Information processing apparatus and information processing method

Abstract

The invention relates to an information processing apparatus and an information processing method. The information processing device includes a control unit that presents, on a display screen of the navigation device, a first route including a green-wave-able section created according to a request from the navigation device of the vehicle, and presents, on the display screen, a prescribed travel speed when the vehicle enters a start point of the section.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus and an information processing method. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a technique for controlling the travel of a vehicle has been known. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014-184776 discloses a technique for switching between electric travel and hybrid travel according to the state of charge of a battery.

[0003] However, when the vehicle 10 has to stop at a red light and there are many unnecessary accelerations and decelerations during repeated stop-and-go operations, the reduction in the state of charge of the battery occurs earlier. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014-184776 focuses on the switching of the power source corresponding to the state of charge of the battery during travel, but does not consider suppressing the reduction in the state of charge of the battery according to the signal control between signal intersections. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the technique for controlling the travel of a vehicle. Summary of the Invention

[0004] An object of the present disclosure achieved in view of the above circumstances is to improve the technique for controlling the travel of a vehicle.

[0005] An information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a communication unit and a control unit that communicates through the communication unit, wherein

[0006] the control unit presents, on a display screen of a navigation device of the vehicle, a first route including a section where green wave travel is possible, created according to a request from the navigation device, and presents a prescribed travel speed on the display screen when the vehicle enters the starting point of the section.

[0007] An information processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes the following processing performed by an information processing apparatus:

[0008] creating a first route including a section where green wave travel is possible, according to a request from a navigation device of a vehicle;

[0009] presenting the created first route on a display screen of the navigation device; and

[0010] presenting a prescribed travel speed on the display screen when the vehicle enters the starting point of the section.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the technique for controlling the travel of a vehicle can be improved. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012] Hereinafter, features, advantages, techniques, and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, in which the same reference numerals denote the same components, where:

[0013] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 2 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the information processing apparatus.

[0015] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining green wave driving.

[0016] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining an interval where green wave driving is possible. Detailed Embodiment

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described.

[0018] Summary of the Embodiment

[0019] Refer to Figure 1 The summary of the system 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The system 1 includes a vehicle 10, a navigation device 20, and an information processing device 30. The navigation device 20 is mounted on the vehicle 10. The vehicle 10, the navigation device 20, and the information processing device 30 are communicably connected to a network 2 including, for example, the Internet and a mobile communication network.

[0020] The vehicle 10 is, for example, an automobile, but is not limited thereto, and may be any vehicle. The automobile is a gasoline vehicle, a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle), an HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle), a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), or an FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle), etc. However, the automobile is not limited to these. In the present disclosure, it is assumed that the vehicle 10 is a BEV for explanation. However, the vehicle 10 is not limited to a BEV, and may also be an HEV or a PHEV, or a gasoline vehicle. The vehicle 10 is wirelessly communicably connected to the navigation device 20 and the information processing device 30 via the network 2. In addition, the vehicle 10 may be communicably connected to the communication unit 21 of the navigation device 20 by a wired connection such as CAN via the communication unit 11. The number of vehicles 10 included in the system 1 can be arbitrarily determined.

[0021] The navigation device 20 is a vehicle navigation device provided in the vehicle 10. However, the navigation device 20 is not limited to the so-called "automobile navigation" provided on the instrument panel of the vehicle 10. The navigation device 20 can also be the so-called "smartphone navigation" in which a smartphone or tablet terminal held by the driver of the vehicle 10 is temporarily set on the instrument panel, and an automobile navigation application is executed on the display screen 24A of the terminal. The navigation device 20 is wirelessly connected to the vehicle 10 and the information processing device 30 via the network 2 for communication. In addition, the navigation device 20 can be connected to the communication unit 11 of the vehicle 10 via a wired connection such as CAN through the communication unit 21 for communication.

[0022] The information processing device 30 is a computer such as a navigation server, for example. The information processing device 30 is wirelessly connected to the vehicle 10 and the navigation device 20 via the network 2 for communication.

[0023] First, an overview of the present embodiment will be described, and the details will be described later. The information processing device 30 presents a first route including an interval where green wave driving is possible, created according to a request from the navigation device 20 of the vehicle 10, on the display screen 24A of the navigation device 20. When the vehicle 10 enters the starting point of the interval, the information processing device 30 presents a prescribed driving speed on the display screen 24A.

