Control device of vehicle, control method of vehicle, and storage medium

Abstract

A control device of a vehicle capable of suppressing an influence by a driving characteristic, a control method of a vehicle, and a storage medium. The control device of the vehicle includes a power source, an electric storage device, and an electric motor connected to a drive wheel, capable of being driven by power supply from the electric storage device, and capable of supplying regenerative power generated when a regenerative operation is performed to the electric storage device. The control device of the vehicle includes a road information acquisition unit that acquires road information related to a predetermined travel path of the vehicle, a control target section extraction unit that extracts a control target section on the predetermined travel path where a predicted remaining capacity change of the electric storage device is a prescribed value or more, and a charge / discharge planning unit that plans charge / discharge of the electric storage device based on a vehicle travel load on a road from the vehicle to the control target section. The charge / discharge planning unit determines the vehicle travel load of a section preceding the control target section in accordance with an attribute of the control target section.

Description

[0001] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-040374 filed on March 12, 2021, and the content thereof is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to a control device for a vehicle, a control method for a vehicle, and a storage medium. BACKGROUND

[0003] Hybrid vehicles having a power source such as an internal combustion engine, an electrical storage device, and an electric motor are being utilized. The electric motor is connected to a drive wheel and is capable of driving by supply of electric power from the electrical storage device. The electric motor is capable of supplying regenerative electric power generated when performing a regenerative operation to the electrical storage device.

[0004] Techniques related to a charge / discharge schedule of an electrical storage device of a hybrid vehicle are proposed. For example, a technique is proposed in which, in a case where a downhill is detected in which a prescribed condition is satisfied, a target SOC of a battery is set to a first SOC lower than a standard SOC, and discharging is started from a point a prescribed distance from the downhill (refer to Japanese Patent No. 6344429). In addition, a technique is proposed in which a vehicle speed pattern on a section on a route is estimated from a driving history of a driver, and a charge / discharge schedule is set (refer to Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-168295). SUMMARY

[0005] In the technique described in Japanese Patent No. 6344429, if the driver is one who tends to drive at a speed lower than average, the travel load of the vehicle becomes small, and thus it is possible that the electric power cannot be used up before reaching the downhill. In addition, in the technique described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-168295, when the road is not one that the driver passes through well, the data is small, and thus it is possible that the accuracy of the estimation of the vehicle speed becomes low.

[0006] The present application provides a control device for a vehicle, a control method for a vehicle, and a storage medium that can suppress the influence of driving characteristics.

[0007] The control device for a vehicle, the control method for a vehicle, and the storage medium of the present application adopt the following structure.

[0008] (1) : The control device of a vehicle according to one aspect of the present application includes: a power source; an electric storage device; an electric motor connected to a drive wheel, and capable of driving by electric power supply from the electric storage device, and capable of supplying regenerative electric power generated when regenerative operation is performed to the electric storage device; a road information acquisition section that acquires road information related to a predetermined travel route of the vehicle; a control target section extraction section that extracts a control target section in which a residual capacity of the electric storage device is predicted to change by a prescribed value or more on the predetermined travel route; and a charge / discharge planning section that plans charge / discharge of the electric storage device based on a vehicle travel load on a road from the vehicle to the control target section, the charge / discharge planning section deciding the vehicle travel load of a section preceding the control target section in accordance with an attribute of the control target section.

[0009] (2) : In the aspect of the above (1), the charge / discharge planning section decides the vehicle travel load of a section preceding the control target section to be a value lower than a reference value in a case where an estimated value of the amount of regenerative electric power in the control target section is a threshold value or more.

[0010] (3) : In the aspect of the above (1) or (2), the charge / discharge planning section decides the vehicle travel load of a section preceding the control target section to be a value higher than a reference value in a case where an estimated value of the amount of discharge electric power in the control target section is a threshold value or more.

[0011] (4) : In the aspect of any one of the above (1) to (3), the charge / discharge planning section is capable of calculating the vehicle travel load based on vehicle speed information included in the road information acquired by the road information acquisition section, and the charge / discharge planning section decides the vehicle travel load by correcting the vehicle speed.

[0012] (5) : In the aspect of the above (4), the road information acquisition section is capable of acquiring vehicle speed distribution information included in the road information, and the charge / discharge planning section decides a correction amount of the vehicle speed based on the vehicle speed distribution information.

[0013] (6) : In the aspect of the above (4) or (5), the road information acquisition section is capable of acquiring road attribute information, and the charge / discharge planning section decides a correction amount of the vehicle speed based on the road attribute information.

[0014] (7) : In the aspect of any one of the above (4) to (6), the control device of the vehicle includes a target residual capacity calculation section that calculates a target residual capacity that is a residual capacity of the electric storage device at a start point of the control target section, and the charge / discharge planning section decides a correction amount of the vehicle speed in accordance with a difference between the residual capacity of the electric storage device and the target residual capacity.

[0015] (8) In the scheme of any one of the above (4) to (7), the charge / discharge planning section decides the correction amount of the vehicle speed based on a distance or a time until the vehicle reaches a start point of the control target section.

[0016] (9) A control method of a vehicle according to another aspect of the present application causes a computer mounted on the vehicle to perform the following processing: acquires road information related to a predetermined travel route of the vehicle; extracts a control target section on the predetermined travel route in which a predicted remaining capacity of an electric storage device is expected to change by a prescribed value or more; plans charge / discharge of the electric storage device based on a vehicle travel load on a road from the vehicle to the control target section; and decides the vehicle travel load of a section preceding the control target section in accordance with an attribute of the control target section when planning the charge / discharge of the electric storage device.

[0017] (10) A storage medium according to still another aspect of the present application is a storage medium capable of being read by a computer, on which a program is stored, which causes a computer mounted on a vehicle to perform the following processing: acquires road information related to a predetermined travel route of the vehicle; extracts a control target section on the predetermined travel route in which a predicted remaining capacity of an electric storage device is expected to change by a prescribed value or more; plans charge / discharge of the electric storage device based on a vehicle travel load on a road from the vehicle to the control target section; and decides the vehicle travel load of a section preceding the control target section in accordance with an attribute of the control target section when planning the charge / discharge of the electric storage device.

[0018] According to the aspects (1), (9) and (10) described above, the vehicle travel load of a section preceding a control target section can be decided in accordance with a kind of event occurring in the control target section, the amount of charge / discharge of the electric storage device can be adjusted, and the influence of the driving characteristics can be suppressed.

[0019] According to the aspect (2) described above, in the case where the control target section is determined to be a regeneration section, the vehicle travel load is estimated to be low, whereby both a vehicle traveling at a high actual speed and a vehicle traveling at a low actual speed can reduce the remaining capacity of the electric storage device before entering the regeneration section, and the regenerative electric power can be extracted.

