Vehicle control devices

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle control device that can execute a driving plan determined by an external computing device wirelessly connected to the vehicle, while appropriately aligning the driving plan with other controls that take precedence over the driving plan. [Solution] In step SA01, a command value CD is determined to control the motor so that it operates according to the travel plan PN. If the command value CD determined in step SA01 deviates from the tolerance condition RQ determined in the separate control, the command value CD is changed to comply with the tolerance condition RQ. In this way, if the command value CD determined so that the controlled object operates according to the travel plan PN is incompatible with the tolerance condition RQ determined in the separate control, the tolerance condition RQ takes precedence. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately align the separate control, which takes precedence over the travel plan PN, with the travel plan PN while executing the travel plan PN.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control device that automatically controls a control target of a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a travel control plan generation device. The travel control plan generation device of Patent Document 1 is a vehicle control device capable of generating a travel control plan (hereinafter also referred to as a travel plan) for automatically driving a vehicle by reflecting a driver's driving preference. Specifically, the travel control plan generation device receives the priority of each driver's driving preference at a priority input unit, and sets the value of a travel control plan generation parameter in a parameter value setting unit according to the input priority. Then, the travel control plan generation device generates a travel plan in a plan generation unit using the travel control plan generation parameter reflecting the driver's driving preference.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Although the travel control plan generation device of Patent Document 1 generates a travel plan as described above, if the amount of information required for generating the travel plan is small, the travel plan can be generated by a control device of the vehicle without using external calculation resources.

[0005] However, with the recent acceleration of market introduction of electric vehicles and other vehicles, there is a growing need for long-term driving plans from an energy management perspective. In this case, since the driving plan is a long-term plan, a huge amount of computation is required to generate it, so there is a movement to place the computing resources for generating the driving plan outside the vehicle, such as in the cloud. Accordingly, it is necessary to appropriately align the function of generating and executing the driving plan with functions such as safety systems that take precedence over the execution of the driving plan. The inventors have found the above to be the result of their detailed examination.

[0006] In view of the above, this disclosure aims to provide a vehicle control device that can appropriately align a driving plan determined by an external computing device wirelessly connected to the vehicle with other controls that take precedence over the driving plan. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, a vehicle control device as described in one aspect of this disclosure is: A vehicle control device (32) is provided in a vehicle (30) having a controlled object (35, 38) that operates according to command parameters (CD), and controls the controlled object by determining the command parameters, and receives a predetermined driving plan (PN) from an external computing device (52) that is wirelessly connected to the vehicle, A determination unit (11) that determines command parameters so that the controlled object operates according to the travel plan, A separate control execution unit (12) executes a separate control that defines the tolerance conditions (RQ) for which command parameters are permitted, separately from the driving plan, The system includes a modification unit (13) that modifies the command parameter if the command parameter determined by the determination unit falls outside the acceptable conditions, so that the command parameter becomes acceptable to the acceptable conditions.

[0008] In this way, if the command parameters determined to allow the controlled object to operate according to the travel plan are incompatible with the tolerance conditions defined in the separate control described above, the tolerance conditions take precedence. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately align the travel plan with the separate control described above, which takes precedence over the travel plan, while executing the travel plan.

[0009] 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]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the vehicle of the first embodiment. [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] In the first embodiment, this figure schematically shows an example of the changes in the target vehicle speed, target cabin temperature, target battery temperature, and predicted charge rate of the high-voltage battery, which are determined in the driving plan prior to the start of driving of the vehicle shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] This flowchart shows the control process for formulating and executing a travel plan, including the planned route of the vehicle, in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This figure schematically shows the planned route included in the travel plan determined by the control process in Figure 4. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart showing the control processing performed by the vehicle-side computer in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a functional block diagram showing the various functional units functionally possessed by the vehicle-side computer in the first embodiment. [Figure 8]In the second embodiment, it is a flowchart showing control processing for formulating and executing a travel plan, and is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 4. [Figure 9] In the third embodiment, it is a flowchart showing control processing for formulating and executing a travel plan, and is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 4. [Figure 10] In the fourth embodiment, it is a flowchart showing control processing for formulating and executing a travel plan, and is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 4. [Figure 11] In a modification of the fourth embodiment, it is a flowchart showing control processing for formulating and executing a travel plan, and is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 4. [Figure 12] In the fifth embodiment, it is a flowchart showing control processing for formulating and executing a travel plan, and is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 4. [Figure 13] In a modification of the third embodiment, it is a diagram showing step S207a that replaces step S207 in FIG. 9. [Figure 14] In a modification of the third embodiment, it is a diagram showing step S306a that replaces step S306 in FIG. 9.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, each embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, parts that are identical or equivalent to each other are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings.

[0012] (First Embodiment) In the present embodiment, the vehicle 30 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is, for example, an electric vehicle. The electric vehicle as the vehicle 30 in the present embodiment is also referred to as a BEV, does not include an engine, includes a high-voltage battery 34 that is a secondary battery, and travels by the electric power obtained from the high-voltage battery 34. BEV is an abbreviation for "Battery Electric Vehicle".

[0013] As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 30 of the present embodiment includes a vehicle-side arithmetic unit 32, a vehicle-side communication unit 33, 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, an auxiliary DCDC converter 43, a charger 44, and an HMI unit 45.

[0014] The vehicle-side communication unit 33 is a communication device that enables information communication between a plurality of devices that are wired or wirelessly connected to the vehicle-side communication unit 33. For example, within the vehicle 30, the vehicle-side arithmetic unit 32 is connected to the vehicle-side communication unit 33 so as to be able to communicate information with each other, and the HMI unit 45 is also connected to the vehicle-side communication unit 33 so as to be able to communicate information with each other.

[0015] Also, the vehicle 30 of the present embodiment is wirelessly communicably connected to a cloud 50 provided outside the vehicle 30. Specifically, the vehicle-side communication unit 33 in the vehicle 30 is connected to a manager 51 included in the cloud 50 so as to be able to communicate information with each other via a wireless network NW. The wireless network NW is configured to include, for example, a 4G or 5G wireless communication line and the Internet. And the manager 51 is connected to a cloud-side arithmetic unit 52 included in the cloud 50 so as to be able to communicate information with each other. From such a connection relationship, each device within the vehicle 30 can exchange information with the manager 51 and the cloud-side arithmetic unit 52 of the cloud 50 provided outside the vehicle 30.

[0016] 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.

[0017] The vehicle-side computing unit 32 corresponds to a vehicle control device installed in the vehicle 30. In contrast, as described above, since the vehicle 30 is wirelessly connected to the cloud 50, the manager 51 and the cloud-side computing unit 52 of the cloud 50 correspond to external computing devices that are located outside the vehicle 30 and are wirelessly connected to the vehicle 30.

[0018] Furthermore, the vehicle-side computer 32, the manager 51, and the cloud-side computer 52 can each execute control processing independently. 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 cooperate to execute a single control process like a single computer.

