Information processing apparatus and method of operation of an information processing apparatus

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an information processing apparatus and a method of operating the information processing apparatus that improve the accuracy of estimating power consumption in an electric vehicle. The information processing apparatus has a storage unit that stores information on a travel route of a vehicle that travels using electric power and information on a speed of each section of a plurality of sections included in the travel route when the vehicle travels through the sections, and a control unit that outputs information on a total amount of electric power consumption to be consumed for the vehicle to travel through the travel route based on an amount of electric power consumption in each section corresponding to a change in the speed of the section.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus and a method of operating the information processing apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] A navigation device is known to calculate and provide information to the driver regarding the route to the destination and travel time while the vehicle is in motion. The navigation device calculates travel time based on conditions such as the driver's choice of general road priority or highway priority. As an example of a navigation device, Patent Document 1 discloses a device for retrieving routes for an electric vehicle and for inferring and providing information to the driver regarding the electricity consumed while traveling on the retrieved routes.

[0003] Prior art literature Patent documents Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-066655 Summary of the Invention The problem that the invention aims to solve There is still room for improvement in the accuracy of inferences about the electricity consumption of electric vehicles.

[0004] The following text will disclose an information processing device that can improve the accuracy of power consumption estimation in electric vehicles.

[0005] Methods for solving problems The information processing apparatus of this disclosure includes: a storage unit that stores information about the travel path of a vehicle that uses electricity to travel, and information about the speed of each road segment when the vehicle travels on multiple road segments included in the travel path; and a control unit that outputs information about the total amount of electricity consumed by the vehicle to travel on the travel path based on the amount of electricity consumed in each road segment corresponding to the amount of change in the speed of each road segment.

[0006] The method of operating the information processing apparatus of this disclosure includes: acquiring information about the travel path of a vehicle that uses electricity to travel, and information about the speed of each road segment when the vehicle travels on multiple road segments included in the travel path; and outputting information about the total amount of electricity consumed by the vehicle to travel on the travel path based on the amount of electricity consumed in each road segment corresponding to the amount of change in the speed of each road segment.

[0007] Invention Effects According to the information processing apparatus and the like disclosed herein, the accuracy of estimating the power consumption in electric vehicles can be improved. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1A diagram illustrating the structure of an information processing system.

[0009] Figure 2 This diagram illustrates the road segment attribute information.

[0010] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating the operation of a server device.

[0011] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating the operation of a server device. Detailed Implementation

[0012] The implementation method will be described below.

[0013] Figure 1 This diagram illustrates an example of the structure of an information processing system in one embodiment. The information processing system 1 includes one or more server devices 10 and vehicle-mounted devices 13 connected together via a network 11 in a manner capable of mutual information communication. The server devices 10 are, for example, server computers belonging to cloud computing systems or other computing systems, functioning as servers with various installed functions. The vehicle-mounted device 13 is, for example, a navigation system with communication and information processing functions, and is mounted on a vehicle 12. The vehicle 12 is a passenger car, commercial vehicle, etc., and is partially or entirely driven by a driver. The vehicle 12 is powered by electricity, such as a battery electric vehicle (BEV), a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), etc. The network 11 is, for example, the Internet, but can also be an ad hoc network, a LAN, a MAN (Metropolitan Area Network), or other networks or any combination thereof.

[0014] In this embodiment, the information processing system 1 retrieves the driving path of the vehicle 12 and derives the power consumption of the vehicle 12 while it is traveling on the driving path, and provides the driving path and power consumption information to the driver of the vehicle 12. In this embodiment, the server device 10 corresponds to the "information processing device", and the server device 10 has a storage unit 102 and a control unit 103. The storage unit 102 stores information about the driving path of the vehicle 12 that uses electricity to travel, and information about the speed of each road segment when the vehicle 12 travels on the multiple road segments included in the driving path. The control unit 103 outputs information about the total power consumption required for the vehicle 12 to travel on the driving path based on the power consumption in each road segment corresponding to the change in speed of each road segment. The total power consumption information is sent to the vehicle-mounted device 13 and displayed to the driver in the vehicle-mounted device 13. Here, a road segment is a unit that divides the driving path into approximately equal intervals. Furthermore, the speed of vehicle 12 on each of the multiple road segments is the average speed calculated by dividing the distance of each road segment by the travel time. As vehicle 12 travels sequentially on multiple road segments, the speed on each segment may increase or decrease, thus tending to consume more power at the moments when the speed increases or decreases from one road segment to the next. In this embodiment, since server device 10 infers the total power consumption required for vehicle 12 to travel along the travel path based on the power consumption in each road segment corresponding to the change in speed of each road segment, the total power consumption can be inferred with greater accuracy compared to, for example, in cases where the total power consumption is inferred only based on the length of the travel path or the speed of vehicle 12 on each road segment included in the travel path. Therefore, the accuracy of power consumption estimation in electric vehicles can be improved.

