JP4737154B2 - Supply facility guide device, supply facility guide method, and computer program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device and method for guiding a supply facility, and a computer program for supplying energy by taking the change of price for supply in even the same supply facility depending on time zone into account. <P>SOLUTION: In the method, a plurality of charging facilities on a route from a current position of own vehicle to destination are detected when the destination is set, expected arrival times when own vehicle arrives at respective detected charging facilities are computed, and the prices of charging at the expected arrival times are compared by taking the prices of charging being different depending on time zone into account to select the charging facility for charging vehicle so that the cost required for charging becomes the minimum extent and guide vehicle to the selected charging facility. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a replenishment facility guidance apparatus, a replenishment facility guidance method, and a computer program for guiding a replenishment facility for replenishing energy used for a drive source of a vehicle.

  Conventionally, when a driver observes a fuel gauge from time to time while driving and the remaining amount of fuel decreases, the driver travels to a fueling facility (for example, a gas station) in his / her memory to supply fuel. Also, if the navigation system is used, even if the land is unknown to the driver, the driver can be displayed by detecting the vehicle position by the navigation system and displaying the nearby fueling facility on the navigation screen. It was also possible to search for the location of the nearest gas station by referring to the navigation screen.

Furthermore, in the conventional navigation system, not only simply displaying the refueling facility, but also obtaining the gasoline price at the refueling facility, guidance is given in consideration of the gasoline price for each refueling facility. It was. For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-17194, a fueling facility to be refueled in order to obtain the price of a gasoline at a gas station on the route from the current position to the home and to make the fuel cost to reach the home the lowest A navigation system that guides users is described.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-17194 (pages 13 to 15, FIGS. 3 to 7)

  However, in the navigation system described in Patent Document 1, the supply facility to be guided is selected in consideration of the fact that the supply price for supplying energy at the supply facility differs depending on the location. It is not assumed that the supply price varies depending on the time of day at the supply facility.

Here, in recent years, there are many electric vehicles such as an electric vehicle that uses a motor driven based on electric power supplied from a battery as a drive source, and a hybrid vehicle that uses a motor and an engine together as a drive source. . And when charging the battery with which such an electric vehicle is provided, it is common to charge at a home or a dedicated charging facility. However, since the replenishment price necessary for charging the battery at the charging facility is determined according to the electricity charge of the electric power company, the price greatly changes even at the same facility in the daytime and at night.
In this case, the navigation system described in Patent Document 1 is based on the premise that the supply price basically does not change in the same facility, so the time when the electricity rate changes (for example, 7:00 and 23: 00), the appropriate replenishment facility could not be guided.

  The present invention was made in order to solve the above-described conventional problems, and by guiding a supply facility that supplies energy in consideration of the fact that the supply price changes even in the same supply facility depending on the time of day, It is an object of the present invention to provide a replenishment facility guidance apparatus, a replenishment facility guidance method, and a computer program capable of guiding an appropriate replenishment facility in order to reach a destination regardless of travel time.

In order to achieve the above object, the replenishment facility guidance device (1) according to claim 1 of the present application provides positional information of replenishment facilities in which the replenishment price for replenishing energy used for the drive source (5) of the vehicle (2) varies depending on the time zone. Replenishment facility position acquisition means (33), own vehicle position acquisition means (33) for acquiring the current position of the vehicle, destination setting means (33) for setting a destination, and the replenishment facility position acquisition means The replenishment facility detecting means (33) for detecting a plurality of replenishment facilities on the route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination based on the position information of the replenishment facility acquired by the vehicle An estimated arrival time calculating means (33) for calculating an estimated arrival time for the vehicle to arrive at a plurality of supply facilities, and an estimated arrival time calculated by the estimated arrival time calculating means. Price acquisition means (33) for acquiring the supply price of the supply facility, and supply facility selection means for selecting a supply facility for supplying energy based on the position of the plurality of supply facilities and the supply price acquired by the price acquisition means (33) and supply facility guide means (33) for guiding the supply facility selected by the supply facility selection means.
Here, “supplementing energy” includes supplying gasoline, light oil, ethanol or the like to an oil tank for an engine, and charging electric power to a battery.

  Further, the replenishment facility guide device (1) according to claim 2 is the replenishment facility guide device according to claim 1, wherein each replenishment facility at the expected arrival time calculated by the expected arrival time calculation means (33). Price comparison means (33) for comparing the replenishment prices, and the replenishment facility selection means (33) selects a replenishment facility for replenishing energy based on the comparison result of the price comparison means.

  A replenishment facility guide device (1) according to claim 3 is the replenishment facility guide device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the replenishment facilities acquired by the position and the price acquisition means of the plurality of replenishment facilities. Based on the price, the replenishment amount calculating means (33) for calculating the replenishment amount for replenishing energy at the replenishment facility selected by the replenishment facility selecting means (33), and the replenishment amount calculated by the replenishment amount calculating means Replenishment amount guiding means (33) for guiding

  Further, the replenishment facility guidance device (1) according to claim 4 is the replenishment facility guidance device according to claim 3, wherein the replenishment amount calculation means (33) is the time when the vehicle (2) arrives at the destination. The replenishment amount to be replenished is calculated so that the remaining amount of energy used for the drive source (5) of the vehicle is eliminated.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a replenishment facility position obtaining step of obtaining position information of a replenishment facility in which a replenishment price for replenishing energy used for the drive source (5) of the vehicle (2) varies depending on time zones S12), a vehicle position acquisition step (S2) for acquiring the current position of the vehicle, a destination setting step (S1) for setting a destination, and the position information of the supply facility acquired by the supply facility position acquisition step And a supply facility detection step (S12) for detecting a plurality of supply facilities on a route from the current position of the vehicle to a destination based on the vehicle, and the vehicle at the plurality of supply facilities detected by the supply facility detection step. Estimated arrival time calculation step (S13) for calculating the estimated arrival time, and the estimated arrival time calculated by the expected arrival time calculation step. The price acquisition step (S22, S23) for acquiring the supply price of each supply facility in the system, and selecting the supply facility for supplying energy based on the position of the plurality of supply facilities and the supply price acquired in the price acquisition step It has a supply facility selection step (S31 to S34) and a supply facility guidance step (S31, S33) for guiding the supply facility selected by the supply facility selection step.

