Vehicle control system, vehicle control method, and vehicle control program

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control system, a vehicle control method, and a vehicle control program that are capable of comprehensively controlling battery energy according to an objective.SOLUTION: A vehicle control system controls operation of a vehicle C equipped with a battery BT that supplies power to a drive device DD, a heating and cooling device AD, and a temperature-conditioning device TD. The vehicle control system includes: a physical quantity calculation unit 61 that calculates, as physical quantities, information on traveling energy output by the drive device and information on thermal energy controlled by the heating and cooling device and the temperature-conditioning device; a required power calculation unit 62 that calculates, as required supply power, information on the electrical energy output by the battery to obtain the physical quantities; a limited power calculation unit 63 that calculates limited power from the battery to the drive device, the heating and cooling device, and the temperature-conditioning device with the required supply power being limited; and a device control unit 64 that transmits a control signal to the drive device, the heating and cooling device, and the temperature-conditioning device to operate the drive device, the heating and cooling device, and the temperature-conditioning device, where the control signal serves for causing the drive device, the heating and cooling device, and the temperature-conditioning device to operate with drive power equal to or below the limited power so as to achieve an objective.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control system, a vehicle control method, and a vehicle control program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a battery temperature regulation system has been known that includes a battery temperature sensor that detects the temperature of a battery mounted on a vehicle and that uses the battery temperature sensor to detect the temperature of the battery while the vehicle is running (see, for example, Patent Document 1). When charging the battery, this battery temperature regulation system regulates the temperature of the battery so that the battery temperature at the start of charging becomes a pre-charge target temperature that is lower than the target temperature that is optimal for charging and discharging the battery.

[0003] By adjusting the battery temperature in this way, the battery temperature regulation system prevents the battery temperature from exceeding the target temperature during charging, which would result in the charging current being suppressed and the charging time being extended. Also, by adjusting the battery temperature in this way, the battery temperature regulation system prevents the battery temperature from exceeding the target temperature after charging is complete, which would result in the battery discharging being restricted and the vehicle being unable to run. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-048737 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When a vehicle runs on battery power, the faster the vehicle speed, the greater the air resistance the vehicle experiences. Therefore, the faster the vehicle speed, the more battery power is consumed during travel. Therefore, if battery power consumption is planned without taking vehicle speed into consideration, the battery power may be consumed more than planned, resulting in a risk of insufficient battery power to reach the destination.

[0006] Furthermore, if the battery power is consumed more than planned, even if the vehicle travels a predetermined distance, the number of times the battery needs to be charged may increase, or the amount of power required to charge the battery may increase, lengthening the battery charging time, which may result in a longer elapsed time until the vehicle reaches the destination.

[0007] Furthermore, the higher the vehicle speed, the greater the battery's output power per unit time. The greater the battery's output power per unit time, the greater the amount of heat generated by the battery's internal resistance when outputting power. Therefore, even when a vehicle travels a fixed distance, the higher the vehicle speed, the greater the battery temperature. Therefore, if the amount of heat generated by the battery is estimated without taking the vehicle speed into consideration, the battery temperature may rise above the optimum temperature for discharge, resulting in a risk of limiting the battery's output. Furthermore, if the battery's output is limited, the vehicle's speed when traveling based on the battery's power is limited. Therefore, the increase in the amount of heat generated by the battery contributes to a longer elapsed time until the vehicle arrives at its destination.

[0008] Furthermore, when charging a hot battery, the amount of power available for charging the battery may be limited to prevent the battery from overheating due to the heat generated during charging. Therefore, the faster the vehicle travels, the longer it may take to charge the battery after traveling. This also contributes to the increased time it takes for the vehicle to reach its destination.

[0009] Furthermore, in addition to the drive system that runs the vehicle, the battery power may also be used for a heating / cooling system that adjusts the temperature inside the vehicle, a temperature control system that adjusts the temperature of the battery, etc. Therefore, the power consumption, temperature, and charging time of the battery change depending on the power required to operate these devices.

[0010] For these reasons, when planning the battery power consumption to achieve a set objective, it is desirable to make an integrated plan taking into consideration changes in the battery power consumption and heat generation according to the vehicle speed, the power supply to devices other than the drive unit, etc. It is also desirable to comprehensively control the energy inside the vehicle based on the battery power consumption planned to approach the achievement of the set objective.

[0011] However, such an integrated plan cannot be achieved simply by adjusting the battery temperature while detecting the battery temperature as described in Patent Document 1. Furthermore, unless the energy inside the vehicle is controlled in an integrated manner, it may be difficult to achieve the set objective.

[0012] For example, if the energy consumed within the vehicle is not controlled in an integrated manner, the battery power consumption may increase more than planned, which may result in the vehicle not being able to arrive at the destination or not arriving on time for the desired arrival time. Furthermore, if the energy within the vehicle is not controlled in an integrated manner, the power supplied to the heating / cooling device or the temperature control device may be insufficient, which may result in the temperature within the vehicle cabin or the battery not being able to be adjusted to the desired temperature. In other words, if the energy within the vehicle is not controlled in an integrated manner, it will be difficult to achieve the set goal.

[0013] In view of the above, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle control system, a vehicle control method, and a vehicle control program that are capable of comprehensively controlling energy within a vehicle according to a purpose. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, A vehicle control system controls the operation of a vehicle (C) equipped with a battery (BT) that supplies power to a drive unit (DD) that outputs driving force for running, a heating and cooling unit (AD) that adjusts the temperature inside the vehicle, and a temperature control unit (TD) that adjusts the temperature of the heat generating source. a physical quantity calculation unit (13, 61) that calculates, as physical quantities, information on traveling energy output by the drive device estimated to be necessary to achieve a set purpose and information on thermal energy controlled by at least one of a heating / cooling device and a temperature control device; a required power calculation unit (31, 62) that calculates information on the electric energy output from the battery to obtain the physical quantity calculated by the physical quantity calculation unit as required supply power to each of the drive device, the heating and cooling device, and the temperature control device, which must operate to achieve a purpose; a limit power calculation unit (31, 63) that calculates a limit power, which is power supply per unit time from the battery to the drive device, the heating and cooling device, and the temperature control device, with the required supply power calculated by the required power calculation unit being limited; and a device control unit (32, 33, 34, 64) that transmits control signals to the drive device, the air conditioning device, and the temperature control device to operate them with drive power equal to or less than the limit power calculated by the limit power calculation unit, thereby bringing them closer to achieving their objectives.

[0015] Also, from another point of view, A vehicle control method for controlling the operation of a vehicle (C) equipped with a battery (BT) that supplies power to a drive unit (DD) that outputs driving force for traveling, a heating and cooling unit (AD) that adjusts the temperature in the vehicle interior, and a temperature control unit (TD) that adjusts the temperature of a heat generating source includes the following processes or procedures.

[0016] Calculating, as physical quantities, information on the driving energy output by the drive device estimated to be necessary to achieve the set objective and information on the thermal energy controlled by at least one of the heating / cooling device and the temperature adjustment device; information on the electrical energy output from the battery to obtain the calculated physical quantity is calculated as the required supply power to be supplied to each of the drive device, the heating and cooling device, and the temperature control device, which must operate to achieve the purpose; Calculating a limit power, which is the power supply per unit time from the battery that has limited the calculated required supply power to the drive unit, the heating and cooling unit, and the temperature control unit; Control signals are transmitted to the drive devices, the air conditioner and heater, and the temperature controller to operate them with drive power equal to or less than the calculated limit power and bring them closer to achieving the objectives.

[0017] Furthermore, from another perspective, The vehicle control program controls the operation of a vehicle (C) equipped with a battery (BT) that supplies power to a drive unit (DD) that outputs driving force for running, a heating and cooling unit (AD) that adjusts the temperature inside the vehicle, and a temperature control unit (TD) that adjusts the temperature of the heat source. a physical quantity calculation process (S10) for calculating, as physical quantities, information on the traveling energy output by the drive device estimated to be necessary to achieve the set objective and information on the thermal energy controlled by at least one of the heating / cooling device and the temperature adjustment device; a required power calculation process (S20) for calculating information on the electric energy output from the battery to obtain the physical quantity calculated by the physical quantity calculation process as required supply power to each of the drive device, the heating and cooling device, and the temperature control device, which must operate to achieve the purpose; a power limit calculation process (S30, S40) for calculating a power limit, which is the power supply per unit time from the battery to the drive unit, the heating and cooling unit, and the temperature control unit, with the required power supply calculated by the required power calculation process being limited; and a device control process (S50, S60) for transmitting control signals to the drive device, the heating and cooling device, and the temperature control device to operate them with drive power equal to or less than the limit power calculated by the limit power calculation process, thereby bringing them closer to achieving the objective.

[0018] According to these, it is possible to calculate the power to be supplied from the battery to the drive system, the heating / cooling system, and the temperature control system based on the estimated running energy and thermal energy required to achieve a set objective. This allows for integrated control of the energy inside the vehicle according to the objective. Therefore, when a objective is set, the vehicle control system, the vehicle control method, and the vehicle control program can easily achieve the objective using the battery power.

[0019] The reference symbols in parentheses attached to each component indicate an example of the correspondence between the component and the specific components described in the embodiments described below. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle control system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of an external terminal according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a cloud server according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a communication device and a control unit according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the architecture of a vehicle control program according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing a control process executed by the vehicle control system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart showing an optimal energy planning process executed by the vehicle control system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a sequence of required power supply obtained by the optimal energy planning process. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a sequence after the required supply power is adjusted by the energy optimum planning process. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing a control process executed by a vehicle control system according to another embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing an optimal energy planning process executed by a vehicle control system according to another embodiment. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart showing an optimal energy planning process executed by a vehicle control system according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which a vehicle control system 1 of the present disclosure is applied to control the operation of a vehicle C shown in FIG. 1 equipped with a battery BT. The battery BT is, for example, a lithium-ion battery. Note that the battery BT is not limited to a lithium-ion battery, and an all-solid-state battery or the like may also be used. The vehicle control system 1 controls the operation of various devices equipped on the vehicle C that operate using power charged in the battery BT.

[0022] 1, the vehicle control system 1 includes a cloud server 10, and a communication device 20 and a control unit 30 provided in a vehicle C. The cloud server 10 and the communication device 20 are configured to be connectable to each other via a network N. The cloud server 10 and the communication device 20 are also configured to be connectable to an external terminal 40, which is an external device provided outside the vehicle control system 1, via the network N.

[0023] The network N is configured, for example, as a wide area network constructed by a wireless base station (not shown) and the Internet, and is capable of providing wireless communication conforming to 4G / LTE (Long Term Evolution). The cloud server 10, the communication device 20, and the external terminal 40 are configured to be able to access the network N via wireless communication. Note that the network N may also be configured to provide wireless communication conforming to the 3G standard, the 5G standard, the 6G standard, etc.