[0015] Next, an example of the structure of the server device 10 will be described.

[0016] Server device 10 includes a communication unit 101, a storage unit 102, and a control unit 103. Server device 10 can be a single computer, or it can be composed of two or more computers connected in a manner capable of information communication and working together. When server device 10 is composed of two or more computers... Figure 1 The structure shown is appropriately configured in more than two computers.

[0017] The communication unit 101 includes one or more communication interfaces. These communication interfaces may be, for example, LAN interfaces. The communication unit 101 receives information used in the operation of the control unit 103 and also transmits information obtained through the operation of the control unit 103. The server device 10 is connected to the network 11 via the communication unit 101 and communicates with the vehicle-mounted device 13 via the network 11.

[0018] Storage unit 102 includes, for example, one or more semiconductor memories, one or more magnetic memories, one or more optical memories, or combinations of at least two of these types, functioning as main storage devices, auxiliary storage devices, or cache memories. Semiconductor memories are, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory) or ROM (Read Only Memory). RAM is, for example, SRAM (Static RAM) or DRAM (Dynamic RAM). ROM is, for example, EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM). Storage unit 102 stores information used in the operation of control unit 103 and information obtained through the operation of control unit 103.

[0019] The control unit 103 includes one or more processors, one or more dedicated circuits, or combinations thereof. The processor may be, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) for specific processing. Dedicated circuits may include, for example, a FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The control unit 103 controls various parts of the server device 10 and performs information processing related to the operation of the server device 10.

[0020] The functions of the server device 10 are implemented by a control program executed by a processor included in the control unit 103. The control program is a program for enabling the computer to perform functions corresponding to the steps included in the operation of the server device 10. That is, the control program is a program for enabling the computer to function as the server device 10. Furthermore, some or all of the functions of the server device 10 can also be implemented by dedicated circuitry included in the control unit 103. Additionally, the control program can be stored in a non-temporary recording and storage medium readable by the server device 10, and can be read from the medium by the server device 10.

[0021] The storage unit 102 stores, for example, map information 108, road segment attribute information 109, and vehicle information 107.

[0022] Map information 108 includes, for example, the locations of nodes on roads used to divide the travel path of vehicle 12 into segments. Nodes are arbitrarily arranged at equal intervals of tens to hundreds of meters on a map viewed from a planar perspective.

[0023] Road segment attribute information 109 refers to the attribute information of each unit road segment with a pair of nodes set as the two ends, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the road segment attribute information 109 includes the location of each road segment on the map, the travel speed required for vehicles 12 in each road segment, the curvature of the curves included in each road segment, and the slope angle of the road in each road segment. The travel speed of vehicles 12 in each road segment is the average speed of more than one vehicle 12 traveling on each road segment, and the average speed is calculated based on the distance of each road segment and the time required for a vehicle 12 to travel through each road segment. The time required for vehicles 12 in each road segment is estimated in advance using various detection data collected by the server device 10, for example. The detection data includes the location information of vehicles 12 collected from more than one vehicle-mounted device 13, and information indicating the passage of unspecified vehicles 12 collected from roadside devices, etc. Furthermore, the curvature information of the curves included in each road segment is calculated in advance based on the map information 108. When a road segment includes multiple curves, the curvature of that road segment is, for example, the average of the multiple curvatures. Furthermore, the slope angle information of each road segment is calculated based on map information 108. The slope angle information includes the direction of the road's slope. When a road segment includes multiple sloping roads, the slope angle of that road segment is, for example, the average of the multiple slope angles.

