Hybrid Vehicles

Abstract

To improve user friendliness.SOLUTION: A vehicle comprises a fuel tank, a battery capable of external charging, an HMI (touch panel display) informing a driver of predetermined information, and an ECU controlling the HMI. The ECU controls the HMI in a manner that informs the driver of an existence of a charging facility to charge the battery and a fuel facility to fill fuel (for example gasoline, diesel, LPG, hydrogen or ammonia) in the fuel tank which are located in a close range with a distance therebetween equal to or less than a predetermined distance (for example in an identical premises, in two premises next to each other, or two premises opposite to each other with a road or another premises in between) prior to the existence of the charging facility and the fuel facility which are not located in the close range (Step S115).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a hybrid vehicle, and to a hybrid vehicle capable of notifying a driver of predetermined information. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in a plug-in hybrid vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle)"), there has been technology that prioritizes the display of either refueling facilities or power supply facilities over the other depending on the amount of fuel consumed and the amount of battery consumed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-211315 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When both refueling and power supply are required, the user must go to both a facility equipped with refueling equipment and a facility equipped with power supply equipment, which requires the user to travel between the two facilities in a time-consuming manner, resulting in inconvenience to the user.

[0005] This disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a hybrid vehicle that can improve user convenience. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The hybrid vehicle according to this disclosure includes a fuel tank, an externally chargeable power storage device, and The vehicle includes a notification unit that notifies a driver of predetermined information, and a control device that controls the notification unit. The control device controls the notification unit to prioritize notification of power supply equipment and refueling equipment that are within a predetermined proximity range of each other, where the power supply equipment charges the power storage device and the refueling equipment supplies fuel to the fuel tank, compared to power supply equipment and refueling equipment that are not within a predetermined proximity range of each other.

[0007] According to this configuration, the power supply equipment and the refueling equipment that are in close proximity to each other are notified to the driver in priority over the power supply equipment and the refueling equipment that are not in close proximity to each other, thereby providing a hybrid vehicle that can improve user convenience. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to this disclosure, a hybrid vehicle capable of improving user convenience can be provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a typical hardware configuration of a server. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a typical hardware configuration of a vehicle. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing a process for providing guidance to a resupply facility in this embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a first example of a plurality of recharging stations in the vicinity of a current location in this embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a second example of a plurality of recharging stations in the vicinity of the current location in this embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a guide screen for a resupply facility in this embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference characters, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information processing system according to the present embodiment. Referring to Fig. 1, an information processing system 1000 includes a plurality of vehicles 1A, 1B, and 1C, and a server 2. Although three vehicles 1A, 1B, and 1C are shown in Fig. 1, the number of vehicles is not limited to this. For convenience of explanation, any one of the plurality of vehicles 1A, 1B, and 1C will be referred to as "vehicle 1" below.

[0012] The server 2 is connected to each vehicle 1 via the network 9 so as to be able to communicate with each other. The server 2 is a server owned by a business entity (e.g., a manufacturer of the vehicle 1) that provides various information to the vehicle 1. The server 2 may be a shared server shared by multiple businesses including the business entity. The server 2 may be a cloud server provided by a cloud server management company.

[0013] Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a typical hardware configuration of the server 2. Referring to Fig. 2, the server 2 includes a processor 21, a memory 22, an input device 23, a display 24, and a communication interface (IF) 25. The memory 22 includes a read only memory (ROM) 221, a random access memory (RAM) 222, and a hard disk drive (HDD) 223.

[0014] The processor 21 is communicatively connected to the ROM 221, the RAM 222, the HDD 223, the input device 23, the display 24, and the communication IF 25 via a bus or the like. The processor 21 controls the overall operation of the server 2. The memory 22 stores an operating system and application programs executed by the processor 21. The input device 23 accepts user input. The input device 23 is typically a keyboard and a mouse. The display 24 displays various types of information. The communication IF 25 is an interface for communicating with each vehicle 1.

[0015] Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing a typical hardware configuration of vehicle 1. Vehicle 1 is a PHEV. Referring to Fig. 3, vehicle 1 includes battery 11, system main relay (SMR) 12, PCU (Power Control Unit) 13, fuel filler 141, fuel tank 142, engine 143, motor generators 151 and 152, power split mechanism 153, drive wheels 154, power converter 16, inlet 171, relay 172, communication module 191, GPS (Global Pointing System) receiver 192, HMI (Human Machine Interface) 193, and ECU 10.