[0024] The external terminal 40 is a communication device that communicates with the cloud server 10 and the communication device 20 via the network N, and is a device for a user to input desired information when driving the vehicle C. The external terminal 40 may be, for example, a mobile communication terminal such as a smartphone or tablet terminal carried by the user. The external terminal 40 may also be a wireless communication device mounted on the vehicle C. As shown in FIG. 2, the external terminal 40 is configured as a computer having a terminal communication unit 41, a terminal storage unit 42, a terminal calculation unit 43, a terminal input unit 44, a terminal display unit 45, etc.

[0025] The terminal communication unit 41 is a network interface for connecting to the network N and communicating with other devices via the network N. The terminal storage unit 42 is a memory for storing programs executed by the terminal calculation unit 43, information input to the terminal input unit 44, information obtained from other devices via the network N, and information to be transmitted to other devices. The terminal storage unit 42 has a volatile storage medium and a non-volatile storage medium, and stores programs executed by the server calculation unit 13 in the non-volatile storage medium.

[0026] The terminal computing unit 43 executes a program stored in a nonvolatile storage medium to perform processing corresponding to the program. During execution, the terminal computing unit 43 writes data to the volatile storage medium or the nonvolatile storage medium as necessary, reads data from the volatile storage medium or the nonvolatile storage medium, and communicates with other devices using the terminal communication unit 41.

[0027] The terminal input unit 44 is an operation unit that receives signals in response to user operations, and sets the operation objective of the vehicle control system 1 by the user inputting information about the objective when driving the vehicle C. Objectives that can be set by inputting to the terminal input unit 44 include, for example, the user's desired destination, the desired arrival time when arriving at the destination, the desired vehicle speed when driving, the desired temperature inside the vehicle, and the user's desired comfort. In addition, objectives that can be set by inputting to the terminal input unit 44 may include information about the desired energy consumption of the battery BT when driving. The terminal input unit 44 is configured to allow input of priority information indicating the priority of the objective for the objective to be set.

[0028] The terminal display unit 45 is a display device that displays information to the user. The terminal display unit 45 is configured to be able to display information of interest when driving the vehicle C that has been input to the terminal input unit 44. The terminal display unit 45 is also configured to be able to display information acquired from other devices via the network N.

[0029] The cloud server 10 is a communication device that communicates with the communication device 20 and the external terminal 40 via the network N, and is a device that calculates various information necessary to achieve a purpose set by a user for the vehicle C. As shown in FIG. 3, the cloud server 10 is configured with a computer having a server communication unit 11, a server storage unit 12, a server calculation unit 13, etc.

[0030] The server communication unit 11 is a network interface for connecting to the network N and communicating with other devices via the network N. The server communication unit 11 receives, from the external terminal 40, information on the objectives set by input to the terminal input unit 44 and information on the priority of the objectives.

[0031] The server storage unit 12 is a memory that stores programs executed by the server calculation unit 13, information acquired from other devices via the network N, and information transmitted to other devices. The server storage unit 12 has a volatile storage medium and a nonvolatile storage medium, and the nonvolatile storage medium stores the programs executed by the server calculation unit 13 and information necessary for estimating the power consumption of various devices mounted on the vehicle C when they operate using power supplied from the battery BT. For example, the server storage unit 12 stores, as information necessary for estimating the power consumption, map information used to calculate a driving route to a destination, installation location information of charging equipment that charges the battery BT, and the like. The server storage unit 12 also stores information such as the power consumption of the battery BT consumed by the operation of various devices mounted on the vehicle C that operate using power charged in the battery BT.

[0032] The server computing unit 13 executes a program stored in a nonvolatile storage medium to perform processing corresponding to the program. During execution, the server computing unit 13 writes data to the volatile storage medium or the nonvolatile storage medium as necessary, reads data from the volatile storage medium or the nonvolatile storage medium, and communicates with other devices using the server communication unit 11.

[0033] Specifically, when a destination to which the vehicle C is to travel is set by the user as the operation purpose of the vehicle control system 1, the server calculation unit 13 executes a program stored in the server storage unit 12. Then, the server calculation unit 13 calculates information required to arrive at the destination.

[0034] The server calculation unit 13 calculates, as information necessary to arrive at the destination, for example, a travel route that is a route from the current location of the vehicle C to the set destination. The server calculation unit 13 also calculates information regarding the energy consumption of the battery BT that is estimated to be required to travel the travel route.

[0035] The server calculation unit 13 calculates the distance from the current location to the set destination and the time required to arrive at the destination as information related to the energy consumption of the battery BT. Furthermore, when a desired arrival time is set by the user, the server calculation unit 13 calculates the driving route, vehicle speed, etc. required to arrive by the desired arrival time.

[0036] Furthermore, the cloud server 10 acquires information about the weather along the travel route from an external device (not shown) connected to the network N. Specifically, the cloud server 10 acquires information indicating the outside air temperature, outside air humidity, amount of solar radiation, weather, and the like along the travel route from the external device (not shown). Then, when a desired interior temperature is set by the user, the server calculation unit 13 calculates a target temperature of the conditioned air blown out by the cooling and heating device AD (described later) that is necessary to achieve the desired interior temperature.

[0037] Vehicle C is an electric vehicle that includes a communication device 20, a control unit 30, a battery BT, and the like, and obtains driving force for traveling using electric power supplied from the battery BT. Vehicle C may also be capable of autonomous driving, which allows the vehicle to travel without any operation by the driver, based on various information set by the user. As shown in FIG. 4, vehicle C of this embodiment includes a drive unit DD that outputs driving force for traveling vehicle C, a heating and cooling unit AD that adjusts the temperature in the passenger compartment, and a temperature control unit TD that adjusts the temperature of a heat generation source. Vehicle C also includes a position detection unit 50 that detects the current location of vehicle C. The heat generation source is, for example, a device that generates heat by itself when in operation, such as the battery BT or the drive unit DD.

[0038] The drive unit DD, the air conditioning unit AD, and the temperature control unit TD are on-board equipment that operates on power supplied from the battery BT. Hereinafter, the drive unit DD, the air conditioning unit AD, and the temperature control unit TD may be collectively referred to as the battery-driven unit VD.

[0039] The communication device 20 is a network interface for connecting to the network N and communicating with the cloud server 10 and the external terminal 40 via the network N. The communication device 20 is also connected to the control unit 30 and the position detection unit 50 and is capable of communicating with the control unit 30 and the position detection unit 50.

[0040] Communication device 20 communicates with cloud server 10 and external terminal 40 via network N, and is capable of communicating with control unit 30. Communication device 20 is capable of transmitting information received from cloud server 10 and external terminal 40 to control unit 30, and transmitting information received from control unit 30 to cloud server 10 and external terminal 40.

[0041] Specifically, the communication device 20 receives various types of information required to achieve the goal calculated by the cloud server 10 from the cloud server 10 and the external terminal 40. For example, the communication device 20 receives information regarding the operation of the drive device DD required to arrive at the destination from the cloud server 10 or the external terminal 40. The communication device 20 also receives information regarding the operation of the air conditioning device AD and the temperature adjustment device TD required to achieve the goal from the cloud server 10 or the external terminal 40. If the priority of the goal has been set by the user, the communication device 20 receives information regarding the priority from the external terminal 40.

[0042] Furthermore, the communication device 20 transmits to the cloud server 10 or the external terminal 40 information on the current location of the vehicle C detected by the position detection unit 50 and information received from the control unit 30 (described later).

[0043] The position detection unit 50 is a position detection device for the vehicle C that includes, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, a gyroscope, a vehicle speed sensor, a magnetic sensor, etc. The position detection unit 50 outputs information for identifying the current position of the vehicle C to the communication device 20.

[0044] The vehicle C also includes a battery sensor (not shown) that monitors the state of the battery BT. The battery sensor transmits information on the detected state of the battery BT (for example, voltage, current, temperature) to the control unit 30, and is also capable of transmitting the information to the cloud server 10 via the network N.

[0045] The control unit 30 controls the operation of the drive unit DD, the air conditioning and heating unit AD, and the temperature adjustment unit TD. Specifically, the control unit 30 determines the control content for each of the drive unit DD, the air conditioning and heating unit AD, and the temperature adjustment unit TD until the vehicle arrives at the destination based on information received from the cloud server 10 and the external terminal 40. The control unit 30 then transmits control signals to each of the drive unit DD, the air conditioning and heating unit AD, and the temperature adjustment device TD to operate them according to the determined control content.

[0046] 4, the control unit 30 has an integrated control unit 31 connected to the communication device 20. The control unit 30 further has a travel control unit 32 connected to the integrated control unit 31 and controlling the operation of the drive unit DD, a heating and cooling control unit 33 controlling the operation of the heating and cooling unit AD, and a temperature adjustment control unit 34 controlling the operation of the temperature adjustment device TD.

[0047] The drive device DD is a device that serves as a drive source that outputs a driving force for driving the vehicle C. The drive device DD includes an electric motor (not shown), an inverter (not shown) that outputs an AC current to control the rotation of the electric motor, and a converter that boosts and outputs the power supplied from the battery BT. The electric motor, inverter, and converter operate using the power supplied from the battery BT and generate heat during operation. The drive device DD is electrically connected to the cruise control unit 32, and the driving force that it outputs is controlled by a control signal sent from the cruise control unit 32.

[0048] The driving control unit 32 is an electronic control device that controls the drive device DD, and specifically, is a drive ECU. The driving control unit 32 is mainly composed of a microcomputer and includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, flash memory, and bus lines connecting these components. The driving control unit 32 controls the rotation speed of the electric motor of the drive device DD by executing a program stored in the ROM. The driving control unit 32 controls the rotation speed of the electric motor of the drive device DD based on a control signal sent from the integrated control unit 31. ECU is an abbreviation for Electronic Control Unit.

[0049] The air conditioner AD is a device for heating or cooling passengers aboard the vehicle C. The air conditioner AD is, for example, an air conditioning device that blows temperature-adjusted conditioned air into the vehicle cabin. The air conditioner AD includes, for example, a refrigerant circuit (not shown) through which a refrigerant circulates, an electric compressor (not shown) that compresses and discharges the refrigerant to circulate the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit, and a blower (not shown) that blows conditioned air into the vehicle cabin. The air conditioner AD also includes operation switches (not shown) that allow a user to set various settings such as the temperature inside the vehicle cabin, and a group of sensors (not shown) that detect the temperature inside the vehicle cabin. The electric compressor and the blower are operated by power supplied from the battery BT. The air conditioner AD is electrically connected to the air conditioner control unit 33, and the rotation speeds of the electric compressor and the blower are controlled by control signals transmitted from the air conditioner control unit 33.