[0019] 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 supply that provides current to various on-board electrical equipment, such as the power inverter 36, that is installed in the vehicle 30.

[0020] Motor 35 is a drive motor that rotates the wheels of the vehicle 30 (specifically, the drive wheels 301). In short, motor 35 is the power source for the vehicle 30 to move. Motor 35 rotates the drive wheels 301 and moves the vehicle 30 by receiving power from the power inverter 36. The power inverter 36 converts the DC current from the high-voltage battery 34 into AC current and supplies it to motor 35, thereby rotating motor 35.

[0021] Furthermore, when the vehicle 30 is decelerating or braking, the motor 35 can generate power, thereby generating braking torque to decelerate the vehicle 30. The power obtained from the motor 35's power generation operation is supplied to the high-voltage battery 34 via the power inverter 36 and used to charge the high-voltage battery 34.

[0022] The refrigeration cycle equipment 37 includes multiple heat exchangers, an expansion valve, and a flow path switching valve. The refrigeration cycle circuit through which the refrigerant circulates is composed of the refrigeration cycle equipment 37 and the electric compressor 38. In this refrigeration cycle circuit, a vapor compression type refrigeration cycle is executed as the refrigerant circulates. The execution of this refrigeration cycle controls the temperature of the high-voltage battery 34, the motor 35, and the power inverter 36, as well as providing air conditioning in the vehicle compartment 30a.

[0023] 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.

[0024] 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.

[0025] 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.

[0026] As described above, the refrigeration cycle equipment 37, electric compressor 38, water circuit equipment 39, and electric heater 40 as a whole perform air conditioning in the passenger compartment 30a, temperature control of the high-voltage battery 34, and temperature control of the motor 35 and power inverter 36. Therefore, these refrigeration cycle equipment 37, electric compressor 38, water circuit equipment 39, and electric heater 40 can be said to constitute a temperature control system 46 that performs various temperature adjustments in the vehicle 30.

[0027] 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 an AC100V outlet provided in the vehicle 30.

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] The high-voltage battery 34, motor 35, power inverter 36, expansion valve and flow path switching valve of the refrigeration cycle equipment 37, electric compressor 38, pump of the water circuit equipment 39, and electric heater 40 are each electrically connected to the vehicle-side computer 32 as control targets. In addition, the aftermarket load inverter 42, auxiliary DC-DC converter 43, and charger 44 are each electrically connected to the vehicle-side computer 32 as control targets.

[0031] Each of these multiple controlled objects operates according to a command value CD, and a control signal indicating that command value CD is output from the vehicle-side arithmetic unit 32 to each of the multiple controlled objects. The vehicle-side arithmetic unit 32 controls each of the multiple controlled objects by determining the command value CD for each of them.

[0032] Furthermore, the vehicle-side computer 32 is electrically connected to several sensors (not shown), and detection signals indicating the physical quantities detected by each sensor are input to the vehicle-side computer 32. For example, these sensors include a vehicle speed sensor for detecting vehicle speed, an interior temperature sensor for detecting the temperature inside the passenger compartment 30a, and a battery temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the high-voltage battery 34.

[0033] 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. HMI stands for "Human Machine Interface".

[0034] Input information from the occupant 80 to the HMI unit 45 includes, for example, the destination in the driving plan PN (see Figures 3 and 5) formulated by the cloud-side computing unit 52 (described later), and the occupant 80's preferences related to that driving plan PN. 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 the 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 PN. Furthermore, this output information may include, for example, the location of available charging facilities in the above-mentioned driving plan PN, and the sequence of the target vehicle speed Vct for the vehicle 30 in that driving plan PN.

[0035] 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 above charging equipment can also be called a charging facility, and the charging facility can charge the high-voltage battery 34 from the charger 44 in Figure 2.

[0036] The manager 51 of the cloud 50 plays the role of aggregating the information exchanged between the vehicle 30, the API service 54 provided in the cloud 50, and the cloud-side computing machine 52. API stands for "Application Programming Interface."

[0037] The cloud-side computer 52 receives various information via the manager 51 and calculates, for example, the travel plan PN shown in Figure 3, which concerns the energy of the vehicle 30 traveling to its destination in accordance with the purpose of the occupant 80. In short, the cloud-side computer 52 plans and determines the travel plan PN. At this time, if information about the vehicle 30 is required for the planning of the travel plan PN, that information is transmitted from the vehicle 30 to the cloud 50 as appropriate. This information about the vehicle 30 can include, for example, the current remaining energy of the high-voltage battery 34, the temperature of the high-voltage battery 34, and various other information indicating the current location of the vehicle 30.

[0038] For example, the current position of vehicle 30 can be obtained from a navigation device or GPS installed in vehicle 30. GPS stands for "Global Positioning System". The aforementioned driving plan PN is a plan of vehicle driving that is determined prior to the actual driving of vehicle 30, and the driving plan PN will be described in more detail later. In the description of this embodiment, the current position of vehicle 30 may be referred to as the vehicle's current position.

[0039] The driving plan PN, devised and completed by the cloud-side computing unit 52, is transmitted to the vehicle-side computing unit 32 via the manager 51, the wireless network NW, and the vehicle-side communication device 33. Furthermore, if the calculation functions related to the driving plan PN are divided among multiple computing units, the manager 51 also has the function of integrating and controlling those multiple computing units.

[0040] Specifically, the cloud-side computing unit 52 formulates a driving plan PN for the vehicle 30 according to the flowchart in Figure 4. The control process shown in this flowchart in Figure 4 is initiated, for example, by a manual operation by the occupant 80 to the HMI unit 45.

[0041] As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the driving plan PN includes the planned driving route Lr. The planned driving route Lr is the driving route recommended for the vehicle 30 in the driving plan PN, in other words, the driving route presented to the occupant 80 as the route that the vehicle 30 is scheduled to take. The driving plan PN also includes multiple pieces of information, such as information on charging facilities to be visited along the planned driving route Lr, and the changes in the target temperature of each onboard device. Specifically, in this embodiment, the driving plan PN includes not only the planned driving route Lr and information on charging facilities, but also the changes in the target vehicle speed Vct, target cabin temperature Trt, target battery temperature Tbt, and predicted charge rate Spr from the starting point Xst to the ending point Xed of the planned driving route Lr.

[0042] The target vehicle speed Vct is the target value of the vehicle speed, the target cabin temperature Trt is the target value of the temperature inside the cabin 30a adjusted by the air conditioning inside the cabin 30a, and the target battery temperature Tbt is the target value of the battery temperature, which is the temperature of the high-voltage battery 34. Furthermore, the predicted charge rate Spr is the predicted value of the charge rate of the high-voltage battery 34 predicted by calculations performed by the cloud-side computing unit 52. This charge rate of the high-voltage battery 34 is also called SoC, which stands for "State of Charge".

