HYBRID VEHICLE, CONTROL DEVICE FOR HYBRID VEHICLE, AND CONTROL METHOD FOR HYBRID VEHICLE

Abstract

To enable travel with cost suppressed.SOLUTION: A hybrid vehicle is capable of traveling on a combination of fuel with electric power and enabled to charge with external power. The vehicle includes: an engine for generating traveling power of the vehicle by combusting the fuel; a motor-generator for generating the traveling power of a vehicle 1 by electric power; and an ECU for controlling the engine and motor-generator. The ECU executes: searching for multiple routes to a destination (step S514); calculating a total cost of fuel and electric power predicted to be consumed by the engine and motor-generator for each of the found multiple routes (step S514); and guiding to a route with the lowest cost of the calculated costs (the guiding may be through notification to a user or by a navigation device) (step S515).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a hybrid vehicle, a control device for a hybrid vehicle, and a control method for a hybrid vehicle, and in particular to a hybrid vehicle that can run on a combination of fuel and electric power and can be externally charged, a control device for the hybrid vehicle, and a control method for the hybrid vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been a device that provides information on energy replenishment locations according to the remaining energy of a vehicle together with information on the replenishment locations (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-021522 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] A plug-in hybrid vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle)") can run both on power generated by an engine by burning fuel stored in a tank, and on power generated by a motor using electricity stored in a battery. When using the technology of Patent Document 1 with a PHEV, the user cannot select a route with low travel costs. As a result, it is not possible to drive at low cost.

[0005] This disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a hybrid vehicle capable of running at reduced cost, a control device for a hybrid vehicle, and a control method for a hybrid vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The hybrid vehicle according to this disclosure is a hybrid vehicle capable of running on a combination of fuel and electric power and capable of external charging, and includes an engine that generates power for running the hybrid vehicle by burning fuel, a motor that generates power for running the hybrid vehicle using electric power, and a control device that controls the engine and the motor. The control device searches for multiple routes to a destination, calculates the total cost of fuel and electricity expected to be consumed by the engine and the motor on each of the multiple routes found, and provides guidance for the route with the lowest cost among the calculated costs.

[0007] With this configuration, multiple routes to the destination are searched for, the total cost of fuel and electricity expected to be consumed by the engine and motor for each of the multiple routes searched for is calculated, and the route with the lowest cost among the calculated costs is guided to the user. As a result, a hybrid vehicle that can be driven at low cost can be provided.

[0008] The hybrid vehicle may further include a tank for storing fuel to be supplied to the engine, a supply port for supplying fuel to the tank, a battery for storing power to be supplied to the motor, and a power supply port for supplying power to the battery. When calculating the cost, the control device may use the unit price of the fuel supplied from the supply port to the tank and the unit price of the power supplied from the power supply port to the battery.

[0009] According to this configuration, the cost of running is calculated using the unit price of the fuel supplied from the supply port to the tank and the unit price of the electricity supplied from the power supply port to the battery, so that the cost of running can be calculated accurately.

[0010] When the remaining fuel in the tank or power in the battery is expected to reach a predetermined lower limit for each of the multiple searched routes, the control device searches for a fuel or power supply facility along the route, and if the search shows that there is no supply facility along the route, it excludes the route from the cost calculation, and if the search shows that there is a supply facility along the route, it may further use the unit price of the fuel or power to be supplied at the supply facility when calculating the cost.

[0011] According to this configuration, when the remaining amount of fuel or electricity is expected to reach a lower limit, the unit price of fuel or electricity to be replenished at a refueling facility along the route is further used to calculate the cost of traveling. As a result, even when fuel or electricity is refueled at a refueling facility, the cost of traveling can be accurately calculated.