[0050] The cooling and heating control unit 33 is an electronic control device that controls the cooling and heating unit AD, specifically an air conditioner ECU. The cooling and heating control unit 33 is mainly composed of a microcomputer and includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, flash memory, and bus lines connecting these components. The cooling and heating control unit 33 executes programs stored in the ROM to control the rotation speed of the electric compressor of the cooling and heating unit AD, i.e., the target temperature of the conditioned air, and to control the rotation speed of the blower, i.e., the amount of air blown. The cooling and heating control unit 33 controls the rotation speed of the electric compressor and the blower of the cooling and heating unit AD based on control signals transmitted from the integrated control unit 31.

[0051] The air conditioning device AD may be a seat air conditioner having an electric heater that generates heat using power supplied from the battery BT and an electric fan that blows out air using power supplied from the battery BT, or may be a radiant heater having an electric heater that generates heat using power supplied from the battery BT.

[0052] The temperature adjustment device TD is a temperature control device that adjusts the temperatures of the battery BT and the electric motor, inverter, converter, and other components of the drive unit DD, which are heat generation sources that generate heat when the vehicle C is operating. The temperature adjustment device TD includes, for example, a circulation circuit (not shown) through which coolant for cooling the battery BT and the drive unit DD circulates, an electric pump (not shown) that circulates the coolant, and an electric heater (not shown) that heats the battery BT. The electric pump and electric heater are operated by power supplied from the battery BT. The temperature adjustment device TD is electrically connected to the temperature adjustment control unit 34, and adjusts the temperature of the battery BT and the drive unit DD by controlling the flow rate of the circulating coolant in response to a control signal sent from the temperature adjustment control unit 34. The temperature adjustment device TD also adjusts the temperature of the battery BT by controlling the heat generation amount of the electric heater in response to a control signal sent from the temperature adjustment control unit 34.

[0053] The temperature adjustment control unit 34 is an electronic control device that controls the temperature adjustment device TD, and specifically, is a temperature adjustment ECU. The temperature adjustment control unit 34 is mainly composed of a microcomputer and includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, flash memory, and bus lines connecting these components. The temperature adjustment control unit 34 also executes a program stored in the ROM to control the rotation speed of the electric pump, i.e., the flow rate of the coolant, and to control the heat generation amount of the electric heater. The temperature adjustment control unit 34 controls the rotation speed of the electric pump and the heat generation amount of the electric heater of the temperature adjustment device TD based on a control signal transmitted from the integrated control unit 31.

[0054] The temperature control device TD may be powered by power supplied from the battery BT, and may have an electric fan that blows air to cool the battery BT and the drive device DD, which are heat sources, and may be configured to be able to adjust the temperature of the battery BT and the drive device DD by the amount of air blown.

[0055] The driving control unit 32, the heating and cooling control unit 33, and the temperature adjustment control unit 34 are capable of communicating with the integrated control unit 31, and determine the operation details of the devices that they will control based on control signals sent from the integrated control unit 31. Furthermore, the driving control unit 32, the heating and cooling control unit 33, and the temperature adjustment control unit 34 send information about the operation details of the devices that they have determined to be the control targets to the integrated control unit 31.

[0056] The integrated control unit 31 is an electronic control device that controls the driving control unit 32, the heating and cooling control unit 33, and the temperature adjustment control unit 34. Specifically, the integrated control unit 31 is mainly composed of a microcomputer and includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, flash memory, and bus lines connecting these components. The integrated control unit 31 executes a program stored in the ROM to transmit information for determining the operation details of the devices controlled by the driving control unit 32, the heating and cooling control unit 33, and the temperature adjustment control unit 34 to the driving control unit 32, the heating and cooling control unit 33, and the temperature adjustment control unit 34. The integrated control unit 31 also acquires information regarding the control details determined by the driving control unit 32, the heating and cooling control unit 33, and the temperature adjustment control unit 34 from each of these control units, and transmits the acquired information to the communication device 20.

[0057] The vehicle control system 1 of this embodiment functions as a vehicle control program 60 shown in Fig. 5 by executing programs stored in the server calculation unit 13 of the cloud server 10, and the integrated control unit 31, driving control unit 32, heating and cooling control unit 33, and temperature adjustment control unit 34 of the control unit 30. Here, the vehicle control program 60 of this embodiment has a hierarchical structure made up of multiple layers, as shown in Fig. 5. Specifically, the vehicle control program 60 has a four-layer structure having, from the highest layer to the lowest layer, a target layer 61, an energy manager layer 62, a power manager layer 63, and a realization layer 64, and the program is separated into layers.

[0058] The target layer 61, energy manager layer 62, power manager layer 63, and realization layer 64 are configured to be able to communicate with adjacent layers. Information obtained by executing the programs of the target layer 61, energy manager layer 62, power manager layer 63, and realization layer 64 is transmitted to the lower layer, and information transmitted from the lower layer is also received.

[0059] The server calculation unit 13 of the cloud server 10, the integrated control unit 31 of the control unit 30, the driving control unit 32, the heating and cooling control unit 33, and the temperature adjustment control unit 34 function as the vehicle control program 60 by executing a program corresponding to at least one layer among the objective layer 61, the energy manager layer 62, the power manager layer 63, and the realization layer 64. In this way, the vehicle control program 60 of this embodiment, which is configured with a four-layer architecture, can be separated into layers.

[0060] In this embodiment, the server calculation unit 13 of the cloud server 10 executes a program stored in the server storage unit 12 to execute a program corresponding to the objective layer 61. The integrated control unit 31 executes a program stored in its own ROM to execute programs corresponding to the energy manager layer 62 and the power manager layer 63. The driving control unit 32, the heating and cooling control unit 33, and the temperature adjustment control unit 34 each executes a program stored in their own ROM to execute a program corresponding to the realization layer 64.

[0061] The specific program contents of the objective layer 61, energy manager layer 62, power manager layer 63, and realization layer 64 will be described in detail below.

[0062] The destination layer 61 is the highest layer of the four-layer structure, and is a program portion into which the user inputs information on the destination when driving the vehicle C. When the user sets the destination of the vehicle C by operating the external terminal 40, information on the set destination and information on the set destination priority are input into the destination layer 61.

[0063] Then, based on the input information on the objectives and the information on the objective priorities, the objective layer 61 calculates, as physical quantities, information on the energy of each battery-driven device VD that is estimated to be necessary to achieve the objectives in correspondence with the objective priorities, thereby planning the traveling of the vehicle C. Specifically, the objective layer 61 calculates, as physical quantities, information on the traveling energy output by the drive device DD that is estimated to be necessary to achieve the objectives in correspondence with the objective priorities, and information on the thermal energy controlled by the air-conditioning device AD and the temperature adjustment device TD.

[0064] To the destination layer 61, information such as a destination, a desired arrival time at the destination, a desired vehicle speed or vehicle speed level when traveling, a desired temperature or temperature level inside the vehicle cabin, and a desired remaining energy amount or remaining energy level of the battery BT when the destination is reached is input via the external terminal 40. The information on the vehicle speed level is, for example, information on one of the vehicle speeds when the vehicle speed when traveling is divided into three modes such as a high speed mode, a medium speed mode, and a low speed mode. The information on the temperature level is, for example, information on one of the vehicle cabin temperatures when the vehicle cabin temperature is divided into three modes such as a high temperature mode, a medium temperature mode, and a low temperature mode. The information on the remaining energy level is, for example, information on one of the desired remaining energy amounts when the mode is divided into three modes such as a large mode, a normal mode, and a small mode according to the desired remaining energy amount of the battery BT.

[0065] Furthermore, information on the weather along the travel route, such as outside temperature, outside humidity, amount of solar radiation, and weather, is input to the destination layer 61 via an external device (not shown). Alternatively, information on a desired travel route from the current location to the destination, the cost required to travel the travel route, and the like may be input to the destination layer 61.

[0066] Furthermore, information on the goal priority is input to the goal layer 61 via the external terminal 40. The goal priority information is information indicating the priority of multiple goals when the user sets multiple goals for the vehicle C. For example, when two goals, a desired arrival time at the destination and a set temperature for the interior of the vehicle, are set as driving goals, information on the priority of the desired arrival time and the set temperature for the interior of the vehicle is input to the goal layer 61.

[0067] When information on the set objectives and the set objective priorities is input, the objective layer 61 calculates, based on this information, the physical quantities required to achieve the set objectives and objective priorities for each function of the battery-powered device VD of the vehicle C.

[0068] For example, when a desired arrival time at a destination is set as the driving purpose, the destination layer 61 calculates a driving route for arriving by the desired arrival time, and obtains a vehicle speed required to arrive by the desired arrival time as a physical quantity related to the driving energy output by the drive unit DD. In other words, the destination layer 61 makes a vehicle speed plan for arriving at the destination by the desired arrival time. In addition to the vehicle speed, the destination layer 61 may also obtain a physical quantity related to the driving energy output by the drive unit DD, such as the acceleration of the vehicle C, as needed.

[0069] Furthermore, when a desired vehicle interior temperature until the vehicle reaches the destination is set as a driving purpose, the objective layer 61 sets the set vehicle interior temperature as a physical quantity related to thermal energy to be controlled by the air conditioning and heating device AD. When a desired battery BT temperature until the vehicle reaches the destination is set as a driving purpose, the objective layer 61 sets the set battery BT temperature as a physical quantity related to thermal energy to be controlled by the temperature adjustment device TD. In other words, the objective layer 61 sets a vehicle interior temperature plan and a temperature adjustment temperature plan for the battery BT, etc. until the vehicle reaches the destination.

[0070] In this way, the objective layer 61 that calculates, as a physical quantity, information on the energy of each battery-driven device VD estimated to be required to achieve the objective, and the server calculation unit 13 that executes the program of the objective layer 61 function as a physical quantity calculation unit. The processing executed by the server calculation unit 13 corresponds to the physical quantity calculation processing.

[0071] The information on the objectives and the information on the objective priority set in the objective layer 61 are set, for example, by operating the terminal input unit 44 of the external terminal 40. The terminal input unit 44 may be configured to allow one or more objective priorities to be selected. The terminal input unit 44 may also be configured to have a slide bar for setting the degree of objective priority, and to allow the degree of objective priority to be adjusted by operating the slide bar.

[0072] The objective layer 61 is configured to be able to transmit information on physical quantities calculated based on information on set objectives and information on set objective priorities to the energy manager layer 62, which is a lower layer.

