Fuel efficiency calculation device, operation management system, and program

Abstract

To improve calculation accuracy of fuel amount in a fuel tank of a vehicle or fuel consumption.SOLUTION: A travel management system 1 has a voltage value recording function for recording transition of a voltage value between a fuel sensor 3 in which a resistance value varies depending on increase / decrease of fuel amount of a fuel tank of a vehicle and a battery 4 supplying electric power to the fuel sensor 3. A CPU calculates transition of the fuel amount on the basis of the transition of the voltage value recorded by the voltage value recording function. A voltage value at a point of time when an ignition switch is turned on while oil is not supplied is replaced with a voltage value when the ignition switch is turned off immediately before the point of time, and the voltage value is corrected so that the voltage value linearly shifts from a value after the replacement at the point of time when the ignition switch is turned on to a value when the ignition switch is turned off immediately after the point of time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention , burn The present invention relates to a cost calculation device, an operation management system, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a traffic management device that includes an input interface that branches off and inputs a voltage value input to a vehicle's instrumentation device from a sensor that detects the amount of fuel in the vehicle's fuel tank as a voltage value (see, for example, Patent Document 1). There is also known a fuel indicator that stores the remaining fuel amount (fuel amount) when the ignition switch is turned off, and then switches the display to show the stored remaining fuel amount when the ignition switch is turned on (see, for example, Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5668030 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 60-82927 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a fleet management system that checks the fuel quantity transition by recording the voltage value that changes in response to the change in resistance value of the fuel sensor as the amount of fuel in the vehicle's fuel tank increases or decreases, the voltage value fluctuates according to the battery voltage. Specifically, when the battery temperature is low immediately after the ignition switch is turned on, the battery voltage is lower than after a certain time has elapsed since the ignition switch was turned on, so the voltage value is lower and the fuel quantity is calculated to be overestimated.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention provides a vehicle fuel economy The calculation accuracy can be improved. BurningCost calculation device, operation management system, and program Provide do. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The fuel efficiency calculation device of the present invention has a voltage value recording function for recording the transition of the voltage value between a fuel sensor whose resistance value changes depending on the amount of fuel in a vehicle fuel tank and a battery that supplies power to the fuel sensor. and an ignition recording function that records the mileage from the time the ignition switch is turned on to the time the ignition switch is turned off. Equipped with The voltage value recording function records the transition of the voltage value in association with the mileage. In the operation management system, the voltage value recording function Corresponding to the distance traveled Based on the recorded transition of the voltage value, Corresponding to the mileage Calculate the transition of the fuel amount and calculating the fuel efficiency of the vehicle based on the travel distance and the transition of the fuel amount corresponding to the calculated travel distance. do fuel economy A calculation device that is used when not refueling The aforementioned When the ignition switch is turned on Corresponding to the mileage The voltage value is In terms of mileage The voltage value is replaced with the voltage value at the time when the ignition switch was turned off, and the voltage value is corrected so that the voltage value changes linearly from the replaced value at the time when the ignition switch was turned on to the value at the time when the ignition switch was turned off immediately after that time.

[0008] The operation management system of the present invention has a voltage value recording function that records the transition of the voltage value between a fuel sensor whose resistance value changes depending on the amount of fuel in the vehicle's fuel tank and a battery that supplies power to the fuel sensor. an ignition recording function for recording the mileage from the time the ignition switch is turned on to the time the ignition switch is turned off; Equipped with The voltage value recording function records the transition of the voltage value in association with the mileage. The on-board device and the voltage value recording function Corresponding to the distance traveled Based on the recorded transition of the voltage value, Corresponding to the mileage Calculate the transition of the fuel amount and calculating the fuel efficiency of the vehicle based on the travel distance and the transition of the fuel amount corresponding to the calculated travel distance. do fuel economy A traffic management system including a calculation device, fuel economy The calculation device is The aforementioned When the ignition switch is turned on Corresponding to the mileage The voltage value is In terms of mileageThe voltage value is replaced with the voltage value at the time when the ignition switch was turned off, and the voltage value is corrected so that the voltage value changes linearly from the replaced value at the time when the ignition switch was turned on to the value at the time when the ignition switch was turned off immediately after that time.