[0043] In Figure 3, the horizontal axis represents the position of the vehicle 30 on the planned route Lr, and the vertical axis represents the target vehicle speed Vct, target cabin temperature Trt, target battery temperature Tbt, and predicted charge rate Spr of the high-voltage battery 34. As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the travel plan PN includes the planned route Lr and is a plan in which the vehicle speed and other physical quantities other than vehicle speed, which are related to the energy consumption of the vehicle 30, change according to the progress of the vehicle 30 along the planned route Lr. In this case, as can be seen from the fact that the target cabin temperature Trt and target battery temperature Tbt are shown on the vertical axis of Figure 3, the other physical quantities mentioned above are the temperature inside the cabin 30a and the battery temperature.

[0044] As shown in Figure 4, first, in step S101, 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 PN. For example, as part of this information input operation, the occupant 80 inputs the destination in the driving plan PN 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 PN, and preference information indicating the occupant 80's preferences.

[0045] 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 vehicle-side communication device 33 and the wireless network NW. Following step S101 in Figure 4, the process proceeds to step S102.

[0046] 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 the above-mentioned driving plan PN, and the sequences of the target vehicle speed Vct, target cabin temperature Trt, and target battery temperature Tbt during driving. 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.

[0047] In step S102, external information is obtained, for example, from an existing API service 54. After step S102 in Figure 4, the process proceeds to step S103.

[0048] In step S103, the cloud-side computer 52 devises and determines the vehicle 30's travel plan PN based on the travel plan basic information acquired in step S102. The cloud-side computer 52 determines the travel plan PN using, for example, a known optimization algorithm. For example, multiple candidates for the planned travel route Lr are provided by the existing API service 54, and the cloud-side computer 52 selects one of these candidates for the planned travel route Lr and determines it as the planned travel route Lr for the travel plan PN. For example, the starting point Xst of the planned travel route Lr is the vehicle 30's current position, and the ending point Xed of the planned travel route Lr is the destination entered by the occupant 80.

[0049] Furthermore, the cloud-side computer 52 determines the target vehicle speed Vct and the sequence of target temperatures Trt and Tbt for each section of the planned route Lr as components of the travel plan PN. At the same time, if charging is required along the planned route Lr, the cloud-side computer 52 also determines the charging equipment to be used along the planned route Lr, and the amount of charging power to be charged by that equipment, as components of the travel plan PN. For these various parameters determined as components of the travel plan PN, for example, an evaluation function is defined in which the value increases with higher evaluation, and the various parameters are determined so as to maximize this value.

[0050] Furthermore, the cloud-side computing unit 52 determines the driving plan PN so that the charge level of the high-voltage battery 34 is maintained at or above a predetermined lower limit tolerance value Ls (see Figure 3) while the vehicle is traveling according to the driving plan PN. To this end, as shown in Figure 3, the cloud-side computing unit 52 calculates the change in the predicted charge level Spr from the starting point Xst to the ending point Xed of the planned driving route Lr. Then, the cloud-side computing unit 52 determines the driving plan PN so that the predicted charge level Spr is maintained at or above the lower limit tolerance value Ls between the starting point Xst and the ending point Xed of the planned driving route Lr.

[0051] For example, the predicted charge rate Spr is calculated based on the following: the energy consumption, which is the distance that the vehicle 30 can travel per unit amount of energy consumed; the planned route Lr; and the target cabin temperature Trt. The lower limit tolerance Ls may be a constant determined experimentally in advance to prevent the vehicle 30 from running out of power, or it may be a variable value that changes based on the preference information of the occupant 80 obtained in step S102 of Figure 4. After step S103 in Figure 4, the process proceeds to step S104.

[0052] In step S104, the cloud-side computer 52 sends the driving plan PN, which was determined in step S103, for example as shown in Figures 3 and 5, to the manager 51. The manager 51 then transmits the driving plan PN to the vehicle-side computer 32 via the wireless network NW and the vehicle-side communication device 33. In other words, the driving plan PN, which was predetermined by the cloud-side computer 52, an external computing device, is input to the vehicle-side computer 32.

[0053] As described above, this driving plan PN includes the planned driving route Lr, and the target vehicle speed Vct, target temperatures Trt and Tbt, and predicted charge rate Spr sequences for each section of the planned driving route Lr. The driving plan PN also includes, if necessary, the charging facilities to be used along the planned driving route Lr, and the amount of power to be charged at those charging facilities. After step S104 in Figure 4, the process proceeds to step S105.

[0054] In step S105, the vehicle-side computer 32 executes the received driving plan PN. That is, the vehicle-side computer 32 executes control according to the driving plan PN. For example, the control according to the driving plan PN starts simultaneously with the occupant 80, who is the driver, starting the vehicle 30, and information such as the planned driving route Lr, target vehicle speed Vct, and target cabin temperature Trt is presented to the occupant 80 from the HMI unit 45 according to the driving plan PN.

[0055] In this embodiment, the vehicle 30 is a vehicle capable of automatically controlling its speed. During the execution of the travel plan PN, the vehicle speed is automatically controlled, but the vehicle's path is not. Therefore, guidance according to the planned travel route Lr is automatically communicated from the HMI unit 45 to the occupant 80, and the vehicle's path is controlled by the occupant 80. By controlling the vehicle's path according to the guidance according to the planned travel route Lr, the occupant 80 can make the vehicle 30 travel along the planned travel route Lr.

[0056] For example, when the driving plan PN is started, the vehicle-side computer 32 controls the motor 35 and the power inverter 36 so that the vehicle speed approaches the target vehicle speed Vct of the driving plan PN. In other words, the vehicle-side computer 32 controls the motor 35 and the power inverter 36 so that the vehicle speed approaches the target vehicle speed Vct of the driving plan PN. Then, the vehicle-side computer 32 controls the temperature control device 46 so that the temperature inside the passenger compartment 30a approaches the target passenger compartment temperature Trt of the driving plan PN and the battery temperature approaches the target battery temperature Tbt of the driving plan PN. In other words, the vehicle-side computer 32 controls the temperature control device 46 so that the temperature inside the passenger compartment 30a approaches the target passenger compartment temperature Trt of the driving plan PN and the battery temperature approaches the target battery temperature Tbt of the driving plan PN.

[0057] Thus, in vehicle 30, the vehicle speed, the temperature inside the passenger compartment 30a, and the battery temperature are automatically controlled while the driving plan PN is being executed. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the target vehicle speed Vct, the target passenger compartment temperature Trt, and the target battery temperature Tbt are automatically changed according to the driving plan PN and the progress of vehicle 30.

[0058] When the driving plan PN is executed, as described above, vehicle speed control is initiated to operate the motor 35 and the power inverter 36 so that the vehicle speed approaches the target vehicle speed Vct. More specifically, during the vehicle speed control while the driving plan PN is being executed, the control process shown in Figure 6 is performed. That is, when the vehicle-side computer 32 starts the execution of the driving plan PN in step S105 of Figure 4, it also starts the control process shown in Figure 6. The vehicle-side computer 32 then periodically repeats the control process shown in Figure 6 until the driving plan PN is completed.

[0059] In this embodiment, the vehicle-side computing unit 32, as shown in Figure 7, is functionally configured to include a determination unit 11, a separate control execution unit 12, a modification unit 13, and an output unit 14.

