vehicle-mounted device

Abstract

The aim is to suppress user discomfort caused by a decrease in vehicle drivability and a deterioration of the air quality inside the vehicle. [Solution] The control unit of the on-board device limits the output of the air conditioner in accordance with the acceleration of the vehicle, which uses a common power supply source for both driving and air conditioning. Here, the vehicle can be driven in manual driving mode or automatic driving mode. Furthermore, when the vehicle is driving in automatic driving mode, the limit on the air conditioner output is relaxed compared to when the vehicle is driving in manual driving mode.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an in-vehicle device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a cooperative control method of drive force control and air conditioning control including a controller that performs cooperative control of drive force control of a driving power source for traveling and air conditioning control of an air conditioning system having a compressor directly or indirectly driven by the driving power source for traveling. In the cooperative control method, it is determined whether there is an acceleration request. Also, in the cooperative control method, it is determined whether there is a window defogging request for the front window. And, in the cooperative control method, when there is no window defogging request, air conditioning control that prioritizes the power performance based on the acceleration request is implemented. Also, in the cooperative control method, when there is a window defogging request, air conditioning control that prioritizes the window defogging performance for the window defogging request over the power performance based on the acceleration request is implemented.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] <00000​​​​​​​​​​​​​The aforementioned vehicle can be driven in both manual driving mode and automatic driving mode. When the vehicle is operating in the automatic driving mode, the restrictions on the output of the air conditioner are relaxed compared to when the vehicle is operating in the manual driving mode. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] This disclosure makes it possible to suppress user discomfort caused by a decrease in vehicle drivability and deterioration of the air environment inside the vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the vehicle system. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a block diagram schematically showing an example of the functional configuration of an in-vehicle device. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of the table structure of restriction information held in the restriction information database in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a graph showing the relationship between air conditioning power consumption and downtime. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart of the restriction process performed by the control unit. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an example of the table structure of restriction information held in the restriction information database in the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Vehicles that use a common power source for both propulsion and air conditioning may accelerate. In this case, the vehicle Depending on the acceleration, it may become impossible to achieve both acceleration and air conditioning simultaneously. When an occupant is driving the vehicle, if the desired acceleration cannot be achieved, it is expected that the occupant's discomfort will increase due to poor drivability. Therefore, the control unit of the in-vehicle device according to this disclosure limits the output of the air conditioner in accordance with the vehicle's acceleration. This makes it possible to suppress a decline in drivability.

[0009] However, if the air conditioning output is limited when the air quality inside the vehicle is poor, it is expected that the air quality inside the vehicle will worsen further. This deterioration in the air quality inside the vehicle will cause discomfort to the occupants. On the other hand, when the vehicle is running in autonomous driving mode, the vehicle's acceleration is performed automatically or with driver assistance. Therefore, when the vehicle is running in autonomous driving mode, the demands on drivability are smaller compared to when the occupants are driving the vehicle (when the vehicle is running in manual driving mode). As a result, when the vehicle is running in autonomous driving mode, prioritizing air conditioning over acceleration is less likely to cause discomfort to the occupants regarding drivability. Therefore, when the vehicle is running in autonomous driving mode, the restriction on the air conditioning output is relaxed compared to when the vehicle is running in manual driving mode.

[0010] As explained above, the onboard system relaxes the limit on the air conditioning output when the vehicle is running autonomously. This means that when the demand for drivability is lower compared to when a passenger is driving the vehicle, air conditioning takes priority over acceleration. This helps to prevent deterioration of the environment inside the vehicle. On the other hand, when the vehicle is running in manual driving mode, the limit on the air conditioning output is not relaxed, and acceleration takes priority. Therefore, when the vehicle is running in manual driving mode, drivability takes priority over air conditioning. As a result, it is possible to suppress user discomfort caused by a decrease in vehicle drivability and deterioration of the air environment inside the vehicle.

[0011] The following describes specific embodiments of this disclosure with reference to the drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the hardware configurations, module configurations, functional configurations, etc., described in each embodiment are not intended to limit the technical scope of the disclosure to those configurations alone.

