Vehicle energy management system and vehicle energy management method

Abstract

This invention provides a vehicle energy management system and a vehicle energy management method that enable efficient vehicle energy management using the driving range after charging as an indicator, even with short charging times, by determining whether or not to dry the anti-fogging film based on the battery temperature. [Solution] The vehicle comprises a window, a battery, a drying means 22, and a battery warming means 20. The window has a water-absorbing anti-fog film laminated on the interior side of the vehicle. The drying means 22 dries the anti-fog film. The battery warming means 20 warms the battery. The vehicle energy management system 2 includes a control unit 23 that drives and controls the drying means 22 and the battery warming means 20 based on information from a charge detection unit 25 and a battery temperature detection unit 21. When battery charging is detected, the control unit 23 prioritizes driving the drying means 22 if the battery temperature is above a threshold temperature.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle energy management system and a vehicle energy management method, and particularly to an energy management technique in a vehicle including a window having a water-absorbent anti-fog film laminated on the inner surface of the vehicle interior.

Background Art

[0002] In a vehicle, it is important for safety to prevent the occurrence of fogging on windows such as the front windshield and ensure visibility. In order to prevent the occurrence of fogging on the window, a window having a water-absorbent anti-fog film laminated on the inner surface of the vehicle interior may be adopted. The water-absorbent anti-fog film has a function of absorbing moisture in the film and suppressing the occurrence of fogging on the surface on the inner side of the vehicle in the window.

[0003] By the way, even in a window having a water-absorbent anti-fog film laminated thereon, when the amount of moisture in the film in the anti-fog film exceeds the saturated water absorption amount (when exceeding the saturated state), it is impossible to retain more moisture in the film, and condensed water adheres to the film surface and fogging occurs. A technique for suppressing the occurrence of fogging in such a water-absorbent anti-fog film is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "PHEV vehicle") including a front windshield having a water-absorbent anti-fog film laminated thereon. The PHEV vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a vehicle air conditioner configured to drive a defroster to dry the anti-fog film after the engine is stopped.

[0005] In the vehicle air conditioner in the PHEV vehicle of Patent Document 1, when it is plugged in and receiving power supply from the outside after the engine is stopped, it is configured to drive the defroster using a part of the power supplied from the outside or the power of the in-vehicle battery.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2009-190640 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] Lithium-ion batteries and other chemical batteries cannot be charged efficiently in low-temperature environments. Therefore, when attempting to charge a vehicle battery in a low-temperature environment, it is necessary to warm up the battery first.

[0008] Furthermore, charging the car's battery can be done not only over long periods at home or work, but also for short periods while out and about (for example, 30 minutes or an hour).

[0009] However, the prior art, including the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, does not take into account cases where charging is performed in a low-temperature environment and for a short period of time. For example, in the case of a PHEV vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1, if charging is performed for a short period of time in a low-temperature environment, power will be consumed for warming up the battery and driving the defroster, making it impossible to sufficiently charge the onboard battery, recover the capacity of the onboard battery, and thus making it difficult to secure a driving range.

[0010] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems and provides a vehicle energy management system and a vehicle energy management method that can perform efficient vehicle energy management using the driving range after charging as an indicator, even with short charging times, by determining whether or not to dry the anti-fogging film based on the battery temperature. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] A vehicle energy management system according to one aspect of the present invention is a system for managing the energy of a vehicle. The vehicle comprises a window, a battery, and a drying means. The window partitions the passenger compartment from the outside and has a water-absorbing anti-fog film laminated on the passenger compartment side. The battery is capable of supplying electrical energy for the vehicle to run. The drying means dries the anti-fog film by vaporizing the moisture in the anti-fog film.

[0012] The vehicle energy management system according to this embodiment comprises a charge detection unit, a battery temperature detection unit, and a control unit. The charge detection unit detects when charging of the battery by supplying external power has started. The battery temperature detection unit detects the temperature of the battery. The control unit drives and controls the drying means based on the information from the charge detection unit and the battery temperature detection unit.

[0013] In the vehicle energy management system according to this embodiment, when the charge of the battery is detected, the control unit preferentially drives the drying means if the temperature of the battery is above a threshold temperature.

[0014] In the above-described vehicle energy management system, when battery charging is detected, the control unit prioritizes driving the drying means if the battery temperature detected by the battery temperature detection unit is above a predetermined threshold temperature. That is, when battery charging is detected, but the battery temperature is below the threshold temperature, the externally supplied electrical energy is not preferentially used for drying the anti-fogging film. Therefore, unlike the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, which dries the anti-fogging film when the vehicle is plugged in, this system can restore battery capacity even with short-term charging, and can extend the driving range after charging.

[0015] Furthermore, the above-mentioned vehicle energy management system can dry the anti-fog film during charging if the battery temperature is above the threshold temperature and a predetermined charging efficiency is ensured. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of fogging of the anti-fog film when driving starts after charging, thereby ensuring visibility. In addition, it is possible to reduce energy consumption for drying the anti-fog film immediately after driving starts after charging.

