Vehicle testing system, vehicle testing method, and vehicle testing program

Abstract

This vehicle testing system comprises: a first output pattern acquiring unit that acquires, as a first output pattern, travel data when a target vehicle travels in a prescribed environment; a second output pattern acquiring unit that acquires, as a second output pattern, travel data when a traveling vehicle travels along a prescribed travel route; a data acquiring unit that acquires, from the first output pattern, a plurality of items of similar data and a plurality of items of instantaneous energy consumption data; and a calculating unit that adds up a plurality of instantaneous energy consumptions to calculate a total energy consumption when the target vehicle is assumed to travel along the prescribed travel route.

Description

Vehicle testing system, vehicle testing method, and vehicle testing program

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle testing system, a vehicle testing method, and a vehicle testing program.

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been proposed a road test device for testing a vehicle by running the vehicle on a road such as a public road (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-1171

[0004] In a vehicle road test, the vehicle's electricity consumption or fuel economy (hereinafter also referred to as "electricity consumption, etc.") is measured based on the amount of energy consumed (e.g., power consumption or fuel consumption) while the vehicle is running. Here, electricity consumption, etc. varies depending on the conditions under which the vehicle is running (e.g., road conditions, etc.). Therefore, in order to determine electricity consumption, etc. that are appropriate for the running conditions, it is necessary to actually run the vehicle to be tested (hereinafter also referred to as "target vehicle") at the location (site) where electricity consumption, etc. is to be determined, and measure the energy consumption. However, this method requires transporting the target vehicle to the site, which requires labor, cost, and time. In particular, when measuring electricity consumption, etc. while running on roads overseas, it is necessary to transport the target vehicle to the overseas site, which increases the labor cost, etc.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a vehicle testing device, a vehicle testing method, and a vehicle testing program that can calculate and estimate the energy consumption that would be incurred if a vehicle to be tested were to be run on site, without actually transporting the vehicle to the site and running it, thereby reducing the labor, cost, and time required for vehicle running tests.

[0006] A vehicle testing device according to one aspect of the present invention is a vehicle testing system that estimates the energy consumption of a target vehicle when it is assumed that the target vehicle has traveled a predetermined driving route, and includes: a first output pattern acquisition unit that acquires driving data when the target vehicle has traveled in a predetermined environment as a first output pattern; a second output pattern acquisition unit that acquires driving data when a driving vehicle has traveled the predetermined driving route as a second output pattern; a data acquisition unit that acquires from the first output pattern a plurality of similar data that are each similar to a plurality of instantaneous data included in the second output pattern, and acquires a plurality of instantaneous energy consumption data associated with each of the plurality of similar data; and a calculation unit that calculates the total energy consumption when it is assumed that the target vehicle has traveled the predetermined driving route by adding up the instantaneous energy consumption indicated by each of the plurality of instantaneous energy consumption data.

[0007] A vehicle testing method according to another aspect of the present invention is a vehicle testing method for estimating the energy consumption of a target vehicle when it is assumed that the target vehicle has traveled a predetermined driving route, and includes a first output pattern acquisition step of acquiring driving data when the target vehicle has traveled in a predetermined environment as a first output pattern, a second output pattern acquisition step of acquiring driving data when a driving vehicle has traveled the predetermined driving route as a second output pattern, a data acquisition step of acquiring from the first output pattern a plurality of similar data that are each similar to a plurality of instantaneous data included in the second output pattern and acquiring a plurality of instantaneous energy consumption data associated with each of the plurality of similar data, and a calculation step of calculating the total energy consumption when it is assumed that the target vehicle has traveled the predetermined driving route by adding up the instantaneous energy consumption indicated by each of the plurality of instantaneous energy consumption data.

