Vehicle control device and energy control method

Abstract

To provide a technology which can properly secure power source power by utilizing a hybrid vehicle at the time of disaster.SOLUTION: An exemplary vehicle control device is a control device of a hybrid vehicle in which an on-vehicle battery can be charged from the outside. The control device causes an engine to be driven to charge the on-vehicle battery when a disaster or a blackout occurring in a site where the hybrid vehicle exists is detected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for controlling energy in a hybrid vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a technique for securing as much power as possible after a disaster (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses that when disaster information is received from an information center, the vehicle storage batteries of hybrid vehicles or electric vehicles are charged using grid power or natural energy. In hybrid vehicles and the like that are equipped with a function to supply power to the outside in an emergency, it is possible to secure power after a disaster by charging the vehicle storage batteries in this way. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-9488 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are known as hybrid vehicles that can be externally charged. Some PHEVs use a gasoline-fueled engine to drive a generator, which can then be used to charge an on-board battery.

[0005] In such PHEVs, if the on-board battery and fuel capacity can be filled up quickly in the event of a disaster, the maximum amount of power source (energy) can be secured. However, appropriate means for securing power source in the event of a disaster that takes into account the characteristics of such PHEVs have not been studied to date, including in Patent Document 1. If externally chargeable hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) can be used to appropriately secure power source in the event of a disaster, the convenience of hybrid vehicles can be further improved.

[0006] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique that can appropriately secure power supply electricity by using a hybrid vehicle in the event of a disaster. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An exemplary vehicle control device of the present invention is a control device for a hybrid vehicle that can charge an on-board battery from an external source. When a disaster or power outage occurs in the location of the hybrid vehicle, the control device drives the engine to charge the on-board battery. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, when a disaster or power outage occurs at the location where the hybrid vehicle is located, the hybrid vehicle automatically drives the engine to charge the onboard battery. This allows the charge amount of the onboard battery to be increased quickly after the disaster occurs. Then, by refueling after early charging of the onboard battery, not only the charge amount of the onboard battery but also the fuel that can charge the battery can be increased quickly. In other words, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the power source power (energy) stored in the hybrid vehicle can be increased as much as possible quickly after the disaster occurs. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] Schematic diagram showing the general configuration of a hybrid vehicle [Figure 2] A diagram showing the general configuration of the energy control system [Figure 3] Diagram to explain the basic concept of energy control using an energy control system [Figure 4] A block diagram showing the general configuration of a vehicle control device. [Figure 5] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of energy control executed by a vehicle control device; [Figure 6] A flowchart showing a detailed example of the processing of the portion indicated by the symbol "A" in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] A flowchart showing a detailed example of the processing of the part indicated by the symbol "B" in FIG. 5. [Figure 8] A flowchart showing a detailed example of the processing of the part indicated by the symbol "C" in FIG. 5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0011] <1. Hybrid vehicles> First, a hybrid vehicle to which the present invention is applied will be described. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of a hybrid vehicle 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the hybrid vehicle 10 is a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) and includes an on-board battery 1, a drive motor 2, a generator 3, an engine 4, and a fuel tank 5. The hybrid vehicle 10 is a hybrid vehicle in which the on-board battery 1 can be charged externally.

[0012] The on-board battery 1 is configured to be rechargeable and is composed of, for example, a lithium-ion battery. The on-board battery 1 is a high-voltage battery configured to be able to supply power for the hybrid vehicle 10 to run using the drive motor 2. More specifically, the on-board battery 1 is configured to be able to supply power to the drive motor 2. The on-board battery 1 is also configured to be able to be charged by receiving power from a generator 3. More specifically, the on-board battery 1 and the drive motor 2, and the on-board battery 1 and the generator 3 are each connected to each other via an inverter device (not shown). Furthermore, the on-board battery 1 is configured to be able to be charged externally (externally charged) via a charging port 6 provided on the exterior of the hybrid vehicle 10. In addition to the on-board battery 1, which is a high-voltage battery, the hybrid vehicle 10 is also provided with a low-voltage battery (not shown) for supplying power to each control device, etc.

[0013] The drive motor 2 generates driving force for running the hybrid vehicle 10. The drive motor 2 is connected to an axle 7 of the hybrid vehicle 10 so that power can be transmitted. Driven by the drive motor 2, the axle 7 rotates and the hybrid vehicle 10 runs. Electric power for driving the drive motor 2 is supplied from the on-board battery 1.

[0014] The generator 3 generates electricity by being driven by the engine 4. The electricity generated by the generator 3 is charged into the vehicle battery 1. The engine 4, which operates the generator 3, runs on fuel stored in a fuel tank 5. In this embodiment, the fuel is gasoline, for example. That is, the engine 4 is a gasoline engine. The fuel tank 5 can be refilled with fuel using a fuel filler port 8 provided on the outer surface of the hybrid vehicle 10.

[0015] As can be seen from the above description, hybrid vehicle 10 runs by driving traction motor 2 using electric power generated by generator 3 driven by engine 4. In other words, hybrid vehicle 10 is a so-called series-type plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV). However, the hybrid vehicle to which the present invention is applied is not limited to a series-type hybrid vehicle, and may be a hybrid vehicle of another type, such as a so-called split-type (series-parallel type) hybrid vehicle.

[0016] <2. Energy Control System> Next, an energy control system including the hybrid vehicle 10 described above will be described. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the energy control system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 2, the energy control system 100 includes the hybrid vehicle 10, a V2H (Vehicle to Home) device 20, a communication network 30, a user terminal 40, and a server 50.

[0017] [2-1. Hybrid Vehicles] As shown in FIG. 2, the hybrid vehicle 10 includes a vehicle control device 11, a G sensor 12, a position sensor 13, a fuel sensor 14, an engine ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 15, a BMS (Battery Management System) 16, and a communication device 17.