[0016] In the vehicle energy management system according to the above embodiment, the vehicle may further include a battery warming means for warming up the battery during charging. In this case, the control unit may also perform drive control of the battery warming means based on information from the charge detection unit and the battery temperature detection unit, and may preferentially drive the battery warming means when the battery temperature is below the threshold temperature after the battery charge is detected.

[0017] In the vehicle energy management system according to the above embodiment, when battery charging is detected, the control unit prioritizes driving the battery warming means if the battery temperature detected by the battery temperature detection unit is below a threshold temperature. By warming up the battery in this way, the battery can be charged with a large charging current, and the driving range of the vehicle after charging can be extended.

[0018] In the vehicle energy management system according to the above embodiment, the control unit does not need to drive the battery warming means when it prioritizes driving the drying means, and does not need to drive the drying means when it prioritizes driving the battery warming means.

[0019] In the above-described vehicle energy management system, when charging, the battery warming means is not driven if the drying means is driven preferentially. Therefore, electrical energy is not used for battery warming, and the anti-fogging film can be dried more effectively.

[0020] On the other hand, when the vehicle energy management system preferentially drives the battery warming means during charging, it does not drive the drying means. Therefore, electrical energy is not used for drying the anti-fog film, and charging with high charging efficiency can be achieved by warming the battery.

[0021] In the vehicle energy management system according to the above aspect, the control unit may calculate a first predicted value related to the cruising range after charging when assuming charging while preferentially driving the battery warming means, and may calculate a second predicted value related to the cruising range after charging when assuming charging while preferentially driving the drying means. The threshold temperature may be set based on the mutual magnitude relationship between the first predicted value and the second predicted value.

[0022] The vehicle energy management system according to the above aspect compares a first predicted value related to the cruising range when charging while preferentially driving the battery warming means with a second predicted value related to the cruising range when charging while preferentially driving the drying means, and sets the threshold temperature. That is, the threshold temperature is set based on which cruising range is longer after charging when the battery warming means is preferentially driven and when the drying means is preferentially driven. Therefore, the above vehicle energy management system adopts a threshold temperature set with the cruising range after charging as an index instead of adopting a threshold temperature of a certain value, and can extend the cruising range after charging.

[0023] Note that when charging while preferentially driving the battery warming means, it is conceivable to execute drying of the anti-fog film after the start of driving after charging. Therefore, the calculation of the first predicted value also takes into account the energy consumption due to driving the drying means after the start of driving.

[0024] In the vehicle energy management system according to the above aspect, when the control unit determines that the second predicted value is greater than the first predicted value, the control unit may set the temperature of the battery at the time when the charging of the battery is detected to the threshold temperature.

[0025] When the second predicted value is greater than the first predicted value, the vehicle energy management system according to the above aspect sets the temperature of the battery at the start of charging to a threshold temperature. Therefore, when the second predicted value is greater than the first predicted value, by setting the temperature of the battery as the threshold temperature, the drying means will be preferentially driven during charging. Thus, the above vehicle energy management system can dry the anti-fog film while charging with high charging efficiency, enabling the ensuring of visibility during driving.

[0026] A vehicle energy management method according to one aspect of the present invention is a method for executing energy management of a vehicle. The vehicle includes a window, a battery, and a drying means. The window partitions the passenger compartment and the outside, and has a water-absorbent anti-fog film laminated on the inner side of the passenger compartment. The battery can supply electrical energy for driving the vehicle. The drying means vaporizes the moisture in the anti-fog film to dry the anti-fog film.

[0027] The vehicle energy management method according to this aspect includes a charging detection step and a battery temperature detection step. In the charging detection step, it is detected that charging of the battery has started by supplying external power to the battery. In the battery temperature detection step, the temperature of the battery is detected.

[0028] In the vehicle energy management method according to this aspect, when charging of the battery is detected in the charging detection step, if the temperature of the battery is equal to or higher than the threshold temperature, the drying means is preferentially driven.

[0029] In the above embodiment of the vehicle energy management method, when battery charging is detected in the charging detection step, the drying means is preferentially driven if the battery temperature detected in the battery temperature detection step is above a predetermined threshold temperature. That is, if battery charging is detected but the battery temperature is below the threshold temperature, the electrical energy supplied from the outside is not preferentially used for drying the anti-fog film. Therefore, unlike the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, which dries the anti-fog film when the vehicle is plugged in, the driving range after charging can be extended even with short charging times.

[0030] Furthermore, the above-described vehicle energy management method allows the anti-fog film to be dried during charging if the battery temperature is above the threshold temperature and a predetermined charging efficiency is ensured. Therefore, the occurrence of fogging of the anti-fog film during driving after charging can be suppressed, ensuring clear visibility.

