Notification system for electric vehicles

Abstract

This system provides a notification system that prevents electric vehicles from inadvertently passing by charging facilities by providing timely notifications to prevent them from running out of power when they approach the charging facilities. [Solution] When it is determined that the vehicle has entered the detection range Rj while the vehicle is in motion, the notification unit issues a notification based on the possibility of running out of power. Therefore, when an electric vehicle approaches the planned charging facility CGx, the notification based on the possibility of running out of power allows the occupants to recognize that the vehicle is approaching the planned charging facility CGx and that there is a possibility of running out of power. In other words, when the vehicle approaches the planned charging facility CGx, it is possible to issue a notification as needed to prevent running out of power. And by issuing such a notification, it is possible to prevent the vehicle from inadvertently passing by the planned charging facility CGx.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a notification system for electric vehicles.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a power failure warning system for warning of a power failure in an electric vehicle. In that power failure warning system, the power consumption required for the electric vehicle to reach the destination from the current location is acquired. Then, the possibility of a power failure is gradually evaluated by comparing the ratio of the required power consumption to the remaining battery level with a plurality of threshold values, and a warning is given in a manner corresponding to the possibility of the power failure. Note that a power failure in an electric vehicle means that the power from the secondary battery provided in the electric vehicle is insufficient.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When an electric vehicle travels a long distance, it is essential to use a charging facility to prevent a power failure. However, in the power failure warning system of Patent Document 1, the location of the charging facility is not considered. Therefore, it is assumed that the charging facility is overlooked during the travel of the electric vehicle, and the electric vehicle passes by the charging facility. As a result of the inventors' detailed examination, the above has been found.

[0005] In view of the above points, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a notification system capable of preventing an electric vehicle from inadvertently passing by a charging facility by appropriately notifying when the electric vehicle approaches the charging facility so as to prevent a power failure.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the notification system described in this disclosure from one perspective is: A notification system for an electric vehicle (30) that runs on electricity obtained from a secondary battery (34), A charging equipment determination unit (12) determines whether the charging equipment (CG, CGx) has entered a predetermined determination range (Rj) based on the current position (Pa) of the electric vehicle while the electric vehicle is in motion, The system includes a notification unit (14) that, when the charging equipment determination unit determines that the charging equipment has entered the determination range while the electric vehicle is in operation, provides notification based on the possibility of power depletion, which is the possibility of insufficient power from the secondary battery.

[0007] In this way, when an electric vehicle approaches a charging station, the system will notify the occupants of the possibility of running out of power by issuing a notification based on the likelihood of the electric vehicle running out of power. In other words, it is possible to notify the occupants of the electric vehicle as it approaches a charging station in an appropriate manner to prevent it from running out of power. And by implementing such notifications, it is possible to prevent electric vehicles from inadvertently passing by charging stations.

[0008] In addition, each element in the application documents may be given a reference numeral in parentheses. In this case, the reference numeral merely indicates one example of the correspondence between the element and the specific configuration described in the embodiments described later. Therefore, this disclosure is not limited in any way by the inclusion of such reference numerals. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This diagram schematically shows a vehicle to which the notification system of the first embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] In the first embodiment, Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the vehicle interior and the schematic configuration of a cloud connected to the vehicle via a wireless network for communication. [Figure 3]This flowchart shows the control process for formulating a travel plan, including the planned route of the vehicle, in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram showing the planned route, roads, charging facilities where the vehicle can be charged, and the vehicle's current location in a two-dimensional view. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart illustrating the control process performed by the notification system in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a functional block diagram showing each functional part of the notification system in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows the subroutine executed in step S209 of Figure 5 to select the new planned charging equipment. [Figure 8] In another embodiment, this is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the vehicle in Figure 1 and the schematic configuration of a cloud and external terminals that are communicably connected to the vehicle via a wireless network, and this diagram corresponds to Figure 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, including the other embodiments described later, parts that are the same or equivalent to each other are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings.

[0011] (First Embodiment) As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the notification system 10 of this embodiment is a vehicle notification system applied to a vehicle 30, for example, an electric vehicle. The electric vehicle 30 in this embodiment is also called a BEV and is equipped with a high-voltage battery 34, which is a secondary battery, and runs on the electricity obtained from the high-voltage battery 34. BEV is an abbreviation for "Battery Electric Vehicle".

[0012] Specifically, when the vehicle 30 approaches the charging facility CG, the notification system 10 issues a predetermined notification to the passenger compartment 30a of the vehicle 30. In short, in that case, the notification system 10 issues a predetermined notification to the occupants 80, such as the driver.

[0013] The notification system 10 comprises a vehicle-side computer 32, a communication device 33, a manager 51, and a cloud-side computer 52 as its hardware configuration. The vehicle-side computer 32 and the communication device 33 are connected to each other for information communication and are installed in the vehicle 30, respectively. The manager 51 and the cloud-side computer 52 are connected to each other for information communication and are installed in the cloud 50, respectively.

[0014] The communication device 33 of the vehicle 30 is wirelessly connected to a cloud 50 outside the vehicle 30, and exchanges information between each device within the vehicle 30 and the cloud 50. Specifically, the communication device 33 of the vehicle 30 and the manager 51 of the cloud 50 are connected via a wireless network NW to enable information communication. This wireless network NW is composed of, for example, a 4G or 5G wireless communication line and the internet.

[0015] The vehicle-side arithmetic unit 32, the manager 51, and the cloud-side arithmetic unit 52 each have a microcomputer configuration equipped with a CPU, RAM, ROM, and non-volatile rewritable memory (not shown). The vehicle-side arithmetic unit 32, the manager 51, and the cloud-side arithmetic unit 52 each read and execute a computer program stored in ROM or non-volatile rewritable memory, which are non-transitional physical recording media. When this computer program is executed, a method corresponding to the computer program is performed. That is, the vehicle-side arithmetic unit 32, the manager 51, and the cloud-side arithmetic unit 52 each perform various control processes according to their computer programs.

[0016] In addition, the vehicle-side computer 32, the manager 51, and the cloud-side computer 52 can each independently execute control processing. At the same time, since the vehicle-side computer 32, the manager 51, and the cloud-side computer 52 can communicate with each other, they can also cooperate with each other to execute one control process like a single computer.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, in addition to the vehicle-side computer 32 and the communication device 33 described above, the vehicle 30 of the present embodiment includes a high-voltage battery 34, a motor 35, a power inverter 36, a refrigeration cycle device 37, an electric compressor 38, a water circuit device 39, and an electric heater 40. Further, the vehicle 30 includes a retrofit load inverter 42, a compensator DCDC converter 43, a charger 44, and an HMI unit 45.

[0018] The high-voltage battery 34 is a rechargeable secondary battery, and is composed of, for example, a lithium-ion battery or a nickel-metal hydride battery. The high-voltage battery 34 is a vehicle power source that supplies current to various in-vehicle electrical devices such as the power inverter 36 included in the vehicle 30.

[0019] The motor 35 is a traveling motor that rotationally drives the drive wheels of the vehicle 30. The motor 35 drives the drive wheels to rotate by receiving power supply from the power inverter 36, thereby causing the vehicle 30 to travel. The power inverter 36 converts the direct current of the high-voltage battery 34 into an alternating current and supplies it to the motor 35, thereby rotating the motor 35.

[0020] The refrigeration cycle device 37 includes a plurality of heat exchangers, expansion valves, flow path switching valves, and the like. A refrigeration cycle circuit in which the refrigerant circulates is constituted by the refrigeration cycle device 37 and the electric compressor 38. In that refrigeration cycle circuit, a vapor compression refrigeration cycle is executed as the refrigerant circulates. And by executing that refrigeration cycle, the temperature adjustment of each of the high-voltage battery 34, the motor 35, and the power inverter 36, and the air conditioning in the passenger compartment 30a are performed.

[0021] The electric compressor 38 operates by power supplied from the high-voltage battery 34. With this power supply, the electric compressor 38 draws in refrigerant from the refrigeration cycle circuit, compresses the drawn-in refrigerant, and then discharges it. In other words, in the refrigeration cycle circuit, the refrigerant circulates as the electric compressor 38 operates, and as the refrigerant circulates, heat is transferred from one heat exchanger to another among the multiple heat exchangers.