[0018] The vehicle control device 11 is a control device for a hybrid vehicle. The vehicle control device 11 is a control device that performs energy control in the hybrid vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the vehicle control device 11 is mounted on each hybrid vehicle 10. However, at least some of the elements constituting the vehicle control device 11 may be provided in a location separate from the hybrid vehicle 10, for example, in a server or the like that is provided so as to be able to communicate with the hybrid vehicle 10. Details of the vehicle control device 11 will be described later. Note that the vehicle control device 11 may be configured to perform control other than energy control, such as control of external charging and external power feeding, and control of the drive motor 2. Note that these controls other than energy control may be performed using an ECU provided separately from the vehicle control device 11. Note that the control of external charging and external power feeding includes, for example, controlling the on / off of a relay provided in a power supply path and controlling the amount of current flowing in the power supply path while communicating with the V2H device 20.

[0019] The G sensor 12 is an acceleration sensor disposed at an appropriate position on the hybrid vehicle 10. The G sensor 12 can detect when an impact is applied to the hybrid vehicle 10 due to an earthquake or the like. That is, the G sensor 12 is provided so as to be able to detect when the hybrid vehicle 10 (host vehicle) on which the G sensor 12 is mounted encounters an earthquake. The G sensor 12 outputs detection information to the vehicle control device 11.

[0020] The position sensor 13 is disposed at an appropriate position on the hybrid vehicle 10 so as to be able to detect the current position of the hybrid vehicle 10 on which the position sensor 13 is mounted. The position sensor 13 may be, for example, a GPS receiver constituting a GPS (Global Positioning System), a gyro sensor, etc. The position sensor 13 outputs the detected position information to the vehicle control device 11.

[0021] Fuel sensor 14 detects the remaining amount of fuel in fuel tank 5 (see FIG. 1) provided in hybrid vehicle 10 on which it is mounted. Fuel sensor 14 may be configured to detect the amount of fuel remaining by converting the up and down movement of a float provided in fuel tank 5 into a variable resistance using a potentiometer, for example. Fuel sensor 14 outputs the detected remaining amount of fuel information to vehicle control device 11.

[0022] The engine ECU 15 is disposed in an appropriate position in the hybrid vehicle 10 and controls the engine 4 (see FIG. 1) equipped in the hybrid vehicle 10. The engine ECU 15 performs electronic control, for example, to inject fuel into the engine 4 at an appropriate timing and in an optimal amount. The engine ECU 15 is communicably connected to the vehicle control device 11 and is controlled by the vehicle control device 11.

[0023] The BMS 16 is a control circuit disposed in an appropriate location in the hybrid vehicle 10, and monitors and controls the charging and discharging of the on-board battery 1 provided in the hybrid vehicle 10. The BMS 16 is communicably connected to the vehicle control device 11 and is controlled by the vehicle control device 11.

[0024] The communication device 17 is arranged at an appropriate location on the hybrid vehicle 10 and is configured as a communication interface having an interface circuit for connecting to the communication network 30. Specifically, the communication device 17 is configured to be connectable to the communication network 30 wirelessly. Note that the communication device 17 may also be configured to be connectable to the communication network 30 via a wire. A wired connection configuration can be realized, for example, when the hybrid vehicle 10 is parked in a parking lot at the user's home.

[0025] [2-2.V2H equipment] The V2H device 20 is equipment installed in the home of a user of the hybrid vehicle 10. The V2H device 20 is electrically connected to a distribution board (not shown) installed in the user's home. The V2H device 20 is also installed so as to be electrically connectable to the on-board battery 1 equipped in the hybrid vehicle 10. For example, the V2H device 20 and the on-board battery 1 can be electrically connected by connecting one end of a cable connected to a charging port 6 (see FIG. 1) of the hybrid vehicle 10 and the other end of the cable to a cable connection portion (not shown) of the V2H device 20. Alternatively, the V2H device 20 and the on-board battery 1 may be electrically connected using wireless power supply technology. The V2H device 20 is installed so as to be able to communicate with controllers installed in the home and the hybrid vehicle 10.

[0026] By using the V2H device 20, it is possible to supply power from the user's home to the on-board battery 1 provided in the hybrid vehicle 10, thereby charging (external charging) the on-board battery 1. Furthermore, by using the V2H device 20, it is possible to use the power stored in the on-board battery 1 provided in the hybrid vehicle 10 at the home of the user of the hybrid vehicle 10. In detail, the power of the on-board battery 1 can be used as power to run home appliances and the like via a distribution board provided at the user's home.

[0027] [2-3. Communication Network, User Terminal, and Server] The communication network 30 enables communication between the communication device 17 provided in the hybrid vehicle 10 and a user terminal 40 provided by a user of the hybrid vehicle 10. The communication network 30 also enables communication between the communication device 17 provided in the hybrid vehicle 10 and a server 50. The communication network 30 is a communication network including, for example, the Internet, a telephone line network, etc. The communication network 30 may be configured to enable communication between the user terminal 40 and the server 50.

[0028] The user terminal 40 is connected to the communication network 30 wirelessly or via a wire. The user terminal 40 is a terminal device owned by the user of each hybrid vehicle 40, and is linked to the hybrid vehicle 40 owned by the user using, for example, a user ID or a vehicle ID. The number of user terminals 40 linked to each hybrid vehicle 10 may be one or more. The user terminal 40 may broadly include terminal devices available to the user of the hybrid vehicle 10, but is preferably a mobile terminal. The user terminal 40 is, for example, a smartphone or a tablet terminal.

[0029] The server 50 is configured as a computer device and provides services to the vehicle control device 11 via the communication network 30 and the communication device 17. The server 50 is, for example, a web server that manages website information or a mail server that manages email information. There may be one or more servers 50. The server 50 may be configured to provide services not only to the vehicle control device 11 but also to the user terminal 40. In detail, the server 50 may be configured to provide earthquake information, power outage information, tsunami information, or the like.

