Control device, program, and control method
The control device uses initial, on-demand, and re-prediction processes to adjust power storage unit predictions, addressing discrepancies caused by changing conditions, ensuring reliable power availability in mobile objects.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024106054
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-07-01
- Publication Date
- 2026-01-16
AI Technical Summary
The predicted state of a power storage unit in a mobile object may significantly differ from its actual state due to changes in traffic conditions or weather during travel, leading to discrepancies in power availability.
A control device with an initial prediction process to set a destination, followed by on-demand and re-prediction processes to adjust power storage unit state predictions, using external information and sensor data to minimize discrepancies.
The solution effectively reduces the deviation between predicted and actual power storage unit states, ensuring reliable power availability during travel.
Smart Images

Figure 2026006781000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device, a program, and a control method. [Background technology]
[0002] There are known control devices that are equipped with a power storage unit and are applied to a mobile object that moves by receiving power from the power storage unit. Among such control devices, there is one that predicts the state of the power storage unit from the time the mobile object leaves a departure point until the time the mobile object arrives at a destination. An example of such a control device is the control device disclosed in Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-050888 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] There is a concern that the predicted state of the power storage unit may differ greatly from the actual state of the power storage unit while the mobile object is moving.
[0005] A primary object of the present disclosure is to provide a control device, a program, and a control method that can reduce the discrepancy between the predicted state of a power storage unit and the actual state of the power storage unit. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] The present disclosure provides a control device that is applied to a mobile body that includes a power storage unit and moves by being supplied with power from the power storage unit, a setting unit that sets a destination to which the moving object is to move; an initial prediction unit that performs an initial prediction process to predict a state of the power storage unit during a period from when the mobile object leaves a departure point until when the mobile object arrives at the destination; a predicting unit that performs a predicting process each time after the initial predicting process to predict a future state of the power storage unit from a current point in time; a determination unit that determines whether to execute a re-prediction process for re-predicting the state of the power storage unit for a period until the moving object arrives at the set destination by comparing the state of the power storage unit predicted in the initial prediction process with the state of the power storage unit predicted in the each-time prediction process; Equipped with.
[0007] The initial prediction unit performs an initial prediction process to predict the state of the power storage unit during the period from when the mobile body leaves the departure point to when the mobile body arrives at the destination. After the mobile body leaves the departure point, some factor (for example, a change in traffic conditions on the way to the destination or a sudden change in weather) may cause the state of the power storage unit predicted in the initial prediction process to differ significantly from the actual state of the power storage unit.
[0008] Therefore, the on-demand prediction unit of the present disclosure, after performing the initial prediction process, predicts the state of the power storage unit ahead of the current time point on an on-demand basis. Because the prediction result of the on-demand prediction unit is a prediction result ahead of the current time point, it serves as useful information for predicting a situation in which the actual state of the power storage unit significantly deviates from the state of the power storage unit predicted by the initial prediction unit. Therefore, the determination unit uses the prediction result of the on-demand prediction unit, which serves as useful information. Specifically, the determination unit compares the state of the power storage unit predicted in the initial prediction process with the state of the power storage unit predicted in the on-demand prediction process to determine whether to perform a re-prediction process to re-predict the state of the power storage unit for the period until arrival at the destination. This allows the determination unit to perform the re-prediction process before a situation in which the actual state of the power storage unit significantly deviates from the state of the power storage unit predicted in the initial prediction process occurs. As a result, it is possible to reduce the deviation between the state of the power storage unit predicted in the initial prediction process and the actual state of the power storage unit. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a control system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] Schematic diagram of the vehicle. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an overview of a temperature adjustment device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the processing of the ECU. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an initial prediction process. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the relationship between the elapsed time from the departure point to the destination and the change in SOC. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a prediction process. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a graph showing the effect of reducing the SOC error. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a prediction process according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0010] Several embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In several embodiments, functionally and / or structurally corresponding and / or associated parts may be assigned the same reference numerals or reference numerals that differ in the hundredth or more digit. For corresponding and / or associated parts, reference may be made to the descriptions of other embodiments.
[0011] First Embodiment DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of a control device according to the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawings. The control device of this embodiment is applied to electrically powered vehicles such as electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles.
[0012] FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of a control system including a host vehicle 40 equipped with a control device of this embodiment. In addition to the host vehicle 40, the control system also includes a charging station 11, an external server 20, and another vehicle 30. The charging station 11 is an external charging facility. The charging station 11 is installed, for example, in urban areas and on highways. The external server 20 is a device operated by a service provider that provides external information, which will be described later. The host vehicle 40, the charging station 11, the external server 20, and the other vehicle 30 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a communication network 10 (for example, the Internet). The communication network 10 is at least one of a wired network and a wireless network.
[0013] The external server 20 includes a processor 21, a communication unit 22, and a storage unit 23. In the external server 20, the processor 21, the communication unit 22, and the storage unit 23 are connected to one another via a communication bus 24.
[0014] The storage unit 23 includes a memory and a storage. The processor 21 controls the operation of the external server 20 by reading and executing a program stored in the storage unit 23. The communication unit 22 transmits and receives data via the communication network 10. The communication unit 22 transmits data to other devices in accordance with instructions from the processor 21. The communication unit 22 receives data transmitted from other devices and transmits the data to at least one of the processor 21 and the storage unit 23.
[0015] The host vehicle 40 includes a communication unit 50 and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 60, which is a control device. In this embodiment, the communication unit 50 corresponds to the "information receiving unit."