[0012] According to another aspect of the disclosure, a control device for a hybrid vehicle is a control device for a hybrid vehicle capable of running on a combination of fuel and electric power and capable of external charging. The hybrid vehicle includes an engine that generates power for running the hybrid vehicle by burning fuel, and a motor that generates power for running the hybrid vehicle using electric power. The control device controls the engine and the motor, searches for multiple routes to a destination, calculates the total cost of fuel and power expected to be consumed by the engine and the motor for each of the multiple routes found, and provides guidance for a route with the lowest cost among the calculated costs.

[0013] With this configuration, it is possible to provide a control device for a hybrid vehicle that enables running at reduced costs.

[0014] According to yet another aspect of the disclosure, a method for controlling a hybrid vehicle is a method for controlling a hybrid vehicle capable of running on a combination of fuel and electric power and capable of external charging. The hybrid vehicle includes an engine that generates power for running the hybrid vehicle by burning fuel, a motor that generates power for running the hybrid vehicle using electric power, and a control device that controls the engine and the motor. The control method includes a step in which the control device searches for a plurality of routes to a destination, and the control device calculates the total cost of fuel and electricity expected to be consumed by the engine and the motor on each of the plurality of routes found, and a step in which the control device guides the user to a route with the lowest cost among the calculated costs.

[0015] According to this configuration, it is possible to provide a control method for a hybrid vehicle that enables running at reduced cost. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a hybrid vehicle capable of running at reduced cost, a control device for the hybrid vehicle, and a control method for the hybrid vehicle. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [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 on a low-cost route in this embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing examples of a plurality of routes from a current location to a destination in this embodiment. [Figure 6] 4 is a diagram showing an example of the remaining amount of power in a battery and the remaining amount of fuel in a fuel tank of the vehicle in this embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] 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.

[0019] 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.

[0020] 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.

[0021] 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.

[0022] 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.

[0023] 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.

[0024] 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.

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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.

[0028] The fuel filler port 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 port 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, or hydrogen. The fuel tank 142 is provided with a fuel level gauge 144. The fuel level gauge 144 measures the height of the fuel liquid level with a float, and outputs a signal indicating the remaining amount of fuel indicated by the height of the liquid level to the ECU 10.

[0029] 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.

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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.

[0033] 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.

[0034] The inlet 171 is configured so that a charging connector 7 of charging equipment 71 installed in a charging 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.

[0035] 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).

[0036] 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.

[0037] 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 charging facility via a charging connector 7. The ECU 10 may be configured by dividing it into multiple ECUs for each function.

[0038] In vehicle 1, which is the above-mentioned PHEV, it is conceivable that the user may be allowed to select a route with a low travel cost from among routes to a destination.

[0039] Therefore, in this embodiment, ECU 10 searches for multiple routes to the destination, calculates the total cost of fuel and electricity expected to be consumed by engine 143 and motor generators 151, 152 for each of the multiple routes found, and provides guidance on the route with the lowest cost among the calculated costs.

[0040] This allows multiple routes to the destination to be searched for, the total cost of fuel and electricity expected to be consumed by engine 143 and motor generators 151, 152 for each of the multiple routes found to be calculated, and the route with the lowest cost among the calculated costs is guided to the user. As a result, it is possible to travel at a reduced cost.

[0041] Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing a process flow for guiding a low-cost route 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.

[0042] In the vehicle-side processing, the processor 101 of the ECU 10 of the vehicle 1 determines whether or not a destination has been set by the user on the HMI 193 (step S511). If it is determined that a destination has been set (YES in step S511), the processor 101 transmits to the server 2 information capable of identifying the current location indicated by the signal from the GPS receiver 192 and information capable of identifying the destination set on the HMI 193 (step S512).

[0043] In the server-side processing, the processor 21 of the server 2 judges whether or not information capable of identifying the current location and the destination has been received from the vehicle 1 (step S311). If it is judged that the information on the current location and the destination has been received (YES in step S311), the processor 21 transmits to the vehicle 1 that transmitted the information on the current location and the destination the data of the representative value (average value in this embodiment) of the fuel / electricity driving ratio of each route between the current location and the destination of the vehicle 1 of the same model as the vehicle 1 that transmitted the information on the current location and the destination, the data of the fuel consumption and electricity consumption between the current location and the destination of the vehicle 1 of the same model, and the data of the unit price of fuel or electricity at the station (fueling facility 80 or charging facility 70) along each route between the current location and the destination specified by the received information, to the vehicle 1 that transmitted the information on the current location and the destination (step S312).