[0031] In the vehicle energy management method according to the above embodiment, the vehicle may further include a battery warming means for warming up the battery during charging. In this case, if charging of the battery is detected in the charging detection step, the battery warming means may be preferentially driven if the temperature of the battery is below the threshold temperature.

[0032] In the vehicle energy management method according to the above embodiment, when battery charging is detected in the charge detection step, the battery warming means is preferentially driven if the battery temperature detected in the battery temperature detection step is below a threshold temperature. By warming up the battery in this way, the battery can be charged with a large charging current, and the driving range of the vehicle after charging can be extended.

[0033] The vehicle energy management method according to the above embodiment may further include a threshold temperature setting step for setting the threshold temperature. The threshold temperature setting step may include a first prediction value calculation substep and a second prediction value calculation substep. In the first prediction value calculation substep, a first prediction value for the driving range after charging is calculated, assuming that the battery warming means is preferentially driven while charging. In the second prediction value calculation substep, a second prediction value for the driving range after charging is calculated, assuming that the drying means is preferentially driven while charging.

[0034] In the vehicle energy management method according to the above embodiment, the threshold temperature may be set in the threshold temperature setting step based on the relative magnitudes of the first predicted value and the second predicted value.

[0035] The vehicle energy management method according to the above embodiment sets a threshold temperature by comparing a first predicted value for the driving range when charging is performed while prioritizing the operation of the battery warming means with a second predicted value for the driving range when charging is performed while prioritizing the operation of the drying means. That is, the threshold temperature is set based on which driving range is longer after charging: when the battery warming means is prioritized or when the drying means is prioritized. Therefore, the above vehicle energy management method can extend the driving range after charging by adopting a threshold temperature set using the driving range after charging as an indicator, rather than adopting a threshold temperature of a fixed value.

[0036] Furthermore, as mentioned above, if charging is performed while prioritizing the operation of the battery warming mechanism, it is conceivable that the anti-fog film drying will be performed after the start of driving following the charging. Therefore, the calculation of the first predicted value will also take into account the energy consumption due to the operation of the drying mechanism after the start of driving. [Effects of the Invention]

[0037] In each of the above embodiments, by determining whether or not to dry the anti-fogging film based on the battery temperature, efficient vehicle energy management can be performed using the driving range after charging as an indicator, even with short charging times. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0038] [Figure 1] This figure shows a partial configuration of the interior of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle energy management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the front windshield. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle energy management system. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows the vehicle energy management method performed by the control unit. [Figure 6] This is a characteristic diagram showing the relationship between battery temperature and charging current. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart showing how the control unit sets the threshold temperature. [Figure 8] This is a characteristic diagram showing the relationship between relative humidity near the anti-fogging film and water absorption rate. [Figure 9] This diagram illustrates the driving range when a short-term charge is performed, with (a) showing the case where battery warm-up is prioritized and (b) showing the case where film drying is prioritized. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0039] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are illustrative examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments except for its essential configuration.

[0040] In the diagrams used in the following explanation, "FR" indicates the front of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction, "RR" indicates the rear of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction, "LH" indicates the left side in the vehicle width direction, "RH" indicates the right side in the vehicle width direction, "UP" indicates the top of the vehicle in the vertical direction, and "LO" indicates the bottom of the vehicle in the vertical direction.

[0041] 1. Configuration of Vehicle 1 The configuration of a vehicle 1 equipped with a vehicle energy management system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Figure 1 is a diagram showing a part of the interior of the passenger compartment 1a in the vehicle 1. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the front windshield 11. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle 1.

[0042] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle 1 includes a seat 14 on the floor of the passenger compartment 1a for the occupant to sit on, and an instrument panel 10 formed in front of the seat 14 to extend in the vehicle width direction. A front windshield 11 is disposed in the area between the front end portion of the instrument panel 10 and the roof 1b. In this embodiment, the front windshield 11 is a window that separates the passenger compartment 1a from the outside (forward).

[0043] As shown in Figure 2, the front windshield 11 consists of a shield body 15 and an anti-fog film 16 laminated on the inside of the vehicle interior 1a of the shield body 15. The shield body 15 is a light-transmitting plate material made of, for example, glass. The anti-fog film 16 is a light-transmitting film formed using a water-absorbing anti-fog material.

[0044] Returning to Figure 1, a rearview mirror 12 is positioned in the center of the vehicle width direction on the inside of the passenger compartment 1a at the top of the front windshield 11. In addition, an air outlet 1c is provided at the front end of the instrument panel 10 to blow out air from the defroster as a drying means. The air blown out from the air outlet 1c (dry air) flows diagonally upward along the inside surface of the front windshield 11 in the passenger compartment 1a (the surface of the laminated anti-fog film 16). This causes the moisture in the anti-fog film 16 to vaporize, thus drying the anti-fog film 16.