[0030] [2-4. Basic Concept of Energy Control] The basic concept of energy control using the energy control system 100 configured as described above will now be described with reference to Fig. 3. The upper part of Fig. 3 shows the time series change in the remaining charge of the on-board battery 1 provided in the hybrid vehicle 10. The lower part of Fig. 3 shows the time series change in the remaining amount of fuel (more specifically, the remaining amount of gasoline) in the fuel tank 5 provided in the hybrid vehicle 10. In the upper and lower parts of Fig. 3, time progresses from left to right.

[0031] The contents explained here are basic principles, and flexible measures that deviate from the principles may be taken depending on the individual circumstances of the user, etc. Such exceptional cases will be described later.

[0032] In the example shown in FIG. 3, the hybrid vehicle 10 is parked in a parking lot at the user's home. Also, in the example shown in FIG. 3, a disaster (e.g., an earthquake) and a power outage occur in the location where the hybrid vehicle 10 is located. In the event of such a disaster, the energy control system 100 performs energy control so as to increase the amount of energy stored in the hybrid vehicle 10 as early as possible. In detail, the energy stored in the hybrid vehicle 10 broadly includes energy that the hybrid vehicle 10 can ultimately supply to the outside as power source power. In other words, the energy stored in the hybrid vehicle 10 includes not only the power currently stored in the on-board battery 1, but also gasoline fuel that can be used to replace the power of the on-board battery 1 in the future.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 3, when a disaster occurs, the on-board battery 1 is approximately half charged, and the fuel tank 5 is slightly less than full (see the left diagram in FIG. 3). In such a case, first, the engine 4 is driven early after the disaster or power outage occurs to generate electricity using the generator 3 and charge the on-board battery 1. That is, the on-board battery 1 is charged by driving the engine 4 rather than by external charging. This allows the on-board battery 1 to be quickly and fully charged (see the center diagram in FIG. 3) while consuming fuel from the fuel tank 5. Then, by refueling the on-board battery 1 when charging is completed early, the fuel tank 5 can be quickly filled with fuel after the disaster occurs (see the right diagram in FIG. 3). That is, the amount of energy stored in the hybrid vehicle 10 can be quickly maximized. Note that the amount of energy referred to here can be rephrased as the amount of power source required in the event of a disaster, and it can also be said that the power source power of the hybrid vehicle 10 can be maximized.

[0034] As can be seen from the above, in the energy control method in the energy control system 100, when a disaster or power outage is detected at the location where the hybrid vehicle 10 is located, the on-board battery 1 is automatically charged by driving the engine 4. In this embodiment, this control method is executed by the vehicle control device 11. For this reason, in other words, when the vehicle control device 11 detects the occurrence of a disaster or power outage at the location where the hybrid vehicle 10 is located, the vehicle control device 11 drives the engine 4 to charge the on-board battery 1.

[0035] With this configuration, if a disaster or power outage occurs at the location where the hybrid vehicle 10 is located, the hybrid vehicle 10 will automatically drive the engine 4 to charge the on-board battery 1. This allows the charge amount of the on-board battery 1 to be increased quickly when a disaster occurs. Then, by quickly charging the on-board battery 1 and then refueling, not only the charge amount of the on-board battery 1 but also the fuel that can charge the battery can be increased quickly. In other words, with the configuration of this embodiment, the source power stored in the hybrid vehicle 10 can be increased as much as possible quickly after a disaster occurs. Note that the source power referred to here also includes power that will become source power in the future by using fuel to drive the engine 4. This point will also be applied to the following explanations.

[0036] <3. Vehicle control device> Next, a detailed example of the configuration of the above-mentioned vehicle control device 11 will be described. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the vehicle control device 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Note that Fig. 4 shows components necessary for explaining the features of the vehicle control device 11 according to the embodiment, and a description of general components is omitted. The vehicle control device 11 of this embodiment is a computer device.

[0037] 4, the vehicle control device 11 includes a controller 110 and a memory 120. Although not shown, the vehicle control device 11 also includes an input / output unit that enables information exchange with the outside.

[0038] The controller 110 is configured to include an arithmetic circuit that performs arithmetic processing. More specifically, the controller 110 includes a processor that performs arithmetic processing and the like. The processor may be configured to include, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The controller 110 may be configured with one processor or multiple processors. When configured with multiple processors, the processors only need to be connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other. For example, some of the multiple processors may be located in a location other than the hybrid vehicle 10 (such as a server device).

[0039] The memory 120 is configured to include volatile memory and nonvolatile memory. The volatile memory is specifically RAM (Random Access Memory). The nonvolatile memory is specifically ROM (Read Only Memory). The nonvolatile memory may also include flash memory, a hard disk drive, or the like. The nonvolatile memory stores computer-readable programs (computer programs) and data. The data includes alternative power source information 121, which will be described later.

[0040] The controller 110 includes, as its functions, an information acquisition unit 111, a disaster monitoring unit 112, a power outage determination unit 113, a State Of Charge (SOC) determination unit 114, a remaining fuel amount determination unit 115, an alternative power source determination unit 116, a tsunami determination unit 117, an external charge state determination unit 118, and an instruction processing unit 119. In this embodiment, the functions of the controller 110 are realized by a processor executing arithmetic processing in accordance with a program stored in the memory 120. The program that realizes the functions of the controller 110 may be composed of a single program or multiple programs.

[0041] The program stored in memory 120 may be provided by, for example, a computer-readable nonvolatile recording medium. The nonvolatile recording medium may be, for example, the nonvolatile memory described above, an optical recording medium (for example, an optical disk), a magneto-optical recording medium (for example, a magneto-optical disk), a USB memory, an SD card, or the like. As another example, the program stored in memory 120 may be configured to be provided from a program providing server via a communication line such as the Internet (a configuration provided by so-called download).

