Guidance system, guidance method, and guidance program

Abstract

In this invention, a travel route acquisition unit acquires a travel route for an electric vehicle. A weather information acquisition unit acquires information about the weather on the travel route. A route guidance information generation unit generates route guidance information on the basis of the acquired travel route and weather information. If there is a low-temperature area on the travel route, the travel route acquisition unit additionally acquires a separate travel route, and the route guidance information generation unit generates route guidance information recommending the travel route with the smaller low-temperature area.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a guidance system, a guidance method, and a guidance program for providing guidance on a driving route for an electric vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHVs) have become increasingly popular. These electric vehicles are equipped with secondary batteries as key devices. Secondary batteries have the tendency to lose capacity at low temperatures. In particular, lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries experience a significant capacity loss at low temperatures. For example, there have been reported cases where the capacity has decreased to approximately 60-70% at 0°C and 40-55% at -10°C. Charging speed also decreases at low temperatures.

[0003] Patent Document 1, which is related to the present disclosure, proposes using weather information along a driving route to predict cruising distance. It also proposes a method of notifying a user of the predicted cruising distance. As a specific example, it describes recommending charging en route when bad weather is predicted.

[0004] Patent Document 2, which is related to the present disclosure, proposes a navigation device that estimates the power consumption of auxiliary equipment such as air conditioners using weather information along the route, calculates the required power and travel time from the power consumption of the auxiliary equipment and the vehicle, and provides the SOC (State Of Charge) and arrival time at the destination. It also describes that when there are multiple route candidates, they are listed in order of shortest distance. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 10,859,391 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-168326 Summary of the Invention

[0006] When electric vehicles are used as delivery vehicles, the increased risk of running out of power due to low temperatures and increased charging times can lead to longer delivery times and delays.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a guidance system, guidance method, and guidance program for realizing efficient operation of electric vehicles while avoiding running out of power.

[0008] In order to solve the above problem, a guidance system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a driving route acquisition unit that acquires a driving route for an electric vehicle, a weather information acquisition unit that acquires weather information along the driving route, and a route guidance information generation unit that generates route guidance information based on the acquired driving route and weather information. If a low-temperature area is present along the driving route, the driving route acquisition unit further acquires another driving route, and the route guidance information generation unit generates route guidance information that recommends a driving route with fewer low-temperature areas.

[0009] Any combination of the above components, and conversion of the expression of the present disclosure into an apparatus, method, system, computer program, etc., are also valid aspects of the present disclosure.

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to achieve efficient operation of an electric vehicle while avoiding a power shortage. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram for explaining a guidance system according to an embodiment; [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a guidance system according to an embodiment; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing three driving routes from the current location to the destination, which are searched by a map information server. [Figure 5A]FIG. 5A is a diagram showing an example of a table for scoring the number of low-temperature areas passed through, the predicted SOC of the battery pack upon arrival at the destination, and the distance to the destination. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a diagram showing an example of a table for scoring the number of low-temperature areas passed through, the predicted SOC of the battery pack upon arrival at the destination, and the distance to the destination. [Figure 5C] FIG. 5C is a diagram showing an example of a table for scoring the number of low-temperature areas passed through, the predicted SOC of the battery pack upon arrival at the destination, and the distance to the destination. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a route / temperature map for determining the number of passes through low-temperature areas. [Figure 7] 5 is a diagram showing a priority determination table for the normal route, alternative route 1, and alternative route 2 shown in FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a route guidance screen displayed on a display unit of an electric vehicle. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen for priority items displayed on a display unit of the electric vehicle. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a route guidance information generation process performed by the guidance system according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of charging stations installed on another route 1 determined by a user. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a priority determination table for charging stations A, B, and C. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an electric vehicle 3 according to an embodiment. In this embodiment, the electric vehicle 3 is assumed to be a pure EV that is not equipped with an internal combustion engine. The electric vehicle 3 shown in FIG. 1 is a rear-wheel drive (2WD) EV that has a pair of front wheels 31f, a pair of rear wheels 31r, and a motor 34 as a power source. The pair of front wheels 31f are connected by a front wheel axle 32f, and the pair of rear wheels 31r are connected by a rear wheel axle 32r. A transmission 33 transmits the rotation of the motor 34 to the rear wheel axle 32r at a predetermined conversion ratio. Note that the electric vehicle 3 may be a front-wheel drive (2WD) or 4WD electric vehicle.

[0013] The power supply system 40 includes a battery pack 41 and a management unit 42. The battery pack 41 includes a plurality of cells. The cells may be lithium-ion battery cells, nickel-metal hydride battery cells, or the like. In the following description, an example is assumed in which lithium-ion battery cells (nominal voltage: 3.6-3.7V) are used. The management unit 42 monitors the voltage, current, temperature, SOC, and SOH (State Of Health) of the plurality of cells included in the battery pack 41, and transmits these to the vehicle control unit 30 via an in-vehicle network. For example, a CAN (Controller Area Network) or a LIN (Local Interconnect Network) may be used as the in-vehicle network.

[0014] In EVs, a three-phase AC motor is generally used as the drive motor 34. During power running, the inverter 35 converts DC power supplied from the battery pack 41 into AC power and supplies it to the motor 34. During regeneration, the inverter 35 converts AC power supplied from the motor 34 into DC power and supplies it to the battery pack 41. During power running, the motor 34 rotates in response to the AC power supplied from the inverter 35. During regeneration, the motor 34 converts rotational energy generated by deceleration into AC power and supplies it to the inverter 35.

[0015] The vehicle control unit 30 is a vehicle ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls the entire electric vehicle 3, and may be configured as, for example, an integrated VCM (Vehicle Control Module).

[0016] The GPS sensor 361 detects the position information of the electric vehicle 3 and transmits the detected position information to the vehicle control unit 30. Specifically, the GPS sensor 361 receives radio waves, including the respective transmission times, from a plurality of GPS satellites, and calculates the latitude and longitude of the reception point based on the plurality of transmission times included in the plurality of received radio waves.