[0009] The program of the present invention includes a voltage value recording function for recording the transition of the voltage value between a fuel sensor whose resistance value changes depending on the amount of fuel in a vehicle fuel tank and a battery that supplies power to the fuel sensor. an ignition recording function for recording the mileage from the time the ignition switch is turned on to the time the ignition switch is turned off; Equipped with The voltage value recording function records the transition of the voltage value in association with the mileage. In the operation management system, the voltage value recording function Corresponding to the distance traveled Based on the recorded transition of the voltage value, Corresponding to the mileage Calculate the transition of the fuel amount and calculating the fuel efficiency of the vehicle based on the travel distance and the transition of the fuel amount corresponding to the calculated travel distance. do fuel economy A program for causing a computer to execute a calculation process, fuel economy The calculation process is performed when not refueling. The aforementioned When the ignition switch is turned on Corresponding to the mileage The voltage value is In terms of mileage The process includes replacing the voltage value with the voltage value at the time the ignition switch was turned off, and correcting the voltage value so that the voltage value changes linearly from the replaced value at the time the ignition switch was turned on to the value at the time the ignition switch was turned off immediately after that point. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, the vehicle is not affected by the voltages of the front and rear batteries when the ignition switch is turned on / off. The fuel Costs can be calculated accurately. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram conceptually showing an operation control system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the digital tachograph, the branch unit, the on-board meter, the fuel sensor, and the like shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the functions of the CPU of the digital tachograph and the CPU of the personal computer. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between the travel distance and the amount of fuel when the transition of the amount of fuel in the fuel tank is calculated using the actual measured value of the output voltage Vout as is. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a graph showing the relationship between the travel distance and the amount of fuel when the change in the amount of fuel in the fuel tank is calculated by correcting the actual measured value of the output voltage Vout. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a graph showing a simplified version of the data shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 for comparison purposes. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the fuel consumption calculation process of the CPU of the personal computer shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the process of determining the "non-refueling state" included in the fuel consumption calculation process of the CPU of the personal computer shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The present invention will be described below in accordance with preferred embodiments. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown below and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In addition, in the embodiments shown below, some components are omitted from illustration and description, but for the details of the omitted technologies, publicly known or well-known technologies are applied as appropriate within the scope of not causing any contradictions with the content described below.

[0013] Fig. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a traffic management system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The traffic management system 1 shown in this diagram is a system that manages the operation of vehicles such as trucks and buses using an on-board digital tachograph 10. This traffic management system 1 has a function of calculating the amount of fuel (remaining fuel) in a fuel tank (not shown) of the vehicle.

[0014] The operation management system 1 comprises on-board devices such as a digital tachograph 10 and a branch unit 20, and office equipment such as a recording medium reader / writer 30 and a personal computer 40. The digital tachograph 10 is a digital odometer mounted on a vehicle subject to operation management, and records information such as the vehicle's speed, travel time, travel distance, and fuel amount on a recording medium M such as a memory card. In particular, in this embodiment, the digital tachograph 10 measures a voltage value (output voltage V , described later) according to the change in the amount of fuel in the fuel tank. out ) is recorded on the recording medium M.

[0015] A vehicle equipped with the digital tachograph 10 includes an on-board meter 2, a fuel sensor 3, and a battery 4. The on-board meter 2 includes a fuel gauge 21. The fuel sensor 3 is a resistor provided in the fuel tank and functions as a variable resistor whose resistance value changes depending on the amount of fuel in the fuel tank. The battery 4 supplies power to the on-board meter 2, the fuel sensor 3, the branching unit 20, the digital tachograph 10, etc.