[0020] According to the aspect (3) described above, in the case where the control target section is determined to be a discharge section, the vehicle travel load is estimated to be high, whereby both a vehicle traveling at a high actual speed and a vehicle traveling at a low actual speed can increase the remaining capacity of the electric storage device before entering the discharge section, and the assist electric power in the discharge section can be ensured.

[0021] According to the above (4), the vehicle travel load is also affected by the vehicle specifications and the like, and thus only information of the same vehicle specifications can be used, but the vehicle travel load can be calculated using the vehicle speed information, and thus more statistical information of the vehicle can be used, and a high-precision vehicle travel load can be obtained.

[0022] According to the above (5), the correction amount of the vehicle speed is determined using the vehicle speed distribution information of the target road, and thus a correction amount that is appropriate for each travel section can be set.

[0023] According to the above (6), the deviation amount of the vehicle speed differs depending on the road attribute, and thus by determining the correction amount of the vehicle speed depending on the road attribute, a correction amount that is more appropriate for each travel section can be determined.

[0024] According to the above (7), the correction amount is adjusted depending on the difference from the target remaining capacity, and thus the charging and discharging can be promoted or suppressed, and the charging and discharging control can be more reliably performed.

[0025] According to the above (8), the correction amount is adjusted based on the distance or time until the control target section is reached by the vehicle, and thus the charging and discharging amount can be adjusted depending on the urgency, and thus the charging and discharging can be more appropriately performed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of a vehicle according to the embodiment.

[0027] Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the functional structure of the control device.

[0028] Figure 3 is a line graph showing the relationship between the vehicle speed and the energy management effect in the case of the discharging plan.

[0029] Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the discharging plan and the change in the remaining capacity of the storage battery.

[0030] Figure 5 is a line graph showing the relationship between the vehicle speed and the energy management effect in the case of the charging plan.

[0031] Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of the charging plan and the change in the remaining capacity of the storage battery.

[0032] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the processing performed by the control device.

[0033] Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of the travel mode of the vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] Hereinafter, embodiments of a control device of a vehicle, a control method of a vehicle, and a storage medium will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0035] [Overall Structure]

[0036] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of a vehicle M of an embodiment. The vehicle M of the illustrated structure is a hybrid vehicle capable of switching between a series mode and a parallel mode. The series mode refers to a mode in which the engine is not mechanically linked to the drive wheels, and the power of the engine is exclusively used for power generation by the generator, and the generated electric power is supplied to the motor for running. The parallel mode refers to a mode in which the engine can be mechanically (or fluidically via a torque converter or the like) linked to the drive wheels, and the power of the engine can be transmitted to the drive wheels or used for power generation. Figure 1 The vehicle M of the illustrated structure is capable of switching between the series mode and the parallel mode by connecting or disconnecting the lock-up clutch 14.

[0037] As shown in Figure 1 , the vehicle M is equipped with, for example, an engine (power source) 10, a first motor (generator) 12, a lock-up clutch 14, a gear box 16, a second motor (motor) 18, drive wheels 25, a PCU (Power Control Unit) 30, and a storage battery (storage device) 60. The vehicle M has at least the engine 10 as a power source. The vehicle M can also have a fuel cell stack as a power source.

[0038] The engine 10 is an internal combustion engine that outputs power by burning fuel such as gasoline. The engine 10 is, for example, a reciprocating engine equipped with a combustion chamber, a cylinder and a piston, an intake valve, an exhaust valve, a fuel injection device, a spark plug, a connecting rod, a crankshaft, and the like. Alternatively, the engine 10 can be a rotary engine.

[0039] The first motor 12 is, for example, a three-phase alternator. The rotor of the first motor 12 is linked to the output shaft (for example, the crankshaft) of the engine 10, and generates power using the power output by the engine 10. The output shaft of the engine 10 and the rotor of the first motor 12 are connected to the side of the drive wheels 25 via the lock-up clutch 14.

[0040] The lock-up clutch 14 switches between a state in which the output shaft of the engine 10 and the rotor of the first motor 12 are connected to the side of the drive wheels 25, and a state in which the output shaft of the engine 10 and the rotor of the first motor 12 are disconnected from the side of the drive wheels 25, in accordance with an instruction from the PCU 30.

[0041] The gear box 16 is a transmission. The gear box 16 changes the speed of the power output by the engine 10 and transmits it to the side of the drive wheels 25. The gear ratio of the gear box 16 is specified by the PCU 30.

[0042] The second motor 18 is, for example, a three-phase alternating-current motor. A rotor of the second motor 18 is coupled to the drive wheel 25. The second motor 18 is drivable by power supply, and outputs power to the drive wheel 25. For example, the second motor 18 is drivable by power supply from the battery 60. In addition, the second motor 18 is capable of supplying regenerative power generated when regenerative operation is performed to the battery 60. The second motor 18 generates power using kinetic energy of the vehicle M at the time of deceleration of the vehicle M, and saves the generated power in the battery 60 via the second inverter 34 and the VCU 40 described later.

[0043] The PCU 30 includes, for example, the first inverter 32, the second inverter 34, a VCU (Voltage Control Unit) 40, and a control device 50. Note that the structure in which these components are integrated as one as the PCU 30 is merely an example, and these components can be arranged separately.

[0044] The first inverter 32 and the second inverter 34 are, for example, AC-DC inverters. Direct current side terminals of the first inverter 32 and the second inverter 34 are connected to a direct current line DL. The direct current line DL connects the battery 60 via the VCU 40. The first inverter 32 inverts alternating current generated by the first motor 12 to direct current and outputs to the direct current line DL, or inverts direct current supplied via the direct current line DL to alternating current and supplies to the first motor 12. Similarly, the second inverter 34 inverts alternating current generated by the second motor 18 to direct current and outputs to the direct current line DL, or inverts direct current supplied via the direct current line DL to alternating current and supplies to the second motor 18.

[0045] The VCU 40 is, for example, a DC-DC converter. The VCU 40 steps up power supplied from the battery 60 and outputs to the direct current line DL.

[0046] The function of the control device 50 will be described later. The battery 60 is, for example, a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery.

[0047] The navigation device 70 has, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver, a navigation HMI (Human Machine Interface), and a route decision section. The navigation device 70 holds map information and road information in a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory. The GNSS receiver determines the position of the host vehicle M based on a signal received from a GNSS satellite. The navigation HMI includes a display device, a speaker, a touch panel, a button, and the like. The route decision section decides, for example, a route (hereinafter referred to as a scheduled travel route) from the position of the host vehicle M determined by the GNSS receiver (or an arbitrary position input) to a destination input by an occupant using the navigation HMI, with reference to the map information. The map information is, for example, information representing a road shape by road segments and nodes connected by the road segments. The navigation device 70 can also perform route guidance using the navigation HMI based on the scheduled travel route. The navigation device 70 can also be implemented by the functions of a terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal held by the occupant. The navigation device 70 can also transmit the current position and the destination to a navigation server via the communication device 20 and acquire a route equivalent to the scheduled travel route from the navigation server. The navigation device 70 can also acquire road information from the navigation server.

