Engine control system

Abstract

This reduces the risk of the vehicle's battery running out of power. [Solution] The system comprises a communication terminal capable of transmitting start information, a wireless communication unit provided in the vehicle, an engine provided in the vehicle, a battery provided in the vehicle, a first detection unit provided in the vehicle capable of detecting the remaining battery charge, and a control unit provided in the vehicle. The control unit comprises one or more control unit processors and one or more control unit memories connected to the control unit processor. The control unit processor performs the following processes when the wireless communication unit receives start information from the communication terminal: start the engine and operate the engine for a preset operating time; determine whether predetermined conditions regarding the battery are met, at least based on the remaining battery charge; stop the engine based on the elapsed operating time if the predetermined conditions are met; and extend the engine operating time if the predetermined conditions are not met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an engine control system.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a communication device capable of transmitting a signal for starting a vehicle engine to the vehicle. And it is disclosed that based on receiving the signal from the transmitter, the engine is started and the engine is operated for a preset time.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When a vehicle has been stored without being driven for a long time, the remaining amount of the battery mounted on the vehicle may decrease. When the remaining amount of such a battery decreases, even if the engine is remotely started and then the engine is operated for a preset time as in Patent Document 1 above, there is a possibility that the battery may not be fully charged. In such a case, if the vehicle is stored again without being driven for a long time, the remaining amount of the battery may run out and power shortage may occur.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to suppress the possibility that the remaining amount of the vehicle battery runs out.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, an engine control system according to an embodiment of the present invention is a communication terminal capable of transmitting start information, The wireless communication unit installed in the vehicle, The engine provided in the aforementioned vehicle, The battery provided in the aforementioned vehicle, The vehicle is provided with a first detection unit capable of detecting the remaining charge of the battery, A control unit provided in the aforementioned vehicle, Equipped with, The control unit, One or more control processors, One or more control memory connected to the control processor, It has, The control processor, When the wireless communication unit receives the start information from the communication terminal, it starts the engine and operates the engine for a predetermined operating time. At least based on the remaining charge of the battery, it is determined whether or not a predetermined condition relating to the battery is met, When the aforementioned predetermined conditions are met, the engine is stopped based on the elapsed operating time, If the aforementioned predetermined conditions are not met, the operating time of the engine will be extended. Execute the process that includes this. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the risk of the vehicle's battery running out of charge. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating an engine control system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 illustrates an example of a settings screen according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 illustrates an example of a required operating time map according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4]Figure 4 illustrates an example of an extension setting screen according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of communication terminal-side processing according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of vehicle-side processing according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] Figure 7 illustrates an example of a predicted average charging current map according to a modified example of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. The specific dimensions, materials, numerical values, etc., shown in these embodiments are merely examples to facilitate understanding of the invention and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same function and configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant explanations, and elements not directly related to the present invention are omitted from the illustrations.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram for explaining an engine control system 100 according to the present embodiment. The engine control system 100 includes a vehicle 200 and a communication terminal 300. The vehicle 200 and the communication terminal 300 are communicably connected to each other via a communication network N. The communication network N is a wireless communication line network for communicably connecting the vehicle 200 and the communication terminal 300. The communication network N is composed of various networks such as, for example, a satellite communication network for GPS (Global Positioning System), a mobile phone network, the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), and other dedicated line networks. At least a part of the communication network N includes a wireless network in order to communicably connect the vehicle 200 and the communication terminal 300 wirelessly. However, a part of the communication network N may include a wired network. Further, the vehicle 200 and the communication terminal 300 may be directly communicably connected to each other without using the communication network N by using short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 200 includes an engine 210, an alternator 220, a battery 230, a battery information detection unit 240, an air conditioner unit 250, a wireless communication unit 260, and a vehicle control unit 270.

[0012] The engine 210 is composed of a gasoline engine or a diesel engine. The engine 210 obtains driving force by burning fuel such as gasoline or light oil supplied from a fuel tank (not shown).

