Vehicle Management Device

Abstract

To prevent the power generated by a solar cell from being wasted.SOLUTION: A vehicle management device includes a drive unit for driving a vehicle, a power storage device that can supply power to the drive unit, and a solar cell system that can generate power using a solar cell and supply it to the power storage device. The vehicle management device is used in a vehicle that can be externally charged by charging the power storage device with power from outside the vehicle. When the vehicle is parked, a target external charging amount of external charging is set to a value obtained by subtracting a predicted solar cell power generation amount until a scheduled start time of driving from a target storage amount of the power storage device at a scheduled start time of the next driving.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle management device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a vehicle management device has been proposed for use in a vehicle that charges its battery with power generated by a solar cell. This device estimates the amount of power that will be generated by the solar cell the next time the vehicle is parked based on the past parking conditions, the amount of power generated when parked, and the next parking conditions, and controls the charging of the battery while the vehicle is traveling based on the estimated amount of power generated (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-195065 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a vehicle capable of external charging, in which the power storage device is charged with power from outside the vehicle, power may be generated by the solar cell after the vehicle is parked and externally charged, and before the next drive begins. If the power storage device is fully charged by external charging, the power generated by the solar cell cannot be used to charge the power storage device thereafter, and the power generated by the solar cell ends up being wasted.

[0005] A main object of the vehicle management device of the present invention is to prevent the electric power generated by the solar cell from being wasted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle management device of the present invention employs the following means to achieve the above-mentioned main object.

[0007] The vehicle management device of the present invention comprises: A vehicle management device used for a vehicle that includes a drive unit for traveling, a power storage device capable of supplying power to the drive unit, and a solar cell system that generates power using a solar cell and supplies the power to the power storage device, and that is capable of external charging for charging the power storage device with power from outside the vehicle, When the vehicle is parked, the target external charge amount for the external charge is set to a value obtained by subtracting the predicted power generation amount of the solar cell up to the next scheduled start time from the target power storage amount of the power storage device at the next scheduled start time of the vehicle. The gist of this is as follows.

[0008] In the vehicle management device of the present invention, when a vehicle is parked, the target external charging amount for external charging is set to a value obtained by subtracting the predicted power generation amount of the solar cell up to the next scheduled start time from the target power storage amount of the power storage device at the next scheduled start time of the vehicle, thereby preventing the power generated by the solar cell from being wasted.

[0009] In the vehicle management device of the present invention, if the amount of stored power in the power storage device has not reached the target amount of stored power by a predetermined time before the next scheduled start time of the vehicle, the external charging may be performed so that the amount of stored power in the power storage device reaches the target amount of stored power by the next scheduled start time of the vehicle. In this way, the amount of stored power in the power storage device can be more reliably set to the target amount of stored power by the next scheduled start time of the vehicle.

[0010] Furthermore, in the vehicle management device of the present invention, when the vehicle is parked at a predetermined location where it is expected that the vehicle will be parked for a predetermined time or longer, the target external charging amount may be set to a value obtained by subtracting the predicted power generation amount from the target power storage amount. When the vehicle is parked for less than the predetermined time, it is considered that the power generated by the solar cell while the vehicle is parked is not very large. Therefore, by setting the target external charging amount to a value obtained by subtracting the predicted power generation amount from the target power storage amount when the vehicle is parked at a predetermined location where it is expected that the vehicle will be parked for a predetermined time or longer, the target external charging amount can be set more appropriately. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1]1 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a vehicle 20 equipped with a vehicle management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a first processing routine executed by an electronic control unit 70. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a second processing routine executed by the electronic control unit 70 before starting to travel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Next, a mode for carrying out the present invention will be described using examples. [Example]

[0013] 1 is a diagram showing the general configuration of a vehicle 20 equipped with a vehicle management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the vehicle 20 includes a motor 32, an inverter 34, a battery 36 as a power storage device, a solar cell system 40, a charger 50, a navigation device 60, and an electronic control unit 70.

[0014] The motor 32 has a rotor connected to a drive shaft 26, the rotor of which is coupled to the drive wheels 22a, 22b via a differential gear 24. An inverter 34 is used to drive the motor 32 and is connected to a battery 36 via a power line 38. The motor 32 is driven and rotated by an electronic control unit 70 controlling the switching of a plurality of switching elements (not shown) of the inverter 34. The battery 36 is configured as, for example, a lithium-ion secondary battery or a nickel-metal hydride secondary battery.