[0022] The water circuit equipment 39 includes a pump and a heat exchanger that constitute a water circuit through which a liquid medium such as cooling water circulates. For example, the liquid medium in the water circuit exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle circuit in a heat exchanger that spans both the water circuit and the refrigeration cycle circuit. Therefore, the water circuit works in cooperation with the refrigeration cycle circuit to control the temperature of each temperature-controlled device to which the water circuit is connected, and to provide air conditioning in the vehicle compartment 30a. Examples of temperature-controlled devices include a high-voltage battery 34, a motor 35, and a power inverter 36.

[0023] The electric heater 40 is located, for example, inside the vehicle's interior air conditioning unit and generates heat through power supplied from the high-voltage battery 34. The electric heater 40 heats the air blown from the vehicle's interior air conditioning unit into the vehicle's interior 30a using the heat generated by the electric heater 40.

[0024] The aftermarket load inverter 42 is an inverter for supplying power to an electrical load that can be retrofitted to the vehicle 30, i.e., an aftermarket electrical load. The aftermarket load inverter 42 converts the voltage of the high-voltage battery 34 to a level suitable for the aftermarket electrical load, and then supplies power from the high-voltage battery 34 to the aftermarket electrical load. Examples of aftermarket electrical loads include household appliances such as portable coolers and warmers that are connected to the AC100V outlets provided in the vehicle 30.

[0025] The auxiliary DC-DC converter 43 converts the high-voltage power from the high-voltage battery 34 into low-voltage power, which is a predetermined low voltage such as DC12V or DC48V. The auxiliary DC-DC converter 43 then supplies this converted low-voltage power to several general electrical loads, which are auxiliary equipment, of the vehicle 30.

[0026] The charger 44 includes a charging socket into which a charging plug for supplying power to the vehicle 30 from outside the vehicle 30 is inserted, and an electrical circuit for controlling that power supply. The charger 44 then supplies the power supplied from outside the vehicle 30 to the high-voltage battery 34 after adjusting the voltage. This charges the high-voltage battery 34.

[0027] The high-voltage battery 34, motor 35, power inverter 36, refrigeration cycle equipment 37, electric compressor 38, water circuit equipment 39, electric heater 40, aftermarket load inverter 42, auxiliary DC-DC converter 43, and charger 44 are each electrically connected to the vehicle-side computer 32. The vehicle-side computer 32 outputs control signals to these controlled devices, indicating the final command value while preventing the vehicle 30 from running out of power.

[0028] The HMI unit 45 has an input function that accepts various inputs from the occupant 80 as a user, and an output function that provides various information to the occupant 80. For example, the HMI unit 45 is configured to include a touch panel display that has a display function as its output function and an input function, and is installed on the instrument panel in the passenger compartment 30a.

[0029] Input information from the occupant 80 to the HMI unit 45 includes, for example, the destination in the driving plan devised by the cloud-side computing unit 52 (described later), and the occupant 80's preferences regarding that driving plan. These preferences of the occupant 80 include, for example, the desired value for the remaining energy of the high-voltage battery 34 when the vehicle 30 arrives at its destination, or the desired value for the level of that remaining energy, indicated as low, medium, or high. Output information from the HMI unit 45 to the occupant 80 includes, for example, information indicating the recommended driving route in the above-mentioned driving plan. Furthermore, this output information may include, for example, the location of the charging facilities CG (see Figure 4) available in the above-mentioned driving plan, and the speed sequence of the vehicle 30 in that driving plan.

[0030] Furthermore, information is exchanged between the vehicle 30 and the cloud 50 that is not provided to the occupant 80 but is provided to the vehicle-side computer 32. Examples of the information provided to the vehicle-side computer 32 include the target temperature when controlling the temperature of the high-voltage battery 34 in preparation for charging the high-voltage battery 34. The remaining energy of the high-voltage battery 34 is sometimes simply referred to as the charge amount or remaining charge of the high-voltage battery 34. The charging equipment CG described above can also be called a charging facility, and the charging equipment CG can charge the high-voltage battery 34 from the charger 44 in Figure 2.

[0031] The manager 51 of the cloud 50 plays the role of aggregating the information exchanged between the communication device 33 of the vehicle 30, the API service 53 provided in the cloud 50, and the cloud-side computing machine 52. API stands for "Application Programming Interface."

[0032] The cloud-side computer 52 receives various information via the manager 51 and calculates, for example, a driving plan regarding the energy of the vehicle 30 traveling to its destination in accordance with the purpose of the occupant 80. At this time, if information about the vehicle 30 is required for the calculation of the driving plan, that information is transmitted from the vehicle 30 to the cloud 50 as appropriate. This information about the vehicle 30 may include, for example, the remaining energy of the high-voltage battery 34, the temperature of the high-voltage battery 34, and various other information indicating the current position Pa of the vehicle 30. The driving plan calculated and completed by the cloud-side computer 52 is transmitted to the communication device 33 of the vehicle 30 via the manager 51 and the wireless network NW. If the calculation function related to the driving plan is divided among multiple computers, the manager 51 also has the function of integrating and controlling those multiple computers.

[0033] Specifically, the cloud-side computing unit 52 formulates a driving plan for the vehicle 30 according to the flowchart in Figure 3. The control process shown in the flowchart in Figure 3 is initiated, for example, by a manual operation by the occupant 80 to the HMI unit 45. The driving plan is a plan for the vehicle's movement that is determined prior to the actual driving of the vehicle 30. The driving plan consists of multiple pieces of information, such as the recommended driving route Lr in Figure 4, the charging facilities CG to be visited along the planned driving route Lr, the changes in the target vehicle speed during driving, and the changes in the target temperature of each onboard device.

[0034] First, in step S101 of Figure 3, the cloud-side computing unit 52 receives an information input operation from the occupant 80 to the HMI unit 45. This information input operation refers to the occupant 80 inputting information to the HMI unit 45 that will be referenced for formulating the driving plan. For example, as part of this information input operation, the occupant 80 inputs the destination in the driving plan to the HMI unit 45. In addition, the occupant 80 can also input a desired value for the remaining energy level of the high-voltage battery 34 when the vehicle 30 arrives at the destination, whether or not toll roads will be used in the driving plan, and preference information indicating the occupant 80's preferences.

[0035] The input preference information includes, for example, the strength of the air conditioning in the passenger compartment 30a, and whether to prioritize time or energy efficiency. Possible input methods for the HMI unit 45 include operating switches or retractable bars displayed on a touch panel display. The input information received by the HMI unit 45 is sent to the cloud-side computing unit 52 via the communication device 33 and the wireless network NW. Following step S101 in Figure 3, the process proceeds to step S102.

[0036] In step S102, the cloud-side computing unit 52 acquires basic driving plan information, which is necessary information for determining the planned driving route Lr in Figure 4, the sequence of target vehicle speeds during driving, and the sequence of target temperatures for each in-vehicle device in the vehicle 30's driving plan. Examples of this basic driving plan information include input information including the destination entered in step S101, external information including temperature and traffic congestion information, and vehicle information indicating the status of the vehicle 30, such as the current charge rate of the high-voltage battery 34.

[0037] In step S102, external information is obtained, for example, from an existing API service 53. The charge level of the high-voltage battery 34 is also referred to as SoC. SoC stands for "State of Charge". In addition to the planned route Lr mentioned above, Figure 4 shows the road RD, charging facilities CG where the vehicle 30 can be charged, the current position Pa of the vehicle 30 (i.e., the vehicle's current position Pa), and the direction of travel Df of the vehicle 30 (i.e., the direction of travel Df). After step S102 in Figure 3, the process proceeds to step S103.

[0038] In step S103, the cloud-side computer 52 formulates and determines a driving plan for the vehicle 30 based on the driving plan basic information acquired in step S102. The cloud-side computer 52 determines the driving plan using, for example, a known optimization algorithm. For example, if multiple candidate driving routes Lr are provided by an existing API service 53, the cloud-side computer 52 selects one of these multiple candidate driving routes Lr and determines it as the driving route Lr for the driving plan.

[0039] In conjunction with this, the cloud-side computing unit 52 determines the location of the charging facilities CG to be used along the planned driving route Lr, the amount of charging power to be charged at the charging facilities CG, and the sequence of target vehicle speeds and target temperatures for each on-board equipment in each section of the planned driving route Lr. For these various parameters that are determined, an evaluation function is defined, for example, in which the value increases with higher evaluation, and the various parameters are determined so as to maximize this value. After step S103 in Figure 3, the process proceeds to step S104.