[0012] <First Embodiment> (System Overview) The vehicle system 1 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of the vehicle system 1. The vehicle system 1 consists of an air conditioner 11, a motor 12, a battery 13, a driving control ECU 14, and an on-board device 100, which are mounted on the vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the vehicle 10 is an electric vehicle.

[0013] In the vehicle system 1, the air conditioner 11, motor 12, battery 13, driving control ECU 14, and on-board device 100 are connected by an in-vehicle network. In this embodiment, the on-board device 100 is connected to the air conditioner 11 and the driving control ECU 14 by the in-vehicle network. The driving control ECU 14 is connected to the motor 12 by the in-vehicle network. The battery 13 is connected to the air conditioner 11 and the motor 12 by the in-vehicle network. In addition, in the vehicle system 1, the air conditioner 11, motor 12, battery 13, driving control ECU 14, and on-board device 100 may be interconnected by an in-vehicle network.

[0014] (Battery) Battery 13 is a battery that supplies power for the vehicle 10 to run. Battery 13 supplies power for the vehicle 10 to run by being electrically connected to motor 12. Battery 13 also supplies power for the air conditioning inside the vehicle 10. The battery 13, by being electrically connected to the air conditioner 11, supplies power for the air conditioning in the vehicle 10. In other words, the battery 13 is a common power source for both the vehicle 10's operation and its air conditioning.

[0015] (Air conditioner) The air conditioner 11 is a device that regulates the air environment inside the vehicle 10. The air conditioner 11 adjusts the temperature inside the vehicle 10. Further, the air conditioner 11 may perform ventilation and dehumidification inside the vehicle 10.

[0016] (Motor) The motor 12 is an electric motor that generates driving force for the running of the vehicle 10. The motor 12 runs the vehicle 10 by receiving power supply from the battery 13.

[0017] (Travel control ECU) The travel control ECU 14 is an electronic control unit (ECU) for controlling the running of the vehicle 10. Here, the vehicle 10 is a vehicle having two types of running modes: a manual driving mode in which it runs according to the driver's operation, and an autonomous driving mode. When the vehicle 10 is running in the manual driving mode, the travel control ECU 14 transmits an electric signal for travel control to the motor 12 via the in-vehicle network according to the driver's operation of the vehicle 10. Here, the electric signal for travel control is a signal that instructs the output of the motor 12.

[0018] Also, when the vehicle 10 is running in the autonomous driving mode, the travel control ECU 14 controls the autonomous driving of the vehicle 10. The travel control ECU 14 performs control of autonomous driving according to the sensing value by a sensor provided in the vehicle 10. The travel control ECU 14 performs control of autonomous driving according to, for example, a moving image captured by a camera provided in the vehicle 10. Then, the travel control ECU 14 transmits an electric signal for autonomous driving control to the motor 12 via the in-vehicle network. Here, the electric signal for autonomous driving control is a signal that instructs the output of the motor 12.

[0019] When the travel control ECU 14 accelerates the vehicle 10, it generates acceleration information regarding the acceleration of the vehicle 10. Here, the acceleration information includes information indicating the acceleration of the vehicle 10 and the acceleration time of the vehicle 10. The travel control ECU 14 transmits the acceleration information to the in-vehicle device 100 via the in-vehicle network.

[0020] (In-vehicle device) The onboard device 100 is a device that controls the air conditioning of the vehicle 10. However, when the vehicle 10 accelerates, the air conditioner 11 and the motor 12 use a common power source, so depending on the acceleration required for the vehicle 10, it may become impossible to maintain both acceleration and air conditioning simultaneously.

[0021] Let's assume that the driver of vehicle 10 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "driver") operates the accelerator. In this case, if the driver's intended acceleration cannot be achieved, it is expected that the driver's discomfort will increase due to poor drivability. Therefore, the onboard device 100 limits the output of the air conditioner in accordance with the vehicle's acceleration.