[0024] The vehicle information 107 includes, in a manner that establishes a correspondence, the identification information of the vehicle 12 that communicates with the server device 10, and performance information such as the power consumption rate of each model of the vehicle 12 that is provided in advance from the vehicle manufacturer, etc.

[0025] Next, an example of the structure of the vehicle-mounted device 13 will be described.

[0026] The vehicle-mounted device 13 includes a communication unit 131, a storage unit 132, a control unit 133, a positioning unit 134, an input unit 135, an output unit 136, and a detection unit 137. These components can be configured as a single control device, or as two or more control devices, or as a control device and other devices such as a communication unit. Control devices include, for example, ECUs (Electronic Control Units). Communication units include, for example, DCMs (Data Communication Modules). All components are connected to each other or to the equipment of the vehicle 12 via an in-vehicle network according to standards such as CAN (Controller Area Network) in a manner enabling information communication.

[0027] The communication unit 131 includes a communication module corresponding to wired or wireless LAN standards, and modules corresponding to mobile communication standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), or 5G (5th Generation). The vehicle-mounted device 13 connects to the network 11 via the communication unit 131 and through a nearby router or mobile communication base station, and communicates with other devices via the network 11.

[0028] Storage unit 132 includes one or more semiconductor memories, one or more magnetic memories, one or more optical memories, or a combination of at least two of these. Semiconductor memories are, for example, RAM or ROM. RAM is, for example, SRAM or DRAM. ROM is, for example, EEPROM. Storage unit 132 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. Storage unit 132 stores information used in the operation of control unit 133 and information obtained through the operation of control unit 133.

[0029] The control unit 133 includes one or more processors, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU, or a dedicated processor such as a GPU for specific processing. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA or an ASIC. The control unit 133 controls various parts of the vehicle-mounted device 13 and performs information processing related to the operation of the vehicle-mounted device 13.

[0030] The functions of the control unit 133, such as navigation and multimedia playback, are implemented by a processor included in the control unit 133 executing control and processing programs. These control and processing programs are programs used to enable the computer to perform functions corresponding to the steps included in the operation of the control unit 133. In other words, the control and processing programs are programs used to enable the computer to function as the control unit 133. Furthermore, some or all of the functions of the control unit 133 can also be implemented using dedicated circuitry included in the control unit 133.

[0031] The positioning unit 134 includes one or more GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receivers. GNSS receivers may include, for example, GPS (Global Positioning System), QZSS (Quasi-Zenith Satellite System), BeiDou, GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System), and Galileo. The positioning unit 134 transmits the positioning results to the control unit 133, and uses the control unit 133 to obtain the position information of the on-board device 13, i.e., the vehicle 12.

[0032] The input unit 135 includes one or more input interfaces. Input interfaces may include, for example, a microphone for accepting voice input, physical buttons, electrostatic capacitive buttons, indicator devices, or a touchscreen integrated with a display. The input interface includes an interface with a camera installed on the vehicle 12 to capture images of the interior or exterior of the vehicle 12. The camera may be built into the vehicle-mounted device 13 or be a separate unit. The input unit 135 accepts input from users such as the driver for information used in the operation of the control unit 133, including voice input, or images captured by the camera of the driver, and transmits the received information to the control unit 133.

[0033] The output unit 136 includes one or more output interfaces. These output interfaces may be, for example, a speaker for outputting voice, or a display for outputting images. The display may be, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. The output unit 136 outputs information obtained through the operation of the control unit 133.

[0034] The detection unit 137 includes sensor-type components that detect various events occurring in the vehicle 12, or interfaces with sensor-type components. These sensor-type components include, for example, those that detect the vehicle 12's speed, longitudinal acceleration, lateral acceleration, deceleration, accelerator operation amount, brake operation amount, steering angle, turn signal illumination time, fuel consumption per unit time, energy-saving mode selection status, odometer reading, safety equipment operation information, remaining engine oil level, brake pad wear, and battery degradation. Furthermore, sensor-type components include millimeter-wave and infrared radar that detects objects around the vehicle 12. The detection unit 137 transmits vehicle information indicating various states of the vehicle 12 detected by the sensor-type components to the control unit 133.