[0048] Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the control device. The control device 50 has, for example, a hybrid control section 51, a road information acquisition section 52, a control target section extraction section 53, a target remaining capacity calculation section 54, and a charge / discharge plan section 55. These constituent elements are implemented, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) of a computer mounted on the host vehicle M executing a program (software). In addition, a part or all of these constituent elements can be implemented by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and can be implemented by a combination of software and hardware. The program can be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device having a non-transitory storage medium) such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory, can be stored in a removable storage medium (a non-transitory storage medium) such as a DVD or a CD-ROM, and can be installed by mounting the storage medium in a drive device.

[0049] The hybrid control section 51 determines the travel mode based on the accelerator opening degree, vehicle speed, brake depression amount, and the like of the vehicle M. The control device 50 controls the operation of the engine 10, the first motor 12, the lock-up clutch 14, the second motor 18, and the like in accordance with the travel mode.

[0050] [Various Travel Modes]

[0051] The travel modes determined by the hybrid control section 51 will be described below. Among the travel modes, the following modes exist.

[0052] (1) Series Hybrid Travel Mode (ECVT)

[0053] In the series hybrid travel mode, the hybrid control section 51 brings the lock-up clutch 14 to the disengaged state, causes the engine 10 to operate by supplying fuel to the engine 10, and supplies the electric power generated by the first motor 12 to the battery 60 and the second motor 18. Also, the second motor 18 is driven using the electric power supplied from the first motor 12 or the battery 60, and the vehicle M is caused to travel by the power from the second motor 18. The series hybrid travel mode is an example of a mode in which the engine is operating "in a state in which the engine and the drive wheels are not mechanically linked".

[0054] (2) EV Travel Mode (EV)

[0055] In the EV travel mode, the hybrid control section 51 brings the lock-up clutch 14 to the disengaged state, and drives the second motor 18 using the electric power supplied from the battery 60, and causes the vehicle M to travel by the power from the second motor 18.

[0056] (3) Engine Drive Travel Mode (LU)

[0057] In the engine drive travel mode, the hybrid control section 51 brings the lock-up clutch 14 to the engaged state, causes the engine 10 to operate by consuming fuel, and causes the vehicle M to travel by transmitting at least a part of the power output from the engine 10 to the drive wheels 25. At this time, the first motor 12 can also generate electricity, or can not generate electricity.

[0058] (4) Regeneration

[0059] In the regeneration, the hybrid control section 51 brings the lock-up clutch 14 to the disengaged state, and causes the second motor 18 to generate electricity using the kinetic energy of the vehicle M. The electric power generated at the time of the regeneration is stored in the battery 60, or is wasted by the waste electric control. In the waste electric control, the regenerated electric power of the second motor 18 is not charged into the battery 60, but is supplied to the first motor 12. The waste of the regenerated electric power (i.e., the waste electric) is performed by causing the engine 10 to idle by the first motor 12 in a state in which the lock-up clutch 14 is disengaged.

[0060] The road information acquisition unit 52 acquires road information of a scheduled travel route of the vehicle M via the navigation device 70. The scheduled travel route is divided into a plurality of sections. The road information acquisition unit 52 acquires road information of each section of the scheduled travel route. The road information includes vehicle speed information, road attribute information, road traffic information, and the like. The vehicle speed information is information of a speed limit (for example, a legal speed), an average speed, a speed distribution, and the like in each section of the scheduled travel route. The average speed is an average value of speeds of a plurality of vehicles that travel in each section. The road attribute information is information of a road category (an expressway or a general road), a road gradient, a number of lanes, and the like. The road traffic information is information of congestion, a traffic signal, or a temporary stop, and the like.

[0061] The control target section extraction unit 53 extracts a control target section on the scheduled travel route of the vehicle M. The control target section is a section in which the charge and discharge control is implemented before the vehicle M reaches the section. The control target section is a section in which a predicted variation of the remaining capacity of the battery 60 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value in the sections included in the scheduled travel route. The control target section extraction unit 53 acquires event information of the sections included in the scheduled travel route via the road information acquisition unit 52. The event is a charge event and a discharge event. The charge event is an event in which the battery 60 is charged by the vehicle M traveling in a regenerative mode. For example, the charge event is a descending slope or deceleration before a stop, and the like. The discharge event is an event in which the battery 60 is discharged by the vehicle M traveling in an EV travel mode or by the vehicle M being assisted by the battery 60. For example, the discharge event is an ascending slope, congestion, acceleration after a start, or travel to a destination (travel in a quiet place such as a residential area), and the like. In the case of, for example, an ascending slope and the like, the vehicle travels with an assist output from the battery 60 in the series hybrid travel mode. The control target section extraction unit 53 acquires information of a road gradient, congestion, a traffic restriction, a destination, and the like as the event information. The control target section extraction unit 53 acquires an amount of regenerative electric power or an amount of discharged electric power of the battery 60 that occurs due to the vehicle M traveling in the section in which the event occurs. In the section in which a predicted value of the amount of regenerative electric power or the amount of discharged electric power of the battery 60 becomes equal to or greater than a threshold value, the predicted variation of the remaining capacity of the battery 60 is equal to or greater than the predetermined value. The control target section extraction unit 53 extracts the section as the control target section.

[0062] The target remaining capacity calculation unit 54 calculates a target remaining capacity that is a remaining capacity of the battery 60 at a start point of the control target section. The target remaining capacity calculation unit 54 calculates the target remaining capacity based on a predicted value of the amount of regenerative electric power of the control target section in the case where the charge event occurs in the control target section. The target remaining capacity calculation unit 54 calculates the target remaining capacity by subtracting the predicted value of the amount of regenerative electric power from the waste electric start remaining capacity at which the waste electric control is started.

[0063] The target remaining capacity calculating section 54 calculates the target remaining capacity based on the estimated value of the discharge electric power amount of the control target section in the case where a discharge event occurs in the control target section. The target remaining capacity calculating section 54 calculates the target remaining capacity by adding an auxiliary lower limit remaining capacity to the estimated value of the discharge electric power amount. The auxiliary lower limit remaining capacity is a lower limit value of the remaining capacity of the battery 60 that enables assistance of the travel of the vehicle M by supplying electric power of the battery 60 to the second motor 18.

[0064] The charge / discharge planning section 55 plans the charge / discharge of the battery 60. The charge / discharge planning section 55 plans discharge of the battery 60 in the section preceding the control target section in the case where the regenerative electric power amount of the control target section is a prescribed value or more. The charge / discharge planning section 55 determines the difference between the current remaining capacity of the battery 60 and the target remaining capacity as the target discharge electric power amount. The charge / discharge planning section 55 plans discharge in such a manner that the target discharge electric power amount is drawn from the battery 60 before the vehicle M reaches the start point of the control target section. Thereby, the regenerative electric power amount in the control target section is charged into the battery 60, and the waste electric power control is not implemented, so it is possible to take out the regenerative electric power amount of the control target section.