[0015] The solar cell system 40 is connected to the power line 38 and includes a solar cell and a converter, both of which are not shown. The solar cell has multiple solar cells and is fixed to the upper surface of the roof or the upper surface of the hood of the vehicle body. The converter converts the voltage of the power generated by the solar cell and supplies it to the battery 36.

[0016] The charger 50 is connected to the power line 38, and is configured to be able to supply power from the external power source to the battery 36 when an external power source connector connected to an external power source outside the vehicle, such as a household power source, is connected to the vehicle connector 51. The charger 50 is controlled by an electronic control unit 70.

[0017] When a destination is set, the navigation device 60 provides route guidance by setting a driving route from the current location to the destination based on map information and the current location of the vehicle 20 detected by GPS and the destination, and displaying the route on a display. The navigation device 60 communicates with an electronic control unit 70. The navigation device 60 communicates with an information center 90 external to the vehicle 20, and transmits the current location of the vehicle 20 to the information center 90, and receives sunshine information (weather, sunrise and sunset times, etc.) for the current location of the vehicle 20 from the information center 90.

[0018] The electronic control unit 70 includes a microcomputer having a CPU, ROM, RAM, flash memory, input / output ports, and communication ports. The electronic control unit 70 receives signals from various sensors via an input port. Examples of the signals received by the electronic control unit 70 include the voltage Vb of the battery 36 detected by the voltage sensor 36a, the current Ib detected by the current sensor 36b, the voltage Vs1 and current Is1 on the solar cell side of the converter, and the voltage Vs2 and current Is2 on the battery side of the converter. The electronic control unit 70 outputs various control signals via an output port. Examples of the signals received by the electronic control unit 70 include a control signal to the motor 32, a control signal to the converter of the solar cell system 40, and a control signal to the charger 50. The electronic control unit 70 calculates the state of charge (SOC) of the battery 36 based on the integrated value of the current Ib of the battery 36, and calculates the power generation capacity (Ps) of the solar cell based on the voltage Vs1 and current Is1 on the solar cell side of the converter. The power storage ratio SOC is the ratio of the amount of power that can be discharged from the battery 36 to the total capacity of the battery 36. The calculation of the power storage ratio SOC and the power generation Ps is performed both when the vehicle 20 is traveling and when the vehicle 20 is parked. As described above, the electronic control unit 70 communicates with the navigation device 60.

[0019] In the vehicle 20 configured as described above, the electronic control unit 70 sets the required torque Td* as the torque command Tm*, and controls the switching of the multiple switching elements of the inverter 34 so that the motor 32 is driven by the torque command Tm*.

[0020] In addition, in vehicle 20, when the vehicle side connector 51 and the external power supply side connector are connected while the vehicle is parked, the electronic control unit 70 performs external charging by controlling the charger 50 so that the battery 36 is charged using power from the external power supply (outside the vehicle).

[0021] Then, in the vehicle 20, the next scheduled start time tst of traveling is set by input from the user when parking. As the next scheduled start time tst of traveling, an average start time of traveling calculated by the electronic control unit 70 from a history of parking locations and the time when traveling was started from the parking locations may be used instead of an input from the user.

[0022] Next, an operation of the vehicle 20 of this embodiment will be described, particularly the operation when the vehicle-side connector 51 and the external power supply connector are connected while the vehicle is parked and external charging is permitted. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a first processing routine executed by the electronic control unit 70. The first processing routine is executed when the vehicle-side connector 51 and the external power supply connector are connected while the vehicle is parked and external charging is permitted.

[0023] When the first processing routine is executed, a process is executed to input the target power storage amount Qbtag of the battery 36 (step S100). The target power storage amount Qbtag is a value obtained by converting the target power storage rate SOCbtag into an amount of power (a value obtained by multiplying the total capacity of the battery 36 by the target power storage rate SOCbtag).