[0044] The fuel / electricity driving ratio on a route is the ratio of the route that is driven using fuel and the ratio of the route that is driven using electric power. The fuel / electricity driving ratio on a route varies for each route depending on influencing factors such as the average vehicle speed and gradient of the route. The PHEV vehicle 1 drives while switching between an HV driving mode and an EV driving mode. In the HV driving mode, the vehicle 1 drives while switching between the power from the engine 143 and the motor generators 151, 152, consuming both fuel and electric power. In the EV driving mode, the vehicle 1 drives without using the power from the engine 143 and only the power from the motor generators 151, 152, consuming no fuel and only electric power.

[0045] In addition, for routes for which the fuel / electricity driving ratio, electricity consumption, and fuel economy cannot be obtained from past driving data, they may be estimated from data on other similar routes, or may be estimated using information such as gradient, number of traffic lights, and distance.

[0046] In this embodiment, the station position information is not transmitted in step S312 because the station position information is pre-stored in the memory 102 of the ECU 10 of the vehicle 1. However, this is not limiting, and other information such as the station position information may be transmitted in step S312.

[0047] In the vehicle-side processing, the processor 101 of the vehicle 1 receives the data transmitted from the server 2 (step S513) and uses the received data to calculate the total driving costs of fuel and electricity for multiple routes to the destination (step S514).

[0048] Here, an example of calculation of the travel cost will be described. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a plurality of routes from a current location to a destination in this embodiment. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the remaining amount of power in the battery 11 of the vehicle 1 and the remaining amount of fuel in the fuel tank 142 in this embodiment.

[0049] With reference to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, it is assumed that the unit price of fuel (here, gasoline) at the refueling facilities 80A, 80B transmitted in step S312 is 140 yen / L, and the unit price of electricity at the charging facilities 70A, 70B is 20 yen / kWh. The unit prices at the refueling facilities 80A, 80B and the charging facilities 70A, 70B may be different. It is also assumed that the fuel efficiency at each of the routes R1 to R4 transmitted in step S312 is 20 km / L, and the electricity efficiency at each of the routes R1 to R4 is 10 km / kWh. It is also assumed that the electricity efficiency at each of the routes R1 to R4 may be different. It is also assumed that the fuel / electricity driving ratio at the routes R1, R2 transmitted in step S312 is 30% / 70%, and the fuel / electricity driving ratio at the routes R3, R4 transmitted in step S312 is 70% / 30%.

[0050] As shown in Fig. 6(A), the remaining amount of power in the battery 11 at the current location is 6 kWh, which is the sum of the remaining 2 kWh from the charge before last (× unit price 20 yen / kWh = equivalent to 20 yen) and the remaining 4 kWh from the previous charge (× unit price 30 yen / kWh = equivalent to 120 yen). Also, as shown in Fig. 6(B), the remaining amount of fuel in the fuel tank 142 at the current location is the remaining 3 L from the previous refueling (× unit price 150 yen / L = equivalent to 450 yen).

[0051] First, for route R1, the processor 101 calculates the distance of route R1 to be 90 km from the map data stored in the memory 102. The fuel / electricity driving ratio of route R1 is 30% / 70%. Therefore, the distance traveled on fuel is 90 km×30%=27 km. The distance traveled on electricity is 90 km×70%=63 km. Since the fuel efficiency is 20 km / L, 27 km / 20 km / L=1.35 L of fuel is required. Since the remaining amount of fuel is 3 L, the fuel is sufficient. Since the electricity efficiency is 10 km / kWh, 63 km / 10 km / kWh=6.3 kWh of power is required. Since the remaining amount of power is 6 kWh, the power is insufficient. However, there is no power charging facility on route R1. Therefore, the processor 101 excludes route R1 from the candidates for the route. In addition, when there is a shortage of electric power, it is possible to run using fuel regardless of the fuel / electricity running ratio, but in this embodiment, such a route is excluded from the route candidates. However, without being limited to this, when there is a shortage of electric power, it is also possible to calculate the running cost assuming that running is performed using fuel.