[0060] When the control process shown in Figure 6 is initiated, first, in step SA01, the determination unit 11 determines a command value CD for controlling the motor 35 so that the motor 35 operates according to the travel plan PN. This command value CD corresponds to the command parameter in this disclosure. The vehicle-side computer 32 outputs a control signal indicating this command value CD to the power inverter 36 in step SA05, described later, thereby enabling control of the motor 35 via the power inverter 36.

[0061] Specifically, in order to determine the command value CD, the determination unit 11 recognizes the target vehicle speed Vct of the driving plan PN in Figure 3 based on the vehicle's current position, and also obtains the vehicle speed from the detection signal of the vehicle speed sensor. Then, based on the difference between the target vehicle speed Vct and the vehicle speed, the determination unit 11 calculates the motor torque required to converge the vehicle speed to the target vehicle speed Vct (i.e., the output torque output by the motor 35) as the command value CD. For example, if the vehicle speed is lower than the target vehicle speed Vct, the motor torque will be larger the larger the difference between the target vehicle speed Vct and the vehicle speed. After step SA01 in Figure 6, the system proceeds to step SA02.

[0062] Here, the separate control execution unit 12 included in the vehicle-side computing unit 32 will be described. This separate control execution unit 12 executes separate controls, including safety system controls for safely driving the vehicle 30, in parallel with the execution of the driving plan PN. In other words, the separate control execution unit 12 executes these separate controls separately from the driving plan PN. For example, these safety system controls include at least one of the following: collision avoidance control, inter-vehicle distance control, slip traction control, and curve deceleration control. Collision avoidance control is vehicle control that avoids collisions with the vehicle 30, and inter-vehicle distance control is vehicle control that maintains a preset distance between the vehicle 30 and the vehicle ahead of it (in other words, the car in front). Slip traction control is vehicle control that suppresses slippage of the vehicle 30's drive wheels 301, and curve deceleration control is vehicle control that decelerates the vehicle 30 before a curve in the road based on map information obtained from a navigation device.

[0063] In the separate control described above, in order to achieve the objective of that separate control, the separate control execution unit 12 determines an allowable condition RQ that allows the motor torque as the command value CD, and sequentially updates the allowable condition RQ in accordance with changes in the vehicle state. For example, if the separate control is a safety system control, the objective of that separate control is to drive the vehicle 30 safely. If the command value CD is within the allowable condition RQ, then the motor torque control in the separate control is being executed normally. The allowable condition RQ may be an upper and lower limit range having an upper and lower limit for the command value CD, or it may be a certain value of the motor torque that does not have a range.

[0064] In step SA02 of Figure 6, the separate control execution unit 12 recognizes the allowable condition RQ determined by the separate control. After step SA02 in Figure 6, the process proceeds to step SA03.

[0065] In step SA03, the modification unit 13 determines whether the command value CD determined in step SA01 is permissible under the permissible condition RQ, or in other words, whether the command value CD is consistent with the permissible condition RQ. For example, if the permissible condition RQ is composed of the upper and lower limits of the command value CD, then if the command value CD is within the upper and lower limits of the permissible condition RQ, then the command value CD is permissible under the permissible condition RQ. Also, if the permissible condition RQ is composed of a certain value of the motor torque, then if the command value CD matches a certain value of the permissible condition RQ, then the command value CD is permissible under the permissible condition RQ.

[0066] In step SA03, if it is determined that the command value CD is permissible under the permissible condition RQ, the process proceeds to step SA05. On the other hand, if it is determined that the command value CD is not permissible under the permissible condition RQ, that is, if it is determined that the command value CD falls outside the permissible condition RQ, the process proceeds to step SA04.

[0067] In step SA04, the modification unit 13 modifies the command value CD so that it is permissible under the permissible condition RQ. For example, if the permissible condition RQ is composed of a certain value of the motor torque, the modification unit 13 modifies the command value CD to a certain value that is the permissible condition RQ.

[0068] Furthermore, if the permissible condition RQ is comprised of the upper and lower limits of the command value CD, the modification unit 13 changes the command value CD to a value within that upper and lower limit range. More specifically, if the command value CD exceeds the upper limit of that upper and lower limit range, the modification unit 13 changes the command value CD to the upper limit of that upper and lower limit range. Conversely, if the command value CD falls below the lower limit of that upper and lower limit range, the modification unit 13 changes the command value CD to the lower limit of that upper and lower limit range.

[0069] For example, suppose the motor torque, as the command value CD determined in step SA01, is 20 Nm, and the upper and lower limit range, as the allowable condition RQ, is 0 to 15 Nm. In this case, in step SA04, the modification unit 13 changes the command value CD from 20 Nm to 15 Nm, which is the upper limit of the upper and lower limit range. After step SA04 in Figure 6, the process proceeds to step SA05.

[0070] In step SA05, the output unit 14 outputs a control signal indicating the command value CD to the power inverter 36. As a result, the motor 35, which is the controlled object, operates according to the command value CD. That is, the motor 35 rotates to generate a motor torque of the command value CD. The motor 35 is connected to the drive wheel 301 and rotates the drive wheel 301, so the vehicle speed is adjusted by the motor 35 operating according to the command value CD. After step SA05 in Figure 6, the process returns to step SA01.

[0071] As described above, according to this embodiment, in step SA01 of Figure 6, a command value CD for controlling the motor 35 is determined so that the motor 35, which is the object to be controlled, operates according to the travel plan PN. If the command value CD determined in step SA01 deviates from the tolerance condition RQ determined in the separate control described above, the command value CD is changed to be permissible under the tolerance condition RQ.

[0072] As a result, if the command value CD, which is determined so that the controlled object operates according to the travel plan PN, is incompatible with the tolerance condition RQ determined by the other control described above, the tolerance condition RQ takes precedence. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately align the travel plan PN with the other control described above, which takes precedence over the travel plan PN, while the travel plan PN is being executed. As a result, it is possible to continue driving the vehicle 30 based on the travel plan PN without interfering with the normal execution of the other control with higher priority.

[0073] (1) Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the above-mentioned separate control includes safety control, and the control target that operates according to the command value CD is the motor 35 as a power source for driving. The vehicle speed is adjusted by the motor 35 operating according to the command value CD. Therefore, it is possible to continue driving the vehicle 30 based on the driving plan PN without compromising the safety of the vehicle 30's driving.

[0074] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the differences from the first embodiment described above will be mainly explained. Furthermore, parts that are the same as or equivalent to the above embodiment will be omitted or simplified in their description. The same applies to the descriptions of the embodiments described later.

[0075] In the vehicle 30 of this embodiment, the vehicle 30 is capable of autonomously controlling its speed through cruise control. The cruise control in this embodiment is one of the speed control methods executed by the vehicle-side computer 32, and specifically is either constant-speed cruise control or adaptive cruise control. Constant-speed cruise control is a speed control method that converges the vehicle speed to a target speed Vct of a certain value specified by the occupant 80. Adaptive cruise control is a speed control method that causes the vehicle 30 to follow a vehicle ahead of it and converges the vehicle speed to a target speed Vct of a certain value specified by the occupant 80, within a range that allows the vehicle 30 to maintain its follow of the vehicle ahead.