[0013] Specifically, an injector (not shown) and a spark plug are provided in the engine 210. The injector injects fuel and supplies the fuel into a combustion chamber (not shown). The spark plug has a tip disposed in the combustion chamber and ignites a mixture of fuel and air supplied into the combustion chamber. The mixture of fuel and air is ignited by the spark plug at a predetermined timing and burned. By such combustion, the engine 210 can obtain driving force.

[0014] The alternator 220 is a small-capacity generator that generates electricity by the driving force of the engine 210. The alternator 220 is connected to the vehicle control unit 270, and the driving of the alternator 220 is controlled based on the control command of the vehicle control unit 270.

[0015] The battery 230 is connected to the alternator 220 and charges the electric power generated by the alternator 220. Also, the battery 230 is connected to various electrical components mounted on the vehicle 200 and supplies electric power to the various electrical components. The electrical components are, for example, headlight, rear light, blinker light, car audio, car navigation, etc.

[0016] The battery information detection unit 240 detects various information regarding the battery 230. In the present embodiment, the battery information detection unit 240 can detect the SOC (State Of Charge) and the temperature of the battery 230. For example, the battery information detection unit 240 may detect the SOC of the battery 230 based on the voltage detected by a voltage sensor (not shown) capable of detecting the voltage of the battery 230. Note that the SOC represents the current charge capacity as a percentage of the full charge capacity and indicates the charge rate of the battery 230. Also, the battery information detection unit 240 may detect the temperature of the battery 230 using a temperature sensor (not shown) capable of detecting the temperature of the battery 230. That is, the battery information detection unit 240 may perform the detection of the SOC of the battery 230 and the detection of the temperature of the battery 230 using separate sensors. However, the battery information detection unit 240 may perform the detection of the SOC of the battery 230 and the detection of the temperature of the battery 230 using a common sensor. Also, when it is possible to detect the temperature of the electrolyte of the battery 230, the temperature of the electrolyte may be detected instead of the temperature of the battery 230.

[0017] The air conditioning unit 250 is an air conditioning unit that cools or heats the interior of the vehicle 200. The air conditioning unit 250 provides a comfortable interior environment by always maintaining the interior temperature at an appropriate temperature regardless of changes in the temperature of the outside space. The air conditioning unit 250 has a compressor (not shown), a condenser (not shown), an expansion valve (not shown), and an evaporator (not shown).

[0018] A compressor (not shown) compresses the refrigerant circulating in the air conditioning unit 250. The compressor is connected to the engine 210 via a clutch (not shown). When the clutch is engaged, the driving force of the engine 210 is transmitted to the compressor, and the compressor operates by compressing the refrigerant using the driving force of the engine 210. When the clutch is disengaged, the transmission of driving force between the engine 210 and the compressor is released, and the compressor stops operating.

[0019] A condenser (not shown) condenses and liquefies the refrigerant compressed by the compressor. The expansion valve expands the refrigerant that has been condensed and liquefied by the condenser. The evaporator cools the air being blown into the vehicle's interior by using the latent heat of vaporization of the refrigerant while evaporating the refrigerant expanded by the expansion valve.

[0020] The air conditioning unit 250 is connected to the vehicle control unit 270, and the compressor's operation is controlled based on control commands from the vehicle control unit 270. For example, when the air conditioning unit 250 is in cooling mode, it condenses the high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant compressed by the compressor into a liquid state in a condenser, and then circulates it back to the compressor via an expansion valve and evaporator. In this process, the low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant expanded by the expansion valve is supplied to the evaporator, and the air cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator is discharged into the vehicle interior, thereby cooling the interior of the vehicle.

[0021] The wireless communication unit 260 communicates wirelessly with the wireless communication unit 310 of the communication terminal 300, which will be described later, via the communication network N.

[0022] The vehicle control unit 270 comprises one or more processors 272 and one or more memories 274 connected to the processors 272. The memories 274 include ROM, which stores programs, etc., and RAM as a work area. The processors 272 of the vehicle control unit 270 cooperate with the programs contained in the memories 274 to function as the vehicle control unit 270 and control the entire vehicle 200.

[0023] For example, when the vehicle control unit 270 receives start information transmitted from the communication terminal 300 remotely via the wireless communication unit 260, it starts the engine 210 based on the start information. The vehicle control unit 270 also controls the drive of the compressor of the air conditioning unit 250 based on the start information. Furthermore, the vehicle control unit 270 controls the drive of the alternator 220 based on the start information to charge the battery 230 with the power generated by the driving force of the engine 210.