[0035] The control unit 133 receives and transmits various information to the communication unit 131, storage unit 132, positioning unit 134, input unit 135, output unit 136, and detection unit 137, and controls these components while simultaneously controlling the operation of the vehicle 12. During vehicle 12 operation, the control unit 133 provides navigation functionality by providing the driver with route information and other necessary information via the output unit 136, or controls partial automatic driving of the vehicle 12.

[0036] Next, use Figure 3 , Figure 4 The operation of server device 10 will now be explained.

[0037] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operating steps of the server device 10. Figure 3 Each step in the process is an information processing step that is executed by the control unit 103. Figure 3 The working steps are performed, for example, as follows: the driver of vehicle 12 operates the on-board device 13 to send a request to the server device 10 to retrieve the driving path of vehicle 12; when the control unit 103 of the server device 10 receives the request, the working steps are executed in response to the request through the control unit 103.

[0038] In step S301, the control unit 103 retrieves a driving route. The control unit 103 obtains information such as the current location of the vehicle 12, the destination, and the priority level of the selected driving route from the vehicle-mounted device 13. When the driver of the vehicle 12 operates the vehicle-mounted device 13 and inputs information such as the destination and priority level, the vehicle-mounted device 13 sends this information, along with the current location information of the vehicle 12, to the server device 10. Based on the various information sent from the vehicle-mounted device 13, the control unit 103 uses map information 108 and an arbitrary algorithm to retrieve a driving route. The control unit 103 stores the retrieved driving route information in the storage unit 102.

[0039] In S302, the control unit 103 divides the driving path into road segments. The control unit 103 divides the driving path into multiple road segments at equal intervals on a map viewed from a plane. The control unit 103 divides the driving path into multiple road segments by using the positions of nodes that have been established with correspondence with map information 108. A road segment can be a single unit road segment or a combination of multiple unit road segments.

[0040] In S303, the control unit 103 acquires the attribute information of each road segment. The control unit 103 reads and acquires the attribute information of the unit road segment corresponding to the driving path from the road segment attribute information 109. When a road segment is composed of multiple unit road segments, the control unit 103 may also set the average value of the driving speed, curvature, tilt angle, etc., of the multiple unit road segments included in each road segment as the driving speed, curvature, tilt angle, etc. of that road segment. The control unit 103 stores the attribute information including the driving speed of each road segment in the storage unit 102.

[0041] In S304, the control unit 103 derives the change in driving speed. The control unit 103 derives the difference between the driving speed in a given road segment and the driving speed in the immediately preceding road segment, following the assumed direction of travel of the vehicle 12 in the driving path. For example, if the driving speed in a given road segment increases compared to the driving speed in the next road segment, a positive difference is derived; conversely, if the driving speed decreases, a negative difference is derived.

[0042] In step S305, the control unit 103 derives the adjustment amount of the travel speed in each road segment. The adjustment amount of the travel speed here is a coefficient relative to the initial travel speed. Detailed steps of step S305 are described below. Figure 4 As shown in the image.

[0043] like Figure 4As shown, firstly, in step S401, the control unit 103 reads and obtains the attribute information of the Nth (N is a natural number and its initial value is "1") road segment from the storage unit 102.

[0044] In step S402, the control unit 103 determines whether the driving speed has changed since the preceding road segment in the Nth road segment. If the change amount derived by the control unit 103 in step S304 is an arbitrary reference, for example, an absolute value of 0.5 to 2.0 km / h or higher, it determines that there has been a change ("Yes" in S402) and proceeds to step S403. If the change amount is smaller than the reference, it determines that there has been no change ("No" in S402) and proceeds to step S404. In addition, since there is no preceding road segment in the first road segment, it is determined that there has been no change.