[0065] The charge / discharge planning section 55 plans charge of the battery 60 in the section preceding the control target section in the case where the discharge electric power amount of the control target section is a prescribed value or more. The charge / discharge planning section 55 determines the difference between the target remaining capacity of the battery 60 and the current remaining capacity as the target charge electric power amount. The charge / discharge planning section 55 plans charge in such a manner that the target charge electric power amount is charged into the battery 60 before the vehicle M reaches the start point of the control target section. Thereby, it is possible to assist the travel of the vehicle M by supplying electric power of the battery 60 to the second motor 18 during travel of the vehicle M in the control target section. The vehicle travel load in the control target section is ensured, and the vehicle speed of the vehicle M is maintained.

[0066] The charge / discharge planning section 55 plans the charge / discharge of the battery 60 based on the vehicle travel load on the road from the vehicle M to the control target section. As described above, the road information acquiring section 52 acquires road information of each section of the scheduled travel route. The road information includes average vehicle speed information and road gradient information. The charge / discharge planning section 55 calculates the vehicle travel load until the control target section based on the average vehicle speed information and the road gradient information. First, the charge / discharge planning section 55 calculates the shaft end driving force MF of the second motor 18 based on mathematical expression 1.

[0067] MF = {(a + b · V + c · V 2 ) + M · g · sin θ} / TME... (1)

[0068] Here, MF is the second motor shaft end driving force, V is the vehicle speed, a, b, and c are running resistance calculation coefficients, M is the assumed weight of the vehicle M (assuming two passengers are riding in the vehicle), g is the acceleration due to gravity, θ is the road gradient, and TME is the efficiency of the gear box 16. The charge / discharge planning portion 55 calculates the second motor shaft end driving force MF by substituting the average vehicle speed V0 for the vehicle speed V. Next, the charge / discharge planning portion 55 calculates the second converter 34 end consumption power P based on mathematical expression 2.

[0069] P = MF · V + ML... (2)

[0070] Here, P is the second converter end consumption power, MF is the second motor shaft end driving force, V is the vehicle speed, and ML is the loss of the second motor 18. The charge / discharge planning portion 55 calculates the second converter end consumption power P by substituting the average vehicle speed V0 for the vehicle speed V. The second converter end consumption power P is the running required power. The air conditioner / accessory consumption power is the air conditioner / accessory required power. The charge / discharge planning portion 55 adds the running required power and the air conditioner / accessory required power to calculate the vehicle required power (i.e., the vehicle running load).

[0071] The vehicle running load required for running in each section is charged by the output from the engine 10 and the output from the battery 60. As described above, the charge / discharge planning portion 55 plans discharging of the battery 60 in the section preceding the control target section when the regenerative electric power amount in the control target section is equal to or greater than the prescribed value. The charge / discharge planning portion 55 plans discharging from the battery 60 in such a manner that the target discharging electric power amount is discharged before the vehicle M reaches the start point of the control target section. The charge / discharge planning portion 55 allocates the difference between the vehicle running load and the engine efficiency output to the battery output to discharge the battery 60 when the vehicle running load is greater than the engine efficiency output, i.e., when the engine is in an output region where the thermal efficiency is good (hereinafter referred to as the engine efficiency output). The charge / discharge planning portion 55 can also plan discharging up to the target discharging electric power amount by limiting charging to the battery 60.

[0072] As described above, the charge / discharge planning portion 55 plans charging of the battery 60 in the section preceding the control target section when the discharging electric power amount in the control target section is equal to or greater than the prescribed value.

[0073] The charge-discharge planning unit 55 plans charging in such a manner that the target charge amount is charged to the battery 60 before the vehicle M reaches the start point of the control target section. The charge-discharge planning unit 55 increases the engine output to the engine efficiency output in a case where the vehicle travel load is smaller than the engine efficiency output. The charge-discharge planning unit 55 charges the battery 60 by the engine output exceeding the vehicle travel load. Thus, charging to the target charge amount is planned while the vehicle travel load is ensured. The charge-discharge planning unit 55 can also plan charging to the target charge amount by limiting the output of the battery 60.

[0074] The hybrid control unit 51 implements charge-discharge of the battery 60 based on the charge-discharge plan made by the charge-discharge planning unit 55 in the section preceding the control target section.

[0075] As described above, the charge-discharge planning unit 55 substitutes the average vehicle speed V0 for the vehicle speed V in Mathematical Formulas 1 and 2 when calculating the vehicle travel load. The average vehicle speed V0 is the average speed of a plurality of vehicles that have traveled through each section of the predetermined travel path of the vehicle M. The actual vehicle speed of the vehicle M can be different from the average vehicle speed V0. In this case, the vehicle travel load of the vehicle M is different from the vehicle travel load calculated by the charge-discharge planning unit 55 using Mathematical Formulas 1 and 2. In this case, charge-discharge is not implemented as planned by the charge-discharge planning unit 55.

[0076] The charge-discharge planning unit 55 determines (corrects) the vehicle travel load according to the kind of event that occurs in the control target section. In a case where a charge event occurs in the control target section and discharge is planned in the section preceding the control target section, the charge-discharge planning unit 55 changes the vehicle travel load to a value lower than the reference value. In a case where a discharge event occurs in the control target section and charge is planned in the section preceding the control target section, the charge-discharge planning unit 55 changes the vehicle travel load to a value higher than the reference value. The charge-discharge planning unit 55 corrects the vehicle travel load by correcting the average vehicle speed information. Details thereof will be described below.

[0077] Figure 3 is a graph showing the relationship between the vehicle speed in the case of discharge planning and the energy management effect. The energy management effect (hereinafter referred to as the energy effect) is an index evaluated by the amount of energy consumed being small, the amount of energy obtained being large, the vehicle travel load being ensured, and the like. The energy is the fuel of the engine 10 and the electric power of the battery 60. Figure 3The line graph of the broken line is the energy management effect by the discharge plan made based on the average vehicle speed V0 (before correction of the average vehicle speed V0). In a case where the vehicle M travels at the average vehicle speed V0, discharge according to the discharge plan is implemented, so the energy management effect is the largest. In a case where the vehicle M travels at a lower speed than the average vehicle speed V0, the vehicle travel load calculated by mathematical expression 1 becomes smaller. In this case, the battery output becomes smaller, so it is possible that discharge to the target discharge electric power amount cannot be achieved. As a result, the regenerative electric power amount cannot be taken out in the control target section, so the energy management effect decreases. The smaller the speed at which the vehicle M travels than the average vehicle speed V0, the larger the decrease in the energy management effect becomes.

[0078] In a case where the vehicle M travels at a higher speed than the average vehicle speed V0, the vehicle travel load calculated by mathematical expression 1 becomes larger. In this case, the battery output becomes larger, so discharge to the target discharge electric power amount is achieved early. As a result, the regenerative electric power amount can be taken out in the control target section, so the decrease in the energy management effect is small.