[0016] The communication unit 50 functions as an interface for transmitting and receiving data to and from communication devices external to the vehicle 40. The communication unit 50 is capable of communicating with the ECU 60. The communication unit 50 transmits and receives data via the communication network 10. The communication unit 50 receives data transmitted from devices external to the vehicle 40 in accordance with instructions from the ECU 60 and transmits the data to the ECU 60. The communication unit 50 receives current location information of the vehicle 40 detected by a GPS sensor (not shown) provided in the vehicle 40 and transmits the information to the ECU 60. The communication unit 50 includes a car navigation system and a user interface terminal for operating the car navigation system. In this embodiment, the user of the vehicle 40 can input a destination of the vehicle 40 into the user interface terminal to drive the vehicle 40 according to the car navigation system.
[0017] The ECU 60 is a device that performs various controls of the vehicle 40, and includes a processor 61 and a storage unit 62 as hardware. In the ECU 60, the processor 61 and the storage unit 62 are connected to each other via a communication bus 63. In the vehicle 40, the drive system 90, the air conditioning device 80, and the wiper device 100 can be controlled by their corresponding ECUs. However, for convenience, multiple ECUs are shown as one ECU 60 in FIG. 1.
[0018] The memory unit 62 includes a memory and a storage as hardware. The memory is a storage device for storing data used in the processing of the ECU 60. The memory provides the processor 61 with a working area for temporary use when the processor performs processing, for example. The memory includes, for example, a ROM or a RAM. The storage is a storage device for storing various programs and data to be read and executed by the processor 61, and is a non-transitory tangible storage medium. The storage includes, for example, an HDD or a flash memory. The storage stores program information and the like for the processing shown in Figures 7 and 9, which will be described later.
[0019] For example, program information stored in a non-transient physical recording medium is installed in the storage unit 62. The recording medium is, for example, a USB memory, a CD-ROM, or a DVD. Also, for example, program information transmitted via a communication network, such as over the air (OTA), is installed in the storage unit 62.
[0020] The host vehicle 40 is equipped with a drive system 90 for propelling the host vehicle 40. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the drive system 90 is equipped with a charger 94, a storage battery 91 (corresponding to an "electricity storage unit"), an inverter 92, and a rotating electric machine 93. The storage battery 91 is a chargeable and dischargeable secondary battery, such as a lithium-ion storage battery or a nickel-metal hydride storage battery. The storage battery 91 can be charged by being connected to a charging station 11 via the charger 94 (for example, an on-board charger).
[0021] The inverter 92 includes upper and lower arm switches, and converts the DC current output from the storage battery 91 into AC current by controlling the switching of the upper and lower arm switches, and supplies this to the stator windings of the rotating electrical machine 93 .
[0022] As shown in FIG. 3 , the vehicle 40 is equipped with a temperature control device that cools or heats the drive system 90. Specifically, the temperature control device includes a circulation path 200 through which coolant circulates, an electric water pump 201, a radiator 202, an electric fan 203, and a battery heater 204. The water pump 201 is powered by the storage battery 91 to drive the water coolant, and the electric fan 203 is powered by the storage battery 91 to drive the fan. The battery heater 204 is powered by the storage battery 91 to increase its temperature, thereby increasing the temperature of the water coolant flowing through the storage battery 91 or the circulation path 200. In the example shown in FIG. 3 , an inverter 92, a rotating electric machine 93, and the storage battery 91 are arranged in this order in the circulation path 200 downstream of the water pump 201. Note that the arrangement order in the circulation path 200 is not limited to the order shown in FIG. 3 . The battery heater 204 is disposed, for example, between the rotating electric machine 93 and the storage battery 91 in the circulation path 200 .
[0023] A radiator 202 is provided in circulation path 200 between water pump 201 and storage battery 91. Radiator 202 cools the coolant flowing in via circulation path 200 and supplies the cooled coolant to water pump 201. The coolant flowing into radiator 202 is cooled by wind blown against radiator 202 as vehicle 40 travels and wind blown against radiator 202 by rotating fan 203.
[0024] Returning to the explanation of FIG. 2 , the vehicle 40 is equipped with an air conditioner 80 that conditions the air inside the vehicle cabin of the vehicle 40. More specifically, the air conditioner 80 is equipped with an electric compressor 81, an air conditioning heater 82, and a blower fan 83. The electric compressor 81 is driven by power supplied from a storage battery 91 to circulate refrigerant in the vehicle refrigeration cycle. The air conditioning heater 82 is driven by power supplied from the storage battery 91 to heat the vehicle cabin. The blower fan 83 is driven to rotate by power supplied from the storage battery 91.
[0025] The vehicle 40 is equipped with a wiper device 100 that wipes raindrops off the window glass of the vehicle 40. The wiper device 100 is equipped with wiper blades and a motor that operates the wiper blades. The motor is driven by power supplied from a storage battery 91.
[0026] The host vehicle 40 is equipped with sensors 70 that detect the state quantities of the on-board electrical equipment. More specifically, the sensors 70 include a voltage sensor 71, a current sensor 72, a battery temperature sensor 73, an accelerator sensor 74, a brake sensor 75, and an interior temperature sensor 76. The voltage sensor 71 detects the voltage between the terminals of the storage battery 91. The current sensor 72 detects the current flowing through the storage battery 91. The battery temperature sensor 73 detects the temperature of the storage battery 91. The interior temperature sensor 76 detects the interior temperature of the host vehicle 40.
[0027] The accelerator sensor 74 detects the amount of operation of an accelerator operation member (specifically, for example, the amount of depression of an accelerator pedal) by the driver of the vehicle 40. The brake sensor 75 detects the amount of operation of a brake operation member (specifically, for example, the amount of depression of a brake pedal) by the driver. The detection values of the sensors 71 to 76 are input to the ECU 60.
[0028] Next, the control executed by the ECU 60 will be described.
