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

Abstract

A control device of a vehicle capable of suppressing reduction in calculation accuracy while reducing calculation load in estimation of an energy management plan, a control method of a vehicle, and a storage medium. The vehicle is provided with a power source, an electrical storage device, and an electric motor connected to a drive wheel, capable of being driven by power supplied from the electrical storage device and capable of supplying regenerated power to the electrical storage device. The control device is provided with: an information acquisition unit that acquires information related to a predetermined travel route; a first generation unit that generates first travel energy data per unit time required when traveling on the predetermined travel route; a second generation unit that calculates a travel energy change amount per unit time based on the first travel energy data, eliminates data intervals of travel energy indicating time periods in which the change amount is less than a prescribed value from the first travel energy data, and generates second travel energy data; and a charge / discharge planning unit that generates a charge / discharge plan of the electrical storage device when traveling on the predetermined travel route based on the second travel energy data.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-038821, filed on March 14, 2022, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a storage medium. Background Technology

[0003] Hybrid vehicles, which incorporate a power source such as an internal combustion engine, an energy storage device, and an electric motor, are being utilized. The electric motor is connected to the drive wheels and is driven by power supplied from the energy storage device. The electric motor can also supply regenerated electricity generated during regenerative braking to the energy storage device. Previously, technologies related to setting the charging and discharging schedules of the energy storage device in such hybrid vehicles were proposed.

[0004] To properly schedule charging and discharging, the required energy consumption needs to be predicted for each segment of the route from origin to destination. This requires iterative simulations to estimate energy efficiency and arrive at an optimal energy management plan. However, especially with long-distance routes, the computational burden of optimizing energy efficiency becomes enormous, making practical implementation difficult.

[0005] In contrast, the vehicle control device described in Japanese Patent No. 5780354, when the driving path is long, sets the length of the middle section of the driving path to be longer than the length of the sections around the starting point and the destination, thereby predicting and calculating the driving energy in the middle section with a coarser granularity. This reduces the computational load in predicting and calculating driving energy. Summary of the Invention

[0006] However, the vehicle control device described in Japanese Patent No. 5780354 has the following problem: when there is an event such as a steep uphill slope or other event that causes a large change in driving energy in the middle section of a relatively long driving path, the calculation accuracy in the prediction calculation of driving energy is reduced.

[0007] One of the objectives of this invention is to provide a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a storage medium that can reduce the computational load in energy management plan estimation while suppressing the reduction in computational accuracy.

[0008] The vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and storage medium of the present invention adopt the following structure.

[0009] (1): In a vehicle control device according to one aspect of the present invention, the vehicle includes a power source, an energy storage device, and an electric motor. The electric motor is connected to a drive wheel and can be driven by power supply from the energy storage device, and can supply regenerated power generated during regeneration operation to the energy storage device. The control device includes: an information acquisition unit that acquires information related to a predetermined driving path of the vehicle; a first generation unit that generates first driving energy data based on the information related to the predetermined driving path of the vehicle, the first driving energy data representing the driving energy required per unit time when the vehicle is driving on the predetermined driving path; a second generation unit that calculates the change in driving energy per unit time based on the first driving energy data, and removes data intervals from the first driving energy data that represent time periods in which the change in driving energy per unit time is less than a predetermined value, thereby generating second driving energy data; and a charge / discharge planning unit that generates a charge / discharge plan for the energy storage device when the vehicle is driving on the predetermined driving path based on the second driving energy data.

[0010] (2): In the above (1) scheme, the control device further includes a time series data interpolation unit, which interpolates the charging and discharging plan for the time period corresponding to the driving energy data after the second generation unit has performed interval elimination by linear interpolation.

[0011] (3): In the above (2) scheme, the control device further includes a control unit that controls the charging and discharging of the energy storage device based on the planned data interpolated by the time series data interpolation unit when the vehicle is in motion.

[0012] (4): In any of the schemes (1) to (3) above, the charging and discharging planning unit generates the charging and discharging plan with optimal energy usage efficiency by repeatedly performing a cyclic simulation of the vehicle driving on the predetermined driving path.

[0013] (5): In the above scheme (4), the charge and discharge planning unit adjusts the parameter value while repeatedly executing the cyclic simulation until the specified optimal convergence condition is met. The parameter value represents the strength of the tendency to charge the energy storage device or to discharge the energy storage device.