[0017] The vehicle speed sensor 362 generates a pulse signal proportional to the rotation speed of the front wheel shaft 32f or the rear wheel shaft 32r, and transmits the generated pulse signal to the vehicle control unit 30. The vehicle control unit 30 detects the speed of the electric vehicle 3 based on the pulse signal received from the vehicle speed sensor 362.

[0018] The wireless communication unit 37 performs signal processing for wirelessly connecting to the network 5 (see FIG. 2) via the antenna 37a. Examples of wireless communication networks that can be used by the electric vehicle 3 include a mobile phone network (cellular network), a wireless LAN, V2I (Vehicle-to-Infrastructure), V2V (Vehicle-to-Vehicle), an ETC system (Electronic Toll Collection System), and DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communications).

[0019] Display unit 38 is a display capable of displaying text and images, and may use a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, a mini LED display, or the like. Display unit 38 may be a display adapted from a car navigation system, display audio, drive recorder, or the like, or may be a display installed in the meter panel. The display used for display unit 38 may have a touch panel function. In this embodiment, route guidance and charging guidance, which will be described later, are displayed on display unit 38.

[0020] While the electric vehicle 3 is traveling, the vehicle control unit 30 can transmit travel data in real time from the wireless communication unit 37 to the guidance system 1 (see FIG. 2) via the network 5. The travel data includes position data (latitude and longitude) of the electric vehicle 3, the vehicle speed of the electric vehicle 3, and the voltage, current, temperature, SOC, and SOH of multiple cells included in the battery pack 41. The vehicle control unit 30 samples this data periodically (for example, every 10 seconds) and transmits it to the guidance system 1 each time.

[0021] The vehicle control unit 30 may store the driving data of the electric vehicles 3 in an internal memory and transmit the driving data stored in the memory in a batch at a predetermined timing. For example, the vehicle control unit 30 may transmit the driving data stored in the memory in a batch to an operation management terminal device 2 (see FIG. 2) installed at a delivery company base after the business hours of the day have ended. The operation management terminal device 2 transmits the driving data of the multiple electric vehicles 3 to the guidance system 1 at a predetermined timing.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a guidance system 1 according to an embodiment. The guidance system 1 according to the embodiment is a system used by at least one delivery company. The guidance system 1 may be constructed, for example, on an in-house server installed in the facility or data center of a service provider that provides route guidance services for electric vehicles 3. The guidance system 1 may also be constructed on a cloud server used based on a cloud service. The guidance system 1 may also be constructed on multiple servers that are distributed and installed at multiple bases (data centers, in-house facilities). The multiple servers may be a combination of multiple in-house servers, a combination of multiple cloud servers, or a combination of an in-house server and a cloud server.

[0023] A delivery company owns multiple electric vehicles 3 and has a delivery base where the electric vehicles 3 are parked. An operation management terminal device 2 is installed at the delivery base. The operation management terminal device 2 is configured, for example, by a PC. The operation management terminal device 2 is used to manage the multiple electric vehicles 3 belonging to the delivery base. The delivery company's operation manager can use the operation management terminal device 2 to create an operation plan for the multiple electric vehicles 3.

[0024] The operation management terminal device 2 can access the guidance system 1 via the network 5. The operation management terminal device 2 can obtain guidance information for a driving route from the guidance system 1 by inputting the current location and destination into the guidance system 1.

[0025] Network 5 is a general term for communication paths such as the Internet, dedicated lines, and VPNs (Virtual Private Networks), and the communication media and protocols are not important. Examples of communication media that can be used include mobile phone networks (cellular networks), wireless LANs, wired LANs, optical fiber networks, ADSL networks, and CATV networks. Examples of communication protocols that can be used include TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) / IP (Internet Protocol), UDP (User Datagram Protocol) / IP, and Ethernet (registered trademark).

[0026] The delivery company's operations manager can communicate with the driver in the electric vehicle 3 via the network 5 (for example, IP radio), commercial radio, specific low-power radio, etc. The operations manager can transmit guidance information about the driving route obtained from the guidance system 1 to the driver.

[0027] When the electric vehicle 3 is parked at a delivery base, the vehicle control unit 30 and the operation management terminal device 2 can exchange data via a network 5 (for example, a wireless LAN), a CAN cable, etc. The vehicle control unit 30 and the operation management terminal device 2 may be configured to be able to exchange data via the network 5 even while the electric vehicle 3 is traveling.

[0028] Various information servers such as a map information server 6, a weather information server 7, and a road traffic information server 8 are connected to the network 5, and the guidance system 1, the operation management terminal device 2, and the vehicle control unit 30 of the electric vehicle 3 can acquire data from the various information servers.

[0029] 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a guidance system 1 according to an embodiment. The guidance system 1 includes a processing unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication unit 13. The communication unit 13 is a communication interface for connecting to a network 5 via a wired or wireless connection.

[0030] The processing unit 11 includes a driving route acquisition unit 111, a weather information acquisition unit 112, a route / temperature map generation unit 113, a low temperature area determination unit 114, a route priority determination unit 115, a route guidance information generation unit 116, an SOC acquisition unit 117, an SOC prediction unit 118, a road traffic information acquisition unit 119, a charger priority determination unit 1110, a charging plan generation unit 1111, a charging guidance information generation unit 1112, and an SOC correction unit 1113.

[0031] The functions of the processing unit 11 can be realized by a combination of hardware and software resources, or by hardware resources alone. Hardware resources include a CPU, ROM, RAM, GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and other LSIs. Software resources include an operating system, application programs, and other programs.

[0032] The storage unit 12 includes a travel data holding unit 121. The storage unit 12 includes a non-volatile recording medium such as an HDD or SSD, and stores various types of data.

[0033] The driving route acquisition unit 111 acquires, via the network 5, the current location and destination input by the driver to the vehicle control unit 30, or the current location and destination input by the operations manager to the operations management terminal device 2. The driving route acquisition unit 111 transmits the acquired current location and destination to the map information server 6 via the network 5.