[0022] Here, let's assume that the output of the air conditioner 11 is uniformly limited when it becomes impossible to achieve both acceleration and air conditioning. In this case, if the output of the air conditioner 11 is limited when the air environment inside the vehicle 10 is poor, it is expected that the air environment inside the vehicle 10 will worsen further. Consequently, the deterioration of the air environment inside the vehicle 10 will cause discomfort to the passengers of the vehicle 10.

[0023] On the other hand, when vehicle 10 is driving autonomously, the driving control ECU 14 may request acceleration. In this case, even if the acceleration is insufficient, the driver is still driving the vehicle. Therefore, it is expected that discomfort will be less likely to occur than when a driver is operating the vehicle 10. For this reason, when the vehicle 10 is driving autonomously, prioritizing air conditioning over acceleration is unlikely to cause discomfort to the occupants in terms of drivability. Accordingly, when the vehicle 10 is driving in autonomous driving mode, the on-board device 100 relaxes the output limit of the air conditioner 11 compared to when the vehicle 10 is driving in manual driving mode. In this case, acceleration does not need to be performed exactly as requested by the driving control ECU 14. Details of how the on-board device 100 relaxes the output limit of the air conditioner 11 will be described later.

[0024] The in-vehicle device 100 comprises a computer having a processor 110, a main memory unit 120, an auxiliary memory unit 130, and a communication interface (communication I / F) 140. The processor 110 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). The main memory unit 120 is, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory). The auxiliary memory unit 130 is, for example, ROM (Read Only Memory). Alternatively, the auxiliary memory unit 130 may be, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or a disk recording medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD disc, or Blu-ray disc. The auxiliary memory unit 130 may also be removable media (portable storage medium). Here, examples of removable media include, for example, a USB memory stick or an SD card. The communication I / F 140 is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface board or a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication.

[0025] In the in-vehicle device 100, the auxiliary storage unit 130 stores the operating system (OS), various programs, and various information tables. Furthermore, in the in-vehicle device 100, the processor 110 loads the programs stored in the auxiliary storage unit 130 into the main storage unit 120 and executes them, thereby realizing various functions as described later. However, some or all of the functions of the in-vehicle device 100 may be realized by hardware circuits such as ASICs or FPGAs. Note that the in-vehicle device 100 does not necessarily have to be realized by a single physical configuration, but may be composed of multiple computers cooperating with each other. Also, the air conditioner 11, motor 12, battery 13, and driving control ECU 14 are configured to include computers, similar to the in-vehicle device 100.

[0026] (Functional Configuration) Next, the functional configuration of the in-vehicle device 100 that constitutes the vehicle system 1 will be explained based on Figures 2 to 4. Figure 2 is a block diagram schematically showing an example of the functional configuration of the in-vehicle device 100. The in-vehicle device 100 consists of a control unit 101, a communication unit 102, and a restriction information DB 103. The control unit 101 has the function of performing calculation processing for controlling the in-vehicle device 100. The control unit 101 can be realized by the processor 110 in the in-vehicle device 100. The communication unit 102 has the function of connecting the in-vehicle device 100 to the in-vehicle network. The communication unit 102 can be realized by the communication I / F 140 in the in-vehicle device 100.

[0027] The control unit 101 receives acceleration information from the driving control ECU 14 via the communication unit 102. The control unit 101 refers to the acceleration information received from the driving control ECU 14 and calculates the power required to achieve the instructed acceleration (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "acceleration power"). The control unit 101 also receives output amount information from the air conditioner 11 via the communication unit 102, which indicates the current output amount of the air conditioner 11. Here, the output amount is, for example, the set temperature and the airflow rate. The control unit 101 refers to the output amount information received from the air conditioner 11 and calculates the power required for air conditioning the vehicle 10 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "air conditioning power").