[0073] The energy manager layer 62 is a layer located immediately below the objective layer 61. When a driving route is set by the objective layer 61, the energy manager layer 62 is a program portion that plans the output power of the battery BT when the vehicle C drives along the driving route based on the physical quantities calculated by the objective layer 61. Specifically, the energy manager layer 62 calculates information on the electrical energy output by the battery BT to obtain the physical quantities calculated by the objective layer 61 as power to be supplied to each battery-powered device VD that needs to operate to achieve the objective. In other words, the energy manager layer 62 converts the physical quantities calculated by the objective layer 61 into power supply required for the drive device DD, the air conditioning device AD, and the temperature control device TD. That is, the energy manager layer 62 converts information on various physical quantities calculated by the objective layer 61 into information on the output power of the battery BT, thereby replacing information on physical quantities in various units with information on the output power of the battery BT obtained in a single unit system.

[0074] For example, suppose that the physical quantity calculated by the objective layer 61 is calculated using a vehicle speed in units of [m / s]. In this case, the energy manager layer 62 converts information on the electric energy output by the battery BT to obtain the vehicle speed expressed in [m / s] into information on the power required to be supplied from the battery BT to the drive device DD in units of [kW].

[0075] Also, assume that the physical quantity calculated by the objective layer 61 is calculated for a target temperature in the vehicle interior in units of [°C]. In this case, the energy manager layer 62 converts information on the electrical energy output by the battery BT to achieve the target temperature in the vehicle interior expressed in [°C] into information on the power required to be supplied from the battery BT to the air conditioner AD in units of [kW]. The energy manager layer 62 calculates the information on the electrical energy output by the battery BT to achieve the target temperature in the vehicle interior as, for example, the power required to be supplied from the battery BT to the air conditioner AD for the air conditioner AD to blow out conditioned air at the target temperature.

[0076] In this way, the energy manager layer 62 manages information on physical quantities in various units calculated by the target layer 61 in an integrated manner using information on the power consumption of the battery BT in a single unit. Hereinafter, the power supply required from the battery BT to each battery-powered device VD, which is calculated by the energy manager layer 62 and is required to obtain the physical quantities calculated by the target layer 61, will also be referred to as required power supply.

[0077] In this embodiment, the energy manager layer 62, which calculates information on the electric energy output by the battery BT to obtain the physical quantity calculated by the target layer 61 as the power required to supply each battery-powered device VD, and the integrated control unit 31, which executes the program of the energy manager layer 62, function as a required power calculation unit. The processing executed by the integrated control unit 31 corresponds to the required power calculation processing.

[0078] The energy manager layer 62 also determines the feasibility of the plan based on the calculated required power supply. If it determines that the plan cannot be realized, the energy manager layer 62 modifies the plan to make it feasible based on the set objectives or objective priorities.

[0079] For example, if the set purpose is input as a desired arrival time at the destination, and it is determined that the power stored in the battery BT is not sufficient to reach the desired arrival time, the energy manager layer 62 executes a process to reduce the power supplied from the battery BT to the drive unit DD, i.e., to reduce the vehicle speed, and calculates a achievable arrival time.

[0080] Furthermore, the energy manager layer 62 may determine the feasibility of the plan by determining whether the battery BT can supply the calculated required supply power based on information on the state of the battery BT detected by a battery sensor.

[0081] For example, if the power stored in the battery BT cannot cover the power required for each of the drive device DD, the air conditioning device AD, and the temperature control device TD, the energy manager layer 62 corrects the calculated required power to the available power based on the set objective priority.

[0082] The energy manager layer 62 is configured to be able to transmit information on the calculated required power supply to each of the drive device DD, the air conditioning device AD, and the temperature adjustment device TD to the power manager layer 63. In other words, the energy manager layer 62 is configured to be able to transmit information on the output power of the battery BT, which is expressed in a single unit system, to the power manager layer 63.

[0083] The power manager layer 63 is a layer located immediately below the energy manager layer 62, and is a program part that calculates the power supply per unit time from the battery BT to each of the drive device DD, the air conditioning device AD, and the temperature control device TD, limited to the required supply power calculated by the energy manager layer 62.

[0084] The reason why the power manager layer 63 calculates the power that is limited relative to the required supply power calculated by the energy manager layer 62 will be explained below.

[0085] The required supply power calculated by the energy manager layer 62 is power based on the physical quantities calculated by the objective layer 61, and is the power estimated to be required for each of the drive unit DD, the air conditioning unit AD, and the temperature control unit TD to achieve the objective. However, when the vehicle C actually travels along the travel route, there is a risk that the supply power required for each of the drive unit DD, the air conditioning unit AD, and the temperature control unit TD may fluctuate due to external factors that cannot be predicted at the planning stage of the energy manager layer 62. For this reason, assuming a case in which the required power increases due to external factors that cannot be planned, it is desirable to limit the required supply power and set the power for operating each of the drive unit DD, the air conditioning unit AD, and the temperature control unit TD to a power that is smaller than the required supply power.

[0086] External factors that cannot be planned and that change the power supply required to the drive device DD include, for example, the presence of a preceding vehicle that interferes with the travel of vehicle C after travel, and a change in the travel route due to an accident or the like. Furthermore, external factors that cannot be planned and that change the power supply required to the air conditioning and heating device AD and the temperature control device TD include, for example, a change in weather. Furthermore, external factors that cannot be planned and that change the power supply required to the temperature control device TD include unexpected heat generation from the heat generating sources such as the battery BT and the drive device DD. Finally, external factors that cannot be planned and that change the power supply required to each of the drive device DD, the air conditioning and heating device AD, and the temperature control device TD include a sudden failure of these devices.

[0087] If the presence of such external factors increases the required power supply to various battery-powered devices VD, the required power supply calculated by the energy manager layer 62 may not be enough to achieve the set objectives.

[0088] For example, if there is a preceding vehicle that obstructs the travel of vehicle C, even if drive device DD receives the required supply power calculated by energy manager layer 62, the vehicle speed will be reduced below the vehicle speed at the planning stage due to braking to avoid a collision with the preceding vehicle. Also, if battery BT generates heat unexpectedly, temperature adjustment device TD will not be able to sufficiently cool battery BT with the required supply power calculated by energy manager layer 62. This may result in battery BT being unable to output the required supply power at the planning stage.

[0089] For this reason, the power manager layer 63 calculates a limited power that is smaller than the required supply power calculated by the energy manager layer 62. That is, the power manager layer 63 calculates the supply power from the battery BT to each of the drive device DD, the air conditioning device AD, and the temperature adjustment device TD that makes it possible to realistically achieve the target for the required supply power calculated by the energy manager layer 62 in the planning stage.

[0090] However, the power that can be supplied from the battery BT to each battery-powered device VD is limited by the amount of charge stored in the battery BT, the temperature of the battery BT, etc. Therefore, the power manager layer 63 calculates the power limit based on information about the state of the battery BT detected by the battery sensor. The power manager layer 63 may also calculate the power limit based on information about the objective priority input to the objective layer 61.

[0091] Incidentally, the operating states of the various battery-powered devices VD may vary in various ways due to external factors while the vehicle C is traveling along the travel route, and therefore the power limit may vary at each point along the travel route.

[0092] For example, the power required to supply the drive unit DD varies depending on factors such as the gradient of the road surface along the travel route. The power required to supply the air conditioning unit AD varies depending on factors such as the outside temperature, weather, and climate. The power required to supply the temperature control unit TD varies depending on factors such as the outside temperature and the duration of travel.

[0093] Therefore, the power supply required for each of the drive unit DD, the air conditioning unit AD, and the temperature adjustment unit TD varies with the passage of travel time when the vehicle C travels along the travel route.

[0094] For this reason, the power manager layer 63 obtains the supply power per unit time by time differentiating the instantaneous limit power for each of the drive device DD, the air conditioner AD, and the temperature regulator TD at each point on the travel route.

[0095] In this embodiment, the power manager layer 63, which calculates the power limit for each battery-driven device VD after limiting the required supply power calculated by the energy manager layer 62, and the integrated control unit 31, which executes the program of the power manager layer 63, function as a power limit calculation unit. The processing executed by the integrated control unit 31 corresponds to the power limit calculation processing.

[0096] The power manager layer 63 transmits information on the limited power that limits the required supply power at the planning stage received from the energy manager layer 62 to the energy manager layer 62 and the realization layer 64 .

[0097] The power manager layer 63 may transmit information on physical quantities converted from the limited power as information to be transmitted to the energy manager layer 62 and the realization layer 64. For example, if the information on the limited power is information for driving the drive unit DD, the power manager layer 63 may convert the information on the limited power into information on the vehicle speed and transmit it to the energy manager layer 62 and the realization layer 64.

[0098] The realization layer 64 is a layer located immediately below the power manager layer 63, and is a program portion that determines the power required to actually drive the various battery-driven devices VD based on the power limit calculated by the power manager layer 63. The realization layer 64 transmits control signals to the drive device DD, the air conditioning device AD, and the temperature control device TD to operate them with the determined power.

[0099] The drive unit DD, the air conditioner AD, and the temperature controller TD each have multiple components that operate using power supplied from the battery BT. The realization layer 64 transmits control signals to the drive unit DD, the air conditioner AD, and the temperature controller TD to operate each of the multiple components. The realization layer 64 performs optimal control by transmitting control signals to the drive unit DD, the air conditioner AD, and the temperature controller TD so that the multiple components of the drive unit DD, the air conditioner AD, and the temperature controller TD can operate with drive power below the power limit and efficiently achieve their objectives. That is, the realization layer 64 transmits control signals to the drive unit DD, the air conditioner AD, and the temperature controller TD to operate the drive unit DD, the air conditioner AD, and the temperature controller TD with drive power below the power limit, thereby bringing them closer to achieving their set objectives.

[0100] For example, suppose that drive device DD has a configuration in which, in addition to the electric motor, it also has a drive source that outputs drive force using power supplied from battery BT. In this case, travel control unit 32 functioning as realization layer 64 transmits a control signal to drive device DD so that the electric motor and the drive source other than the electric motor are operated using drive power to bring the vehicle speed closer to the target vehicle speed and enable the vehicle to arrive at the destination.

[0101] Also, assume that the air conditioning and heating device AD has an air conditioner, a seat air conditioner, and a radiant heater. In this case, the air conditioning and heating control unit 33 functioning as the realization layer 64 sends a control signal to the air conditioning and heating device AD so that the air conditioner, the seat air conditioner, and the radiant heater are operated with drive power to efficiently heat the occupants and arrive at the destination.

[0102] In this embodiment, the realization layer 64 transmits control signals to each battery-powered device VD to operate the device at a drive power equal to or less than the power limit calculated by the power manager layer 63 and bring the device closer to achieving its objective, and the driving control unit 32, the heating and cooling control unit 33, and the temperature adjustment control unit 34 execute the programs of the realization layer 64 and function as device control units. The processes executed by the driving control unit 32, the heating and cooling control unit 33, and the temperature adjustment control unit 34 correspond to device control processes.