[0040] In step S104, the cloud-side computing unit 52 sends the driving plan determined in step S103 to the manager 51, and the manager 51 transmits the driving plan to the vehicle 30 via the wireless network NW. This driving plan includes, for example, the location of the charging facilities CG used along the aforementioned driving route Lr, the amount of power charged at the charging facilities CG, and the sequence of target vehicle speeds and target temperatures for each on-board equipment in each section of the driving route Lr. The driving plan also includes target parameters related to energy in each section and at each point along the driving route Lr. Following step S104 in Figure 3, the process proceeds to step S105.

[0041] In step S105, the manager 51 executes control according to the driving plan. For example, this control according to the driving plan starts simultaneously with the vehicle 30's departure, and information such as the planned driving route Lr and target vehicle speed is presented from the HMI unit 45 to the occupant 80 as the driver, according to the driving plan. The vehicle-side computer 32 also controls each onboard control target device according to the driving plan.

[0042] When the vehicle 30 starts moving according to the driving plan, the notification system 10 of this embodiment starts the control process shown in the flowchart of Figure 5. Functionally, in order to execute the control process of Figure 5, the notification system 10 includes a charging equipment determination unit 12, a depletion estimation unit 13, a notification unit 14, a re-selection unit 15, and a storage area 16, as shown in Figure 6. In this embodiment, these charging equipment determination unit 12, depletion estimation unit 13, notification unit 14, re-selection unit 15, and storage area 16 are included in the manager 51 of the cloud 50 within the notification system 10.

[0043] In the control process shown in Figure 5, notification is given on the premise that the occupant 80 will drive the vehicle 30 in accordance with the driving plan determined in the control process shown in Figure 3. Therefore, for example, if the occupant 80 continues to drive the vehicle in a manner that deviates from the driving plan by a predetermined allowable limit while the control process shown in Figure 5 is being executed, the control process shown in Figure 5 will be stopped. A vehicle driving manner that deviates from the driving plan by a predetermined allowable limit includes, for example, the vehicle 30 continuing to drive on a driving path that deviates from the planned driving path Lr for a predetermined period of time or longer.

[0044] When the control process shown in Figure 5 begins, first, in step S201, the notification system 10 recognizes information regarding the planned charging facility CGx, which is the next charging facility CG to be used. This planned charging facility CGx is selected in advance from among multiple charging facilities CG located along the planned driving route Lr, for example, as shown in Figure 4, during the planning of the driving plan or in the process of step S209 described later. The planned driving route Lr is predetermined in the driving plan as described above. Furthermore, the planned charging facility CGx is updated according to the driving plan, for example, when the vehicle 30 is charged at that planned charging facility CGx.

[0045] The information regarding the planned charging facility CGx mentioned above includes, for example, the location information of the planned charging facility CGx, information on the charging power of the planned charging facility CGx, and information on the type of adjacent road, indicating whether the road adjacent to the planned charging facility CGx is a toll road or a public road. Furthermore, the information regarding the planned charging facility CGx may also include its usage status and reservation status. After step S201 in Figure 5, proceed to step S202. The road adjacent to the planned charging facility CGx mentioned above refers to the road adjacent to that planned charging facility CGx.

[0046] The various information required in each step of the control process shown in Figure 5 will be obtained as appropriate from, for example, various sensors and navigation devices of the vehicle 30, the API service 53 of the cloud 50, or GPS. GPS stands for "Global Positioning System".

[0047] In step S202, the charging equipment determination unit 12 of the notification system 10 determines whether the scheduled charging equipment CGx has entered a predetermined determination range Rj while the vehicle is in motion. As shown in Figure 4, the determination range Rj is determined based on the vehicle's current position Pa in order to determine that the vehicle 30 is approaching the scheduled charging equipment CGx, and is formed to extend from the vehicle's current position Pa toward the forward direction of the vehicle's travel direction Df.

[0048] Furthermore, while the determination range Rj may be a fixed range, in this embodiment it is a variable range determined according to various parameter information. For example, the charging equipment determination unit 12 determines the determination range Rj based on the vehicle's position information, the location information of the planned charging equipment CGx, vehicle information, information about the vehicle 30's surroundings, information about the planned charging equipment CGx's surroundings, and time information. Then, the charging equipment determination unit 12 determines whether or not the planned charging equipment CGx entered the determination range Rj while the vehicle was in motion.

[0049] Here, the above-mentioned vehicle position information is information indicating the current position Pa of the vehicle, and is obtained from at least one of GPS, the vehicle's navigation device, and the vehicle's sensors. The location information of the planned charging facility CGx is obtained from the vehicle's navigation device. Vehicle information is information indicating the state of the vehicle 30, and includes, for example, vehicle speed information indicating the vehicle speed of the vehicle 30, and battery information indicating the state of the high-voltage battery 34 (for example, charge rate and temperature).

[0050] Furthermore, the information surrounding the vehicle 30 is information indicating the conditions around the vehicle 30, and includes, for example, traffic congestion information around the vehicle 30 and signal information related to traffic lights around the vehicle 30. The information surrounding the planned charging facility CGx is information indicating the conditions around the planned charging facility CGx, and includes, for example, traffic congestion information around the planned charging facility CGx and signal information related to traffic lights around the planned charging facility CGx. The time information is information indicating the time related to the vehicle 30's travel, and includes, for example, the current time, the estimated arrival time at the planned charging facility CGx predicted at the time the planned travel route Lr is set, and the estimated arrival time at the planned charging facility CGx predicted at the present time.

[0051] For example, the judgment range Rj expands as the vehicle speed increases or as the charge level of the high-voltage battery 34 decreases. In addition, the system determines whether the arrival at the scheduled charging facility CGx is during the day or at night based on the scheduled arrival time. If the arrival is at night, the judgment range Rj expands because visibility is worse than during the day.

[0052] In step S202, if it is determined that the planned charging facility CGx has entered the determination range Rj while the vehicle is in motion, the process proceeds to step S203. On the other hand, if it is determined that the planned charging facility CGx has not yet entered the determination range Rj while the vehicle is in motion, the process returns to step S202, and the determination in step S202 is repeated.

[0053] In step S203, the power depletion estimation unit 13 estimates the possibility of power depletion occurring in the vehicle 30. Power depletion in the vehicle 30 means, in other words, that there is insufficient power from the high-voltage battery 34.

[0054] For example, the possibility of vehicle 30 running out of power is estimated based on starting point information indicating the location of the starting point of the planned route Lr, vehicle information, and location information of the planned charging facility CGx. More specifically, the possibility of running out of power is estimated by comparing the estimated charge rate Xsoc at arrival, which is the estimated charge rate of the high-voltage battery 34 when vehicle 30 reaches the planned charging facility CGx, with a charge rate threshold. In short, the estimated charge rate Xsoc at arrival is used as an index value corresponding to the possibility of running out of power, and the smaller the estimated charge rate Xsoc at arrival, the higher the estimated possibility of running out of power. The estimated charge rate Xsoc at arrival is calculated in advance from the following formula F1 in the driving plan determined in the control processing of Figure 3 or in step S209 described later. Xsoc=(Pst-(Crn+Cac)) / CPb ···(F1)

[0055] In the above formula F1, Pst is the charge amount of the high-voltage battery 34 at the starting point of the planned route Lr. This charge amount Pst at the starting point may be obtained, for example, from the vehicle 30, or it may be estimated from the vehicle 30's past driving history. In addition, CPb in the above formula F1 is the charging capacity of the high-voltage battery 34, i.e., the charge amount of the high-voltage battery 34 when fully charged. Furthermore, Crn is an estimated value of the amount of power consumed by the vehicle during the estimated section from the starting point of the planned route Lr to the planned charging facility CGx, and Cac is an estimated value of the amount of power consumed by the air conditioning in the passenger compartment 30a during that estimated section.

[0056] For example, the information indicating the charging capacity CPb of the high-voltage battery 34 in the above formula F1 is included in the vehicle information. Also, since the estimated power consumption values ​​Crn and Cac are affected by the vehicle's mileage 30, the starting point location information and the location information of the planned charging facility CGx are used to calculate these estimated values ​​Crn and Cac.