[0024] The communication terminal 300 is, for example, an electronic device such as a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. The communication terminal 300 may be a portable electronic device or a stationary electronic device. Here, the user of the communication terminal 300 is the user of the vehicle 200, and hereafter, both will be referred to as users without distinction.

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, the communication terminal 300 includes a wireless communication unit 310, a user interface 320, and a communication terminal control unit 330.

[0026] The wireless communication unit 310 communicates wirelessly with the wireless communication unit 260 of the vehicle 200 via the communication network N.

[0027] The user interface 320 includes, for example, an output device such as a display that presents various information to the user, and an input device such as a touch panel that accepts user input operations.

[0028] The communication terminal control unit 330 comprises one or more processors 332 and one or more memories 334 connected to the processors 332. The memories 334 include ROM in which programs are stored and RAM as a work area. The processors 332 of the communication terminal control unit 330 cooperate with the programs contained in the memories 334 to function as the communication terminal control unit 330 and control the entire communication terminal 300.

[0029] For example, the communication terminal control unit 330 can transmit start information to the vehicle 200's wireless communication unit 260 via the wireless communication unit 310 in response to user input.

[0030] Figure 2 illustrates an example of a settings screen 340 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Before remotely starting the engine 210, the user downloads a dedicated application from a server (not shown) to a communication terminal 300 in advance.

[0031] When the dedicated application is launched, the settings screen 340 shown in Figure 2 is displayed on the user interface 320. As shown in Figure 2, the settings screen 340 is provided with multiple user-operable controls. Here, the operating time setting control 342, the air conditioner temperature setting control 344, and the confirmation control 346 are displayed as controls.

[0032] The operating time setting operation unit 342 includes a first operating time setting operation unit 342a for setting the operating time of the engine 210 to a first time, and a second operating time setting operation unit 342b for setting the operating time of the engine 210 to a second time that is longer than the first time. As shown in Figure 2, this embodiment shows a case where the first time is 10 minutes and the second time is 15 minutes. In addition, the first operating time setting operation unit 342a or the second operating time setting operation unit 342b that is selected by the user is highlighted. Figure 2 shows a case where the first operating time setting operation unit 342a is selected and the first operating time setting operation unit 342a is highlighted.

[0033] This embodiment shows a case where the user can select a desired operating time from a plurality of preset operating times, such as a first time and a second time. However, the operating time may not be selected by the user, and a predetermined operating time, such as 10 minutes, may be set. Alternatively, the operating time may be specified by the user in one-minute increments from a preset range, such as between 10 and 30 minutes. Furthermore, the operating time may be specified based on a value entered by the user, for example.

[0034] Furthermore, the air conditioner temperature setting control unit 344 functions as an control unit for specifying the set temperature of the air conditioner unit 250 of the vehicle 200. In this embodiment, it is shown that the user can select a desired set temperature. The set temperature may also be specified based on a value entered by the user, for example. The user may also specify that the air conditioner unit 250 should not be driven.

[0035] When the user operates the decision operation unit 346, the communication terminal control unit 330 transmits start information to the vehicle's wireless communication unit 260 via the wireless communication unit 310 to start the engine 210. The start information includes initial operating time information indicating the settings of the operating time setting operation unit 342 (hereinafter referred to as initial operating time). The start information also includes set temperature information indicating the settings of the air conditioner set temperature operation unit 344. Furthermore, the start information may include authentication information to identify the user.

[0036] When the vehicle control unit 270 of the vehicle 200 receives start information transmitted from the communication terminal 300 via the wireless communication unit 260, it may perform a predetermined authentication process based on the authentication information contained in the start information. If user authentication is successfully completed through the predetermined authentication process, the vehicle control unit 270 refers to the required driving time map shown in Figure 3, which will be described later, and performs a required driving time derivation process to derive the required driving time.

[0037] Figure 3 illustrates an example of a required operating time map according to one embodiment of the present invention. The required operating time map is stored in the memory 274 of the vehicle 200.