[0076] For example, the HMI unit 45 in this embodiment is configured to accept manual input from the occupant 80 to turn the cruise control on or off. The vehicle-side computer 32 executes the cruise control when the occupant 80 instructs it to turn the cruise control on, and stops the cruise control when the occupant 80 instructs it to turn the cruise control off. Turning the cruise control on means, in other words, executing the cruise control, and turning the cruise control off means, in other words, not executing the cruise control.

[0077] In this embodiment, as will be described later, the vehicle-side computer 32 may execute a driving plan PN in the control process shown in Figure 8. In that case, it will execute the vehicle speed control of the driving plan PN instead of the normal cruise control, which is either constant-speed cruise control or adaptive cruise control. In other words, when the vehicle-side computer 32 executes the driving plan PN, it does not execute the normal cruise control.

[0078] In this embodiment as well, the travel plan PN is formulated in the same way as in the first embodiment. However, in this embodiment, the control process in Figure 8 is executed instead of the control process in Figure 4 of the first embodiment, and the travel plan PN is formulated in the control process in Figure 8. Steps S101 to S104 included in the flowchart of Figure 8 are the same as steps S101 to S104 included in the flowchart of Figure 4. In the flowchart of Figure 8, steps S205 and S207 are added compared to the flowchart of Figure 4, and step S206, which corresponds to step S105 in Figure 4, is provided in place of step S105.

[0079] As shown in Figure 8, in the next step S205 following step S104, the vehicle-side computer 32 determines whether the occupant 80 has instructed the vehicle to turn on the cruise control, or in other words, whether the vehicle has instructed the vehicle to execute the cruise control. For example, the vehicle-side computer 32 can make this determination by obtaining a signal from the HMI unit 45 indicating the input operation of the occupant 80 to the HMI unit 45.

[0080] If it is determined in step S205 that the cruise control has been turned on (i.e., the cruise control is being activated) by the occupant 80, the process proceeds to step S206. On the other hand, if it is determined that the cruise control has been turned off (i.e., the cruise control is being deactivated) by the occupant 80, the process proceeds to step S207.

[0081] In step S206 of Figure 8, the vehicle-side computer 32 executes the driving plan PN received in step S104, similar to step S105 of Figure 4. As shown in Figure 3, the driving plan PN includes the changes in the target vehicle speed Vct, target cabin temperature Trt, target battery temperature Tbt, and predicted charge rate Spr as the vehicle 30 moves. For example, vehicle speed control is executed according to the driving plan PN. Also, in step S206, if the vehicle-side computer 32 is already executing the driving plan PN, it continues to execute it. After step S206 in Figure 8, the process proceeds to step S205.

[0082] In this embodiment as well, the control process shown in Figure 6 is executed in the same manner as in the first embodiment. That is, when the vehicle-side arithmetic unit 32 starts executing the driving plan PN in step S206 of Figure 8, it also starts the control process shown in Figure 6. The vehicle-side arithmetic unit 32 then periodically repeats the control process shown in Figure 6 until the driving plan PN is completed.

[0083] In step S207 of Figure 8, the vehicle-side computer 32 stops without executing the driving plan PN. Of course, the vehicle-side computer 32 also does not execute normal cruise control, such as constant-speed cruise control or adaptive cruise control. That is, the vehicle-side computer 32 executes manual drive force control, which increases or decreases the output of the motor 35, which is the power source for driving, in accordance with the accelerator pedal operation of the occupant 80. Also, if the vehicle-side computer 32 is already executing manual drive force control in step S207, it continues executing that manual drive force control while keeping the driving plan PN stopped. After step S207 in Figure 8, the process proceeds to step S205.

[0084] (1) As described above, according to this embodiment, when the execution of cruise control is instructed by the occupant 80, the vehicle-side computer 32 executes the driving plan PN in step S206 of Figure 8, and at the same time executes the control process of Figure 6. That is, when the execution of cruise control is instructed by the occupant 80, the decision unit 11 determines the command value CD for controlling the motor 35 so that the motor 35 operates according to the driving plan PN in step SA01 of Figure 6. On the other hand, when the stopping of cruise control is instructed by the occupant 80, the control process of Figure 6 is not executed. Thus, it is possible to switch whether or not the decision unit 11 determines the command value CD so that the motor 35 operates according to the driving plan PN.

[0085] Therefore, since the occupant 80 leaves the adjustment of the vehicle speed to the vehicle 30, and automatic control of the vehicle speed is performed according to the driving plan PN, it is possible to reduce the discomfort felt by the occupant 80 due to this automatic control of the vehicle speed.

[0086] Except as described above, this embodiment is the same as the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the effects obtained from the configuration common to the first embodiment can be obtained in the same way as in the first embodiment.

[0087] (Third embodiment) Next, a third embodiment will be described. This embodiment will primarily describe the differences from the second embodiment described above.

[0088] The HMI unit 45 of this embodiment is configured to accept manual operation from the occupant 80 to instruct the on / off of the cruise control. This is the same as in the second embodiment, but the HMI unit 45 of this embodiment is also configured to accept manual operation from the occupant 80 to instruct whether or not to execute the driving plan PN, in addition to the manual operation from the occupant 80 to instruct the on / off of the cruise control. For example, the HMI unit 45 has a switch to which the occupant 80 can perform a manual operation to instruct whether or not to execute the driving plan PN, and is configured to accept the switching operation of that switch.

[0089] In this embodiment, the control process shown in Figure 9 is executed instead of the control process shown in Figure 8 of the second embodiment. In the flowchart of Figure 9, steps S305 and S306 are added compared to the flowchart of Figure 8.

[0090] As shown in Figure 9, in this embodiment, if it is determined in step S205 that the cruise control has been instructed to be turned on by the occupant 80, the process proceeds to step S305. On the other hand, if it is determined that the cruise control has been instructed to be turned off by the occupant 80, the process proceeds to step S207.

[0091] In step S305, the vehicle-side computer 32 determines whether a predetermined manual operation has been performed by the occupant 80 to the HMI unit 45. This predetermined manual operation is an input operation by the occupant 80 that authorizes the execution of the driving plan PN, i.e., a plan authorization operation. For example, the vehicle-side computer 32 can perform this determination in step S305 by obtaining a signal from the HMI unit 45 indicating an input operation by the occupant 80 to the HMI unit 45.

[0092] If it is determined in step S305 that the crew member 80 has performed a planning authorization operation with the HMI unit 45, the process proceeds to step S206. On the other hand, if it is determined that the crew member 80 has not performed a planning authorization operation with the HMI unit 45, the process proceeds to step S306.