[0008] A vehicle test program according to yet another aspect of the present invention is a vehicle test program for causing a computer to execute a vehicle test method for estimating the energy consumption of a target vehicle when it is assumed that the target vehicle has traveled a predetermined driving route, the vehicle test program causing a computer to execute the following steps: a first output pattern acquisition step for acquiring driving data when the target vehicle has traveled in a predetermined environment as a first output pattern; a second output pattern acquisition step for acquiring driving data when a driving vehicle has traveled the predetermined driving route as a second output pattern; a data acquisition step for acquiring from the first output pattern a plurality of similar data that are each similar to a plurality of instantaneous data included in the second output pattern and acquiring a plurality of instantaneous energy consumption data associated with each of the plurality of similar data; and a calculation step for calculating the total energy consumption when it is assumed that the target vehicle has traveled the predetermined driving route by adding up the instantaneous energy consumption indicated by each of the plurality of instantaneous energy consumption data.

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to calculate and estimate the energy consumption of a target vehicle when it is hypothesized to be running at a site, without actually transporting the target vehicle to the site and running it, thereby reducing the man-hours, costs, and time required for vehicle running tests.

[0010] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle testing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of scatter data of instantaneous speed and acceleration of a target vehicle. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of scatter data and incidental data constituting a first output pattern when the target vehicle is an electric vehicle. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a map including a predetermined driving route along which a traveling vehicle travels. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of scatter data of instantaneous speed and acceleration of the traveling vehicle. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of operations according to a vehicle testing method using the vehicle testing system. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a similarity range of instantaneous data of the traveling vehicle. FIG. 7 is a graph showing changes in integrated power consumption. FIG. 8 is a graph showing example altitude data when the traveling vehicle travels a predetermined driving route. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of operations according to the vehicle testing method when the target vehicle is a gasoline-powered vehicle. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing examples of scatter data and incidental data constituting a first output pattern of the target vehicle which is a gasoline-powered vehicle. FIG. 11 is a graph showing changes in outside air temperature when the target vehicle is traveling in a predetermined environment. FIG. 12 is a graph showing changes in engine oil temperature when the target vehicle is traveling in a predetermined environment. FIG. 13 is a graph showing changes in integrated fuel consumption.

[0011] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] 1. Configuration of the Vehicle Testing System FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the general configuration of a vehicle testing system 1 according to this embodiment. The vehicle testing system 1 is a system that estimates the energy consumption of a target vehicle to be tested when the target vehicle is assumed to travel a predetermined travel route. The vehicle testing method according to this embodiment is a method for estimating the energy consumption of the target vehicle. Hereinafter, in order to clearly distinguish between the target vehicle and a running vehicle described below, in this embodiment, the target vehicle will also be referred to as a "target vehicle A," and the running vehicle will also be referred to as a "running vehicle B."

[0013] Here, as an example, the target vehicle A, i.e., the vehicle for which energy consumption is to be estimated, is an electric vehicle (EV) equipped with a secondary battery such as a lithium-ion battery (hereinafter simply referred to as a battery). Note that the target vehicle A may be a vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine (ICE), a vehicle equipped with both a battery and an engine (a hybrid vehicle), or a vehicle equipped with a fuel cell. The above energy consumption is, for example, the amount of power consumption in a vehicle equipped with a battery, the amount of fuel consumption in a vehicle equipped with an engine, and the amount of hydrogen consumption in a vehicle equipped with a fuel cell.

[0014] The vehicle testing system 1 is configured with an information processing device such as a personal computer, and includes a storage unit 2, a communication unit 3, a display unit 4, an input unit 5, and a control unit 6.

[0015] (1-1. Storage Unit) The storage unit 2 is a memory that stores various types of data, and may be configured, for example, with a hard disk, an SSD (Solid State Drive), an optical disk, a magnetic disk, or a non-volatile memory. The storage unit 2 includes a first output pattern storage unit 21, a second output pattern storage unit 22, and a program storage unit 23. The program storage unit 23 stores an operating program for operating the control unit 6.

[0016] The first output pattern storage unit 21 stores a first output pattern. The first output pattern is information (driving data) output from the target vehicle A when the target vehicle A drives in a predetermined environment. The predetermined environment in which the target vehicle A drives is, for example, an ordinary road (e.g., a public road). The predetermined environment refers to an environment in which conditions may change when the vehicle drives. Possible conditions include, for example, the inclination (gradient) of the road on which the vehicle drives, the temperature (outside air temperature) and / or pressure (air pressure) around the vehicle when driving. The predetermined environment may also be a road prepared for a driving test (a so-called test course).