[0038] If vehicle 200 is stored for a long period without being driven, the State of Charge (SOC) of vehicle 200's battery 230 may decrease. In such cases, even if the engine 210 is operated for the operating time specified by the user, the battery 230 may not be sufficiently charged. In such cases, if vehicle 200 is again stored for a long period without being driven, the battery 230 may become depleted, potentially leading to a power shortage.

[0039] As shown in Figure 3, the required operating time map specifies the required operating time to fully charge the battery 230, based on the state of charge (SOC) and temperature of the battery 230.

[0040] The time required to fully charge Battery 230 tends to be longer the lower the State of Charge (SOC) of Battery 230. Also, the time required to fully charge Battery 230 tends to be longer the lower the temperature of Battery 230.

[0041] Therefore, as shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, the required operating time is set such that the lower the State of Charge (SOC) of the battery 230, the longer the required operating time tends to be. Also, as shown in Figure 3, the required operating time is set such that the lower the temperature of the battery 230, the longer the required operating time tends to be.

[0042] The vehicle control unit 270 then derives the required operating time based on the State of Charge (SOC) and temperature of the battery 230, by referring to the required operating time map shown in Figure 3. The vehicle control unit 270 also determines that the battery 230 will be sufficiently charged by the initial operating time if the initial operating time specified by the user is greater than or equal to the derived required operating time. The vehicle control unit 270 then starts the engine 210 and operates the engine 210 for the initial operating time. The vehicle control unit 270 also controls the operation of the air conditioning unit 250 based on the set temperature information included in the starting information.

[0043] Furthermore, if the initial operating time is less than the calculated required operating time, the vehicle control unit 270 determines that the battery 230 has not been sufficiently charged by the initial operating time. The vehicle control unit 270 then transmits extension request information to the wireless communication unit 310 of the communication terminal 300 via the wireless communication unit 260 to request permission from the user to extend the operating time of the engine 210 from the initial operating time. The extension request information includes extension time information indicating the difference between the initial operating time and the required operating time.

[0044] When the communication terminal control unit 330 receives extension request information transmitted from the vehicle 200 via the wireless communication unit 310, it displays the extension setting screen 350, shown in Figure 4 (described later), on the user interface 320 based on the extension time information included in the extension request information.

[0045] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an extension setting screen 350 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 4, the extension setting screen 350 displays a message to inform the user that the battery level of the battery 230 is low.

[0046] Furthermore, the extension setting screen 350 is provided with an extension time display unit 352. The communication terminal control unit 330 displays the extension time on the extension time display unit 352 based on the extension time information included in the extension request information. In the case of Figure 4, 10 minutes is displayed as the extension time.

[0047] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the extension setting screen 350 is provided with multiple user-operable controls. Here, the controls include an authorization control 354 for allowing the extension of the engine 210's operating time and a rejection control 356 for rejecting the extension of the engine 210's operating time.

[0048] When the user operates the rejection operation unit 356, the communication terminal control unit 330 transmits extension rejection information to the vehicle 200's wireless communication unit 260 via the wireless communication unit 310 to reject the extension of the engine 210's operating time.

[0049] Then, when the vehicle control unit 270 of the vehicle 200 receives extension rejection information transmitted from the communication terminal 300 via the wireless communication unit 260, it starts the engine 210 and operates the engine 210 for the duration of the initial operating time. The vehicle control unit 270 also controls the operation of the air conditioning unit 250 based on the set temperature information included in the start information.

[0050] Furthermore, when the user operates the authorization operation unit 354, the communication terminal control unit 330 transmits extension authorization information to the vehicle's wireless communication unit 260 via the wireless communication unit 310 to authorize an extension of the engine 210's operating time.

[0051] Then, when the vehicle control unit 270 of the vehicle 200 receives the extension permission information transmitted from the communication terminal 300 via the wireless communication unit 260, it starts the engine 210 and operates the engine 210 for the required operating time derived from it. The vehicle control unit 270 also controls the operation of the air conditioning unit 250 based on the set temperature information included in the start information.