[0045] In step S403, the control unit 103 determines whether the driving speed has increased or decreased since the preceding road segment. If the change derived in step S304 is positive, the control unit 103 determines that the driving speed has increased ("increase" in S403) and proceeds to step S405; if the change is negative, it determines that the driving speed has decreased ("decrease" in S403) and proceeds to step S406.

[0046] In S405, the control unit 103 derives the adjustment amount for the increase in driving speed. When the driving speed increases from one road segment to the next, for example, when accelerating to merge onto a highway or to escape from a congested or narrow road, the likelihood of increased power consumption in the vehicle 12 due to acceleration is high. Therefore, a coefficient greater than 1 is derived as the adjustment amount. The adjustment amount for the increase is derived in a manner that increases according to the increase in driving speed. The storage unit 102 stores information that pre-establishes a correspondence between the adjustment amount and each arbitrary increase in driving speed. This information can be used by the control unit 103 to derive the adjustment amount, or the control unit 103 can use any formula to derive the adjustment amount.

[0047] On the other hand, in S406, the control unit 103 derives the adjustment amount for the reduction in driving speed. In cases where the driving speed decreases from one road segment to the next, such as when temporarily slowing down to turn at a curve or when slowing down on a hill, the vehicle 12 is more likely to experience increased power consumption due to increased output caused by re-acceleration after deceleration or hill climbing. Therefore, a coefficient greater than 1 is derived as the adjustment amount. The adjustment amount for the reduction is derived by increasing according to the reduction in driving speed. The storage unit 102 stores information that establishes a correspondence between the adjustment amount and each arbitrary reduction in driving speed. The control unit 103 can use this information to derive the adjustment amount, or it can derive the adjustment amount using any formula. Furthermore, the adjustment ranges for the increase and decrease in the change can be the same or different.

[0048] In S407, the control unit 103 determines whether the curvature of the Nth road segment is above an arbitrary reference value. The reference value is the curvature of a deep curve where the vehicle 12's speed decreases due to temporary deceleration and power consumption increases upon re-acceleration; for example, it is set to 0.1 (m) corresponding to the curvature of a so-called U-shaped curve. -1 The control unit 103 proceeds to step S408 if the curvature is above the reference value ("Yes" in S407), and proceeds to step S409 if the curvature is smaller than the reference value ("No" in S407).

[0049] In S408, the control unit 103 further adjusts the adjustment amount in the Nth road segment. The control unit 103 increases the adjustment amount by adding the arbitrary adjustment amount that increases according to the curvature to the adjustment amount that reduces the driving speed, or by multiplying a coefficient of 1 or more that increases according to the curvature to the adjustment amount that reduces the driving speed. Thus, for example, the increase in power consumption caused by the vehicle 12 decelerating and then accelerating more significantly when turning in a deep curve such as a U-turn can be reflected in the adjustment amount.

[0050] In step S409, the control unit 103 determines whether the climbing angle in the Nth road segment is above or below an arbitrary reference value. The reference value is the inclination angle of an inclined road where the vehicle 12's speed decreases and power consumption increases in order to climb the slope; for example, it is set to an arbitrary value of 7 to 10 degrees. Furthermore, the climbing angle is calculated based on the vehicle 12's intended direction of travel and the inclination angle included in the attribute information. If the climbing angle is above or below the reference value ("Yes" in S409), the control unit 103 proceeds to step S410; if it is lower than the reference value ("No" in S409), it proceeds to step S411.

[0051] In S410, the control unit 103 further adjusts the adjustment amount in the Nth road segment. The control unit 103 increases the adjustment amount by adding an arbitrary adjustment amount that increases according to the climbing angle to an adjustment amount that reduces the driving speed, or by multiplying a coefficient of 1 or more that increases according to the climbing angle to an adjustment amount that reduces the driving speed. Thus, for example, the increase in power consumption that causes the vehicle 12 to decelerate to a certain extent and increase the output when climbing a steep incline can be reflected in the adjustment amount.

[0052] If it is determined in S402 that the driving speed has not changed since the preceding road segment, the control unit 103 sets the adjustment amount to 0 in step S404 and proceeds to step S411.