[0028] The control unit 101 determines if the calculated acceleration power and air conditioning power exceed the power that the battery 13 can simultaneously supply to the air conditioner 11 and motor 12 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "supplyable power"). The control unit 101 determines whether or not this is the case. Here, the available power is determined by the power that the battery 13 can output. The available amount is a predetermined amount of energy. In addition, the available power may differ depending on the amount of electricity in the battery 13 or the temperature, etc. In this case, the control unit 101 may obtain the available power from the battery 13. Furthermore, if the battery 13 is supplying power to devices other than the air conditioner 11 and the motor 12, the control unit 101 determines whether or not the sum of the acceleration power, air conditioning power, and the power used by the devices exceeds the available power.

[0029] If the control unit 101 determines that the acceleration power and air conditioning power exceed the available power, it obtains driving mode information indicating the driving mode of the vehicle 10 from the driving control ECU 14 via the communication unit 102. The driving mode information includes information indicating whether the vehicle 10 is driving in manual driving mode or autonomous driving mode.

[0030] The control unit 101 refers to the acquired driving mode information and identifies the driving mode of the vehicle 10. If the driving mode of the vehicle 10 is manual driving mode, the control unit 101 determines the stop time to be the basic stop time. Here, the basic stop time is the time at which it is determined that sufficient acceleration can be achieved by stopping the output of the air conditioner 11. The basic stop time is a predetermined stop time. The control unit 101 outputs stop instruction information to the air conditioner 11 via the communication unit 102 for a command to instruct the air conditioner 11 to stop the output for the basic stop time. As a result, the air conditioner 11 can stop the output for the basic stop time.

[0031] Furthermore, when the vehicle 10 is driving in autonomous driving mode, the control unit 101 refers to the restriction information to determine the shutdown time of the air conditioner 11's output (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "shutdown time"). The restriction information is information indicating the content of the restrictions on the output of the air conditioner 11. The restriction information DB 103 has the function of holding the restriction information. The restriction information DB 103 can be implemented by the auxiliary storage unit 130 in the in-vehicle device 100. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the table configuration of the restriction information held in the restriction information DB 103 in this embodiment.

[0032] As shown in Figure 3, the restriction information includes an air conditioning power field and a downtime field. The air conditioning power field stores information indicating the air conditioning power of the air conditioner 11. The air conditioning power field stores information indicating the air conditioning power from lowest to highest. The downtime field stores information indicating the downtime corresponding to the air conditioning power indicated in the corresponding air conditioning power field. The downtime field stores information indicating, for example, the number of seconds of downtime.

[0033] In this case, the output of the air conditioner 11 may be increased due to poor air quality inside the vehicle 10. If the output of the air conditioner 11 is stopped for a long period of time in this case, it is expected that the air quality inside the vehicle 10 will deteriorate more than if the output of the air conditioner 11 is stopped for a short period of time. Therefore, by shortening the stop time when the air conditioning power is high compared to when the air conditioning power is low, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the air quality inside the vehicle 10. For this reason, the stop time field stores information indicating the longest stop time from top to bottom. In this embodiment, when the air conditioning power is at its minimum, the basic stop time is set as the stop time. Alternatively, when the air conditioning power is at its minimum, a predetermined time less than the basic stop time may be set as the stop time.

[0034] Furthermore, in order to quickly improve the air environment of the air conditioner 11, the output may be increased, resulting in the use of air conditioning power exceeding a threshold. Here, the threshold is the air conditioning power deemed necessary to quickly improve the air environment of the air conditioner 11. In this case, if the output of the air conditioner 11 is stopped, it is expected that the air environment inside the vehicle 10 will deteriorate more than when air conditioning power below the threshold is used. Therefore, in the stop time field, if the air conditioning power is above the threshold, the information "0" is stored. In other words, the stop time field In this case, if the air conditioning power is above a threshold, information is stored indicating that the shutdown time of the air conditioner 11's output should be set to 0, and that the shutdown of the air conditioner 11's output should be prohibited.