  Furthermore, the computer program according to claim 6 is installed in a computer, and a replenishment facility position for acquiring replenishment facility position information for replenishing energy used for the drive source (5) of the vehicle (2) depending on a time zone. An acquisition function (S12), an own vehicle position acquisition function (S2) for acquiring the current position of the vehicle, a destination setting function (S1) for setting a destination, and a supply facility acquired by the supply facility position acquisition function A supply facility detection function (S12) for detecting a plurality of supply facilities on the route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination based on the position information of the vehicle, and a plurality of supply facilities detected by the supply facility detection function Estimated arrival time calculation function (S13) for calculating the estimated arrival time at which the vehicle will arrive, and the estimated arrival time calculated by the expected arrival time calculation function. A replenishment facility for replenishing energy is selected based on the replenishment price acquired by the price acquisition function (S22, S23) for acquiring the replenishment price of each replenishment facility and the position of the plurality of replenishment facilities and the replenishment price A supply facility selection function (S31 to S34) and a supply facility guidance function (S31, S33) for guiding the supply facility selected by the supply facility selection function are executed.

  According to the supply facility guidance apparatus according to claim 1 having the above-described configuration, it is possible to guide a supply facility that supplies energy in consideration of a change in supply price even in the same supply facility depending on a time zone. It becomes. Therefore, an appropriate supply facility can be guided to reach the destination regardless of the traveling time.

  Further, according to the replenishment facility guidance device according to claim 2, since the charge price at the estimated arrival time of each charging facility is compared and the replenishment facility that replenishes energy is selected, the replenishment price varies depending on the time zone Even when the charging facility to be selected is selected, for example, a replenishment facility that suppresses the cost required for replenishment can be selected.

  Further, according to the replenishment facility guidance apparatus according to claim 3, since the replenishment amount to be replenished at the replenishment facility is also guided, the user only replenishes the energy necessary for traveling to the destination. Is possible. Therefore, the cost and time required for replenishment can be reduced.

  According to the replenishment facility guidance device according to claim 4, the user only replenishes the energy necessary for traveling to the destination, and the time to reach the destination can be shortened. It becomes. In addition, especially when the home is the destination, the cost required for replenishment can be reduced.

  According to the replenishment facility guidance method according to claim 5, it is possible to guide the replenishment facility that replenishes energy in consideration of the fact that the replenishment price changes even at the same replenishment facility depending on the time of day. . Therefore, an appropriate supply facility can be guided to reach the destination regardless of the traveling time.

  Furthermore, according to the computer program of the sixth aspect, it is possible to guide the replenishment facility that replenishes energy in consideration of the fact that the replenishment price changes even at the same replenishment facility depending on the time zone. Therefore, an appropriate supply facility can be guided to reach the destination regardless of the traveling time.

  Hereinafter, a replenishment facility guide device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings based on an embodiment embodied in a navigation device. First, a schematic configuration of an electric vehicle control system 3 for an electric vehicle 2 equipped with the navigation device 1 according to the present embodiment as an in-vehicle device will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an electric vehicle control system 3 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing a control system of the electric vehicle control system 3 according to the present embodiment. The electric vehicle includes an electric vehicle using only a motor as a drive source, and a hybrid vehicle using a motor and an engine together as a drive source. In this embodiment described below, a hybrid vehicle is used.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the electric vehicle control system 3 according to the present embodiment includes a navigation device 1 installed on the vehicle 2, an engine 4, a drive motor 5, a generator 6, and a battery. 7, planetary gear unit 8, vehicle control ECU 9, engine control ECU 10, drive motor control ECU 11, and generator control ECU 12.

  Here, the navigation device 1 is provided on the center console or panel surface of the vehicle 2, and a liquid crystal display 15 that displays a map around the vehicle and a search route to the destination, and a speaker that outputs voice guidance related to route guidance. 16 etc. Then, the current position of the vehicle 2 is specified by GPS or the like, and when the destination is set, the route to the destination is searched, and guidance according to the set route is used using the liquid crystal display 15 and the speaker 16. Do it. Further, in the navigation device 1 according to the present embodiment, when the destination is set as will be described later, and when the current remaining capacity of the battery 7 becomes 0, the destination cannot be reached. The liquid crystal display 15 and the speaker 16 are used to guide a charging facility that performs charging so that the cost required for charging is the lowest. The detailed configuration of the navigation device 1 will be described later.

  The engine 4 is an engine such as an internal combustion engine that is driven by fuel such as gasoline, light oil, and ethanol, and is used as a first drive source of the vehicle 2. The engine torque, which is the driving force of the engine 4, is transmitted to the planetary gear unit 8, and the drive wheels 17 are rotated by a part of the engine torque distributed by the planetary gear unit 8 to drive the vehicle 2.

The drive motor 5 is a motor that rotates based on the electric power supplied from the battery 7 and is used as a second drive source of the vehicle 2. The drive motor is driven by the electric power supplied from the battery 7, and a drive motor torque that is the torque of the drive motor 5 is generated. Then, the drive wheels 17 are rotated by the generated drive motor torque, and the vehicle 2 is driven. In particular, in a hybrid vehicle, the vehicle 2 is driven by the drive motor 5 when the engine 4 starts at a low efficiency or in a low rotation range such as an uphill road. Further, during acceleration traveling, both the engine 4 and the drive motor 5 generate driving force, and the vehicle 2 is driven.
Furthermore, when engine braking is necessary and when braking is stopped, the drive motor 5 regenerates vehicle inertia energy as electric energy as a regenerative brake. Specifically, when there is a margin in the output of the engine 4 due to steady low / medium speed traveling, downhill road traveling, etc., the battery 7 is charged by causing the drive motor 5 to function as a generator according to the remaining capacity of the battery 7 To do. In particular, when engine braking is requested during downhill, the regenerative power of the drive motor 5 functioning as a generator can be increased to obtain a sufficient engine braking effect. Further, when the driver steps on the foot brake to request the vehicle 2 to stop, the regenerative electric power of the drive motor 5 is further increased to operate as a regenerative brake, and the inertia energy of the vehicle 2 is regenerated as electric power. Reduce energy dissipation due to heat, based on friction brakes. In the middle speed range, the drive motor 5 is regenerated so that the engine 4 can be operated in a higher output and higher efficiency range. Thereby, while being able to improve engine efficiency, motor driving can be increased based on the charge of the battery 7 by the said regeneration, and energy efficiency improves. As the drive motor 5, an AC motor, a DC brushless motor or the like is used.