[0016] 2 is a diagram showing the digital tachograph 10, branch unit 20, on-board meter 2, fuel sensor 3, etc. shown in FIG. 1. As shown in this figure, on-board meter 2 includes the above-mentioned fuel gauge 21, CPU (Central Processing Unit) 22, and internal circuits 23, 24, and 25. Battery 4 is connected to internal circuit 23. Fuel sensor 3 and internal circuit 24 are connected in parallel to internal circuit 23, and CPU 22 and internal circuit 25 are connected in parallel to internal circuit 24.

[0017] The internal circuit 23 and the fuel sensor 3 form a voltage dividing circuit, and the internal circuit 24 and the internal circuit 25 form a voltage dividing circuit. The input voltage V in is the voltage of the battery 4, and the output voltage V out is expressed by the following equation (1). V out =(R2 / (R1+R2))×V in …(1) Here, R1 is the resistance value of the internal circuit 23, and R2 is the resistance value of the fuel sensor 3.

[0018] The voltage dividing circuit formed by the internal circuit 24 and the internal circuit 25 has an output voltage V out The output voltage V of the voltage divider circuit formed by the internal circuit 24 and the internal circuit 25 is out ' is expressed by the following equation (2). V out '=(R4 / (R3+R4))×V out …(2) Here, R3 is the resistance value of the internal circuit 24, and R4 is the resistance value of the internal circuit 25.

[0019] As the amount of fuel in the fuel tank increases, the resistance value R2 of the fuel sensor 3 decreases, and the output voltage V of the voltage divider circuit including the fuel sensor 3 decreases. out As a result, the output voltage V out Conversely, as the amount of fuel in the fuel tank decreases, the resistance value R2 of the fuel sensor 3 increases, and the output voltage V of the voltage divider circuit including the fuel sensor 3 decreases. out rises, and as a result, the output voltage V out ' rises.

[0020] The CPU 22 receives the output voltage V of the voltage divider circuit formed by the internal circuits 24 and 25. out The CPU 22 receives the input output voltage V out In response to the command, the CPU 22 calculates the amount of fuel in the fuel tank and transmits it to the fuel gauge 21. The fuel gauge 21 displays the amount of fuel calculated by the CPU 22.

[0021] The branch unit 20 is connected between the internal circuit 23 and the fuel sensor 3, and outputs an output voltage V outThe branching unit 20 is provided with a voltage dividing / impedance conversion circuit (not shown) and performs impedance matching between the input side and the output side. The output terminal of the branching unit 20 is connected to the input terminal of the digital tachograph 10, and the digital tachograph 10 receives an output voltage V out is entered.

[0022] The digital tachograph 10 receives an output voltage V out The device has a recording function for recording various information such as the above, and is provided with a recording medium M such as a memory card for realizing the recording function, and a slot (not shown) into which the recording medium M can be attached and detached.

[0023] The digital tachograph 10 receives an output voltage V from the branch unit 20 every time the vehicle ignition switch (not shown) is turned on / off. out The digital tachograph 10 records the output voltage V in association with the vehicle's mileage. An ignition switch on / off signal is input to the digital tachograph 10 from an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) (not shown) of the vehicle. Each time an ignition switch on / off signal is input, the digital tachograph 10 generates an output voltage V out are recorded in a recording medium M in association with the vehicle's travel distance and the timing of turning on / off the ignition switch.

[0024] The recording medium reader / writer 30 shown in Fig. 1 reads out various information recorded on a recording medium M. The output voltage V out The PC 40 analyzes various pieces of information such as the above, and the analysis results are displayed on the monitor. In particular, in this embodiment, the PC 40 calculates the transition of the fuel amount in the fuel tank. Specifically, the PC 40 calculates the output voltage V out Based on information on the vehicle's travel distance and the timing of the vehicle's ignition switch being turned on and off, the transition in the amount of fuel in the fuel tank corresponding to the vehicle's travel distance can be calculated and displayed on the monitor.