[0045] Furthermore, a humidity detection unit 13 is provided in a portion of the surface of the front windshield 11 that faces the interior of the passenger compartment 1a. The humidity detection unit 13 detects the relative humidity on the surface of the anti-fog film 16 on the front windshield 11 and the area near the surface of the anti-fog film 16. In the vehicle 1, the area to the left front of the rearview mirror 12 is a portion that is less likely to obstruct the view of the driver seated in the seat (driver's seat) 14.

[0046] As shown in Figure 3, the vehicle 1 is equipped with a motor 17 and a battery 18. The motor 17 is mounted on the vehicle 1 as the driving source for the vehicle 1. The battery 18 is a rechargeable battery that supplies electrical energy for the vehicle 1 to the motor 17. In other words, the vehicle 1 of this embodiment is a battery electric vehicle (BEV) that runs on the driving force generated by the motor 17 using power from the onboard battery 18.

[0047] Vehicle 1 also includes a battery control unit 19, a battery warming means 20, a battery temperature detection unit 21, and a charging inlet 24. The battery control unit 19 monitors the charging and discharging of the battery 18 and manages the remaining capacity of the battery 18. The battery warming means 20 consists of a heater or the like and warms the battery 18 in a low-temperature environment. The battery temperature detection unit 21 detects the temperature of the battery 18 sequentially. The charging inlet 24 is a part to which a charging connector 501 of an external charging facility 500 can be connected for charging the battery 18.

[0048] Furthermore, the vehicle 1 includes a control unit 23. The control unit 23 is responsible for driving and controlling the drying means (defroster) 22 and the battery warming means 20. The control unit 23 drives and controls the drying means 22 and the battery warming means 20 based on information input from the battery control unit 19 and the battery temperature detection unit 21.

[0049] 2. Configuration of Vehicle Energy Management System 2 The configuration of the vehicle energy management system 2 according to this embodiment will be explained with reference to Figure 4.

[0050] The vehicle energy management system 2 is a system that manages the electrical energy of the vehicle 1 by controlling the warming of the battery 18 during charging and the drying of the anti-fog film 16.

[0051] As shown in Figure 4, the vehicle energy management system 2 includes a charge detection unit 25 in addition to the control unit 23, battery temperature detection unit 21, and humidity detection unit 13 described above. The charge detection unit 25 is the part that detects when the charge connector 501 is connected to the charge inlet 24 and when power supply from the charging equipment 500 has started (charging has started).

[0052] The control unit 23 is configured to include a microprocessor, which includes an MPU / CPU, ASIC, ROM, RAM, etc., and memory. The control unit 23 executes firmware and the like pre-stored in memory, and based on the information obtained from the battery temperature detection unit 21, humidity detection unit 13, charge detection unit 25, and battery control unit 19, it performs drive control of the drying means 22 and the battery warming means 20.

[0053] The control unit 23 includes a battery warm-up command unit 231, a drying command unit 232, a warm-up priority distance calculation unit 233, a drying priority distance calculation unit 234, a threshold temperature setting unit 235, and an anti-fog film water absorption amount calculation unit 236. The battery warm-up command unit 231 is a functional unit that issues drive commands to the battery warm-up means 20 when charging in low-temperature environments.

[0054] The drying command unit 232 is a functional unit that issues drive commands to the drying means 22. When the drying means 22 is driven based on the command from the drying command unit 232, air is blown out from the outlet 1c from the drying means 22 to dry the anti-fogging film 16.

[0055] The warm-up priority range calculation unit 233 is a functional unit that calculates the distance the vehicle 1 can travel after charging (driving range) when warming up the battery 18 is prioritized during short-term charging (for example, during rapid charging while away from home). In this embodiment, "prioritizing warm-up" means driving the battery warm-up means 20 without driving the drying means 22 during charging. The same applies hereafter.

[0056] The drying-priority distance calculation unit 234 is a functional unit that calculates the distance (driving range) that the vehicle 1 can travel after charging when the drying of the anti-fog film 16 is prioritized during short-term charging. In this embodiment, "prioritizing drying" means driving the drying means 22 without driving the battery warming means 20 during short-term charging. The same applies hereafter.

[0057] The threshold temperature setting unit 235 is a functional unit that sets a threshold temperature used to determine whether to prioritize warming up the battery 18 or drying the anti-fog film 16 during short-term charging. The method for setting the threshold temperature will be described later.

[0058] The anti-fog film water absorption amount calculation unit 236 is a functional unit that sequentially calculates the amount of moisture in the anti-fog film 16 based on information obtained from the humidity detection unit 13. While the vehicle 1 is in motion, the drying means 22 is driven by a command from the drying command unit 232 when the amount of moisture in the anti-fog film 16 calculated by the anti-fog film water absorption amount calculation unit 236 reaches a saturation state, or before it reaches a saturation state.

[0059] 3. Vehicle energy management method executed by the control unit 23 The vehicle energy management method performed by the control unit 23 of the vehicle energy management system 2 will be explained with reference to Figures 5 and 6.