[0057] Furthermore, the estimated power consumption Crn for vehicle operation may be calculated by considering the speed and acceleration of the vehicle 30 in the estimated section, the road gradient and road resistance in the estimated section, and the wind speed expected from weather information. In addition, the estimated power consumption Cac for air conditioning in the passenger compartment 30a may be calculated by considering the outside temperature expected from weather information, the air conditioning temperature setting in the passenger compartment 30a, the estimated operating time of the air conditioning system, and the strength of the air conditioning in the passenger compartment 30a included in the preference information.

[0058] The charge rate threshold, which is compared with the estimated charge rate Xsoc upon arrival, is a value that is set in advance to determine the likelihood of running out of power. This charge rate threshold may be set as a constant based on the occupant's preference, or it may be a variable value that can be changed according to driving conditions such as traffic congestion, road conditions, and vehicle condition around the vehicle 30 or the planned charging facility CGx.

[0059] In step S203, the battery depletion estimation unit 13 obtains the estimated charge rate Xsoc at the time of arrival calculated from the above formula F1 and determines the charge rate threshold, and then determines whether the estimated charge rate Xsoc at the time of arrival is equal to or greater than the charge rate threshold. If the estimated charge rate Xsoc at the time of arrival is equal to or greater than the charge rate threshold, the battery depletion estimation unit 13 estimates that the possibility of vehicle 30 running out of battery is low. On the other hand, if the estimated charge rate Xsoc at the time of arrival is less than the charge rate threshold, the battery depletion estimation unit 13 estimates that the possibility of vehicle 30 running out of battery is high.

[0060] In step S203, if it is determined that the estimated charge rate Xsoc at the time of arrival is equal to or greater than the charge rate threshold, that is, if it is estimated that the possibility of vehicle 30 running out of power is low, the process proceeds to step S204. On the other hand, if it is determined that the estimated charge rate Xsoc at the time of arrival is less than the charge rate threshold, that is, if it is estimated that the possibility of vehicle 30 running out of power is high, the process proceeds to step S206.

[0061] In step S204, the notification unit 14 performs notification using the first notification method. This notification using the first notification method is also called the first notification. In the following step S205, the notification system 10 stores the content of the notification and information indicating that the first notification has been performed in the memory area 16 of Figure 6. The content of the notification is that the notification performed is the first notification. The content of the notification may also include information related to the performance of the first notification, such as the estimated charge rate Xsoc at arrival, which was the basis for performing the first notification.

[0062] Furthermore, in step S206, the notification unit 14 performs notification using the second notification method. This notification using the second notification method is also referred to as the second notification. In the following step S207, the notification system 10 stores information indicating the content of the notification and that the second notification has been performed in the memory area 16. The content of the notification is that the notification performed is the second notification. The content of the notification may also include information related to the performance of the second notification, such as the estimated charge rate Xsoc at arrival, which was the basis for performing the second notification. The first and second notifications will be described in detail later, along with the third notification.

[0063] In step S208, following steps S205 and S207, the re-selection unit 15 determines whether the vehicle 30 has passed the planned charging facility CGx while ignoring it. Therefore, the control process in Figure 5 remains at step S208 until the vehicle 30 has passed the planned charging facility CGx or has made a stop at it. For example, when the vehicle 30 passes the planned charging facility CGx while ignoring it, it includes not only the vehicle 30 simply passing the road adjacent to the planned charging facility CGx, but also the vehicle 30 proceeding forward while ignoring the travel route that would have led to the planned charging facility CGx.

[0064] If, in step S208, it is determined that the scheduled charging facility CGx was ignored and the vehicle 30 passed by it, the process proceeds to step S209. On the other hand, if the scheduled charging facility CGx was not ignored and it is determined that the vehicle 30 was charged at it, the process proceeds to step S201.

[0065] For example, in step S208, it can be determined whether the vehicle 30 passed the scheduled charging facility CGx despite its presence by monitoring the remaining energy of the high-voltage battery 34. For instance, if the remaining energy rises to a predetermined value or higher during the time when the vehicle 30 is scheduled to reach the scheduled charging facility CGx, it can be determined that the scheduled charging facility CGx was not ignored and the vehicle 30 was charged at that facility.

[0066] In step S209, the re-selection unit 15 selects a different charging facility CG as the new planned charging facility CGx in place of the ignored planned charging facility CGx. Specifically, the re-selection unit 15 selects the new planned charging facility CGx by executing the subroutine shown in Figure 7.

[0067] First, in step S301 in Figure 7, the re-selection unit 15 extracts multiple charging facilities CG located near the planned driving route Lr, beyond the vehicle's current position Pa, as charging facility candidates. The locations of these multiple charging facilities CG can be obtained, for example, from an existing API service 53 or a navigation device. After step S301 in Figure 7, the process proceeds to step S302.

[0068] In step S302, the re-selection unit 15 determines whether the vehicle 30 can reach any of the multiple charging facility candidates extracted in step S301 without running out of power. For example, to make this determination, the estimated charge rate Xsoc at arrival in the above formula F1 is redefined as the estimated charge rate of the high-voltage battery 34 at the time the vehicle 30 reaches the charging facility candidate, and then calculated from the above formula F1 for each of the multiple charging facility candidates. In this case, the charge amount Pst in the above formula F1 is the current charge amount of the high-voltage battery 34, and the estimated power consumption values ​​Crn and Cac are estimated values ​​obtained by changing the estimation target section from the vehicle's current position Pa to the location of the charging facility candidate.

[0069] Then, if all or any of the estimated charge rate Xsoc at arrival for the extracted multiple charging facility candidates are "Xsoc ≥ 0", it is determined that the vehicle 30 can reach any of the multiple charging facility candidates without running out of power. Based on this determination, the control process in Figure 7 proceeds from step S302 to step S303.

[0070] On the other hand, if the estimated charge rate Xsoc upon arrival for all of the extracted charging facility candidates is "Xsoc < 0", it is determined that it is impossible for the vehicle 30 to reach the charging facility CG without running out of power. Based on this determination, the control process in Figure 7 proceeds from step S302 to step S305.

[0071] In step S303, the re-selection unit 15 calculates the stopover cost for each of the multiple charging facility candidates extracted in step S301, which is the cost incurred when the vehicle 30 stops at that charging facility candidate. This stopover cost can also be rephrased as the stopover burden, which is the burden incurred when the vehicle 30 stops at the charging facility candidate. After step S303, the process proceeds to step S304. In step S304, the re-selection unit 15 selects the charging facility candidate that the vehicle 30 can stop at without running out of power and that minimizes the stopover cost as the new planned charging facility CGx.

[0072] The aforementioned stopover costs are calculated based, for example, on the vehicle's mileage, the travel time required for the vehicle to reach a potential charging station from its current location Pa, charging station information indicating the status of the potential charging station, vehicle information indicating the status of the vehicle, and the occupant's preference information. In other words, a new planned charging station CGx is selected based on the mileage, travel time, charging station information, vehicle information, and preference information.

[0073] For example, the stopover cost calculated in step S303 increases with longer travel time. Additionally, the extra power consumption required to travel from the planned route Lr to a potential charging station is calculated based on the travel energy consumption, and the greater this extra power consumption, the higher the stopover cost. Furthermore, the charging station information includes information such as charging power and reservation status, and the stopover cost increases with higher reservations or lower charging power.

[0074] Furthermore, the preference information of the occupant 80 used in selecting new planned charging facilities CGx includes, for example, the congestion level of charging facilities CG and the occupant 80's requirements regarding the driving route. This preference information also includes the occupant 80's preferences regarding driving costs, distance, and time, as well as how much buffer time they prefer in their plans. The cost of stops increases as the route deviates from the occupant 80's preferences as estimated from this preference information.

[0075] In step S305, the re-selection unit 15 records that it is impossible for the vehicle 30 to reach the charging facility CG without running out of power. In short, the re-selection unit 15 records that the vehicle 30 will run out of power. This recording means, for example, that a flag is switched to indicate that it is impossible for the vehicle 30 to reach the charging facility CG without running out of power. Upon completion of steps S304 and S305, the subroutine in Figure 7 ends, and the process returns to the flowchart in Figure 5. Note that no new planned charging facility CGx is selected in step S305.