[0103] Next, the operation of the vehicle control system 1 of this embodiment, which executes programs corresponding to the objective layer 61, the energy manager layer 62, the power manager layer 63, and the realization layer 64, will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 9. Below, an overview of the operation of the vehicle control system 1 according to this embodiment and an overview of the execution of the vehicle control method and the vehicle control program 60 by the vehicle control system 1 will be described with reference to the drawings, along with the effects achieved thereby. In the following description, the vehicle control system 1 according to this embodiment and the vehicle control method and the vehicle control program 60 executed by the vehicle control system 1 will sometimes be collectively referred to simply as "this embodiment."

[0104] The control process shown in Fig. 6 is executed, for example, when a purpose is set by a user through an input operation on the external terminal 40. Specifically, the control process shown in Fig. 6 is executed when a destination is set as the purpose of the trip and a purpose priority desired by the user until arrival at the set destination is set. In this embodiment, an example of the control process that is executed when a destination is set through an operation on the external terminal 40 and a desired arrival time at the destination and a temperature inside the vehicle are set as purpose priorities will be described.

[0105] When a goal is set by a user's input operation to the external terminal 40, the server calculation unit 13 of the cloud server 10 executes the process of step S10. Specifically, in step S10, the server calculation unit 13 functioning as the goal layer 61 acquires information on the current location of the vehicle C from the position detection unit 50 via the network N, and calculates a driving route from the current location to the set destination based on the acquired information on the current location and the map information stored in the server storage unit 12. Then, the server calculation unit 13 calculates, as physical quantities, a vehicle speed plan, which is information on the driving energy output by the drive unit DD estimated to be necessary to achieve the goal in accordance with the goal priority, and a vehicle interior temperature plan and a temperature control temperature plan, which are information on the thermal energy controlled by the air conditioning and heating unit AD and the temperature control unit TD.

[0106] In this embodiment, the desired arrival time at the destination and the temperature inside the vehicle cabin are set as the objectives. In this case, in the process of step S10, the server calculation unit 13 calculates the vehicle speed of the vehicle C at each point on the travel route for arriving at the set destination by the desired arrival time as a physical quantity corresponding to the travel energy output by the drive unit DD estimated to be necessary to achieve the set objectives. In other words, the server calculation unit 13 calculates the vehicle speed of the vehicle C required to arrive at the set destination by the desired arrival time at each point that the vehicle C passes through on the calculated travel route.

[0107] Furthermore, in the processing of step S10, the server calculation unit 13 calculates the target temperature of the conditioned air blown out by the air conditioning unit AD necessary to bring the temperature inside the vehicle cabin when traveling along the travel route closer to the set temperature, as a physical quantity corresponding to the thermal energy controlled by the air conditioning unit AD that is estimated to be necessary to achieve the set purpose.

[0108] The server calculation unit 13 transmits information on the calculated physical quantity corresponding to the traveling energy and information on the physical quantity corresponding to the thermal energy to the communication device 20 via the server communication unit 11 and the network N.

[0109] Note that, when multiple objectives are selected and objective priorities are set for the selected multiple objectives as in this embodiment, the server calculation unit 13 may assign different weights to the multiple physical quantities to be calculated according to the objective priorities. For example, assume that the desired arrival time is assigned a higher priority than the temperature inside the vehicle cabin. In this case, the server calculation unit 13 assigns a higher weight to the speed of the vehicle C than to the temperature inside the vehicle cabin. As a result, when traveling along a route to arrive at the destination, the desired arrival time at the destination is prioritized over the temperature inside the vehicle cabin. The server calculation unit 13 transmits information in which a higher weight is assigned to the speed of the vehicle C than to the temperature inside the vehicle cabin, together with information on the physical quantities, to the communication device 20.

[0110] In step S20, the integrated control unit 31 functioning as the energy manager layer 62 executes an optimal energy planning process. Specifically, in step S100, the integrated control unit 31 calculates the required supply power, which is the output energy from the battery BT to each of the drive device DD, the air conditioning device AD, and the temperature control device TD required at each point on the travel route, based on the physical quantities calculated in step S10, as shown in Fig. 7. That is, the integrated control unit 31 calculates the predicted electric energy of the battery BT estimated to be consumed at each point on the travel route, based on the physical quantities planned by the server calculation unit 13 functioning as the objective layer 61 to achieve the objective.

[0111] As a result, the physical quantities for achieving the objectives planned by the server computing unit 13 are converted into the power supply required for each of the drive devices DD, the air conditioning devices AD, and the temperature adjustment device TD. In other words, the integrated control unit 31 functioning as the energy manager layer 62 converts the physical quantities calculated by the server computing unit 13 functioning as the objective layer 61 into the output power of the battery BT. In this way, in the process of step S100, information on various types of physical quantities calculated by the server computing unit 13 is converted into information on the output power of a single battery BT.

[0112] In the example shown in the present disclosure, the integrated control unit 31 calculates the required supply power based on the information on the vehicle speed of the vehicle C calculated in step S10 and the information on the target temperature of the conditioned air. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 8, the integrated control unit 31 separately calculates the sequence of required supply power required by the drive unit DD to drive the vehicle at the vehicle speed calculated in step S10, and the sequence of required supply power required by the air conditioning unit AD to blow out the conditioned air at the target temperature.

[0113] The required supply power required by the drive unit DD to drive the vehicle C at the calculated vehicle speed is the power supplied from the battery BT to the drive unit DD that is required to drive the vehicle C to the destination by the desired arrival time. Also, the required supply power required by the air conditioning unit AD to blow out conditioned air at the target temperature is the power supplied from the battery BT to the air conditioning unit AD that is required when the vehicle C drives along the travel route.

[0114] In the next step S110, the predicted available output power of battery BT is calculated. The available output power of battery BT is calculated based on the amount of charge stored in battery BT, i.e., the predicted charging rate of battery BT. However, the performance of battery BT is affected by the internal temperature of battery BT. Specifically, when the internal temperature of battery BT rises above the temperature at which battery BT can optimally perform, the output efficiency of battery BT tends to decrease.

[0115] As shown in Fig. 8, the internal temperature of battery BT rises as the time during which battery BT outputs power increases. That is, the internal temperature of battery BT rises as the power output to drive vehicle C along the travel route increases. Furthermore, the higher the vehicle speed, the greater the air resistance that vehicle C experiences as it travels. For this reason, even if the travel distance to the destination is the same, the higher the vehicle speed, the greater the power consumed by battery BT during travel. Therefore, the internal temperature of battery BT tends to rise as vehicle speed increases.

[0116] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, the battery BT consumes the stored power while traveling along the travel route, and the more the internal temperature rises while traveling, the less power it can output.

[0117] The integrated control unit 31 calculates a predicted temperature change of the battery BT based on information on the state of the battery BT detected by the battery sensor and the calculated required supply power required for each of the drive device DD and the air conditioning and heating device AD.The integrated control unit 31 then calculates a change in the predicted available output power of the battery BT based on information on the state of the battery BT detected by the battery sensor, the calculated predicted temperature change information of the battery BT, and the calculated required supply power required for each of the drive device DD and the air conditioning and heating device AD.

[0118] In addition, when various auxiliary equipment mounted on vehicle C is driven by power supplied from battery BT, integrated control unit 31 may calculate the change in the predicted output power of battery BT taking into account the output power required by these auxiliary equipment.

[0119] In the next step S120, the integrated control unit 31 determines whether the objective can be achieved based on the required supply power required for each of the drive unit DD and the air conditioning and heating unit AD calculated in step S100 and the change in the predicted available output power of the battery BT calculated in step S110. Specifically, the integrated control unit 31 determines whether there will be a time when the total required supply power for each of the drive unit DD and the air conditioning and heating unit AD will exceed the available output power within the range from the current location to the destination. If it is determined that there will be a time when the total required supply power will exceed the available output power within the range from the current location to the destination, the integrated control unit 31 proceeds to the processing of step S130. On the other hand, if it is not determined that there will be a time when the total required supply power will exceed the available output power within the range from the current location to the destination, the integrated control unit 31 skips the processing of steps S130 and S140 and ends the energy optimization planning processing.

[0120] Here, the relationship between the required supply power to each of drive device DD and air conditioning device AD, the predicted temperature change of battery BT, and the predicted change in available output power of battery BT will be described with reference to FIG.

[0121] As shown in Fig. 8, the required supply power required by the drive unit DD varies at each point on the travel route, for example, depending on the gradient of the road surface. Specifically, if there is an uphill section on the travel route, the required supply power required by the drive unit DD becomes large even when traveling at a constant vehicle speed. Therefore, if there is an uphill section on the travel route, the required supply power required by the battery BT tends to be concentrated when traveling up the uphill section.

[0122] The required power supply required by the air conditioning device AD is relatively large when the temperature inside the vehicle cabin immediately after starting to drive differs from the target temperature of the air-conditioned air, and becomes relatively small as the difference between the temperature inside the vehicle cabin and the target temperature of the air-conditioned air becomes smaller over time.The predicted temperature of the battery BT increases as the vehicle C drives along the driving route and approaches the destination.

[0123] The predicted available output power of the battery BT decreases as the vehicle C travels along the travel route and approaches the destination.

[0124] 8, it is assumed that there is a section in the range from the current location to the destination where the total required power supply to each of the drive device DD and the air conditioning device AD exceeds the available power output, and in this case, the battery BT cannot supply the required power to each of the drive device DD and the air conditioning device AD in that section.

[0125] Therefore, in step S130, integrated control unit 31 performs a process of adjusting the consumed energy to recalculate the required supply power to each of drive device DD and air conditioning device AD that battery BT can output. Specifically, integrated control unit 31 reduces the required supply power to at least one of drive device DD and air conditioning device AD calculated in step S100 to make it smaller than the required supply power calculated in step S100.

[0126] In addition, if there is a time when the total required power supply in the range from the current location to the destination exceeds the outputtable power, the required power supply to the drive unit DD or the heating and cooling unit AD before and after that time may be adjusted so that the total required power supply to each of the drive unit DD and the heating and cooling unit AD at that time is in a range smaller than the predicted outputtable power of the battery BT.

[0127] For example, by increasing the required supply power to the drive unit DD before the timing when the total required supply power exceeds the available output power and decreasing the required supply power to the drive unit DD at that timing, it is possible to reduce the total required supply power at that timing and make it in time for the desired arrival time. Alternatively, by increasing the required supply power to the air conditioning unit AD before the timing when the total required supply power exceeds the available output power and decreasing the required supply power to the air conditioning unit AD at that timing, it is possible to reduce the total required supply power at that timing and adjust the temperature in the vehicle cabin to the desired temperature.