[0025] Here, the resistance value R2 of the fuel sensor 3, the circuit configuration of the on-board meter 2, the capacity of the fuel tank, etc. differ depending on the model and type of vehicle. Therefore, the output voltage V out The output voltage V is different for each vehicle model and type. In addition, when the digital tachograph 10 is retrofitted to a vehicle, it is not possible to make the fuel tank full or empty. Therefore, when the digital tachograph 10 is installed, it is necessary to calculate the output voltage V when the fuel amount is full and when the fuel amount is empty. out cannot be measured.

[0026] Therefore, in the operation control system 1 of this embodiment, the output voltage V in each state of the fuel amount full and the fuel amount empty is set for each vehicle model and type. out , and the capacity value of the fuel tank are acquired in advance. Then, the personal computer 40 acquires the output voltages V corresponding to the pre-recorded Full and Empty states. out , and the capacity value of the fuel tank, the output voltage V detected by the branching unit 20 out The fuel amount is calculated based on the

[0027] 3 is a block diagram showing the functions of the CPU 11 of the digital tachograph 10 and the CPU 41 of the personal computer 40. As shown in this figure, the CPU 11 of the digital tachograph 10 includes an information acquisition unit 111, a travel distance calculation unit 112, and a recording unit 113. The functional units of the CPU 11 operate according to a program stored in a memory (not shown). The information acquisition unit 111 acquires an output voltage V out Various information such as the timing of turning the ignition switch on / off and vehicle speed is obtained from the vehicle's ECU.

[0028] When the information acquisition unit 111 acquires a signal instructing the start of operation management, the mileage calculation unit 112 calculates the mileage from the traveling information such as the vehicle speed acquired by the information acquisition unit 111. The recording unit 113 records the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 111 and the information on the mileage calculated by the mileage calculation unit 112 on the recording medium M. Specifically, when the information acquisition unit 111 acquires a signal instructing the start of operation management, the recording unit 113 records the output voltage V acquired by the information acquisition unit 111 out The timing of turning on / off the ignition switch is recorded on the recording medium M in association with the traveled distance calculated by the traveled distance calculation unit 112.

[0029] The CPU 41 of the personal computer 40 includes an information acquisition unit 411, a fuel amount calculation unit 412, and a data creation unit 413. The functional units of the CPU 41 operate in accordance with a program stored in a memory (not shown). The information acquisition unit 411 acquires the output voltage V out The information associating the timing of turning on / off the ignition switch with the distance traveled is obtained from the recording medium reader / writer 30.

[0030] The fuel amount calculation unit 412 outputs an output voltage V out and the amount of fuel, and the output voltage V out The data creating unit 413 creates fuel data that indicates the relationship between the fuel amount calculated by the fuel amount calculating unit 412 and the travel distance, that is, the transition of the fuel amount according to the travel distance.

[0031] Here, shortly after the ignition switch is turned on, the temperature of the battery 4 is low and the voltage of the battery 4 (input voltage V in) The output voltage V of the voltage divider circuit including the fuel sensor 3 becomes low. out is affected by the voltage fluctuation of the battery 4. Specifically, this output voltage V outWhen the voltage of the battery 4 is relatively low, the output voltage V out If the fuel amount in the fuel tank is calculated using this without correction, the calculated fuel amount in the fuel tank will be excessive.

[0032] Figure 4 shows the output voltage V out This graph shows the relationship between the distance traveled [km] and the amount of fuel [L] when the actual measured values ​​of the fuel amount in the fuel tank are used to calculate the change in the amount of fuel in the fuel tank. In order to obtain the data shown in this graph, an actual vehicle was driven and the output voltage V out was measured and recorded on a recording medium M by a digital tachograph 10.

[0033] As shown in this graph, the output voltage V out If the actual measured value of the fuel amount in the fuel tank is used as is to calculate the change in the fuel amount, the fuel amount will be calculated as being too large when the ignition switch is turned on. Also, the fuel amount between the time when the ignition switch is turned on and the time when the ignition switch is next turned off will be calculated as being too large.