[0029] The ECU 60 performs switching control of the upper and lower arm switches of the inverter 92 to feedback control the control amount of the rotating electric machine 93 to a command value. The control amount is, for example, torque. In each phase, the upper arm switch and the lower arm switch are alternately turned on. Through this feedback control, the rotational power of the rotor of the rotating electric machine 93 is transmitted to the drive wheels of the host vehicle 40, causing the host vehicle 40 to travel.
[0030] The ECU 60 controls the air conditioning in the vehicle cabin. The air conditioning control is a control for energizing the electric compressor 81, the air conditioning heater 82, and the blower fan 83 to control the temperature detected by the cabin temperature sensor 76 to a target value for the cabin temperature. The ECU 60 also controls the drive of the wiper device 100.
[0031] When ECU 60 determines that vehicle 40 is parked at charging station 11 and that storage battery 91 and charging station 11 are electrically connected, ECU 60 performs external charging control to charge storage battery 91 from a power source provided in charging station 11 via charger 94. The external charging control includes control of charger 94.
[0032] The ECU 60 performs control to manage the SOC of the storage battery 91 over a period from when the host vehicle 40 departs from a departure point (for example, a home, an office, or a commercial facility) until it arrives at the destination. This control is for suppressing the occurrence of a situation in which the SOC of the storage battery 91 falls below an allowable lower limit value before the host vehicle 40 arrives at the destination, for example.
[0033] In this embodiment, the ECU 60 performs control for managing the SOC by executing an initial prediction process and an occasional prediction process for the SOC of the storage battery 91. The initial prediction process is executed before the host vehicle 40 travels toward the destination, specifically, when the host vehicle 40 is stopped at the departure point. In the initial prediction process, a transition in the SOC of the storage battery 91 on the route from the departure point of the host vehicle 40 to the destination is predicted. The occasional prediction process is executed each time the host vehicle 40 travels from the departure point to the destination. In the occasional prediction process, the SOC of the storage battery 91 is predicted each time at a predetermined control cycle.
[0034] The initial prediction process will be described with reference to FIG. 4 . The ECU 60 includes a setting unit 110 and an initial prediction unit 111. The setting unit 110 receives destination information from the communication unit 50 and sets the destination of the host vehicle 40. For example, when the communication unit 50 determines that the destination of the host vehicle 40 has been input to a user interface terminal included in the communication unit 50 by a user operating the terminal, the communication unit 50 transmits the input destination information to the ECU 60. The setting unit 110 sets the destination Dtgt of the host vehicle 40 based on the received destination information. The setting unit 110 inputs the set destination Dtgt to the initial prediction unit 111.
[0035] In the initial prediction process, the initial prediction unit 111 receives current location information of the vehicle 40 from the communication unit 50 and recognizes the received current location of the vehicle 40 as a departure point Dini. The initial prediction unit 111 searches for a travel route MC, which is a route from the departure point Dini to the destination Dtgt. The initial prediction unit 111 predicts the power consumption of the air conditioning unit 80, the drive system 90, and the wiper device 100 along the searched travel route MC based on external information. Hereinafter, the onboard devices of the vehicle 40, including the air conditioning unit 80, the drive system 90, the wiper device 100, and the temperature control device of the storage battery 91, which operate by receiving power from the storage battery 91, may be referred to as target devices 300.
[0036] The external information is information outside the vehicle 40, and includes weather information, traffic information, and charging facility information. Specifically, the weather information includes the amount of rainfall, the amount of snowfall, the temperature, humidity, and the amount of solar radiation. The traffic information includes map information including road information, road elevation information, and legal speed limit information, as well as congestion information and traffic regulation information. The congestion information and traffic regulation information are, for example, VICS (registered trademark) information. The charging facility information includes location information of the charging station 11.
[0037] The external information is stored in, for example, the storage unit 23 of the external server 20 and updated each time. The communication unit 22 of the external server 20 transmits the external information to the communication unit 50 via the communication network 10. The communication unit 50 transmits the received external information to the initial prediction unit 111, and the initial prediction unit 111 uses the received external information in the initial prediction process. Note that the initial prediction unit 111 may use external information transmitted directly from another vehicle 30 to the communication unit 50 in the initial prediction process. Furthermore, the initial prediction unit 111 may receive location information of the charging station 11 transmitted by the charging station 11 via the communication network 10 and the communication unit 50 and use the information in the initial prediction process.
[0038] The initial prediction unit 111 sets a plurality of prediction points on the travel route MC to predict the transition of the SOC of the storage battery 91 on the travel route MC. The initial prediction unit 111 predicts the SOC of the storage battery 91 at each of the plurality of prediction points, and calculates a line connecting the predicted values of the SOC of the storage battery 91 at each prediction point as the predicted transition of the SOC of the storage battery 91.
[0039] The initial prediction unit 111 predicts the power consumption of the target device 300 at each prediction point in order to predict the SOC of the storage battery 91 at each prediction point. An example of a method in which the initial prediction unit 111 predicts the power consumption of the target device 300 will be described below.
[0040] First, we will explain how to predict the power consumption of the drive system 90. The initial prediction unit 111 predicts the power consumption of the drive system 90 at each prediction point as the power consumption required for traveling the host vehicle 40, based on the searched travel route MC and map information including road information, road elevation information, and legal speed information.
[0041] Next, a method for predicting the power consumption of the air conditioner 80 and the temperature control device, and the power consumption of the wiper device 100 will be described. The initial prediction unit 111 predicts the power consumption of the air conditioner 80 at each prediction point based on the interior environmental state of the host vehicle 40 at each prediction point. The interior environmental state includes the detected temperature and humidity values in the cabin of the host vehicle 40 and a target value for the interior temperature set by the user of the host vehicle 40. The initial prediction unit 111 predicts the power consumption of the temperature control device at each prediction point based on the battery state of the storage battery 91 and the target temperature of the storage battery 91 at each prediction point. The battery state includes the SOC and temperature of the storage battery 91. Note that, hereinafter, the vehicle speed of the host vehicle 40, the battery state of the storage battery 91, and the interior environmental state may be collectively referred to as an internal parameter Ipar. The initial prediction unit 111 predicts the power consumption of the wiper device 100 at each prediction point based on weather information at each prediction point.