[0079] The charge / discharge plan section 55 determines the vehicle travel load of the section preceding the control target section to be a value lower than a reference value. The reference value is the vehicle travel load calculated based on the average vehicle speed V0. The charge / discharge plan section 55 corrects the average vehicle speed V0 to a speed V1 lower than the average vehicle speed V0, and calculates the vehicle travel load. Thus, the vehicle travel load is determined to be a value lower than the reference value. The charge / discharge plan section 55 plans discharge based on the vehicle travel plan determined to be a value lower than the reference value.

[0080] Figure 3 The line graph of the solid line is the energy management effect by the discharge plan made based on the speed V1 (after correction of the average vehicle speed V0). Figure 3 The line graph of the solid line corresponds to a line graph obtained by moving the line graph of the broken line to the low speed side. In a case where the vehicle M travels at the speed V1 lower than the average vehicle speed V0, discharge according to the discharge plan is implemented, so the energy management effect becomes the largest. In a case where the vehicle M travels at a speed higher than the speed V1, discharge to the target discharge electric power amount is achieved early, so the decrease in the energy management effect is small. Even in a case where the vehicle M travels at a speed different from the average vehicle speed V0, the possibility that the vehicle M travels at a speed close to the average vehicle speed V0 is high. The average vehicle speed V0 is higher than the speed V1, so the decrease in the energy management effect becomes small.

[0081] Figure 4 is a graph showing an example of a change in the discharge plan and the remaining capacity of the battery. Figure 4 The horizontal axis is the position of the vehicle M. Figure 4The upper half is a graph of the vehicle speed V0 before correction, the upper side is a graph of the output of the discharging plan, and the lower side is a graph of the change in the state of charge of the battery. The charge and discharge planning unit 55 plans discharging control in a plurality of sections before the control target section (regeneration section) is reached. In the section before the discharging control section, normal control is planned. The normal control is control to maintain the state of charge of the battery (SOC) within a constant range. That is, charging is actively performed when the state of charge of the battery is lower than a reference value, and discharging is actively performed when the state of charge of the battery is higher than the reference value. The vehicle travel load is the sum of the engine output and the battery output. In the normal control section, the entire vehicle travel load is charged by only the engine output, and the state of charge of the battery is maintained constant. In the discharging control section, the portion of the vehicle travel load up to the engine efficiency output S is charged by the engine output, and the portion exceeding the engine efficiency output S is charged by the battery output. The state of charge of the battery is reduced by the battery output. Before correction of the average vehicle speed V0, the discharging plan is made based on the average vehicle speed V0. When the vehicle M travels at the average vehicle speed V0, at the start of the control target section, the state of charge of the battery is reduced to the target state of charge. In contrast, when the vehicle M travels at a speed lower than the average vehicle speed V0, the battery output is smaller than the discharging plan before correction. Therefore, at the start of the control target section, the state of charge of the battery is not reduced to the target state of charge. Figure 4 In the normal control section, the entire vehicle travel load is charged by only the engine output, and the state of charge of the battery is maintained constant. In the discharging control section, the portion of the vehicle travel load up to the engine efficiency output S is charged by the engine output, and the portion exceeding the engine efficiency output S is charged by the battery output. The state of charge of the battery is reduced by the battery output. Before correction of the average vehicle speed V0, the discharging plan is made based on the average vehicle speed V0. When the vehicle M travels at the average vehicle speed V0, at the start of the control target section, the state of charge of the battery is reduced to the target state of charge. In contrast, when the vehicle M travels at a speed lower than the average vehicle speed V0, the battery output is smaller than the discharging plan before correction. Therefore, at the start of the control target section, the state of charge of the battery is not reduced to the target state of charge. Figure 4 In the normal control section, the entire vehicle travel load is charged by only the engine output, and the state of charge of the battery is maintained constant. In the discharging control section, the portion of the vehicle travel load up to the engine efficiency output S is charged by the engine output, and the portion exceeding the engine efficiency output S is charged by the battery output. The state of charge of the battery is reduced by the battery output. Before correction of the average vehicle speed V0, the discharging plan is made based on the average vehicle speed V0. When the vehicle M travels at the average vehicle speed V0, at the start of the control target section, the state of charge of the battery is reduced to the target state of charge. In contrast, when the vehicle M travels at a speed lower than the average vehicle speed V0, the battery output is smaller than the discharging plan before correction. Therefore, at the start of the control target section, the state of charge of the battery is not reduced to the target state of charge.

[0082] Figure 4 The lower half is a graph of the average vehicle speed V0 after correction to the vehicle speed V1, the upper side is a graph of the output of the discharging plan, and the lower side is a graph of the change in the state of charge of the battery. The vehicle speed V1 is smaller than the average vehicle speed V0, and therefore the vehicle travel load of the discharging plan after correction is smaller than the discharging plan before correction. Along with this, the battery output of the discharging plan after correction is smaller than the discharging plan before correction. The charge and discharge planning unit 55 plans so that discharging control starts from a section earlier than before correction. After the average vehicle speed V0 is corrected to the vehicle speed V1, the discharging plan is made based on the vehicle speed V1. When the vehicle M travels at the vehicle speed V1, at the start of the control target section, the state of charge of the battery is reduced to the target state of charge. When the vehicle M travels at a speed close to the average vehicle speed V0 (> V1), the battery output is larger than the discharging plan made based on the vehicle speed V1. Therefore, at the start of the control target section, the state of charge of the battery is reduced to the target state of charge. Therefore, it is possible to take out the regeneration electric power in the control target section (regeneration section).

[0083] Thus, in a case where it is determined that the control target section is the regenerative section, the vehicle travel load is estimated to be low, and thus the discharge plan is prepared from a section further ahead in a state where the discharge amount is estimated to be low, and thus a discharge plan with a margin is created. Both a vehicle traveling faster than the average vehicle speed V0 and a vehicle traveling slower than the average vehicle speed V0 can reduce the remaining capacity of the electric storage device before entering the regenerative section, and can take out the regenerative electric power. In particular, even in the case of a driver who tends to travel slower than the average vehicle speed V0, adverse effects of the energy management effect by the driving characteristics can be suppressed.

[0084] Figure 5 is a line graph showing the relationship between the vehicle speed in the case of the charge plan and the energy management effect. Figure 5 The line graph of the broken line of is the energy management effect by the charge plan made based on the average vehicle speed V0 (before correction of the average vehicle speed V0). In a case where the vehicle M travels at the average vehicle speed V0, charging according to the charge plan is performed, and thus the energy management effect is the largest. In a case where the vehicle M travels at a higher speed than the average vehicle speed V0, the vehicle travel load calculated by mathematical expression 1 becomes large. In this case, the opportunity of charging the battery by the engine output decreases, and in addition, the battery output becomes large, and thus it can not be possible to achieve charging up to the target charge electric power amount. Thus, during the period in which the vehicle M travels in the control target section, it becomes impossible to supply the electric power of the battery 60 to the second motor 18. As a result, the securing of the vehicle travel load in the control target section becomes difficult, and the energy management effect decreases. The more the vehicle M travels at a higher speed than the average vehicle speed V0, the larger the decrease in the energy management effect becomes.