[0017] The first output pattern includes various pieces of information acquired by various sensors of the target vehicle A when the target vehicle A travels through the above environment. For example, the first output pattern includes data on the instantaneous speed and acceleration when the target vehicle A travels through the above environment.

[0018] 2 shows an example of scatter data of the instantaneous speed and acceleration of the target vehicle A. Each point shown in FIG. 2 indicates the speed and acceleration at any instant while the target vehicle A is traveling. In other words, each point in FIG. 2 corresponds to the speed and acceleration at each sampling timing when the speed and acceleration information output from the target vehicle A is sampled at a predetermined period (e.g., 1 / 100 sec). A first output pattern including such scatter data is stored in the first output pattern storage unit 21. Note that, instead of the above scatter data obtained by sampling, unsampled data, i.e., data (graphs) in which the speed and acceleration change continuously over time, may be stored in the first output pattern storage unit 21.

[0019] In addition to the scatter data, the first output pattern storage unit 21 also stores auxiliary data. The auxiliary data is data that is associated with (linked to) each point of the scatter data. The auxiliary data may also be data that may be a factor that affects the energy consumption of the target vehicle A.

[0020] 3 shows an example of the scatter data and the auxiliary data constituting the first output pattern. As shown in the figure, the auxiliary data includes information on the instantaneous input / output power of the battery installed in the target vehicle A. The auxiliary data may include information on the instantaneous inclination (gradient) of the road on which the target vehicle A traveled, the instantaneous state of charge (SOC) of the battery, and / or the instantaneous temperature of the battery.

[0021] Note that the instantaneous input / output power of the battery multiplied by time (e.g., the sampling period) equals the instantaneous power consumption of the battery. Therefore, if the sampling period is constant (known), the information on the instantaneous input / output power of the battery is included in the first output pattern, and thus it can be considered that the information on the instantaneous power consumption of the battery is included in the first output pattern. Incidentally, the input / output power of the battery is calculated by multiplying the input or output current by the voltage. Furthermore, the input power of the battery may include power generated by regeneration during vehicle deceleration.

[0022] The above-mentioned information on the road inclination may be obtained by an inclination sensor or a G sensor (acceleration sensor) mounted on the target vehicle A, or may be obtained based on the instantaneous travel distance and change in altitude of the target vehicle A. The change in altitude can be detected, for example, by an altitude sensor (e.g., a GPS sensor) mounted on the target vehicle A.

[0023] Here, the instantaneous speed of the target vehicle A while it is traveling is v (m / s), and the instantaneous acceleration is a (m / s 2 ), the instantaneous input / output power of the battery is P (W), the instantaneous slope of the road is θ (rad), and the instantaneous SOC of the battery is S OC (%) and the instantaneous temperature of the battery is T (°C). When the timing of sampling of various information output from the target vehicle A is tn (n=1, 2, ..., m), the input / output power P (or power consumption) of the battery at any timing tk (k is any integer from 1 to m) is calculated by the speed v and acceleration a at the timing tk and the parameters (θ, S OC , T). That is, the input / output power P of the battery at any timing tk reflects the parameters included in the auxiliary data.

[0024] The first output pattern may include, as auxiliary data, information about other vehicle conditions, such as the number of occupants in the target vehicle A, the air conditioner usage status (on / off), the outside temperature, and / or the air pressure.

[0025] 1 stores a second output pattern. The second output pattern is information (driving data) output from the driving vehicle B when the driving vehicle B drives a predetermined driving route. Here, the driving vehicle B is a vehicle different from the target vehicle A. For example, if the target vehicle A is an electric vehicle, the driving vehicle B may be a gasoline vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or an electric vehicle of the same model as the target vehicle A but a different model.