[0014] (6): In the above scheme (5), the optimal convergence condition is that the remaining capacity of the energy storage device becomes a predetermined value at the time when the vehicle arrives at the end of the predetermined driving path.

[0015] (7): In any of the schemes (1) to (6) above, the information related to the predetermined driving path includes information indicating vehicle speed and information indicating road gradient.

[0016] (8): In any of the above schemes (1) to (7), the first generating unit deviates the value of the driving energy per unit time from a predetermined value, taking into account the power consumption of the auxiliary machine.

[0017] (9): Another aspect of the present invention is a vehicle control method executed by a computer mounted on the vehicle, wherein the vehicle control method comprises the following processing: obtaining information related to a predetermined driving path of the vehicle; generating first driving energy data based on the information related to the predetermined driving path of the vehicle, the first driving energy data representing the driving energy required per unit time when the vehicle is driving on the predetermined driving path; calculating the change in driving energy per unit time based on the first driving energy data, and removing data intervals from the first driving energy data that represent time periods in which the change in driving energy per unit time is less than a predetermined value, thereby generating second driving energy data; and generating a charging and discharging plan for an energy storage device when the vehicle is driving on the predetermined driving path based on the second driving energy data.

[0018] (10): Another aspect of the present invention provides a storage medium that is a non-transitory storage medium storing a program that can be read by a computer, wherein the program causes a computer mounted in a vehicle to perform the following processes: obtaining information related to a predetermined driving path of the vehicle; generating first driving energy data based on the information related to the predetermined driving path of the vehicle, the first driving energy data representing the driving energy required per unit time when the vehicle is driving on the predetermined driving path; calculating the change in driving energy per unit time based on the first driving energy data, and removing data intervals from the first driving energy data that represent time periods in which the change in driving energy per unit time is less than a predetermined value, thereby generating second driving energy data; and generating a charging and discharging plan for the energy storage device when the vehicle is driving on the predetermined driving path based on the second driving energy data.

[0019] According to the above schemes (1), (9) and (10), it is possible to retain the driving energy data that is relatively important in the energy management plan while periodically removing the driving energy data that is relatively unimportant in the energy management plan, thereby reducing the computational load in the estimation of the energy management plan while suppressing the reduction in calculation accuracy.

[0020] According to the above scheme (2), the following effects can be achieved: the time interval of the data contained in the time series energy management plan can be made to be the same as the original driving energy data before the interval elimination process, and the data of the time series energy management plan can be easily used when the vehicle is in motion.

[0021] According to the above scheme (3), the following effects can be achieved: the vehicle can be driven according to the energy management plan generated based on the time series of driving energy data after interval removal processing, and the vehicle can be driven with better energy utilization efficiency.

[0022] According to the above scheme (4), the following effects can be achieved: the energy utilization efficiency can be derived to be the optimal charging and discharging plan, and the vehicle can be driven with the optimal energy utilization efficiency.

[0023] According to the above scheme (5), the following effects can be achieved: the energy utilization efficiency can be derived to be the optimal charging and discharging plan, and the vehicle can be driven with the optimal energy utilization efficiency.

[0024] According to the above scheme (6), the following effects can be achieved: the remaining capacity of the battery storage device can be controlled to a specified value at the time when the vehicle arrives at its destination, and the remaining capacity of the battery storage device can be ensured for the next trip of the vehicle.

[0025] According to the above scheme (7), the following effects can be achieved: the required driving energy can be calculated based on the information representing the main reasons for the need for driving energy, namely vehicle speed and road slope, and more accurate time series driving energy data can be generated.

[0026] According to the above scheme (8), the following effect can be achieved: when the power consumption of auxiliary equipment is taken into account in the calculation of driving energy, the power consumption of auxiliary equipment can be taken into account more easily by adding the value of the driving energy offset required for the driving of the vehicle. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional structure of the control device in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates the interval rejection process of driving energy data performed by the vehicle control device in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 4It is a graph showing the relationship between the change in driving energy per unit time and the time interval of driving energy data after interval removal.

[0031] Figure 5 This is a graph illustrating the frequency of changes in energy per unit of travel.