[0093] In step S306, the vehicle-side computer 32 stops without executing the driving plan PN. Then, the vehicle-side computer 32 executes normal cruise control, which is either constant-speed cruise control or adaptive cruise control. Also, if the vehicle-side computer 32 is already executing normal cruise control in step S306, it continues executing that normal cruise control while keeping the driving plan PN stopped. After step S306 in Figure 9, the process proceeds to step S205.

[0094] (1) As described above, according to this embodiment, when a predetermined manual operation (i.e., a plan permission operation) is performed by the occupant 80, the vehicle-side computer 32 executes the travel plan PN in step S206 of Figure 9, and at the same time executes the control processing of Figure 6. That is, when the occupant 80 performs the plan permission operation, the determination unit 11 determines a command value CD for controlling the motor 35 so that the motor 35 operates according to the travel plan PN in step SA01 of Figure 6.

[0095] Therefore, the occupant 80 can explicitly authorize the execution of the driving plan PN through the above-mentioned plan authorization operation, and when this plan authorization operation is performed, automatic control of the vehicle speed according to the driving plan PN will be executed. As a result, it is possible to reduce the discomfort experienced by the occupant 80 due to the automatic control of the vehicle speed according to the driving plan PN.

[0096] Except as described above, this embodiment is the same as the second embodiment. In this embodiment, the effects obtained from the configuration common to the second embodiment can be obtained in the same way as in the second embodiment.

[0097] (Fourth Embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. This embodiment will primarily describe the differences from the second embodiment described above.

[0098] In this embodiment, the control process shown in Figure 10 is executed instead of the control process shown in Figure 8 of the second embodiment. In the flowchart of Figure 10 of this embodiment, step S103a, which corresponds to step S103 in Figure 8, is provided in place of step S103 in the flowchart of Figure 8.

[0099] Step S103a in Figure 10 is basically the same as step S103 in Figure 8. In step S103a of Figure 10, the cloud-side computing unit 52 plans and determines the vehicle 30's driving plan PN based on the driving plan basic information acquired in step S102. Specifically, the planned driving route Lr of the driving plan PN determined in step S103a of this embodiment consists of a route that uses toll roads. Aside from this, step S103a of this embodiment is the same as step S103 in Figure 8.

[0100] Furthermore, in the flowchart of Figure 10 of this embodiment, step S405 is provided in place of step S205 in Figure 8, compared to the flowchart of Figure 8.

[0101] As shown in Figure 10, in the next step S405 following step S104, the vehicle-side computer 32 determines whether or not the vehicle 30 is traveling on a toll road. For example, the vehicle-side computer 32 can determine whether or not the vehicle 30 is traveling on a toll road by obtaining information from the navigation device installed in the vehicle 30.

[0102] If it is determined in step S405 that vehicle 30 is traveling on a toll road, the process proceeds to step S206. On the other hand, if it is determined that vehicle 30 is not traveling on a toll road, the process proceeds to step S207.

[0103] (1) As described above, according to this embodiment, when the vehicle 30 is traveling on a toll road, the vehicle-side computer 32 executes the travel plan PN in step S206 of Figure 10, and at the same time executes the control process of Figure 6. That is, when the vehicle 30 is traveling on a toll road, the determination unit 11 determines the command value CD for controlling the motor 35 so that the motor 35 operates according to the travel plan PN in step SA01 of Figure 6. On the other hand, when the vehicle 30 is not traveling on a toll road, the control process of Figure 6 is not executed.

[0104] In other words, whether or not the determination unit 11 determines the command value CD for controlling the motor 35 is switched depending on the type of road on which the vehicle 30 is traveling, specifically whether or not the road on which the vehicle 30 is traveling is a toll road. To put it another way, the vehicle-side computing unit 32 is functionally equipped with a switching unit corresponding to step S405 in Figure 10, and this switching unit switches whether or not the determination unit 11 determines the command value CD for controlling the motor 35 depending on the type of road on which the vehicle 30 is traveling.

[0105] Here, toll roads are generally maintained in good road surface conditions and experience fewer disturbances during driving compared to other roads, so the actual driving conditions of the vehicle 30 are less prone to variation. Therefore, by switching the execution of the control processing shown in Figure 6 according to the type of road described above, it is possible to bring the actual energy consumption due to vehicle driving closer to the predicted energy consumption predicted when the driving plan PN was formulated.

[0106] Except as described above, this embodiment is the same as the second embodiment. In this embodiment, the effects obtained from the configuration common to the second embodiment can be obtained in the same way as in the second embodiment.

[0107] (Modification of the fourth embodiment) In the fourth embodiment described above, the control process shown in Figure 10 is executed. However, it is also possible to execute the control process shown in Figure 10 in combination with the control process shown in Figure 9 of the third embodiment described above. In this modified example, the control process shown in Figure 11 is executed, which is a combination of the control process shown in Figure 10 and the control process shown in Figure 9.

[0108] In the control process shown in Figure 11, steps S205, S305, and S306 are added to the control process shown in Figure 10, and steps S205 and S305 are inserted between steps S405 and S206. Then, in step S405 of Figure 11, if it is determined that the vehicle 30 is traveling on a toll road, the process proceeds to step S205. Steps S205, S305, and S306 in Figure 11 are the same as steps S205, S305, and S306 in Figure 9, respectively.

[0109] (Fifth embodiment) Next, a fifth embodiment will be described. This embodiment will primarily describe the differences from the second embodiment described above.

[0110] In this embodiment, the control process shown in Figure 12 is executed instead of the control process shown in Figure 8 of the second embodiment. In the flowchart of Figure 12 of this embodiment, step S505 is provided in place of step S205 in the flowchart of Figure 8.

[0111] As shown in Figure 12, in the next step S505 following step S104, the vehicle-side computer 32 determines whether the road surface condition of the road on which the vehicle 30 is traveling is good or not. A good road surface condition is one on which the vehicle 30 can travel while preventing the drive wheels 301 from slipping on the road surface. For example, a dry road surface is a good road surface condition. On the other hand, a road surface with widespread puddles or a frozen road surface cannot be said to be a good road surface condition and is a bad road surface condition.

[0112] For example, the vehicle-side computer 32 can determine whether the road surface conditions of the road on which the vehicle 30 is traveling are good or not, based on the ambient temperature obtained from the ambient temperature sensor and the weather information obtained from the API service 54 of the cloud 50. In this case, if the weather at the vehicle 30's current location is neither rainy nor snowy, and the ambient temperature is above a predetermined experimentally set temperature at which there is no possibility of road freezing, the vehicle-side computer 32 determines that the road surface conditions of the road on which the vehicle 30 is traveling are good. This is because it is presumed that the road on which the vehicle 30 is traveling is dry and not frozen.

[0113] If, in step S505, it is determined that the road surface condition of the road on which the vehicle 30 is traveling is good, the process proceeds to step S206. On the other hand, if it is determined that the road surface condition of the road on which the vehicle 30 is traveling is not good, the process proceeds to step S207.