  The generator 6 is a generator that is driven by a part of the engine torque distributed by the planetary gear unit 8 to generate electric power. The generator 6 is connected to the battery 7 via a generator inverter (not shown). The generated alternating current is converted into a direct current and supplied to the battery 7. In addition, you may comprise the drive motor 5 and the generator 6 integrally.

  The battery 7 is a secondary battery as a power storage means capable of repeating charging and discharging, and a lead storage battery, a nickel cadmium battery, a nickel hydrogen battery, a lithium ion battery, a sodium sulfur battery, or the like is used. Further, the battery 7 is connected to a charging connector 18 provided on the side wall of the vehicle 2. The battery 7 can be charged by connecting the charging connector 18 to a power supply source such as an outlet in a home or a charging facility equipped with a predetermined charging facility. Furthermore, the battery 7 is also charged by regenerative power generated by the drive motor or power generated by a generator.

  The planetary gear unit 8 includes a sun gear, a pinion, a ring gear, a carrier, and the like, distributes part of the driving force of the engine 4 to the generator 6 and transmits the remaining driving force to the driving wheels 17.

The vehicle control ECU (electronic control unit) 9 is an electronic control unit that controls the entire vehicle 2. The vehicle control ECU 9 is connected to an engine control ECU 10 for controlling the engine 4, a drive motor control ECU 11 for controlling the drive motor 5, and a generator control ECU 12 for controlling the generator 6. In addition, the navigation device 1 is connected to a navigation ECU 33 described later.
The vehicle control ECU 9 includes an internal storage device such as a CPU 21 as an arithmetic device and a control device, a RAM 22 used as a working memory when the CPU 21 performs various arithmetic processes, and a ROM 23 in which a control program and the like are recorded. I have.

  The engine control ECU 10, the drive motor control ECU 11, and the generator control ECU 12 include a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and the like (not shown), and control the engine 4, the drive motor 5, and the generator 6, respectively.

Next, the configuration of the navigation device 1 will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the navigation apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is based on a current position detection unit 31 that detects the current position of the vehicle, a data recording unit 32 that records various data, and input information. Navigation ECU (replenishment facility position acquisition means, own vehicle position acquisition means, destination setting means, supply facility detection means, expected arrival time calculation means, price acquisition means, supply facility selection means, supply facility Guidance means, price comparison means, replenishment amount calculation means, replenishment amount guidance means) 33, an operation unit 34 for accepting an operation from the user, and a liquid crystal display for displaying a map of the vicinity of the vehicle and guidance for the charging facility 15, a speaker 16 for outputting voice guidance regarding route guidance and guidance for a charging facility, and a DVD driver for reading a DVD as a storage medium storing a program. Bed 37, a communication module 38 that performs communication with an information center such as a traffic information center, and a. The navigation ECU 33 is connected to a vehicle speed sensor that detects the traveling speed of the host vehicle.

Below, each component which comprises the navigation apparatus 1 is demonstrated in order.
The current position detection unit 31 includes a GPS 41, a geomagnetic sensor 42, a distance sensor 43, a steering sensor 44, a gyro sensor 45 as an azimuth detection unit, an altimeter (not shown), and the like. It is possible to detect.

  The data recording unit 32 is a driver for reading out an external storage device and a hard disk (not shown) as a recording medium, a map information DB 47 recorded on the hard disk, a predetermined program, etc. and writing predetermined data on the hard disk. And a recording head (not shown).

  Here, the map information DB 47 stores various map data necessary for route guidance, traffic information guidance, and map display. Specifically, facility data relating to facilities such as restaurants and parking lots, link data relating to road (link) shapes, node data relating to node points, intersection data relating to each intersection, search data for searching for routes, and searching for points For example, it includes image drawing data for drawing images such as search data, maps, roads, and traffic information on the liquid crystal display 15. In particular, the navigation apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment also records the charging facility information 48 related to the charging facility. Here, the charging facility refers to a replenishing facility provided with a dedicated charging facility for replenishing the battery 7 with electric power, which is one of the energy used for the drive source of the vehicle 2, for example, a gas station or a shopping center. Applicable. The charging facility information 48 stored in the map information DB 47 includes the position coordinates of the charging facility, the time zone during which the daytime charging fee and the daytime charging fee are applied, the nighttime charging fee and the nighttime charging fee of the charging facility. There are applicable time zones, business hours of charging facilities, etc. Then, the navigation ECU 33 selects a charging facility where the battery 7 should be charged from a plurality of charging facilities on the route to the destination, as will be described later, based on the charging facility information 48.

  On the other hand, the navigation ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 33 performs a guidance route setting process for setting a guidance route from the current position to the destination when the destination is selected, and on the route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination. Charging facility detection processing for detecting a charging facility in the charging facility, charging facility selection processing for comparing charging charges of each detected charging facility and selecting a charging facility for performing charging so as to reduce the cost required for charging the most, This is an electronic control unit that controls the entire navigation apparatus 1 such as a charging facility guidance process for guiding a selected charging facility using the liquid crystal display 15 or the like. The CPU 51 as the arithmetic device and the control device, the RAM 51 that is used as a working memory when the CPU 51 performs various arithmetic processes, stores the route data when the route is searched, and the control program. In addition, an internal storage device such as a ROM 53 in which a charging facility guidance processing program (see FIGS. 11 to 15) and the like are recorded, and a flash memory 54 in which a program read from the ROM 53 is recorded is provided.