[0042] In addition, in this embodiment, the functions of the controller 110 are realized by an arithmetic circuit (processor) executing arithmetic processing according to a program, i.e., by software, but this is merely an example and the functions may be realized by other methods. At least a portion of the functions of the controller 110 may be realized using, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). That is, at least a portion of the functions of the controller 110 may be realized by hardware using a dedicated IC or the like. At least a portion of the functions of the controller 110 may also be realized by a combination of software and hardware.

[0043] Furthermore, each of the functional units 111 to 119 is a conceptual component. A function executed by one component may be distributed among multiple components. Furthermore, the functions of multiple components may be integrated into one component.

[0044] The information acquisition unit 111 acquires information from outside the vehicle control device 11. Specifically, the information acquisition unit 111 acquires information from the G sensor 12, the position sensor 13, the fuel sensor 14, etc. The information acquisition unit 111 also acquires tsunami information and the like from the server 50 via the communication device 17. The information acquisition unit 111 also acquires information related to external charging of the in-vehicle battery 1, information about power outages at home, and the like, using the V2H device 20. The information acquisition unit 111 stores the information acquired from outside in the memory 120 as appropriate.

[0045] The disaster monitoring unit 112 monitors whether or not a disaster has occurred in the location where the hybrid vehicle 10 (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as the host vehicle 10) equipped with the controller 110 is located. In this embodiment, the disaster is an earthquake, but it may be another disaster such as a fire. More specifically, the disaster is a strong earthquake, for example, with a seismic intensity of "upper 5" or higher. The disaster monitoring unit 112 detects the occurrence of a strong earthquake by, for example, monitoring information acquired from the G sensor 12.

[0046] The occurrence of a disaster (strong earthquake) may be detected, for example, by using the position information of the vehicle 10 acquired from the position sensor 13 and regional disaster information (earthquake information) provided by the server 50, instead of using the information from the G sensor 12. In this case, the energy control system 100 may be configured not to include the G sensor 12. The occurrence of a strong earthquake may be detected by using the position information of the vehicle 10 and regional earthquake information in addition to the information from the G sensor 12. In this case, for example, when a large shaking (swing of a predetermined value or more) is detected from the information obtained by the G sensor 12, the position sensor 13 and the server 50 may be used to check earthquake information for the location where the vehicle 10 is located, and the occurrence of a strong earthquake may be detected.

[0047] The power outage determination unit 113 determines whether or not a power outage has occurred at the location where the host vehicle 10 is located. The presence or absence of a power outage may be determined, for example, by inquiring of the presence or absence of a power outage to the user terminal 40 held by the user of the host vehicle 10, and based on the content of the response to the inquiry. As another method, if the power outage determination unit 113 can acquire information related to household electricity via the V2H device 20, the power outage determination unit 113 may determine whether or not a power outage has occurred from the information acquired via the V2H device 20. Furthermore, the power outage determination unit 113 may determine whether or not a power outage has occurred by using the position information of the host vehicle 10 acquired from the position sensor 13 and local power outage information provided by the server 50.

[0048] The SOC determination unit 114 determines the state of charge of the in-vehicle battery 1 provided in the vehicle 10. The state of charge of the in-vehicle battery 1 can be acquired from the BMS 16. For example, the SOC determination unit 114 determines whether the SOC (charging rate) of the in-vehicle battery 1 is smaller than a preset remaining battery capacity threshold. The SOC is expressed as a percentage, for example, with 100% for a fully charged state and 0% for a completely discharged state. The remaining battery capacity threshold is set to determine whether the in-vehicle battery 1 needs to be charged. For example, the remaining battery capacity threshold is set to 100% or a value close to 100%.

[0049] The remaining fuel amount determination unit 115 determines the amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank 5 of the host vehicle 10. The remaining amount of fuel in the fuel tank 5 can be obtained from information from the fuel sensor 14. The remaining amount of fuel is expressed, for example, as a percentage, and is 100% when the fuel tank 5 is full of fuel and 0% when there is no fuel remaining in the fuel tank 5. The remaining fuel amount determination unit 115 determines, for example, whether the remaining amount of fuel in the fuel tank 5 is greater than a preset remaining fuel amount threshold. The remaining fuel amount threshold is set, for example, to determine whether there is enough fuel remaining in the fuel tank 5 to charge the on-board battery 1 using the engine 4. For example, the remaining fuel amount threshold may be set to 5% or the like. Note that the hybrid vehicle 10 of this embodiment is configured to move using the power of the on-board battery 1 and is not configured to move by being driven by the engine 4. For this reason, the remaining fuel amount threshold may be 0% in some cases.

[0050] The alternative power source determination unit 116 determines whether or not there is an alternative power source (alternative power source equipment) available in the home of the user of the vehicle 10 that can be used in the event of a power outage. Examples of alternative power sources include a home storage battery and a solar power generation system. In this embodiment, the alternative power source determination unit 116 determines whether or not there is an alternative power source by referring to alternative power source information 121 registered in advance by the user. Note that, if information regarding the availability of an alternative power source can be acquired from the V2H device 20, the information may be used to determine whether or not there is an alternative power source.

[0051] The tsunami determination unit 117 determines whether or not there is tsunami information at the location where the vehicle 10 is located. The presence or absence of tsunami information may be determined, for example, by inquiring of the user terminal 40 held by the user of the vehicle 10 about the presence or absence of tsunami information, based on the content of the response to the inquiry. As another method, the tsunami determination unit 117 may determine whether or not there is tsunami information at the location where the vehicle 10 is located, by using the position information of the vehicle 10 acquired from the position sensor 13 and the tsunami information provided by the server 50.