[0024] Thus, according to the present embodiment, the information processing device 30 presents an interval where green wave driving is possible and a prescribed driving speed in the interval on the display screen 24A of the navigation device 20. Therefore, for example, even when the navigation device 20 does not have information on an interval where green wave driving is possible, the vehicle 10 can perform green wave driving with the assistance of the information processing device 30. Therefore, in terms of increasing the possibility of reducing the amount of electric power consumed during the driving of the vehicle 10, the technology for controlling the driving of the vehicle can be improved.

[0025] Next, each component of the system 1 will be described in detail.

[0026] Configuration of the vehicle

[0027] As Figure 1 shown, the vehicle 10 includes a communication unit 11, a storage unit 12, a control unit 13, a battery 14, and a navigation device 20. Among them, the details of the navigation device 20 will be described later.

[0028] The communication unit 11 includes one or more communication interfaces that are wired-connected to the communication unit 21 of the navigation device 20. Such a communication interface corresponds to, for example, a communication standard of an in-vehicle network such as CAN or a wired LAN (Local Area Network) standard, etc., but is not limited to these and can correspond to any communication standard. Also, the communication unit 11 includes one or more communication interfaces that are wirelessly connected to the network 2. Such a communication interface corresponds to, for example, a mobile communication standard such as 4G (4th Generation) or 5G (5th Generation), etc., but is not limited to these.

[0029] The storage unit 12 includes one or more memories. The memory is, for example, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic memory, an optical memory, etc., but is not limited to these. Each memory included in the storage unit 12 can function as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a buffer memory. The storage unit 12 stores any information used in the operation of the vehicle 10. For example, the storage unit 12 can store system programs, application programs, and installed software, etc.

[0030] The control unit 13 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor customized for specific processing, but is not limited to these. The programmable circuit is, for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), but is not limited to this. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), but is not limited to this. The control unit 13 controls the overall operation of the vehicle 10.

[0031] The battery 14 is a rechargeable secondary battery mounted on a BEV, HEV, or PHEV. The type of the secondary battery is a lithium-ion battery, a lead-acid battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery, a nickel-cadmium battery, or a all-solid-state battery, etc., but is not limited to these. The battery 14 also supplies power to the communication unit 11, the storage unit 12, the control unit 13, and the navigation device 20 of the vehicle 10.

[0032] Configuration of the navigation device

[0033] As Figure 1 shown, the navigation device 20 includes a communication unit 21, a positioning unit 22, an input unit 23, an output unit 24, a storage unit 25, and a control unit 26.

[0034] The communication unit 21 includes one or more communication interfaces that are wired-connected to the communication unit 11 of the vehicle 10. This communication interface corresponds to, for example, a communication standard of an in-vehicle network such as CAN, or a wired LAN standard, etc., but is not limited to these, and can also correspond to any communication standard. Also, the communication unit 11 includes one or more communication interfaces that are wirelessly connected to the network 2. This communication interface corresponds to, for example, a mobile communication standard such as 4G or 5G, but is not limited to these.

[0035] The positioning unit 22 includes one or more devices that acquire the position information of the vehicle 10. Specifically, the positioning unit 22 includes, for example, a receiver corresponding to GPS, but is not limited to this, and can also include a receiver corresponding to any satellite positioning system.

[0036] The input unit 23 is configured to include at least one input interface that can accept an input by the driver of the vehicle 10. The input interface is, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, a camera, a touch screen integrally provided with the display screen 24A of the output unit 24 described later, or a microphone that picks up the driver's voice, etc. However, the input interface is not limited to these.

[0037] The output unit 24 is configured to include at least one sound output interface that can output sound, and at least one display interface that can display text or images. The sound output interface is, for example, a speaker. The display interface is, for example, a display screen such as an LCD or an organic EL display (described as the display screen 24A in the present disclosure). The sound output interface and the display interface are not limited to these.

[0038] The storage unit 25 includes one or more memories. The memory is, for example, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic memory, or an optical memory, etc., but is not limited to these. Each memory included in the storage unit 25 can function as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a buffer memory. The storage unit 25 stores any information used in the operation of the navigation device 20. For example, the storage unit 15 can store a system program, an application program, installed software, and map information, etc. The information stored in the storage unit 25 can be updated, for example, using the information obtained from the network 2 via the communication unit 21.

[0039] The control unit 26 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The control unit 26 controls the overall operation of the navigation device 20.

[0040] Configuration of the information processing device

[0041] As Figure 1 shown, the information processing device 30 includes a communication unit 31, a storage unit 32, and a control unit 33.