[0035] Figure 4 is a graph showing the relationship between air conditioning power and downtime. The horizontal axis of the graph in Figure 4 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as the "horizontal axis of the graph") represents the magnitude of air conditioning power. On the horizontal axis of the graph, the further to the right, the greater the air conditioning power. The vertical axis of the graph in Figure 4 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as the "vertical axis of the graph") represents the downtime. On the vertical axis of the graph, the further up, the longer the downtime. The origin of the graph in Figure 4 represents the minimum air conditioning power of the air conditioner 11 and the downtime of 0. In Figure 4, the downtime when the vehicle 10 is operating in autonomous driving mode is shown by a solid line. In Figure 4, the downtime when the vehicle 10 is operating in manual driving mode is shown by a dashed line.

[0036] As shown in Figure 4, when vehicle 10 is operating in manual driving mode, the basic stop time is the stop time regardless of the air conditioning power. Also as shown in Figure 4, when vehicle 10 is operating in autonomous driving mode, the basic stop time is the stop time at the minimum value on the horizontal axis of the graph (the minimum air conditioning power of the air conditioner 11). Furthermore, the stop time decreases monotonically from the minimum value on the horizontal axis of the graph up to the threshold. In addition, the stop time is 0 at air conditioning power above the threshold on the horizontal axis of the graph. Thus, when vehicle 10 is operating in autonomous driving mode, a shorter stop time is set than when vehicle 10 is operating in manual driving mode. In other words, when vehicle 10 is operating in autonomous driving mode, the output limit of the air conditioner 11 is relaxed compared to when vehicle 10 is operating in manual driving mode.

[0037] Furthermore, if the air conditioning power consumption is high, it is assumed that the output (output amount) of the air conditioner 11 will be high. Therefore, when the vehicle 10 is operating in autonomous driving mode, the higher the output of the air conditioner 11, the shorter the stop time will be set. Also, when the vehicle 10 is operating in autonomous driving mode, if the output of the air conditioner 11 exceeds a threshold, the stop time will become 0.

[0038] When the vehicle 10 is in autonomous driving mode, the control unit 101 refers to the restriction information, identifies the stop time field corresponding to the calculated air conditioning power, and determines the stop time from the information indicating the stop time stored in the stop time field. At this time, the control unit 101 determines whether the determined stop time is greater than 0. If the stop time is greater than 0, the control unit 101 outputs stop instruction information to the air conditioner 11 via the communication unit 102 for a command to instruct the air conditioner 11 to stop outputting the determined stop time. As a result, the air conditioner 11 can stop outputting the stop time.

[0039] (Restriction processing) Next, the limiting process performed by the control unit 101 in the on-board device 100 in the vehicle system 1 will be explained with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a flowchart of the limiting process performed by the control unit 101. The limiting process is a process to limit (stop) the output of the air conditioner 11 depending on whether the acceleration power and air conditioning power exceed the available power. The limiting process is started repeatedly at predetermined intervals.

[0040] In the limiting process, first, in S101, acceleration power is calculated according to the acceleration information received from the driving control ECU 14. Then, in S102, air conditioning power is calculated according to the output amount information received from the air conditioner 11. Next, in S103, it is determined whether the sum of the calculated acceleration power and air conditioning power exceeds the available power. If the determination in S103 is negative, acceleration can be performed as requested without limiting the output of the air conditioner 11. Therefore, the limiting process is terminated.

[0041] If a positive determination is made in S103, in S104, the driving mode information obtained from the driving control ECU 14 is referenced to determine whether the vehicle 10 is in autonomous driving mode. If a negative determination is made in S104, the vehicle 10 is operating in manual driving mode. Therefore, in order to prioritize drivability, in S107, stop instruction information for stopping the output of the basic stop time is output to the air conditioner 11.

[0042] In this embodiment, an affirmative determination is made if the sum of acceleration power and air conditioning power exceeds the available power, and a negative determination is made if the sum of acceleration power and air conditioning power is less than the available power. If the sum of acceleration power and air conditioning power is equal to the available power, either an affirmative or negative determination may be made.