[0034] Therefore, in the operation control system 1 of this embodiment, the fuel amount calculation unit 412 calculates the output voltage V out The output voltage V when the ignition switch is turned off with the same mileage as that time out Then, the fuel amount calculation unit 412 calculates the output voltage V between the time when the ignition switch is turned on and the time when the ignition switch is turned off next time. out Specifically, the fuel amount calculation unit 412 corrects the replaced output voltage V out and the output voltage V when the ignition switch is turned off next time. out The output voltage V out Correct the following.

[0035] In the graph of Figure 4, even when no fuel is being refueled, the fuel quantity at the time the ignition switch is turned off may exceed the fuel quantity at the time the ignition switch was turned off immediately before that time. This phenomenon occurs due to the output voltage V out The output voltage V out The fluctuation of the output voltage V due to the voltage fluctuation of the battery 4 can be exemplified by the fact that the fuel in the fuel tank tilts when the vehicle is parked on a slope, causing the resistance value of the fuel sensor 3 to fluctuate. out An example of such a fluctuation is a voltage fluctuation of the battery 3 that occurs when the ignition switch is repeatedly turned on and off in a short period of time.

[0036] Therefore, in the driving management system 1 of this embodiment, the fuel amount calculation unit 412 turns on / off the ignition switch when no refueling is performed, and calculates the output voltage V out is the output voltage V at the time the ignition switch was turned off immediately before that point (the previous time it was turned off). out Then, the fuel amount calculation unit 412 determines whether the output voltage V out is the output voltage V at the time of the previous off out If the output voltage V out the output voltage V out Replace with.

[0037] Furthermore, the fuel amount calculation unit 412 calculates the output voltage V based on vehicle tilt information transmitted from a detection unit (not shown) that detects the vehicle tilt angle, such as an acceleration sensor (not shown). out Correct the following.

[0038] Figure 5 shows the output voltage V outThis graph shows the relationship between the distance traveled [km] and the amount of fuel [L] when the actual measured value of the fuel tank is corrected to calculate the change in the amount of fuel in the fuel tank. In order to obtain the data shown in this graph, an actual vehicle was driven and the output voltage V out was measured and recorded on a recording medium M by a digital tachograph 10.

[0039] As shown in this graph, the output voltage V out When the actual measured value is corrected as described above to calculate the amount of fuel in the fuel tank, the amount of fuel at the time the ignition switch is turned on is calculated correctly, and the amount of fuel between the time the ignition switch is turned on and the time the ignition switch is turned off before and after is calculated correctly.

[0040] In addition, the output voltage V out The amount of fuel at the time the ignition switch is turned off is calculated appropriately regardless of fluctuations in the amount of fuel. Also, the amount of fuel between the time the ignition switch is turned off and the time the ignition switch is turned on before and after the time is calculated appropriately.

[0041] 6 is a graph showing a simplified version of the data shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 for comparison purposes. As shown in this graph, the output voltage V out The fuel amount calculated using the actual measured value of is overestimated starting from the point of time when the ignition switch is turned on / off. In contrast, the corrected output voltage V out The fuel amount (corrected value) calculated using the formula (1) is calculated appropriately without being affected by voltage fluctuations of the battery 4 when the ignition switch is turned on.

[0042] Also, the output voltage V out The fuel amount calculated using the actual measured value of the output voltage Vout In contrast, the corrected output voltage V out The fuel amount (corrected value) calculated using the above is adjusted based on the output voltage V out It is calculated appropriately without being affected by fluctuations in the

[0043] 7 is a flowchart showing the fuel consumption calculation process of the CPU 41 of the personal computer 40 shown in FIG. 3. The process shown in this flowchart calculates the output voltage V out This is a correction process.

[0044] In step S1, the fuel amount calculation unit 412 (see FIG. 3) determines whether or not fuel was supplied between the time the ignition switch was turned off and the time it was turned on. For example, the fuel amount calculation unit 412 determines whether or not fuel was supplied between the time the ignition switch was turned on and the time it was turned off, based on whether or not the amount of fuel for the same travel distance increases by a threshold value or more. If a positive determination is made in step S1, the process proceeds to step S2, and if a negative determination is made in step S1, the process proceeds to step S3. out The process ends without performing the correction.