[0114] (1) As described above, according to this embodiment, if the road surface condition of the road on which the vehicle 30 is traveling is good, the vehicle-side computer 32 executes the travel plan PN in step S206 of Figure 12, and at the same time executes the control process of Figure 6. That is, if the road surface condition of the road on which the vehicle 30 is traveling is good, the determination unit 11 determines the command value CD for controlling the motor 35 so that the motor 35 operates according to the travel plan PN in step SA01 of Figure 6. On the other hand, if the road surface condition of the road on which the vehicle 30 is traveling is not good, the control process of Figure 6 is not executed.

[0115] In other words, whether or not the determination unit 11 determines the command value CD for controlling the motor 35 is switched according to the road surface conditions of the road on which the vehicle 30 is traveling. To put it another way, the vehicle-side computing unit 32 is functionally equipped with a switching unit corresponding to step S505 in Figure 12, and this switching unit switches whether or not the determination unit 11 determines the command value CD for controlling the motor 35 according to the road surface conditions of the road on which the vehicle 30 is traveling.

[0116] Here, if the road surface condition of the road on which the vehicle 30 is traveling is good, there are fewer disturbances during driving compared to when it is not, so the actual driving state of the vehicle 30 is less likely to vary. Therefore, by switching the execution of the control process shown in Figure 6 according to the road surface condition described above, there is an advantage in that the energy consumption due to actual vehicle driving can be brought closer to the predicted energy consumption predicted when the driving plan PN was formulated.

[0117] Except as described above, this embodiment is the same as the second embodiment. In this embodiment, the effects obtained from the configuration common to the second embodiment can be obtained in the same way as in the second embodiment.

[0118] Although this embodiment is a modified version based on the second embodiment, it is also possible to combine this embodiment with the fourth embodiment described above.

[0119] (Other embodiments) (1) In each of the embodiments described above, the vehicle 30 shown in Figure 1 is, for example, an electric vehicle, but is not limited to that. For example, the vehicle 30 may be a hybrid vehicle equipped with a motor 35 and an engine as power sources for driving, a plug-in hybrid vehicle, or an engine vehicle equipped with only an engine as a power source for driving.

[0120] (2) In each of the embodiments described above, in step SA02 of Figure 6, the separate control execution unit 12 recognizes the permissible condition RQ determined by the separate control. The separate control includes safety control, but this is just one example. For example, the separate control may include regulatory control to drive the vehicle 30 in accordance with regulations, either in place of or together with the safety control. In this case, the execution of regulatory control is prioritized over the driving plan PN, and the vehicle 30 can continue to drive based on the driving plan PN without hindering the normal execution of the regulatory control.

[0121] In this case, examples of legal control systems include speed control that adjusts the vehicle speed to avoid exceeding the legal speed limit, which is determined by image recognition of road signs, and speed control that slows down to make way for an emergency vehicle approaching vehicle 30.

[0122] Furthermore, the above-mentioned separate control may include a protective system control for protecting the protected equipment of the vehicle 30, either in place of or together with the safety system control and the regulatory system control. In this case, the execution of the protective system control is prioritized over the driving plan PN, and the vehicle 30 can continue to drive based on the driving plan PN without interfering with the normal execution of the protective system control.

[0123] In this case, examples of protective control include power control that reduces the power consumption of the motor 35 or power inverter 36 in order to prevent overheating of the motor 35, power inverter 36, or high-voltage battery 34, which are the protected devices.

[0124] (3) The following modifications are conceivable from the third embodiment described above. Specifically, in this modification of the third embodiment, in the flowchart of Figure 9, step S207 is replaced with step S207a in Figure 13, and step S306 is replaced with step S306a in Figure 14.

[0125] In this modified example, in step S207a of Figure 13, the vehicle-side computer 32 performs manual drive force control, similar to step S207 of Figure 9. However, unlike step S207, in step S207a of Figure 13, the vehicle-side computer 32 does not perform vehicle speed control according to the driving plan PN, but performs other controls according to the driving plan PN. That is, the vehicle-side computer 32 changes the target cabin temperature Trt and the target battery temperature Tbt according to the progress of the vehicle 30, as shown in Figure 3, according to the driving plan PN. At the same time, the vehicle-side computer 32 controls the temperature control device 46 so that the temperature inside the cabin 30a approaches the target cabin temperature Trt of the driving plan PN and the battery temperature approaches the target battery temperature Tbt of the driving plan PN.

[0126] Furthermore, in step S306a of Figure 14, the vehicle-side computer 32 performs normal cruise control, similar to step S306 of Figure 9. However, unlike step S306, in step S306a of Figure 14, the vehicle-side computer 32 does not perform vehicle speed control according to the driving plan PN, similar to step S207a of Figure 13 described above, but performs other controls according to the driving plan PN.

[0127] In the above modified example, the temperature inside the passenger compartment 30a and the battery temperature, which are physical quantities other than the vehicle speed, are changed based on the driving plan PN, regardless of whether the control process in Figure 6 is executed for vehicle speed control according to the driving plan PN. In other words, regardless of whether the determination unit 11 determines the command value CD for controlling the motor 35 in step SA01 of Figure 6 so that the motor 35 operates according to the driving plan PN, the temperature inside the passenger compartment 30a and the battery temperature are changed based on the driving plan PN. Therefore, according to the above modified example, even if the occupant 80 does not intend to leave the adjustment of the vehicle speed to the vehicle 30, it is possible to appropriately adjust the energy consumption associated with the movement of the vehicle 30 using the driving plan PN.

[0128] Similarly, in the flowchart of Figure 11 described above, step S207 may be replaced with step S207a in Figure 13, and step S306 may be replaced with step S306a in Figure 14. Also, in the flowcharts of Figures 8, 10, and 12 described above, step S207 may be replaced with step S207a in Figure 13.

[0129] (4) In each of the embodiments described above, the vehicle-side computer 32 calculates the motor torque as the command value CD in step SA01 of Figure 6, but this is just one example. For example, the magnitude of the AC voltage applied to the motor 35, or the frequency of that AC voltage, or any other parameter that can increase or decrease the vehicle speed may be calculated as the command value CD.

[0130] (5) In the fifth embodiment described above, it is explained that in step S505 of Figure 12, the vehicle-side computer 32 can determine whether the road surface condition of the road on which the vehicle 30 is traveling is good or not based on the outside air temperature and weather information, but this is just one example. For example, if the friction coefficient between the drive wheels 301 and the road surface is estimated by the slip traction control that suppresses slip of the drive wheels 301 of the vehicle 30, the determination of whether the road surface condition of the road on which the vehicle 30 is traveling is good or not may be made based on the estimated value of the friction coefficient.

[0131] (6) In each of the embodiments described above, the command value CD determined by the control process in Figure 6 and output from the vehicle-side computer 32 is a parameter for controlling the vehicle speed, but this is just one example. The command value CD may also be a parameter for controlling the temperature inside the passenger compartment 30a or the battery temperature. In that case, the controlled object that operates according to the command value CD would be an electric compressor 38 that compresses the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle circuit or a pump included in the water circuit equipment 39. For example, the rotational speed of the electric compressor 38 or the pump is determined as the command value CD.