[0016] The battery 11 supplies electric power to the motor generators 151, 152 to generate driving force for the vehicle 1. The battery 11 also stores charging power supplied from an external source, and stores regenerative electric power generated by the motor generators 151, 152. The battery 11 is an assembled battery including a plurality of cells (not shown). Each cell is a secondary battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery, a nickel-metal hydride secondary battery, or the like.

[0017] The battery 11 is provided with a monitoring unit 110. Although not shown, the monitoring unit 110 includes a voltage sensor, a current sensor, and a temperature sensor. The voltage sensor detects the voltage of the battery 11. The current sensor detects the current input to and output from the battery 11. The temperature sensor detects the temperature of the battery 11. Each sensor outputs its detection result to the ECU 10.

[0018] The SMR 12 is electrically connected between the battery 11 and the PCU 13. The SMR 12 is closed / opened in response to a control command from the ECU 10.

[0019] The PCU 13 is electrically connected between the SMR 12 and the motor generators 151, 152. The PCU 13 includes a converter 131 and inverters 132, 133. The PCU 13 performs bidirectional power conversion between the battery 11 and the motor generators 151, 152 when the SMR 12 is closed.

[0020] The fuel filler 141 is configured so that a fuel filler nozzle 8 of a fuel supply device 81 installed in a fuel supply facility 80 is inserted at the time of fuel fill. The fuel tank 142 is connected to the fuel filler 141 via a fuel pipe. The fuel tank 142 stores fuel (gasoline in this embodiment). However, the fuel is not limited to gasoline, and may be diesel, alcohol such as bioethanol, LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) mainly composed of methane, hydrogen, or ammonia. The fuel tank 142 is provided with a fuel level gauge 144. The fuel level gauge 144 measures the level of the fuel using a float, and outputs a signal indicating the remaining amount of fuel indicated by the level of the fuel to the ECU 10.

[0021] The engine 143 is an internal combustion engine (a gasoline engine in this embodiment). The engine 143 is not limited to a gasoline engine, and may be an internal combustion engine that uses other fuels such as diesel, alcohol, LNG, or hydrogen. The engine 143 generates driving force for running the vehicle 1 in accordance with a control command from the ECU 10.

[0022] The motor generator 151 is connected to the crankshaft of the engine 143 via a power split mechanism 153. When starting the engine 143, the motor generator 151 rotates the crankshaft of the engine 143 using the power of the battery 11. The motor generator 151 can also generate power using the power of the engine 143. The AC power generated by the motor generator 151 is converted to DC power by the PCU 13 and charged into the battery 11. The AC power generated by the motor generator 151 may also be supplied to the motor generator 152.

[0023] The motor generator 152 rotates the drive shaft using at least one of the power from the battery 11 and the power generated by the motor generator 151. The motor generator 152 can also generate power by regenerative braking. The AC power generated by the motor generator 152 is converted to DC power by the PCU 13 and charged into the battery 11.

[0024] The power split mechanism 153 is, for example, a planetary gear mechanism that mechanically connects three elements, namely, the crankshaft of the engine 143, the rotating shaft of the motor generator 151, and the drive shaft, and transmits power between them.

[0025] The power converter 16 is connected between the SMR 12 and the relay 172. The power converter 16 includes, for example, an AC / DC converter. In accordance with a control command from the ECU 10, the power converter 16 converts AC power supplied from the outside via an inlet 171 into DC power for charging the battery 11.

[0026] The inlet 171 is configured so that a charging connector 7 of a power supply device 71 installed in a power supply facility 70 is electrically connected to the inlet 171 during plug-in charging. The relay 172 is electrically connected between the inlet 171 and the power converter 16. The relay 172 is closed / opened in response to a control command from the ECU 10. When the relay 172 is closed and the SMR 12 is closed, power transmission between the inlet 171 and the battery 11 is enabled.

[0027] DCM (Digital Communication Module) 191 is a communication module configured to enable two-way communication with server 2. GPS receiver 192 identifies the current position of vehicle 1 based on radio waves transmitted from an artificial satellite (not shown).

[0028] The HMI 193 includes, for example, a touch panel display and a speaker, and notifies the user of information regarding the vehicle 1 input from the ECU 10 via the display and speaker, accepts input operations from the user via the touch panel, and outputs information indicating the accepted input operations to the ECU 10.