[0052] The external charging state determination unit 118 determines the state of external charging of the host vehicle 10. The external charging state can be one of the following: external charging is in progress, external charging is scheduled by timer, and external charging is not in progress. The external charging state determination unit 118 determines which of these states the current state is. Information that enables determination as to whether external charging is in progress or not can be acquired from, for example, the BMS 16 or the V2H device 20. Furthermore, information that enables determination as to whether external charging is scheduled by timer can be acquired from, for example, the BMS 16 or the V2H device 20.

[0053] The instruction processing unit 119 instructs each unit to execute processing for energy control determined based on various information. These units include, for example, the engine 4, the BMS 16, and the communication device 17. Note that the instruction to the communication device 17 here refers to making the communication device 17 issue a notification to the user terminal 40. In other words, the instruction processing executed by the instruction processing unit 119 also includes a notification processing to the user terminal 40.

[0054] <4. Detailed example of energy control processing> Next, a detailed example of the energy control process executed by the vehicle control device 11 will be described. Fig. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of energy control executed by the vehicle control device 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention. This flowchart shows the technical content of a computer program that causes a computer to realize the energy control method.

[0055] 5 is executed when the hybrid vehicle 10 is parked in a parking lot at the user's home. The hybrid vehicle 10 is parked in a location where the power of the on-board battery 1 can be supplied to the user's home. While the hybrid vehicle 10 is parked, the controller 110 included in the vehicle control device 11 appropriately monitors external information such as information from the various sensors 12 to 14.

[0056] In step S1, the controller 110 (disaster monitoring unit 112) monitors whether a disaster has occurred. In particular, the controller 110 periodically monitors information from the G sensor 12 to monitor whether a strong earthquake has occurred. If the occurrence of a strong earthquake (disaster) is detected (Yes in step S1), the process proceeds to the next step S2. If the occurrence of a strong earthquake is not detected (No in step S1), the monitoring process of step S1 continues.

[0057] In step S2, the controller 110 (power outage determination unit 113) determines whether a power outage has occurred. In detail, the controller 110 performs a process of transmitting a notification confirming whether a power outage has occurred to the user terminal 40 registered in advance in the memory 120. The controller 110 determines whether a power outage has occurred based on response information returned from the user in response to the transmission process. If it is determined that a power outage has occurred (Yes in step S2), the process proceeds to the next step S3. If it is determined that a power outage has not occurred (No in step S2), the process shown in FIG. 8, which will be described later, is performed.

[0058] In step S3, the controller 110 (SOC determination unit 114) determines whether the SOC of the in-vehicle battery 1 is lower than a preset remaining battery capacity threshold (for example, 100% as described above). The SOC of the in-vehicle battery 1 can be acquired from the BMS 16. If the SOC of the in-vehicle battery 1 is lower than the remaining battery capacity threshold (Yes in step S3), the process proceeds to the next step S4. If the SOC of the in-vehicle battery 1 is equal to or higher than the remaining battery capacity threshold (No in step S3), the process shown in FIG. 7, which will be described later, is performed.

[0059] In step S4, the controller 110 (fuel remaining amount determination unit 115) determines whether the amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank 5 is greater than a preset fuel remaining amount threshold (for example, 5% as described above). The amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank 5 can be acquired from information from the fuel sensor 14. If the amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank 5 is greater than the fuel remaining amount threshold (Yes in step S4), the process proceeds to the next step S5. If the amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank 5 is equal to or less than the fuel remaining amount threshold (No in step S4), the process proceeds to step S8.

[0060] In step S5, the controller 110 (alternative power source determination unit 116) determines whether or not an alternative power source is available in the home of the user of the vehicle 10. The availability of an alternative power source can be determined using alternative power source information 121 pre-registered in the memory 120. If an alternative power source is available (Yes in step S5), the process proceeds to the next step S6. If an alternative power source is not available (No in step S5), the process proceeds to step S7.

[0061] In step S6, the controller 110 (instruction processing unit 119) instructs the engine 4 to drive to charge the vehicle battery 1. Specifically, the controller 110 instructs the engine ECU 15 to drive the engine 4. The controller 110 also instructs the BMS 16 to put the vehicle battery 1 into a chargeable state. By executing these steps, charging of the vehicle battery 1 by driving the engine 4 is automatically started. When the processing of step S6 is completed, the flow shown in FIG. 5 is completed.

[0062] When automatic charging of the in-vehicle battery 1 is started, the user terminal 40 may be notified of this. At this time, for example, the SOC of the in-vehicle battery 1, the amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank 5, etc. may be notified to the user terminal 40. When automatic charging of the in-vehicle battery 1 is started and the in-vehicle battery 1 is fully charged, it is preferable that the user (user terminal 40) be notified of this. When automatic charging of the in-vehicle battery 1 is started and the amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank 5 becomes smaller than a fuel remaining amount threshold, it is preferable that charging of the in-vehicle battery 1 be automatically stopped at that point. When charging is stopped in this way, it is preferable that the user (user terminal 40) be notified of this.

[0063] As can be seen from the above, if the home of the user of the hybrid vehicle 10 has an alternative power source for use in the event of a power outage, the vehicle control device 11 causes the engine 4 to be driven to charge the on-board battery 1 without processing to notify the user. More specifically, if a strong earthquake and power outage are detected, the vehicle control device 11 performs the following processing, assuming that there is enough fuel in the fuel tank 5 to generate electricity. The vehicle control device 11 automatically causes the engine 4 to be driven to charge the on-board battery 1, provided that the SOC of the on-board battery 1 is less than 100% and there is an alternative power source at home that can be used in the event of a power outage.