[0132] Furthermore, even when the command value CD is a parameter for controlling the temperature inside the vehicle compartment 30a or the battery temperature, the above-mentioned separate control that determines the permissible condition RQ for the command value CD includes at least one of safety control, regulatory control, and protective control. Examples of regulatory control in this case include anti-fogging control to suppress fogging of windows such as the front windshield. Examples of protective control in this case include output control to suppress the output of the electric compressor 38 or pump in order to avoid overloading the electric compressor 38 or pump.

[0133] (7) In each of the embodiments described above, as shown in Figure 3, the driving plan PN includes the transitions of the target vehicle speed Vct, target cabin temperature Trt, target battery temperature Tbt, and predicted charge rate Spr in accordance with the progress of the vehicle 30 as components, but this is just one example. These components are not essential to the driving plan PN and may be replaced by target values ​​of other physical quantities, or further components may be added to the driving plan PN in Figure 3. For example, the transition of the target output of the aftermarket load inverter 42 in accordance with the progress of the vehicle 30, in other words, the transition of the aftermarket load inverter 42 on and off, may be added to the driving plan PN in Figure 3. The output of the aftermarket load inverter 42 also corresponds to other physical quantities other than vehicle speed that are related to the energy consumption of the vehicle 30.

[0134] (8) In the description of the fourth embodiment above, the type of road on which the vehicle 30 travels is indicated as whether or not it is a toll road, but this is just one example. For example, the type of road may differ depending on the number of lanes on the road.

[0135] (9) In each of the embodiments 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, an external terminal that can be taken outside the vehicle may be connected to the vehicle-side communication device 33 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 may function as the HMI unit 45. The external terminal is, for example, a portable computer such as a tablet or smartphone operated by the occupant 80.

[0136] (10) In each of the embodiments described above, the driving plan PN is formulated and determined by the cloud-side computer 52, which is an external computing device, in step S103 of Figure 4, etc. However, the external computing device that determines the driving plan PN is not limited to the cloud-side computer 52. For example, as described above, an external terminal may be connected to the vehicle-side communication device 33 and the manager 51 of the cloud 50 via a wireless network NW to enable information communication. In such cases, the external terminal may function as the external computing device and formulate and determine the driving plan PN.

[0137] (11) In each of the embodiments 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.

[0138] (12) In each of the embodiments 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.

[0139] (13) 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.

[0140] (14) In each of the embodiments described above, the evaluation function used to determine the various parameters of the driving plan PN in step S103 of Figure 4 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.

[0141] (15) In each of the embodiments described above, the processing of each step shown in the flowcharts of Figures 4, 6, and 8 to 12 is implemented by a computer program, but it may also be implemented by hardware.

[0142] (16) The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and can be implemented in various modified forms. Furthermore, the embodiments described above are not unrelated to each other and can be combined as appropriate, except in cases where the combination is clearly impossible.

[0143] Furthermore, it goes without saying that, in each of the above embodiments, the elements constituting the embodiment are not necessarily essential unless explicitly stated to be particularly essential or unless they are clearly considered essential in principle. Also, in each of the above embodiments, when numerical values ​​such as the number, numerical values, quantities, or ranges of the components of the embodiment are mentioned, the embodiment is not limited to those specific numbers unless explicitly stated to be particularly essential or unless it is clearly limited to a specific number in principle. Also, in each of the above embodiments, when the material, shape, positional relationship, etc. of the components are mentioned, the embodiment is not limited to those material, shape, positional relationship, etc. unless explicitly stated or unless it is clearly limited to a specific material, shape, positional relationship, etc. in principle.

[0144] Furthermore, in each of the embodiments described above, if it is stated that external environmental information of the vehicle 30 (e.g., outside temperature) is obtained from a sensor, it is also possible to eliminate the sensor and receive the external environmental information from a server or cloud 50 outside the vehicle 30. Alternatively, it is also possible to eliminate the sensor, obtain related information related to the external environmental information from a server or cloud 50 outside the vehicle 30, and estimate the external environmental information from the obtained related information. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0145] 11. Decision Section 12 Separate control execution unit 13 Changes 30 vehicles 32. Vehicle-side computing unit (vehicle control device) 35. Motor (Controlled object) 38 Electric compressor (controlled object) CD command value (command parameter) PN Driving Plan RQ Acceptable Conditions

Claims

1. A vehicle control device (32) is provided in a vehicle (30) having control objects (35, 38) that operate according to command parameters (CD), and controls the control objects by determining the command parameters, and receives a predetermined driving plan (PN) from an external computing device (52) that is wirelessly connected to the vehicle, A determination unit (11) that determines the command parameters so that the controlled object operates according to the driving plan, A separate control execution unit (12) executes a separate control, separate from the driving plan, which determines the tolerance conditions (RQ) that allow the command parameters, A vehicle control device comprising: a modification unit (13) that modifies the command parameter so that it conforms to the tolerance condition if the command parameter determined by the determination unit deviates from the tolerance condition.

2. The aforementioned separate control includes safety system control for safely driving the vehicle, The control target is the power source (35) for driving the vehicle, The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle speed is adjusted by the operation of the power source for driving according to the command parameters.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, wherein, when the vehicle is instructed by the occupant (80) of the vehicle to perform cruise control which autonomously controls the vehicle speed, the determination unit determines the command parameters so that the power source for driving operates according to the driving plan.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, wherein the safety control system corresponds to at least one of the following: collision avoidance control for avoiding a collision with the vehicle; distance control for maintaining a predetermined distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle; slip traction control for suppressing slippage of the vehicle's wheels (301); and curve deceleration control for slowing down the vehicle before a curve in the road.

5. The aforementioned separate control includes regulatory control for driving the vehicle in accordance with the law, The control target is the power source (35) for driving the vehicle, The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle speed is adjusted by the operation of the power source for driving according to the command parameters.

6. The aforementioned driving plan is a plan to change the vehicle speed and other physical quantities other than the vehicle speed that are related to the energy consumption of the vehicle, respectively, in accordance with the progress of the vehicle. The control target is the power source (35) for driving the vehicle, The vehicle speed is adjusted by the operation of the aforementioned power source for driving according to the command parameters. Whether or not the determination unit determines the command parameters so that the power source for driving operates according to the driving plan is switchable. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the other physical quantities are changed based on the driving plan, regardless of whether the determination unit determines the command parameters so that the power source for driving operates according to the driving plan.

7. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein when a predetermined manual operation is performed by the occupant (80) of the vehicle, the determination unit determines the command parameters so that the power source for driving operates in accordance with the driving plan.

8. Whether or not the determination unit determines the command parameters is switched according to the type of road on which the vehicle travels, as described in any one of claims 2 to 6.

9. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein whether or not the determination unit determines the command parameters is switched according to the road surface conditions on which the vehicle is traveling.

10. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the separate control includes a protective system control for protecting the equipment (34, 35, 36) of the vehicle.

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