[0034] The route search application running on the map information server 6 searches for the optimal driving route from the acquired current location to the destination. In doing so, the route search application searches for a driving route that reaches the destination in the shortest distance or the shortest time without taking into consideration the vehicle's fuel (the remaining capacity of the battery pack 41 in the case of an electric vehicle 3). The map information server 6 transmits the searched driving route to the guidance system 1. The driving route acquisition unit 111 of the guidance system 1 acquires the driving route from the map information server 6.

[0035] The weather information acquisition unit 112 acquires weather information for the driving route acquired by the driving route acquisition unit 111 from the weather information server 7. Specifically, the weather information acquisition unit 112 acquires the predicted temperature at the predicted time of passing at least one waypoint on the driving route and the predicted temperature at the predicted time of arrival at the destination. The waypoints may be set at regular distance intervals (for example, every 50 km) on the driving route. Alternatively, the waypoints may be set at locations where charging stations are installed.

[0036] In this case, it is desirable to select two adjacent charging stations so that the distance between them is as constant as possible.

[0037] The route / temperature map generation unit 113 generates a route / temperature map (see, for example, FIG. 6) based on the driving route acquired by the driving route acquisition unit 111 and the weather information along the driving route acquired by the weather information acquisition unit 112.

[0038] The low temperature area determination unit 114 determines whether or not a low temperature area exists on the travel route. For example, if there is a waypoint where the predicted temperature at the predicted passing time is less than 10°C, the low temperature area determination unit 114 determines that a low temperature area exists on the travel route.

[0039] If the low temperature area determination unit 114 determines that a low temperature area exists, the travel route acquisition unit 111 transmits a search request for a travel route other than the initially acquired travel route (hereinafter referred to as the normal route) to the map information server 6, and acquires another travel route (hereinafter referred to as the alternative route) from the map information server 6. The alternative route to be acquired may be one or more.

[0040] The weather information acquisition unit 112 acquires weather information for the alternative route acquired by the travel route acquisition unit 111 from the weather information server 7. The route / temperature map generation unit 113 generates a route / temperature map based on the alternative route acquired by the travel route acquisition unit 111 and the weather information for the alternative route acquired by the weather information acquisition unit 112.

[0041] The route priority determination unit 115 determines the priorities of multiple travel routes, including a normal route and an alternative route. For each of the multiple travel routes, the route priority determination unit 115 determines the priorities of the multiple travel routes based on, for example, the number of low-temperature areas passed through, the predicted SOC of the battery pack 41 upon arrival at the destination, and the distance to the destination.

[0042] 4 is a diagram showing three driving routes from the current location to the destination, which are searched by the map information server 6. The normal route passes through waypoints A, B, and C, alternative route 1 passes through waypoints D, E, and F, and alternative route 2 passes through waypoints G, H, and I.

[0043] For example, the route priority determination unit 115 scores the number of low-temperature areas passed through, the predicted SOC of the battery pack 41 upon arrival at the destination, and the distance to the destination for each of the multiple driving routes, and calculates the priority of each driving route by taking a weighted average of the multiple scores.

[0044] 5A-5C are diagrams showing examples of tables for scoring the number of low-temperature areas passed through, the predicted SOC of battery pack 41 upon arrival at the destination, and the distance to the destination. The score for each item is normalized to a range of 0 to 1. The fewer the number of low-temperature areas passed through, the closer to 1 a score is assigned.

[0045] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a route / temperature map for determining the number of passes through low-temperature areas. The route / temperature map shown in Fig. 6 shows the route / temperature map for the normal route shown in Fig. 4. Route / temperature maps are similarly generated for alternative route 1 and alternative route 2.

[0046] Instead of using a table, the number of passes through the low temperature area may be scored using a function as shown in the following (Equation 1).

[0047] y=-0.25x+1 (Formula 1) x is the number of passes through the low temperature area y is the low temperature score (note that the minimum value of y is clipped at 0) The higher the predicted SOC upon arrival at the destination, the closer to 1 a score is assigned to the predicted SOC upon arrival at the destination. The SOC acquisition unit 117 acquires the current SOC of the battery pack 41 from the vehicle control unit 30 of the electric vehicle 3 via the network 5. Note that if driving data including the SOC of the battery pack 41 is periodically transmitted from the vehicle control unit 30 of the electric vehicle 3, the SOC included in the driving data may be used.

[0048] The SOC prediction unit 118 predicts the SOC at the time of arrival at the destination based on the acquired current SOC, the distance from the current location to the destination, and the previously acquired electricity consumption of the electric vehicle 3. Note that the SOC prediction unit 118 may correct the electricity consumption of the electric vehicle 3 based on the predicted average temperature during travel along each travel route.

[0049] The smaller the increased distance to the destination compared to the normal route, the closer to 1 a score is assigned. The predicted SOC upon arrival at the destination and the distance to the destination may also be scored using a function. In FIG. 5C, it is assumed that the distance score is 1 when the increased distance is negative (when the alternative route is shorter), but for example, the distance score may be 0.9 when the increased distance is 0 to 5, and 1 when the increased distance is a negative value.

[0050] The route priority determination unit 115 generates a priority determination table based on the route / temperature map of each travel route, the predicted SOC upon arrival at the destination, and the increased distance compared to the normal route.

[0051] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a priority determination table for the normal route, alternative route 1, and alternative route 2 shown in Fig. 4. The route priority determination unit 115 refers to Figs. 5A-5C to calculate the low temperature score, SOC score, and distance score of each travel route, and calculates the priority of each travel route based on the following (Equation 2).

[0052] Priority = Low temperature score × a + SOC score × b + Distance score × c (Equation 2) Here, a, b, and c represent the contribution of each score, and a+b+c=1. Since each score is normalized to a range of 0 to 1, the priority is also calculated as a value in the range of 0 to 1.

[0053] For example, if a=0.5, b=0.3, and c=0.2 are set, the priority of the normal route is 0.48 (=0.5×a+0.1×b+1×c), the priority of alternate route 1 is 0.655 (=0.75×a+0.4×b+0.8×c), and the priority of alternate route 2 is 0.49 (=0.75×a+0.1×b+0.4×c). Therefore, the priority increases in the order of alternate route 1, alternate route 2, and normal route. In other words, the closer the value is to 1, the higher the priority.