  The operation unit 34 is operated when inputting a departure point as a guidance start point and a destination point as a guidance end point, and includes a plurality of operation switches (not shown) such as various keys and buttons. Then, the navigation ECU 33 performs control to execute various corresponding operations based on switch signals output by pressing the switches. In addition, it can also be comprised by the touchscreen provided in the front surface of the liquid crystal display 15.

  The liquid crystal display 15 includes a map image including a road, traffic information, operation guidance, operation menu, key guidance, guidance route from the current position to the destination, guidance information along the guidance route, news, weather forecast, Time, mail, TV program, etc. are displayed. In addition, when the remaining capacity of the battery 7 is insufficient to travel to the destination set by the navigation device 1, guidance for a charging facility for charging the battery 7 of the vehicle 2 is displayed.

  The speaker 16 outputs voice guidance for guiding traveling along the guidance route and traffic information guidance based on an instruction from the navigation ECU 33. When the remaining capacity of the battery 7 is insufficient to travel to the destination set by the navigation device 1, a guidance for a charging facility for charging the battery 7 of the vehicle 2 is output.

  The DVD drive 37 is a drive that can read data recorded on a recording medium such as a DVD or a CD. Then, the map information DB 47 is updated based on the read data.

  In addition, the communication module 38 includes information such as traffic jam information, regulation information, parking lot information, and traffic accident information transmitted from a traffic information center such as a VICS (registered trademark: Vehicle Information and Communication System) center or a probe center. For example, a mobile phone or a DCM is applicable. In the present embodiment, charging facility information can be acquired from an external information center via the communication module 38.

  Here, in the navigation device 1 according to the present embodiment, when the destination is set and the current capacity of the battery 7 cannot reach the destination before the remaining capacity of the battery 7 becomes 0, the navigation device 1 is most charged. The charging facility for performing charging is guided using the liquid crystal display 15 and the speaker 16 so that the necessary cost is reduced. Therefore, in the following, a selection procedure for selecting a charging facility that provides guidance as a charging facility that performs charging from among a plurality of charging facilities on the route to the destination, and calculation of the amount of charge at the charging facility The procedure will be described with a specific example.

  FIG. 3 shows an example in which when the vehicle 2 is located at the company 61 which is the departure place, the home 62 is selected as the destination in the navigation apparatus 1 and the route 63 from the company 61 to the home 62 is set as the guidance route. Show. On the route 63, there are four charging facilities: a gas station A store 64, a gas station B store 65, an outdoor shopping center 66, and a gas station C store 67.

  In the following example, in order to simplify the description, it is assumed that a vehicle capable of traveling for 100 km travels when the charge amount of the battery 7 is maximum (100 kW = 100%). The vehicle speed at which the vehicle travels along the route is always 60 km / h, and the time required for charging at the charging facility is 0 (min) regardless of the amount of charge. Further, it is assumed that the charge amount of the battery 7 is the maximum at the point of departure from the company 61 and that it is possible to travel 1 km by consuming 1% of the charge amount of the battery 7. It is also assumed that the cost of charging at home 62 is always the lowest compared to other charging facilities. Therefore, in order to reduce the cost required for charging, it is assumed that the vehicle travels such that the remaining capacity of the battery 7 when reaching the home 62 becomes zero.

As shown in FIG. 3, the charging facilities 64 to 67 on the path 63 have different charging charges necessary for charging. Furthermore, even in the same charging facility, the charging fee varies depending on the time zone.
For example, the gas station A store 64 is located at a distance of 20 km from the company 61. The daytime charge from 7:00 to 23:00 is 30 yen / kw, and the night charge from 23:00 to 7:00 is 11 yen / kw.
Gas station B store 65 is located at a distance of 60 km from company 61. The daytime charge from 6:00 to 24:00 is 28 yen / kw, and the night charge from 24:00 to 6:00 is 9 yen / kw.
The outdoor shopping center 66 is located at a distance of 80 km from the company 61. And the charge for daytime charge from 7:00 to 22:00 is 26 yen / kw, and it is closed from 22:00 to 7:00.
Gas station C store 67 is at a distance of 120 km from company 61. The daytime charge from 6:00 to 22:00 is 35 yen / kw, and the night charge from 22:00 to 6:00 is 10 yen / kw.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a list of information on each facility 61, 62, 64 to 67 including the charging facility shown in FIG.

First, a procedure for selecting a facility to be charged and a procedure for calculating the amount of charge when the vehicle departs from the company 61 at 14:00 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.
As shown in FIG. 5, when the vehicle departs from the company 61 at 14:00, the vehicle arrives at the gas station A store 64 at 14:20, reaches the gas station B store 65 at 15:00, and the outdoor shopping center. 66 arrives at 15:20 and arrives at gas station C store 67 at 16:00. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the charging fee at the estimated arrival time of each charging facility (actual fee actually paid at the time of arrival) is 30 yen / kw at the gas station A store 64, and the gas station B store 65 is 28 yen / kw, outdoor shopping center 66 is 26 yen / kw, and gas station C store 67 is 35 yen / kw.
In the selection of the charging target facility to be charged, first, the charging facility with the lowest actual charge is searched as the first charging target facility candidate among the charging facilities existing within 100 km from the home 62 as the destination. Specifically, in the case of FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the charging facility with the lowest actual charge among the gas station B store 65, the outdoor shopping center 66, and the gas station C store 67 existing within 100 km from the home 62 is shown. Searched. As a result of the search, the outdoor shopping center 66 is the cheapest at 26 yen and is selected as the first charging target facility candidate.
Next, among the charging facilities existing within 100 km from the selected outdoor shopping center 66, the charging facility with the lowest actual charge is searched as the second charging target facility candidate. Specifically, in the case of FIGS. 5 and 6, the charging facility with the lowest actual charge is searched for among the gas station A store 64 and the gas station B store 65 existing within 100 km from the outdoor shopping center 66. . As a result of the search, the gas station B store 65 is 28 yen, which is the cheapest, and is selected as the second charging target facility candidate.
However, since the distance from the company 61 to the outdoor shopping center 66 is 100 km or less, and the outdoor shopping center 66 is cheaper than the gas station B store 65, it is the second candidate facility for charging. Gas station B store 65 is not selected as a charging target facility.
As described above, when the vehicle departs from the company 61 at 14:00, only the outdoor shopping center 66 is selected as the charging target facility, and the outdoor shopping center 66 is instructed to charge only once. Further, the charge amount at the outdoor shopping center 66 in this case is calculated by “power used up to the next charging point (in this case, home 62)” − “remaining battery capacity”. Specifically, the power used from the outdoor shopping center 66 to the home is 70 kw, and the remaining capacity of the battery at the time of leaving the company 61 and reaching the outdoor shopping center 66 is 20 kw. Amount = 70 kw−20 kw = 50 kw.