[0052] Next, for route R2, the processor 101 calculates the distance of route R2 to be 100 km from the map data stored in the memory 102. The fuel / electricity travel ratio of route R2 is 30% / 70%. Therefore, the distance traveled on fuel is 100 km×30%=30 km. The distance traveled on electricity is 100 km×70%=70 km. Since the fuel efficiency is 20 km / L, 30 km / 20 km / L=1.5 L of fuel is required. Since the remaining amount of fuel is 3 L, the fuel is sufficient. Since the electricity efficiency is 10 km / kWh, 70 km / 10 km / kWh=7 kWh of power is required. Since the remaining amount of power is 6 kWh, the power is insufficient. Therefore, charging is required halfway along route R2. There is a charging facility 70A halfway along route R2. Here, it is assumed that the charging facility 70A is within a distance that can be reached with the remaining power. If there is no charging facility 70 within the distance that can be reached with the remaining power, the route is excluded from the route candidates. It is assumed that the shortage of power (7 kWh-6 kWh=1 kWh) is charged at this charging facility 70A.

[0053] The fuel portion of the driving cost is the previous fuel charge: 1.5L x 150 yen / L = 225 yen. The electricity portion of the driving cost is the charge before last: 2kWh x 20 yen / kWh + the previous charge: 4kWh x 30 yen / kWh + the current charge: 1kWh x 20 yen / kWh = 180 yen. Therefore, the processor 101 calculates the total driving cost for route R2 as 225 yen + 180 yen = 405 yen.

[0054] Next, for route R3, the processor 101 calculates the distance of route R3 to be 100 km from the map data stored in the memory 102. The fuel / electricity travel ratio of route R3 is 70% / 30%. Therefore, the distance traveled on fuel is 100 km×70%=70 km. The distance traveled on electricity is 100 km×30%=30 km. Since the fuel efficiency is 20 km / L, 70 km / 20 km / L=3.5 L of fuel is required. Since the remaining amount of fuel is 3 L, the fuel is insufficient. Since the electricity efficiency is 10 km / kWh, 30 km / 10 km / kWh=3 kWh of power is required. Since the remaining amount of power is 6 kWh, the power is sufficient. Therefore, it is necessary to refuel on the way to route R3. There is a fueling facility 80A on the way to route R3. Here, it is assumed that the fueling facility 80A is within a distance that can be reached with the remaining fuel. If there is no refueling facility 80 within the distance that can be reached with the remaining fuel, the route is excluded from the route candidates. It is assumed that the shortage of fuel (3.5L-3L=0.5L) is replenished at this refueling facility 80A.

[0055] The fuel portion of the driving cost is the amount of fuel filled up last time: 3L x 150 yen / L + the amount filled up this time: 0.5L x 140 yen / L = 520 yen. The electricity portion of the driving cost is the amount charged two times before last: 2kWh x 20 yen / kWh + the amount charged up last time: 1kWh x 30 yen / kWh = 70 yen. Note that electricity is used in the order of what was charged first, a so-called first-in, first-out method. Therefore, processor 101 calculates the total driving cost for route R3 as 520 yen + 70 yen = 590 yen.

