Vehicular travel range information provision apparatus and method

Abstract

To provide a vehicular travel range information provision apparatus and method capable of leading a driver to driving that is advantageous to fuel economy.SOLUTION: A vehicular travel range information provision apparatus includes a display device for displaying vehicular travel range information and a controller for controlling operation of the display device. The controller performs: determining low fuel economy related information and high fuel economy related information under a present vehicular travel condition; determining a low DTE (Distance to Empty) value and a high DTE value on the basis of the determined low fuel economy related information and high fuel economy related information, and present battery-allowing energy; determining a present DTE value being an actual temporal drive range; and controlling operation of the display device so as to display the determined low DTE value, high DTE value and the present DTE value. There is also provided an information provision method executed by the same apparatus.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for providing range information to a driver of an electric vehicle by displaying the range information on a display device such as a cluster. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, vehicles are provided with a function to predict the distance to empty (DTE) and inform the driver. For example, in an internal combustion engine vehicle, the driving range is predicted based on the fuel level in the fuel tank and is notified to the driver via a cluster or the like.

[0003] Similarly, in electric vehicles that run on battery power to power the motor, the driving range is estimated based on the current remaining battery energy (remaining capacity) and displayed on the cluster, etc.

[0004] In the case of electric vehicles, the number of charging stations is smaller and charging takes longer than for internal combustion engine vehicles, so drivers are very concerned about the driving range (DTE) of electric vehicles.

[0005] As such, in electric vehicles, drivers are more sensitive to the driving distance (DTE), so it is important for the vehicle to accurately calculate and notify the driver of the driving distance corresponding to the remaining battery energy in real time while driving.

[0006] In order to provide information on the cruising distance of a vehicle, it is known to estimate the cruising distance using the relationship between the remaining battery energy and the energy efficiency (electricity cost).For example, U.S. Patent No. 9,037,7327 (Patent Document 1) discloses a method of determining the cruising distance by multiplying the determined energy efficiency by the current remaining battery energy after determining the energy efficiency that is the electricity cost using information accumulated from the past.

[0007] Also, U.S. Patent No. 9,574,889 (Patent Document 2) discloses a method of determining a final cruising distance by applying a weighted factor to past cruising distances and current cruising distances on a given route, and then adjusting the determined cruising distance according to the occurrence of an event. The disclosed method determines and adjusts the cruising distance using information accumulated from the past and information on upcoming events.

[0008] In Patent Document 1, the cruising distance is determined by utilizing the past energy efficiency to eliminate the uncertainty of future driving prediction information, which is applicable under the assumption that the past energy consumption trend will be maintained in the future. However, if the future traffic conditions show different aspects from the information of the past driving time, a large error may occur in the energy efficiency based on the past information.

[0009] In the patent document 2, the range is updated every time an energy-draining event occurs, which may result in the impact of the event on the remaining driving route being over- or under-represented.

[0010] In addition, various methods are known for estimating and predicting driving range, and vehicle manufacturers predict driving range using their own methods and then provide the predicted driving range information to the driver via a cluster.

[0011] However, the accuracy of prediction of distance to end of life (DTE) is not high, and there are many complaints about the quality related to this. As a conventional technique to solve such complaints, a method is known in which a minimum (MIN) DTE and a maximum (MAX) DTE are provided through a cluster along with the current DTE.

[0012] However, in the case of such conventional technology, since it is not possible to predict how the driver will drive in the future, the minimum DTE and maximum DTE learned based on recent driving conditions tend to fluctuate significantly, which is problematic as it does not match the purpose of DTE, which predicts the future driving distance. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0013] Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and has an object to provide an apparatus and method for displaying low DTE and high DTE information, which are calculated independently of learning and are normally drivable according to driving conditions such as region and road, together with current real-time DTE (distance to travel) information.

[0014] Another object of the present invention is to provide a cruising range display device and method that can induce a driver to drive in a manner that is advantageous for fuel economy.

[0015] The objects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other objects not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains (hereinafter referred to as "a person skilled in the art") from the following description. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, a vehicle range information providing device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a display device that displays vehicle range information, and a controller that controls the operation of the display device, wherein the controller determines low fuel consumption related information and high fuel consumption related information based on current vehicle driving conditions, determines a low DTE (Distance To Empty) value and a high DTE value based on the determined low fuel consumption related information and high fuel consumption related information and current battery available energy, determines a current DTE value, which is a real-time range, and controls the operation of the display device to display the determined low DTE, high DTE value, and current DTE value.