[0085] In a case where the vehicle M travels at a lower speed than the average vehicle speed V0, the vehicle travel load calculated by mathematical expression 1 becomes small. In this case, the opportunity of charging the battery by the engine output increases, and in addition, the battery output becomes small, and thus charging up to the target charge electric power amount is achieved early. Thus, during the period in which the vehicle M travels in the control target section, it is possible to supply the electric power of the battery 60 to the second motor 18. As a result, the vehicle travel load is secured by the assistance of the charge electric power from the battery 60 in the control target section, and thus the decrease in the energy management effect is small.

[0086] The charge and discharge plan unit 55 determines the vehicle travel load of a section ahead of the control target section to be a value higher than a reference value. The reference value is the vehicle travel load calculated based on the average vehicle speed V0. The charge and discharge plan unit 55 corrects the average vehicle speed V0 to a higher speed V2 than the average vehicle speed V0, and calculates the vehicle travel load. Thus, the vehicle travel load is determined to be a value higher than the reference value. The charge and discharge plan unit 55 plans charging based on the vehicle travel plan determined to be a value higher than the reference value.

[0087] Figure 5 The solid line graph shows the energy management effect of the charging plan (corrected for the average vehicle speed V0) based on vehicle speed V2. Figure 5 The solid line diagram is equivalent to the diagram obtained by shifting the dashed line diagram towards the high-speed side. When vehicle M is traveling at speed V2, charging is carried out according to the charging plan, thus maximizing energy management efficiency. When vehicle M is traveling at a speed lower than V2, charging to the target power is achieved earlier, thus minimizing the reduction in energy management efficiency. Even when vehicle M is traveling at a speed different from the average speed V0, it is highly likely that vehicle M will travel at a speed close to the average speed V0. Since the average speed V0 is lower than the average speed V2, the reduction in energy management efficiency is smaller.

[0088] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a charging schedule and changes in the remaining capacity of a battery. Figure 6 The horizontal axis represents the position of vehicle M. Figure 6 The upper half of the graph is a line graph before the average vehicle speed V0 is corrected, the top part is a line graph of the charging plan output, and the bottom part is a line graph of the change in the remaining battery capacity. The charging / discharging planning unit 55 plans charging control in multiple intervals before reaching the control target interval (discharge interval). Normal control is planned in the intervals preceding the charging control interval. The vehicle driving load is the sum of the engine output and the battery output. The amount of charge supplied to the battery can be considered as a negative battery output. In the normally controlled interval, the vehicle driving load is offset by either the engine output or the battery output. Battery charging is planned in accordance with the battery output, thereby keeping the remaining battery capacity approximately constant. In the charging control interval, even if the vehicle driving load is lower than the engine efficiency output S, the engine output is planned to reach the engine efficiency output S. Battery charging is planned using an engine output higher than the vehicle driving load. The opportunity for battery charging increases, and the remaining battery capacity increases. Before the correction of the average vehicle speed V0, a ​​charging plan is created based on the average vehicle speed V0. When vehicle M is traveling at an average speed V0, the remaining battery capacity increases to the target remaining capacity at the beginning of the controlled interval. Conversely, when vehicle M is traveling at a speed higher than the average speed V0, the vehicle's driving load becomes greater than the discharge plan, thus the battery charge decreases. Therefore, at the beginning of the controlled interval, the remaining battery capacity will not increase to the target remaining capacity.

[0089] Figure 6The lower half is a line graph of the vehicle speed V2 after correction of the average vehicle speed V0, the upper side is a line graph of the output of the charge plan, and the lower side is a line graph of the change in the remaining capacity of the storage battery. The vehicle speed V2 is greater than the average vehicle speed V0, and therefore the vehicle travel load of the corrected charge plan is greater than that of the charge plan before correction. Along with this, the charge amount of the storage battery of the corrected charge plan is smaller than that of the charge plan before correction. The charge and discharge plan portion 55 plans to start the charge control from an interval that is more forward than before correction. After correction of the average vehicle speed V0 to the vehicle speed V2, the charge plan is created based on the vehicle speed V2. In the case where the vehicle M travels at the vehicle speed V2, at the start of the control target interval, the remaining capacity of the storage battery increases to the target remaining capacity. In the case where the vehicle M travels at a speed close to the average vehicle speed V0 (< V2), the charge amount of the storage battery becomes greater than that of the discharge plan created based on the vehicle speed V2. Therefore, before the control target interval, the remaining capacity of the storage battery increases to the target remaining capacity. Therefore, it is possible to assist travel by the output of the storage battery in the control target interval (discharge interval).

[0090] Thus, in the case where it is determined that the control target interval is the discharge interval, the vehicle travel load is estimated to be high, and therefore the charge plan is created from an interval that is more forward than before correction with the charge amount estimated to be low, and therefore a charge plan with a surplus is created. Both a vehicle traveling at a speed faster than the average vehicle speed V0 and a vehicle traveling at a speed slower than the average vehicle speed V0 can increase the remaining capacity of the storage battery 60 before entering the discharge interval, and it is possible to secure the assist power in the discharge interval. In particular, even in the case of a driver who has a tendency to travel at a speed faster than the average vehicle speed, it is possible to suppress adverse effects on the energy management effect due to the driving characteristics.

[0091] As described above, the road information acquisition portion 52 acquires the average vehicle speed V0 of the interval before the control target interval. The charge and discharge plan portion 55 corrects the average vehicle speed V0 to calculate the vehicle travel load. The road information acquisition portion 52 can acquire the vehicle travel load instead of the average vehicle speed V0. However, the vehicle travel load is also affected by the vehicle specifications and the like, and therefore it is possible to use only the vehicle travel load of a vehicle having the same vehicle specifications as the vehicle M. In contrast, by acquiring the average vehicle speed V0 to calculate the vehicle travel load, it is possible to use statistical information of a larger number of vehicles. Thus, even in the case where the driver is driving on the predetermined travel route for the first time, it is possible to obtain a vehicle travel load with high precision. The charge and discharge plan portion 55 can calculate the vehicle travel load from the average vehicle speed V0 before correction instead of from the average vehicle speed V0 after correction, and correct the calculated vehicle travel load. The road information acquisition portion 52 can acquire the limit speed (for example, the legal speed) of the interval before the control target interval. The charge and discharge plan portion 55 can correct the limit speed to calculate the vehicle travel load.