[0076] In step S210 of Figure 5, the power depletion estimation unit 13 estimates whether the vehicle 30 will run out of power from the high-voltage battery 34 before it reaches the charging facility CG, in other words, whether the vehicle 30 will run out of power. Specifically, if it is recorded in step S305 of Figure 7 that it is impossible for the vehicle 30 to reach the charging facility CG without running out of power, the power depletion estimation unit 13 estimates that the vehicle 30 will run out of power before it reaches the charging facility CG.

[0077] In step S210 of Figure 5, if it is estimated that the vehicle 30 will run out of power before it reaches the charging facility CG, the process proceeds to step S211.

[0078] On the other hand, if it is estimated in step S210 that the vehicle 30 can reach the planned charging facility CGx without running out of power, that is, if a new planned charging facility CGx is selected in step S304 in Figure 7, the process proceeds to step S201. In this case, in the next step S201, information regarding the newly selected planned charging facility CGx in step S304 in Figure 7 is recognized.

[0079] In step S211 of Figure 5, the notification unit 14 performs notification using the third notification method. This notification using the third notification method is also called the third notification. In the following step S212, the notification system 10 stores information indicating the content of the notification and that the third notification has been performed in the memory area 16 of Figure 6. The content of the notification is that the notification performed is the third notification. The content of the notification may also include information related to the performance of the third notification, such as the estimated charge rate Xsoc at arrival, which was the basis for performing the third notification, i.e., the estimated charge rate Xsoc at arrival for each charging equipment candidate calculated in step S302 of Figure 7.

[0080] For example, the first, second, and third notifications described above are said to use at least one of sound, vibration, display, and scent, respectively. The notification unit 14 then provides the first, second, and third notifications to the occupants 80 by activating the notification device 451 shown in Figure 1, which is included in the HMI unit 45 installed in the vehicle 30. For example, if the first, second, and third notifications are audible notifications, the notification device 451 is a speaker; if the first, second, and third notifications are display notifications, the notification device 451 is a display device such as a display.

[0081] Furthermore, the first, second, and third notification methods are considered to be different notification methods from each other. The difference between the first, second, and third notification methods may be that the types of stimuli used in each notification method, such as sound, vibration, display, and scent, are different, or that the repetition frequency of the stimuli used in each notification method is different. Also, if sound is used for notification in each notification method, the volume of the sound used in each notification method may be different. Also, if vibration is used for notification in each notification method, the amount or amplitude of the vibration used in each notification method may be different. Also, if a display is used for notification in each notification method, the display size of the display used in each notification method may be different.

[0082] In detail, the first, second, and third notification methods are predetermined such that the second notification is more emphasized than the first notification, and the third notification is more emphasized than the second notification. In other words, the first, second, and third notification methods are predetermined such that the second notification provides a stronger stimulus to the crew 80 than the first notification, and the third notification provides a stronger stimulus to the crew 80 than the second notification.

[0083] For example, if the first, second, and third notifications are audible notifications, the volume of the second notification will be louder than that of the first notification, and the volume of the third notification will be louder than that of the second notification. The differences between the first, second, and third notifications may also be due to the duration of the notification; for example, in the case of notifications by sound or vibration, the third notification may consist of repeating a predetermined pattern of sound or vibration multiple times. Furthermore, if the first, second, and third notifications are visual notifications, the second notification will be a more conspicuous display to the crew 80 than the first notification, and the third notification will be a more conspicuous display to the crew 80 than the second notification.

[0084] As explained above, in the control process shown in Figure 5, if it is determined in step S202 that the scheduled charging facility CGx has entered the determination range Rj while the vehicle is in motion, the notification unit 14 will issue one of the first, second, or third notifications depending on the possibility of the vehicle 30 running out of power. In other words, in that case, the notification unit 14 will issue a notification based on the possibility of running out of power. In this embodiment, the first notification, the second notification, and the third notification each correspond to the notification based on the possibility of running out of power.

[0085] As described above, according to this embodiment, as shown in Figures 4 to 6, if it is determined that the scheduled charging facility CGx has entered the determination range Rj while the vehicle is in motion, the notification unit 14 will issue a notification based on the possibility of running out of power. Therefore, when the electric vehicle 30 approaches the scheduled charging facility CGx, the notification based on the possibility of running out of power will allow the occupant 80 to recognize that the vehicle 30 is approaching the scheduled charging facility CGx and also that there is a possibility of running out of power. In other words, when the vehicle 30 approaches the scheduled charging facility CGx, it is possible to issue a notification as appropriate to prevent running out of power. And by issuing such a notification, it is possible to prevent the vehicle 30 from inadvertently passing the scheduled charging facility CGx.

[0086] (1) Furthermore, according to this embodiment, if the vehicle 30 passes by the scheduled charging equipment CGx while the scheduled charging equipment CGx is ignored, the re-selection unit 15 will select a new scheduled charging equipment CGx. Therefore, notification based on the possibility of running out of power can be continued in accordance with the above determination even after the scheduled charging equipment CGx has been ignored.

[0087] (2) In addition, according to this embodiment, the notification unit 14 provides notification based on the possibility of running out of power using the first notification method or a second notification method different from the first notification method. The notification unit 14 provides notification using the second notification method when the possibility of running out of power is higher than when notification is provided using the first notification method. Therefore, by receiving the notification, the occupant 80 can recognize that the vehicle 30 is approaching the scheduled charging facility CGx and at the same time recognize the degree of the possibility of running out of power.

[0088] (3) Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the notification unit 14 provides notification by the first notification method if the estimated charge rate Xsoc at the time of arrival is equal to or greater than the charge rate threshold, and provides notification by the second notification method if the estimated charge rate Xsoc at the time of arrival is less than the charge rate threshold. Therefore, the likelihood of depletion of power is quantitatively determined, and it is possible to accurately select between notification by the first notification method and notification by the second notification method according to the likelihood of depletion of power.

[0089] (4) Furthermore, according to this embodiment, if it is estimated that the vehicle 30 will run out of power before it reaches the charging facility CG, the notification unit 14 will provide a notification based on the possibility of running out of power, i.e., a third notification, using a third notification method different from the first and second notification methods. Therefore, it is possible to make the occupant 80 aware that the vehicle 30 will run out of power if it continues to run in its current state. The occupant 80 can then take prompt and safe action in preparation for a future power outage.

[0090] (5) Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the differences between the first, second, and third notification methods may be, for example, different types of stimuli such as sound, vibration, display, and scent used in each notification method, or different repetition frequencies of the stimuli used in each notification method. Also, if sound is used for notification in each notification method, the volume of the sound used in each notification method may be different. Also, if vibration is used for notification in each notification method, the amount or amplitude of the vibration used in each notification method may be different. Also, if display is used for notification in each notification method, the differences between the first, second, and third notification methods may be different, the display size of the display used in each notification method may be different.

[0091] (6) Furthermore, according to this embodiment, for example, the first, second, and third notifications described above are each made using at least one of sound, vibration, display, and scent, and are made to the crew 80. Therefore, it is easy to make the notification device 451 for making the first, second, and third notifications simple in configuration.

[0092] (7) Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when a notification is given based on the possibility of running out of power, specifically when any of the first, second, or third notifications is given, the notification information, which is the content of the notification given and information indicating that the notification was given, is stored in the storage area 16. Therefore, it becomes easy to later check the driving history of the vehicle 30 related to the change in the charge rate of the high-voltage battery 34.

[0093] (8) Furthermore, according to this embodiment, for example, the charging equipment determination unit 12 determines the determination range Rj based on the vehicle's position information, the location information of the planned charging equipment CGx, vehicle information, information about the surroundings of the vehicle 30, information about the surroundings of the planned charging equipment CGx, and time information. Then, the charging equipment determination unit 12 determines whether or not the planned charging equipment CGx entered the determination range Rj while the vehicle was in motion. In this way, compared to the case where the determination range Rj is a fixed range, it is possible to appropriately change the size of the determination range Rj according to the situation of the vehicle 30. As a result, it is possible to provide notification based on the possibility of running out of power at an appropriate timing.