[0017] In addition, a method for providing vehicle range information according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a step of determining, by a controller, low fuel consumption related information and high fuel consumption related information based on current vehicle driving conditions, determining, by the controller, a low DTE (Distance To Empty) value and a high DTE value based on the determined low fuel consumption related information and high fuel consumption related information and current battery available energy, thereby determining a current DTE value, which is a real-time range, and a step of controlling the operation of a display device to display the determined low DTE, high DTE value, and current DTE value by the controller. Effect of the Invention

[0018] Therefore, according to the device and method for providing range information according to the present invention, the low DTE and high DTE calculated independently of learning, as well as the current DTE reflecting the driver's driving tendency and the current vehicle driving state, are displayed and provided to the driver every moment in real time via a display device such as a cluster, thereby guiding the driver to drive efficiently in terms of electricity consumption so that the current DTE can move and converge toward the high DTE. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1a]FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example in which a low DTE value, a high DTE value, and a current DTE value are displayed as graphic images on a display device in the present invention. [Figure 1b] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example in which a low DTE value, a high DTE value, and a current DTE value are displayed as graphic images on a display device in the present invention. [Figure 1c] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example in which a low DTE value, a high DTE value, and a current DTE value are displayed as graphic images on a display device in the present invention. [Figure 2a] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example in which low DTE, high DTE, and current DTE are displayed on a vehicle's cluster in the present invention. [Figure 2b] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example in which low DTE, high DTE, and current DTE are displayed on a vehicle's cluster in the present invention. [Figure 2c] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example in which low DTE, high DTE, and current DTE are displayed on a vehicle's cluster in the present invention. [Diagram 3] 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a device for performing a process for providing information on a cruising range according to the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 illustrates a method for determining low and high DTE values ​​in the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The description of specific structures and functions presented in the embodiments of the present invention is merely for the purpose of explaining the embodiments according to the concept of the present invention, and the embodiments according to the concept of the present invention can be implemented in various forms. In addition, the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited by the embodiments described in this specification, and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention.

[0021] Meanwhile, in the present invention, terms such as "first" and / or "second" can be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. The terms are used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, the first component can be called the second component, and similarly the second component can be called the first component, without departing from the scope of the concept of the present invention.

[0022] When a component is said to be "coupled" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that it can be directly coupled or connected to the other component, but there can also be other components in between. On the other hand, when a component is said to be "directly coupled" or "in direct contact" with another component, it should be understood that there is no other component in between. Other expressions for describing the relationship between components, such as "between" and "immediately between" or "adjacent to" and "directly adjacent to", should be interpreted similarly.

[0023] The same reference numbers refer to the same components throughout the specification. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing the embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. In this specification, the singular includes the plural unless the phrase specifically states otherwise. As used in the specification, "comprises" and / or "comprising" does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components, steps, operations and / or elements to a referenced component, step, operation and / or element.

[0024] The present invention relates to an information providing device and method for displaying distance to run (hereinafter referred to as "DTE") information in an electric vehicle and providing it to a driver, and calculates driving power using low DTE vehicle speed and high DTE vehicle speed set according to vehicle driving conditions such as region and road, and constant speed fuel consumption information reflecting vehicle specification characteristics, and calculates and provides low DTE and high DTE information for normal driving according to driving conditions such as region and road, regardless of learning, using the calculated driving power.

[0025] The present invention provides low DTE and high DTE information, which changes depending on changes in battery available energy (residual battery energy), via a display device such as a vehicle cluster, and displays the current DTE, which reflects the driver's driving tendencies and current vehicle driving conditions, to the driver in real time at every moment via the cluster, thereby guiding the driver to drive efficiently in terms of electricity consumption by allowing the current real-time DTE (hereinafter referred to as the "current DTE") to move and converge toward the high DTE.

[0026] The low DTE and high DTE provided by the present invention are information that is independent of learning, and can be said to be values ​​that change according to changes in battery available energy regardless of the driving style of the driver, regardless of learning.

[0027] In the present invention, the current DTE value is displayed through a display device such as a cluster, and a low DTE value and a high DTE value calculated based on the battery's available energy are also displayed. Therefore, while the driver is driving the vehicle, the driver can check in real time the low DTE value and high DTE value displayed on the display device, as well as the current DTE value located between the low DTE value and the high DTE value, and drive the vehicle so that the current DTE value is closer to the high DTE value than the low DTE value.

[0028] Before describing in detail the definitions and calculation methods of low DTE, high DTE, and current DTE, a method for displaying range information such as low DTE, high DTE, and current DTE via a display device such as a cluster will be described below.

[0029] 1a, 1b and 1c show examples of low DTE, high DTE and current DTE displayed on a display device. As shown, the low DTE value, high DTE value and current DTE value can be displayed numerically on the display device.

[0030] Alternatively, the low and high DTE values ​​and the current DTE value may be displayed as relative positions on a graphic image displayed on the display device, where only one of the low and high DTE values ​​and the numbers indicating the current DTE value and the relative position on the graphic image may be displayed, or both may be displayed together.

[0031] In Figures 1a, 1b and 1c, the display states of low DTE, high DTE and current DTE are exemplary and the present invention is not limited thereto, and the manner in which low DTE, high DTE and current DTE are displayed in the present invention can be changed in various ways.