[0053] In step S411, the control unit 103 determines whether all processing related to all road segments included in the travel path has been completed. If the control unit 103 determines that all processing related to all road segments has been completed (S411 indicates "Yes"), then the process ends. Figure 4 If the processing related to all road segments is not yet complete (No in S411), the counter "N" is incremented in step S412, and the process returns to step S401. Therefore, the control unit 103 repeatedly executes steps S401 to S411 until the processing for all road segments is complete. This method is used to deduce the adjustment amount of the travel speed related to all road segments. Then, the control unit 103 terminates the process. Figure 4 The steps.

[0054] When returning to Figure 3In step S306, the control unit 103 derives the power consumption for each road segment. The control unit 103, for example, obtains in advance the route retrieval request, vehicle identification information, vehicle type information, etc., and obtains the power consumption rate of the vehicle 12 from the vehicle information 107. It then uses the distance of each road segment, the travel speed, and the power consumption rate of the vehicle 12 to derive the power consumption corresponding to the travel speed of each road segment. Furthermore, if the travel path includes an incomplete section with one missing road segment, the control unit 103 can also calculate the power consumption based on the attribute information of the road segment corresponding to the distance of the incomplete section, distributing it proportionally according to the distance of the section.

[0055] In step S308, the control unit 103 adjusts the power consumption of each road segment. The control unit 103 uses the adjustment amount of power consumption derived in step S305 to adjust the power consumption of each road segment. For example, the control unit 103 adjusts the power consumption by multiplying the coefficient used to derive the adjustment amount for each road segment by its respective power consumption. Therefore, in road segments where the travel speed increases or decreases from the preceding road segment, the power consumption increases according to the coefficient.

[0056] In S309, the control unit 103 calculates the total power consumption along the travel path. The control unit 103 calculates the total power consumption by summing up the adjusted power consumption of each road segment included in the travel path.

[0057] In S310, the control unit 103 sends information about the total power consumption along the driving route and the driving route information to the vehicle-mounted device 13. Thus, the vehicle-mounted device 13, having received information from the server device 10, can provide the driver with the retrieved driving route and the total power consumption while driving along that route via image display or voice output.

[0058] exist Figure 3 If multiple driving routes are retrieved in step S301, steps S302 to S310 are executed for each driving route.

[0059] Through the aforementioned operational steps, the server device 10 can provide the driver with information on the driving route and total power consumption via the on-board device 13. Since the total power consumption is inferred based on the power consumption in each road segment corresponding to the change in speed for each segment, the total power consumption can be derived with greater accuracy. Therefore, the accuracy of power consumption estimation in electric vehicles can be improved.

[0060] in addition, Figure 4In this embodiment, the omission of some steps is also included. For example, when there is a change in driving speed from the preceding road segment ("Yes" in step S402), the control unit 103 can derive an adjustment amount corresponding to the absolute value of the change, regardless of whether the speed increases or decreases. Furthermore, when the driving speed decreases from the preceding road segment ("Decrease" in step S403), either or both of the adjustment amount achieved by curvature (steps S407-S408) and the adjustment amount achieved by the climbing angle (steps S409-S410) can be omitted. Alternatively, although step S404 is performed for road segments that are determined not to have a change in driving speed, steps S409 and S410 can be inserted thereafter. That is, even for road segments without a change in speed, if the vehicle 12 accelerates at a climbing section and its driving speed increases, there is a possibility that power consumption may increase. Therefore, when the climbing angle is above a certain level, the control unit 103 can also set a coefficient greater than 1 as the adjustment amount again.

[0061] Although the above example uses the adjustment amount as a coefficient, the adjustment amount can also be an additive calculation range used to increase power consumption based on the change in driving speed.

[0062] Furthermore, the operation of the server device 10 in the above embodiments can also be partially or entirely performed by the vehicle-mounted device 13. In this case, the map information 108, road segment attribute information 109, and vehicle information 107 can be stored in the storage unit 122 of the vehicle-mounted device 13 in advance or obtained from the server device 10, and the operation can be performed by the control unit 133. Figure 3 , Figure 4 This refers to one or all of the steps. In this case, the vehicle-mounted device 13 corresponds to the "information processing device" of this embodiment.