[0026] The predetermined driving route refers to a driving route (road) along which it is desired to estimate the energy consumption (e.g., power consumption) of the target vehicle A while it is traveling. FIG. 4 schematically shows a map including the predetermined driving route along which the traveling vehicle B travels. Here, it is assumed that the road R from the start (S) to the goal (G) on the map in FIG. 4 is the predetermined driving route. There are no particular restrictions on the predetermined driving route, as long as it is a route along which the traveling vehicle B can actually travel. Therefore, the predetermined driving route may be a road within Japan or a road overseas.

[0027] The second output pattern includes various information acquired by various sensors of the traveling vehicle B when the traveling vehicle B travels along a predetermined traveling route. For example, the second output pattern includes data on the instantaneous speed and acceleration when the traveling vehicle B travels along the predetermined traveling route.

[0028] FIG. 5 shows an example of scatter data of the instantaneous speed and acceleration of the running vehicle B. Each point shown in FIG. 5 indicates the speed and acceleration at any instant while the running vehicle B is running. In other words, each point in FIG. 5 corresponds to the speed and acceleration at each sampling timing when the speed and acceleration information output from the running vehicle B is sampled at a predetermined period (e.g., 1 / 100 sec). A second output pattern including such scatter data is stored in the second output pattern storage unit 22. Note that, instead of the above-mentioned scatter data obtained by sampling, data without sampling, i.e., data (graphs) in which the speed and acceleration change continuously over time, may be stored in the second output pattern storage unit 22.

[0029] The second output pattern desirably includes information about the instantaneous inclination of the road on which the traveling vehicle B has traveled. The inclination information may be obtained by an inclination sensor or G sensor mounted on the traveling vehicle B, or may be obtained based on the instantaneous travel distance and the amount of change in altitude of the traveling vehicle B. The amount of change in altitude can be detected, for example, by an altitude sensor (e.g., a GPS sensor) mounted on the traveling vehicle B. The inclination information may also be obtained from high-precision three-dimensional map data called an HD map (High Definition Map) and included in the second output pattern.

[0030] (1-2. Communication Unit) The communication unit 3 in Fig. 1 is a communication interface capable of wired or wireless communication with the outside. For example, the communication unit 3 may include a transmitting / receiving circuit (modulation circuit, demodulation circuit) and an antenna, and may be configured to be capable of wireless communication with the target vehicle A and the traveling vehicle B. The communication unit 3 may also include an adapter (port) to which a cable or the like is connected, and may be capable of wired communication with an external server or database.

[0031] (1-3. Display Unit and Input Unit) The display unit 4 is composed of a display device such as a liquid crystal display device that displays information. For example, the results of a test performed by the vehicle testing system 1 (such as information on the estimated energy consumption of the target vehicle A) are displayed on the display unit 4. The input unit 5 is composed of an input device such as a keyboard, a touchpad, a touch panel, or a mouse. An operator operates the input unit 5 to input various instructions to the vehicle testing system 1 (such as starting and stopping a test).

[0032] (1-4. Control Unit) The control unit 6 is configured by a central processing unit called a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 6 includes a first output pattern acquisition unit 61, a second output pattern acquisition unit 62, a data acquisition unit 63, and a calculation unit 64.

[0033] The first output pattern acquisition unit 61 acquires the above-described first output pattern. In the present embodiment, as described above, the first output pattern is stored in the first output pattern storage unit 21 of the storage unit 2. Therefore, the first output pattern acquisition unit 61 reads out and acquires the first output pattern from the first output pattern storage unit 21. Note that the first output pattern may be stored in an external server or the like, and the first output pattern acquisition unit 61 may access the external server or the like via the communication unit 3 to acquire the first output pattern by communication.

[0034] The second output pattern acquisition unit 62 acquires the above-described second output pattern. In the present embodiment, as described above, the second output pattern acquisition unit 62 is stored in the second output pattern storage unit 22 of the storage unit 2. Therefore, the second output pattern acquisition unit 62 reads and acquires the second output pattern from the second output pattern storage unit 22. Note that the second output pattern may be stored in an external server or the like, and the second output pattern acquisition unit 62 may access the external server or the like via the communication unit 3 to acquire the second output pattern by communication.