[0054] The route guidance information generation unit 116 generates route guidance information based on the priorities of the multiple travel routes determined by the route priority determination unit 115. The route guidance information generation unit 116 notifies the generated route guidance information to the vehicle control unit 30 of the electric vehicle 3 via the network 5. The vehicle control unit 30 of the electric vehicle 3 causes the display unit 38 to display the route guidance information acquired from the guidance system 1.

[0055] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a route guidance screen displayed on the display unit 38 of the electric vehicle 3. As shown in FIG.

[0056] The text of the route guidance may be converted into voice by a voice synthesis application of the vehicle control unit 30, and the voice may be output from a speaker (not shown).

[0057] The route guidance information generated by the route guidance information generation unit 116 may be notified to the operation management terminal device 2 via the network 5. In this case, the route guidance information is transmitted from the operation manager to the driver of the electric vehicle 3.

[0058] The contributions a, b, and c of the low temperature score, SOC score, and distance score may be designed to be changeable by a user (driver or operations manager). The route priority determination unit 115 acquires change information input by the user from the vehicle control unit 30 of the electric vehicle 3 or the operations management terminal device 2 via the network 5.

[0059] 9 is a diagram showing an example of a priority item setting screen displayed on the display unit 38 of the electric vehicle 3. The driver can adjust the contributions a, b, and c of the low temperature score, SOC score, and distance score by sliding a battery shortage avoidance priority bar 38a, an SOC priority bar 38b, and a time priority bar 38c, respectively. In the example shown in FIG. 9, when one bar is slid, the remaining two bars are automatically adjusted so that the total score of the three bars becomes 150.

[0060] In the above example, three parameters were used to calculate the priority of a travel route: the number of low-temperature areas passed through, the predicted SOC of battery pack 41 when arriving at the destination, and the distance to the destination. However, the types of parameters are not limited to these, and the number of parameters used is not limited to three. For example, two parameters, the number of low-temperature areas passed through and the distance to the destination, or two parameters, the number of low-temperature areas passed through and the predicted SOC of battery pack 41 when arriving at the destination, may be used.

[0061] Furthermore, for example, the elevation difference of the travel route may be used as a parameter. In this case, the smaller the elevation difference, the closer to 1 a score is assigned. The elevation difference of the travel route can be acquired from the map information server 6.

[0062] Further, for example, information on predicted traffic congestion on the travel route may be used as a parameter. In this case, the closer the predicted traffic congestion distance is to 0 km, the closer to 1 a score is assigned. When using the predicted traffic congestion information as a parameter, the road traffic information acquisition unit 119 acquires the information on predicted traffic congestion on the travel route from the road traffic information server 8.

[0063] Further, for example, toll information of toll roads (mainly expressways) on the driving route may be used as a parameter. In the case of a delivery company whose policy is to give priority to the use of toll roads, the higher the ratio of the distance of toll roads to the total distance of the driving route, the closer to 1 a score is assigned. Note that the higher the toll road toll, the closer to 1 a score may be assigned. In the case of a delivery company whose policy is to avoid using toll roads as much as possible, the closer to 0 yen the toll road toll is, the closer to 1 a score is assigned. When toll road toll information is used as a parameter, the road traffic information acquisition unit 119 acquires toll information of toll roads on the driving route from the road traffic information server 8.

[0064] If data is shared between the map information server 6 and the road traffic information server 8, traffic congestion forecast information and toll road fee information can also be obtained from the map information server 6. The map information server 6 can calculate the estimated time of arrival at the destination taking into account the traffic congestion forecast information and the use of expressways.

[0065] The SOC prediction unit 118 may model the charge / discharge pattern of the battery pack 41 based on information about elevation differences along the driving route, and correct the predicted SOC at the time of arrival at the destination, which was calculated without considering elevation differences, based on the modeled charge / discharge pattern. Alternatively, the SOC prediction unit 118 may model the charge / discharge pattern of the battery pack 41 based on information about predicted traffic congestion along the driving route, and correct the predicted SOC at the time of arrival at the destination, which was calculated without considering traffic congestion, based on the modeled charge / discharge pattern. Alternatively, when a highway is used, the SOC prediction unit 118 may model the charge / discharge pattern of the battery pack 41 when the highway is used, and correct the predicted SOC at the time of arrival at the destination, which was calculated assuming that the highway will not be used, based on the modeled charge / discharge pattern.

[0066] Alternatively, only the number of low-temperature areas passed through may be used as a parameter for calculating the priority of a driving route. In this case, it is not necessary to predict the SOC at the time of arrival at the destination. In this case, the route guidance information generator 116 can reliably recommend a driving route with fewer low-temperature areas. Note that, since the present embodiment places emphasis on avoiding low-temperature areas, even when multiple parameters are used, it is desirable to set the contribution rate a of the low-temperature score to 0.5 or more.

[0067] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a route guidance information generation process performed by the guidance system 1 according to the embodiment. The traveling route acquisition unit 111 inputs the current location and destination acquired from the vehicle control unit 30 of the electric vehicle 3 or the operation management terminal device 2 to the map information server 6 (S10). The traveling route acquisition unit 111 acquires the normal route from the map information server 6 (S11). The weather information acquisition unit 112 acquires weather information for the normal route from the weather information server 7 (S12). The route / temperature map generation unit 113 generates a route / temperature map for the normal route based on the weather information for the normal route (S13).

[0068] The low temperature area determination unit 114 determines whether or not a low temperature area exists on the normal route (S14). If a low temperature area exists (Y in S14), the driving route acquisition unit 111 acquires an alternative route from the map information server 6 (S15). The weather information acquisition unit 112 acquires weather information for the alternative route from the weather information server 7 (S16). The route / temperature map generation unit 113 generates a route / temperature map for the alternative route based on the weather information for the alternative route (S17).