[0060] As shown in Figure 5, the control unit 23 determines whether or not charging has been detected (step S1). The determination of whether or not charging has been detected is made based on information obtained from the charging detection unit 25.

[0061] If the control unit 23 determines in step S1 that charging has been detected (step S1: YES), it performs detection of the battery temperature Ta and charging current of the battery 18 (steps S2, S3). The detection of the battery temperature Ta of the battery 18 is performed based on information obtained from the battery temperature detection unit 21. The detection of the charging current is performed based on information obtained from the charging detection unit 25.

[0062] After executing steps S2 and S3, the control unit 23 sets a threshold temperature Tth (step S4). The threshold temperature Tth is a threshold used to determine whether to prioritize warming up the battery 18 or drying the anti-fog film 16 during short-term charging, as described above, and is set by the threshold temperature setting unit 235.

[0063] Next, the control unit 23 compares the battery temperature Ta with the threshold temperature Tth (step S5). As shown in Figure 6, when the battery temperature Ta is equal to or greater than the threshold temperature Tth, charging is performed efficiently with a large charging current. When the battery temperature Ta is less than the threshold temperature Tth, only a small charging current flows, making efficient charging difficult.

[0064] If the control unit 23 determines in step S5 that the battery temperature Ta is equal to or greater than the threshold temperature Tth (step S5: YES), the drying command unit 232 issues a command to the drying means 22 to prioritize drying the anti-fogging film 16 while performing charging (step S6).

[0065] The control unit 23 monitors whether the charging of the battery 18, which is carried out while prioritizing the drying of the anti-fogging film 16, has elapsed for the time specified when using the charging equipment 500 (charging time) (step S8). If the control unit 23 determines in step S8 that the charging time has elapsed (step S8: YES), it stops driving the drying means 22 based on a command from the drying command unit 232 and terminates charging (returns control).

[0066] On the other hand, if the control unit 23 determines in step S5 that the battery temperature Ta is less than the threshold temperature Tth (step S5: NO), the battery warm-up command unit 231 issues a command to the battery warm-up means 20 to prioritize warming up the battery 18 while performing charging (step S7).

[0067] The control unit 23 monitors whether the charging of the battery 18, which is carried out while prioritizing the warming of the battery 18, has elapsed for the time specified when using the charging equipment 500 (step S9). If the control unit 23 determines in step S8 that the charging time has elapsed (step S9: YES), it stops driving the battery warming means 20 based on a command from the battery warming command unit 231 and terminates the charging (returns control).

[0068] As described above, the vehicle energy management system 2 according to this embodiment, when charging for a short period of time, determines whether to prioritize warming up the battery 18 or drying the anti-fog film 16 based on the difference between the battery temperature Ta and the threshold temperature Tth, and then performs the charging.

[0069] 4. How to set the threshold temperature Tth The method for setting the threshold temperature Tth by the control unit 23 will be explained using Figures 7 to 9.

[0070] As shown in Figure 7, the anti-fog film water absorption amount calculation unit 236 of the control unit 23 calculates the amount of water absorbed (moisture content) of the anti-fog film 16 based on information obtained from the humidity detection unit 13 (step S41). As shown in Figure 8, the water absorption rate of the anti-fog film 16 indicates a value corresponding to the relative humidity near the surface of the anti-fog film 16. Therefore, the anti-fog film water absorption amount calculation unit 236 calculates the amount of water absorbed by the anti-fog film 16 by first driving the drying means 22 to dry the anti-fog film 16, then calculating the water absorption rate from the relative humidity data sent from the humidity detection unit 13, and accumulating these values ​​over time.

[0071] In this embodiment, the vehicle energy management system 2 also takes into account the amount of water absorbed by the anti-fogging film 16 when setting the threshold temperature Tth, but it is not always necessary to perform step S41.

[0072] The warm-up priority distance calculation unit 233 of the control unit 23 predicts the cruising range (first predicted value) Cd1 of the vehicle 1 after charging, assuming that the warm-up of the battery 18 is prioritized (step S42). There is no order restriction between the execution of step S41 and the execution of step S42.

[0073] As shown in Figure 9(a), if battery warm-up is prioritized during charging, it may be necessary to drive the drying means 22 to dry the anti-fog film 16 after driving begins following charging. Therefore, the driving range Cd1 is predicted by taking into account the capacity recovery by charging with priority given to warming up the battery 18 and the power consumption by driving the drying means 22 during driving.

[0074] Returning to Figure 7, the drying-priority distance calculation unit 234 of the control unit 23 predicts the cruising range Cd21 from the predicted charge rate when the drying of the anti-fog film 16 is prioritized (step S43). The drying-priority distance calculation unit 234 also predicts the increase in cruising range Cd22 when the anti-fog film 16 is dried during charging (step S44). The drying-priority distance calculation unit 234 adds the cruising range Cd21 predicted in step S43 and the increase Cd22 predicted in step S44 to predict the cruising range of vehicle 1 after charging (second predicted value) Cd2 (step S45). There is no restriction on the order in which steps S43 to S45 are executed, or the order in which steps S41 and S42 are executed.