[0056] Next, for route R4, the processor 101 calculates the distance of route R4 to be 120 km from the map data stored in the memory 102. The fuel / electricity driving ratio of route R4 is 70% / 30%. Therefore, the distance traveled on fuel is 120 km×70%=84 km. The distance traveled on electricity is 120 km×30%=36 km. Since the fuel efficiency is 20 km / L, 84 km / 20 km / L=4.2 L of fuel is required. Since the remaining amount of fuel is 3 L, the fuel is insufficient. Since the electricity efficiency is 10 km / kWh, 36 km / 10 km / kWh=3.6 kWh of power is required. Since the remaining amount of power is 6 kWh, the power is sufficient. Therefore, it is necessary to refuel on the way to route R4. There is a refueling facility 80B on the way to route R4. Here, it is assumed that the refueling facility 80B is within a distance that can be reached with the remaining fuel. If there is no refueling facility 80 within the distance that can be reached with the remaining fuel, the route is excluded from the route candidates. It is assumed that the shortage of fuel (4.2L-3L=1.2L) is replenished at this refueling facility 80B.

[0057] The fuel portion of the driving cost is: previous fuel fill: 3L x 150 yen / L + current fuel fill: 1.2L x 140 yen / L = 618 yen. The electricity portion of the driving cost is: charge before last: 2kWh x 20 yen / kWh + previous charge: 1.6kWh x 30 yen / kWh = 96 yen. Note that fuel is used in the order of the first fuel fill, that is, on a first-in, first-out basis. Therefore, processor 101 calculates the total driving cost for route R4 as 618 yen + 96 yen = 714 yen.

[0058] Returning to FIG. 4, in the vehicle-side processing, the processor 101 of the ECU 10 of the vehicle 1 presents combinations of routes and travel costs on the navigation screen displayed on the touch panel display of the HMI 193 in order of cheapest travel cost calculated in step S514 (step S515). Specifically, the routes are displayed in order of cheapest travel cost as follows: route R2: 405 yen, route R3: 590 yen, route R4: 714 yen. At the same time, routes R2, R3, and R4 are displayed on the map on the navigation screen. Additionally, the time required to travel to the destination for each route and the time required for refueling / charging may be presented on the navigation screen.

[0059] Next, the processor 101 determines whether or not any route has been selected on the touch panel display of the HMI 193 (step S516). If it is determined that any route has been selected (YES in step S516), the processor 101 starts navigation guidance for the selected route (step S517).

[0060] The processor 101 determines whether the vehicle 1 has arrived at the destination using the position information from the GPS receiver 192 (step S518). If it is determined that the vehicle 1 has arrived at the destination (YES in step S518), the processor 101 transmits data on the electric power consumption, fuel consumption, and fuel / electricity driving ratio of the model of the vehicle 1 along the selected route to the server 2 (step S519).

[0061] In the server-side processing, the processor 21 of the server 2 determines whether or not data of the route traveled has been received from the vehicle 1 (step S313). If it is determined that the route data has been received (YES in step S313), the processor 21 stores the data of the electricity consumption, fuel consumption, and fuel / electricity driving ratio included in the received data in the respective databases in association with the route and the model of the vehicle 1 (step S314).

[0062] [Variations] (1) In the embodiment described above, vehicle 1 is charged from charging equipment 71 of charging facility 70 via inlet 171 of vehicle 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and vehicle 1 may be provided with a power receiving device and charged from a power transmitting device by contactless charging. In this case, the power transmitting device is not limited to being provided at charging facility 70, and multiple power transmitting devices may be provided under the road surface of the route over a predetermined distance.

[0063] (2) In the above-described embodiment, a route is searched for first, as shown in step S514 in Fig. 4, and in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and charging facilities 70, refueling facilities 80, and driving lanes with power transmission devices buried under the road surface that are likely to be reached between the current location and the destination may be estimated and searched for, and if charging or refueling is expected to be required, the travel cost may be calculated for a route that passes through these charging facilities 70, refueling facilities 80, and driving lanes with power transmission devices buried under the road surface.

[0064] (3) In the embodiment described above, the case where there are multiple charging facilities 70 or multiple refueling facilities 80 on the route as shown in Fig. 5 has not been considered. However, this is not limited thereto, and when there are multiple charging facilities 70 and multiple refueling facilities 80 on the route, the average value of the unit price of electricity at these multiple charging facilities 70 and the average value of the unit price of fuel at these multiple refueling facilities 80 may be used in calculating the travel cost.