[0035] The functions of the data acquisition unit 63 and the calculation unit 64 will be explained together in the description of the vehicle test method below.

[0036] 2. Vehicle Testing Method FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of operations according to the vehicle testing method using the vehicle testing system 1 described above. First, the target vehicle A is caused to travel in a predetermined environment, and a first output pattern output from the target vehicle A is stored in the first output pattern storage unit 21 of the storage unit 2 (S1). Here, the first output pattern includes the scatter data shown in FIG. 2, i.e., information on the speed and acceleration at each instant when the target vehicle A travels in the predetermined environment. At this time, the auxiliary data at each instant, i.e., the battery input / output power, road slope, SOC, battery temperature, etc. corresponding to each point in the scatter data in FIG. 2, are also included in the first output pattern and stored in the first output pattern storage unit 21 (see FIG. 3).

[0037] 2, the greater the number of points in the scatter data, the greater the amount of incidental data corresponding to each point in the scatter data, thereby improving the accuracy of the calculation of the energy consumption amount, which will be described later. Therefore, in S1, it is desirable to store in the first output pattern storage unit 21 a first output pattern that includes as much scatter data and incidental data as possible.

[0038] Next, the traveling vehicle B is driven along a predetermined driving route (for example, road R in Figure 4), and the second output pattern output from the traveling vehicle B is stored in the second output pattern memory unit 22 of the memory unit 2 (S2).

[0039] Next, the first output pattern acquisition unit 61 of the control unit 6 reads and acquires the first output pattern from the first output pattern storage unit 21 (S3; first output pattern acquisition step). Similarly, the second output pattern acquisition unit 62 reads and acquires the second output pattern from the second output pattern storage unit 22 (S4; second output pattern acquisition step).

[0040] Next, the data acquiring unit 63 acquires, from the first output pattern, a plurality of similar data items that are respectively similar to the plurality of instantaneous data items included in the second output pattern acquired in S4 (S5; data acquiring step).

[0041] Here, the plurality of instantaneous data included in the second output pattern is information on the speed and acceleration at each moment when the running vehicle B runs along a predetermined running route. That is, the plurality of instantaneous data refers to the data (speed and acceleration) at each point in the scatter data of the running vehicle B shown in FIG. 5. Furthermore, the plurality of similar data refers to information on the speed and acceleration at each moment of the target vehicle A that is similar to each of the plurality of instantaneous data. That is, the plurality of similar data refers to the data (speed and acceleration) at each point in the scatter data of the target vehicle A shown in FIG. 2 that is similar to each of the instantaneous data of the running vehicle B.

[0042] It should be noted that data similar to the instantaneous data includes, among the scattered data of the target vehicle A, data whose speed and acceleration are within a similar range to the instantaneous data of the running vehicle B, as well as data that is completely identical to the instantaneous data of the running vehicle B. Whether or not the data is similar to the instantaneous data can be determined, for example, as follows.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 7 , a unit lattice is considered, centered on an arbitrary point Bs (a point indicating velocity and acceleration) included in the second output pattern in a two-dimensional coordinate system showing the relationship between velocity and acceleration. If a point As (a point indicating velocity and acceleration) included in the first output pattern exists within the unit lattice, the data (velocity and acceleration) of point As can be determined to be similar to the data (velocity and acceleration) of point Bs. The unit lattice is configured with an arbitrary velocity range and an arbitrary acceleration range, and its size can be set appropriately. If similar data (point As) does not exist within the unit lattice, the size of the unit lattice may be expanded so that similar data exists within the unit lattice. Alternatively, a process of interpolating the similar data and its associated data may be performed.

[0044] 6, the data acquisition unit 63 further acquires, from the first output pattern, a plurality of pieces of instantaneous energy consumption data associated with each of the plurality of pieces of similar data acquired. For example, the instantaneous battery power consumption data (battery input / output power × time) associated with each of the plurality of pieces of similar data acquired from the first output pattern is acquired as the instantaneous energy consumption data.

