Vehicle control system

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control system capable of effectively preventing deterioration of a battery mounted on a vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicle control system comprises: a data collection section which collects data related to user's vehicle operation characteristics; an analysis section which uses the collected data to analyze a burden on a battery to be a factor causing deterioration of the battery mounted on the vehicle; and a control section which cools the battery at cooling intensity corresponding to an analysis result. Thus, the vehicle control system can effectively prevent the deterioration of the battery.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to vehicle control systems. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, technology for optimizing vehicle equipment according to the driving characteristics of a user has been developed. Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle setting inheritance system that optimizes the equipment of a second vehicle based on user characteristic information learned in a first vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-158003 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Patent Document 1 only describes optimizing vehicle equipment such as steering feeling and seat position according to the driving characteristics of the user, but does not describe taking appropriate measures to prevent deterioration of the battery installed in the vehicle. In other words, the system disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that it is not possible to perform appropriate processing to prevent deterioration of the battery installed in the vehicle according to the driving characteristics of the user.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above background, and has an object to provide a vehicle control system that can effectively prevent deterioration of a battery installed in a vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle control system according to the present disclosure includes a data collection unit that collects data on the driving characteristics of a vehicle by a user, an analysis unit that uses the collected data to analyze the load on a battery mounted on the vehicle that is a cause of deterioration of the battery, and a control unit that cools the battery with a cooling intensity according to the analysis result. This vehicle control system can effectively prevent deterioration of the battery by adjusting the cooling intensity of the battery mounted on the vehicle according to the driving characteristics of the user. Effect of the Invention

[0007] The present disclosure makes it possible to provide a vehicle control system that can effectively prevent deterioration of a battery installed in a vehicle. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a vehicle control system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of a vehicle control device provided in the vehicle control system shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a vehicle control system according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but the invention according to the claims is not limited to the following embodiments. In addition, not all of the configurations described in the embodiments are necessarily essential means for solving the problems. For clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings are omitted and simplified as appropriate. In each drawing, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations are omitted as necessary.

[0010] <Embodiment 1> 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle control system 1 according to a first embodiment. The vehicle control system 1 can effectively prevent deterioration of a battery mounted on a vehicle by adjusting the cooling strength of the battery mounted on the vehicle according to the driving characteristics of a user. A specific description will be given below.

[0011] As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle control system 1 includes a vehicle control device 10, a vehicle 20_1, and a network 50. The vehicle control device 10 can be referred to as a vehicle control system by itself. The vehicle control device 10 and the vehicle 20_1 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via a wired or wireless network 50. The vehicle control device 10 may be mounted on the vehicle 20_1, or may be provided separately from the vehicle 20_1.

[0012] The vehicle 20_1 is an electric vehicle owned by a user U1 of the system. The vehicle 20_1 is provided with a rechargeable secondary battery 21_1 such as a lithium ion battery, and a cooling device 22_1 for cooling the secondary battery 21_1. The cooling device 22_1 may be an air-cooled cooling device such as a fan, or may be a water-cooled cooling device using a pipe through which cooling water flows.

[0013] The vehicle control device 10 is a device that adjusts the cooling intensity of a cooling device 22_1 of a secondary battery 21_1 mounted on a vehicle 20_1 in accordance with a driving characteristic of a user U1. Specifically, the vehicle control device 10 includes a data collection unit 11, an analysis unit 12, and a control unit 13.

[0014] The data collection unit 11 collects data on driving characteristics of the vehicle 20_1 by the user U1. The data on the driving characteristics of the vehicle 20_1 by the user U1 is, for example, data on a distance traveled by the user U1 of the vehicle 20_1 per predetermined period, a speed (i.e., average speed) of the user U1 of the vehicle 20_1 per predetermined period, or an accelerator opening degree of the user U1 of the vehicle 20_1 per predetermined period.

[0015] The analysis unit 12 performs an analysis of a burden on the secondary battery 21_1 mounted on the vehicle 20_1 that is a cause of deterioration of the secondary battery 21_1, by using the data collected by the data collection unit 11. The burden on the secondary battery is, in other words, a load applied to the secondary battery.