[0032] In this manner, when range information such as the low DTE value, high DTE value, and current DTE value is displayed on the display device, a number indicating the value is displayed along with a relative position that allows the current DTE value to be estimated in comparison with the low DTE value and high DTE value.

[0033] This allows the driver to easily compare the current DTE value with the low DTE value and the high DTE value, and to easily confirm what level the current DTE value is at compared to the low DTE value and the high DTE value.

[0034] In the present invention, the low DTE, high DTE, and current DTE can all be considered as variable real-time information determined based on current information, and the value displayed while the vehicle is running changes in real time.

[0035] However, the low DTE and high DTE are determined based on the current battery available energy, and the values ​​change in response to changes in the battery available energy regardless of how the driver drives and travels, regardless of learning.

[0036] Meanwhile, currently, DTE is learned information, and is a value that changes in real time reflecting the driver's driving tendency, vehicle driving conditions (uphill and downhill, etc.), and driving state (vehicle speed, etc.).

[0037] As a result, the low DTE value and high DTE value, which change in real time while the vehicle is running, as well as the current DTE value, are displayed in graphic images on the vehicle's cluster, etc., and a graphic image is displayed showing that the current DTE value approaches the low DTE value or the high DTE value depending on the real-time vehicle driving conditions and driving state between the low DTE value and high DTE value, which change depending on the current battery available energy.The driver can confirm this and adjust the vehicle's driving state so that the current DTE value approaches the high DTE value, thereby enabling efficient driving and operation in terms of electricity consumption.

[0038] Referring to FIG. 1a, a graph-shaped diagram shows low and high DTEs at the left and right positions, respectively, with their values ​​displayed as numbers.

[0039] Also, the DTE values ​​at the low DTE position and the high DTE position are displayed so that they can be compared as the height of a graph showing the size of the graphic image. As a result, the driver can check and compare the low DTE, high DTE, and current DTE values ​​by the displayed numbers, the relative display position of the current DTE value to the low DTE and high DTE values, and the height of the graph at each DTE value display position.

[0040] Alternatively, the low DTE, high DTE, and current DTE values ​​can be displayed in a comparable manner using the hues of a graphic image on a display device, where the driver can see to what extent the current DTE value corresponds between the low DTE value and the high DTE value using hues that can be distinguished and compared by the driver.

[0041] In the present invention, the current DTE is not always located in the center between the low DTE and high DTE, but moves in the space between the low DTE and high DTE, and the current value is indicated by its relative display position to the low DTE value and high DTE value.

[0042] If the driver drives efficiently in terms of electricity efficiency, the current DTE will move to high DTE, and conversely, if the driver drives in poor conditions in terms of electricity efficiency (fuel economy), the current DTE will move to low DTE. This allows the driver to be induced to drive efficiently in terms of electricity efficiency so that the current DTE can move to the high DTE side.

[0043] In Figure 1a, the current DTE value is displayed by moving to the left or right side of the drawing as the number changes. In this way, the current DTE value is updated at a predetermined cycle, and when the number changes, the display position of the current DTE value also moves between the low DTE value and the high DTE value. This is not only the case in Figures 1b and 1c, but also in the examples of Figures 2a, 2b, and 2c described below.

[0044] In Figure 1a, the minimum DTE (i.e., low DTE) value is displayed as "122 mi," the maximum DTE (i.e., high DTE) value is displayed as "180 mi," and the current DTE value is displayed as "158 mi." The minimum DTE value and maximum DTE value are values ​​that are periodically determined and updated while the vehicle is running, and the current DTE value is also a value that is updated in real time.

[0045] In Figure 1b, the minimum DTE (low DTE) value is displayed as "Low 240mi," the maximum DTE (high DTE) value is displayed as "High 360mi," and the current DTE value is displayed as "300mi." This current DTE value moves left and right on the diagram whenever the value changes while the vehicle is traveling.

[0046] Figure 1c is an example in which the display position of the current DTE value ("320mi") is configured to move up and down between the low DTE value ("Low 240mi") and the high DTE value ("High 360mi") each time the value changes.

[0047] 2a, 2b and 2c are diagrams illustrating an example of a low DTE, a high DTE and a current DTE displayed on a cluster of a vehicle. As illustrated, the low DTE value (in the case of FIG. 2a, "122Min"), the high DTE value (in the case of FIG. 2a, "180miMax") and the current DTE value may be displayed on the cluster along with the normal display information displayed on the cluster.

[0048] When the Low DTE, High DTE, and Current DTE values ​​are displayed in a cluster, information indicating the number, relative display position, and relative magnitude is displayed along with the regular cluster information.

[0049] The following describes how to determine the low and high DTEs.

[0050] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a device for performing a process for providing range information according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a method for determining a low DTE value and a high DTE value according to the present invention.