[0045] Next, the calculation unit 64 calculates the total energy consumption amount when the target vehicle A is assumed to travel along a predetermined travel route by adding up the instantaneous energy consumption amounts indicated by the plurality of instantaneous energy consumption data (S6; calculation step). For example, in S5, the instantaneous power consumption amount indicated by the plurality of instantaneous power consumption data acquired is W E1 (kWh), W E2 (kWh), W E3 (kWh),...W En(kWh), the calculation unit 64 can calculate the total power consumption Wtotal_E when the target vehicle A is assumed to travel along the predetermined travel route as the total energy consumption Wtotal by the following calculation: Wtotal (kWh) = Wtotal_E = W E1 +W E2 +W E3 , ... + W En

[0046] 8 shows the change in the cumulative power consumption when the instantaneous power consumptions associated with multiple similar data are sequentially summed up. The cumulative power consumption at the right end of the graph corresponds to the total energy consumption Wtotal (total power consumption Wtotal_E).

[0047] Finally, the calculation unit 64 calculates the electricity consumption based on the total electricity consumption Wtotal_E calculated in S6 and the distance of the predetermined travel route (S7). Note that the distance may be a value obtained by actual travel of the travel vehicle B, or may be a value obtained from a map. The electricity consumption refers to the electricity consumption rate expressed as the ratio of the electricity consumption to the travel distance. The electricity consumption may be expressed in units of km / kWh or kWh / km. For example, if the distance of the predetermined travel route is D (km), the electricity consumption is expressed as (Wtotal_E) / D or D / (Wtotal_E).

[0048] As described above, in this embodiment, even if the target vehicle A does not actually travel the predetermined travel route (road R), the travel vehicle B travels the predetermined travel route and acquires the necessary data (instantaneous data), and by performing the processing of S5 and the calculation of S6 based on the instantaneous data, it is possible to calculate (estimate) the energy consumption Wtotal that would be consumed if the target vehicle A were to travel the predetermined travel route. Therefore, when conducting a travel test of the target vehicle A, it is not necessary to actually transport the target vehicle A to the predetermined travel route (site) and run it there. As a result, it is possible to reduce the man-hours, costs, and time required for the travel test of the target vehicle A.

[0049] It is desirable that the first output pattern includes information on the speed and acceleration at each moment when the target vehicle A is traveling in a specified environment, in that various data (such as instantaneous battery input / output power) can be attached as additional data to the speed and acceleration information of the target vehicle A in the first output pattern.

[0050] In a configuration in which the first output pattern includes information on the speed and acceleration of the target vehicle A at each moment while it is traveling, in order to reliably realize the process of S5, it is desirable that the plurality of instantaneous data included in the second output pattern include information on the speed and acceleration of the target vehicle B at each moment while it is traveling. And it is desirable that the plurality of similar data include information on the speed and acceleration of the target vehicle A at each moment while it is traveling that is similar to the plurality of instantaneous data.

[0051] The instantaneous energy consumption preferably includes instantaneous power consumption (S5). If the target vehicle A is an electric vehicle, the instantaneous power consumption (instantaneous battery input / output power x time) can be integrated to determine the total power consumption Wtotal_E of the target vehicle A as the energy consumption (S6).

[0052] By determining the total amount of power consumption Wtotal_E in S6, the calculation unit 64 can reliably calculate the electricity efficiency based on the amount of power consumption Wtotal_E and the distance D in S7.

[0053] 3. Vehicle Testing Method Taking Road Inclination (Gradient) into Account As shown in FIG. 3, the first output pattern described above desirably includes road inclination information (gradient information). The gradient information is information about the road gradient at each instant when the subject vehicle A travels in a predetermined environment. In this case, the road gradient (or the road gradient obtained from the HD map) can be further taken into account in addition to the speed and acceleration when the travelling vehicle B travels along a predetermined travel route, thereby making it possible to more accurately calculate energy consumption and, ultimately, electricity efficiency.