[0043] If a positive determination is made in S104, in S105 the restriction information held in the restriction information DB103 is referenced and the stop time corresponding to the air conditioning power is determined. Next, in S106, it is determined whether the stop time is greater than or equal to 0. If a negative determination is made in S106, the stop time is 0, so there is no need to stop the output of the air conditioner 11. Therefore, the restriction process is terminated. In this way, the control unit 101 prohibits stopping the output of the air conditioner 11 when the air conditioning power (output of the air conditioner 11) is greater than or equal to a threshold.

[0044] If a positive result is obtained in S106, in order to stop the output of the air conditioner 11 for the specified period, stop instruction information is output to the air conditioner 11 in S107. Here, the stop instruction information output in S107 is information that instructs the air conditioner 11 to stop output for the period determined in the process of S105. Then, the restriction process is terminated.

[0045] As explained above, in vehicle system 1, when vehicle 10 is operating in autonomous driving mode, the downtime of the air conditioner 11's output is shorter than when vehicle 10 is operating in manual driving mode. In other words, when vehicle 10 is operating in autonomous driving mode, the limitations on the air conditioner 11's output are relaxed compared to when vehicle 10 is operating in manual driving mode. As a result, when the demands on drivability are lower than when vehicle 10 is operating in manual driving mode, air conditioning takes priority over acceleration.

[0046] Furthermore, when the air conditioning power is high, the downtime is shorter than when the air conditioning power is low. Therefore, when the output of the air conditioner 11 is increased due to poor air quality inside the vehicle 10, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the air quality inside the vehicle 10. Also, in this case, if the air conditioning power used by the air conditioner 11 exceeds a threshold to quickly improve the air quality, the shutdown of the air conditioner 11's output is prohibited. This makes it possible to suppress the deterioration of the air quality inside the vehicle 10 when the air conditioning power used by the air conditioner 11 exceeds a threshold to quickly improve the air quality. In addition, when the vehicle 10 is running in manual driving mode, the basic downtime output is shut off. Therefore, when the vehicle 10 is running in manual driving mode, drivability can be prioritized over air conditioning. In this way, it is possible to suppress user discomfort caused by a decrease in the drivability of the vehicle 10 and a deterioration of the air quality inside the vehicle 10.

[0047] <Second Embodiment> In the first embodiment, the in-vehicle device 100 limits the output of the air conditioner 11 by stopping the air conditioner 11. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the in-vehicle device 100 limits the output of the air conditioner 11 by limiting the output amount of the air conditioner 11. Here, limiting the output amount of the air conditioner 11 means, for example, limiting the set temperature and / or the airflow rate. Limiting the set temperature means that when the air conditioner 11 is in cooling mode or heating mode, the set temperature This involves increasing or decreasing the degree of ventilation. Furthermore, if the air conditioner 11 is in ventilation mode, the ventilation volume is reduced, and if the air conditioner 11 is in dehumidification mode, the dehumidification capacity is limited. The following describes only the differences from the first embodiment.

[0048] (Functional Configuration) Figure 6 shows an example of the table structure of the restriction information held in the restriction information DB103 in this embodiment. The restriction information held in the restriction information DB103 has an air conditioning power field and a restriction power field. The air conditioning power field stores information indicating the lowest air conditioning power from top to bottom, as in the first embodiment. The restriction power field stores information indicating the restriction power corresponding to the air conditioning power indicated in the corresponding air conditioning power field. Here, the restriction power is the power that is restricted from the air conditioning power. In other words, the value obtained by subtracting the restriction power from the air conditioning power is the restricted air conditioning power.

[0049] In this case, the output of the air conditioner 11 may be increased due to poor air quality inside the vehicle 10. If the output of the air conditioner 11 is significantly restricted in this case, the air quality inside the vehicle 10 is expected to worsen more than if the output of the air conditioner 11 is significantly restricted. Therefore, when the air conditioning power is high, the power restriction amount is reduced compared to when the air conditioning power is low. This reduces the decrease in air conditioning power and reduces the restriction on the output of the air conditioner 11. For this reason, the power restriction field stores information indicating the largest power restrictions from top to bottom. This helps to suppress the deterioration of the air quality inside the vehicle 10.