[0051] The process of Fig. 4 is executed by the controller 30 shown in Fig. 3, which calculates the low DTE, high DTE, and current DTE in real time. In addition, the information on the low DTE, high DTE, and current DTE determined by the controller 30 can be displayed on the display device 40 in the form exemplified in Figs. 1a, 1b, and 1c, or 2a, 2b, and 2c, and provided to the driver.

[0052] In the present invention, the control process for providing remaining distance information can be performed by a plurality of controllers that cooperatively control by exchanging necessary information with each other, or the control process for providing remaining distance information can be performed by a single integrated controller.

[0053] For example, the multiple controllers may include a higher-level controller such as a vehicle control unit (VCU), an HVAC controller (HVAC: Heating, Ventilation, & Air Conditioning), and a battery management system (BMS), and may further include a converter controller.

[0054] Here, the converter controller may be a controller of a converter that converts battery power and outputs it to electrical components of a vehicle, that is, a low voltage DC-DC converter (LDC) controller.

[0055] In the present invention, a single controller having an integrated function with a plurality of controllers may be generally referred to as a controller, and the control process of the present invention may be performed by the controller with this general name. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the term "controller" refers to the controller with the general name.

[0056] Explaining with reference to FIG. 3, the controller 30 includes a vehicle speed calculation unit 31, a drive power calculation unit 32, an air conditioning output calculation unit 33, a converter output calculation unit 34, a cruising range calculation unit 35, and a display control unit 36, and the controller 30 including such components can be said to be a single controller having the integrated functions.

[0057] Alternatively, when the control process according to the present invention is performed by multiple controllers already installed in the vehicle, the air conditioning output calculation unit 33 may be a separate controller, that is, an air conditioning controller, and the converter output calculation unit 34 may be a separate controller, that is, a converter controller. Alternatively, the display control unit 36 ​​may be a display controller, which is a separate controller connected to or included in the display device 40 to control the operation of the display device.

[0058] Here, the vehicle speed calculation unit 31, the driving power calculation unit 32, and the cruising range calculation unit 35 may also be components included in a separate controller, for example, a vehicle control unit (VCU).

[0059] In this case, the air conditioning controller, converter controller, and display device controller, including the vehicle speed calculation unit 31, driving power calculation unit 32, and cruising range calculation unit 35, can be commonly referred to as controllers, and the control process for providing cruising range information according to the present invention can be performed by these commonly referred to controllers.

[0060] In the present invention, the range calculation unit 35 of the controller 30 can determine the low DTE and the high DTE respectively using the current battery available energy.

[0061] More specifically, the range calculation unit 35 of the controller 30 can calculate the low DTE using the low fuel consumption related information and the current battery available energy. Also, the range calculation unit 35 of the controller 30 can calculate the high DTE using the high fuel consumption related information and the current battery available energy.

[0062] Here, the low fuel consumption related information includes a low DTE vehicle speed according to the current vehicle driving conditions, and a low DTE total output which is the total battery output at the low DTE vehicle speed.

[0063] The high fuel consumption related information also includes a high DTE vehicle speed according to the current vehicle driving conditions, and a high DTE total output which is the total battery output at the high DTE vehicle speed.

[0064] Therefore, the cruising range calculation unit 35 can calculate the low DTE using the low fuel consumption related information, that is, the low DTE vehicle speed, the low DTE total output, and the current battery available energy.

[0065] Furthermore, the cruising range calculation unit 35 can calculate the high DTE using the high fuel efficiency related information, that is, the high DTE vehicle speed, the high DTE total output, and the current battery available energy.

[0066] Here, the low DTE total output can be said to be the total battery output at a low DTE vehicle speed, and the high DTE total output can be said to be the total battery output at a high DTE vehicle speed.

[0067] In an embodiment of the present invention, the low DTE can be determined by dividing the low DTE vehicle speed by the total output of the low DTE multiplied by the current available energy of the battery, and the high DTE can be determined by dividing the high DTE vehicle speed by the total output of the high DTE multiplied by the current available energy of the battery.

[0068] This can be expressed as mathematical formula 1 and mathematical formula 2.

[0069]

number

[0070]

number

[0071] The low DTE vehicle speed and the high DTE vehicle speed can be determined by the vehicle speed calculation unit 31 of the controller 30 (step S12 in FIG. 4). The low DTE vehicle speed and the high DTE vehicle speed are values ​​according to the vehicle driving conditions, and may be values ​​preset in the vehicle speed calculation unit 31, which may be values ​​preset according to the area conditions and road conditions. That is, the vehicle speed calculation unit 31 can determine the corresponding low DTE vehicle speed and high DTE vehicle speed according to the area conditions and road conditions.

[0072] If the controller 30 that calculates the low DTE and high DTE according to Equation 1 and Equation 2 is a vehicle controller, the vehicle controller can receive real-time battery available energy information from the battery management system (BMS) 20 and use it to calculate the low DTE and high DTE.