[0016] For example, the analysis unit 12 determines that the burden on the secondary battery 21_1 is greater as the user U1 drives the vehicle 20_1 by the user U1 for a longer distance per predetermined period, and determines that the burden on the secondary battery 21_1 is smaller as the distance is shorter. Alternatively, the analysis unit 12 determines that the burden on the secondary battery 21_1 is greater as the user U1 drives the vehicle 20_1 by the user U1 for a longer period, and determines that the burden on the secondary battery 21_1 is smaller as the speed is slower. Alternatively, the analysis unit 12 determines that the burden on the secondary battery 21_1 is greater as the user U1 drives the vehicle 20_1 by the user U1 for a longer period, and determines that the burden on the secondary battery 21_1 is smaller as the accelerator opening degree is smaller. The analysis unit 12 may analyze the burden on the secondary battery 21_1 from driving characteristics other than these. Then, the analysis unit 12 outputs, for example, a numerical value of the analysis result of the burden on the secondary battery 21_1.

[0017] The control unit 13 causes the cooling device 22_1 to cool the secondary battery 21_1 with a cooling intensity according to the analysis result by the analysis unit 12. For example, when the burden (a numerical value representing the burden) on the secondary battery 21_1 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the control unit 13 increases the cooling intensity of the cooling device 22_1 for the secondary battery 21_1. This reduces the burden on the secondary battery 21_1, thereby suppressing deterioration of the secondary battery 21_1. On the other hand, when the burden (a numerical value representing the burden) on the secondary battery 21_1 is less than the predetermined value, the control unit 13 reduces or maintains the cooling intensity of the cooling device 22_1 for the secondary battery 21_1. This reduces the burden of the cooling process of the cooling device 22_1.

[0018] Furthermore, the control unit 13 may be configured to not only increase the cooling strength of the secondary battery 21_1 by the cooling device 22_1 but also reduce the upper limit of the current supplied to the secondary battery 21_1 during charging when the number of times that the burden (a numerical value representing the burden) on the secondary battery 21_1 reaches or exceeds a predetermined value reaches a predetermined number of times. This lengthens the charging time of the secondary battery 21_1, but reduces the burden on the secondary battery 21_1 during charging, thereby further suppressing deterioration of the secondary battery 21_1.

[0019] Next, the operation of the vehicle control device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vehicle control device 10.

[0020] First, the vehicle control device 10 collects data regarding the driving characteristics of the vehicle 20_1 by the user U1 (step S101).

[0021] Thereafter, the vehicle control device 10 uses the collected data to analyze the load on the secondary battery 21_1 mounted on the vehicle 20_1 that becomes a cause of deterioration of the secondary battery 21_1 (step S102).

[0022] For example, when the burden (a numerical value representing the burden) on the secondary battery 21_1 is less than a predetermined value (NO in step S103), the vehicle control device 10 weakens or maintains the cooling strength of the cooling device 22_1 for the secondary battery 21_1 (step S104). This reduces the burden of the cooling process of the cooling device 22_1.

[0023] On the other hand, when the burden (a numerical value representing the burden) on the secondary battery 21_1 is equal to or greater than the predetermined value (YES in step S103), the vehicle control device 10 increases the cooling intensity of the cooling device 22_1 for the secondary battery 21_1 (step S106). This reduces the burden on the secondary battery 21_1, thereby suppressing deterioration of the secondary battery 21_1.

[0024] Furthermore, when the number of times that the burden on the secondary battery 21_1 has exceeded a predetermined value (a numerical value representing the burden) reaches a predetermined number of times (YES in step S107), the vehicle control device 10 not only increases the cooling strength of the secondary battery 21_1 by the cooling device 22_1 but also reduces the upper limit of the current supplied to the secondary battery 21_1 during charging (step S108). This lengthens the charging time of the secondary battery 21_1, but reduces the burden on the secondary battery 21_1 during charging, thereby further suppressing deterioration of the secondary battery 21_1.

[0025] After any of the processing of step S104, the processing of NO in step S107, and the processing of step S108, if the vehicle control device 10 continues the cooling control of the secondary battery 21_1 (YES in step S105), it returns to the data collection processing (step S101), and if the vehicle control device 10 does not continue the cooling control of the secondary battery 21_1 (NO in step S105), it ends the processing.

[0026] In this way, the vehicle control system 1 of this embodiment can effectively prevent deterioration of the secondary battery 21_1 by adjusting the cooling intensity of the cooling device 22_1 of the secondary battery 21_1 mounted on the vehicle 20_1 in accordance with the driving characteristics of the user U1.