[0064] In this configuration, when an alternative power source is available at home and there is no need to supply power from the on-board battery 1 to the home, power generation by the generator 3 in the hybrid vehicle 10 can be automatically started to charge the on-board battery 1 soon after the occurrence of a disaster. This allows the on-board battery 1 to be refueled after charging, thereby increasing the power source power stored in the hybrid vehicle 10 as much as possible as soon as possible.

[0065] In step S7, the controller 110 (tsunami determination unit 117) determines whether or not there is tsunami information for the location of the vehicle 10. The presence or absence of tsunami information for the location of the vehicle 10 can be determined by acquiring vehicle position information using the position sensor 13 and tsunami information provided by the server 50. If it is determined that there is tsunami information for the location of the vehicle 10 (Yes in step S7), the process proceeds to step S6 described above. If it is determined that there is no tsunami information for the location of the vehicle 10 (No in step S7), the process shown in FIG. 6, which will be described later, is performed.

[0066] As can be seen from the above, the vehicle control device 11 causes the engine 4 to be driven to charge the on-board battery 1 when it detects the occurrence of a disaster or power outage, as well as when it detects tsunami information in the location where the hybrid vehicle 10 is located. More specifically, when it detects the occurrence of a strong earthquake or power outage, the vehicle control device 11 performs the following processing, assuming that there is enough fuel in the fuel tank 5 to generate electricity. The vehicle control device 11 automatically causes the engine 4 to be driven to charge the on-board battery 1, on the condition that the SOC of the on-board battery 1 is less than 100%, there is no alternative power source at home that can be used in the event of a power outage, and tsunami information has been detected.

[0067] In this configuration, when tsunami information is detected, it is assumed that the user will begin evacuation as soon as they are ready, and charging of the vehicle battery 1 can be started early. This makes it possible to increase the charge amount of the vehicle battery 1 as much as possible. Then, by increasing the power of the vehicle battery 1 as much as possible and then refueling at the evacuation site, the power source power stored in the hybrid vehicle 10 can be increased.

[0068] In step S8, the controller 110 (instruction processing unit 119) performs a notification process to prompt the user to refuel. In association with this notification process, a notification recommending refueling is sent to the user terminal 40. Since there is currently not enough fuel in the fuel tank 5 of the hybrid vehicle 10, the purpose of the notification process is to first recommend refueling in order to secure power supply. Note that the content of the notification process preferably includes information such as the remaining amount of fuel and the SOC of the in-vehicle battery 1. When the processing of step S8 is completed, the flow shown in FIG. 5 is completed.

[0069] Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing a detailed example of the processing of the portion indicated by the symbol "A" in Fig. 5. Fig. 6 shows processing under the assumption that a disaster (strong earthquake) and a power outage have been detected at the location of hybrid vehicle 10 and that there is room for charging on-board battery 1. Fig. 6 also shows processing under the assumption that there is sufficient fuel in fuel tank 5, that there is no alternative power source at home in the event of a power outage, and that no tsunami information has been detected at the location of hybrid vehicle 10.

[0070] In step S11, the controller 110 (the instruction processing unit 119) executes a notification process to confirm with the user. The notification process is specifically directed to the user terminal 40. The confirmation is specifically about whether or not the user plans to evacuate immediately. Once the notification process for confirmation is executed, the process proceeds to the next step S12. Note that, after the execution of the notification process for confirmation has confirmed through the user terminal 40 whether or not the user plans to evacuate, the user uses the user terminal 40 to perform a response process to the inquiry.

[0071] In step S12, the controller 110 (instruction processing unit 119) determines whether the user plans to evacuate immediately based on the response from the user (user terminal 40). The response from the user (user terminal 40) is input to the controller 110 via the communication device 17. The reason for checking whether there is a plan to evacuate is to consider the possibility that a tsunami has not occurred and the user will not evacuate immediately. If the response from the user is "plan to evacuate" (Yes in step S12), processing proceeds to the next step S13. If the response from the user is "not plan to evacuate" (No in step S12), processing proceeds to step S14.

[0072] In step S13, the controller 110 (instruction processing unit 119) instructs charging of the in-vehicle battery 1 by driving the engine 4. Since the user has replied that they plan to evacuate, the intention is to start charging of the in-vehicle battery 1 early, assuming that the user will begin evacuation as soon as they are ready. The processing content in step S13 is the same as the processing content in step S6. For this reason, a detailed description of the processing content in step S13 will be omitted. When the processing in step S13 is completed, the processing proceeds to the part indicated by the symbol "D" in FIG. 5. In other words, the energy control flow ends.

[0073] In step S14, the controller 110 (instruction processing unit 119) instructs the in-vehicle battery 1 to supply power to the home. This is intended to execute measures to ensure a power supply for the home, since the user has responded that they have no plans to evacuate from their home, which does not have an alternative power source in the event of a power outage. Specifically, the controller 110 instructs the BMS 16 to discharge the in-vehicle battery 1. Note that power supply to the home using the in-vehicle battery 1 is performed via the V2H device 20. For this reason, the in-vehicle battery 1 needs to be in a state where it can supply power to the V2H device 20. If this state is not met, it is preferable to notify the user via the user terminal 40 to change the state so that the in-vehicle battery 1 can supply power to the home. When the processing of step S14 is completed, the processing proceeds to the part indicated by the symbol "D" in FIG. 5. In other words, the energy control flow ends.

[0074] When power supply from the in-vehicle battery 1 to the home is started, the user terminal 40 may be notified of this. At this time, for example, the SOC of the in-vehicle battery 1 or the amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank 5 may be notified to the user terminal 40. When the SOC of the in-vehicle battery 1 becomes smaller than a predetermined amount after power supply from the in-vehicle battery 1 is started, the user may be notified of this via the user terminal 40, or the power supply from the in-vehicle battery 1 may be automatically stopped. The predetermined amount may be, for example, a minimum charge amount that is not necessary to move the hybrid vehicle 10 to a destination (for example, a gas station, etc.).