[0094] (Other embodiments) (1) In the first embodiment described above, the HMI unit 45 in Figure 2 is provided on the instrument panel in the passenger compartment 30a, but this is just one example. For example, as shown in Figure 8, an external terminal TM that can be taken outside the vehicle may be connected to the communication device 33 of the vehicle 30 and the manager 51 of the cloud 50 via a wireless network NW. In such a case, the HMI unit 45 is not composed of in-vehicle equipment, but rather the external terminal TM may function as the HMI unit 45. In this case, the external terminal TM may also function as an alert device 451 which is part of the HMI unit 45. The external terminal TM is, for example, a portable computer such as a tablet or smartphone operated by the occupant 80.

[0095] (2) In the first embodiment described above, the HMI unit 45 in Figure 2 is equipped with both an input function and an output function, but it is also acceptable to have a configuration that is equipped with one of these functions and not the other.

[0096] (3) In the first embodiment described above, the configuration of the electrical systems of the vehicle 30 and the cloud 50 relating to this disclosure is as shown in Figure 2 above, but the configuration shown in Figure 2 is merely an example and is not limited thereto.

[0097] (4) The vehicle-side computing unit 32 shown in Figure 2 does not need to consist of a single computer, but may consist of multiple computers, each dedicated to a specific function.

[0098] (5) In the first embodiment described above, the evaluation function used to determine the various parameters of the driving plan in step S103 of Figure 3 has a larger value for higher evaluations, but conversely, it may have a smaller value for higher evaluations. In that case, the various parameters will be determined so as to minimize the value of the evaluation function.

[0099] (6) In the first embodiment described above, as shown in Figure 1, the occupant 80, acting as the driver, drives the vehicle 30, but this is just one example. For example, the vehicle 30 may be an automobile capable of Level 4 or 5 autonomous driving, where the driving entity is a system. The control processing shown in Figure 5 may be executed during such autonomous driving.

[0100] (7) In the first embodiment described above, the control process shown in Figure 3 is mainly executed on the cloud-side computing unit 52 and is therefore executed on the cloud 50, but it may also be executed on the electronic control unit of the vehicle 30, for example. Furthermore, if an external terminal TM is provided as shown in Figure 8, the control process shown in Figure 3 may also be executed on that external terminal TM. In short, the planning of the travel plan, including the determination of the planned travel route Lr and the selection of charging facilities CG to be used along the planned travel route Lr, may be performed on the cloud 50, the vehicle 30, or the external terminal TM.

[0101] (8) In the first embodiment described above, the charging equipment determination unit 12, the depletion estimation unit 13, the notification unit 14, the re-selection unit 15, and the storage area 16 in Figure 6 are all included in the manager 51 of the cloud 50, but this is just an example. Some or all of these components may be included in, for example, the electronic control unit of the vehicle 30, or, if an external terminal TM is provided as shown in Figure 8, they may be included in that external terminal TM. In short, the charging equipment determination unit 12, the depletion estimation unit 13, the notification unit 14, the re-selection unit 15, and the storage area 16 in Figure 6 may each be included in the cloud 50, the vehicle 30, or the external terminal TM, respectively. In this way, it is possible to increase the design flexibility of the notification system 10 by utilizing the information and communication network environment of the vehicle 30.

[0102] (9) In the first embodiment described above, the case in which the occupant 80 repeats the information input operation in the control process of Figure 3 is not explained, but there may be cases in which the occupant 80 repeats the information input operation. For example, if it is not possible to formulate a driving plan that avoids running out of power in the vehicle 30 due to the conditions determined based on the information input operation or the arrangement of the charging equipment CG, an error may be output to the occupant 80, and the occupant 80 may be asked to repeat the information input operation.

[0103] (10) In the first embodiment described above, the determination range Rj used in step S202 of Figure 5 is expanded two-dimensionally as shown in Figure 4, but this is just one example. For example, the determination range Rj may be represented by the distance along the planned route Lr shown in Figure 4, or by an estimated value of the time required for the vehicle 30 to reach the planned charging facility CGx from its current position Pa.

[0104] (11) In the first embodiment described above, the determination range Rj used in step S202 of Figure 5 is determined based on the vehicle's position information, the location information of the planned charging facility CGx, vehicle information, information about the area around the vehicle 30, information about the area around the planned charging facility CGx, and time information, but this is just one example. Any one of the vehicle's position information, the location information of the planned charging facility CGx, vehicle information, information about the area around the vehicle 30, information about the area around the planned charging facility CGx, and time information may not be used to determine the determination range Rj.

[0105] Furthermore, other information may be taken into consideration when determining the judgment range Rj. For example, the judgment range Rj may be expanded or contracted depending on the route taken by the vehicle 30. Also, if the planned charging facility CGx is located along a winding road, the judgment range Rj may be expanded compared to the case where it is not located.

[0106] (12) In the first embodiment described above, in step S202 of Figure 5, it is determined whether the planned charging equipment CGx has entered the determination range Rj based on the vehicle's current position Pa while the vehicle is in motion. However, the determination range Rj does not have to be used directly in the determination in step S202. For example, a corresponding range corresponding to the determination range Rj may be assumed as a range based on the planned charging equipment CGx, and in step S202, it may be determined whether the vehicle 30 has entered that corresponding range while in motion. Even if the determination is made in this way, as a result, it will be determined in step S202 whether the planned charging equipment CGx has entered the determination range Rj while the vehicle is in motion.

[0107] (13) In the first embodiment described above, the control process in Figure 5 is explained on the premise that the planned travel route Lr is set in advance, but this is just one example. The control process in Figure 5 may be executed even if the planned travel route Lr is not set. In that case, for example, the initial selection of the planned charging equipment CGx should be performed at a predetermined timing, and then the control process in Figure 5 should be started. The predetermined timing is expected to be, for example, when an occupant operation is performed to request charging of the vehicle 30, when the charge rate of the high-voltage battery 34 falls below a certain level while the vehicle is running, or when the vehicle 30 has traveled a certain distance since the last charge.

[0108] (14) In the first embodiment described above, the estimated charge rate Xsoc at the time of arrival, which is used to estimate the possibility of depletion in step S203 of Figure 5, is calculated from the above formula F1, but this is just one example. For example, the estimated charge rate Xsoc at the time of arrival may be calculated by taking into account disturbances and other factors in addition to the estimated power consumption values ​​Crn and Cac in the above formula F1. Furthermore, the estimated charge rate Xsoc at the time of arrival may be estimated based on driving simulations or past driving data, rather than relying on physical formulas such as the above formula F1.

[0109] Furthermore, the estimation of the possibility of depletion in step S203 may be based on an estimated value of the remaining energy rather than the charge rate of the high-voltage battery 34, and the estimated energy consumption up to the planned charging facility CGx may also be taken into account. Moreover, the estimation of the possibility of depletion may be performed using other parameters correlated with the remaining energy rather than the charge rate and remaining energy of the high-voltage battery 34.

[0110] Furthermore, the estimation of the possibility of running out of power may take into account that the vehicle will be charged at other charging facilities CG further along after being charged at the next scheduled charging facility CGx. In this case, endpoint location information indicating the end point of the planned travel route Lr, as well as location information indicating the locations of other charging facilities CG in addition to the location of the scheduled charging facility CGx, are also used to estimate the possibility of running out of power.

[0111] (15) In the first embodiment described above, step S203 in Figure 5, the possibility of depletion of power is estimated based on the estimated charge rate Xsoc at the time of arrival, which is calculated in advance in the control process in Figure 3 or in step S209 in Figure 5, but this is just one example.

[0112] For example, the battery depletion estimation unit 13 may, when estimating the possibility of battery depletion in step S203, obtain the charge amount of the high-voltage battery 34 at that time and use the obtained charge amount to calculate the estimated charge rate Xsoc at the time of arrival. In this case, the charge amount Pst in the above formula F1 is the obtained charge amount, and the estimated power consumption values ​​Crn and Cac are estimated values ​​obtained by replacing the starting point of the estimated section with the starting point of the planned route Lr to the current position Pa of the vehicle. In this case, it is not necessary for the planned route Lr to be set in advance.