[0027] <Embodiment 2> 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle control system 2 according to a second embodiment. The vehicle control system 2 further includes a vehicle 20_2 in comparison with the vehicle control system 1. The vehicle control device 10 and the vehicles 20_1 and 20_2 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via a wired or wireless network 50.

[0028] The vehicle 20_2 is an electric vehicle owned by a user U1 of the present system. The vehicle 20_2 is provided with a rechargeable secondary battery 21_2 such as a lithium ion battery, and a cooling device 22_2 for cooling the secondary battery 21_2. The cooling device 22_2 may be an air-cooled cooling device such as a fan, or may be a water-cooled cooling device using a pipe through which cooling water flows.

[0029] The driving characteristics of the vehicle 20_2 by the user U1 tend to be similar to the driving characteristics of the vehicle 20_1 by the user U1. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the vehicle control device 10 adjusts the cooling intensity of the secondary battery 21_2 of the vehicle 20_2 based on a result of analyzing data related to the driving characteristics of the vehicle 20_1 by the user U1. Thereby, even when data is not collected from the vehicle 20_2, for example, when the vehicle 20_2 is a new car, deterioration of the secondary battery 21_2 is effectively suppressed.

[0030] As described above, the vehicle control system according to the above embodiment can effectively prevent deterioration of a secondary battery mounted in a vehicle by adjusting the cooling intensity of the secondary battery in accordance with the driving characteristics of the user.

[0031] In addition, in the present disclosure, a part or all of the processing of the vehicle control device 10 can be realized by causing a CPU (Central Processing Unit) to execute a computer program.

[0032] The above-mentioned program includes a set of instructions (or software code) for making the computer perform one or more functions described in the embodiment when the program is loaded into the computer. The program may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium or a tangible storage medium. By way of example and not limitation, the computer-readable medium or the tangible storage medium includes a random-access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a flash memory, a solid-state drive (SSD) or other memory technology, a CD-ROM, a digital versatile disc (DVD), a Blu-ray® disk or other optical disk storage, a magnetic cassette, a magnetic tape, a magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage device. The program may be transmitted on a transitory computer-readable medium or a communication medium. By way of example and not limitation, the transitory computer-readable medium or the communication medium includes an electrical, optical, acoustic, or other form of propagating signal.

[0033] A part or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but is not limited to, the following supplementary notes.

[0034] (Appendix 1) The vehicle control system Collecting data regarding driving characteristics of a user of the vehicle; Using the collected data, an analysis is performed on the load on the battery mounted on the vehicle that is a cause of deterioration of the battery; Cooling the battery with a cooling intensity according to the analysis result. A vehicle control method.

[0035] (Appendix 2) collecting data regarding driving characteristics of a user of the vehicle; A process of analyzing a load on a battery mounted on the vehicle that is a cause of deterioration of the battery using the collected data; A process of cooling the battery with a cooling intensity according to the analysis result; A control program that causes a computer to execute the above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 1 Vehicle Control System 10 Vehicle control device 11 Data Collection Section 12 Analysis Department 13 Control section 20_1~20_2 Vehicle 21_1~21_2 Secondary battery 22_1~22_2 Cooling device 50 Network

Claims

1. a data collection unit for collecting data regarding a driving characteristic of a user of the vehicle; an analysis unit that uses the collected data to analyze a load on the battery mounted on the vehicle that is a cause of deterioration of the battery; A control unit that cools the battery with a cooling intensity according to the analysis result; A vehicle control system comprising:

2. The control unit increases the cooling strength of the battery as the load on the battery increases. The vehicle control system of claim 1 .

3. The analysis unit determines that the burden on the battery is greater as the vehicle travel distance per predetermined period of time is longer, the vehicle speed per predetermined period of time is faster, or the accelerator opening degree per predetermined period of time is greater. The vehicle control system according to claim 2 .

4. When the analysis unit determines that the burden on the battery is large a predetermined number of times, the control unit increases the cooling intensity and also reduces an upper limit value of a current supplied to the battery during charging of the battery. The vehicle control system according to claim 2 .

5. cooling a battery installed in a vehicle of the user other than the vehicle with a cooling intensity according to the analysis result; The vehicle control system of claim 1 .

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