[0032] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the control device and navigation device in the embodiments of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0033] Hereinafter, embodiments of the vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and storage medium of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] [Overall Structure]

[0035] Figure 1 This diagram illustrates an example of the structure of a vehicle M according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle M shown is a hybrid vehicle capable of switching between series and parallel configurations. A series configuration refers to a configuration where the engine and drive wheels are not mechanically connected, the engine's power is dedicated to generating electricity via a generator, and the generated electricity is supplied to an electric motor for driving. A parallel configuration refers to a configuration where the engine and drive wheels are mechanically (or fluidly connected via a torque converter, etc.) connected, and the engine's power is transmitted to the drive wheels for electricity generation. Figure 1 The vehicle M with the structure shown can switch between series and parallel modes by engaging and disengaging the lock-up clutch 14.

[0036] like Figure 1 As shown, vehicle M may include, for example, an engine (power source) 10, a first motor (generator) 12, a lock-up clutch 14, a gearbox 16, a second motor (electric motor) 18, drive wheels 25, a PCU (Power Control Unit) 30, and a battery (energy storage device) 60. Vehicle M, as a power source, at least includes an engine 10. Vehicle M may also include a fuel cell stack as a power source.

[0037] Engine 10 is an internal combustion engine that outputs power by burning fuels such as gasoline. Engine 10 is, for example, a reciprocating engine equipped with a combustion chamber, cylinder and piston, intake valve, exhaust valve, fuel injection device, spark plug, connecting rod, crankshaft, etc. Alternatively, engine 10 can also be a rotary engine.

[0038] The first motor 12 is, for example, a three-phase alternator. The first motor 12 is connected to the rotor of the engine 10 via the output shaft (e.g., crankshaft) and uses the power output by the engine 10 to generate electricity. The output shaft of the engine 10 and the rotor of the first motor 12 are connected to the drive wheel 25 via a lock-up clutch 14.

[0039] 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 drive wheel 25 side, and a state in which the output shaft of the engine 10 and the rotor of the first motor 12 are disconnected from the drive wheel 25 side, according to the instructions from the PCU 30.

[0040] Gearbox 16 is a transmission. Gearbox 16 transmits the power output from engine 10 to the drive wheels 25 via gear shifting. The gear ratio of gearbox 16 is specified by PCU 30.

[0041] The second motor 18 is, for example, a three-phase AC motor. The rotor of the second motor 18 is connected to the drive wheel 25. The second motor 18 can be driven by an electrical supply and output power to the drive wheel 25. For example, the second motor 18 can be driven by an electrical supply from the battery 60. In addition, the second motor 18 can supply the regenerative power generated during regenerative operation to the battery 60. When the vehicle M decelerates, the second motor 18 uses the kinetic energy of the vehicle M to generate electricity, and the generated electricity is stored in the battery 60 via the second converter 34 and VCU 40 described later.

[0042] PCU30 includes, for example, a first converter 32, a second converter 34, a VCU (Voltage Control Unit) 40, and a control device 50. It should be noted that the structure in which these components are integrated into PCU30 is only one example; these components can also be configured separately.

[0043] The first converter 32 and the second converter 34 are, for example, AC-DC converters. The DC-side terminals of the first converter 32 and the second converter 34 are connected to a DC line DL. A battery 60 is connected to the DC line DL via a VCU 40. The first converter 32 converts the AC power generated by the first motor 12 into DC power and outputs it to the DC line DL, or converts the DC power supplied via the DC line DL into AC power and supplies it to the first motor 12. Similarly, the second converter 34 converts the AC power generated by the second motor 18 into DC power and outputs it to the DC line DL, or converts the DC power supplied via the DC line DL into AC power and supplies it to the second motor 18.

[0044] VCU40 is, for example, a DC-DC converter. VCU40 boosts the power supplied from battery 60 and outputs it to DC line DL.

[0045] The function of the control device 50 is described later. The battery 60 is, for example, a secondary battery such as a lithium-ion battery.

[0046] The navigation device 70 includes, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver, a navigation HMI (Human Machine Interface), and a route determination unit. The navigation device 70 stores map information in a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or flash memory. The GNSS receiver determines the position of the vehicle M based on signals received from GNSS satellites. The navigation HMI includes a display device, a speaker, a touch panel, buttons, etc. The route determination unit, for example, refers to the map information to determine the route (hereinafter referred to as the predetermined driving route) from the position of the vehicle M determined by the GNSS receiver (or any input position) to the destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI. The map information, for example, represents the shape of a road by indicating road segments and nodes connecting the road segments. The map information includes, for example, road attribute information such as road type (expressway or general road), road gradient, and number of lanes.