[0042] The initial prediction unit 111 predicts the total value of predicted power consumption of the drive system 90, the air conditioner 80, the temperature control unit, the wiper unit 100, etc. as the power consumption of the target equipment. The initial prediction unit 111 predicts the SOC (hereinafter referred to as the initial charging rate Ssi) of the storage battery 91 at each prediction point based on the predicted power consumption of the target equipment 300 and the predicted temperature of the storage battery 91. The initial prediction unit 111 predicts a lower SOC of the storage battery 91 the higher the power consumption of the target equipment 300, and predicts a higher SOC of the storage battery 91 the lower the power consumption of the target equipment 300. Note that when regenerative control, which is control of the inverter 92 that causes the rotating electrical machine 93 to generate regenerative power, is performed on the travel route MC, the initial prediction unit 111 calculates regenerative power at the prediction point where regenerative control is performed and predicts the SOC taking the calculated regenerative power into account.
[0043] An example of the initial prediction process will be described with reference to FIG. 5. In this example, the initial prediction unit 111 predicts the SOC of the storage battery 91 at point P1, which is one of multiple prediction points. The initial prediction unit 111 receives weather information for point P1. It is assumed that the weather information for point P1 is sunny. The initial prediction unit 111 calculates, as output information, a target value Ipa* of the internal parameter and the SOC of the storage battery 91 based on input information including external information, a provisional value of the internal parameter Ipar, and a state-of-charge threshold value Sth. Here, the provisional value of the internal parameter Ipar is the value of the provisional internal parameter Ipar that is set in the process of calculating the output information. The state-of-charge threshold value Sth is, for example, the minimum allowable SOC of the storage battery 91.
[0044] When the initial prediction unit 111 determines that the weather at the point P1 is sunny, it predicts that the power consumption of the wiper device 100 will be lower than when it determines that the weather at the point P1 is rainy. Also, it predicts that the power consumption of the electric compressor 81 will be higher than when it determines that the weather on the travel route MC is rainy.
[0045] The initial prediction unit 111 sets a provisional value of the internal parameter Ipar based on the predicted power consumption of the wiper device 100 and the electric compressor 81. The initial prediction unit 111 determines whether the SOC of the storage battery 91 will be lower than the charging rate threshold Sth when the host vehicle 40 is controlled so that the internal parameter Ipar becomes the set provisional value. If the initial prediction unit 111 determines that the SOC of the storage battery 91 will be lower than the charging rate threshold Sth, it resets the provisional value of the internal parameter Ipar. For example, the initial prediction unit 111 repeatedly resets the provisional value until the SOC of the storage battery 91 becomes equal to or higher than the charging rate threshold Sth, and searches for an optimal value of the internal parameter Ipar. The initial prediction unit 111 sets the optimal value of the internal parameter Ipar as the target value Ipa* of the internal parameter.
[0046] The initial prediction unit 111 predicts the SOC of the storage battery 91 when the target device 300 is controlled at the point P1 so that the internal parameter Ipar becomes the target value Ipa* of the internal parameter.
[0047] After predicting the SOC at point P1, the initial prediction unit 111 predicts the SOC at point P2, the next prediction point after point P1, based on the SOC at point P1 and the power consumption predicted at point P2 using a method similar to that used for point P1. That is, the initial prediction unit 111 predicts the SOC at the next prediction point based on the SOC at the previous prediction point and the power consumption of the target device at the next prediction point. The initial prediction unit 111 predicts the power consumption of the target device 300 and the SOC of the storage battery 91 at multiple prediction points in sequence, thereby predicting trends in the power consumption of the target device 300 and trends in the SOC of the storage battery 91 along the travel route MC. Hereinafter, the trend in the SOC of the storage battery 91 predicted by the initial prediction unit 111 in the initial prediction process will be referred to as the initial charging rate trend Psi.
[0048] An example of a case where traffic information is included in the external information will be described. When the initial prediction unit 111 determines that accident information indicating that an accident has occurred between two prediction points has been received, it searches for a travel route MC that does not include the accident point in order to bypass the accident point. The initial prediction unit 111 sets prediction points on the searched travel route and predicts the SOC at each of the set prediction points using the method described above. If the search results in a longer distance between the two prediction points, the power consumption of the rotating electric machine 93 may be higher, for example, than when it is determined that no accident information has been received.
[0049] However, as shown in Fig. 6, there are cases where the initial charging rate transition Psi and the transition of the calculated SOC of the storage battery 91 (hereinafter referred to as the calculated charging rate Sr) do not match. In Fig. 6, the initial charging rate transition Psi is indicated by a dashed line, and the transition of the calculated charging rate Sr is indicated by a solid line. The calculated charging rate Sr is the SOC of the storage battery 91 calculated by the ECU 60 based on the detection values of the voltage sensor 71, the current sensor 72, and the battery temperature sensor 73, for example.
[0050] Specifically, at time t0 when the current location of the host vehicle 40 is the departure point Dini, the setting unit 110 sets the destination Dtgt, and the initial prediction unit 111 executes the initial prediction process. During the period from time t0 to time t4, the host vehicle 40 travels from the departure point Dini toward the destination Dtgt. In Fig. 6, the positions of the host vehicle 40 on the travel route MC at times t1, t2, and t3 correspond to the predicted points.