[0042] The communication unit 31 includes one or more communication interfaces connected to the network 2. Such a communication interface corresponds to, for example, a mobile body communication standard, a wired LAN standard, or a wireless LAN standard, but is not limited thereto and can correspond to any communication standard. In the present embodiment, the information processing device 30 communicates with the vehicle 10 and the navigation device 20 via the communication unit 31 and the network 2.

[0043] The storage unit 32 includes one or more memories. Each memory included in the storage unit 32 can function as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a buffer memory. The storage unit 32 stores any information used in the operation of the information processing device 30. For example, the storage unit 32 stores system programs, application programs, and the like. Further, the storage unit 32 includes a map database 32A that stores a map of the area where the vehicle 10 travels and a green wave section database 32B that stores the power consumption of the green wave travelable sections traveled by the vehicle 10. The information stored in the storage unit 32 can be updated, for example, using information obtained from the network 2 via the communication unit 31.

[0044] The control unit 33 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The control unit 33 controls the overall operation of the information processing device 30.

[0045] Operation flow of the information processing device

[0046] Refer to Figure 2 to describe the operation of the information processing device 30 according to the present embodiment. This operation relates to the presentation of a route including a section where green wave travel is possible.

[0047] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining green wave travel. Green wave is a technology that reduces the average stop count of vehicles by controlling the overall speed of vehicles so that all vehicles traveling between intersections equipped with traffic lights can pass through on green lights. As Figure 3 shown, in the case of a normal section, if the vehicle 10 travels at an arbitrary speed, it sometimes has to stop at a red light, and since there are more unnecessary accelerations and decelerations due to repeated starts and stops, the reduction of the SoC of the battery 14 is advanced. On the other hand, the vehicle 10 travels in a section where green wave travel is possible where it can pass through the traffic light intersections on green lights as long as it travels at the legal speed. Thereby, it is possible to perform traveling with good SoC efficiency in which the reduction of the SoC (State of Charge) of the battery 14 is suppressed.

[0048] The SoC is an index indicating the charging rate (or state of charge) of the battery. The SoC is defined as 100% when the battery is fully charged and 0% when it is completely discharged. For example, when discharging 500 mAh from a full charge using a battery with a full charge capacity of 2000 mAh, the SoC of the battery becomes (2000 - 500) / 2000 × 100 = 75%.

[0049] S101: The control unit 33 receives a path creation request from the navigation device 20 of the vehicle 10.

[0050] The navigation device 20 (referred to as the "navigation device" in Figure 2 ) requests the information processing device 30 (navigation server) to create a path including the green wave section Sg with good SoC efficiency when it does not have information on the section Sg where green wave driving is possible (hereinafter referred to as the green wave section Sg).

[0051] S102: The control unit 33 reads out the power consumption of the green wave section Sg stored in the storage unit 32.

[0052] In S107 described later, the power consumption from the start point to the end point of the green wave section Sg that the vehicle 10 has traveled in the past is stored in the green wave section database 32B (green wave section DB) of the storage unit 32. The control unit 33 reads out the power consumption of the green wave section Sg from the green wave section database 32B.

[0053] In a BEV, instead of the term "fuel efficiency" of a gasoline vehicle, the term "power consumption" is used. Power consumption represents an index of the amount of electric power required for traveling 1 km, and the unit is expressed as "kWh / km". The power consumption is calculated by the following formula (1).

[0054] Power consumption (kWh / km) = Battery capacity (kWh) ÷ Distance (km) (1)

[0055] In addition, the power consumption can also be expressed in the unit of "km / kWh". In the above description, the power consumption represents the driving distance per 1 kWh of electric power.

[0056] S103: The control unit 33 creates a first path R1 including the green wave section Sg.

[0057] The control unit 33 creates the first path R1 with the maximum charging margin when the vehicle 10 arrives at the destination based on the following (i) to (iii).

[0058] (i) The power consumption (kWh / km) obtained by dividing the amount of electric power consumed by the vehicle 10 during traveling from the start point to the end point of the green wave section Sg by the distance of the green wave section Sg. The amount of electric power consumed by the vehicle 10 during traveling from the start point to the end point of the green wave section Sg is stored in the green wave section database 32B of the storage unit 32.

[0059] (ii) The remaining charge of the battery 14 at the departure location of the vehicle 10 (battery capacity (kWh) × SoC (%)).

[0060] (iii) The distances of multiple paths connecting the departure location and the destination of the vehicle 10, including the green wave section Sg.

[0061] In addition, regarding the power consumption of the section other than the green wave section Sg in the first path R1, the control unit 33 can use the value (nominal value) announced by the manufacturer of the vehicle 10. The battery capacity of the BEV is expressed in "kWh (kilowatt-hour)". "kWh" represents the amount of electric power that can be taken out per hour. The larger the value of "kWh", the higher the performance of the battery.