[0128] In particular, by shifting the operating state of the air conditioning and heating device AD, which has a large time constant for the change in state quantity relative to the output, in the time direction, it is possible to level out the required supply power without causing discomfort to the occupants, and to keep the total required supply power below the predicted output power of the battery BT.

[0129] In addition, it may be determined whether there is a time when the total required power supply to each of the drive device DD and the air conditioning device AD will exceed the available power output, based on whether there is a time when the available power output will be exceeded within the range to the destination.

[0130] Here, when multiple objectives are selected and objective priorities are set for the selected objectives as in this embodiment, the integrated control unit 31 may calculate the required power supply to each of the drive unit DD and the air conditioning unit AD according to the objective priorities. For example, in this embodiment in which the desired arrival time is set with a higher priority than the temperature in the vehicle cabin, the server calculation unit 13 may maintain the required power supply to the drive unit DD at the power calculated in step S100, and may set the required power supply to the air conditioning unit AD to be less than the power calculated in step S100.

[0131] Then, in step S140, the integrated control unit 31 again determines whether or not there is a section in the range from the current location to the destination where the total required supply power to each of the driving devices DD and the air conditioning devices AD, recalculated in step S130, exceeds the available output power. If it is determined that there is a section in the range from the current location to the destination where the total required supply power exceeds the available output power, the integrated control unit 31 returns to the processing of step S130 and performs the energy consumption adjustment processing again. The integrated control unit 31 repeats the processing of steps S130 and S140 until it is no longer determined that there is a section in the range from the current location to the destination where the total required supply power exceeds the available output power.

[0132] Here, the relationship between the required supply power to each of the drive device DD and the air conditioning device AD when the output power required by the air conditioning device AD is adjusted by the processing of steps S130 and S140, the predicted temperature change of the battery BT, and the predicted change in the available output power of the battery BT will be described with reference to FIG. 9.

[0133] By executing the process of step S130, the required supply power to the air conditioner AD becomes smaller than the required supply power to the air conditioner AD calculated in step S100. This makes it possible to reduce the total required supply power to the drive unit DD and the air conditioner AD in the range from the current location to the destination. This also makes the predicted available output power of the battery BT larger than the required supply power in the range from the current location to the destination.

[0134] Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the existence of a section in which the total required supply power exceeds the available output power in the range from the current location to the destination, as shown in Fig. 9. This makes it possible to avoid a situation in which battery BT is unable to supply the required supply power to drive device DD and air conditioning device AD.

[0135] In step S140, if the integrated control unit 31 determines that there is no section in the range from the current location to the destination where the total required power supply exceeds the available power output, the integrated control unit 31 ends the energy optimization planning process.

[0136] In this way, in step S20, the integrated control unit 31 executes the energy optimization planning process to determine the sequence of the required supply power to the drive device DD and the air conditioning and heating device AD, the predicted temperature change of the battery BT, and the predicted change in the available output power of the battery BT, as shown in FIG.

[0137] Furthermore, the integrated control unit 31 transmits information regarding the required supply power to each of the driving units DD and the air conditioning units AD, adjusted by the processing of step S130, to the server calculation unit 13, functioning as the target layer 61, via the communication device 20 and the network N. Furthermore, the integrated control unit 31 transmits information regarding the required supply power to each of the driving units DD and the air conditioning units AD, adjusted by the processing of step S130, to the external terminal 40 via the communication device 20 and the network N.

[0138] The integrated control unit 31 may transmit, as the information related to the power required to supply to the drive unit DD, information on the calculated power value of the power required to supply to the drive unit DD, or may transmit information on the vehicle speed obtained from the power required to supply to the drive unit DD. Furthermore, the integrated control unit 31 may transmit, as the information related to the power required to supply to the air conditioning unit AD, information on the calculated power value of the power required to supply to the air conditioning unit AD, or may transmit information on the target temperature of the air-conditioned air obtained from the power required to supply to the air conditioning unit AD.

[0139] When the external terminal 40 receives information about the required power supply to each of the drive unit DD and the air conditioning unit AD from the integrated control unit 31, it displays the received information on the terminal display unit 45. For example, when the external terminal 40 receives information about the vehicle speed obtained from the required power supply to the drive unit DD, it displays the vehicle speed information on the terminal display unit 45. Furthermore, when the external terminal 40 receives information about the target temperature of the air-conditioned air obtained from the required power supply to the air-conditioning unit AD, it displays information about the temperature inside the vehicle cabin obtained from the target temperature of the air-conditioned air on the terminal display unit 45.

[0140] This allows the user to be notified of the changes even if the arrival time at the destination, the temperature inside the vehicle, or the like has changed from the purpose set by the user through input operations into the external terminal 40. In this embodiment, the external terminal 40 functions as a notification device that notifies the user of the determination result in the energy optimization planning process.

[0141] In addition, if there is still a section in which the total required supply power exceeds the available output power even after repeating the processing of steps S130 and S140, the integrated control unit 31 may send information to the server calculation unit 13 and the external terminal 40 that it is difficult to achieve the objective set by the user.

[0142] When the external terminal 40 receives information from the integrated control unit 31 indicating that it is difficult to achieve the set goal, the external terminal 40 displays the received information on the terminal display unit 45. In this way, when it is difficult to achieve the goal set by the user through an input operation to the external terminal 40, it is possible to warn the user that it is difficult to achieve the goal.

[0143] Alternatively, when the external terminal 40 receives information from the integrated control unit 31 indicating that it is difficult to achieve the set objective, the external terminal 40 may display on the terminal display unit 45 a driving route to the destination that passes through the charging facility.

[0144] The external terminal 40 may notify the user of the various information to be displayed by sounds such as voices output by the external terminal 40. The external terminal 40 may also notify the occupants of the various information to be displayed by displaying the information on a wireless communication device mounted on the vehicle C.

[0145] In the process of step S120, the integrated control unit 31 determines whether the goal can be achieved based on whether there is a timing when the total required power supply to the drive device DD and the air conditioning device AD exceeds the available power output within the range from the current location to the destination. However, the determination of whether the goal can be achieved may also be made based on the predicted charging rate of the battery BT.

[0146] The predicted charging rate of battery BT can be calculated based on the required supply power to drive device DD and the required supply power to air conditioning and heating device AD. Therefore, integrated control unit 31 calculates a change in the predicted charging rate of battery BT based on information on the state of battery BT detected by the battery sensor and the required supply power to each of drive device DD and air conditioning and heating device AD.

[0147] Then, in step S120, the integrated control unit 31 determines whether or not the goal can be achieved based on whether or not the predicted charging rate of the battery BT at the point of arrival at the destination is zero.

[0148] In the example shown in Fig. 8, the predicted charging rate of battery BT becomes zero by the time vehicle C arrives at the destination. In this case, vehicle C cannot reach the destination unless battery BT is charged by a charging facility before arriving at the destination.

[0149] For this reason, in step S130, the integrated control unit 31 performs a process of adjusting the energy consumption, thereby suppressing the required supply power to at least one of the drive device DD and the air conditioning device AD that can be output by the battery BT. As a result, as shown in Fig. 9, the required supply power is reduced in the range from the current location to the destination, and the traveling distance of the vehicle C traveling on the power supplied from the battery BT can be extended. Furthermore, the predicted charging rate of the battery BT at the point where the vehicle C arrives at the destination can be made greater than zero, and the vehicle C can arrive at the destination without having to charge the battery BT.

[0150] 6, the integrated control unit 31 functioning as the power manager layer 63 calculates the instantaneous required power supply to each of the drive units DD and the air conditioners AD at each point on the travel route based on the sequence obtained in step S30. The integrated control unit 31 refers to the instantaneous required power supply to each of the drive units DD and the air conditioners AD at each point on the travel route from the sequence obtained in step S30.

[0151] In step S40, the integrated control unit 31 functioning as the power manager layer 63 calculates a first limit power that is limited to the instantaneous required supply power at each point on the travel route. The first limit power is the power that is obtained by limiting the required supply power for each function of the battery-powered device VD, taking into account fluctuations in the required supply power due to external factors.

[0152] Then, in step S50, the integrated control unit 31 functioning as the power manager layer 63 calculates the second limit power that can be supplied based on the first limit power, the temperature of the battery BT, and the amount of power stored in the battery BT. Here, if goal priorities are set for the selected multiple goals, the power manager layer 63 calculates a third limit power, which is a limit power according to the goal priorities. Specifically, based on the goal priority information input to the goal layer 61, the power manager layer 63 prioritizes and calculates the third limit power for the drive unit DD and the heating and cooling unit AD, which perform the operation necessary to achieve the desired arrival time, which has a higher priority. The integrated control unit 31 transmits information about the calculated third limit power for the drive unit DD to the traveling control unit 32 and transmits information about the calculated third limit power for the heating and cooling unit AD to the heating and cooling control unit 33.

[0153] In the next step S60, the traveling control unit 32 functioning as the realization layer 64 transmits a control signal to the driving device DD to operate the driving device DD with power equal to or less than the third limit power. Specifically, the traveling control unit 32 operates the electric motor of the driving device DD with driving power equal to or less than the third limit power, and transmits a control signal to the driving device DD.

[0154] Furthermore, in step S60, the heating and cooling control unit 33 functioning as the realization layer 64 transmits a control signal to the heating and cooling device AD to operate the heating and cooling device AD with driving power equal to or less than the third limit power. Specifically, the heating and cooling control unit 33 transmits a control signal to the heating and cooling device AD so that the temperature in the vehicle cabin can be efficiently adjusted by operating the blower and the electric compressor of the heating and cooling device AD with driving power equal to or less than the third limit power.

[0155] As a result, the vehicle C starts traveling along the travel route using the power obtained from the drive unit DD. The vehicle C also uses the air conditioning unit AD to adjust the temperature inside the vehicle while traveling along the travel route.

[0156] Furthermore, the driving control unit 32 and the heating and cooling control unit 33, which function as the realization layer 64, transmit information about the control signals sent to the devices they control to the integrated control unit 31, which functions as the energy manager layer 62 and the power manager layer 63. Specifically, the driving control unit 32 transmits to the integrated control unit 31 the power to be supplied to the electric motor of the drive unit DD, or information that allows this supplied power to be calculated. Furthermore, the heating and cooling control unit 33 transmits to the integrated control unit 31 the power to be supplied to the blower and electric compressor of the heating and cooling unit AD, or information that allows this supplied power to be calculated.

[0157] Then, in step S70, the integrated control unit 31 functioning as the energy manager layer 62 determines whether or not it is necessary to execute the energy optimal planning process of step S20 again. If it is determined that it is necessary to execute the energy optimal planning process of step S20 again, the integrated control unit 31 returns to the process of step S20. On the other hand, if it is not determined that it is necessary to execute the energy optimal planning process of step S20 again, the integrated control unit 31 proceeds to the process of step S80.

[0158] Here, the need to re-execute the optimal energy planning process will be explained.