  That is, when the vehicle shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 leaves the company 61 at 14:00, the outdoor shopping center 66 requires the least cost for charging. Further, the distance from the departure place to the outdoor shopping center 66 is 80 km, and it can be reached without charging the battery 7. Therefore, the cost can be minimized by performing only the minimum necessary charge that can reach the destination at the outdoor shopping center 66 with the lowest charge.

Next, the procedure for selecting a facility to be charged and the procedure for calculating the charge amount when the vehicle departs from the company 61 at 20:00 will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 7, when the vehicle departs from the company 61 at 20:00, it reaches 20:20 at the gas station A store 64, 21:00 at the gas station B store 65, and the outdoor shopping center. 66, 21:20, and gas station C 67 reaches 22:00. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, the charging fee at the estimated arrival time of each charging facility (actual fee actually paid at the time of arrival) is 30 yen / kw at the gas station A store 64, and the gas station B store 65 is 28 yen / kw, outdoor shopping center 66 is 26 yen / kw, and gas station C store 67 is 10 yen / kw.
In the selection of the charging target facility to be charged, first, the charging facility with the lowest actual charge is searched as the first charging target facility candidate among the charging facilities existing within 100 km from the home 62 as the destination. In the case of FIG.7 and FIG.8, the gas station C store 67 to which a night charge charge is applied is the cheapest, and is selected as a 1st charge object facility candidate.
Next, among the charging facilities existing within 100 km from the selected gas station C store 67, the charging facility with the lowest actual charge is searched as the second charging target facility candidate. 7 and 8, the outdoor shopping center 66 is the cheapest, and the outdoor shopping center 66 is selected as the second charging target facility candidate.
Subsequently, the charging facility having the lowest actual charge among the charging facilities existing within 100 km from the selected outdoor shopping center 66 is searched as a third charging target facility candidate. In the case of FIG.7 and FIG.8, the gas station B store 65 is the cheapest, and the gas station B store 65 is selected as a 3rd charge object facility candidate.
However, since the distance from the company 61 to the outdoor shopping center 66 is within 100 km, and the outdoor shopping center 66 is cheaper than the gas station B store 65, it is a third candidate facility for charging. Gas station B store 65 is not selected as a charging target facility.
As described above, when the vehicle departs from the company 61 at 20:00, the gas station C store 67 and the outdoor shopping center 66 are selected as the charging target facilities, and the outdoor charging center 66 performs the first charging. It is instructed to perform the second charging at the gas station C store 67. In this case, the charging amount at the gas station C store 67 and the outdoor shopping center 66 is the highest at the gas station C store 67 because the actual charge is cheaper at the gas station C store 67 than the outdoor shopping center 66. (However, since there is only 30 km to the destination, charging of 30 kW is the maximum), charging is performed so as to charge.
Specifically, the charge amount of the gas station C store 67 is calculated by “power used up to the next charging point (in this case, home 62)” − “remaining battery capacity” and becomes 30 kW. Then, the charge amount of the outdoor shopping center 66 is calculated by “the power used up to the next charging point (in this case, the gas station C store 67)” − “the remaining capacity of the battery” and becomes 20 kw.

  That is, when the vehicle shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 departs from the company 61 at 20:00, the gas station C store 67 that can be charged with a night charge charge requires the least cost for charging. However, in order to reach the gas station C store 67, it is necessary to travel 120 km, so it is necessary to charge the vehicle before that. Therefore, only the minimum necessary charge is performed at the outdoor shopping center 66 with the lowest charging charge before the gas station C shop 67, and then the minimum necessary to reach the destination at the cheapest charging station C shop 67. The cost is minimized by performing only the charging.

Next, the procedure for selecting a facility to be charged and the procedure for calculating the amount of charge when the vehicle departs from the company 61 at 6:00 will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 9, when the vehicle leaves the company 61 at 6:00, it reaches 6:20 at the gas station A store 64, reaches 7:00 at the gas station B store 65, and the outdoor shopping center. 66 arrives at 7:20 and arrives at gas station C store 67 at 8:00. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 10, the charging fee at the estimated arrival time of each charging facility (actual fee actually paid at the time of arrival) is 11 yen / kw at the gas station A store 64, and the gas station B store. 65 is 28 yen / kw, outdoor shopping center 66 is 26 yen / kw, and gas station C store 67 is 35 yen / kw.
In the selection of the charging target facility to be charged, first, the charging facility with the lowest actual charge is searched as the first charging target facility candidate among the charging facilities existing within 100 km from the home 62 as the destination. 9 and 10, the outdoor shopping center 66 is the cheapest and is selected as the first charging target facility candidate.
Next, among the charging facilities existing within 100 km from the selected outdoor shopping center 66, the charging facility with the lowest actual charge is searched as the second charging target facility candidate. In the case of FIGS. 9 and 10, the gas station A store 64 to which the night charging fee is applied is the cheapest, and the gas station A store 64 is selected as the second charging target facility candidate.
Furthermore, since the actual charge of the gas station A store 64 is lower than that of the outdoor shopping center 66, the gas station A store 64, which is the second charge target facility candidate, is also selected as the charge target facility.
Subsequently, among the charging facilities existing within 100 km from the selected gas station A store 64, the charging facility with the lowest actual charge is searched as a third charging target facility candidate. However, in the case of FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, since there is no other charging facility between the company 61 which is the departure point and the gas station A store 64, the third charging target facility candidate is not selected.
As described above, when the vehicle departs from the company 61 at 6:00, the outdoor shopping center 66 and the gas station A store 64 are selected as the charging target facilities, and the first charge is performed at the gas station A store 64. Is instructed to perform the second charging at the outdoor shopping center 66. In this case, the charge amount at the outdoor shopping center 66 and the gas station A store 64 is maximum at the gas station A store 64 because the actual charge is cheaper at the gas station A store 64 than the outdoor shopping center 66. To charge.
Specifically, the charge amount of the gas station A store 64 is calculated by “full charge amount (in this case, 100 kw)” − “remaining battery capacity” and becomes 20 kw. Then, the charge amount of the outdoor shopping center 66 is calculated by “power used up to the next charging point (in this case, home 62)” − “remaining battery capacity” and becomes 30 kW.