[0045] In step S2, the fuel amount calculation unit 412 calculates the output voltage V out is the output voltage V at the time the ignition switch was turned off immediately before that point (the previous time it was turned off). out Here, it is determined whether the output voltage V out is the output V at the time of the previous off out If lower, the output voltage V out If the correction is not performed, the fuel amount at the time of the current off-time will be calculated to be greater than the fuel amount at the time of the previous off-time, even though refueling has not occurred. If the determination in step S2 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S3, and if the determination in step S2 is negative, the process proceeds to step S4.

[0046] In step S3, the fuel amount calculation unit 412 calculates the output voltage V out the output voltage V out As a result, the fuel amount at the time of the current off state is calculated to be equal to the fuel amount at the time of the previous off state. out the output voltage V out The output voltage V after the replacement at the time of this off out The process proceeds from step S3 to step S4.

[0047] In step S4, the fuel amount calculation unit 412 calculates the output voltage V out is the output voltage V when the ignition switch is turned off (OFF point) for the same driving distance. out Here, it is determined whether the output voltage V out The output voltage V out If lower, the output voltage V out If the correction is not performed, the fuel amount at the time of ON will be calculated as being greater than the fuel amount at the time of OFF, even though no fuel has been supplied. If a positive determination is made in step S4, the process proceeds to step S5, and if a negative determination is made in step S4, the process proceeds to step S6.

[0048] In step S5, the fuel amount calculation unit 412 calculates the output voltage V out output voltage V out The process proceeds from step S5 to step S6.

[0049] In step S6, the fuel amount calculation unit 412 determines whether the vehicle tilt angle is greater than a threshold value based on the vehicle tilt information from the time the ignition switch is turned off to the time it is turned on. If a positive determination is made in step S6, the process proceeds to step S7. If a negative determination is made in step S6, the process proceeds to step S8. out The correction process is then completed.

[0050] In step S7, the fuel amount calculation unit 412 calculates the output voltage V at the off time and the on time according to the tilt angle of the vehicle. out The output voltage V out The correction process is completed, and the fuel amount calculation unit 412 outputs the corrected output voltage V out The transition of the fuel amount (i.e., fuel efficiency) is calculated based on the transition of the fuel amount.

[0051] As described above, in the operation control system 1 of this embodiment, the fuel amount calculation unit 412 (see FIG. 3) of the PC 40 calculates the output voltage V out is the output voltage V at the time the ignition switch was turned off immediately before that time. out Then, the fuel amount calculation unit 412 replaces the output voltage V out The output voltage V is set so that it changes linearly from the value after substitution when the ignition switch is turned on to the value when the ignition switch is turned off immediately after that point. out This allows the fuel amount calculation unit 412 to properly calculate the amount of fuel without being affected by voltage fluctuations in the battery 4 before and after the ignition switch is turned on and off. Therefore, the transition of the fuel efficiency of the vehicle subject to operation management can be properly calculated.

[0052] In the driving control system 1 of this embodiment, the fuel amount calculation unit 412 calculates the output voltage V out is the output voltage V at the time the ignition switch was turned off immediately before that point. out Then, the output voltage V out is the output voltage V at the time the ignition switch was turned off immediately before that point. out If the fuel amount calculation unit 412 determines that the output voltage V out is the output voltage V at the time the ignition switch was turned off immediately before that time. outFurthermore, the fuel amount calculation unit 412 calculates the output voltage V so that it linearly changes from the value at the time when the ignition switch was turned off immediately before the current time to the substituted value at the current time. out As a result, the fuel amount calculation unit 412 corrects the output voltage V out Therefore, the fuel consumption of the vehicle under operational management can be calculated appropriately without being affected by fluctuations in the fuel consumption.