[0047] The navigation device 70 can also provide route guidance using a navigation HMI based on a predetermined driving route. The navigation device 70 can also be implemented, for example, through the functions of a terminal device such as a smartphone or tablet held by the occupant. The navigation device 70 can also send its current location and destination to a navigation server via the communication device 20, and obtain a route from the navigation server that corresponds to the predetermined driving route.

[0048] [Structure of the control device]

[0049] Figure 2This diagram illustrates an example of the functional structure of the control device in an embodiment of the present invention. The control device 50 includes, for example, a hybrid power control unit 51, an information acquisition unit 52, a driving energy time series calculation unit 53, a time series data interval elimination unit 54, a charge / discharge planning unit 55, and a time series data interpolation unit 56. These components are implemented, for example, by executing a program (software) using a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) of a computer mounted in the vehicle M. Furthermore, some or all of these components can also be implemented using hardware (including a circuitry) such as LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), and GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or through the coordinated use of software and hardware. The program can be pre-saved in a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or flash memory (a storage device with a non-transitory storage medium), or it can be saved in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM (a non-transitory storage medium), and the storage medium is mounted on a drive unit. Information acquisition unit 52 is an example of an "information acquisition unit", driving energy time series calculation unit 53 is an example of a "first generation unit", time series data interval elimination unit 54 is an example of a "second generation unit", and charge / discharge planning unit 55 is an example of a "charge / discharge planning unit".

[0050] The hybrid power control unit 51 determines the driving mode based on the throttle opening, vehicle speed, and brake pedal pressure 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, etc., according to the driving mode.

[0051] The following describes the driving modes determined by the hybrid power control unit 51. The following driving modes exist.

[0052] (1) Series hybrid driving mode (ECVT)

[0053] In the series hybrid driving mode, the hybrid control unit 51 disengages the lock-up clutch 14, supplies fuel to the engine 10 to operate the engine 10, and supplies electricity generated by the first motor 12 to the battery 60 and the second motor 18. Then, the second motor 18 is driven using the electricity supplied from the first motor 12 or the battery 60, and the vehicle M is driven by the power from the second motor 18.

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

[0055] In EV driving mode, the hybrid power control unit 51 disengages the lock-up clutch 14 and uses the power supplied from the battery 60 to drive the second motor 18, and uses the power from the second motor 18 to drive the vehicle M.

[0056] (3) Engine-driven driving mode (LU)

[0057] In engine-driven driving mode, the hybrid power control unit 51 engages the lock-up clutch 14, causing the engine 10 to consume fuel and operate, and transmitting at least a portion of the power output from the engine 10 to the drive wheels 25 to propel the vehicle M. At this time, the first motor 12 may or may not generate electricity.

[0058] (4)Regeneration

[0059] During regeneration, the hybrid power control unit 51 disengages the lock-up clutch 14, allowing the second motor 18 to generate electricity using the kinetic energy of the vehicle M. The generated electricity is stored in the battery 60 or discarded via waste-electric control. In waste-electric control, the regenerated electricity from the second motor 18 is not charged into the battery 60 but supplied to the first motor 12. With the lock-up clutch 14 disengaged, the first motor 12 idles the engine 10, thereby discarding the regenerated electricity (i.e., waste electricity).

[0060] The information acquisition unit 52 acquires information related to the predetermined driving path of the vehicle M via the navigation device 70. The predetermined driving path is divided into multiple sections. The information acquisition unit 52 acquires information related to the state of each section of the predetermined driving path as information related to the predetermined driving path of the vehicle M. Hereinafter, this information is referred to as path-related information. Path-related information includes, for example, vehicle speed information, road attribute information, and road traffic information. Vehicle speed information includes information such as speed limits (e.g., legal speed), average speed, and speed distribution in each section of the predetermined driving path. Average speed is the average speed of multiple vehicles traveling in each section. Road attribute information includes information such as road type (expressway or general road), road gradient, and number of lanes. Road traffic information includes information such as congestion, traffic signals, or temporary stops.

[0061] The driving energy time series calculation unit 53 calculates the driving energy required per unit time (e.g., per second) along the predetermined driving path of the vehicle M based on information related to the predetermined driving path obtained by the information acquisition unit 52. Driving energy refers to, for example, the power output to the axle. The information related to the predetermined driving path of the vehicle M includes at least vehicle speed information and road gradient information. For example, the driving energy time series calculation unit 53 calculates the driving energy at equal intervals (e.g., 1-second intervals). The driving energy time series calculation unit 53 arranges the calculated driving energy per unit time in a time series to generate time series driving energy data.