[0075] As can be seen from the above, when the vehicle control device 11 detects the occurrence of a disaster or power outage but does not detect tsunami information, it changes whether or not to charge the vehicle battery 1 by driving the engine 4 depending on the result of the confirmation notification to the user of the hybrid vehicle 10.

[0076] More specifically, when a strong earthquake and a power outage are detected, the vehicle control device 11 performs the following process, assuming that there is enough fuel in the fuel tank 5 to generate electricity. The vehicle control device 11 sends a confirmation notification to the user of the hybrid vehicle 10 to confirm whether or not they plan to evacuate immediately, on the condition that the SOC of the vehicle battery 1 is less than 100%, there is no alternative power source at home that can be used in the event of a power outage, and no tsunami information is detected. If there are plans to evacuate, the vehicle control device 11 causes the vehicle battery 1 to be charged by driving the engine 4. If there are no plans to evacuate, the vehicle battery 1 is not caused to be charged by driving the engine 4. If there are no plans to evacuate, the vehicle battery 1 is caused to function as a home power source for the user.

[0077] This configuration can flexibly accommodate both users who wish to remain at home because a tsunami will not occur, and users who wish to evacuate immediately regardless of whether a tsunami occurs, thereby enabling appropriate energy control according to the user's selection.

[0078] Note that, if it is possible to simultaneously charge the in-vehicle battery 1 by driving the engine 4 and supply power from the in-vehicle battery 1 to the home using the V2H device 20, a command to charge the in-vehicle battery 1 by driving the engine may be issued together with the power supply command in step S14. In such a configuration, power control may be performed so that a portion of the power generated by driving the engine is used to charge the in-vehicle battery 1 and the remaining portion is used to supply power to the home. In this way, the amount of charge of the in-vehicle battery 1 can be increased while power is being supplied to the home.

[0079] Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing a detailed example of the processing of the portion indicated by the symbol "B" in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 shows processing under the assumption that a disaster (strong earthquake) and a power outage have been detected at the location of the hybrid vehicle 10. Fig. 7 also shows processing under the assumption that the in-vehicle battery 1 is sufficiently charged and does not need to be charged.

[0080] In step S21, the controller 110 (tsunami determination unit 117) determines whether or not there is tsunami information for the location of the vehicle 10. The process for determining the tsunami information may be the same as step S7 in FIG. 5 described above. If it is determined that there is tsunami information for the location of the vehicle 10 (Yes in step S21), the process proceeds to the next step S22. If it is determined that there is no tsunami information for the location of the vehicle 10 (No in step S21), the process proceeds to step S23.

[0081] In step S22, the controller 110 (the instruction processing unit 119) performs a notification process to encourage the user to refuel. That is, when the remaining charge of the in-vehicle battery 1 is equal to or greater than a threshold (more specifically, a remaining battery charge threshold), the vehicle control device 11 performs a notification process to encourage the user of the hybrid vehicle 10 to refuel instead of charging the in-vehicle battery 1. In conjunction with this notification process, a notification recommending refueling is sent to the user terminal 40. This makes it possible to fill up the fuel tank 5 early without wasting fuel in the fuel tank 5, thereby maximizing the power supply power of the hybrid vehicle 10. Note that the content of the notification process preferably includes information such as the remaining charge of fuel and the SOC of the in-vehicle battery 1. When the process of step S22 is completed, the process proceeds to the part indicated by the symbol "D" in FIG. 5. That is, the energy control flow ends.

[0082] In step S23, the controller 110 (alternative power source determination unit 116) determines whether or not an alternative power source is available in the home of the user of the vehicle 10. The availability of an alternative power source can be determined using alternative power source information 121 pre-registered in the memory 120. If an alternative power source is available (Yes in step S23), there is no need to use the in-vehicle battery 1 to supply power to the home, and so processing proceeds to the above-mentioned step S22. If an alternative power source is not available (No in step S23), processing proceeds to the next step S24.

[0083] In step S24, the controller 110 (instruction processing unit 119) performs notification processing to ask the user whether or not to use the in-vehicle battery 1 as a home power source. That is, when the remaining charge of the in-vehicle battery 1 is equal to or greater than a threshold, the vehicle control device 11 performs notification processing to ask the user of the hybrid vehicle 10 whether or not to use the in-vehicle battery 1 as the user's home power source, instead of causing the in-vehicle battery 1 to be charged. With this configuration, it is possible to make appropriate suggestions to users who wish to stay at home because there is no tsunami, thereby improving user convenience.

[0084] More specifically, the notification process in step S24 is directed to the user terminal 40. Once the confirmation notification process has been executed, the process proceeds to the next step S25. After the confirmation notification process has been executed to confirm whether the in-vehicle battery 1 is being used as a home power source, the user uses the user terminal 40 to respond to the inquiry.

[0085] In step S25, the controller 110 (instruction processing unit 119) determines whether or not the user (user terminal 40) wishes to use the in-vehicle battery 1 as a home power source. If it is determined that the user has requested use as a home power source (Yes in step S25), the process proceeds to the next step S26. If it is determined that the user has not requested use as a home power source (No in step S25), the process proceeds to the above-mentioned step S22.

[0086] In step S26, the controller 110 (instruction processing unit 119) instructs the in-vehicle battery 1 to supply power to the home. The processing related to the power supply instruction may be similar to the processing of step S14 in FIG. 6 described above, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted. When the processing of step S26 is completed, the processing proceeds to the part indicated by the symbol "D" in FIG. 5. In other words, the energy control flow ends.

[0087] When power is supplied from the vehicle-mounted battery 1 to a home, the power generated by driving the engine 4 may be supplied to the home.

[0088] Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing a detailed example of the processing of the portion indicated by the symbol "C" in Fig. 5. Note that Fig. 8 shows processing under the assumption that the occurrence of a disaster (strong earthquake) has been detected at the location where hybrid vehicle 10 is present, but a power outage has not been detected.