  That is, when the vehicle shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 departs from the company 61 at 6:00, the gas station A store 64 that can be charged with the night charge charge requires the least cost for charging. However, in order to reach the destination from the gas station A store 64, it is necessary to travel 130 km, and charging is required during that time. Therefore, after charging until the gas station A store 64 is fully charged, the minimum necessary charge that can reach the destination at the cheapest outdoor shopping center 66 within the reachable range from the gas station A store 64 By only charging, the cost is minimized.

  Subsequently, the navigation apparatus describes the “selection procedure for selecting a charging facility that provides guidance as a charging facility for performing charging” and the “calculation procedure for the amount of charge at the charging facility” described with reference to FIGS. The charging facility guidance processing program to be executed in No. 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a flowchart of the charging facility guidance processing program according to the present embodiment. Here, the charging facility guidance processing program is executed when a destination input operation is performed by the navigation device 1 and is charged so that the destination can be reached and the cost required for charging is the lowest. It is a program that guides the charging facility. The programs shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 11 to 15 below are stored in the RAM 52 and the ROM 53 provided in the navigation device 1 and are executed by the CPU 51.

  First, in the charging facility guidance processing program, in step (hereinafter abbreviated as S) 1, the CPU 51 sets a destination based on an operation signal input from the operation unit 34. Note that S1 corresponds to the processing of the destination setting means.

  Subsequently, in S <b> 2, the CPU 51 acquires the current position of the host vehicle by the current position detection unit 31. Map matching is also performed to specify the current position of the acquired vehicle on the map. In addition, said S2 is corresponded to the process of the own vehicle position acquisition means.

  Next, in S3, the CPU 51 searches for a route from the current position (departure point) of the own vehicle acquired in S2 to the destination, and determines whether or not the set guidance route distance is within 100 km. As a result, when it is determined that the distance of the guidance route from the departure point to the destination is within 100 km (S3: YES), the destination can be reached without charging, so the charging facility is guided. The charging facility guidance processing program is terminated. On the other hand, when it is determined that the distance of the guidance route from the departure point to the destination is longer than 100 km (S3: NO), the process proceeds to S4.

  In S4, the CPU 51 performs a data collection process (FIG. 12) described later. In the data collection process, various types of information regarding a plurality of charging facilities on the route from the departure place to the destination are collected.

  Thereafter, in S5, the CPU 51 performs a charge charge acquisition process (FIG. 13) described later. In the charging fee acquisition process, the charging fee is acquired when the battery is charged at a plurality of charging facilities on the route.

  Next, in S6, the CPU 51 performs a later-described charging facility selection process (FIG. 14). In the charging facility selection process, the charging facilities to be charged to reduce the cost required for charging most when traveling to the destination are compared by comparing the charging charges of multiple charging facilities on the route. Select one or more.

  Subsequently, in S7, the CPU 51 performs a charge amount calculation process (FIG. 15) described later. In the charge amount calculation process, the charge amount to be charged at the charging target facility selected in S6 is calculated.

  Thereafter, in S8, the CPU 51 guides the charging facility selected in S6 to the user using the liquid crystal display 15 and the speaker 16. Specifically, the location of the corresponding charging facility is highlighted on the map displayed on the liquid crystal display 15 or the name of the charging facility is displayed. Further, when the corresponding charging facility approaches within 300 m, a voice guidance “Please stop at the charging facility” is output from the speaker 16. Note that S8 corresponds to the processing of the supply facility guidance means.

  On the other hand, in S9, the CPU 51 guides the user the amount of charge at the charging facility calculated in S7. Specifically, when charging is started at the charging facility, a guidance “please charge for XX” is displayed on the liquid crystal display 15 or output from the speaker 16. Further, the charging may be forcibly terminated when it is determined that the calculated charging amount is charged. Note that S9 corresponds to the processing of the replenishment amount guiding means.

  Next, sub-processing of the data collection processing in S4 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 12 is a flowchart of a sub-processing program for data collection processing according to this embodiment.

  First, in S11, the CPU 51 acquires the current time using the GPS 41.

  Subsequently, in S12, the CPU 51 acquires the location information of the charging facility around the vehicle based on the charging facility information 48 stored in the map information DB 47, and from the charging facility to the destination from the departure point. Detect charging facilities on the route. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 3, four charging facilities of a gas station A store 64, a gas station B store 65, an outdoor shopping center 66, and a gas station C store 67 are detected. Note that S12 corresponds to the processing of the replenishment facility position acquisition unit and the replenishment facility detection unit.

  In S13, the CPU 51 calculates the estimated arrival time of the vehicle to each charging facility based on the current time acquired in S11 and the distance from the departure place to each charging facility detected in S12. Note that S13 corresponds to the processing of the estimated arrival time calculation means.

  Next, in S14, based on the charging facility information 48 stored in the map information DB 47, the CPU 51 acquires the daytime charging fee and the nighttime charging fee of each charging facility on the route from the departure place to the destination. Moreover, it acquires also about the time slot | zone which applies a daytime charge charge and a night charge charge, respectively.

  Thereafter, in S15, the CPU 51 acquires the business hours of each charging facility on the route from the departure place to the destination based on the charging facility information 48 stored in the map information DB 47.

  Subsequently, in S16, the CPU 51 acquires the amount of energy consumed for the vehicle to travel between the charging facilities based on the distance from the departure place to the charging facilities detected in S12. Thereafter, the process proceeds to S5.