[0051] During the period from time t0 to time t1, the transitions of the initial charging rate transition Psi and the calculated charging rate Sr are equivalent. On the other hand, during the period from time t1 to time t3, the calculated charging rate Sr becomes smaller than the initial charging rate transition Psi, and the difference between the initial charging rate transition Psi and the calculated charging rate Sr becomes large. Here, the difference between the initial charging rate transition Psi and the calculated charging rate Sr occurs, for example, when the external information received when the initial prediction unit 111 is performing the initial prediction process differs from the external information received at times t2 and t3. Specifically, the difference between the initial charging rate transition Psi and the calculated charging rate Sr occurs, for example, when, during the initial prediction process, external information indicating that the weather is fine at the points corresponding to times t2 and t3 is received, and then, after the host vehicle 40 starts moving toward the destination Dtgt, it suddenly starts raining at the points corresponding to times t2 and t3.
[0052] There is a concern that the actual SOC of the storage battery 91 may deviate significantly from the initial state of charge transition Psi, causing the SOC of the storage battery 91 to become smaller than the state of charge threshold Sth along the travel route MC. Therefore, in this embodiment, the ECU 60 executes a prediction process each time to prevent the predicted transition of the SOC of the storage battery 91 from deviating from the calculated state of charge Sr.
[0053] The on-demand prediction process will be described with reference to FIG. 4. The ECU 60 includes an on-demand prediction unit 112 that performs the on-demand prediction process. The on-demand prediction unit 112 sets a plurality of on-demand prediction points corresponding to the prediction points set in the initial prediction process on a remaining route, which is a route from the current location of the vehicle 40 to the destination Dtgt that is closer to the destination Dtgt than the current location. The on-demand prediction unit 112 may, for example, set on-demand prediction points on the entire remaining route, or may set on-demand prediction points on a first half of the remaining route. The on-demand prediction unit 112 predicts the SOC (hereinafter referred to as the on-demand charging rate Sse) of the storage battery 91 at each on-demand prediction point. The method for predicting the on-demand charging rate Sse at each on-demand prediction point is the same as the method for predicting the SOC at each prediction point in the initial prediction process.
[0054] Focusing only on the SOC, if the power consumption of the target device 300 predicted in the each-time prediction process is higher than the power consumption of the target device 300 at the each-time prediction location predicted in the initial prediction process, the each-time charging rate Sse is predicted to be lower than the initial charging rate Ssi predicted in the initial prediction process. On the other hand, if the power consumption of the target device 300 predicted in the each-time prediction process is lower than the power consumption of the target device 300 at the each-time prediction location predicted in the initial prediction process, the each-time charging rate Sse is predicted to be higher than the initial charging rate Ssi predicted in the initial prediction process.
[0055] The ECU 60 includes a determination unit 113 and a re-prediction unit 114. The determination unit 113 determines whether or not to execute re-prediction processing using the re-prediction unit 114, based on the initial state of charge transition Psi and the each-time state of charge Sse. The re-prediction processing is processing that, after the execution of the initial prediction processing, re-predicts the transition of the SOC of the storage battery 91 beyond the current point in time on the route from the current location to the destination, using a method similar to the SOC prediction method used in the initial prediction processing.
[0056] The determination unit 113 receives the initial charging rate transition Psi from the initial prediction unit 111 and the on-demand charging rate Sse from the on-demand prediction unit 112. Based on the initial charging rate transition Psi, the determination unit 113 calculates the initial charging rate Ssi at a future point that is an on-demand prediction point closer to the destination Dtgt than the current position of the vehicle 40. The determination unit 113 calculates a prediction difference Sdp (=|Ssi-Sse|) that is the absolute value of the difference between the initial charging rate Ssi and the on-demand charging rate Sse at the future point. The future point may be set to an on-demand prediction point that is, for example, two, three, four, or five points ahead of the current position of the vehicle 40.
[0057] The determination unit 113 determines to execute the re-prediction process on the condition that the calculated prediction difference Sdp is greater than the first difference threshold Sdth1 and less than or equal to the second difference threshold Sdth2. Here, the second difference threshold Sdth2 is a value greater than the first difference threshold Sdth1. The first difference threshold Sdth1 is a value less than or equal to 15%, 10%, or 5% of the initial charging rate Ssi at the future location. The determination unit 113 inputs the determination result to the re-prediction unit 114.
[0058] The re-prediction unit 114 executes the re-prediction process when it determines that the determination result indicating that the re-prediction process should be executed has been input from the determination unit 113. In the re-prediction process, the re-prediction unit 114 calculates the target value Ipa* of the internal parameter based on external information, a provisional value of the internal parameter Ipar, and a charging rate threshold Sth, as in the initial prediction process. Based on the calculated target value Ipa* of the internal parameter, the re-prediction unit 114 predicts a transition in the SOC of the storage battery 91 along the travel route MC from the current location of the vehicle 40 to the destination Dtgt.
[0059] The ECU 60 includes a control unit 115. The control unit 115 receives as input the target value Ipa* of the internal parameter set in the initial prediction unit 111 and the target value Ipa* of the internal parameter set in the re-prediction unit 114. When the control unit 115 determines that the target value Ipa* of the internal parameter has been input from the re-prediction unit 114, the control unit 115 controls the target device 300 to control the internal parameter Ipar to the target value Ipa* of the internal parameter set in the re-prediction unit 114. On the other hand, when the control unit 115 determines that the target value Ipa* of the internal variable has not been input from the re-prediction unit 114, the control unit 115 controls the target device 300 to control the internal parameter Ipar to the target value Ipa* of the internal parameter set in the initial prediction unit 111.