[0113] Furthermore, in step S203, the current charge rate or remaining energy of the high-voltage battery 34 is first obtained, and then the possibility of running out of power may be estimated based on the obtained charge rate or remaining energy. In this case, for example, if the charge rate or remaining energy of the high-voltage battery 34 is above a predetermined threshold, the possibility of the vehicle 30 running out of power is estimated to be low. On the other hand, if the charge rate or remaining energy of the high-voltage battery 34 is below a predetermined threshold, the possibility of the vehicle 30 running out of power is estimated to be high. Even in this case, it is not necessary for the planned travel route Lr to be set in advance.

[0114] (16) In the first embodiment described above, in step S203 of Figure 5, the possibility of running out of power is estimated based on the starting point location information, vehicle information, and the location information of the planned charging facility CGx, but this is just one example. It is acceptable that any one of the starting point location information, vehicle information, and the location information of the planned charging facility CGx is not used in the estimation of the possibility of running out of power.

[0115] (17) In the first embodiment described above, in steps S303 and S304 of Figure 7, the new planned charging facility CGx is selected based on the above-mentioned driving energy consumption, driving time, charging facility information, vehicle information, and preference information, but this is just one example. It is acceptable that any one of the driving energy consumption, driving time, charging facility information, vehicle information, and preference information is not used in the selection of the new planned charging facility CGx.

[0116] (18) In the control process shown in Figure 5 of the first embodiment described above, if the scheduled charging equipment CGx is ignored, a new scheduled charging equipment CGx is selected in step S209. This selection may be carried out immediately or after the vehicle 30 has traveled a certain distance.

[0117] (19) In the first embodiment described above, the stopover cost is calculated in step S303 of Figure 7, but the stopover cost may be calculated using past driving data. The stopover cost may also be calculated taking into consideration the current weather information, time of day, surrounding conditions of the vehicle's current location Pa, surrounding conditions of the charging facility candidate, and the type of road adjacent to the charging facility candidate.

[0118] (20) In the first embodiment described above, in step S205 of Figure 5, notification information, which is information indicating the content of the notification and that the first notification has been performed, is transmitted to the storage area 16 in Figure 6 included in the cloud 50 and recorded in the storage area 16, but this is just one example. Recording of notification information in such a storage area 16 is not required.

[0119] Alternatively, in step S205 of Figure 5, the notification information may be recorded in the storage area 16 and transmitted to one or both of the surrounding vehicles and / or surrounding facilities that are connected to the vehicle 30 via a wireless network NW. Furthermore, if the notification information is received by a surrounding vehicle or surrounding facility, the notification information may be stored in the receiving surrounding vehicle or surrounding facility. The same applies to steps S207 and S212 of Figure 5. Surrounding vehicles refer to other vehicles located around vehicle 30, and surrounding facilities refer to facilities such as parking lots located around vehicle 30.

[0120] For example, if any of the first, second, or third notifications described above are made, and the notification information of that notification is transmitted to at least one of the cloud 50, surrounding vehicles, and surrounding facilities, then the notification information will not be lost even if the vehicle 30 is damaged. In addition, the safety of the vehicle 30 can be improved by informing those around the vehicle 30 of the possibility of the vehicle 30 running out of power.

[0121] (21) In the first embodiment described above, the determination in step S208 of Figure 5 is shown to be made by monitoring the remaining energy of the high-voltage battery 34, but this is just one example. For example, if the vehicle's current position Pa is recognized and the vehicle 30 has been stopped at the location of the planned charging facility CGx for a predetermined time or longer, the planned charging facility CGx is not ignored and it can be determined that the vehicle 30 has been charged at that planned charging facility CGx. At this time, the vehicle's current position Pa is recognized using various sensors on the vehicle 30, a navigation device, GPS, or an external terminal TM as shown in Figure 8.

[0122] (22) In the first embodiment described above, in step S204 of Figure 5, the notification method, notification timing, or notification content of the first notification may be changed depending on whether or not it was determined in step S208 that the scheduled charging equipment CGx was ignored. The same applies to the second notification. That is, in step S206, the notification method, notification timing, or notification content of the second notification may be changed depending on whether or not it was determined in step S208 that the scheduled charging equipment CGx was ignored.

[0123] (23) In the first embodiment described above, if, for example, the occupant 80 continues to drive the vehicle in a manner that deviates from the driving plan by a predetermined allowable limit while the control process of Figure 5 is being executed, the control process of Figure 5 is stopped, but the driving plan may be automatically updated after the stop. In this update of the driving plan, the destination of the driving plan is maintained as it was before the update. When the driving plan is updated in this way, that is, when a new driving plan is formulated, the control process of Figure 5 is restarted from step S201, regardless of whether the vehicle is stopped or in motion. Note that the above update of the driving plan can be performed, for example, by the control process of Figure 3. However, since the occupant 80 does not need to input information such as the destination when updating the driving plan, step S101 in Figure 3 is unnecessary, and the control process of Figure 3 starts from step S102.

[0124] (24) In the first embodiment described above, the processing of each step shown in the flowcharts of Figures 3, 5, and 7 is implemented by a computer program, but it may also be implemented by hardware.

[0125] (25) The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and can be implemented in various modified forms. Furthermore, it goes without saying that, in the embodiments described above, the elements constituting the embodiments are not necessarily essential unless explicitly stated to be essential or considered to be essential in principle.

[0126] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, when numerical values ​​such as the number, numerical values, quantities, or ranges of the components of the embodiment are mentioned, the embodiments are not limited to those specific numbers unless explicitly stated as particularly essential or when they are clearly limited to a specific number in principle. Also, in the above embodiments, when the material, shape, positional relationship, etc. of the components are mentioned, the embodiments are not limited to those material, shape, positional relationship, etc. unless explicitly stated or when they are clearly limited to a specific material, shape, positional relationship, etc. in principle.

[0127] Furthermore, if the above-described embodiment describes acquiring external environmental information of the vehicle 30 (e.g., outside temperature) from a sensor, it is also possible to eliminate the sensor and receive that external environmental information from a server or cloud 50 outside the vehicle 30. Alternatively, it is also possible to eliminate the sensor, acquire related information concerning the external environmental information from a server or cloud 50 outside the vehicle 30, and estimate the external environmental information from the acquired related information.

[0128] Furthermore, the notification system 10 in this disclosure includes a plurality of control function units, such as the charging equipment determination unit 12, the depletion estimation unit 13, the notification unit 14, and the re-selection unit 15 in Figure 6, which perform the processing of each step included in the flowcharts in Figures 3, 5, and 7. The control function units and methods described in this disclosure may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor and memory programmed to execute one or more functions embodied by a computer program. Alternatively, the control function units and methods described in this disclosure may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor with one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the control function units and methods described in this disclosure may be implemented by one or more dedicated computers configured by a combination of a processor and memory programmed to execute one or more functions and a processor configured with one or more hardware logic circuits. The computer program may also be stored as instructions executed by the computer on a computer-readable non-transitional tangible recording medium.