[0159] When vehicle C travels along a travel route, external factors that cannot be planned may cause large fluctuations in the sequences of the required power supply to battery-powered device VD calculated by the energy optimization planning process, the predicted temperature change of battery BT, the predicted change in available output power of battery BT, and the predicted charging rate of battery BT.

[0160] For example, there may be cases where the driving route is congested and the vehicle cannot travel at the speed planned in the energy optimal planning process, or where a sudden change in weather makes it impossible to adjust the temperature inside the vehicle to the desired temperature with the target temperature of the air conditioning air planned in the energy optimal planning process. Furthermore, there may be cases where the drive unit DD, the air conditioning unit AD, and the temperature control unit TD suddenly fail. In such cases, the sequence of required power supply determined in the energy optimal planning process may fluctuate significantly.

[0161] Even in such a case, it is desirable to execute the energy optimization planning process in step S20 again so that the set objective can be achieved as much as possible.

[0162] Therefore, when the integrated control unit 31 determines in step S70 that it is necessary to execute the energy optimization planning process of step S20 again, it executes the process of step S20 again.

[0163] The determination of whether or not it is necessary to execute the energy optimization planning process again may be made based on whether or not the difference between the charging rate of battery BT and the previously planned predicted charging rate of battery BT is equal to or greater than a predetermined determination threshold. In this case, if the difference between the charging rate of battery BT and the previously planned predicted charging rate of battery BT is equal to or greater than a predetermined determination threshold, the integrated control unit 31 determines that it is necessary to execute the energy optimization planning process again.

[0164] Alternatively, the determination of whether or not the energy optimization planning process needs to be executed again may be made based on whether or not the difference between the travel distance of vehicle C at a predetermined timing and the pre-planned travel distance of vehicle C at a predetermined timing is greater than or equal to a predetermined determination threshold.

[0165] Furthermore, if the calculation of the energy optimum planning process requires a relatively long time, the control of the drive device DD and the air conditioning device AD when the vehicle C is traveling may be performed based on the initially planned output power of the battery BT.

[0166] In the processing of step S60, which is executed after the energy optimization planning process is executed again, when the operations of the drive unit DD and the heating and cooling unit AD are switched by transmitting control signals to these drive units DD and the heating and cooling unit AD, each unit may have an area for storing multiple pieces of plan information, and filtering may be performed so that the plan information is gradually changed toward the new plan value.

[0167] In the following step S80, the integrated control unit 31 determines whether or not the vehicle C has arrived at the destination. The processing of steps S30 to S80 is repeated until the vehicle C arrives at the destination, and the processing ends when the vehicle C arrives at the destination.

[0168] As described above, the vehicle control program 60 of this embodiment has a hierarchical structure made up of multiple layers. Specifically, the vehicle control program 60 has a four-layer structure having four layers: a target layer 61, an energy manager layer 62, a power manager layer 63, and a realization layer 64, and the program is separated into layers.

[0169] The server calculation unit 13, the integrated control unit 31 of the control unit 30, the driving control unit 32, the heating and cooling control unit 33, and the temperature adjustment control unit 34 are capable of executing programs corresponding to the objective layer 61, the energy manager layer 62, the power manager layer 63, and the realization layer 64. As a result, the vehicle control program 60 of this embodiment, which is configured with a four-layer architecture, can be separated into layers.

[0170] Therefore, it is possible to select a control device that executes each of the objective layer 61, energy manager layer 62, power manager layer 63, and realization layer 64 depending on the application of the present invention. For example, the objective layer 61, energy manager layer 62, power manager layer 63, and realization layer 64 may all be executed by the server calculation unit 13. In this case, the control unit 30, driving control unit 32, heating and cooling control unit 33, and temperature adjustment control unit 34 can be eliminated, and the vehicle control program 60 of this embodiment can be executed by the cloud server 10.

[0171] Alternatively, the integrated control unit 31 may be configured to execute all of the objective layer 61, the energy manager layer 62, the power manager layer 63, and the realization layer 64. In this case, the cloud server 10 can be eliminated, and the vehicle control program 60 of this embodiment can be executed by the control unit 30 installed in the vehicle C.

[0172] Furthermore, suppose that the objective layer 61 does not calculate physical quantities for achieving the objective, but transmits control signals to the various battery-driven devices VD in accordance with the operation of the various battery-driven devices VD to achieve the objective. For example, the objective layer 61 may transmit a control signal to the drive device DD to set the rotation speed of the electric motor to obtain the required driving performance, a control signal to the air conditioning device AD to control the rotation speed of the electric compressor and the blower to obtain the required temperature of the conditioned air, and a control signal to the temperature adjustment device TD to control the rotation speed of the electric pump and the heat generation amount of the electric heater.

[0173] In this case, if the specifications of the driving device DD, the air conditioning device AD, or the temperature adjusting device TD are changed, the control signals transmitted from the target layer 61 must be adapted to the changed specifications.

[0174] In contrast, by configuring the objective layer 61 to calculate the physical quantities required to achieve the objective and the energy manager layer 62 to calculate the power to be supplied to the various battery-driven devices VD based on the physical quantities, even if the specifications of the drive devices DD, air conditioning devices AD, and temperature control devices TD are changed, it is possible to eliminate the need to change the information to be sent from the objective layer 61 to the energy manager layer 62 in accordance with the changed specifications.

[0175] As described above, the vehicle control system 1 of this embodiment includes the server calculation unit 13 functioning as the objective layer 61 that calculates, as physical quantities, information on the driving energy output by the drive unit DD estimated to be required to achieve a set objective and information on the thermal energy controlled by the air conditioning and heating device AD and the temperature control device TD. The vehicle control system 1 also includes the integrated control unit 31 functioning as the energy manager layer 62 that calculates, as required power supply to the drive unit DD, the air conditioning and heating device AD, and the temperature control device TD, information on the electrical energy output by the battery BT required to obtain the physical quantities calculated by the server calculation unit 13, and as the power manager layer 63 that calculates the limited power per unit time to the drive unit DD, the air conditioning and heating device AD, and the temperature control device TD by limiting the calculated required power supply. Furthermore, the vehicle control system 1 includes a driving control unit 32 that functions as a realization layer 64 that transmits control signals to operate the drive unit DD with a drive power equal to or less than the limit power to bring the objective closer to being achieved, a heating and cooling control unit 33 that functions as a realization layer 64 that transmits control signals to operate the air conditioning and heating unit AD with a drive power equal to or less than the limit power to bring the objective closer to being achieved, and a temperature control control unit 34 that functions as a realization layer 64 that transmits control signals to operate the temperature control unit TD with a drive power equal to or less than the limit power to bring the objective closer to being achieved.

[0176] This allows the power to be supplied from the battery BT to the drive device DD, the air conditioning device AD, and the temperature adjustment device TD to be calculated based on the estimated running energy and thermal energy required to achieve a set goal. This allows integrated control of the energy inside the vehicle according to the goal. Therefore, when a goal is set, the vehicle control system 1 of this embodiment makes it easier to achieve the goal using the power of the battery BT.

[0177] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0178] (1) In the above embodiment, the integrated control unit 31 calculates the required power supply based on the preset target priority.

[0179] This makes it easier to achieve a goal with a higher priority, even if it is difficult to achieve all of the goals when multiple goals are set.

[0180] (2) In the above embodiment, the objective priority can be set by the user.

[0181] This allows a desired priority to be set for each user, such as a passenger, riding in the vehicle C to which the vehicle control system 1 is applied.

[0182] (3) In the above embodiment, the integrated control unit 31 calculates the limit power based on the objective priority.

[0183] This makes it easier to achieve a goal with a higher priority, even if it is difficult to achieve all of the goals when multiple goals are set.

[0184] (4) In the above embodiment, the integrated control unit 31 determines whether the calculated required supply power can be supplied from the battery BT to each of the drive device DD, the air conditioning device AD, and the temperature adjustment device TD. If it determines that the required supply power cannot be supplied from the battery BT to each of the drive device DD, the air conditioning device AD, and the temperature adjustment device TD, the integrated control unit 31 calculates the required supply power that can be supplied from the battery BT.

[0185] This allows the integrated control unit 31 functioning as the energy manager layer 62 to plan the output of power that can be supplied from the battery BT to each of the drive device DD, the air conditioning device AD, and the temperature adjustment device TD. This makes it easier to calculate the suppliable power in the power manager layer 63, which is a layer lower than the energy manager layer 62.

[0186] (5) In the above embodiment, the integrated control unit 31 determines whether the required supply power can be supplied from the battery BT to each of the drive unit DD, the air conditioning unit AD, and the temperature control unit TD based on whether there is a time on the route from the current location to the destination when the power supplied by the battery BT exceeds the power that can be supplied.

[0187] This makes it easier to reach the destination even if the power supply from the battery BT is concentrated at a certain time, such as in a specific section from the current location to the destination, by adjusting the power supply for that section.

[0188] (6) In the above embodiment, the integrated control unit 31 outputs to the external terminal 40 the determination result as to whether the required supply power can be supplied.

[0189] This makes it possible to notify the user that the purpose set by the user is impossible.

[0190] (7) In the above embodiment, the integrated control unit 31 calculates the limit power based on the changes in the traveling energy and thermal energy required to achieve the objective caused by external factors.

[0191] This allows the limit power to be calculated taking into account any fluctuations in the traveling energy and thermal energy required to achieve the objectives due to external factors.

[0192] (Other embodiments) Representative embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be modified in various ways, for example, as follows.

[0193] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the integrated control unit 31 determines whether or not it is necessary to re-execute the energy optimal planning process in step S70. Then, when it is determined that it is necessary to re-execute the energy optimal planning process, the integrated control unit 31 re-executes the energy optimal planning process, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0194] For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the integrated control unit 31 may be configured not to execute the process of step S70 and not to execute the energy optimal planning process.

[0195] In the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which the integrated control unit 31 determines whether or not the objective can be achieved based on whether or not there is a time when the total required power supply to each of the drive unit DD and the heating and cooling unit AD exceeds the outputtable power within the range from the current location to the destination, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0196] For example, as shown in Fig. 11, in step S122, the integrated control unit 31 may determine whether the objective can be achieved based on whether the required thermal energy can be obtained from the electric energy output by the battery BT. Specifically, in step S122, the integrated control unit 31 may determine whether the temperature adjustment device TD that controls the thermal energy can adjust the battery BT and the drive device DD, which are heat generation sources, to temperatures appropriate for their respective operations.

[0197] When it is determined that temperature adjustment device TD can adjust battery BT and drive device DD to temperatures suitable for their respective operations, integrated control unit 31 executes the processes of steps S130 and S142. On the other hand, when it is determined that temperature adjustment device TD cannot adjust battery BT and drive device DD to temperatures suitable for their respective operations, integrated control unit 31 skips the processes of steps S130 and S142 and ends the energy optimization planning process.