[0073] In the present embodiment, the vehicle driving conditions include the area conditions and road conditions in which the vehicle is driven. Also, in the present invention, the low DTE vehicle speed means a vehicle speed that can provide a short driving range (low DTE) depending on the area conditions and road conditions, and the high DTE vehicle speed means a vehicle speed that can provide a long driving range (high DTE) depending on the area conditions and road conditions.

[0074] In an embodiment of the present invention, the low DTE vehicle speed and the high DTE vehicle speed are predetermined as values ​​according to area conditions and road conditions, and then the low DTE vehicle speed and the high DTE vehicle speed corresponding to the area conditions and road conditions are input, set, and stored in advance in the vehicle speed calculation unit 31 of the controller 30.

[0075] Therefore, the vehicle speed calculation unit 31 of the controller 30 can determine the low DTE vehicle speed and the high DTE vehicle speed corresponding to the area and road on which the vehicle is currently traveling from the setting information in which the low DTE vehicle speed and the high DTE vehicle speed are set according to the area conditions and road conditions.

[0076] Here, information on the area and road in which the vehicle is currently traveling can be obtained by the vehicle speed calculation unit 31 of the controller 30 from the navigation information output from the navigation device 10 (Step S11 in FIG. 4).

[0077] That is, the controller 30 can obtain information on regional and road conditions for determining the low DTE vehicle speed and the high DTE vehicle speed from the current vehicle position information and driving road information among the navigation information input from the navigation device 10.

[0078] Table 1 below shows an example of setting the low DTE vehicle speed and the high DTE vehicle speed. The values ​​are illustrative and the present invention is not limited thereto. The values ​​of the low DTE vehicle speed and the high DTE vehicle speed can be changed in various ways according to the regional and road conditions.

[0079] [Table 1]

[0080] As shown in Table 1, the average vehicle speed on expressways is higher than on urban roads, and in North America it is higher than in Korea and Europe. Generally, the higher the average vehicle speed, the longer the cruising distance. Therefore, the lower and higher DTE vehicle speeds can be set as the average vehicle speed increases due to regional and road conditions.

[0081] Also, referring to Table 1, it can be seen that the low DTE vehicle speed is a vehicle speed at which a short cruising distance (low DTE) can be obtained, and is therefore set to a higher vehicle speed than the high DTE vehicle speed at which a long cruising distance (high DTE) can be obtained. When high-speed driving is performed, the cruising distance becomes shorter than when driving at low speed, and therefore the low DTE vehicle speed at which a short cruising distance can be obtained is set to a vehicle speed value higher than the high DTE vehicle speed at which a long cruising distance can be obtained.

[0082] In an embodiment of the present invention, the low DTE total output and the high DTE total output refer to the total battery output, and may be determined by the range calculation unit 35 of the controller 30 as the sum of the drive output and the air conditioning output, respectively, or may be determined as the sum of the drive output, the air conditioning output, and the converter output.

[0083] Here, the driving power means the battery power used by the motor to drive the vehicle. This is determined as a value corresponding to the high DTE vehicle speed or the low DTE vehicle speed, which is an appropriate vehicle speed according to the area conditions and road conditions, by the driving power calculation unit 32 of the controller 30 (step S13 of FIG. 4), and then input to the range calculation unit 35.

[0084] In addition, the air conditioning output is determined by an air conditioning output calculation unit 33 and input to a cruising range calculation unit 35, and the converter output is determined by a converter output calculation unit 34 and input to a cruising range calculation unit 35.

[0085] The air conditioning output means a battery output used for air conditioning, and the converter output means a battery output for electrical components. The converter output may be an output of an LDC that converts battery power and outputs it to the electrical components of the vehicle.

[0086] In the embodiment of the present invention, the air conditioning output and the LDC output are not divided into low DTE and high DTE, but the driving output is divided into low DTE and high DTE. That is, the driving output includes low DTE driving output and high DTE driving output, and the low DTE driving output is used to calculate the low DTE total output in the range calculation unit 35, and the high DTE driving output is used to calculate the high DTE total output in the range calculation unit 35 (step S14 of FIG. 4).

[0087] The driving power calculation unit 32 of the controller 30 can determine the low DTE driving power and the high DTE driving power by a mathematical formula using the low DTE vehicle speed and the high DTE vehicle speed input from the vehicle speed calculation unit 31 as input variables. This mathematical formula is a "vehicle speed-driving power" relational formula that defines the correlation between the vehicle speed and the driving power, and can be a cubic formula.

[0088] The following mathematical formula 3 shows a cubic equation for calculating the driving power from the low DTE vehicle speed and the high DTE vehicle speed, that is, the low DTE driving power and the high DTE driving power.

[0089]

number

[0090] The mathematical formula 3 is a cubic equation that shows a constant speed fuel consumption curve. In the vehicle development stage, a constant speed fuel consumption test and evaluation are first performed on the vehicle model to determine the cubic equation of "vehicle speed - driving power". The coefficient of the cubic equation, a 1 , a 2 , a 3 The value of can be calculated.