  Next, the sub-process of the charge charge acquisition process in S5 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 is a flowchart of a sub-processing program of the charging fee acquisition process according to this embodiment.

  Here, the following processes of S21 to S23 are respectively performed on a plurality of charging facilities on the route from the departure place to the destination detected in S12.

  First, in S21, the CPU 51 predicts the arrival to the charging facility from the estimated time of arrival of the vehicle to the charging facility calculated in S13 and the time zone for applying the night charging fee of the charging facility acquired in S14. It is determined whether or not the time is included in the time zone to which the night charge fee is applied.

  As a result, when it is determined that the estimated time of arrival at the charging facility is included in the time zone to which the night charging fee is applied (S21: YES), the night charging price is acquired as the charging fee of the facility. (S22). On the other hand, if it is determined that the estimated time of arrival at the charging facility is included in the time zone to which the daytime charging fee is applied (S21: NO), the daytime charging price is acquired as the charging fee of the facility. (S23). In addition, said S22 and S23 are equivalent to the process of a price acquisition means.

  And after the process of said S21-S23 is performed with respect to all the charging facilities on the path | route from the departure place detected in said S12 to the destination, it transfers to S6.

  Next, the sub-process of the charging facility selection process in S6 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 14 is a flowchart of a sub-processing program for charging facility selection processing according to the present embodiment.

  Here, the following processes of S31 to S34 are performed in order from the facility closest to the destination with respect to the plurality of charging facilities on the route from the departure point to the destination detected in S12.

  First, in S31, the CPU 51 compares the charging prices of other charging facilities within 100 km from the charging facility (where the first loop is the destination), and charges at each expected arrival time among the other charging facilities. Select the charging facility with the lowest charge.

  In S32, the CPU 51 determines whether or not the charging facility is located within 100 km along the route from the departure place. If it is determined that the charging facility is located within 100 km along the route from the departure point (S32: YES), the CPU 51 further moves along the route from the departure point to the destination. The charging fee of the charging facility that is the cheapest within 100 km is compared with the charging fee of the charging facility, and it is determined whether or not the charging fee of the charging facility is cheaper (S33).

  As a result, when it is determined that the charging fee of the charging facility is cheaper (S33: YES), the processing target is changed to the next charging facility, and the same processing from S31 is performed.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the charging facility is located further than 100 km along the route from the departure point (S32: NO), and within 100 km along the route from the departure point to the destination. If it is determined that the charging fee of the charging facility is higher than the charging fee of the cheapest charging facility (S33: NO), the facility selected in S31 is stored as the charging execution target facility. (S34). Note that S31 to S34 correspond to the processing of the supply facility selection means, and S31 and S33 correspond to the processing of the price comparison means.

  And after the process of said S31-S34 is performed with respect to all the charging facilities on the path | route from the departure place detected in said S12 to the destination, it transfers to S7.

  Next, a sub-process of the charge amount calculation process in S7 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 15 is a flowchart of a sub-processing program of the charge amount calculation process according to the present embodiment.

  Here, the following processes of S41 to S43 are performed in the order of the lowest charging charges for a plurality of charging facilities on the route from the departure place to the destination detected in S12.

  First, in S41, the CPU 51 determines whether or not there is a next destination-side charging facility (or destination) for which the charge amount has been calculated in S42 or S43, which will be described later, within 100 km from the charging facility.

  When it is determined that there is a charging facility (or destination) on the next destination side where the charge amount is calculated within 100 km from the charging facility (S41: YES), the process proceeds to S42. On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no charging facility (or destination) on the next destination side where the charge amount is calculated within 100 km from the charging facility (S41: NO), the process proceeds to S43.

  In S <b> 42, the CPU 51 calculates the charge amount so as to charge the minimum charge amount required to reach the next destination-side charging facility (or destination) for which the charge amount has already been calculated. Specifically, “charge amount of the charging facility” = “power used up to the next charging point (including the destination)” − “remaining battery capacity” is calculated. Thus, when the vehicle reaches the destination, the vehicle is charged so that the remaining capacity of the battery 7 becomes zero.

  On the other hand, in S43, the CPU 51 calculates the amount of charge so that the charging facility is fully charged. Specifically, “charge amount of the charging facility” = “full charge amount (100 kW in this case)” − “remaining battery capacity” is calculated. Note that S41 to S43 correspond to the processing of the replenishment amount calculation means.

  And after the process of said S41-S43 is performed with respect to all the charging facilities on the path | route from the departure place detected in said S12 to the destination, it transfers to S8.

As described in detail above, in the navigation device 1 according to the present embodiment, the replenishment facility guidance method by the navigation device 1, and the computer program executed by the navigation device 1, when the destination is set, the current position of the own vehicle A plurality of charging facilities on the route from the vehicle to the destination are detected (S12), the estimated arrival time for the vehicle to arrive at each detected charging facility is calculated (S13), and charging that varies depending on the time zone The charging price at the estimated arrival time is compared in consideration of the price (S31, S33), and the charging facility to be charged is selected (S34) so that the cost required for charging is the lowest (S34). The charging facility will be guided (S8). 7 charging it is possible to guide the charging facility for the. Therefore, it is possible to guide an appropriate charging facility that suppresses the cost required for replenishment in order to reach the destination regardless of the traveling time.
In addition, since the amount of charge to be charged at the charging facility is also guided (S9), the user can only supply the minimum amount of energy necessary for traveling to the destination. Therefore, the cost and time required for replenishment can be reduced.
In addition, since the charging facility and the charging amount are charged so that the remaining amount of the battery 7 is exhausted when the destination is reached, the user only supplies the minimum energy necessary for traveling to the destination. As a result, the arrival time at the destination can be shortened. In addition, especially when the home is the destination, the cost required for replenishment can be reduced.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
For example, in the present embodiment, the replenishment facility according to the present invention has been described as applied to charging for replenishing electric power used for the drive motor 5 mounted on an electric vehicle such as a hybrid vehicle, but gasoline, light oil, etc. used for the engine It may be applied to a refueling facility that supplies water. Furthermore, it is good also as applying to both.