[0069] The SOC acquisition unit 117 acquires the current SOC of the battery pack 41 mounted on the electric vehicle 3 (S18). The SOC prediction unit 118 calculates the predicted SOC for each route at the time of arrival at the destination based on the acquired current SOC, the distance from the current location to the destination, and the electricity consumption of the electric vehicle 3 (S19). The route priority determination unit 115 generates a priority determination table based on the route / temperature map for each travel route, the predicted SOC at the time of arrival at the destination, and the increased distance compared to the normal route (S20). The route priority determination unit 115 calculates the priority of each travel route based on the generated priority determination table (S21).

[0070] The route guidance information generation unit 116 generates route guidance information based on the calculated priorities of the multiple travel routes (S22). The route guidance information generation unit 116 notifies the generated route guidance information to the vehicle control unit 30 of the electric vehicle 3 or the operation management terminal device 2 (S23).

[0071] In step S14, if no low-temperature area exists on the normal route (N in S14), steps S15 to S21 are skipped, and the normal route becomes the recommended route as is.

[0072] When the electric vehicle 3 needs to be charged to reach the destination, the guidance system 1 can generate charging guidance for the travel route determined by the user.

[0073] The charger priority determination unit 1110 acquires installation location information for chargers installed on the determined driving route from the map information server 6 or another information server. The weather information acquisition unit 112 acquires the predicted temperatures at the predicted arrival times at the installation locations of multiple chargers on the determined driving route from the weather information server 7. The charger priority determination unit 1110 determines the priorities of multiple chargers based on the predicted temperatures at the predicted arrival times at the installation locations of multiple chargers on the determined driving route.

[0074] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of charging stations installed on another route 1 determined by the user. Three charging stations A, B, and C are installed on another route 1. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a priority determination table for charging stations A, B, and C. The charger priority determination unit 1110 assigns a higher priority to a charging station with a higher predicted temperature upon predicted arrival at the installation location. In the example shown in FIG. 12, the predicted temperature upon predicted arrival at charging station A is 3°C, the predicted temperature upon predicted arrival at charging station B is 13°C, and the predicted temperature upon predicted arrival at charging station C is 18°C. Therefore, the priority increases in the order of charging station C, charging station B, and charging station A.

[0075] The SOC prediction unit 118 calculates a predicted SOC upon arrival at each charger installation location based on the current SOC acquired from the vehicle control unit 30 of the electric vehicle 3, the distance from the current location to each charger installation location, and the previously acquired electricity cost of the electric vehicle 3. The charging plan generation unit 1111 generates a charging plan based on the predicted SOC of the battery pack 41 upon arrival at each charger installation location and the predicted SOC of the battery pack 41 upon arrival at the destination.

[0076] The charging plan generation unit 1111 determines whether the electric vehicle 3 can travel to the location of the charger with the highest priority based on the current SOC. If travel is possible, the charging plan generation unit 1111 generates a charging plan that recommends charging at the charger with the highest priority (charging station C in FIGS. 11 and 12). The charging plan generation unit 1111 calculates the SOC required for travel from the location of the charger with the highest priority (hereinafter referred to as the highest priority charger) to the destination based on the location of the charger with the highest priority (hereinafter referred to as the highest priority charger) and the distance to the destination.

[0077] The charging plan generation unit 1111 calculates a target SOC for charging at the highest priority charger by adding the SOC required for driving to the destination to the set lower limit SOC (for example, set to a value within a range of 10 to 30%) of the battery pack 41. The charging plan generation unit 1111 calculates the charging time at the highest priority charger based on the SOC upon arrival at the installation location of the highest priority charger, the target SOC, and the charging rate of the highest priority charger.

[0078] If it is not possible to travel to the location of the charger with the highest priority, the charging plan generation unit 1111 determines whether it is possible to travel to the location of the charger with the next highest priority. If it is possible, the charging plan generation unit 1111 executes the same process as described above. If it is not possible to travel to the location of the charger with the next highest priority, the charging plan generation unit 1111 determines whether it is possible to travel to the location of the charger with the next highest priority. If it is possible, the charging plan generation unit 1111 executes the same process as described above.

[0079] The charging plan generation unit 1111 calculates a target SOC for charging at the first charger to be used by adding the SOC required for traveling from the installation location of a charger with second or lower priority (hereinafter referred to as the first charger to be used) determined as the first charging location to the installation location of the highest priority charger, to the set lower limit SOC of the battery pack 41. The charging plan generation unit 1111 calculates the charging time at the first charger to be used based on the SOC upon arrival at the installation location of the first charger to be used, the target SOC, and the charging rate of the first charger to be used.

[0080] If the vehicle cannot reach the destination even after being fully charged at the highest priority charger, the charging plan generation unit 1111 determines the charger with the highest priority between the installation location of the highest priority charger and the destination as the second charger to be used. Note that if the driver's rest time, such as lunch break, overlaps with the estimated arrival time at the installation location of a certain charger, the charging plan generation unit 1111 may correct the priority of that charger to be increased.

[0081] The charging guidance information generation unit 1112 generates charging guidance information based on the charging plan generated by the charging plan generation unit 1111. The charging guidance information generation unit 1112 notifies the generated charging guidance information to the vehicle control unit 30 of the electric vehicle 3 via the network 5. The vehicle control unit 30 of the electric vehicle 3 displays the charging guidance information acquired from the guidance system 1 on the display unit 38. For example, in the example shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 , the display unit 38 displays a guidance message such as "Please perform normal charging at charging station B for 20 minutes. Then, please perform normal charging at charging station C for 45 minutes."

[0082] Meanwhile, the driving data including the voltage, current, temperature, SOC, and SOH of the battery pack 41 received by the guidance system 1 from the vehicle control unit 30 of the electric vehicle 3 is stored in the driving data storage unit 121. The SOC correction unit 1113 can correct the current SOC obtained from the vehicle control unit 30 of the electric vehicle 3 based on the past SOC data stored in the driving data storage unit 121.

[0083] For example, in a region where the SOC-OCV (Open Circuit Voltage) characteristic is flat, the accuracy of the SOC estimated by the OCV method is low. If there is a large discrepancy between a statistical voltage corresponding to the current SOC calculated by averaging multiple past data of SOC and voltage while the vehicle is stopped and the current voltage corresponding to the current SOC, the SOC correction unit 1113 brings the current SOC closer to the SOC corresponding to the statistical voltage.