[0091] In formula 3, coefficient a is the setting information for the formula of the constant speed fuel consumption curve. 1 , a 2 , a 3 is a vehicle-specific value that indicates the characteristics of the vehicle specifications, and can be obtained through constant-speed fuel consumption testing and evaluation processes for the vehicle model.

[0092] In the present invention, the coefficients of the constant speed fuel economy curve are input and stored in advance in the driving power calculation unit 32 of the controller 30, and are used to calculate the driving power according to the mathematical formula of the constant speed fuel economy curve from the appropriate vehicle speed corresponding to the current local conditions and road conditions.

[0093] That is, the coefficients can be used to calculate the low DTE driving power and the high DTE driving power from the low DTE vehicle speed and the high DTE vehicle speed, respectively, according to the mathematical formula of the constant speed fuel consumption curve.

[0094] The following mathematical formulas 4 and 5 show cubic equations of a constant speed fuel consumption curve for calculating the low DTE driving power and the high DTE driving power from the low DTE vehicle speed and the high DTE vehicle speed.

[0095]

number

[0096]

number

[0097] Meanwhile, as described above, the low DTE total output and the high DTE total output, which mean the total battery output, can be determined by the range calculation unit 35 of the controller 30 as the sum of the driving output input from the driving output calculation unit 32 and the air conditioning output input from the air conditioning output calculation unit 33. The calculation of the air conditioning output in the air conditioning output calculation unit 33 can be performed by a known process of calculating the air conditioning output using an air conditioning thermal model.

[0098] As a result, the range calculation unit 35 of the controller 30 can determine the low DTE total output based on the sum of the low DTE driving output and the air conditioning output, and can determine the high DTE total output based on the sum of the high DTE driving output and the air conditioning output (step S14 in Figure 4).

[0099] Alternatively, the total output may be determined by further using the converter output, which means the battery output for the vehicle electrical components. Here, the converter output input from the converter output calculation unit 34 may be the LDC output, as described above.

[0100] Therefore, the range calculation unit 35 of the controller 30 can determine the low DTE total output to be the sum of the low DTE driving output, the air conditioning output, and the LDC output, and the high DTE total output to be the sum of the high DTE driving output, the air conditioning output, and the LDC output (step S14 in Figure 4).

[0101] In the embodiment of the present invention, a learning value can be used as the LDC output, and a new LDC output value is stored in the converter output calculation unit 34 of the controller 30 every predetermined 1 km of driving in order to learn the driver's tendency.

[0102] That is, the converter output calculation unit 34 of the controller 30 has n buffers, and the LDC output value is stored in one of the n (e.g., 25) buffers every 1 km of travel. Here, one of the values ​​stored in the n buffers is updated as a new LDC output value every 1 km of travel.

[0103] In addition, the LDC output values ​​of the most recently stored m (e.g., 10) buffers among the n values ​​stored in the n buffers can be averaged, and the average value can be used as the final LDC output value.

[0104] Table 2 below shows an example in which the LDC output values ​​are calculated.

[0105] [Table 2]

[0106] In the example of Table 2, one LDC output value is stored for each of the 25 buffers, which is updated every time a predetermined distance (e.g., 1 km) is driven. The LDC output values ​​of the 10 most recently stored buffers out of the 25 sequentially stored LDC output values ​​are averaged, and the average value is used as the final LDC output value.

[0107] In the example of Table 2, the final LDC output value is determined to be 0.70 kW, which is the average value of the LDC output values ​​stored in the 16th to 25th buffers.

[0108] In this way, the LDC output can be learned, but since the LDC output is a relatively small value compared to the drive output and the air conditioning output, and the fluctuation range of the LDC output is also small, it is also possible to use a fixed value without learning as the LDC output value, i.e., an LDC output value that is a predetermined value that is preset for the vehicle.

[0109] Finally, once the low DTE total output and the high DTE total output are obtained in the range calculation unit 35 of the controller 30 through the above-mentioned process, the low DTE value and the high DTE value can be obtained using these total outputs, the low DTE vehicle speed and the high DTE vehicle speed input from the vehicle speed calculation unit 31, and the battery available energy input from the battery controller 20, as shown in Equation 1 and Equation 2 (step S15 of FIG. 4).

[0110] Table 3 below shows examples of low and high DTEs required for a given vehicle based on regional and road conditions.

[0111] [Table 3]

[0112] In this manner, once the low DTE value and high DTE value are determined, the display control unit 36 ​​of the controller 30 can control the operation of the display device 40 to display the low DTE value, high DTE value, and current DTE value on the display device 40 in a predetermined manner (step S16 of FIG. 4).

[0113] Here, the operation of the display device 40 can be controlled to display the low DTE value, the high DTE value and the current DTE value as shown in Figure 1a, 1b or 1c, or Figure 2a, 2b or 2c.

[0114] The current DTE is calculated based on the driver's driving tendency and the current vehicle driving state, and can be calculated by a known method.