  In this embodiment, the charging facility on the route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination is detected as the departure point. However, the charging facility on the route from the arbitrary departure point to the destination selected by the user is detected. You may make it do.

  Moreover, although the case where this invention was applied to the hybrid vehicle which uses a motor and an engine together as a drive source was demonstrated in the said embodiment, it is applicable also to the electric vehicle which uses only a motor as a drive source.

It is a schematic block diagram of the electric vehicle drive control system which concerns on this embodiment. It is a block diagram showing typically the control system of the electric vehicle control system concerning this embodiment. It is the figure which showed an example of the charging facility located on the path | route set from the departure place to the destination, and a path | route. It is the figure which showed the information list regarding each facility shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining the selection procedure of the charge object facility which performs charge when a vehicle departs from the departure place at 14:00, and the calculation procedure of charge amount. It is explanatory drawing explaining the selection procedure of the charge object facility which performs charge when a vehicle departs from the departure place at 14:00, and the calculation procedure of charge amount. It is explanatory drawing explaining the selection procedure of the charge object facility which performs charge when a vehicle departs from the departure place at 20:00, and the calculation procedure of charge amount. It is explanatory drawing explaining the selection procedure of the charge object facility which performs charge when a vehicle departs from the departure place at 20:00, and the calculation procedure of charge amount. It is explanatory drawing explaining the selection procedure of the charge object facility which performs charge when a vehicle departs from the departure place at 6:00, and the calculation procedure of charge amount. It is explanatory drawing explaining the selection procedure of the charge object facility which performs charge when a vehicle departs from the departure place at 6:00, and the calculation procedure of charge amount. It is a flowchart of the charge facility guidance process program which concerns on this embodiment. It is a flowchart of the sub process program of the data collection process which concerns on this embodiment. It is a flowchart of the sub process program of the charge charge acquisition process which concerns on this embodiment. It is a flowchart of the sub-process program of the charge facility selection process which concerns on this embodiment. It is a flowchart of the sub process program of the charge amount calculation process which concerns on this embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Navigation apparatus 2 Vehicle 3 Electric vehicle control system 4 Engine 5 Drive motor 15 Display 16 Speaker 33 Navigation ECU
47 Map information DB
48 Charging facility information

Claims (6)

Replenishment facility position acquisition means for acquiring replenishment facility position information in which the replenishment price for replenishing energy used for the drive source of the vehicle varies depending on the time zone;
Own vehicle position acquisition means for acquiring the current position of the vehicle;
Destination setting means for setting the destination;
Replenishment facility detection means for detecting a plurality of replenishment facilities on the route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination based on the position information of the replenishment facility acquired by the replenishment facility position acquisition means;
An estimated arrival time calculating means for calculating an estimated arrival time at which the vehicle reaches each of the plurality of supply facilities detected by the supply facility detecting means;
Price acquisition means for acquiring the supply price of each supply facility at the estimated arrival time calculated by the estimated arrival time calculation means;
Replenishment facility selection means for selecting a replenishment facility for replenishing energy based on the positions of the plurality of replenishment facilities and the replenishment price acquired by the price acquisition means;
A replenishment facility guidance device comprising replenishment facility guidance means for guiding a replenishment facility selected by the replenishment facility selection means. Price comparison means for comparing the supply price of each supply facility at the estimated arrival time calculated by the estimated arrival time calculation means,
2. The replenishment facility guidance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the replenishment facility selection unit selects a replenishment facility that replenishes energy based on a comparison result of the price comparison unit. Replenishment amount calculating means for calculating a replenishment amount for replenishing energy at the replenishment facility selected by the replenishment facility based on the replenishment price acquired by the position of the plurality of replenishment facilities and the price acquisition means;
The replenishment facility guidance device according to claim 1, further comprising replenishment amount guidance means for guiding the replenishment amount calculated by the replenishment amount calculation means.   4. The replenishment amount according to claim 3, wherein the replenishment amount calculation means calculates a replenishment amount to be replenished so that there is no remaining amount of energy used for the drive source of the vehicle when the vehicle arrives at a destination. Facility guidance device. A replenishment facility position acquisition step of acquiring replenishment facility position information in which the replenishment price for replenishing energy used for the drive source of the vehicle varies depending on the time zone;
Own vehicle position acquisition step for acquiring the current position of the vehicle;
A destination setting step for setting a destination;
A replenishment facility detection step for detecting a plurality of replenishment facilities on a route from the current position of the vehicle to a destination based on the position information of the replenishment facility acquired by the replenishment facility position acquisition step;
An estimated arrival time calculating step for calculating an estimated arrival time at which the vehicle reaches the plurality of supply facilities detected by the supplying facility detection step;
A price acquisition step of acquiring a supply price of each supply facility at the predicted arrival time calculated by the predicted arrival time calculating step;
A replenishment facility selection step of selecting a replenishment facility that replenishes energy based on the position of the plurality of replenishment facilities and the replenishment price acquired in the price acquisition step;
A replenishment facility guidance method comprising the replenishment facility guidance step of guiding the replenishment facility selected in the replenishment facility selection step. On the computer,
A replenishment facility position acquisition function for acquiring replenishment facility position information for which the replenishment price for replenishing energy used for the driving source of the vehicle varies depending on the time zone;
Own vehicle position acquisition function to acquire the current position of the vehicle,
Destination setting function to set the destination,
A replenishment facility detection function for detecting a plurality of replenishment facilities on the route from the current position of the vehicle to a destination based on the position information of the replenishment facility acquired by the replenishment facility position acquisition function;
An estimated arrival time calculation function for calculating an estimated arrival time at which the vehicle reaches each of the plurality of supply facilities detected by the supply facility detection function;
A price acquisition function for acquiring the supply price of each supply facility at the estimated arrival time calculated by the estimated arrival time calculation function;
A replenishment facility selection function for selecting a replenishment facility that replenishes energy based on the position of the plurality of replenishment facilities and the replenishment price acquired by the price acquisition function;
A replenishment facility guidance function for guiding a replenishment facility selected by the replenishment facility selection function;
A computer program for executing

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