[0062] For example, the driving energy time series calculation unit 53 calculates the driving energy per unit time by performing the following calculation. First, the driving energy time series calculation unit 53 calculates the shaft end driving force MF of the second motor 18 based on the following formula (1).

[0063] MF={(a+b·V+c·V 2 )+M·g·sinθ} / TME···(1)

[0064] Here, MF is the driving force at the shaft end of the second motor, V is the vehicle speed, a, b, and c are the coefficients for calculating the driving resistance, M is the assumed weight of the vehicle M (assuming 2 passengers), g is the acceleration due to gravity, θ is the road gradient, and TME is the efficiency of the gearbox 16. The charging and discharging planning unit 55 substitutes the average vehicle speed V0 into the vehicle speed V to calculate the driving force MF at the shaft end of the second motor. Next, the driving energy time series calculation unit 53 calculates the power consumption P at the second converter 34 terminal based on the following equation (2).

[0065] P = MF·V + ML···(2)

[0066] Here, P is the power consumption at the second converter end, MF is the driving force at the second motor shaft end, V is the vehicle speed, and ML is the loss of the second motor 18. The driving energy time series calculation unit 53 substitutes the average vehicle speed V0 into the vehicle speed V to calculate the power consumption P at the second converter end. The power consumption P at the second converter end is the driving required power, and this value is called driving energy. It should be noted that, when considering the power consumption of the air conditioner and the power consumption of the auxiliary equipment, the driving energy time series calculation unit 53 can also offset the value of the driving energy data per unit time by a predetermined value.

[0067] It should be noted that, as described above, when the charge-discharge planning unit 55 calculates the driving energy, the average vehicle speed V0 is substituted into the vehicle speed V in the above formulas (1) and (2). The average vehicle speed V0 is the average vehicle speed of a plurality of vehicles that have traveled in each section of the predetermined driving route of the vehicle M. It should be noted that instead of substituting the average vehicle speed V0 into the vehicle speed V, a specified speed (for example, the legal speed, etc.) of each section can be substituted into the vehicle speed V.

[0068] The time-series driving energy data is used as input data for the cyclic simulation repeatedly performed by the charge-discharge planning unit 55 described later. However, especially when the predetermined driving route is long, when using driving energy data with a fine granularity (for example, in units of 1 second), the calculation load in the cyclic simulation becomes high. Thus, the time-series data interval elimination unit 54 eliminates data intervals that are not highly important in the charge-discharge plan from the time-series driving energy data with a fine granularity, thereby reducing the amount of information in the time-series driving energy data. Data that is not highly important in the charge-discharge plan refers to, for example, data during a period of traveling at a constant speed (on a highway, etc.) and data during a parking period.

[0069] The time-series data interval elimination unit 54 deletes data for a period during which the change amount is small (for example, the change amount is less than a specified threshold) between the preceding and following time periods from the time-series driving energy data per unit time generated by the driving energy time-series calculation unit 53. The time-series data interval elimination unit 54 regards the driving energy as constant for a period during which the change amount of the driving energy is small, thereby reducing the amount of information in the time-series driving energy data per unit time.

[0070] Figure 3 It is a diagram for explaining the interval elimination process of the driving energy data performed by the control device 50 of the vehicle M in the embodiment of the present invention. For example, when the time-series driving energy data per unit time (initial data) generated by the driving energy time-series calculation unit 53 is plotted as circles on a plane with time as the X-axis and driving energy as the Y-axis, it becomes Figure 3 the diagram shown. The time-series data interval elimination unit 54 determines a period during which the change amount is small between the preceding and following time periods in the time-series driving energy data per unit time. For example, the time-series data interval elimination unit 54 determines Figure 3 that the period from time T1 to time T2 in the diagram shown is a period with a small change amount. The time-series data interval elimination unit 54 deletes the driving energy data for the period later than time T1 and earlier than time T2 (that is, the driving energy data at time t satisfying T1 < t < T2). In Figure 4 it, the data plotted as squares represents the driving energy data after interval elimination.

[0071] Figure 4 It is a graph showing the relationship between the change in driving energy per unit time and the time interval of driving energy data after interval removal. Figure 4 The line graph in the upper section represents an example of the change in energy consumed per unit time along a predetermined travel route from origin to destination. Figure 4 In the line chart above, the X-axis represents time, and the Y-axis represents the change in driving energy per unit time. Time periods where the change in driving energy increases include, for example, when vehicle M is accelerating or when vehicle M is going uphill.