[0053] In the driving control system 1 of this embodiment, the recording unit 113 (see FIG. 3) of the digital tachograph 10 records the travel distance corresponding to the time when the ignition switch is turned on and the time when the ignition switch is turned off, and also records the output voltage V out The fuel amount calculation unit 412 of the personal computer 40 records the output voltage V corresponding to the distance traveled at the time the ignition switch is turned on, which is recorded by the recording unit 113. out The output voltage V out As a result, when calculating fuel efficiency on the PC 40 serving as the rear support terminal, the correspondence information between the time when the ignition switch is turned on / off and the distance traveled can be obtained, and the amount of fuel at the time when the ignition switch is turned on / off can be appropriately corrected.

[0054] 8 is a flowchart showing the process of determining the "non-refueling state" included in the fuel consumption calculation process of the CPU 41 of the personal computer 40 shown in FIG. 3. The process shown in this flowchart is a process of determining the output voltage V out In particular, the process of determining whether the vehicle is in a "non-refueling state" corresponds to the process of determining step S1 in the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0055] When the ignition switch is turned off, the determination process starts. First, in step S11, the fuel amount calculation unit 412 (see FIG. 3) calculates the output voltage V out Next, in step S12, fuel amount calculation unit 412 determines whether the ignition switch is turned on. Step S12 is repeated while a negative determination is made in step S12, and the process proceeds to step S13 when a positive determination is made in step S12.

[0056] In step S13, the fuel amount calculation unit 412 calculates the output voltage V out Next, in step S14, the fuel amount calculation unit 412 records the output voltage V out and the output voltage V when the ignition switch is turned off. out Difference ΔV out Next, in step S15, the fuel amount calculation unit 412 calculates the difference ΔV out is less than a threshold value V0 expressed by the following equation (3). V0=(V Empty -V Full ) × α …(3) However, V Full is the output voltage V when the fuel tank is full out and V Empty is the output voltage V when the fuel tank is empty out where α is a coefficient greater than 0 and less than 1.

[0057] α is set appropriately as a threshold value for determining the "non-refueling state", and may be set in the range of 0.1 to 0.3, for example. When α is set to 0.2, V Full =0.1V, V Empty = 1.0V, V0 = 0.18V, and the difference ΔV out If the voltage is less than 0.18V, a "non-refueling state" is determined.

[0058] If the determination in step S15 is affirmative, the output voltage V out If the determination in step S15 is negative, the output voltage V out The process ends without performing the correction.

[0059] This allows the process of determining the "non-refueled state" to be executed reliably regardless of the type of vehicle or the capacity of the fuel tank, thereby improving the accuracy of fuel efficiency calculation.

[0060] The present invention has been described above based on the embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and modifications may be made within the scope of the spirit of the present invention, and publicly known or well-known technologies may be combined as appropriate.

[0061] For example, in the above embodiment, the output voltage V out The transition of the output voltage V out The transition of the fuel consumption may be recorded in the recording medium M in association with the running time, and the fuel amount corresponding to the running time may be calculated.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the CPU 41 as the fuel amount calculation device is provided in the personal computer 40, but it may also be provided in the digital tachograph 10 or the server. Furthermore, the digital tachograph 10 and the personal computer 40 may be configured to be able to communicate with each other via the server. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 1 : Traffic management system 3 :Fuel sensor 4 : Battery 10 :Digital tachograph (on-board unit) 40 : Personal computer (rear support terminal, computer) 41 :CPU (fuel amount calculation device, fuel consumption calculation device) M : Recording medium R2: Resistance value V out : Output voltage (voltage value, value) V Empty : Output voltage (voltage value when the fuel tank is empty) V Full : Output voltage (voltage value when the fuel tank is full) V0 : Threshold (difference) ΔV out :Difference α :coefficient