[0024] Next, the predicted power generation amount Qses of the solar cell system 40 (solar cell) from when the vehicle-side connector 51 and the external power supply-side connector are connected and external charging is permitted to the next scheduled driving start time tst is estimated (step S110). The processing of step S110 can be performed, for example, by estimating the predicted amount of sunlight Qss for a predetermined period from the current time at the current location of the vehicle 20 to the next scheduled driving start time tst based on sunlight information (weather, sunrise and sunset times, etc.) from the information center 90, and estimating the predicted power generation amount Qses of the solar cell system 40 (solar cell) for the predetermined period at the current location of the vehicle 20 based on the estimated predicted amount of sunlight Qss.

[0025] Then, the target external charge amount Qctag is set to the value obtained by subtracting the predicted power generation amount Qses from the target power storage amount Qbtag (step S120). Once the target external charge amount Qctag is set in this manner, external charging is performed until the amount of power supplied from the external power source reaches the target external charge amount Qctag (step S130), and the first processing routine ends. This allows the amount of power stored in the battery 36 to be externally charged to make up for the shortfall in the amount of power generated by the solar cells of the solar cell system 40 until the next scheduled driving start time tst relative to the target power storage amount Qbtag. Therefore, it is possible to prevent power generated by the solar cells from being wasted.

[0026] 2 is executed, if the power actually generated by the solar cell becomes lower than the predicted power generation amount Qses due to sunlight conditions or the like, the amount of stored power Qb of the battery 36 may not reach the target amount of stored power Qbtag by the next scheduled start time tst of traveling. Next, an operation to be executed before starting traveling to more reliably make the amount of stored power Qb of the battery 36 the target amount of stored power Qbtag by the next scheduled start time tst of traveling will be described.

[0027] 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a second processing routine executed before starting traveling by the electronic control unit 70. The second processing routine is executed when the vehicle-side connector 51 and the external power supply-side connector are connected while the vehicle is parked, external charging is permitted, and a predetermined time tref (for example, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 1 hour and 30 minutes, etc.) before the next scheduled time tst to start traveling.

[0028] When the second processing routine is executed, a process is executed to input the current amount of stored power Qb of the battery 36 (step S200). The amount of stored power Qb is a value obtained by converting the power storage ratio SOC calculated based on the integrated value of the current Ib of the battery 36 into the amount of stored power.

[0029] When the stored power amount Qb is input in this manner, it is determined whether the input stored power amount Qb is equal to or greater than the target stored power amount Qbtag (step S210). If the stored power amount Qb is equal to or greater than the target stored power amount Qbtag, the second processing routine is terminated. If the stored power amount Qb is less than the target stored power amount Qbtag, external charging is performed until the stored power amount Qb of the battery 36 reaches the target stored power amount Qbtag (step S220), and the second processing routine is terminated. By performing this processing, even if the first processing routine is executed, if the stored power amount Qb does not reach the target stored power amount Qbtag by the predetermined time tref before the next scheduled start time tst of traveling, the second processing routine can more reliably make the stored power amount Qb of the battery 36 reach the target stored power amount Qbtag by the next scheduled start time tst.

[0030] In a vehicle 20 equipped with the vehicle management device of the embodiment described above, when the vehicle 20 is parked, the target external charging amount Qctag for external charging is set to a value obtained by subtracting the predicted power generation amount Qses of the solar cell up to the next scheduled start time tst of driving from the target storage amount Qbtag of the battery 36 at the next scheduled start time tst of driving, thereby preventing the power generated by the solar cell from being wasted.

[0031] In addition, if the storage amount Qb of the battery 36 has not reached the target storage amount Qbtag by a predetermined time tref before the next scheduled start time tst of driving, external charging is performed so that the storage amount Qb of the battery 36 reaches the target storage amount Qbtag by the next scheduled start time tst, thereby more reliably bringing the storage amount Qb of the battery 36 to the target storage amount Qbtag by the next scheduled start time tst of driving.

[0032] In the vehicle 20 equipped with the vehicle control device of the embodiment, the first processing routine and the second processing routine are executed, but the second processing routine does not have to be executed.