[0092] There is a case where the speed of a plurality of vehicles that have traveled in the section preceding the control target section is widely distributed. In a case where the speed distribution is large, it is likely that the vehicle speed of the vehicle M greatly deviates from the average vehicle speed V0. As described above, the road information acquisition unit 52 acquires road information of the predetermined travel route. The road information includes speed distribution information. The charge / discharge planning unit 55 decides the correction amount of the average vehicle speed V0 based on the speed distribution information. The larger the speed distribution in the section preceding the control target section, the larger the correction amount of the average vehicle speed V0 by the charge / discharge planning unit 55. Thus, even in a case where the vehicle speed of the vehicle M greatly deviates from the average vehicle speed V0, the decrease in the control effect becomes small. Therefore, it is possible to set a correction amount that is appropriate for each travel section.

[0093] In a case where the section preceding the control target section is an expressway, a case where the number of lanes is large, or the like, the possibility that the speed distribution becomes wide is high. In a case where the speed distribution is large, it is likely that the vehicle speed of the vehicle M greatly deviates from the average vehicle speed V0. As described above, the road information acquisition unit 52 acquires road information of the predetermined travel route. The road information includes road attribute information. The road attribute information includes information of a road category (expressway or general road) and information of the number of lanes. The charge / discharge planning unit 55 decides the correction amount of the average vehicle speed V0 based on the road attribute information. The charge / discharge planning unit 55 increases the correction amount of the average vehicle speed V0 in a case where the section preceding the control target section is an expressway, as compared with a case where it is a general road. The larger the number of lanes in the section preceding the control target section, the larger the correction amount of the average vehicle speed V0 by the charge / discharge planning unit 55. By so doing, even in a case where the vehicle speed of the vehicle M greatly deviates from the average vehicle speed V0, the decrease in the control effect becomes small. Therefore, it is possible to set a correction amount that is appropriate for each travel section.

[0094] As described above, the target remaining capacity calculation unit 54 calculates a target remaining capacity that is the remaining capacity of the storage battery 60 at the start point of the control target section. In a case where the difference between the current remaining capacity of the storage battery 60 and the target remaining capacity is large, the target discharge electric power amount or the target charge electric power amount in the section preceding the control target section becomes large. In this case, when the vehicle M travels at a speed that greatly deviates from the average vehicle speed V0, it is likely that the target discharge electric power amount or the target charge electric power amount cannot be achieved. The charge / discharge planning unit 55 decides the correction amount of the average vehicle speed V0 according to the difference between the current remaining capacity of the storage battery 60 and the target remaining capacity. The larger the difference between the current remaining capacity of the storage battery 60 and the target remaining capacity, the larger the correction amount of the average vehicle speed V0 by the charge / discharge planning unit 55. Thus, it is possible to promote or suppress charge / discharge, and it is possible to more reliably perform charge / discharge control. Therefore, even in a case where the vehicle speed of the vehicle M greatly deviates from the average vehicle speed V0, the decrease in the control effect becomes small.

[0095] In a case where the distance or the time until the vehicle M reaches the start point of the control target section from the current position is short, it can not be possible to achieve the target discharge electric power amount or the target charge electric power amount when the vehicle M travels at a speed largely deviating from the average vehicle speed V0. The charge / discharge planning unit 55 decides the correction amount of the average vehicle speed V0 based on the distance or the time until the vehicle M reaches the start point of the control target section. The shorter the distance or the time until the vehicle M reaches the start point of the control target section, the larger the correction amount of the average vehicle speed V0 by the charge / discharge planning unit 55. Thus, the charge / discharge amount can be adjusted according to the urgency, and therefore the charge / discharge can be more appropriately performed. Thus, even in a case where the vehicle speed of the vehicle M largely deviates from the average vehicle speed V0, the decrease in the effect of the control is less likely to occur.

[0096] (Method of controlling vehicle)

[0097] A method of controlling the vehicle M according to the embodiment will be described. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of processing performed by the control device 50. First, the road information acquisition unit 52 searches for a control target section on a predetermined travel route (step S10). Next, the road information acquisition unit 52 acquires event information of each section of the predetermined travel route of the vehicle M. Next, the control target section extraction unit 53 acquires a regenerative electric power amount or a discharge electric power amount that occurs by traveling through an event section. Next, the control target section extraction unit 53 extracts a control target section on the predetermined travel route where the predicted remaining capacity change of the storage battery 60 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (step S12). Next, the charge / discharge planning unit 55 determines whether the estimated value of the discharge electric power amount in the control target section is greater than 0 (step S14). In a case where the estimated value of the discharge electric power amount in the control target section is greater than 0, the charge / discharge planning unit 55 corrects the average vehicle speed V0 of the section preceding the control target section to a speed V2 that is greater than V0 (step S16). In a case where the estimated value of the discharge electric power amount in the control target section is 0 or less, the charge / discharge planning unit 55 corrects the average vehicle speed V0 of the section preceding the control target section to a speed V1 that is less than V0 (step S18). Next, the charge / discharge planning unit 55 calculates the vehicle travel load on the road from the vehicle M to the control target section based on the speed V1 or V2 (step S20). Next, the charge / discharge planning unit 55 creates a charge / discharge plan to the control target section based on the vehicle travel load (step S22).

[0098] Figure 8is a diagram showing an example of a travel mode of a vehicle. The road information acquisition unit 52 acquires information of a descending slope (downhill) as road information of an interval A of a predetermined travel route. The control target interval extraction unit 53 extracts the interval A as a control target interval in a case where the estimated value of the regenerative electric power amount of the interval A is equal to or more than a threshold value. The charge / discharge planning unit 55 corrects an average vehicle speed V0 of an interval preceding the control target interval A to a vehicle speed V1 smaller than V0. The charge / discharge planning unit 55 calculates a vehicle travel load based on the vehicle speed V1 and creates a discharge plan up to the control target interval A. In this way, the control device 50 creates a discharge plan in advance of the descending slope of the interval A.

[0099] The road information acquisition unit 52 acquires information of an interval B in which deceleration occurs due to temporary stop or the like as road information of the interval B of the predetermined travel route. The control target interval extraction unit 53 extracts the interval B as a control target interval in a case where the estimated value of the regenerative electric power amount of the interval B is equal to or more than a threshold value. The charge / discharge planning unit 55 corrects an average vehicle speed V0 of an interval preceding the control target interval B to a vehicle speed V1 smaller than V0. The charge / discharge planning unit 55 calculates a vehicle travel load based on the vehicle speed V1 and creates a discharge plan up to the control target interval B. In this way, the control device 50 creates a discharge plan in advance of the deceleration of the interval B.

[0100] The road information acquisition unit 52 acquires information of a destination (a residential area or the like, a place where there is no need to accelerate) as road information of an interval C of the predetermined travel route. The control target interval extraction unit 53 extracts the interval C as a control target interval in a case where the estimated value of the discharge electric power amount of the interval C is equal to or more than a threshold value. The charge / discharge planning unit 55 corrects an average vehicle speed V0 of an interval preceding the control target interval C to a vehicle speed V2 larger than V0. The charge / discharge planning unit 55 calculates a vehicle travel load based on the vehicle speed V2 and creates a charge plan up to the control target interval C. In this way, the control device 50 creates a charge plan for traveling in the vicinity of the destination of the interval C in an EV travel mode.