[0084] As described above, in this embodiment, the predicted temperature when passing through each stop on the driving route is acquired, and if a low-temperature area is present, an alternative route is searched for. Each searched route is prioritized using parameters such as the number of low-temperature areas passed through, the SOC upon arrival at the destination, and the distance to the destination. This makes it possible to prevent unexpected drops in SOC and running out of battery due to passing through low-temperature areas. In addition, a charging plan is generated based on the location of chargers on the driving route and the predicted temperature and predicted SOC upon arrival at the charger. This makes it possible to avoid charging in low temperatures and prevent delays due to increased charging time.

[0085] This allows the system to provide operation managers and drivers with recommended routes that avoid low temperatures and optimal charging plans before departure, preventing unexpected drops in SOC and battery shortages, and enabling efficient operation management. Drivers can then concentrate on delivering and driving with peace of mind.

[0086] To prevent a decrease in battery capacity or a decrease in charging speed in low-temperature conditions, it is possible to use a temperature control system to control the battery temperature. However, it is difficult to rapidly heat or cool the battery temperature using a heater, fan, cooler, or the like. In this embodiment, a decrease in battery capacity or a decrease in charging speed in low-temperature conditions can be prevented without installing a temperature control system in the power supply system 40. Therefore, costs can be reduced by not installing a temperature control system.

[0087] Furthermore, even in the power supply system 40 equipped with a temperature control system, the change in battery temperature due to heating is reflected in the low temperature score, and the increase in power consumption due to heater operation is reflected in the SOC score, so the guidance system 1 according to this embodiment can be used as is. By using the guidance system 1 according to this embodiment in combination with a temperature control system, the power consumption of the temperature control system can be reduced.

[0088] The present disclosure has been described above based on the embodiments. The embodiments are merely examples, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of the respective components and processing steps, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0089] In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the guidance system 1 is constructed on an in-house server set up in a data center or in the company's own facility, or on a cloud server. In this regard, the guidance system 1 may be incorporated into the vehicle control unit 30 of the electric vehicle 3. In this case, the vehicle control unit 30 may acquire the driving route from the map information server 6 via the network 5, or may cooperate with a car navigation system in the electric vehicle 3 and acquire the driving route from the car navigation system. The guidance system 1 may also be implemented in the fleet management terminal device 2.

[0090] In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the power supply system 40 includes the battery pack 41. In this regard, the power supply system 40 may include a capacitor pack including a plurality of electric double layer capacitor cells or lithium ion capacitor cells. In this specification, the battery pack and the capacitor pack are collectively referred to as a power storage pack.

[0091] In the above-described embodiment, a four-wheeled electric vehicle is assumed as the electric vehicle 3. In this regard, an electric motorcycle (electric scooter) or an electric bicycle may also be used. Furthermore, electric vehicles include not only full-scale electric vehicles but also low-speed electric vehicles such as golf carts and land cars used in shopping malls and entertainment facilities.

[0092] The embodiment may be specified by the following items.

[0093] [Item 1] a travel route acquisition unit (111) that acquires a travel route of an electric vehicle (3); a weather information acquisition unit (112) for acquiring weather information along the travel route; a route guidance information generating unit (116) that generates route guidance information based on the acquired travel route and weather information; When a low-temperature area exists on the travel route, the travel route acquisition unit (111) further acquires another travel route, and the route guidance information generation unit (116) generates route guidance information that recommends a travel route with fewer low-temperature areas.

[0094] This makes it possible to prevent unexpected SOC drops and power shortages while realizing efficient operation of the electric vehicle (3).

[0095] [Item 2] A route priority determination unit (115) is further provided to determine the priority of a plurality of travel routes, The guidance system (1) according to item 1, wherein the route priority determination unit (115) sets a high priority to a travel route that passes through a small number of low-temperature areas.

[0096] This allows low-temperature areas to be avoided as much as possible, preventing unexpected drops in SOC and power shortages.

[0097] [Item 3] a SOC acquisition unit (117) that acquires a current SOC (State Of Charge) of a power storage unit (41) mounted on the electric vehicle (3); an SOC prediction unit (118) that predicts the SOC of the power storage unit (41) at the time of arrival at the destination based on the acquired current SOC of the power storage unit (41), the electricity consumption of the electric vehicle (3), and the distance to the destination; a route priority determination unit (115) that determines the priority of a plurality of travel routes; The guidance system (1) described in item 1 is characterized in that the route priority determination unit (115) determines the priority of each of the plurality of travel routes based on at least one of the number of low-temperature areas passed through, the predicted SOC of the power storage unit (41) upon arrival at the destination, and the distance to the destination.

[0098] This allows the priority of a travel route to be determined taking into account factors other than temperature.

[0099] [Item 4] The guidance system (1) described in item 3 is characterized in that the route priority determination unit (115) scores the number of low-temperature areas passed through, the predicted SOC of the power storage unit (41) upon arrival at the destination, and the distance to the destination for each of the plurality of travel routes, and calculates the priority of each travel route by taking a weighted average of the plurality of scores.

[0100] This allows the priority of travel routes to be determined quantitatively, taking into account factors other than temperature.

[0101] [Item 5] The guidance system (1) described in item 4 is characterized in that the route priority determination unit (115) changes the number of low-temperature areas passed through, the predicted SOC of the power storage unit (41) upon arrival at the destination, and the contribution of the distance to the destination based on information input by a user.

[0102] This allows the items that the user places importance on to be reflected in determining the driving route.

[0103] [Item 6] The guidance system (1) according to any one of items 3 to 5, wherein the SOC prediction unit (118) corrects the predicted SOC of the power storage unit (41) upon arrival at the destination in accordance with at least one of elevation difference information on the driving route, traffic congestion forecast information on the driving route, and whether or not an expressway is used on the driving route.

[0104] This can improve the accuracy of SOC prediction.