[0089] In step S31, the controller 110 (external charging state determination unit 118) determines whether the host vehicle 10 is undergoing external charging. Note that "during external charging" refers to a state in which the on-board battery 1 of the hybrid vehicle 10 receives power supply from a home. The controller 110 can determine whether external charging is occurring by acquiring information from, for example, the BMS 16 or the V2H device 20. If external charging is occurring (Yes in step S31), the process proceeds to the next step, S32. If external charging is not occurring (No in step S31), the process proceeds to step S33.

[0090] In step S32, the controller 110 (such as the instruction processing unit 119) decides to continue the external charging currently being performed. As a result, charging of the in-vehicle battery 1 continues. Note that if it is decided to continue external charging, a process may be performed to notify the user terminal 40 of this decision, the SOC of the in-vehicle battery 1, the remaining fuel amount, etc. When the process of step S32 is completed, the process proceeds to the part indicated by the symbol "D" in FIG. 5. In other words, the energy control flow ends.

[0091] In step S33, the controller 110 (external charging state determination unit 118) determines whether timer-based external charging is in progress. The controller 110 can determine whether timer-based external charging is in progress by acquiring information from, for example, the BMS 16 or the V2H device 20. If timer-based external charging is in progress (Yes in step S33), the process proceeds to the next step, S34. If timer-based external charging is not in progress (No in step S33), the process proceeds to step S35.

[0092] In step S34, the controller 110 (instruction processing unit 119) instructs the BMS 16 and the V2H device 20 to cancel the timer reservation and start charging immediately. This causes charging of the in-vehicle battery 1 to start immediately. When an instruction to start immediate charging is given, it is preferable to perform processing to notify the user terminal 40 of this. At this time, the SOC of the in-vehicle battery 1, the remaining fuel amount, etc. may also be notified to the user terminal 40. When the processing of step S34 is completed, the processing proceeds to the part indicated by the symbol "D" in FIG. 5. In other words, the energy control flow ends.

[0093] In step S35, the controller 110 (instruction processing unit 119) performs notification processing to prompt the user to perform external charging. As a result of this notification processing, a notification recommending external charging is sent to the user terminal 40. Note that this notification may include information such as the remaining amount of fuel and the SOC of the in-vehicle battery 1. When the processing of step S35 is completed, the processing proceeds to the part indicated by the symbol "D" in FIG. 5. In other words, the energy control flow ends.

[0094] As can be seen from the above, the vehicle control device 11 causes external charging of the in-vehicle battery 1 when it detects the occurrence of a disaster but does not detect a power outage. In particular, external charging of the in-vehicle battery 1 is performed when the in-vehicle battery 1 is electrically connected to the V2H device 20. With this configuration, the in-vehicle battery 1 can be charged without using fuel in the fuel tank 5 of the hybrid vehicle 10, and the power source power of the hybrid vehicle 10 can be efficiently increased. Furthermore, when a timer reservation for external charging is in progress, external charging starts automatically, so the charge amount of the in-vehicle battery 1 can be increased early.

[0095] Furthermore, when the vehicle control device 11 detects the occurrence of a disaster but does not detect a power outage, it performs a notification process to the user of the hybrid vehicle 10, recommending external charging of the on-board battery 1. In particular, the notification process to the user is performed when the on-board battery 1 is not in a state where power can be supplied via the V2H device 20. A state where power cannot be supplied would be, for example, when the charging port 6 of the hybrid vehicle 10 and the V2H device 20 are not connected by a cable. When the on-board battery 1 is in such a state where it cannot be charged, the user can be quickly notified of this, allowing charging of the on-board battery 1 to begin early.

[0096] <5. Things to keep in mind> Various technical features disclosed in the description of the present invention may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the technical creation. Furthermore, multiple embodiments and modifications disclosed in the description of the present invention may be combined to the extent possible. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 1. Automotive battery 4. Engine 10. Hybrid vehicles 11. Vehicle control device

Claims

1. A control device for a hybrid vehicle capable of externally charging an on-board battery, A vehicle control device that, when detecting the occurrence of a disaster or power outage at a location where the hybrid vehicle is present, drives an engine to charge the on-board battery.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle control device causes the on-board battery to be charged when tsunami information is detected in the location in addition to the detection of the occurrence of the disaster and power outage.

3. 3. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, wherein when the occurrence of the disaster and power outage is detected but the tsunami information is not detected, whether or not to charge the on-board battery is changed depending on the result of the confirmation notification to the user of the hybrid vehicle.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 3 , wherein when the vehicle battery is not being charged, the vehicle battery is made to function as a home power source for the user.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 4 , wherein, if the user's home has an alternative power source for use in the event of a power outage, the vehicle battery is charged without performing the confirmation notification process.

6. 6. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein when the remaining charge of the on-board battery is equal to or greater than a threshold, a notification process is performed to prompt a user of the hybrid vehicle to refuel instead of charging the on-board battery.

7. 6. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein, when the remaining charge of the vehicle battery is equal to or greater than a threshold, instead of charging the vehicle battery, a notification process is performed to confirm with the user of the hybrid vehicle whether or not to use the vehicle battery as a home power source for the user.

8. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein when the occurrence of the disaster is detected but the power outage is not detected, external charging of the vehicle battery is performed.

9. 6. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein when the occurrence of the disaster is detected but the power outage is not detected, a notification process is performed to the user of the hybrid vehicle to recommend external charging of the on-board battery.

10. 1. An energy control method for a hybrid vehicle capable of externally charging an on-board battery, executed by a computer, comprising: An energy control method that automatically charges the vehicle battery by driving the engine when a disaster or power outage occurs in the location where the hybrid vehicle is located.

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