[0060] In the initial prediction process and the re-prediction process, the ECU 60 optimizes the internal parameter Ipar along the travel route MC under the condition that the SOC of the storage battery 91 be equal to or greater than the charging rate threshold Sth. By controlling the target device 300 based on the optimized internal parameter Ipar, it is possible to, for example, prevent the user of the vehicle 40 from restricting the interior temperature setting of the vehicle 40 and the vehicle speed of the vehicle 40, while allowing the vehicle 40 to travel while maintaining the SOC of the storage battery 91 at or greater than the charging rate threshold Sth.
[0061] 7 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the prediction process executed by the ECU 60. This process is repeatedly executed at a predetermined control period.
[0062] In step S10, it is determined whether flag F is "1." When flag F is "1," it indicates that initial prediction processing has been performed, and when flag F is "0," it indicates that initial prediction processing has not been performed. The initial value of flag F is set to "0." If it is determined that flag F is not "1," the process proceeds to step S11, where initial prediction processing is performed in initial prediction unit 111. After the initial prediction processing is performed in step S11, the process proceeds to step S12, where flag F is set to "1."
[0063] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S10 that the flag F is "1", the process proceeds to step S 13. In step S13, the each-time prediction unit 112 executes each-time prediction processing.
[0064] In step S14, the determination unit 113 calculates the prediction difference Sdp and determines whether the calculated prediction difference Sdp is greater than the first difference threshold Sdth1. If it is determined in step S14 that the prediction difference Sdp is greater than the first difference threshold Sdth1, the process proceeds to step S15. In step S15, the determination unit 113 determines whether the prediction difference Sdp is equal to or less than the second difference threshold Sdth2. If it is determined in step S15 that the prediction difference Sdp is equal to or less than the second difference threshold Sdth2, the process proceeds to step S16, where re-prediction processing is performed.
[0065] If it is determined in step S15 that the prediction difference Sdp is greater than the second difference threshold Sdth2, the process proceeds to step S17, where a cancellation process is executed. The cancellation process is a process of stopping the prediction process each time and notifying the driver of the host vehicle 40 to reset the destination. If the destination is reset after the cancellation process is executed, the ECU 60 executes the initial prediction process.
[0066] As described above, in this embodiment, the on-demand prediction unit 112 predicts, by on-demand prediction processing, the SOC of the storage battery 91 on the remaining route, which is a route closer to the destination Dtgt than the current location. This allows the determination unit 113 to predict that, on the remaining route, the SOC of the storage battery 91 predicted by the initial prediction processing will differ significantly from the actual SOC of the storage battery 91. If the determination unit 113 predicts that the difference will be large, the re-prediction unit 114 executes the re-prediction processing. This allows the transition of the SOC of the storage battery 91 predicted in the initial prediction processing to be updated, thereby preventing a situation in which the predicted SOC of the storage battery 91 differs significantly from the actual SOC of the storage battery 91. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8 , in this embodiment, the re-prediction processing can be executed in a state in which the error between the predicted SOC of the storage battery 91 and the actual SOC of the storage battery 91 is small, compared to the comparative example.
[0067] Second Embodiment The second embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings, focusing on differences from the first embodiment. In this embodiment, whether or not to perform the re-prediction process is determined based on the ratio of the charging rate Sse to the initial charging rate Ssi.
[0068] In this embodiment, the determination unit 113 calculates, as the prediction ratio Srp, a value (=|Ssi / Sse|) obtained by dividing the initial charging rate Ssi by the charging rate Sse on an individual basis, instead of the prediction difference Sdp.
[0069] 9 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the prediction process executed by the ECU 60. This process is repeatedly executed at a predetermined control period.
[0070] In step S20, the determination unit 113 determines whether or not the prediction ratio Srp is greater than a first ratio threshold Srth1. The first ratio threshold Srth1 is set to a value not less than 0.8 and not more than 1.2, for example.
[0071] If it is determined in step S20 that the prediction ratio Srp is greater than the first ratio threshold Srth1, the process proceeds to step S21. In step S21, the determination unit 113 determines whether the prediction ratio Srp is equal to or less than the second ratio threshold Srth2. The second ratio threshold Srth2 is set to a value greater than the first ratio threshold Srth1. If it is determined in step S21 that the prediction ratio Srp is equal to or less than the second ratio threshold Srth2, the process proceeds to step S16, and re-prediction processing is performed.
[0072] If it is determined in step S21 that the prediction ratio Srp is greater than the second ratio threshold value Srth2, the process proceeds to step S17, where a cancellation process is performed.
[0073] According to this embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.
[0074] <Modification of the second embodiment> The determination unit 113 may calculate the predicted ratio Srp as a value obtained by dividing the each-time storage rate Sse by the initial storage rate Ssi (=Sse / Ssi).
[0075] <Third embodiment> The third embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings, focusing on differences from the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the on-demand prediction unit 112 calculates the on-demand charging rate Sse in the on-demand prediction process, taking into account the detection values of the accelerator sensor 74 and the brake sensor 75.
[0076] While the host vehicle 40 is traveling from the departure point Dini to the destination Dtgt, the driver who frequently uses the host vehicle 40 may be replaced by another driver. In this case, the driver's tendency to operate the accelerator pedal or the brake pedal may change. In this case, there is a concern that the SOC of the storage battery 91 predicted in the initial prediction process may differ from the actual SOC of the storage battery 91. Therefore, the each-time prediction unit 112 calculates the each-time charging rate Sse taking into account the detection values of the accelerator sensor 74 and the brake sensor 75.
[0077] The on-demand prediction unit 112 determines the operating tendency of the driver of the host vehicle 40 based on the history of the detection value (hereinafter, accelerator operation amount Ac) of the accelerator sensor 74 and the history of the detection value (hereinafter, brake operation amount Br) of the brake sensor 75 acquired while the host vehicle 40 is traveling. The initial prediction unit 111 predicts the on-demand charging rate Sse taking into account the determined operating tendency.