[0198] The reason for performing such a determination process is that adjusting the temperatures of the battery BT and the drive device DD using the temperature adjustment device TD requires more time than controlling the speed of the vehicle C using the drive device DD or controlling the temperature inside the vehicle cabin using the air conditioning device AD. Therefore, if the temperatures of the battery BT and the drive device DD exceed a predetermined temperature range and the objective cannot be achieved, a long time is required to reduce the temperatures of the battery BT and the drive device DD below the predetermined temperature range and achieve the objective.

[0199] Therefore, if it is determined that the temperature control device TD is unable to adjust the temperatures of the battery BT and the drive device DD to temperatures suitable for their respective operations, the objective can be more easily achieved by performing an adjustment process of the energy consumption in step S130 so that the temperatures of the battery BT and the drive device DD are within a predetermined temperature range.

[0200] Alternatively, when there is a charging facility for charging the battery BT on the route from the current location to the destination, the integrated control unit 31 may determine in step S124, as shown in FIG. 12, whether the goal can be achieved based on whether the amount of charge stored in the battery BT when passing through the charging facility is less than or equal to a determination amount.

[0201] Specifically, in step S115, the integrated control unit 31 determines whether or not there is a charging facility that charges the battery BT on the route from the current location to the destination. If there is a charging facility that charges the battery BT on the route from the current location to the destination, in step S124, the integrated control unit 31 determines whether or not the amount of charge stored in the battery BT when passing through the charging facility is equal to or less than the determination amount. If it is determined that the amount of charge stored in the battery BT when passing through the charging facility is equal to or less than the determination amount, the integrated control unit 31 executes the processes of steps S130 and S144. Then, in step S130, the integrated control unit 31 performs an adjustment process of the consumed energy, thereby recalculating the required supply power to each of the drive device DD and the air conditioning and heating device AD so that the amount of charge stored in the battery BT when passing through the charging facility is greater than the determination amount.

[0202] On the other hand, if it is not determined that the amount of stored electricity in the battery BT when passing through the charging facility is equal to or less than the determination amount, the integrated control unit 31 skips the processes of step S130 and step S144 and ends the energy optimization planning process.

[0203] This reduces the number of times the battery BT needs to be charged before arriving at the destination.

[0204] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the vehicle C is an electric vehicle equipped with a drive unit DD having an electric motor, and obtains driving force from the electric motor using power supplied from a battery BT, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the vehicle C may be a plug-in hybrid vehicle or a hybrid vehicle having an engine powered by fuel such as gasoline in addition to an electric motor driven by power supplied from the battery BT.

[0205] In the above embodiment, an example in which the objective priority is set by the user has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0206] For example, the objective priority may be preset in the integrated control unit 31 and may not be set by the user. In this case, for example, the power manager layer 63 may have objective priorities preset for a plurality of objectives that may be selected, and the required supply power and the limited power may be calculated based on these preset objective priorities.

[0207] Alternatively, the power manager layer 63 may be provided with a function of limiting output when it is difficult to supply the planned required power supply or the limited power from the battery BT. In this case, when the power manager layer 63 determines in the processing of step S120 that the objective cannot be achieved, it may calculate the required power supply so as to limit the operation of the battery-driven device VD, which has the function of limiting output. For example, if the remaining energy amount of the battery BT is insufficient and the operation of the air conditioning and heating device AD is limited and priority is given to the operation of the drive device DD, the required power supply to the air conditioning and heating device AD can be reduced and the required power supply to the drive device DD can be maintained, thereby allowing the vehicle C to run.

[0208] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the notification equipment is the external terminal 40, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0209] For example, the notification device may be configured with a speaker or a display provided inside the vehicle.

[0210] In the above-described embodiments, it goes without saying that the elements constituting the embodiments are not necessarily essential unless they are specifically stated as essential or are clearly considered essential in principle.

[0211] In the above-described embodiments, when numerical values such as the number, values, amounts, ranges, etc. of components of the embodiments are mentioned, they are not limited to the specific numbers unless they are specifically stated as essential or are clearly limited to a specific number in principle.

[0212] In the above-described embodiments, when referring to the shapes, positional relationships, etc. of components, etc., the shapes, positional relationships, etc. are not limited to those unless otherwise specified or when they are fundamentally limited to specific shapes, positional relationships, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0213] 13, 61 Physical quantity calculation section 31, 62 Required power calculation section 31, 63 Limit power calculation section 32, 33, 34, 64 Device control section AD Heating and cooling equipment DD drive unit TD temperature controller BT Battery

Claims

1. (These claims correspond to claims CL, CL2, CL11, CL12, and CL13 in the abstract.) A vehicle control system for controlling the operation of a vehicle (C) equipped with a battery (BT) that supplies power to a drive unit (DD) that outputs a driving force for running, a heating and cooling unit (AD) that adjusts the temperature in the vehicle interior, and a temperature control unit (TD) that adjusts the temperature of a heat generating source, a physical quantity calculation unit (13, 61) that calculates, as physical quantities, information on running energy output by the drive device that is estimated to be necessary to achieve a set purpose and information on thermal energy controlled by at least one of the heating and cooling device and the temperature adjustment device; a required power calculation unit (31, 62) that calculates information on the electric energy output from the battery to obtain the physical quantity calculated by the physical quantity calculation unit as required supply power to each of the drive device, the heating and cooling device, and the temperature adjustment device, which must operate to achieve the purpose; a limit power calculation unit (31, 63) that calculates a limit power, which is power supply per unit time from the battery to the drive device, the heating and cooling device, and the temperature adjustment device, with the required supply power calculated by the required power calculation unit being limited; and a device control unit (32, 33, 34, 64) that transmits control signals to the drive device, the heating and cooling device, and the temperature control device to operate them with drive power that is equal to or less than the limit power calculated by the limit power calculation unit, thereby bringing them closer to achieving the objective.

2. (This is the claim corresponding to C3 in the abstract.) The vehicle control system according to claim 1 , wherein the required power calculation unit calculates the required supply power based on a preset objective priority indicating an order of priority of the objective.

3. (This is the claim corresponding to C4 in the abstract.) The vehicle control system according to claim 2 , wherein the objective priority is set by a user.

4. (This is the claim corresponding to CL11 in the abstract.) the required power calculation unit transmits information on the target priority to the limit power calculation unit; The vehicle control system according to claim 2 , wherein the power limit calculation unit calculates the power limit based on information on the target priority.

5. (This is the claim corresponding to C5 in the abstract.) 2. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the required power calculation unit is capable of determining whether the required supply power can be supplied from the battery based on the calculated required supply power, and when it determines that the required supply power cannot be supplied from the battery, calculates the required supply power that can be supplied from the battery.

6. (This is the claim corresponding to C7 in the abstract.) 6. The vehicle control system according to claim 5, wherein the required power calculation unit determines whether the required supply power can be supplied from the battery based on whether there is a time when the power exceeds the power that can be supplied by the battery on a route from a current location to a destination.

7. (This is the claim corresponding to C6 in the abstract.) 6. The vehicle control system according to claim 5, wherein the required power calculation unit determines whether the required supply power can be supplied from the battery based on whether the thermal energy calculated as the physical quantity can be obtained from the electrical energy output by the battery.

8. (This is the claim corresponding to C8 in the abstract.) 2. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein, when a charging facility that charges the battery is present on a route from a current location to a destination, if the required power calculation unit determines that the amount of charge stored in the battery when passing through the charging facility is equal to or less than a determination amount, the required power calculation unit calculates the required supply power so that the amount of charge stored in the battery when passing through the charging facility is greater than the determination amount.

9. (This is the claim corresponding to C10 in the abstract.) 9. The vehicle control system according to claim 5, wherein the required power calculation unit outputs the determination result to a notification device (40) that notifies a user of the determination result.

10. (This is the claim corresponding to CL11 in the abstract.) The vehicle control system according to claim 1 , wherein the power limit calculation unit calculates the power limit based on changes in running energy and thermal energy required to achieve the objective, which changes are caused by external factors.

11. (This is the claim corresponding to C14 in the abstract.) The vehicle control system according to claim 10 , wherein the device control unit transmits information relating to the drive power to the required power calculation unit.

12. (This is an independent claim that describes a vehicle control method as the subject of the invention.) A vehicle control method for controlling the operation of a vehicle (C) equipped with a battery (BT) that supplies power to a drive unit (DD) that outputs a driving force for running, a heating and cooling unit (AD) that adjusts the temperature in the vehicle interior, and a temperature control unit (TD) that adjusts the temperature of a heat generating source, comprising: Calculating, as physical quantities, information on the traveling energy output by the drive device estimated to be necessary to achieve the set objective and information on the thermal energy controlled by at least one of the heating and cooling device and the temperature adjustment device; calculating information on the electric energy output from the battery to obtain the calculated physical quantity as a required supply power to be supplied to each of the drive device, the heating and cooling device, and the temperature control device, which must operate to achieve the purpose; calculating a limit power, which is the power supply per unit time from the battery to the drive device, the heating and cooling device, and the temperature adjustment device, with the required supply power being limited; A vehicle control method that transmits control signals to the drive device, the heating and cooling device, and the temperature control device to operate the drive device, the heating and cooling device, and the temperature control device with drive power that is less than the calculated limit power, thereby bringing the objective closer to being achieved.

13. (This is an independent claim that describes a vehicle control program as the subject of the invention.) A vehicle control program for controlling the operation of a vehicle (C) equipped with a battery (BT) that supplies power to a drive unit (DD) that outputs a driving force for running, a heating and cooling unit (AD) that adjusts the temperature in the vehicle interior, and a temperature control unit (TD) that adjusts the temperature of a heat generating source, a physical quantity calculation process (S10) for calculating, as physical quantities, information on the traveling energy output by the drive device estimated to be necessary to achieve the set purpose and information on the thermal energy controlled by at least one of the heating / cooling device and the temperature adjustment device; a required power calculation process (S20) for calculating information on the electric energy output from the battery to obtain the physical quantity calculated by the physical quantity calculation process as required supply power to each of the drive device, the heating and cooling device, and the temperature adjustment device, which must operate to achieve the purpose; a limit power calculation process (S30, S40) for calculating a limit power, which is power supply per unit time from the battery to the drive device, the heating and cooling device, and the temperature adjustment device, with the required supply power calculated by the required power calculation process being limited; and a device control process (S50, S60) for transmitting control signals to the drive device, the heating and cooling device, and the temperature control device to operate the drive device, the heating and cooling device, and the temperature control device with drive power that is equal to or less than the limit power calculated by the limit power calculation process, thereby bringing the vehicle closer to achieving the objective.

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