[0075] As shown in Figure 9(b), if drying of the anti-fog film 16 is prioritized during charging, it is less likely that the drying means 22 will need to be activated immediately after starting to drive to dry the anti-fog film 16. Therefore, the driving range Cd2 is predicted by taking into account the capacity recovery due to charging with priority given to drying the anti-fog film 16, and the increase in driving range Cd22 due to not having to activate the drying means 22 immediately after starting to drive.

[0076] Returning to Figure 7, the control unit 23 compares the magnitude of the cruising range Cd1 predicted in step S42 with the cruising range Cd2 predicted in step S45 (step S46). If the control unit 23 determines in step S46 that the cruising range Cd1 is greater than or equal to the cruising range Cd2 (step S46: YES), it sets the threshold temperature Tth based on the charging efficiency (step S49).

[0077] As shown in Figure 6, in chemical batteries such as lithium-ion batteries, the charging current increases rapidly with increasing battery temperature in regions where the battery temperature is relatively low, while in regions where the battery temperature is relatively high, the increase in charging current with increasing battery temperature is more gradual compared to the low-temperature region. In the vehicle energy management system 2 according to this embodiment, the inflection point or similar point in the relationship between battery temperature Ta and charging current can be set as the threshold temperature Tth based on the charging efficiency in step S49.

[0078] If the control unit 23 determines in step S46 that the cruising range Cd1 is less than the cruising range Cd2 (step S46: NO), it determines whether the amount of water absorbed by the anti-fog film 16 calculated in step S1 is less than a predetermined value (step S47). In this case, the "predetermined value" is the amount of water absorbed within the range of 10% to 90% of the saturation water absorption amount of the anti-fog film 16, and is the amount of water absorbed that would require a large amount of electrical energy to dry with the drying means 22.

[0079] In step S47, if the control unit 23 determines that the amount of water absorbed by the anti-fog film 16 is above a predetermined value (step S47: NO), it sets a threshold temperature Tth (which enables high charging efficiency) based on the charging efficiency (step S49). In other words, if the anti-fog film 16 is dried to the point where its water absorption is above a predetermined value, a large portion of the power supplied from the charging equipment 500 will be consumed to dry the anti-fog film 16, making it difficult to recover the capacity of the battery 18. Therefore, the anti-fog film 16 is dried during driving after charging.

[0080] If the control unit 23 determines in step S47 that the amount of water absorbed by the anti-fog film 16 is less than a predetermined value (step S47: YES), it sets the battery temperature Ta at the start of charging to the threshold temperature Tth (step S48). As a result, the control unit 23 determines "YES" in step S5 in Figure 5 and preferentially drives the drying means 22 based on the command from the drying command unit 232.

[0081] As described above, the threshold temperature setting unit 235 of the control unit 23 sets the threshold temperature Tth.

[0082] 5. Effects In this embodiment, the vehicle energy management system 2, when charging of the battery 18 is detected, prioritizes driving the drying means 22 if the temperature Ts of the battery 18 detected by the battery temperature detection unit 21 is equal to or greater than the threshold temperature Tth. That is, when charging of the battery 18 is detected, and the temperature Ts of the battery 18 is less than the threshold temperature Tth, the electrical energy supplied from the external charging equipment 500 is not preferentially used for drying the anti-fog film 16. Therefore, unlike the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, which unilaterally dries the anti-fog film when plugged in, the driving range after charging can be extended even with short charging times.

[0083] Furthermore, the vehicle energy management system 2 can dry the anti-fog film 16 during charging if the temperature Ts of the battery 18 is above the threshold temperature Tth and a predetermined charging efficiency is ensured. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of fogging of the anti-fog film 16 during driving after charging and ensure visibility.

[0084] Furthermore, in the vehicle energy management system 2 according to this embodiment, when charging of the battery 18 is detected, the control unit 23 prioritizes driving the battery warming means 20 if the temperature Ta of the battery 18 detected by the battery temperature detection unit 21 is less than the threshold temperature Tth. By warming up the battery 18 in this way, the battery 18 can be charged with a large charging current, and the driving range of the vehicle 1 after charging can be extended.

[0085] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the vehicle energy management system 2 does not drive the battery warming means 20 when the drying means 22 is driven preferentially during charging. Therefore, charging can be performed efficiently while drying the anti-fogging film 16 without using electrical energy for battery warming.

[0086] On the other hand, in the vehicle energy management system 2 according to this embodiment, when the battery warming means 20 is driven preferentially during charging, the drying means 22 is not driven. Therefore, electrical energy is not used to dry the anti-fogging film 16, and charging with high charging efficiency can be achieved by warming up the battery.