[0115] There are various known methods for calculating the current DTE in real time using real-time driving state information such as the driver's driving tendency related to acceleration and deceleration while the vehicle is traveling, the road condition such as uphill or downhill, and the current vehicle speed, and one of the known methods can be adopted and used.

[0116] Since various methods for calculating the current DTE (current driving range) in real time are known to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains, detailed description of the method for calculating the current DTE will be omitted in this specification.

[0117] The display control unit 36 ​​of the controller 30 controls the operation of the display device 40 to display the current DTE value determined in this manner together with the low DTE value and the high DTE value. At this time, the current DTE value can be displayed as described with reference to Figures 1a to 1c and 2a to 2c and provided to the driver.

[0118] In this way, according to the vehicle range display device and display method of the present invention, the current DTE, which reflects the driver's driving tendency and the current vehicle driving state, as well as the low DTE and high DTE, can be displayed to the driver every moment in real time via a display device such as a cluster, thereby guiding the driver to drive efficiently in terms of electricity consumption by moving and converging the current DTE toward the high DTE.

[0119] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and many variations and improvements made by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present invention defined in the following claims are also included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0120] 10 Navigation devices 20 Battery Controller 30 Controller 31 Vehicle speed calculation section 32 Drive output calculation unit 33 Air conditioning output calculation section 34 Converter output calculation section 35 Range calculation unit 36 Display control section 40 Display device

Claims

1. a display device that displays information about a vehicle's available driving range; A controller for controlling the operation of the display device; The controller includes: determining low fuel consumption related information and high fuel consumption related information according to the current vehicle driving conditions; determining a low distance to empty (DTE) value and a high distance to empty (HTE) value based on the determined low fuel consumption related information and high fuel consumption related information and a current battery available energy; determining a current DTE value, which is a real-time range; A vehicle range information providing device that controls operation of a display device to display the determined low DTE, high DTE values, and the current DTE value.

2. The controller includes: determining a low DTE vehicle speed and a high DTE vehicle speed corresponding to the current vehicle driving conditions from setting information in which a low DTE vehicle speed and a high DTE vehicle speed are set according to vehicle driving conditions as the low fuel consumption related information and the high fuel consumption related information; The vehicle range information providing device of claim 1, further comprising: determining an overall battery output at the low DTE vehicle speed and an overall battery output at the high DTE vehicle speed using the determined low DTE vehicle speed, high DTE vehicle speed information, and constant speed fuel consumption information of the vehicle.

3. The device for providing information on available driving distance for a vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the current vehicle driving conditions include regional conditions and road conditions in which the vehicle is traveling.

4. The controller is preset with high DTE vehicle speeds and low DTE vehicle speeds corresponding to regional and road conditions, The vehicle range information providing device according to claim 3 , wherein the road conditions include expressways and city roads.

5. The device for providing information on available driving range for a vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the low DTE vehicle speed and the high DTE vehicle speed are set in the controller as values ​​taking into consideration average vehicle speeds according to regional and road conditions.

6. The controller includes: determining a drive output required for driving the vehicle using the low DTE vehicle speed information and the high DTE vehicle speed information and the constant speed fuel consumption information of the vehicle; The vehicle range information providing device of claim 2 , further comprising: determining an overall battery output at the low DTE vehicle speed including the determined drive power; and determining an overall battery output at the high DTE vehicle speed including the determined drive power.

7. The drive output is a low DTE drive output determined to a value corresponding to the low DTE vehicle speed; 7. The vehicle range information providing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising: a high DTE drive output determined to a value corresponding to the high DTE vehicle speed.

8. The total battery output is a low DTE total battery power output at the low DTE vehicle speed, the low DTE total power output being determined by adding together the low DTE drive power output and a current air conditioning power output used for vehicle air conditioning; The vehicle range information providing device of claim 7, further comprising: a high DTE total battery output at the high DTE vehicle speed, the high DTE total output being determined as a sum of the high DTE drive output and the current air conditioning output.

9. The low DTE total output is determined as a value obtained by further adding up the low DTE driving output, the current air conditioning output, and a converter output, which is a battery output output to an electrical component of the vehicle through a converter; The device for providing range information for a vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the high DTE total output is determined as a value obtained by further adding up the converter output together with the high DTE drive output and the current air conditioning output.

10. The low DTE value is determined by dividing the low DTE vehicle speed by the low DTE total power output, multiplied by the battery available energy; The device for providing range information of a vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the high DTE value is determined by dividing the high DTE vehicle speed by the high DTE total power output and multiplying the result by battery available energy.

11. The low DTE value is determined by dividing the low DTE vehicle speed by the total battery output at the low DTE vehicle speed multiplied by the battery available energy; The device for providing range information of a vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the high DTE value is determined by dividing the high DTE vehicle speed by a total battery output at the high DTE vehicle speed and multiplying the result by a battery available energy.