[0063] In the above embodiments, the prescribed processing and control program for the operation of vehicle 12 can also be stored in the storage unit 102 of server device 10 or the storage unit of other server devices, and downloaded to each device via network 11, or stored in a non-temporary recording and storage medium readable by each device, and read from the medium by each device.

[0064] While the embodiments have been described above based on the accompanying drawings, it should be noted that various modifications and alterations can be easily made based on this disclosure if one is skilled in the art. Therefore, it should be understood that such modifications and alterations are included within the scope of this disclosure. For example, the functions included in each unit or step can be reconfigured in a logically consistent manner, and multiple units or steps can be combined into one or divided.

[0065] The following are examples of some embodiments of this disclosure. However, please note that the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to these contents.

[0066] [Postscript 1] An information processing device, comprising: The storage unit stores information about the travel path of a vehicle that uses electricity to drive, and information about the speed of the vehicle on each of the multiple road segments included in the travel path. The control unit outputs information on the total power consumption required for the vehicle to travel on the driving path, based on the power consumption in each road segment corresponding to the change in speed of each road segment.

[0067] [Postscript 2] The information processing apparatus as described in Appendix 1, wherein... The speed of each road segment is the average speed of the vehicle traveling on that road segment.

[0068] [Postscript 3] The information processing apparatus as described in Appendix 1 or 2, wherein, The control unit adjusts the power consumption corresponding to the speed in each road segment based on the change.

[0069] [Postscript 4] The information processing apparatus as described in Appendix 3, wherein... When the first speed corresponds to the first road segment and the second speed, which is different from the first speed, corresponds to the second road segment following the first road segment, the control unit uses a predetermined adjustment amount to adjust the power consumption in the second road segment and derive the total power consumption.

[0070] [Postscript 5] The information processing apparatus as described in Appendix 4, wherein... The control unit determines the adjustment amount based on the change in the second speed relative to the first speed.

[0071] [Postscript 6] The information processing apparatus as described in Appendix 5, wherein... The adjustment amount differs depending on whether the second speed increases or decreases relative to the first speed.

[0072] [Postscript 7] The information processing apparatus as described in Appendix 5 or 6, wherein... The storage unit also stores information about the curvature of the road in the second segment. The control unit determines the adjustment amount for the second speed by further taking into account the curvature.

[0073] [Postscript 8] The information processing apparatus as described in any one of Appendices 5 to 7, wherein... The storage unit also stores information about the slope angle of the road in the second road segment. The control unit determines the adjustment amount for the second speed by further taking into account the tilt angle.

[0074] [Postscript 9] A method of operating an information processing device includes: Obtain information about the travel path of a vehicle powered by electricity, and information about the speed of the vehicle on each of the multiple road segments included in the travel path; and Based on the amount of power consumption in each road segment corresponding to the change in speed of each road segment, information is output regarding the total power consumption required for the vehicle to travel on the driving path.

[0075] [Postscript 10] The operating method of the information processing device as described in Appendix 9, wherein... The speed of each road segment is the average speed of the vehicle traveling on that road segment.

[0076] [Postscript 11] The method of operating the information processing apparatus as described in Appendix 9 or 10 further includes: The power consumption corresponding to the speed in each road segment is adjusted based on the change.

[0077] [Postscript 12] The operating method of the information processing device as described in Appendix 9, wherein... When a first speed corresponds to a first road segment, and a second speed different from the first speed corresponds to a second road segment following the first road segment, the total power consumption is derived by adjusting the power consumption corresponding to the second speed using a predetermined adjustment amount.

[0078] [Postscript 13] The method of operation of the information processing apparatus as described in Appendix 12, wherein... The adjustment amount is determined based on the change in the second speed relative to the first speed.

[0079] [Postscript 14] The method of operation of the information processing apparatus as described in Appendix 13, wherein... The adjustment amount differs depending on whether the second speed increases or decreases relative to the first speed.

[0080] [Postscript 15] The method of operation of the information processing apparatus as described in Appendix 13 or 14, wherein... The adjustment amount for the second speed is determined by further taking into account information about the curvature of the road in the second segment.