[0065] Also, charging may be performed at any one of a plurality of charging facilities 70, and the travel cost may be calculated as a separate route for each charging facility 70. In this case, the unit price of electricity at the charging facility 70 used for charging is used. Similarly, refueling may be performed at any one of a plurality of refueling facilities 80, and the travel cost may be calculated as a separate route for each refueling facility 80. In this case, the unit price of fuel at the refueling facility 80 used for refueling is used.

[0066] (4) In the embodiment described above, traffic congestion and road surface conditions were not taken into consideration, as shown in step S514 of Fig. 4. However, this is not limited thereto, and fuel economy, electricity economy, and fuel / electricity driving ratio may be changed according to route conditions, such as when traffic congestion is greater than usual and when road surface conditions are worse.

[0067] (5) The above-described embodiments can be understood as disclosing a hybrid vehicle such as vehicle 1, a route presentation system such as information processing system 1000 including vehicle 1 and server 2, a control device, a control method, or a control program for a hybrid vehicle, or a route presentation method in a route presentation system.

[0068] [summary] 1 and 3, vehicle 1 is a hybrid vehicle capable of running on a combination of fuel and electric power and capable of external charging, and includes engine 143 that generates power for running vehicle 1 by burning fuel, motor generators 151, 152 that generate power for running vehicle 1 by electric power, and ECU 10 that controls engine 143 and motor generators 151, 152. As shown in FIG. 4, ECU 10 searches for multiple routes to the destination (e.g., step S514), calculates the total cost of fuel and electricity expected to be consumed by engine 143 and motor generators 151, 152 on each of the multiple routes found (e.g., step S514), and provides guidance for a route with the lowest cost among the calculated costs (e.g., the user may be notified or the route may be provided by a navigation system) (step S515).

[0069] This allows multiple routes to the destination to be searched for, the total cost of fuel and electricity expected to be consumed by engine 143 and motor generators 151, 152 for each of the multiple routes found to be calculated, and the route with the lowest cost among the calculated costs is guided to the user. As a result, it is possible to travel at a reduced cost.

[0070] (2) As shown in Fig. 3, vehicle 1 further includes fuel tank 142 that stores fuel to be supplied to engine 143, fuel filler 141 for supplying fuel to fuel tank 142, battery 11 that stores electric power to be supplied to motor generators 151, 152, and inlet 171 for supplying electric power to battery 11. As shown in Fig. 4 to Fig. 6, when calculating the cost, ECU 10 uses the unit price of the fuel supplied from fuel filler 141 to fuel tank 142 and the unit price of the electric power supplied from inlet 171 to battery 11 (for example, step S514).

[0071] In this way, the cost for traveling is calculated using the unit price of the fuel supplied from the fuel filler 141 to the fuel tank 142 and the unit price of the electricity supplied from the inlet 171 to the battery 11. As a result, the cost for traveling can be calculated accurately.

[0072] (3) As shown in Figures 4 to 6, when the remaining fuel in the fuel tank 142 or the remaining power in the battery 11 is expected to reach a predetermined lower limit (for example, it may be completely zero, or the meter panel may show that the remaining amount is zero but a predetermined amount of fuel or power remains) on each of the multiple routes found in the search, the ECU 10 searches for a fuel or power replenishment facility along the route, and if the search shows that there is no replenishment facility along the route, the route is excluded from the cost calculation, and if the search shows that there is a replenishment facility along the route, the cost is calculated by further using the unit price of the fuel or power to be replenished at the replenishment facility (for example, step S514).

[0073] In this way, when the remaining amount of fuel or electricity is expected to reach a lower limit, the unit price of fuel or electricity to be replenished at a refueling facility along the route is further used to calculate the cost of traveling. As a result, even when refueling with fuel or electricity at a refueling facility, the cost of traveling can be accurately calculated.