[0062] For example, let the power consumption of the green wave section Sg be Eg, the power consumption announced by the manufacturer be En, the battery capacity of the vehicle 10 be Bc, the distance of the first path R1 be D1, and the distance of the green wave section Sg be Dg. At this time, as an example, the remaining charge Br when the vehicle 10 arrives at the destination via the first path R1 is calculated by the following formula (2), but the calculation method is not limited to this.

[0063] Br = Bc * SoC - (Eg * Dg + En * (D1 - Dg)) (2)

[0064] For example, assume that the power consumption Eg of the green wave section Sg is 100 Wh / km, the battery capacity Bc is 70 kWh, the SoC at the departure location of the vehicle 10 is 90%, and the power consumption En announced by the manufacturer of the vehicle 10 is 125 Wh / km. In addition, the distance D1 of the first path R1 connecting the departure location and the destination of the vehicle 10 is 50 km, and the distance Dg of the green wave section Sg is 30 km. At this time, the remaining charge Br when the vehicle 10 arrives at the destination is calculated as Br = 70 * 0.9 - (0.1 * 30 + 0.125 * 20) = 63 - (3 + 2.5) = 57.5 (kWh). In this case, the SoC of the battery 14 when the vehicle 10 arrives at the destination is 57.5 / 70 × 100 = 82%.

[0065] S104: The control unit 33 prompts the created first path R1 including the green wave section Sg on the display screen 24A of the navigation device 20.

[0066] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram for explaining the green wave section Sg. As Figure 4As shown, the control unit 33 can also prompt the second path R2 that does not include the green wave section Sg on the display screen 24A. The control unit 33 can prompt the estimated time of arrival at the destination and the estimated value of the remaining charge of the battery 14 at the estimated time of arrival for the first path R1 and the second path R2 that are prompted on the display screen 24A. Figure 4 The displayed "remaining charge (estimated): 70%" indicates that the estimated value of the remaining charge of the battery 14 at the estimated time of arrival of the vehicle 10 at the destination is 70% of the battery capacity. In addition, in Figure 4 this example, only two paths, the first path R1 and the second path R2, are prompted, but the number of paths to be prompted can be determined arbitrarily.

[0067] As Figure 4 shown, the control unit 33 prompts the first path R1 and the second path R2 that connect the departure place and the destination on the display screen 24A. The first path R1 includes the green wave section Sg. The driver of the vehicle 10 can select either the first path R1 or the second path R2 on the display screen 24A. If either path is selected, the control unit 26 of the navigation device 20 starts route guidance (route guidance) from the departure place to the destination via the selected path. In Figure 4 this example, if the first path R1 is selected when selecting the first path R1 or the second path R2, the arrival time at the destination is delayed by 10 minutes. However, the estimated value of the remaining charge with the remaining charge at the arrival time being 10% higher, such as the difference in the remaining charge until the destination. According to the above configuration, driving in the green wave section Sg is encouraged, and energy consumption can be reduced.

[0068] S105: The control unit 33 determines whether the vehicle 10 enters the starting point of the green wave section Sg. If the vehicle 10 enters the starting point of the green wave section Sg, it proceeds to S106. If it does not enter the starting point of the green wave section Sg, it proceeds to S108.

[0069] S106: The control unit 33 prompts a specified driving speed on the display screen 24A.

[0070] The specified driving speed is, for example, Figure 3 the legal speed such as 50 km / h shown. As Figure 3 shown, when the vehicle 10 enters the starting point of the green wave section Sg, the control unit 33, for example, prompts a notice such as "Entered the green wave section. Please drive at 50 km / h." on the display screen 24A.

[0071] When the control unit 26 of the navigation device 20 receives the specified driving speed from the control unit 33, it can control the cruise control device to make the vehicle 10 drive at the specified driving speed.

[0072] Further, even when the navigation device 20 does not perform route guidance, when the vehicle 10 enters the starting point of the green wave section, the control unit 33 can also prompt a specified traveling speed on the display screen 24A. According to the above configuration, since the traveling speed is changed to the specified speed by the vehicle 10, a decrease in the SoC of the battery 14 can be suppressed, so that traveling with good SoC efficiency can be performed.

[0073] S107: The control unit 33 stores in the storage unit 32 the power consumption obtained by dividing the amount of power consumed during traveling from the starting point to the end point of the green wave section Sg received from the vehicle 10 by the distance of the green wave section Sg.