[0129] (Perspective of this disclosure) The above disclosure can be understood from the following perspectives, for example. [First point of view] A notification system for an electric vehicle (30) that runs on electricity obtained from a secondary battery (34), A charging equipment determination unit (12) determines whether the charging equipment (CG, CGx) has entered a predetermined determination range (Rj) based on the current position (Pa) of the electric vehicle while the electric vehicle is in motion, A notification system comprising: a notification unit (14) that, when the charging equipment determination unit determines that the charging equipment has entered the determination range while the electric vehicle is in motion, provides notification based on the possibility of power depletion, which is the possibility of insufficient power from the secondary battery. [Second perspective] The notification system according to the first aspect, wherein the possibility of running out of power is estimated based on at least one of the following: location information of the starting point of a predetermined planned driving route (Lr), location information of the ending point of the planned driving route, vehicle information indicating the status of the electric vehicle, and location information of the charging equipment. [Third perspective] Equipped with a reselection section (15), The charging equipment that is to be determined as to whether or not it falls within the aforementioned determination range is selected in advance as a planned charging equipment (CGx). The notification system according to the first or second aspect, wherein the re-selection unit selects a new scheduled charging facility if the electric vehicle passes the scheduled charging facility while ignoring the scheduled charging facility. [Fourth perspective] The notification system according to the third aspect, wherein the re-selection unit selects the planned charging facility based on at least one of the following: the electric vehicle's driving energy consumption, the driving time required for the electric vehicle to reach the charging facility from its current location, charging facility information indicating the status of the charging facility, vehicle information indicating the status of the electric vehicle, and preference information indicating the preferences of the occupant (80). [Fifth perspective] The notification system according to the third or fourth aspect, wherein the re-selection unit is included in any of the electric vehicle, a cloud (50) communicably connected to the electric vehicle, or an external terminal (TM) communicably connected to the electric vehicle. [Sixth perspective] The notification unit performs the notification based on the possibility of power depletion using the first notification method or a second notification method different from the first notification method. The notification system according to any one of the first to fifth views, wherein the notification unit performs the notification by the second notification method when the likelihood of power depletion is higher than when the notification is performed by the first notification method. [Seventh perspective] The notification system according to the sixth aspect, wherein the notification unit performs the notification by the first notification method when the charge level of the secondary battery is above a predetermined threshold, and performs the notification by the second notification method when the charge level of the secondary battery is below the threshold. [Perspective 8] The system includes a power depletion estimation unit (13) that estimates whether or not there will be insufficient power from the secondary battery before the electric vehicle reaches the charging facility, The notification system according to the sixth or seventh aspect, wherein, if the power depletion estimation unit estimates that the power from the secondary battery is insufficient, the notification unit performs the notification based on the possibility of power depletion by a third notification method different from the first notification method and the second notification method. [Perspective 9] The notification system according to the eighth aspect, wherein the difference between the first notification method, the second notification method, and the third notification method is that at least one of the following is true: the type of stimulus used in the notification method is different; the repetition frequency of the stimulus used in the notification method is different; the volume of the sound used in the notification method is different; the amount of vibration used in the notification method is different; the amplitude of the vibration used in the notification method is different; and the display size of the display used in the notification method is different. [Perspective 10] The notification based on the possibility of battery depletion uses at least one of sound, vibration, display, and scent. The notification unit provides the notification to the crew (80) according to any one of the first to third aspects of the notification system. [Perspective 11] The notification system according to any one of the first to tenth views, wherein when the notification based on the possibility of power depletion is implemented, the content of the notification and information indicating that the notification has been implemented are transmitted to at least one of a cloud connected to the electric vehicle in a communicable manner, surrounding vehicles, and surrounding facilities. [Perspective 12] A notification system according to any one of the first to eleventh views, comprising a storage area (16) for storing information indicating the content of the notification and that the notification has been made when the notification based on the possibility of power depletion is made. [Perspective 13] The notification system according to any one of the first to twelfth views, wherein the charging equipment determination unit determines the determination range based on at least one of the following: vehicle position information indicating the current position of the electric vehicle, location information of the charging equipment, vehicle information indicating the status of the electric vehicle, surrounding information indicating the conditions around the electric vehicle or the charging equipment, and time information indicating the time related to the driving of the electric vehicle, and then determines whether the charging equipment entered the determination range while the electric vehicle was driving. [Perspective 14] The aforementioned vehicle position information is obtained from at least one of GPS, the electric vehicle's navigation system, and the electric vehicle's sensors. The location information of the charging equipment is obtained from the navigation system of the electric vehicle. The vehicle information includes at least one of the following: vehicle speed information indicating the speed of the electric vehicle, and battery information indicating the state of the secondary battery. The surrounding information includes at least one of the following: traffic congestion information around the electric vehicle or the charging facility, and signal information related to traffic signals around the electric vehicle or the charging facility. The notification system according to the 13th aspect, wherein the time information includes at least the current time, the estimated time of arrival at the charging facility predicted at the time the predetermined travel route (Lr) is set, and the estimated time of arrival predicted at the present time. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0130] 10. Notification System 12 Charging equipment determination section 14 Hochi Department 30 vehicles (electric vehicles) 34. High-voltage batteries (rechargeable batteries) CG charging equipment CGx Planned Charging Facilities Pa Current location of the vehicle (current location of the electric vehicle) Rj judgment range

Claims

1. A notification system for an electric vehicle (30) that runs on electricity obtained from a secondary battery (34), A charging equipment determination unit (12) determines whether the charging equipment (CG, CGx) has entered a predetermined determination range (Rj) based on the current position (Pa) of the electric vehicle while the electric vehicle is in motion, A notification system comprising: a notification unit (14) that, when the charging equipment determination unit determines that the charging equipment has entered the determination range while the electric vehicle is in motion, provides notification based on the possibility of power depletion, which is the possibility of insufficient power from the secondary battery.

2. The notification system according to claim 1, wherein the possibility of running out of power is estimated based on at least one of the following: location information of the starting point of a predetermined planned driving route (Lr), location information of the ending point of the planned driving route, vehicle information indicating the status of the electric vehicle, and location information of the charging equipment.

3. It is equipped with a re-selection unit (15), The charging equipment that is to be determined as to whether or not it falls within the aforementioned determination range is selected in advance as a planned charging equipment (CGx). The notification system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the re-selection unit selects a new scheduled charging facility if the electric vehicle passes the scheduled charging facility while ignoring the scheduled charging facility.

4. The notification system according to claim 3, wherein the re-selection unit selects the planned charging facility based on at least one of the following: the electric vehicle's driving energy consumption, the driving time required for the electric vehicle to reach the charging facility from its current location, charging facility information indicating the status of the charging facility, vehicle information indicating the status of the electric vehicle, and preference information indicating the preferences of the occupant (80).

5. The notification system according to claim 3, wherein the re-selection unit is included in any of the electric vehicle, a cloud (50) that is communicably connected to the electric vehicle, or an external terminal (TM) that is communicably connected to the electric vehicle.

6. The notification unit performs the notification based on the possibility of power depletion using the first notification method or a second notification method different from the first notification method. The notification system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the notification unit performs the notification by the second notification method when the likelihood of power depletion is higher than when the notification is performed by the first notification method.

7. The notification system according to claim 6, wherein the notification unit performs the notification by the first notification method when the charge level of the secondary battery is above a predetermined threshold, and performs the notification by the second notification method when the charge level of the secondary battery is below the threshold.

8. The electric vehicle is equipped with a power depletion estimation unit (13) that estimates whether or not there will be insufficient power from the secondary battery before the electric vehicle reaches the charging facility, The notification system according to claim 6, wherein if the power depletion estimation unit estimates that the power from the secondary battery is insufficient, the notification unit performs the notification based on the possibility of power depletion by a third notification method different from the first notification method and the second notification method.

9. The notification system according to claim 8, wherein the difference between the first notification method, the second notification method, and the third notification method is that at least one of the following is true: the type of stimulus used in the notification method is different; the repetition frequency of the stimulus used in the notification method is different; the volume of the sound used in the notification method is different; the amount of vibration used in the notification method is different; the amplitude of the vibration used in the notification method is different; and the display size of the display used in the notification method is different.

10. The notification based on the possibility of battery depletion uses at least one of sound, vibration, display, and scent. The notification unit provides the notification to the crew member (80) according to claim 1 or 2.

11. The notification system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the notification based on the possibility of power depletion is implemented, the content of the notification and information indicating that the notification has been implemented are transmitted to at least one of a cloud, surrounding vehicles, and surrounding facilities that are communicably connected to the electric vehicle.

12. The notification system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a storage area (16) for storing information indicating the content of the notification and that the notification has been made when the notification based on the possibility of power depletion is made.

13. The notification system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the charging equipment determination unit determines the determination range based on at least one of the following: vehicle position information indicating the current position of the electric vehicle, location information of the charging equipment, vehicle information indicating the status of the electric vehicle, surrounding information indicating the conditions around the electric vehicle or the charging equipment, and time information indicating the time related to the driving of the electric vehicle, and then determines whether the charging equipment entered the determination range while the electric vehicle was driving.

14. The aforementioned vehicle position information is obtained from at least one of GPS, the electric vehicle's navigation system, and the electric vehicle's sensors. The location information of the charging equipment is obtained from the navigation system of the electric vehicle. The vehicle information includes at least one of the following: vehicle speed information indicating the speed of the electric vehicle, and battery information indicating the state of the secondary battery. The surrounding information includes at least one of the following: traffic congestion information around the electric vehicle or the charging facility, and signal information related to traffic signals around the electric vehicle or the charging facility. The notification system according to claim 13, wherein the time information includes at least the current time, the estimated arrival time at the charging facility predicted at the time the predetermined travel route (Lr) is set, and the estimated arrival time predicted at the present time.

Images