 3 can be unmanned. Even if the self-driving vehicle is self-driving and the energy supply stand 4 that can be reached with the remaining amount of energy in the vehicle 3 is self-service, it is possible to receive support for energy supply from a worker.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been specifically described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described one embodiment, and various modifications based on the technical idea of the present invention are possible. For example, the numerical values given in one embodiment above are merely examples, and different numerical values may be used if desired. Further effects and modifications can be easily derived by those skilled in the art. The broader aspects of the invention are not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Accordingly, various changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

1 energy supply support system 2 energy supply support center 3 vehicle 4 energy supply stand 21, 31, 41 control unit 21a list creation unit 21b vehicle discrimination unit 22, 34, 42 storage unit 23, 32, 43 communication unit 33 drive unit 35 energy Storage unit 44 Output unit 45 Energy supply equipment

Claims (1)

When information is input that the remaining amount of energy for driving the vehicle, which is an automated driving vehicle, has fallen below a predetermined level, automatic driving with the destination being an energy supply station that the vehicle can reach due to the remaining amount of energy. a control unit that outputs a control signal for switching to
a communication unit configured to transmit information regarding whether or not replenishment support is necessary to the energy supply station before the vehicle arrives at the energy supply station;
and a storage unit that stores the information,
The control unit
a list creation unit that creates list information of energy replenishment stations corresponding to the replenishment of energy;
the list information created by the list creation unit is transmitted from the communication unit in a state in which the energy supply station reachable by the vehicle can be selected ;
The information on the necessity of replenishment support includes vehicle identification information on the type of the vehicle and information on the expected arrival time of arrival at the energy supply station,
The control unit has a vehicle discrimination unit that discriminates the type of the vehicle,
The vehicle discrimination unit
Acquiring information on whether or not the replenishment support is necessary from the vehicle,
Based on the obtained vehicle identification information, read the characteristics and energy type of the vehicle associated with the vehicle identification information from the storage unit,
The control unit transmits the information on the estimated time of arrival, the characteristics of the vehicle, and the information on the type of energy to the energy supply station via the communication unit . Energy supply support device.

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