[0105] [Item 7] a charger priority determination unit (1110) that determines the priorities of a plurality of chargers based on the predicted temperatures at the predicted arrival times at the locations of the plurality of chargers along the travel route determined by the user; a charging guidance information generation unit (1112) that generates charging guidance information based on the priorities of the plurality of chargers; The guidance system (1) described in any one of items 1 to 6, characterized in that the charger priority determination unit (1110) sets a higher priority for a charger with a higher predicted temperature at the expected time of arrival at the installation location.

[0106] This makes it possible to avoid charging with a charger that reduces the charging speed.

[0107] [Item 8] The guidance system (1) described in item 7 is characterized in that it further comprises a charging plan generation unit (1111) that generates a charging plan based on the predicted SOC of the power storage unit (41) upon arrival at the installation location of each charger and the predicted SOC of the power storage unit (41) upon arrival at the destination.

[0108] This makes it possible to generate a charging plan that can prevent unexpected drops in SOC and power shortages.

[0109] [Item 9] This guidance system (1) is composed of a server on the cloud, The guidance system (1) according to any one of items 1 to 8, further comprising a communication unit (13) that receives various data from a control unit (30) of the electric vehicle (3) via a network (5) and transmits the route guidance information generated by the route guidance information generation unit (116) to the control unit (30) of the electric vehicle (3) via the network (5).

[0110] This allows various electric vehicles (3) to use a route guidance service to prevent unexpected SOC drops and power shortages.

[0111] [Item 10] a travel data storage unit (121) that stores travel data including the SOC of the power storage unit (41) received from a control unit (30) of the electric vehicle (3); The guidance system (1) described in item 9 is characterized in that it further comprises an SOC correction unit (1113) that corrects the current SOC of the power storage unit (41) received from the control unit (30) of the electric vehicle (3) based on past SOC data accumulated in the traveling data storage unit (121).

[0112] This allows for improved accuracy of the SOC used.

[0113] [Item 11] acquiring a driving route of the electric vehicle; acquiring weather information along the travel route; generating route guidance information based on the acquired travel route and weather information; When a low-temperature area exists on the driving route, the step of acquiring the driving route further acquires another driving route, and the step of generating route guidance information generates route guidance information that recommends a driving route with fewer low-temperature areas.

[0114] This makes it possible to prevent unexpected SOC drops and power shortages while realizing efficient operation of the electric vehicle (3).

[0115] [Item 12] A process of acquiring a driving route of an electric vehicle; A process of acquiring weather information along the travel route; generating route guidance information based on the acquired driving route and weather information; A guidance program characterized in that, when a low-temperature area exists on the driving route, the process of acquiring the driving route further acquires another driving route, and the process of generating the route guidance information generates route guidance information that recommends a driving route with fewer low-temperature areas.

[0116] This makes it possible to prevent unexpected SOC drops and power shortages while realizing efficient operation of the electric vehicle (3). [Explanation of symbols]

[0117] 1 Guidance system, 2 Operation management terminal device, 3 Electric vehicle, 5 Network, 6 Map information server, 7 Weather information server, 8 Road traffic information server, 11 Processing unit, 111 Travel route acquisition unit, 112 Weather information acquisition unit, 113 Route / temperature map generation unit, 114 Low temperature area determination unit, 115 Route priority determination unit, 116 Route guidance information generation unit, 117 SOC acquisition unit, 118 SOC prediction unit, 119 Road traffic information acquisition unit, 1110 Charger priority determination unit, 1111 Charging plan generation unit, 1112 Charging guidance information generation unit, 1113 SOC correction unit, 12 Memory unit, 121 Travel data storage unit, 13 Communication unit, 30 Vehicle control unit, 31f Front wheels, 31r Rear wheels, 32f Front axle, 32r Rear wheel axle, 33 transmission, 34 motor, 35 inverter, 361 GPS sensor, 362 vehicle speed sensor, 37 wireless communication unit, 37a antenna, 38 display unit, 40 power supply system, 41 battery pack, 42 ​​management unit.

Claims

1. a travel route acquisition unit that acquires a travel route of the electric vehicle; a weather information acquisition unit that acquires weather information along the travel route; a route guidance information generating unit that generates route guidance information based on the acquired driving route and weather information; an SOC (State Of Charge) acquisition unit that acquires a current SOC of a power storage unit mounted on the electric vehicle; an SOC prediction unit that predicts an SOC of the power storage unit at the time of arrival at the destination based on the acquired current SOC of the power storage unit, an electricity consumption of the electric vehicle, and a distance to the destination; a route priority determination unit that determines the priorities of a plurality of travel routes; When a low-temperature area exists on the travel route, the travel route acquisition unit further acquires another travel route, and the route guidance information generation unit generates route guidance information that recommends a travel route with fewer low-temperature areas; the route priority determination unit determines the priority of each of the plurality of travel routes based on at least one of the number of low-temperature areas passed through, the predicted SOC of the power storage unit upon arrival at the destination, and the distance to the destination.

2. 2. The guidance system according to claim 1, wherein the route priority determination unit scores, for each of the plurality of travel routes, the number of low-temperature areas passed through, the predicted SOC of the power storage unit upon arrival at the destination, and the distance to the destination, and calculates the priority of each travel route by taking a weighted average of the scores.

3. The guidance system according to claim 2, characterized in that the route priority determination unit changes the number of times the low-temperature area is passed through, the predicted SOC of the power storage unit upon arrival at the destination, and the contribution of the distance to the destination based on information input by a user.

4. 4. The guidance system according to claim 1, wherein the SOC prediction unit corrects the predicted SOC of the power storage unit upon arrival at the destination in accordance with at least one of elevation difference information on the driving route, traffic congestion forecast information on the driving route, and whether or not an expressway is used on the driving route.