Claims

1. A fuel efficiency calculation device for a vehicle operation management system including a voltage value recording function for recording a transition in a voltage value between a fuel sensor whose resistance value changes depending on an increase or decrease in the amount of fuel in a fuel tank of a vehicle and a battery that supplies power to the fuel sensor, and an ignition recording function for recording a mileage from a time when an ignition switch is turned on to a time when the ignition switch is turned off, wherein the voltage value recording function records the transition in the voltage value in association with the mileage, the fuel efficiency calculation device calculates a transition in the amount of fuel corresponding to the mileage based on the transition in the voltage value recorded by the voltage value recording function in association with the mileage, and calculates the fuel efficiency of the vehicle based on the transition in the amount of fuel corresponding to the calculated mileage and the mileage, The voltage value corresponding to the mileage at the time when the ignition switch is turned on during non-refueling is replaced with the voltage value at the time when the ignition switch is turned off for the mileage, A fuel efficiency calculation device that corrects the voltage value so that the voltage value changes linearly from the replaced value at the time the ignition switch is turned on to the value at the time the ignition switch is turned off immediately after that time.

2. When the voltage value at the time when the ignition switch is turned off during non-refueling is lower than the voltage value at the time when the ignition switch was turned off immediately before the time, the voltage value at the time is replaced with the voltage value at the time when the ignition switch was turned off immediately before the time, 2. The fuel efficiency calculation device according to claim 1, wherein the voltage value is corrected so that the voltage value changes linearly from the value at the time when the ignition switch was turned off immediately before the time to the replaced value at the time.

3. The difference ΔV between the voltage value at the time when the ignition switch is turned off and the voltage value at the time when the ignition switch is turned on immediately after that time ｏｕｔ The difference ΔV between the voltage value when the fuel tank is full and the voltage value when the fuel tank is empty ｏｕｔ 3. The fuel efficiency calculation device according to claim 1, wherein the non-refueling state is determined when the fuel consumption is less than a value obtained by multiplying the fuel consumption by a coefficient greater than 0 and less than 1.

4. an on-board device having a voltage value recording function for recording a transition of a voltage value between a fuel sensor whose resistance value changes depending on an increase or decrease in the amount of fuel in a fuel tank of a vehicle and a battery that supplies power to the fuel sensor, and an ignition recording function for recording a mileage from a time when an ignition switch is turned on to a time when the ignition switch is turned off, the voltage value recording function recording the transition of the voltage value in association with the mileage; a fuel efficiency calculation device that calculates a transition of the fuel amount corresponding to the traveled distance based on the transition of the voltage value recorded by the voltage value recording function in association with the traveled distance, and calculates the fuel efficiency of the vehicle based on the transition of the fuel amount corresponding to the calculated traveled distance and the traveled distance; A traffic management system comprising: The fuel efficiency calculation device The voltage value corresponding to the mileage at the time when the ignition switch is turned on during non-refueling is replaced with the voltage value at the time when the ignition switch is turned off for the mileage, A traffic management system that corrects the voltage value so that the voltage value changes linearly from the replaced value at the time the ignition switch is turned on to the value at the time the ignition switch is turned off immediately after that time.

5. 5. The operation management system according to claim 4, wherein the fuel efficiency calculation device is provided in a rear support terminal to which the information recorded in the vehicle-mounted device can be input via a recording medium or communication.

6. In an operation management system including a voltage value recording function for recording a transition in a voltage value between a fuel sensor whose resistance value changes depending on an increase or decrease in the amount of fuel in a fuel tank of a vehicle and a battery that supplies power to the fuel sensor, and an ignition recording function for recording a mileage from a time when an ignition switch is turned on to a time when the ignition switch is turned off, the voltage value recording function records the transition in the voltage value in association with the mileage, the program causing a computer to execute a fuel efficiency calculation process that calculates a transition in the amount of fuel corresponding to the mileage based on the transition in the voltage value recorded by the voltage value recording function in association with the mileage, and calculates the fuel efficiency of the vehicle based on the transition in the amount of fuel corresponding to the calculated mileage and the mileage, The fuel efficiency calculation process The voltage value corresponding to the mileage at the time when the ignition switch is turned on during non-refueling is replaced with the voltage value at the time when the ignition switch is turned off for the mileage, A program including a process for correcting the voltage value so that the voltage value changes linearly from the replaced value at the time the ignition switch is turned on to the value at the time the ignition switch is turned off immediately after that time.

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