[0087] Furthermore, the vehicle energy management system 2 according to this embodiment sets a threshold temperature Tth by comparing the cruising range (first predicted value) Cd1 when charging is performed while prioritizing the operation of the battery warming means 20, and the cruising range (second predicted value) Cd2 when charging is performed while prioritizing the operation of the drying means 22. That is, the threshold temperature Tth is set based on which of the cruising ranges Cd1 and Cd2 after charging is longer, when the battery warming means 20 is prioritized or when the drying means 22 is prioritized. Therefore, the vehicle energy management system 2 can extend the cruising range after charging by adopting a threshold temperature Tth that is set using the cruising ranges Cd1 and Cd2 after charging as indicators, rather than adopting a threshold temperature Tth that is a fixed value. In other words, it can perform excellent energy management.

[0088] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9(a), if charging is performed while prioritizing the operation of the battery warming means 20, it is conceivable that the anti-fog film 16 will be dried after driving begins following charging. Therefore, the calculation of the first predicted value, the driving range Cd1, will also take into account the energy consumption due to the operation of the drying means 22 after driving begins.

[0089] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the vehicle energy management system 2 sets the temperature Ta of the battery 18 at the start of charging to the threshold temperature Tth when the cruising range (second predicted value) Cd2 is greater than the cruising range (first predicted value) Cd1. Therefore, when the cruising range (second predicted value) Cd2 is greater than the cruising range (first predicted value) Cd1, the temperature Ta of the battery 18 becomes the same as the threshold temperature Tth, and the drying means 22 is preferentially driven during charging. Thus, the vehicle energy management system 2 enables high-efficiency charging while drying the anti-fog film 16 to ensure visibility during driving.

[0090] Furthermore, in the vehicle energy management method according to this embodiment, when battery charging is detected in the charging detection step (step S1 in Figure 5: YES), the drying means 22 is preferentially driven if the temperature Ta of the battery 18 detected in the battery temperature detection step (step S2 in Figure 5) is equal to or greater than the threshold temperature Tth. That is, when charging of the battery 18 is detected, and the temperature Ta of the battery 18 is less than the threshold temperature Tth, the electrical energy supplied from the charging equipment 500 is not preferentially used for drying the anti-fog film 16. Therefore, unlike the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, which dries the anti-fog film when the vehicle is plugged in, the driving range after charging can be extended even with short-time charging (rapid charging on the road). In other words, superior energy management can be achieved.

[0091] Furthermore, in the vehicle energy management method according to this embodiment, if the temperature Ta of the battery 18 is above the threshold temperature Tth and a predetermined charging efficiency is ensured, the anti-fog film 16 can be dried during charging. Therefore, the occurrence of fogging of the anti-fog film 16 during driving after charging can be suppressed, and visibility can be ensured.

[0092] Furthermore, in the vehicle energy management method according to this embodiment, when charging of the battery 18 is detected in the charge detection step (step S1 in Figure 5: YES), the battery warming means 20 is preferentially driven if the temperature Ta of the battery 18 detected in the battery temperature detection step (step S2 in Figure 5) is less than the threshold temperature Tth. By warming up the battery 18 in this way, it is possible to charge the battery 18 with a large charging current, thereby extending the driving range of the vehicle 1 after charging. In other words, excellent energy management can be achieved.

[0093] Furthermore, the vehicle energy management method according to this embodiment compares the cruising range (first predicted value) Cd1 when charging is performed while prioritizing the operation of the battery warming means 20 with the cruising range (second predicted value) Cd2 when charging is performed while prioritizing the operation of the drying means 22 (step S46 in Figure 7) to set a threshold temperature Tth (steps S48 and S49 in Figure 7). That is, the threshold temperature Tth is set based on which of the cruising ranges Cd1 and Cd2 after charging is longer, when the battery warming means 20 is prioritized or when the drying means 22 is prioritized. Therefore, the vehicle energy management method can extend the cruising range after charging by adopting a threshold temperature Tth that is set using the cruising ranges Cd1 and Cd2 after charging as indicators, rather than adopting a threshold temperature that is a constant value. In other words, it can perform excellent energy management.

[0094] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9(a), if charging is performed while prioritizing the operation of the battery warming means 20, it is conceivable that the anti-fog film 16 will be dried after driving begins following charging. Therefore, the calculation of the cruising range (first predicted value) Cd1 will also take into account the energy consumption due to the operation of the drying means 22 after driving begins.

[0095] As described above, the vehicle energy management system 2 and vehicle energy management method according to this embodiment determine whether or not to dry the anti-fogging film 16 based on the temperature Ta of the battery 18, thereby enabling efficient vehicle energy management using the driving range after charging as an indicator, even with short charging times.