12. 2. The device for providing range information for a vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the controller and the display device are configured to display the low DTE value, the high DTE value, and the current DTE value in a manner that makes them comparable to each other by using one or more selected from the group consisting of numbers, a display position on a graphic image, a size of the graphic image, and a color of the graphic image.

13. The device for providing range information for a vehicle as described in claim 12, wherein the controller and the display device are configured to change the display position or hue of the current DTE value on the graphic image between the display position or hue of a low DTE value and the display position or hue of a high DTE value as the current DTE value is updated and changed, so that the changed display position or hue indicates the current DTE value as a relative value to the low DTE value and the high DTE value.

14. determining, by a controller, low fuel consumption related information and high fuel consumption related information according to a current vehicle driving condition; determining a low DTE (Distance To Empty) value and a high DTE value based on the determined low fuel consumption related information and high fuel consumption related information and a current battery available energy by the controller, thereby determining a current DTE value, which is a real-time cruising distance; and controlling, by the controller, the operation of a display device to display the determined low DTE, high DTE values, and the current DTE value.

15. The step of determining the low fuel consumption related information and the high fuel consumption related information includes: determining a low DTE vehicle speed and a high DTE vehicle speed corresponding to the current vehicle driving conditions from setting information in which the low DTE vehicle speed and the high DTE vehicle speed are set according to the vehicle driving conditions; and determining an overall battery output at the low DTE vehicle speed and an overall battery output at the high DTE vehicle speed using the determined low DTE vehicle speed and high DTE vehicle speed information and constant speed fuel consumption information of the vehicle.

16. determining a high DTE vehicle speed and a low DTE vehicle speed, The method for providing information on available cruising distance for a vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the current vehicle driving conditions include local conditions and road conditions in which the vehicle is traveling.

17. The controller is preset with high DTE vehicle speeds and low DTE vehicle speeds corresponding to regional and road conditions, The method for providing vehicle range information according to claim 16, wherein the road conditions include expressways and city roads.

18. The method for providing information on remaining cruising distance of a vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the low DTE vehicle speed and the high DTE vehicle speed are set in the controller as values ​​taking into consideration average vehicle speeds according to regional and road conditions.

19. The step of determining a total battery output comprises: determining a drive power required to drive the vehicle using the low DTE vehicle speed information and the high DTE vehicle speed information and constant speed fuel consumption information of the vehicle; and determining an overall battery power output at the low DTE vehicle speed including the determined drive power output, and an overall battery power output at the high DTE vehicle speed including the determined drive power output.

20. In the step of determining the driving output, the driving output is a low DTE drive output determined to a value corresponding to the low DTE vehicle speed; and a high DTE drive power determined to a value corresponding to the high DTE vehicle speed.

21. The step of determining a total battery output comprises: determining a current air conditioning output used for the vehicle air conditioning; The total battery output is a low DTE total battery output at the low DTE vehicle speed, the low DTE total output being determined by adding together the low DTE drive output and the current air conditioning output; The method of claim 20, further comprising: a high DTE total battery output at the high DTE vehicle speed, the high DTE total output being determined as a sum of the high DTE drive output and the current air conditioning output.

22. The step of determining a total battery output comprises: determining a converter output, the converter output being a battery output output to an electrical component of the vehicle through the converter; The total battery output is a low DTE total output determined by adding up the low DTE drive output, the air conditioning output, and the converter output; and a high DTE total output determined as a sum of the high DTE drive output, the air conditioning output, and the converter output.

23. 23. The method for providing range information of a vehicle according to claim 22, wherein an average value of m most recently stored converter output values ​​among n converter output values ​​stored sequentially each time the vehicle travels a predetermined distance is used as the converter output.

24. determining the low DTE value and the high DTE value, The low DTE value is determined by dividing the low DTE vehicle speed by the low DTE total power output, multiplied by the battery available energy; 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the high DTE value is determined by dividing the high DTE vehicle speed by the high DTE total power output multiplied by battery available energy.

25. determining the low DTE value and the high DTE value, The low DTE value is determined by dividing the low DTE vehicle speed by the total battery output at the low DTE vehicle speed multiplied by the battery available energy; The method of claim 15, wherein the high DTE value is determined by dividing the high DTE vehicle speed by a total battery output at the high DTE vehicle speed, multiplied by battery available energy.

26. In the step of controlling an operation of the display device, 15. The method for providing range information of a vehicle of claim 14, wherein the low DTE value, the high DTE value, and the current DTE value are displayed on the display device so as to be comparable to each other by one or more selected from the group consisting of numbers, a display position on a graphic image, a size of the graphic image, and a color of the graphic image.

27. As the current DTE value is updated and changed, a display position or a hue of the current DTE value on the graphic image on the display device is changed between a display position or a hue of a low DTE value and a display position or a hue of a high DTE value.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the changed display position or color indicates a current DTE value relative to the low DTE value and the high DTE value.

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