[0029] Like the server 2, the ECU 10 includes a processor 101, a memory 102, and an input / output port (not shown). The ECU 10 controls devices so that the vehicle 1 is in a desired state in response to signals from each sensor, the HMI 193, etc. Major controls executed by the ECU 10 include control related to the running of the vehicle 1, as well as plug-in charging for charging the on-board battery 11 with power transmitted from an external power supply facility via a charging connector 7. The ECU 10 may be configured by dividing it into multiple ECUs for each function.

[0030] When the vehicle 1, which is the above-mentioned PHEV, needs to both refuel and power, it must go to both a facility equipped with refueling equipment and a facility equipped with power supply equipment. This requires the user to travel between the two facilities, which is inconvenient for the user.

[0031] Therefore, the ECU 10 controls the HMI 193 to report the power supply equipment 71 and the refueling equipment 81 that charge the battery 11 and the fuel supply equipment 81 that supply fuel to the fuel tank 142, respectively, in a vicinity of each other within a predetermined distance, in priority to the power supply equipment 71 and the refueling equipment 81 that are not in a vicinity of each other.

[0032] As a result, the power supply equipment 71 and the refueling equipment 81 that are present within a mutually adjacent range are given priority over the power supply equipment 71 and the refueling equipment 81 that are not present within a mutually adjacent range and are notified to the driver. As a result, the user's convenience can be improved.

[0033] Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing a process flow for providing information on a refueling facility in this embodiment. Referring to Fig. 4, the vehicle-side process is called from the upper-level process at predetermined intervals and executed by the processor 101 of the ECU 10 of the vehicle 1. The server-side process is called from the upper-level process at predetermined intervals and executed by the processor 21 of the server 2.

[0034] In the vehicle-side processing, the processor 101 of the ECU 10 of the vehicle 1 determines whether or not a search for a refilling facility (power supply facility 70, refueling facility 80) has been instructed by the user via the HMI 193 (step S111). If it is determined that a search for a refilling facility has been instructed (YES in step S111), the processor 101 transmits information capable of identifying the current location indicated by a signal from the GPS receiver 192 to the server 2 (step S112).

[0035] In the server-side process, the processor 21 of the server 2 judges whether or not information capable of identifying the current location has been received from the vehicle 1 (step S211). When it is judged that information capable of identifying the current location has been received (YES in step S211), the processor 21 transmits data of the refueling facilities (e.g., data including the distinction between the power supply facility 70 / refueling facility 80, the location of the refueling facility, and the unit price of electricity / fuel) within a predetermined range (e.g., a 5 km radius range) from the current location indicated by the information capable of identifying the current location to the vehicle 1 that transmitted the information capable of identifying the current location (step S212). The predetermined range is not limited to a 5 km radius range, and may be another range, for example, a 10 km radius range, or the route to the refueling facility may be within a predetermined distance (e.g., 5 km, 10 km), or may be within a predetermined length (e.g., 5 km, 10 km) square range centered on the current location, or may be within a predetermined time (e.g., 5 minutes, 10 minutes).

[0036] In this embodiment, since information on the location of the refueling facility is not pre-stored in the memory 102 of the ECU 10 of the vehicle 1, data including the information on the location of the refueling facility is transmitted in step S212. However, this is not limited thereto, and information on the location of the refueling facility may be pre-stored in the memory 102 of the ECU 10 of the vehicle 1, and data including the information on the location of the refueling facility may not be transmitted in step S212.

[0037] In vehicle-side processing, the processor 101 of the vehicle 1 receives data transmitted from the server 2 (step S113) and uses the received data to determine whether or not there is a supply facility 90 equipped with both a refueling facility 81 and a power supply facility 71 (step S114).

[0038] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a first example of a plurality of supply facilities around the current location in this embodiment. Referring to FIG. 5, here, within a predetermined range of the current location, it is assumed that there are a power supply facility 70A named Facility A, a fuel supply facility 80A named Facility B, a supply facility 90A named Facility C, and a supply facility 90B named Facility D. The power supply facility 70A, the fuel supply facility 80A, the supply facility 90A, and the supply facility 90B are each assumed to be at distances D1, D2, D3, D4 (D1 < D2 < D3 < D4) from the current location.

[0039] In the case of FIG. 5, in step S114, it is determined that there are a supply facility 90A (Facility C) and a supply facility 90B (Facility D) as the supply facility 90 having both the fuel supply facility 81 and the power supply facility 71.