[0072] exist Figure 4 In the lower section of the graph, the horizontal lines represent the time corresponding to the X-axis of the line chart in the upper section. Additionally, each vertical line represents the driving energy data after interval removal. Therefore, the interval between adjacent driving energy data points (vertical lines) becomes the time interval of the driving energy data after interval removal. Thus, the time interval of the driving energy data after interval removal is not as uniform as the time interval of the driving energy data (initial data) per unit time sequence generated by the driving energy time series calculation unit 53, but becomes a variable length.

[0073] It should be noted that in a typical vehicle's driving path, there are relatively more periods where the change in driving energy data is small. Figure 5 This is a graph illustrating the frequency of changes in energy per unit of travel. Figure 5 The chart shown represents the change in driving energy per unit time along a given driving path, indicating the number of data points for each change. Figure 4 In the chart shown, the horizontal axis represents the change in driving energy, and the vertical axis represents the number of data points. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the change in driving energy per unit time along a certain driving path is mostly concentrated within a relatively small range of change. Figure 4 (within the rectangle of the dashed line). That is, it can be seen that the time series data interval elimination unit 54 can eliminate a relatively large number of driving energy data intervals per unit time.

[0074] The charge / discharge planning unit 55 plans the charging and discharging of the battery 60 along a predetermined driving route from the starting point to the destination of the vehicle M based on the driving energy data after interval elimination processing by the time series data interval elimination unit 54, thereby estimating an energy management plan. The charge / discharge planning unit 55 repeatedly performs cyclic simulations using the driving energy data after interval elimination processing as input, thereby estimating an energy management plan with optimal energy utilization efficiency based on the time series.

[0075] The charge / discharge planning unit 55 first sets the parameters used in the cyclic simulation. These parameters are variables used to adjust the strength of the tendency to charge or discharge the battery 60 more easily. The charge / discharge planning unit 55 repeatedly performs cyclic simulations while adjusting the parameter values ​​until the optimal convergence condition is met. This optimal convergence condition means that at the time the vehicle M arrives at its destination (the end of the predetermined travel route), the remaining capacity of the battery 60 reaches a predetermined value (e.g., 50%).

[0076] It should be noted that the method of cyclic simulation is not limited to the above methods, and any method can be used.

[0077] The energy management plan for the time series estimated by the charge / discharge planning unit 55 becomes a charge / discharge plan for each variable time interval after the time series data interval elimination unit 54 has performed interval elimination processing. The time series data interpolation unit 56 linearly interpolates the values ​​of the charge / discharge plans for the time periods after the time series data interval elimination unit 54 has performed interval elimination processing on the driving energy data for the time period of the energy management plan estimated by the charge / discharge planning unit 55. As a result, the time intervals of the data included in the energy management plan for the time series become the original equal intervals, the same as the driving energy data estimated by the driving energy time series calculation unit 53. As a result, the hybrid power control unit 51 can easily utilize the data of the energy management plan for the time series.

[0078] When the vehicle M is actually in motion, the hybrid power control unit 51 (control unit) implements the charging and discharging of the battery 60 based on the energy management plan created by the charging and discharging plan unit 55.

[0079] [Operation of the control and navigation devices]

[0080] The following describes an example of the operation of the control device 50 and the navigation device 70. Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the control device 50 and navigation device 70 in an embodiment of the present invention. The operation of the control device 50 and navigation device 70 shown in this flowchart begins, for example, when an occupant uses a navigation HMI to input a destination into the navigation device 70 and performs an input operation requesting route retrieval.

[0081] The navigation device 70 receives the destination and route search request input by the passenger (step S001). The navigation device 70 performs route search (step S002). The navigation device 70 outputs information related to the searched route, i.e., the predetermined driving path of vehicle M, to the control device 50. As mentioned above, the information related to the predetermined driving path of vehicle M includes at least vehicle speed information and road gradient information.

[0082] The information acquisition unit 52 of the control device 50 acquires information related to the predetermined driving path of the vehicle M retrieved by the navigation device 70 (step S003). The driving energy time series calculation unit 53 calculates the required driving energy per unit time (e.g., per second) along the predetermined driving path based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 52. The driving energy time series calculation unit 53 arranges the calculated driving energy per unit time in a time series to generate time series driving energy data. The information acquisition unit 52 outputs the generated time series driving energy data to the time series data interval elimination unit 54.