[0074] 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]

[0075] 1,1A,1B,1C vehicle, 2 server, 7 charging connector, 8 fuel 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 charging facility, 71 charging equipment, 80,80A,80B fuel facility, 81 fuel equipment, 110 monitoring unit, 131 converter, 132,133 inverter, 141 fuel inlet, 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 that can run on a combination of fuel and electric power and can be charged externally, an engine that generates power for driving the hybrid vehicle by burning fuel; a motor that generates power for driving the hybrid vehicle using electric power; A control device for controlling the engine and the motor; A tank for storing fuel to be supplied to the engine; a supply port for supplying fuel to the tank; a battery for storing power to be supplied to the motor; a power supply port for supplying power to the battery, The control device includes: Search multiple routes to your destination, When the remaining amount of fuel in the tank or the remaining amount of power in the battery is expected to reach a predetermined lower limit on each of the searched routes, a search is made for a fuel or power supply facility along the route; Calculating the total cost of fuel and electricity expected to be consumed by the engine and the motor for each of the searched routes; When calculating the cost, a unit price of the fuel supplied from the supply port to the tank and a unit price of the electricity supplied from the power supply port to the battery are used for calculation, If the search result shows that the supply facility is not located along the route, the route is excluded from the cost calculation. If the search result indicates that the supply facility is located on the route, the cost is calculated by further using the unit price of fuel or electricity supplied at the supply facility; A hybrid vehicle that guides users to the route with the lowest calculated cost.

2. A control device for a hybrid vehicle capable of running on a combination of fuel and electric power and capable of external charging, comprising: The hybrid vehicle includes: an engine that generates power for driving the hybrid vehicle by burning fuel; a motor that generates power for driving the hybrid vehicle using electric power; A tank for storing fuel to be supplied to the engine; a supply port for supplying fuel to the tank; a battery for storing power to be supplied to the motor; a power supply port for supplying power to the battery, The control device includes: Controlling the engine and the motor; Search multiple routes to your destination, When the remaining amount of fuel in the tank or the remaining amount of power in the battery is expected to reach a predetermined lower limit on each of the searched routes, a search is made for a fuel or power supply facility along the route; Calculating the total cost of fuel and electricity expected to be consumed by the engine and the motor for each of the searched routes; When calculating the cost, a unit price of the fuel supplied from the supply port to the tank and a unit price of the electricity supplied from the power supply port to the battery are used for the calculation, If the search result shows that the supply facility is not located along the route, the route is excluded from the cost calculation. If the search result indicates that the supply facility is located on the route, the cost is calculated by further using the unit price of fuel or electricity supplied at the supply facility; A control device for a hybrid vehicle that guides users to the route with the lowest calculated costs.

3. A method for controlling a hybrid vehicle capable of running on a combination of fuel and electric power and capable of being charged externally, comprising: The hybrid vehicle includes: an engine that generates power for driving the hybrid vehicle by burning fuel; a motor that generates power for driving the hybrid vehicle using electric power; A control device for controlling the engine and the motor; A tank for storing fuel to be supplied to the engine; a supply port for supplying fuel to the tank; a battery for storing power to be supplied to the motor; a power supply port for supplying power to the battery, The control method includes the control device: searching for multiple routes to a destination; a step of searching for a fuel or power supply facility along each of the searched routes when the remaining amount of fuel in the tank or the remaining amount of power in the battery is expected to reach a predetermined lower limit; calculating a total cost of fuel and electricity expected to be consumed by the engine and the motor along each of the searched routes; a step of calculating the cost using a unit price of the fuel supplied from the supply port to the tank and a unit price of the electricity supplied from the power supply port to the battery; If the search result shows that the supply facility is not located on the route, the route is excluded from the cost calculation. If the search result indicates that the supply facility is located on the route, a cost calculation step further includes a unit price of fuel or electricity supplied at the supply facility; and providing guidance on a route with the lowest cost among the calculated costs.

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