[0101] According to the control device 50 of the vehicle M described above, the vehicle M is provided with an engine 10, a storage battery 60, and a second motor 18 connected to a drive wheel 25 and capable of driving by electric power supply from the storage battery 60 and capable of supplying regenerative electric power generated when regenerative operation is performed to the storage battery 60, the control device 50 of the vehicle M is provided with a road information acquisition section 52 that acquires road information related to a predetermined travel route of the vehicle M, a control target section extraction section 53 that extracts a control target section in which a predicted remaining capacity of the storage battery 60 is expected to change by a prescribed value or more on the predetermined travel route, and a charge / discharge planning section 55 that plans charge / discharge of the storage battery 60 based on vehicle travel load on a road from the vehicle M to the control target section, the charge / discharge planning section 55 determines vehicle travel load of a section preceding the control target section in accordance with an attribute of the control target section, so it is possible to determine vehicle travel load of a section preceding the control target section in accordance with an event occurring in the control target section and adjust charge / discharge amount of the storage device, and it is possible to suppress influence by driving characteristics.

[0102] The embodiment described above can be expressed as follows.

[0103] A control device of a vehicle is configured to include:

[0104] a storage device in which a program is stored; and

[0105] a hardware processor,

[0106] the program stored in the storage device is executed by the hardware processor to perform the following processing:

[0107] acquire road information related to a predetermined travel route of the vehicle;

[0108] extract a control target section in which a predicted remaining capacity of the storage device is expected to change by a prescribed value or more on the predetermined travel route;

[0109] plan charge / discharge of the storage device based on vehicle travel load on a road from the vehicle to the control target section;

[0110] when planning charge / discharge of the storage device, determine vehicle travel load of a section preceding the control target section in accordance with an attribute of the control target section.

[0111] The above describes a specific embodiment of the present application using the embodiment, but the present application is not at all limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications and substitutions can be applied within a range not departing from the gist of the present application.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device, wherein, The vehicle's control device includes: Power source; Energy storage devices; An electric motor is connected to a drive wheel and can be driven by power supplied from the energy storage device, and can supply the energy storage device with regenerated power generated during the regeneration operation. The road information acquisition unit acquires road information related to the vehicle's predetermined travel path; A control target interval extraction unit extracts control target intervals along the predetermined travel path where the predicted change in the remaining capacity of the energy storage device exceeds a predetermined value; and The charging and discharging planning unit plans the charging and discharging of the energy storage device based on the vehicle traffic load on the road from the vehicle to the controlled object. The charging and discharging planning unit determines the vehicle driving load in the section preceding the controlled target section based on the attributes of the controlled target section. The charging and discharging planning unit can calculate the vehicle's driving load based on the vehicle speed information included in the road information obtained by the road information acquisition unit. The charging and discharging planning unit determines the vehicle's driving load by adjusting the vehicle speed. If the estimated value of the regenerated power in the controlled target area is above a threshold, the charging and discharging planning unit corrects the vehicle speed of the vehicle in the section preceding the controlled target area to a speed lower than the average vehicle speed, thereby determining the vehicle's driving load to be lower than a reference value. The charging and discharging planning unit plans the discharge control by starting from the section immediately preceding the correction. When the estimated discharge power in the controlled target interval is above a threshold value, the charging and discharging planning unit corrects the vehicle speed of the vehicle in the interval preceding the controlled target interval to a speed higher than the average vehicle speed, thereby determining the vehicle's driving load to be higher than a reference value, and the charging and discharging planning unit plans the charging control starting from the interval preceding the correction.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein, The road information acquisition unit is able to acquire the vehicle speed distribution information contained in the road information. The charging and discharging planning unit determines the correction amount for the vehicle speed based on the vehicle speed distribution information.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein, The road information acquisition unit is able to acquire road attribute information. The charging and discharging planning unit determines the correction amount for the vehicle speed based on the road attribute information.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein, The vehicle's control device includes a target remaining capacity calculation unit that calculates the target remaining capacity, where the target remaining capacity is the remaining capacity of the energy storage device at the starting point of the controlled area. The charging and discharging planning unit determines the correction amount for the vehicle speed based on the difference between the remaining capacity of the energy storage device and the target remaining capacity.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein, The charging and discharging planning unit determines the speed correction amount based on the distance or time from when the vehicle reaches the starting point of the controlled target area.

6. A method for controlling a vehicle, wherein, The vehicle control method causes the computer mounted on the vehicle to perform the following processing: Obtain road information related to the vehicle's predetermined travel path; Extract the control target range where the remaining capacity of the predicted energy storage device will change by a specified value or more along the predetermined driving path; The charging and discharging of the energy storage device is planned based on the vehicle traffic load on the road from the vehicle to the controlled object. When planning the charging and discharging of the energy storage device, the vehicle driving load in the section preceding the control object section is determined according to the attributes of the control object section, and the vehicle driving load can be calculated based on the vehicle speed information contained in the obtained road information. The vehicle's driving load is determined by adjusting the vehicle speed; If the estimated value of the regenerated power in the controlled target area is above a threshold, the vehicle speed of the vehicle in the section preceding the controlled target area is corrected to a speed lower than the average vehicle speed, thereby determining the vehicle driving load to be lower than the reference value, and the discharge control is planned to start from the section preceding the correction. If the estimated discharge power in the controlled range is above a threshold, the vehicle speed of the vehicle in the range preceding the controlled range is corrected to a speed higher than the average vehicle speed, thereby determining the vehicle's driving load to be higher than a reference value, and charging control is planned to start from the range preceding the correction.

7. A storage medium storing a program that can be read by a computer, wherein, The program causes the computer mounted in the vehicle to perform the following processing: Obtain road information related to the vehicle's predetermined travel path; Extract the control target range where the remaining capacity of the predicted energy storage device will change by a specified value or more along the predetermined driving path; The charging and discharging of the energy storage device is planned based on the vehicle traffic load on the road from the vehicle to the controlled object. When planning the charging and discharging of the energy storage device, the vehicle driving load in the section preceding the control object section is determined according to the attributes of the control object section, and the vehicle driving load can be calculated based on the vehicle speed information contained in the obtained road information. The vehicle's driving load is determined by adjusting the vehicle speed; If the estimated value of the regenerated power in the controlled target area is above a threshold, the vehicle speed of the vehicle in the section preceding the controlled target area is corrected to a speed lower than the average vehicle speed, thereby determining the vehicle driving load to be lower than the reference value, and the discharge control is planned to start from the section preceding the correction. If the estimated discharge power in the controlled range is above a threshold, the vehicle speed of the vehicle in the range preceding the controlled range is corrected to a speed higher than the average vehicle speed, thereby determining the vehicle's driving load to be higher than a reference value, and charging control is planned to start from the range preceding the correction.

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