[0052] Furthermore, the vehicle control unit 270 of the vehicle 200 executes a predetermined termination process when the operating time of the engine 210 has elapsed. In the predetermined termination process, the vehicle control unit 270 of the vehicle 200 terminates the operation of the engine 210 and terminates the operation of the air conditioning unit 250.

[0053] In this embodiment of the engine control system 100, the operating time can be extended according to the status of the vehicle's battery 230, thereby suppressing the risk of the vehicle's battery 230 being depleted. Furthermore, since the appropriate required operating time can be derived based on the battery's state of charge (SOC) and temperature, the risk of the extended operating time becoming unnecessarily long can be suppressed.

[0054] Furthermore, since the decision on whether or not to extend the operating time of the engine 210 is ultimately made based on user operation, it is possible to suppress the risk of the operating time of the engine 210 being extended against the user's will, which could lead to the user developing distrust. Below, the processes executed in the vehicle control unit 270 of the vehicle 200 and the processes executed in the communication terminal control unit 330 of the communication terminal 300 will be described.

[0055] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of communication terminal-side processing according to one embodiment of the present invention. Various processes performed in the communication terminal-side processing can be executed by the processor 332 of the communication terminal control unit 330 of the communication terminal 300. In detail, various processes are executed by the processor 332 executing a program stored in the memory 334 of the communication terminal control unit 330 of the communication terminal 300.

[0056] When a dedicated application is launched in the communication terminal 300, as shown in Figure 5, the communication terminal control unit 330 displays the setting screen 340 shown in Figure 2 on the user interface 320 and performs setting acceptance processing to accept various user operations (S100-1). In the setting acceptance processing, the communication terminal control unit 330 switches the display contents of the operating time setting operation unit 342 and the air conditioner setting temperature operation unit 344 based on the user's operation.

[0057] The communication terminal control unit 330 determines whether the decision operation unit 346 of the setting screen 340 has been operated by the user (S100-3). If the decision operation unit 346 has not been operated (NO in S100-3), the communication terminal control unit 330 waits until the decision operation unit 346 is operated.

[0058] Furthermore, if the decision operation unit 346 is operated (YES in S100-3), the communication terminal control unit 330 transmits start information to the wireless communication unit 260 of the vehicle 200 via the wireless communication unit 310 to start the engine 210 (S100-5). As described above, the start information includes operating time information indicating the settings of the operating time setting operation unit 342 and set temperature information indicating the settings of the air conditioner set temperature operation unit 344.

[0059] Furthermore, the communication terminal control unit 330 determines whether or not it has received extension request information transmitted from the vehicle 200 via the wireless communication unit 310 (S100-7). If extension request information has not been received (NO in S100-7), the communication terminal control unit 330 waits for the extension request information to be received for a predetermined waiting time. If extension request information has not been received after the predetermined waiting time has elapsed, the communication terminal side processing is terminated. The predetermined waiting time can be, for example, about 10 seconds.

[0060] Furthermore, if extension request information is received (YES in S100-7), the communication terminal control unit 330 displays the extension setting screen 350 shown in Figure 4 on the user interface 320 (S100-9).

[0061] The communication terminal control unit 330 determines whether the authorization operation unit 354 of the extension setting screen 350 has been operated by the user (S100-11). If the authorization operation unit 354 has not been operated (NO in S100-11), the communication terminal control unit 330 determines whether the rejection operation unit 356 of the extension setting screen 350 has been operated by the user (S100-13). If the rejection operation unit 356 has not been operated (NO in S100-13), the communication terminal control unit 330 waits until either the authorization operation unit 354 or the rejection operation unit 356 is operated.

[0062] Furthermore, if the authorization operation unit 354 is operated (YES in S100-11), the communication terminal control unit 330 transmits extension authorization information to the vehicle 200's wireless communication unit 260 via the wireless communication unit 310 to authorize an extension of the engine 210's operating time (S100-15), and then terminates the communication terminal side processing.

[0063] Furthermore, if the rejection operation unit 356 is operated (YES in S100-13), the communication terminal control unit 330 transmits extension rejection information to the vehicle 200's wireless communication unit 260 via the wireless communication unit 310 to reject the extension of the engine 210's operating time (S100-17), and terminates the communication terminal side processing.