[0078] According to this embodiment, the SOC can be predicted taking into account the operating tendency.
[0079] <Other embodiments> The above-described embodiments may be modified as follows.
[0080] The initial prediction unit 111 and the re-prediction unit 114 may predict a transition in the temperature of the storage battery 91 as a prediction parameter, instead of the SOC of the storage battery 91. Specifically, for example, the initial prediction unit 111 and the re-prediction unit 114 may predict the temperature based on external information about the host vehicle 40 and a provisional value of the internal parameter Ipar.
[0081] 7 and 9 may be executed not only by the ECU 60 provided in the host vehicle 40 but also by, for example, a server provided outside the host vehicle 40. In this case, the ECU 60 may acquire the calculation results of the processes of FIGS. 7 and 9 executed by the server.
[0082] The mobile body on which the control device is mounted is not limited to a vehicle, but may be, for example, an aircraft or a ship.
[0083] The control unit and the method described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose computer configured by configuring a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, the control unit and the method described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose computer configured by configuring a processor with one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the control unit and the method described herein may be implemented by one or more special-purpose computers configured by combining a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions with a processor configured with one or more hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the computer program may be stored as instructions executed by a computer on a computer-readable non-transitory tangible storage medium.
[0084] The following describes characteristic configurations extracted from the above-described embodiments. [Configuration 1] A control device (60) applied to a moving body (40) that has a power storage unit (91) and moves by receiving power from the power storage unit, a setting unit (110) for setting a destination to which the moving body is to move; an initial prediction unit (111) that performs an initial prediction process to predict a state of the power storage unit during a period from when the mobile body leaves a departure point until when the mobile body arrives at the destination; an each-time prediction unit (112) that performs a each-time prediction process to predict a state of the power storage unit ahead of the current time after the initial prediction process is performed; a determination unit (113) that determines whether or not to execute a re-prediction process for re-predicting the state of the power storage unit for a period until the moving object arrives at the set destination by comparing the state of the power storage unit predicted in the initial prediction process with the state of the power storage unit predicted in the each-time prediction process; A control device comprising: [Configuration 2] the initial prediction unit and the each-time prediction unit predict a SOC of the power storage unit as the state of the power storage unit; The control device according to configuration 1, wherein the determination unit calculates a prediction parameter indicating a deviation of the SOC of the power storage unit predicted in the each-time prediction process from the SOC of the power storage unit predicted in the initial prediction process, and determines whether to execute the re-prediction process based on the calculated prediction parameter. [Configuration 3] The mobile body includes an information receiving unit (50) that receives external information from outside the mobile body, the initial prediction unit predicts a SOC of the power storage unit based on the received external information in the initial prediction process; 3. The control device according to configuration 2, wherein the each-time prediction unit predicts the SOC of the power storage unit each time based on the received external information in the each-time prediction process. [Configuration 4] The moving body includes an electric device (300), the external information includes weather information; the initial prediction unit predicts an operating state of the electric device based on the weather information, and predicts a SOC of the power storage unit based on the predicted operating state of the electric device; The control device according to configuration 3, wherein the each-time prediction unit predicts the driving state of the electrical appliance based on the weather information, and predicts the SOC of the power storage unit each time based on the predicted driving state of the electrical appliance. [Configuration 5] the initial prediction unit predicts power consumption of the electric device due to operation of the electric device during a period from when the moving body departs from the departure point to when the moving body arrives at the destination, based on the predicted operation state of the electric device; The each-time prediction unit predicting power consumption of the electric device each time the electric device is driven based on the driving state of the electric device predicted each time; When the predicted power consumption of the electric device at each time is larger than the power consumption of the electric device predicted by the initial prediction unit, predicting the SOC of the power storage unit so that the SOC is smaller than the SOC of the power storage unit predicted by the initial prediction unit; The control device according to configuration 4, wherein, when the predicted power consumption of the electrical device at each time is smaller than the power consumption of the electrical device predicted by the initial prediction unit, the control device predicts the SOC of the power storage unit so that the SOC is larger than the SOC of the power storage unit predicted by the initial prediction unit. [Configuration 6] the external information includes traffic information of a route from a departure point of the mobile body to the set destination, The initial prediction unit predicting a distance of the route and a moving speed of the mobile object on the route based on the traffic information; predicting a SOC of the power storage unit based on the predicted distance of the route and the moving speed of the mobile object on the route; The each-time prediction unit predicting a distance of the route and a moving speed of the mobile object on the route based on the traffic information; 6. The control device according to any one of configurations 3 to 5, wherein the SOC of the power storage unit is predicted each time based on the predicted distance of the route and the moving speed of the moving object on the route. [Configuration 7] The moving body is An electrical device (300); sensors (71 to 76) for detecting state quantities of the electrical equipment; Equipped with the initial prediction unit predicts a SOC of the power storage unit based on a detection value of the sensor in the initial prediction process; 7. The control device according to any one of configurations 2 to 6, wherein the each-time prediction unit predicts the SOC of the power storage unit each time based on the detection value of the sensor in the each-time prediction process. [Configuration 8] The control device according to any one of configurations 2 to 7, wherein the each-time prediction unit stops the each-time prediction process and the judgment process by the judgment unit on the condition that the prediction parameters are greater than threshold values (Sdth2, Srth2) in the judgment unit. [Configuration 9] the initial prediction unit and the each-time prediction unit predict a battery temperature of the power storage unit as the state of the power storage unit; The control device according to configuration 1, wherein the determination unit calculates a prediction parameter indicating a deviation of the battery temperature of the power storage unit predicted in the initial prediction process from the battery temperature of the power storage unit predicted each time in the each-time prediction process, and determines whether to execute the re-prediction process based on the calculated prediction parameter. [Explanation of symbols]
[0085] 10...communication network, 20...external server, 30...other vehicle, 40...own vehicle, 50...communication unit, 60...ECU.