[0096] [Differentiation] The vehicle energy management system 2 and vehicle energy management method according to the above embodiment selectively choose whether to drive the drying means 22 or the battery warming means 20 based on the threshold temperature Tth during short-term charging, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, during short-term charging, the driving of the drying means 22 and the driving of the battery warming means 20 can be closed off. In this case, the driving of the drying means 22 and the driving of the battery warming means 20 can be weighted based on the temperature Ta of the battery 18 relative to the threshold temperature Tth. Specifically, if the battery temperature Ta is equal to or greater than the threshold temperature Tth, the driving of the drying means 22 can be weighted when performing charging.

[0097] Furthermore, while the vehicle energy management system 2 and vehicle energy management method according to the above embodiment set the threshold temperature Tth using the driving range Cd1 and Cd2 after charging as indicators, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the threshold temperature Tth can also be a predetermined temperature empirically known in relation to the ambient temperature.

[0098] Furthermore, in the vehicle energy management system 2 and vehicle energy management method according to the above embodiment, if it is determined in step S46 of Figure 7 that the driving range (second predicted value) Cd2 is greater than the driving range (first predicted value) Cd1 (step S46: NO), the battery temperature Ta at the start of charging is set as the threshold temperature Tth (step S48). However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a temperature lower than the battery temperature Ta at the start of charging may be set as the threshold temperature Tth.

[0099] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the front windshield 11 is configured to have an anti-fog film 16, but in the present invention, windows such as side windows and rear windows may also be configured to have an anti-fog film. In this case as well, the same effects as above can be obtained by performing the same vehicle energy management as in the above embodiment. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0100] 1 vehicle 1a Cabin 2. Vehicle Energy Management System 11. Front windshield (window) 18 batteries 20 Battery warming means 21 Battery temperature detection unit 22 Drying means 23 Control Unit 25 Charging detection unit 235 Threshold temperature setting section

Claims

1. A vehicle energy management system that performs energy management for a vehicle, The aforementioned vehicle is A window that separates the passenger compartment from the outside and has a water-absorbing anti-fog film laminated on the passenger compartment side, A battery capable of supplying electrical energy for the vehicle to run, A drying means for vaporizing the moisture in the anti-fog film and drying the anti-fog film, Equipped with, The aforementioned vehicle energy management system is A charging detection unit that detects when charging of the battery by supplying external power has started, A battery temperature detection unit for detecting the temperature of the battery, A control unit that drives and controls the drying means based on information from the charge detection unit and the battery temperature detection unit, Equipped with, When the control unit detects that the battery is charging, it prioritizes driving the drying means if the battery temperature is above a threshold temperature. Vehicle energy management system.

2. The vehicle further includes a battery warming means for warming up the battery during charging, The control unit, Based on the information from the charge detection unit and the battery temperature detection unit, the drive control of the battery warming means is also performed. When charging of the battery is detected, the battery warming means is preferentially activated if the battery temperature is below the threshold temperature. The vehicle energy management system according to claim 1.

3. The control unit, When the drying means is driven preferentially, the battery warming means is not driven. When the aforementioned battery warming means is driven preferentially, the aforementioned drying means is not driven. The vehicle energy management system according to claim 2.

4. The control unit, Assuming that the battery warming means is driven preferentially while charging, a first predicted value for the cruising range after charging is calculated. Assuming that the drying means is driven preferentially while charging, a second predicted value for the cruising range after charging is calculated. Based on the relative magnitudes of the first predicted value and the second predicted value, the threshold temperature is set. The vehicle energy management system according to claim 2 or claim 3.

5. If the control unit determines that the second predicted value is greater than the first predicted value, it sets the temperature of the battery at the time the battery charging is detected to the threshold temperature. The vehicle energy management system according to claim 4.

6. A vehicle energy management method for performing vehicle energy management, The aforementioned vehicle is A window that separates the passenger compartment from the outside and has a water-absorbing anti-fog film laminated on the passenger compartment side, A battery capable of supplying electrical energy for the vehicle to run, A drying means for vaporizing the moisture in the anti-fog film and drying the anti-fog film, Equipped with, The aforementioned vehicle energy management method is: A charging detection step that detects when charging of the battery by supplying external power has started, A battery temperature detection step for detecting the temperature of the battery, Equipped with, If charging of the battery is detected in the charging detection step, the drying means is preferentially driven if the temperature of the battery is above a threshold temperature. Vehicle energy management method.

7. The vehicle further includes a battery warming means for warming up the battery during charging, If charging of the battery is detected in the charging detection step, and the battery temperature is below the threshold temperature, the battery warming means is preferentially driven. The vehicle energy management method according to claim 6.

8. The vehicle energy management method further comprises a threshold temperature setting step for setting the threshold temperature, The threshold temperature setting step is, A first prediction value calculation substep for calculating a first prediction value relating to the cruising range after charging, assuming that the battery warming means is driven preferentially while charging, A second prediction value calculation substep for calculating a second prediction value relating to the cruising range after charging, assuming that the drying means is driven preferentially while charging is performed, Includes, In the threshold temperature setting step, the threshold temperature is set based on the relative magnitudes of the first predicted value and the second predicted value. The vehicle energy management method according to claim 7.

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