[0064] If neither the permission operation unit 354 nor the denial operation unit 356 has been operated after a predetermined waiting time has elapsed, the communication terminal control unit 330 may proceed to the process in step S100-15 and transmit extension permission information based on the elapsed waiting time. Alternatively, the communication terminal control unit 330 may proceed to the process in step S100-17 and transmit extension denial information based on the elapsed waiting time. The predetermined waiting time can be, for example, about 10 seconds.

[0065] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of vehicle-side processing according to one embodiment of the present invention. Various processes performed in the vehicle-side processing can be executed by the processor 272 of the vehicle control unit 270 of the vehicle 200. In detail, various processes are executed by the processor 272 executing a program stored in the memory 274 of the vehicle control unit 270 of the vehicle 200. Note that the vehicle-side processing shown in Figure 6 will be executed repeatedly.

[0066] As shown in Figure 6, the vehicle control unit 270 determines whether or not it has received the start information transmitted from the communication terminal 300 via the wireless communication unit 260 (S110-1). If the start information is received (YES in S110-1), the vehicle control unit 270 obtains the state of charge (SOC) and temperature of the battery 230 detected by the battery information detection unit 240 (S110-3).

[0067] Furthermore, the vehicle control unit 270 performs a required operating time derivation process (S110-5) to derive the required operating time by referring to the required operating time map shown in Figure 3, based on the State of Charge (SOC) and temperature of the battery 230 acquired in step S110-3.

[0068] Furthermore, the vehicle control unit 270 determines whether the initial operating time, which is determined by the start information received in step S110-1, is equal to or greater than the required operating time derived in step S110-5 (S110-7).

[0069] As a result, if the initial operating time is greater than or equal to the required operating time (YES in S110-7), the vehicle control unit 270 proceeds to step S110-17, which will be described later. If the initial operating time is not greater than or equal to the required operating time (NO in S110-7), the vehicle control unit 270 transmits extension request information to the wireless communication unit 310 of the communication terminal 300 via the wireless communication unit 260 to request permission from the user to extend the operating time of the engine 210 from the initial operating time (S110-9).

[0070] The vehicle control unit 270 then determines whether or not it has received extension permission information transmitted from the communication terminal 300 via the wireless communication unit 260 (S110-11). If extension permission information has not been received (NO in S110-11), the vehicle control unit 270 determines whether or not it has received extension rejection information transmitted from the communication terminal 300 via the wireless communication unit 260 (S110-13). If extension rejection information has not been received (NO in S110-13), the vehicle control unit 270 waits until it receives either extension permission information or extension rejection information.

[0071] If extension permission information is received (YES in S110-11), the vehicle control unit 270 starts the engine 210 and performs an engine start process to operate the engine 210 for the required operating time derived in step S110-5 (S110-13). In this engine start process (S110-13), the vehicle control unit 270 sets the required operating time as the operating time.

[0072] Furthermore, if the initial operating time is greater than or equal to the required operating time (YES in S110-7), or if extension refusal information is received (YES in S110-13), the vehicle control unit 270 starts the engine 210 and performs an engine start process to operate the engine 210 for the duration of the initial operating time (S110-17). In this engine start process (S110-17), the vehicle control unit 270 sets the initial operating time as the operating time.

[0073] Furthermore, the vehicle control unit 270 executes an air conditioning unit control process that controls the operation of the air conditioning unit 250 based on the set temperature information included in the start information (S110-19).

[0074] Furthermore, the vehicle control unit 270 determines whether the operating time set in step S110-15 or step S110-17 has elapsed. If the set operating time has not elapsed (NO in S110-21), the vehicle control unit 270 waits until the operating time has elapsed. If the set operating time has elapsed (YES in S110-21), the vehicle control unit 270 performs a predetermined termination process (S110-23). ​​In this termination process (S110-23), the vehicle control unit 270 of the vehicle 200 terminates the operation of the engine 210 and terminates the operation of the air conditioning unit 250.