[0050] Furthermore, in order to quickly improve the air environment of the air conditioner 11, air conditioning power exceeding a threshold may be used. In this case, if the output of the air conditioner 11 is limited, it is expected that the air environment inside the vehicle 10 will deteriorate. Therefore, in the stop time field, if the air conditioning power is above the threshold, the information "0" is stored. In other words, in the limit power field, if the air conditioning power is above the threshold, information is stored indicating that the limit power should be set to 0 (no limiting of air conditioning power) is performed.

[0051] The control unit 101 refers to the restriction information stored in the restriction information DB 103 and the calculated air conditioning power to determine the restricted power of the air conditioner 11. In other words, the control unit 101 refers to the restriction information, identifies the restricted power field corresponding to the calculated air conditioning power, and determines the restricted power from the information indicating the restricted power stored in the restricted power field. Then, the control unit 101 outputs output instruction information to the air conditioner 11 via the communication unit 102, instructing it to output with the restricted air conditioning power. In this way, the control unit 101 restricts the output amount of the air conditioner 11 according to the restricted power. Here, the output instruction information may include information indicating the time for which the output amount of the air conditioner 11 is restricted. The time for which the output amount of the air conditioner 11 is restricted is a predetermined time. Alternatively, the time for which the output amount of the air conditioner 11 is restricted may be the time when the vehicle 10 is accelerating. In this way, the control unit 101 restricts the output amount of the air conditioner 11.

[0052] Furthermore, when the vehicle 10 is running in manual driving mode, the control unit 101 limits the air conditioning power using a basic power limit. Here, the basic power limit is the power limit assumed to be sufficient for acceleration. The basic power limit is the power limit corresponding to the minimum air conditioning power of the air conditioner 11. Alternatively, the basic power limit may be greater than the minimum air conditioning power of the air conditioner 11.

[0053] The control unit 101 performs a limiting process. At this time, instead of the process in S105 in Figure 5, the control unit 101 determines the limiting power according to the limiting information and limiting power held in the limiting information DB 103. Also, instead of the process in S106 in Figure 5, the control unit 101 determines whether the limiting power is greater than 0. If a negative determination is made in S106 (limiting power If the value is 0, the limiting process is terminated as it is not necessary to limit the air conditioning power. In this way, the control unit 101 prohibits limiting the output of the air conditioner 11. Also, if an affirmative determination is made in S106, instead of the process in S107 in Figure 5, output instruction information is output to the air conditioner 11. Furthermore, in S107, which is executed after a negative determination is made in the process in S104 in Figure 5, output instruction information is output instructing the air conditioner 11 to output the air conditioning power after the limiting by the basic limiting power.

[0054] As explained above, in the vehicle system 1, when vehicle 10 is operating in autonomous driving mode, the limit on the output of the air conditioner 11 is relaxed compared to when vehicle 10 is operating in manual driving mode. As a result, when the demand for drivability is lower than when vehicle 10 is operating in manual driving mode, air conditioning takes priority over acceleration.

[0055] Furthermore, when the air conditioning power is high, the power limit is lower than when the air conditioning power is low. Therefore, when the output of the air conditioner 11 is increased due to poor air quality inside the vehicle 10, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the air quality inside the vehicle 10. Also, in this case, if the air conditioning power used by the air conditioner 11 exceeds a threshold to quickly improve the air quality, the limit on the output of the air conditioner 11 is prohibited. This makes it possible to suppress the deterioration of the air quality inside the vehicle 10 when the air conditioning power used by the air conditioner 11 exceeds a threshold to quickly improve the air quality. In this way, it is possible to suppress the discomfort experienced by the user due to the decrease in the drivability of the vehicle 10 and the deterioration of the air quality inside the vehicle.