[0083] The time series data interval elimination unit 54 acquires the driving energy data for each unit of time generated by the driving energy time series calculation unit 53. Based on the acquired driving energy data, the time series data interval elimination unit 54 calculates the change in driving energy for each unit of time (step S005). The time series data interval elimination unit 54 sets the acquired driving energy data with variable time intervals by deleting data from time periods with small changes (e.g., changes less than a predetermined threshold) between consecutive time periods (step S006). The time series data interval elimination unit 54 outputs the driving energy data after interval elimination processing to the charge / discharge planning unit 55.

[0084] The charge / discharge planning unit 55 acquires the driving energy data after interval elimination processing by the time series data interval elimination unit 54. The charge / discharge planning unit 55 first performs the initial setting of parameters used in the cyclic simulation (step S007). As mentioned above, the parameters referred to here are variables used to adjust the strength of the tendency to charge the battery 60 more easily or to discharge the battery 60 more easily.

[0085] The charge / discharge planning unit 55 takes the driving energy data after interval elimination processing as input and performs a cyclic simulation (step S008). The charge / discharge planning unit 55 determines whether the energy management plan estimated by the cyclic simulation meets the optimal convergence condition (step S009). As mentioned above, the optimal convergence condition here refers to the situation where the remaining capacity of the battery 60 is a predetermined value (e.g., 50%) at the time when the vehicle M arrives at its destination.

[0086] If the charge / discharge planning unit 55 determines that the optimal convergence condition is not met (step S009: No), it adjusts the parameter values ​​(step S010). Then, the charge / discharge planning unit 55 repeatedly performs cyclic simulation while adjusting the parameter values ​​until the optimal convergence condition is met (steps S008 to S010).

[0087] When the charging / discharging planning unit 55 determines that the optimal convergence condition has been met (step S009: Yes), it outputs the energy management plan, which is estimated through repeated cyclic simulations and has the optimal energy utilization efficiency, to the time series data interpolation unit 56. The time series data interpolation unit 56 linearly interpolates the charging / discharging plan values ​​for the time period after the time series data interval elimination unit 54 has processed the driving energy data intervals by the energy management plan estimated by the charging / discharging planning unit 55. As a result, the time intervals of the data included in the energy management plan of the time series become the same granularity as the driving energy data estimated by the driving energy time series calculation unit 53 (step S010).

[0088] above, Figure 6 The operation of the control device 50 and navigation device 70 shown in the flowchart ends. It should be noted that, depending on changes in the driving state of the vehicle M, the occurrence of events, etc., some or all of the above-described steps S001 to S011 may be repeated. Alternatively, some or all of the above-described steps S001 to S011 may be repeated at predetermined time intervals (e.g., at 5-minute intervals).

[0089] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the functional units of the control device 50 and the navigation device 70 are mounted on all vehicles M, but this structure is not limited to this and they can also be distributed. For example, some of the functional units of the control device 50 and the navigation device 70 can also be mounted on a server device that is connected to the vehicle M via a network.

[0090] According to the control device 50 of vehicle M described above, vehicle M includes an engine 10, a battery 60, and a second motor 18. The second motor 18 is connected to the drive wheel 25 and can be driven by power supplied from the battery 60. It can also supply regenerated power generated during regeneration to the battery 60. The control device 50 of vehicle M includes: an information acquisition unit 52 that acquires information related to a predetermined driving path of vehicle M; a driving energy time series calculation unit 53 that generates driving energy data before interval elimination based on the information related to the predetermined driving path of vehicle M. This driving energy data before interval elimination represents the driving energy required per unit time for vehicle M to travel on the predetermined driving path; and a time series data interval... The interval elimination unit 54 calculates the change in driving energy per unit time based on driving energy data, and periodically eliminates driving energy data representing time periods with changes exceeding a predetermined value from the driving energy data before interval elimination, thereby generating driving energy data after interval elimination; and the charge / discharge planning unit 55 generates planning data representing the charging and discharging plan of the battery 60 when the vehicle M is driving on a predetermined driving path based on the driving energy data after interval elimination. Therefore, it is possible to retain driving energy data that is relatively important in the energy management plan while periodically eliminating driving energy data that is relatively unimportant in the energy management plan, thereby reducing the computational load in the estimation of the energy management plan while suppressing the decrease in calculation accuracy.

[0091] The implementation methods described above can be performed as follows.