[0075] As described above, the engine control system 100 according to this embodiment includes a communication terminal 300 capable of transmitting start information, a wireless communication unit 260 provided in the vehicle 200, an engine 210 provided in the vehicle 200, a battery 230 provided in the vehicle 200, a first detection unit (battery information detection unit 240) provided in the vehicle 200 capable of detecting the remaining charge of the battery 230, and a control unit (vehicle control unit 270) provided in the vehicle 200. The control unit (vehicle control unit 270) has one or more control unit processors (processors 272) and one or more control unit memories (memories 274) connected to the control unit processors (processors 272). When the wireless communication unit 260 receives start information from the communication terminal 300, the control unit processor (processor 272) executes a process that includes starting the engine 210 and operating the engine 210 for a preset operating time (in the above embodiment, as an example, steps S110-1 to S110-23). Furthermore, the control unit processor (processor 272) performs a process that includes determining whether a predetermined condition regarding the battery 230 is met, based on at least the remaining charge of the battery 230 (in the above embodiment, step S110-7 is an example). Furthermore, if the predetermined condition is met (in the above embodiment, YES in step S110-7 is an example), the control unit processor (processor 272) performs a process that includes stopping the engine 210 based on the elapsed operating time (in the above embodiment, steps S110-17, S110-21, and S110-23 are examples). Furthermore, if the predetermined condition is not met (in the above embodiment, NO in step S110-7 is an example), the control unit processor (processor 272) performs a process that includes extending the operating time of the engine 210 (in the above embodiment, steps S110-15, S110-21, and S110-23 are examples).

[0076] In this embodiment of the engine control system 100, the operating time can be extended according to the status of the vehicle's battery 230, thereby suppressing the risk of the vehicle's battery 230 running out of charge.

[0077] Furthermore, the engine control system 100 may include a second detection unit (battery information detection unit 240) provided in the vehicle 200 that can detect the temperature of the battery 230. Also, the control unit processor (processor 272) may perform a process that includes determining the amount by which to extend the operating time of the engine 210 based on at least the remaining charge (SOC) of the battery 230 and the temperature of the battery 230 (in the above embodiment, step S110-5 is one example).

[0078] This approach allows for setting an appropriate extension time based on the battery 230's SOC and temperature, thereby preventing the extension time from becoming unnecessarily long.

[0079] Furthermore, the communication terminal 300 may include one or more communication terminal processors (processors 332) and one or more communication terminal memories (memories 334) connected to the communication terminal processors (processors 332). The control unit processor (processor 272) may also perform a process (in the above embodiment, for example, step S110-9) that includes transmitting extension request information requesting an extension of operating time to the communication terminal 300 via the wireless communication unit 260 when a predetermined condition is not met (in the above embodiment, for example, NO in step S110-7). The communication terminal processor (processor 332) may also perform a process (in the above embodiment, for example, step S100-15) that includes transmitting extension permission information to the wireless communication unit 260 when it has received the extension request information (in the above embodiment, for example, YES in step S100-7) and has accepted a predetermined operation from the user (in the above embodiment, for example, YES in step S100-11). Furthermore, the control unit processor (processor 272) may, when a predetermined condition is not met (for example, NO in step S110-7 in the above embodiment) and when it receives extension permission information (for example, YES in step S110-11 in the above embodiment), execute a process (for example, step S110-15 in the above embodiment) that includes extending the operating time of the engine 210.

[0080] In this way, the decision of whether or not to extend the operating time of engine 210 is ultimately based on user operation, thus preventing the operating time of engine 210 from being extended against the user's wishes and thus reducing the risk of the user developing distrust.

[0081] <Variation> In the above embodiment, step S110-5 shows a case where the required operating time is derived based on the required operating time map shown in Figure 3. However, the method for deriving the required operating time is not limited to this. Below, a process that is performed instead of step S110-5 in the above embodiment will be described. Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a predicted average charging current map according to a modified example of the present invention. In the modified example, the predicted average charging current map is stored in the memory 274 of the vehicle 200.

[0082] As shown in Figure 7, the predicted average charging current map specifies the predicted current value (hereinafter referred to as the predicted average charging current) when charging the battery 230, based on the state of charge (SOC) and temperature of the battery 230.