[0040] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a second example of a plurality of supply facilities around the current location in this embodiment. Referring to FIG. 6, here, within a predetermined range of the current location, it is assumed that there are a power supply facility 70A named Facility A, a fuel supply facility 80A named Facility B, a power supply facility 70B named Facility C, and a fuel supply facility 80B named Facility D. The power supply facility 70A, the fuel supply facility 80A, the power supply facility 70B, and the fuel supply facility 80B are each assumed to be at distances D1, D2, D3, D4 (D1 < D2 < D3 < D4) from the current location.

[0041] In the case of FIG. 6, in step S114, it is determined that there is no supply facility 90 having both the fuel supply facility 81 and the power supply facility 71.

[0042] Returning to FIG. 4, when it is determined that there is a supply facility 90 having both the fuel supply facility 81 and the power supply facility 71 (YES in step S114) (for example, in the case of FIG. 5), the processor 101 of the vehicle 1 causes the touch panel display of the HMI 193 to display the supply facility 90 having both with priority (step S115).

[0043] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a guide screen for a supply facility in this embodiment. Referring to Fig. 7(A), the touch panel display of the HMI 193 displays the names of supply facilities 90 equipped with both the refueling facility 81 and the power supply facility 71 in order of proximity, as "(1) Facility C", "(2) Facility D". The power supply facility 70 and the refueling facility 80 equipped with either the refueling facility 81 or the power supply facility 71 are not displayed, but are displayed by touching the display of "(3) Display other facilities". In this way, the supply facility 90A (facility C) and the supply facility 90B (facility D) equipped with both the refueling facility 81 and the power supply facility 71 are displayed preferentially.

[0044] Returning to Figure 4, if it is determined that there is no supply facility 90 that has both refueling equipment 81 and power supply equipment 71 (NO in step S114) (for example, in the case of Figure 6), the processor 101 of the vehicle 1 does not prioritize supply facilities 90 that have both, and displays all supply facilities within a specified range on the touch panel display of the HMI 193 in order of the facility closest to the current location (step S116).

[0045] 7(B), the touch panel display of the HMI 193 displays the names of all supply facilities within a predetermined range in the order of proximity, as follows: "(1) Facility A (power supply)," "(2) Facility B (refueling)," "(3) Facility C (power supply)," and "(4) Facility D (refueling)." In this way, supply facility 90A (facility C) and supply facility 90B (facility D), which are equipped with both refueling equipment 81 and power supply equipment 71, are not displayed with priority.

[0046] Returning to FIG. 4, the processor 101 of the vehicle 1 determines whether any of the resupply facilities has been selected by detecting a user's contact with the touch panel display of the HMI 193, which is displaying a list of resupply facilities such as those in FIG. 5 or FIG. 6 (step S117).

[0047] If it is determined that any one of the supply facilities has been selected (YES in step S117), the processor 101 starts displaying, on the touch panel display of the HMI 193, guidance in the navigation system for guiding the user to the selected supply facility.

[0048] [Variations] (1) In the embodiment described above, as shown in FIG. 3, vehicle 1 is charged from power supply equipment 71 via inlet 171 of vehicle 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a power receiving device may be provided in vehicle 1, and charging may be performed by contactless charging from a power transmitting device via the power receiving device. In this case, the power transmitting device is provided in the ground within the same premises as refueling equipment 81. The power transmitting device may be provided in the ground at a position where vehicle 1 is parked when refueling at refueling equipment 81, so that power can be supplied at the same time as refueling.

[0049] (2) In the above-described embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4 to Fig. 6, the supply facility 90 including the fuel supply facility 81 and the power supply facility 71 in the same site is specified as the supply facility including both the fuel supply facility 81 and the power supply facility 71. However, this is not limited to the case, and as long as the fuel supply facility 81 and the power supply facility 71 are present within a proximity range of a predetermined distance (for example, 50 m, 100 m), the case is not limited to the case where both are present in the same site, and for example, both may be present in two adjacent sites, or both may be present in two sites that are not adjacent to each other by a road or another site. In addition, the case is not limited to the proximity range within a predetermined distance, and the distance from one of the fuel supply facility 81 and the power supply facility 71 to the other via a road may be within a predetermined distance (for example, 50 m, 100 m), or the other may be included within a range of a predetermined square length (for example, 50 m square, 100 m square) of one of the fuel supply facility 81 and the power supply facility 71.