5. a travel route acquisition unit that acquires a travel route of the electric vehicle; a weather information acquisition unit that acquires weather information along the travel route; a route guidance information generating unit that generates route guidance information based on the acquired driving route and weather information; a charger priority determination unit that determines priorities of a plurality of chargers based on predicted temperatures at predicted arrival times at locations where the plurality of chargers are installed along a travel route determined by a user; and a charging guidance information generation unit that generates charging guidance information based on the priorities of the plurality of chargers; When a low-temperature area exists on the travel route, the travel route acquisition unit further acquires another travel route, and the route guidance information generation unit generates route guidance information that recommends a travel route with fewer low-temperature areas; The guidance system is characterized in that the charger priority determination unit sets a higher priority to a charger having a higher predicted temperature at the predicted time of arrival at the installation location.

6. 6. The guidance system according to claim 5, further comprising a charging plan generation unit that generates a charging plan based on a predicted SOC of the power storage unit upon arrival at an installation location of each charger and a predicted SOC of the power storage unit upon arrival at the destination.

7. A guidance system configured with a server on a cloud, a travel route acquisition unit that acquires a travel route of the electric vehicle; a weather information acquisition unit that acquires weather information along the travel route; a route guidance information generating unit that generates route guidance information based on the acquired driving route and weather information; a communication unit that receives various data from a control unit of the electric vehicle via a network and transmits the route guidance information generated by the route guidance information generation unit to the control unit of the electric vehicle via the network; a running data storage unit that stores running data including an SOC of the power storage unit received from a control unit of the electric vehicle; an SOC correction unit that corrects a current SOC of the power storage unit received from a control unit of the electric vehicle based on past SOC data stored in the traveling data storage unit, A guidance system characterized in that, if a low-temperature area exists on the driving route, the driving route acquisition unit further acquires another driving route, and the route guidance information generation unit generates route guidance information that recommends a driving route with fewer low-temperature areas.

8. acquiring a driving route of the electric vehicle; acquiring weather information along the travel route; generating route guidance information based on the acquired driving route and weather information; acquiring a current SOC (State Of Charge) of a power storage unit mounted on the electric vehicle; predicting an SOC of the power storage unit at the time of arrival at the destination based on the acquired current SOC of the power storage unit, an electricity consumption of the electric vehicle, and a distance to the destination; determining priorities of the plurality of travel routes; When a low-temperature area exists on the travel route, the step of acquiring the travel route further acquires another travel route, and the step of generating route guidance information generates route guidance information that recommends a travel route with fewer low-temperature areas; the step of determining the priority determines the priority of each of the plurality of travel routes based on at least one of the number of low-temperature areas passed through, the predicted SOC of the power storage unit upon arrival at the destination, and the distance to the destination.

9. acquiring a driving route of the electric vehicle; acquiring weather information along the travel route; generating route guidance information based on the acquired driving route and weather information; determining priorities of the plurality of chargers based on predicted temperatures at predicted arrival times at the locations of the plurality of chargers along the travel route determined by the user; generating charging guidance information based on the priorities of the plurality of chargers; When a low-temperature area exists on the travel route, the step of acquiring the travel route further acquires another travel route, and the step of generating route guidance information generates route guidance information that recommends a travel route with fewer low-temperature areas; The guidance method is characterized in that the step of determining the priority sets a higher priority to a charger having a higher predicted temperature at the predicted time of arrival at the installation location.

10. A guidance method executed on a server on a cloud, comprising: acquiring a driving route of the electric vehicle; acquiring weather information along the travel route; generating route guidance information based on the acquired driving route and weather information; receiving various data from a control unit of the electric vehicle via a network, and transmitting the generated route guidance information to the control unit of the electric vehicle via the network; accumulating travel data including an SOC of a power storage unit received from a control unit of the electric vehicle; correcting the current SOC of the power storage unit received from the control unit of the electric vehicle based on past SOC data included in accumulated running data; When a low-temperature area exists on the driving route, the step of acquiring the driving route further acquires another driving route, and the step of generating route guidance information generates route guidance information that recommends a driving route with fewer low-temperature areas.

11. A process of acquiring a driving route of an electric vehicle; A process of acquiring weather information along the travel route; A process of generating route guidance information based on the acquired driving route and weather information; A process of acquiring a current SOC (State Of Charge) of a power storage unit mounted on the electric vehicle; a process of predicting an SOC of the power storage unit at the time of arrival at the destination based on the acquired current SOC of the power storage unit, an electricity consumption of the electric vehicle, and a distance to the destination; determining priorities of a plurality of driving routes; When a low-temperature area exists on the travel route, the process of acquiring the travel route further acquires another travel route, and the process of generating route guidance information generates route guidance information that recommends a travel route with fewer low-temperature areas; The process of determining the priority determines the priority of each of the plurality of driving routes based on at least one of the number of low-temperature areas passed through, the predicted SOC of the power storage unit upon arrival at the destination, and the distance to the destination.

12. A process of acquiring a driving route of an electric vehicle; A process of acquiring weather information along the travel route; A process of generating route guidance information based on the acquired driving route and weather information; A process of determining priorities of a plurality of chargers based on predicted temperatures at predicted arrival times at locations where the plurality of chargers are installed along a travel route determined by a user; generating charging guidance information based on the priorities of the plurality of chargers; When a low-temperature area exists on the travel route, the process of acquiring the travel route further acquires another travel route, and the process of generating route guidance information generates route guidance information that recommends a travel route with fewer low-temperature areas; The process of determining the priority is characterized in that a higher priority is set for a charger having a higher predicted temperature at the predicted time of arrival at the installation location.

13. A guidance program to be executed by a server on a cloud, A process of acquiring a driving route of an electric vehicle; A process of acquiring weather information along the travel route; A process of generating route guidance information based on the acquired driving route and weather information; receiving various data from a control unit of the electric vehicle via a network and transmitting the generated route guidance information to the control unit of the electric vehicle via the network; a process of storing travel data including an SOC of a power storage unit received from a control unit of the electric vehicle; correcting a current SOC of the power storage unit received from a control unit of the electric vehicle based on past SOC data included in accumulated running data; A guidance program characterized in that, when a low-temperature area exists on the driving route, the process of acquiring the driving route further acquires another driving route, and the process of generating route guidance information generates route guidance information that recommends a driving route with fewer low-temperature areas.

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