[0081] [Postscript 16] The method of operation of the information processing apparatus as described in any one of Appendices 13 to 15, wherein... The adjustment amount for the second speed is determined by further taking into account information about the inclination angle of the road in the second segment.

[0082] Symbol Explanation 1…Information processing system; 10… server devices; 11…Network; 12… vehicles; 13…Vehicle-mounted devices; 101, 131…Ministry of Communications; Storage sections 102, 132… 103, 133… Control Department; 107… Vehicle Information; 108… Map information; Attribute information of road segment 109… 134… Positioning section; 135… Input Section; 136… Output Department.

Claims

1. An information processing device, comprising: The storage unit stores information about the travel path of a vehicle that uses electricity to drive, and information about the average speed of the vehicle on each of the multiple road segments included in the travel path. The control unit derives an adjustment coefficient corresponding to the change in average speed between consecutive road segments, adjusts the power consumption by multiplying the coefficient by the statistical power consumption of the vehicle in each road segment, and derives the total power consumption required for the vehicle to travel on the driving path by summing the adjusted power consumption. The control unit sends the total power consumption information to the vehicle's onboard device, and causes the onboard device to output the total power consumption information.

2. An information processing device, comprising: The storage unit stores information about the travel path of a vehicle that uses electricity to drive, and information about the speed of the vehicle on each of the multiple road segments included in the travel path. The control unit outputs information on the total power consumption required for the vehicle to travel on the driving path, based on the power consumption in each road segment corresponding to the change in speed of each road segment.

3. The information processing apparatus as described in claim 2, wherein, The speed of each road segment is the average speed of the vehicle traveling on that road segment.

4. The information processing apparatus as described in claim 2, wherein, The control unit adjusts the power consumption corresponding to the speed in each road segment based on the change.

5. The information processing apparatus as described in claim 4, wherein, When the first speed corresponds to the first road segment and the second speed, which is different from the first speed, corresponds to the second road segment following the first road segment, the control unit uses a predetermined adjustment amount to adjust the power consumption in the second road segment and derive the total power consumption.

6. The information processing apparatus as described in claim 5, wherein, The control unit determines the adjustment amount based on the change in the second speed relative to the first speed.

7. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein, The adjustment amount differs depending on whether the second speed increases or decreases relative to the first speed.

8. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein, The storage unit also stores information about the curvature of the road in the second segment. The control unit determines the adjustment amount for the second speed by further taking into account the curvature.

9. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein, The storage unit also stores information about the slope angle of the road in the second road segment. The control unit determines the adjustment amount for the second speed by further taking into account the tilt angle.

10. A method of operating an information processing device, comprising: Obtain information about the travel path of a vehicle powered by electricity, and information about the speed of the vehicle on each of the multiple road segments included in the travel path; and Based on the power consumption in each road segment corresponding to the change in speed of each road segment, information on the total power consumption required for the vehicle to travel on the driving path is output.

11. The method of operating the information processing apparatus as described in claim 10, wherein, The speed of each road segment is the average speed of the vehicle traveling on that road segment.

12. The method of operating the information processing apparatus as described in claim 10, wherein, Also includes: The power consumption corresponding to the speed in each road segment is adjusted based on the change.

13. The method of operating the information processing apparatus as described in claim 12, wherein, When a first speed corresponds to a first road segment, and a second speed different from the first speed corresponds to a second road segment following the first road segment, the total power consumption is derived by adjusting the power consumption corresponding to the second speed using a predetermined adjustment amount.

14. The method of operating the information processing apparatus as described in claim 13, wherein, The adjustment amount is determined based on the change in the second speed relative to the first speed.

15. The method of operating the information processing apparatus as described in claim 14, wherein, The adjustment amount differs depending on whether the second speed increases or decreases relative to the first speed.

16. The method of operating the information processing apparatus as described in claim 14, wherein, The adjustment amount for the second speed is determined by further taking into account information about the curvature of the road in the second segment.

17. The method of operating the information processing apparatus as described in claim 14, wherein, The adjustment amount for the second speed is determined by further taking into account information about the inclination angle of the road in the second segment.

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