Claims
1. A control device (60) that is applied to a moving body (40) that is provided with a power storage unit (91) and moves by being supplied with power from the power storage unit, a setting unit (110) for setting a destination to which the moving body is to move; an initial prediction unit (111) that performs an initial prediction process to predict the state of the power storage unit during a period from when the mobile body leaves a departure point until when the mobile body arrives at the destination; an each-time prediction unit (112) that performs a each-time prediction process to predict a future state of the power storage unit from the current time point after the initial prediction process is performed; a determination unit (113) that determines whether or not to execute a re-prediction process for re-predicting the state of the power storage unit for a period until the moving object arrives at the set destination by comparing the state of the power storage unit predicted in the initial prediction process with the state of the power storage unit predicted in the each-time prediction process; A control device comprising:
2. the initial prediction unit and the each-time prediction unit predict an SOC of the power storage unit as the state of the power storage unit; 2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit calculates a prediction parameter indicating a deviation of the SOC of the power storage unit predicted each time in the each-time prediction process from the SOC of the power storage unit predicted in the initial prediction process, and determines whether to execute the re-prediction process based on the calculated prediction parameter.
3. The mobile body includes an information receiving unit (50) that receives external information from outside the mobile body, the initial prediction unit predicts an SOC of the power storage unit based on the received external information in the initial prediction process; The control device according to claim 2 , wherein the each-time prediction unit predicts the SOC of the power storage unit each time based on the received external information in the each-time prediction process.
4. The moving object includes an electric device (300), the external information includes weather information; the initial prediction unit predicts a driving state of the electric device based on the weather information, and predicts an SOC of the power storage unit based on the predicted driving state of the electric device; 4. The control device according to claim 3, wherein the each-time prediction unit predicts the driving state of the electric device based on the weather information, and predicts the SOC of the power storage unit based on the predicted driving state of the electric device.
5. the initial prediction unit predicts power consumption of the electric device due to operation of the electric device during a period from when the moving body departs from the departure point to when the moving body arrives at the destination, based on the predicted operation state of the electric device; The each-time prediction unit predicting power consumption of the electric device each time the electric device is driven based on the driving state of the electric device predicted each time; When the predicted power consumption of the electric device at each time is larger than the power consumption of the electric device predicted by the initial prediction unit, predicting an SOC of the power storage unit so that the SOC is smaller than the SOC of the power storage unit predicted by the initial prediction unit; 5. The control device according to claim 4, wherein, when the predicted power consumption of the electric device at each time is smaller than the power consumption of the electric device predicted by the initial prediction unit, the SOC of the power storage unit is predicted to be larger than the SOC of the power storage unit predicted by the initial prediction unit.
6. the external information includes traffic information of a route from a departure point of the mobile body to the set destination, The initial prediction unit predicting a distance of the route and a moving speed of the mobile object on the route based on the traffic information; predicting an SOC of the power storage unit based on the predicted distance of the route and the moving speed of the mobile object on the route; The each-time prediction unit predicting a distance of the route and a moving speed of the mobile object on the route based on the traffic information; The control device according to claim 3 , wherein the SOC of the power storage unit is predicted each time based on the predicted distance of the route and the moving speed of the mobile object on the route.
7. The moving body is An electrical device (300); sensors (71 to 76) for detecting state quantities of the electrical equipment; Equipped with the initial prediction unit predicts an SOC of the power storage unit based on a detection value of the sensor in the initial prediction process; The control device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the each-time prediction unit predicts the SOC of the power storage unit each time based on the detection value of the sensor in the each-time prediction process.
8. The each-time prediction unit stops the execution of the each-time prediction process and the judgment process by the judgment unit on the condition that the prediction parameters are greater than threshold values (Sdth2, Srth2) in the judgment unit. The control device according to any one of claims 2 to 6.
9. the initial prediction unit and the each-time prediction unit predict a battery temperature of the power storage unit as the state of the power storage unit; 2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit calculates a prediction parameter indicating a deviation of the battery temperature of the power storage unit predicted in the initial prediction process from the battery temperature of the power storage unit predicted each time in the each-time prediction process, and determines whether to execute the re-prediction process based on the calculated prediction parameter.
10. A program applied to a mobile body (40) that has a power storage unit (91) and moves by being supplied with power from the power storage unit, The processor (61, 21) a setting process for setting a destination to which the moving object is to be moved; an initial prediction process for predicting a state of the power storage unit during a period from when the mobile object leaves a departure point until when the mobile object arrives at the destination; an on-demand prediction process for predicting a future state of the power storage unit from the current time point on an on-demand basis after the initial prediction process is executed; a determination process for determining whether or not to execute a re-prediction process for re-predicting the state of the power storage unit for a period until the moving object arrives at the set destination by comparing the state of the power storage unit predicted in the initial prediction process with the state of the power storage unit predicted in the each-time prediction process; A program that executes.
11. A control method for a control device (60) applied to a moving body (40) that is provided with a power storage unit (91) and moves by being supplied with power from the power storage unit, The processor (61, 21) a setting process for setting a destination to which the moving object is to be moved; an initial prediction process for predicting a state of the power storage unit during a period from when the mobile object leaves a departure point until when the mobile object arrives at the destination; an on-demand prediction process for predicting a future state of the power storage unit from the current time point on an on-demand basis after the initial prediction process is executed; a determination process for determining whether or not to execute a re-prediction process for re-predicting the state of the power storage unit for a period until the moving object arrives at the set destination by comparing the state of the power storage unit predicted in the initial prediction process with the state of the power storage unit predicted in the each-time prediction process; A control method for executing the above.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Driving control system for hybrid vehicle
JP2007050888A