[0033] In a vehicle 20 equipped with the vehicle management device of the embodiment, the first processing routine is executed when the vehicle connector 51 and the external power supply connector are connected while the vehicle is parked and external charging is permitted, and the second processing routine is executed when the vehicle connector 51 and the external power supply connector are connected while the vehicle is parked and external charging is permitted, and a predetermined time tref before the next scheduled start time tst. However, the first and second processing routines may be executed while the vehicle is parked at a first location (predetermined location) where parking is expected to be longer than the predetermined time, and not executed while the vehicle is parked at a second location where parking is expected to be shorter than the predetermined time. Here, the first location may be a location where parking is expected to be relatively long (e.g., two hours or more, three hours or more, four hours or more), such as a home, a hotel, or a storage location for the vehicle 20 when the vehicle 20 is shared by multiple users, such as through car sharing or rental cars. The second location may be a location where the parking time is expected to be relatively short (for example, less than 2 hours, less than 1.5 hours, less than 1 hour, etc.), such as a service area on a highway or a shopping center. In this way, when the vehicle is parked in a location where the amount of power generated by the solar cell until the start of the next trip is small and will hardly contribute to charging the battery 36, it is possible to prevent the first and second processing routines from being executed.

[0034] In a vehicle 20 equipped with the vehicle management device of the embodiment, the first processing routine is executed when the vehicle connector 51 and the external power supply connector are connected while the vehicle is parked and external charging is permitted, and the Qctag is set using the scheduled start time of the next trip at the parking location. However, when parked at the above-mentioned second location (e.g., a charging station), the Qctag may be set using the scheduled start time of the next trip at the first location (e.g., home). This is useful when the second location and the first location are relatively close to each other.

[0035] In the vehicle 20 equipped with the vehicle management device of the embodiment, the battery 36 is used as the power storage device, but instead of this, a capacitor or the like may be used.

[0036] The correspondence between the main elements of the embodiment and the main elements of the invention described in the "Means for Solving the Problem" section will be explained below. In the embodiment, the motor 32 corresponds to the "drive unit," the battery 36 corresponds to the "power storage device," the solar cell system 40 corresponds to the "solar cell system," and the electronic control unit 70 corresponds to the "vehicle management device."

[0037] The correspondence between the main elements of the Examples and the main elements of the invention described in the "Means for Solving the Problem" section does not limit the elements of the invention described in the "Means for Solving the Problem" section, since the Examples are examples for specifically explaining the mode for implementing the invention described in the "Means for Solving the Problem" section. In other words, the interpretation of the invention described in the "Means for Solving the Problem" section should be based on the description in that section, and the Examples are merely specific examples of the invention described in the "Means for Solving the Problem" section.

[0038] The above describes the form for carrying out the present invention using examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples in any way, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be carried out in various forms within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0039] The present invention can be used in the vehicle management device manufacturing industry and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 20 vehicle, 22a, 22b drive wheels, 24 differential gear, 26 drive shaft, 32 motor, 34 inverter, 36 battery, 36a voltage sensor, 36b current sensor, 38 power line, 40 solar cell system, 50 charger, 51 vehicle side connector, 60 navigation device, 70 electronic control unit, 90 information center.

Claims

[Claim 1] A vehicle management device used for a vehicle that includes a drive unit for traveling, a power storage device capable of supplying power to the drive unit, and a solar cell system that generates power using a solar cell and supplies the power to the power storage device, and that is capable of external charging for charging the power storage device with power from outside the vehicle, When the vehicle is parked at a first point where parking for a predetermined time or more is expected, a target external charge amount for the external charging is set to a value obtained by subtracting a predicted amount of power generated by the solar cell up to the next scheduled start time from a target amount of power stored in the power storage device at the next scheduled start time of traveling, and the external charging is performed until the amount of charge by the external charging reaches the target external charge amount, and if the amount of power stored in the power storage device has not reached the target amount of power stored by a predetermined time before the next scheduled start time of traveling, the external charging is performed so that the amount of power stored in the power storage device will reach the target amount of power stored by the next scheduled start time of traveling, When the vehicle is parked at a second point where parking for less than a fixed time is expected, the process of setting the target external charging amount to a value obtained by subtracting the predicted power generation amount of the solar cell up to the scheduled start time of the next travel from the target power storage amount at the next scheduled start time of the travel, and performing the external charging until the charging amount by the external charging reaches the target external charging amount, and the process of performing the external charging so that the power storage amount of the power storage device reaches the target power storage amount by the next scheduled start time when the power storage amount of the power storage device has not reached the target power storage amount by the specified time before the next scheduled start time of the travel, is not performed. Vehicle management device.

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