[0092] A vehicle control device, configured to include:

[0093] Storage device, which stores a program; and

[0094] Hardware processor,

[0095] The hardware processor executes the program stored in the storage device to perform the following processing:

[0096] Obtain information related to the vehicle's predetermined travel route;

[0097] First driving energy data is generated based on information related to the vehicle's predetermined driving path. This first driving energy data represents the driving energy required per unit time for the vehicle to travel on the predetermined driving path.

[0098] Based on the first driving energy data, the change in driving energy per unit time is calculated, and the driving energy data intervals that represent time periods in which the change in driving energy per unit time is less than a predetermined value are removed from the first driving energy data, thereby generating the second driving energy data;

[0099] Based on the second driving energy data, a charging and discharging plan for the energy storage device is generated when the vehicle is traveling on the predetermined driving path.

[0100] The above description illustrates specific embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to such embodiments in any way, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A control device for a vehicle, the vehicle comprising a power source, an energy storage device, and an electric motor, the electric motor being connected to drive wheels and capable of being driven by power supplied from the energy storage device, and capable of supplying regenerated power generated during regeneration operation to the energy storage device, wherein... The control device includes: The information acquisition unit acquires information related to the vehicle's predetermined travel path; A first generating unit generates first driving energy data based on information related to a predetermined driving path of the vehicle. The first driving energy data represents the driving energy required per unit time for the vehicle to travel on the predetermined driving path. The second generation unit calculates the change in driving energy per unit time based on the first driving energy data, and removes the driving energy data intervals from the first driving energy data that represent time periods in which the change in driving energy per unit time is less than a predetermined value, thereby generating the second driving energy data. as well as The charging and discharging planning unit generates a charging and discharging plan for the energy storage device when the vehicle is traveling on the predetermined driving path, based on the second driving energy data.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein, The control device also includes a time series data interpolation unit, which interpolates the charging and discharging plan for the time period corresponding to the driving energy data after interval elimination by the second generation unit by using linear interpolation.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, wherein, The control device further includes a control unit that controls the charging and discharging of the energy storage device based on planned data interpolated by the time-series data interpolation unit during the vehicle's operation.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein, The charging and discharging planning unit generates a charging and discharging plan with optimal energy usage efficiency by repeatedly performing cyclic simulations of the vehicle traveling on the predetermined driving path.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 4, wherein, The charge / discharge planning unit repeatedly executes the cyclic simulation while adjusting the parameter values ​​until the specified optimal convergence condition is met. The parameter values ​​represent the strength of the tendency to charge or discharge the energy storage device more easily.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 5, wherein, The optimal convergence condition is that the remaining capacity of the energy storage device becomes a predetermined value at the time when the vehicle arrives at the end of the predetermined travel path.

7. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, Information related to the predetermined driving route includes information indicating vehicle speed and information indicating road gradient.

8. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The first generating unit, taking into account the power consumption of the auxiliary machine, deviates the value of the driving energy per unit time from a predetermined value.

9. A vehicle control method, wherein the vehicle control method is executed by a computer mounted on the vehicle, wherein, The vehicle control method includes the following processing: Obtain information related to the vehicle's predetermined travel route; First driving energy data is generated based on information related to the vehicle's predetermined driving path. This first driving energy data represents the driving energy required per unit time for the vehicle to travel on the predetermined driving path. Based on the first driving energy data, the change in driving energy per unit time is calculated, and the driving energy data intervals that represent time periods in which the change in driving energy per unit time is less than a predetermined value are removed from the first driving energy data, thereby generating the second driving energy data; as well as Based on the second driving energy data, a charging and discharging plan for the energy storage device is generated when the vehicle is traveling on the predetermined driving path.

10. A storage medium that stores a non-transitory program that can be read by a computer, wherein, The program causes the computer mounted in the vehicle to perform the following processing: Obtain information related to the vehicle's predetermined travel route; First driving energy data is generated based on information related to the vehicle's predetermined driving path. This first driving energy data represents the driving energy required per unit time for the vehicle to travel on the predetermined driving path. Based on the first driving energy data, the change in driving energy per unit time is calculated, and the driving energy data intervals that represent time periods in which the change in driving energy per unit time is less than a predetermined value are removed from the first driving energy data, thereby generating the second driving energy data; as well as Based on the second driving energy data, a charging and discharging plan for the energy storage device is generated when the vehicle is traveling on the predetermined driving path.

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