[0074] The control unit 33 receives from the vehicle 10 the amount of power consumed during traveling while traveling from the starting point to the end point of the green wave section Sg. The control unit 33 stores in the green wave section database 32B (green wave section DB) of the storage unit 32 the power consumption obtained by dividing the amount of power consumed during traveling by the distance of the green wave section Sg. In addition, the control unit 33 can also receive from the vehicle 10 the actual value of the power consumption of the green wave section Sg itself.

[0075] S108: The control unit 33 determines whether the vehicle 10 has reached the destination. If the vehicle 10 has not reached the destination, the process returns to S102 to continue the information processing. If the vehicle 10 has reached the destination, the information processing ends.

[0076] When the vehicle 10 has not reached the destination, the control unit 33 can return to S102 to create the first route R1 again.

[0077] As described above, the information processing device 30 according to the present embodiment prompts on the display screen 24A of the navigation device 20 the first route R1 including the green wave section Sg created according to the request of the navigation device 20 from the vehicle 10. Further, when the vehicle 10 enters the starting point of the green wave section Sg, the information processing device 30 prompts a specified traveling speed on the display screen 24A.

[0078] According to the above configuration, the information processing device 30 prompts on the display screen 24A of the navigation device 20 the green wave section Sg and the specified traveling speed in the green wave section Sg. Therefore, for example, even when the navigation device 20 does not have information on the green wave section Sg, the vehicle 10 can perform green wave traveling with the assistance of the information processing device 30. Therefore, in terms of increasing the possibility of reducing the amount of power consumed by the vehicle 10 during traveling, the technology for controlling the traveling of the vehicle can be improved.

[0079] The present disclosure has been described based on the respective drawings and embodiments. However, it should be noted that: any person skilled in the art can make various modifications and changes based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and changes are also included within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component or each step, etc., can be reconfigured in a logically consistent manner, and multiple components or steps, etc., can be combined into one or divided.

[0080] For example, in the above-described embodiment, an embodiment can also be implemented in which the configuration and operation of the information processing device 30 are distributed to a plurality of computers that can communicate with each other. For another example, an embodiment can also be implemented in which some or all of the constituent elements of the information processing device 30 are provided in the navigation device 20 mounted on the vehicle 10. For example, the navigation device 20 receives information on the green wave section Sg and the legal speed from a navigation server (information processing device 30) or a roadside device. At this time, the navigation device 20 can be configured to start path guidance including the green wave section Sg.

[0081] In the above-described embodiment, it is assumed that the vehicle 10 is a BEV for the description, but the vehicle 10 can also be a gasoline vehicle, an HEV or a PHEV during engine operation. If the vehicle 10 traveling with the engine selects a path including the green wave section Sg, since the fuel utilization rate of the green wave section Sg is improved and the consumption of gasoline (or light oil, LNG, etc.) is reduced, suppression of the consumed energy can be expected.

[0082] In addition, for example, an embodiment can also be implemented in which a general-purpose computer functions as the information processing device 30 according to the above-described embodiment. Specifically, a program describing the processing content of each function of the information processing device 30 according to the above-described embodiment is stored in the memory of a general-purpose computer, and the program is read out and executed by a processor. Therefore, the present disclosure can also be implemented as a program executable by a processor, or a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing the program.

Claims

1. An information processing device comprising a communication unit and a control unit for communicating via the communication unit, wherein: The control unit displays a first route including a green wave travelable section created in response to a request from the navigation device on a display screen of a navigation device of the vehicle, and displays a predetermined travel speed on the display screen when the vehicle enters a starting point of the section.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein: The device further comprises a storage unit, The control unit stores, in the storage unit, power consumption obtained by dividing the amount of power consumed in traveling from the start point to the end point of the section, which is received from the vehicle, by the distance of the section.

3. The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein: The first route is a route with the maximum charge remaining when the vehicle arrives at the destination, which is created based on the power consumption stored in the storage unit, the charge remaining of the battery at the departure point of the vehicle, and the distances of each of a plurality of routes connecting the departure point of the vehicle and a destination including the section where green wave travel is possible.

4. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit further presents, on the display screen, a second route that does not include the green wave travelable section, and presents, for the first route and the second route presented on the display screen, an estimated time of arrival at a destination and an estimated value of the remaining charge of the battery at the estimated time.

5. An information processing method, wherein: The following processing is performed by the information processing device: Creating a first route including a section where green wave travel is possible based on a request from a navigation device of the vehicle; Prompting the created first route on a display screen of the navigation device; as well as When the vehicle enters the starting point of the section, a predetermined traveling speed is displayed on the display screen.

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