[0056] (Variation 1) In the first and second embodiments, vehicle 10 is an electric vehicle. However, vehicle 10 does not necessarily have to be an electric vehicle, as long as it is a vehicle that uses a common power supply source for both driving and air conditioning. For example, a hybrid vehicle accelerates by generating driving force from both the engine and the electric motor. In this case, when a hybrid vehicle accelerates, the acceleration power used by the electric motor and the air conditioning power may exceed the available power supply. Therefore, vehicle 10 may be a hybrid vehicle.

[0057] (Modification 2) In the first and second embodiments, the vehicle 10 is a vehicle having two types of driving modes: manual driving mode and autonomous driving mode. Here, we assume that the vehicle 10 is driving in a driving assistance mode in which some of the driving operations are assisted. The driving assistance mode is, for example, a cruise control mode that controls the distance between vehicles. In this case, since the acceleration of the vehicle 10 is performed fully automatically or semi-automatically, even if the acceleration of the vehicle 10 is insufficient and the drivability is reduced, it is assumed that the driver will experience less discomfort than when the vehicle 10 is driving in manual driving mode. For this reason, even if the output limit of the air conditioner 11 is relaxed when the vehicle 10 is driving in cruise control mode in addition to autonomous driving mode, the driver will be less likely to experience discomfort regarding drivability. Therefore, the in-vehicle device 100 may relax the output limit of the air conditioner 11 not only when the vehicle 10 is driving in autonomous driving mode, but also when the vehicle 10 is driving in semi-automatic mode. Thus, even if the output limit of the air conditioner 11 is relaxed when the vehicle 10 is operating autonomously, it is possible to suppress user discomfort caused by a decrease in the drivability of the vehicle 10 and a deterioration of the air environment inside the vehicle 10.

[0058] <Other Embodiments> The embodiments described above are merely examples, and this disclosure may be modified as appropriate without departing from its essence. Furthermore, the processes and means described in this disclosure may be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical inconsistencies arise.

[0059] Furthermore, a process described as being performed by a single device may be divided and executed by multiple devices. Conversely, a process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by a single device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) by which each function is implemented can be flexibly changed.

[0060] The present disclosure can also be realized by supplying a computer program implementing the functions described in the embodiments above to a computer, and having one or more processors in the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer by a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium that can be connected to the computer's system bus, or it may be provided to the computer via a network. The non-temporary computer-readable storage medium includes any type of disk, such as magnetic disks (floppy disks or hard disk drives (HDDs), etc.), optical disks (CD-ROMs, DVDs, or Blu-ray discs, etc.), read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), EPROM, EEPROM, magnetic cards, flash memory, or optical cards, and any other type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0061] 1. Vehicle System 10. Vehicles 11...Air conditioner 12. Motor 13. Battery 14. Driving control ECU 100...In-vehicle equipment 101. Control Unit 102. Communications Department 103. Restriction Information Database

Claims

1. Limiting the output of the air conditioner in accordance with the acceleration of a vehicle that uses a common power supply for both driving and air conditioning. A control unit configured to perform the following actions: The aforementioned vehicle can be driven in both manual driving mode and automatic driving mode. When the vehicle is operating in the automatic driving mode, the restrictions on the output of the air conditioner are relaxed compared to when the vehicle is operating in the manual driving mode. In-vehicle device.

2. Limiting the output of the aforementioned air conditioner is accomplished by stopping the air conditioner. Relaxing the output limit of the air conditioner is achieved by shortening the air conditioner's downtime compared to when the vehicle is running in manual driving mode. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1.

3. Relaxing the output limit of the air conditioner includes determining the downtime such that it becomes shorter as the output of the air conditioner increases. The in-vehicle device according to claim 2.

4. Limiting the output of the air conditioner is achieved by limiting the output amount of the air conditioner. Relaxing the output limit of the air conditioner is achieved by relaxing the output limit of the air conditioner compared to when the vehicle is running in manual driving mode. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1.

5. Relaxing the output limit of the air conditioner includes prohibiting the limit on the air conditioner's output when the air conditioner's output exceeds a threshold. The in-vehicle device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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