[0050] (3) In the above-described embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7(A), supply facilities 90 equipped with both power supply equipment 71 and refueling equipment 81 are displayed, and facilities that do not have both are not displayed, so that the former are given priority over the latter. However, this is not limited to this, and for example, the former may be displayed in a more conspicuous color or larger in the list compared to the latter. Furthermore, supply facilities 90 may be displayed on a map of the navigation system, and the former may be displayed in a more conspicuous color or larger in comparison to the latter, or only supply facilities 90 equipped with both within a nearby range may be displayed.

[0051] (4) In the above-described embodiment, vehicle 1 is a PHEV. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and vehicle 1 may be a Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEB) that has a power supply port such as inlet 171 and allows external power supply, or a series-type HEV that uses the engine power only for power generation, runs using the power of the motor generator using the power stored in a battery, and has a power supply port and allows external power supply, unlike an HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle) that runs using the power of both engine 143 and motor generators 151, 152 as in this embodiment, and is equipped with a power supply port and allows external power supply.

[0052] (5) In the above-described embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 7, a supply facility 90 including both a power supply facility 71 and a fuel supply facility 81 is notified by displaying it on the touch panel display of the HMI 193. However, this is not limited thereto, and the supply facility 90 may be notified by voice.

[0053] (6) The above-described embodiments can be understood as disclosing a hybrid vehicle such as vehicle 1, as disclosing a resupply facility guidance system such as information processing system 1000 including vehicle 1 and server 2, as disclosing a control device, control method, or control program for a hybrid vehicle, or as disclosing a resupply facility guidance method in the resupply facility guidance system.

[0054] [summary] 3, the vehicle 1 includes a fuel tank 142, an externally chargeable battery 11, an HMI 193 (for example, a touch panel display) that notifies the driver of predetermined information, and an ECU 10 that controls the HMI 193. As shown in Fig. 4 to Fig. 7, the ECU 10 controls the HMI 193 to notify the power supply equipment 71 and the fuel supply equipment 81 that are present within a predetermined proximity range (for example, they may be located within the same site, or may be two adjacent sites, or may be two sites that are not adjacent to each other with a road or another site in between) in priority to the power supply equipment 71 and the fuel supply equipment 81 that are not located within a mutually adjacent range (for example, step S115).

[0055] As a result, the power supply equipment 71 and the refueling equipment 81 that are present within a mutually adjacent range are given priority over the power supply equipment 71 and the refueling equipment 81 that are not present within a mutually adjacent range and are notified to the driver. As a result, the user's convenience can be improved.

[0056] The above-described embodiments may be implemented in whole or in part in appropriate combination. The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered as limiting. The scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the claims, not the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 1,1A,1B,1C vehicle, 2 server, 7 charging connector, 8 refueling nozzle, 9 network, 10 ECU, 11 battery, 12 SMR, 13 PCU, 16 power converter, 21,101 processor, 22,102 memory, 23 input device, 24 display, 70,70A,70B power supply facility, 71 power supply equipment, 80,80A,80B refueling facility, 81 refueling equipment, 90,90A,90B refueling facility, 110 monitoring unit, 131 converter, 132,133 inverter, 141 refueling port, 142 fuel tank, 143 engine, 144 fuel gauge, 151,152 motor generator, 153 power split mechanism, 154 drive wheel, 171 inlet, 172 relay, 191 communication module, 192 GPS receiver, 193 HMI, 221 ROM, 222 RAM, 1000 Information processing system.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle capable of running on fuel and electricity, A fuel tank; An externally chargeable power storage device; A notification unit that notifies a driver of predetermined information; A control device for controlling the notification unit, The control device includes: A hybrid vehicle, in which the notification unit is controlled to notify of a power supply equipment that charges the power storage device and a refueling equipment that supplies fuel to the fuel tank, the power supply equipment and the refueling equipment being present within a proximity range of each other within a predetermined distance, in comparison with a power supply equipment and a refueling equipment that are not present within the proximity range of each other.

2. The hybrid vehicle described in claim 1, wherein the control device reports the power supply equipment and the replenishment equipment when they are within the proximity range of each other, while not reporting the power supply equipment and the replenishment equipment when they are not within the proximity range of each other, thereby giving priority to reporting the power supply equipment and the replenishment equipment when they are within the proximity range of each other compared to the power supply equipment and the replenishment equipment when they are not within the proximity range of each other.

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