[0083] The current applied to battery 230 when charging tends to be higher as the State of Charge (SOC) of battery 230 decreases. Furthermore, the current applied to battery 230 when charging tends to be higher as the temperature of battery 230 increases.

[0084] As shown in Figure 7, in the modified example, the predicted average charge current map is set such that the lower the State of Charge (SOC) of the battery 230, the higher the predicted average charge current tends to be. Also, as shown in Figure 7, the predicted average charge current map is set such that the higher the temperature of the battery 230, the higher the predicted average charge current tends to be.

[0085] The vehicle control unit 270 then derives the predicted average charging current based on the state of charge (SOC) and temperature of the battery 230, by referring to the predicted average charging current map shown in Figure 7. The vehicle control unit 270 also derives the required charging capacity based on the difference between the target SOC value of the battery 230 and the current SOC of the battery 230. The vehicle control unit 270 then derives the required operating time by dividing the derived required charging capacity by the predicted average charging current.

[0086] By doing so, it becomes possible to derive the appropriate required operating time based on the State of Charge (SOC) and temperature of the battery 230, thereby suppressing the risk of unnecessarily prolonging the operating time and worsening fuel efficiency.

[0087] Embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and modifications. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be conceived within the scope of the claims, and these will naturally also fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0088] The series of processes performed by the vehicle 200 and communication terminal 300 according to the above embodiment may be implemented using software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. The program constituting the software is pre-stored in, for example, a non-transitory storage medium provided inside or outside each device. The program is then read from, for example, a non-transitory storage medium (e.g., ROM) to a temporary storage medium (e.g., RAM) and executed by a processor such as a CPU.

[0089] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, a program for executing the processing of each function of the vehicle 200 and the communication terminal 300 can be provided. In addition, a non-temporary recording medium that can be read by a computer and on which the program is stored can also be provided. The non-temporary recording medium may be a disk-type recording medium such as an optical disk, magnetic disk, or magneto-optical disk, or it may be a semiconductor memory such as a flash memory or USB memory. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0090] 100 Engine Control System 200 vehicles 210 engine 230 batteries 240 Battery information detection unit (first detection unit, second detection unit) 250 Air Conditioning Unit 260 Wireless Communication Section 270 Vehicle Control Unit (Control Unit) 272 Processors (Control Unit Processors) 274 Memory (Control Unit Memory) 300 communication terminals 330 Communication Terminal Control Unit 332 Processor (Communication Terminal Processor) 334 Memory (Communication terminal memory)

Claims

1. A communication terminal capable of transmitting startup information, The wireless communication unit installed in the vehicle, The engine provided in the aforementioned vehicle, The battery provided in the aforementioned vehicle, The vehicle is provided with a first detection unit capable of detecting the remaining charge of the battery, A control unit provided in the aforementioned vehicle, Equipped with, The control unit, One or more control processors, One or more control memory connected to the control processor, It has, The control processor, When the wireless communication unit receives the start information from the communication terminal, it starts the engine and operates the engine for a predetermined operating time. At least based on the remaining charge of the battery, it is determined whether or not a predetermined condition relating to the battery is met, When the aforementioned predetermined conditions are met, the engine is stopped based on the elapsed operating time, If the aforementioned predetermined conditions are not met, the operating time of the engine will be extended. An engine control system that performs processes including those mentioned above.

2. The vehicle is provided with a second detection unit capable of detecting the temperature of the battery, The control processor, To determine the amount of time to extend the operating time of the engine based at least on the remaining charge of the battery and the temperature of the battery, The engine control system according to claim 1, which performs a process including the following:

3. The aforementioned communication terminal is One or more communication terminal processors, One or more communication terminal memories connected to the aforementioned communication terminal processor, It has, The control processor, If the predetermined conditions are not met, an extension request information requesting an extension of the operating time is transmitted to the communication terminal via the wireless communication unit. Execute the process that includes, The aforementioned communication terminal processor is When the extension request information is received and the user's prescribed operation is accepted, the extension permission information is transmitted to the wireless communication unit. Execute the process that includes, The control processor, If the aforementioned predetermined conditions are not met, and the extension permission information is received, the operating time of the engine shall be extended. An engine control system according to claim 1 or 2, which performs a process including the following:

Images