[0054] Specifically, in S5, the data acquisition unit 63 acquires, from the first output pattern, instantaneous energy consumption data that is similar to the instantaneous data (speed and acceleration) included in the second output pattern and that has a similar road gradient. For example, consider a three-dimensional coordinate system with speed, acceleration, and road gradient as the three axes. Then, in the three-dimensional coordinate system, consider a unit lattice (unit cubic lattice) centered on the instantaneous data, and acquire, from the first output pattern, instantaneous energy consumption data associated with similar data (points whose speed, acceleration, and road gradient are similar to those of the instantaneous data) present within the unit lattice.

[0055] The road gradient can be calculated, for example, as follows. Fig. 9 shows an example of altitude data obtained when a traveling vehicle B travels along a predetermined traveling route (road R). The altitude data is, for example, data detected by an altitude sensor mounted on the traveling vehicle B. When the instantaneous inclination angle of the road is θ (rad), the instantaneous change in altitude is ΔH (m), and the instantaneous traveling distance is ΔD (m), the relationship sin θ = ΔD / ΔH holds. From this relationship, the instantaneous inclination angle θ of the road (road gradient) can be calculated.

[0056] In S6, the calculation unit 64 calculates the energy consumption by adding up the instantaneous energy consumptions indicated by the plurality of instantaneous energy consumption data taking the road gradient into consideration, which were acquired by the data acquisition unit 63 in S5. For example, in S5, if the instantaneous power consumptions indicated by the plurality of instantaneous power consumption data taking the road gradient into consideration are ES1 (kWh), W ES2 (kWh), W ES3 (kWh),...W ESn (kWh), the calculation unit 64 can calculate the total power consumption Wtotal_Es when the target vehicle A is assumed to travel along the predetermined travel route as the total energy consumption Wtotal by the following calculation: Wtotal (kWh) = Wtotal_Es = W ES1 +W ES2 +W ES3 , ... + W ESn

[0057] In this way, by further considering the road gradient, it is possible to more accurately calculate the total energy consumption of the subject vehicle A. As a result, it is possible to more accurately calculate the electricity consumption in S7.

[0058] As shown in Fig. 3, the first output pattern may further include information on at least one of the battery state of charge (SOC) and the battery temperature at each instant. Both the SOC and the battery temperature can be factors that affect the battery's power consumption. Therefore, for the SOC and the battery temperature, the corresponding instantaneous energy consumption data can be obtained from the first output pattern in a similar manner to the case of taking road gradient into account, and the instantaneous energy consumption indicated by each of the multiple instantaneous energy consumption data can be added together to more accurately calculate the energy consumption and, therefore, the power efficiency.

[0059] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of operations according to the vehicle testing method when the target vehicle A is a gasoline vehicle. Note that, although the following vehicle testing method is described here using an example of a gasoline vehicle that runs on gasoline, the following vehicle testing method can also be applied to vehicles with other internal combustion engines, such as diesel vehicles that run on diesel fuel.

[0060] Steps S1 to S4 are the same as in the case of FIG. 6 where the target vehicle A is an electric vehicle. However, as shown in FIG. 11 , the accompanying data for the first output pattern includes information on instantaneous fuel consumption when the target vehicle A is traveling in a predetermined environment, instead of instantaneous input / output power of the battery. The accompanying data for the first output pattern also includes information on the outside air temperature (intake intake air temperature), air pressure (which can be estimated from, for example, altitude), engine water temperature (coolant temperature), and / or engine oil temperature (engine oil temperature) when the target vehicle A is traveling in the above-mentioned environment. These outside air temperatures, etc., are all factors that affect the engine combustion efficiency and, ultimately, fuel consumption. As an example, FIG. 12 shows the change in outside air temperature when the target vehicle A is traveling in a predetermined environment, and FIG. 13 shows the change in engine oil temperature.

[0061] After S4, the data acquisition unit 63 acquires from the first output pattern a plurality of similar data items that are respectively similar to the plurality of instantaneous data items included in the second output pattern acquired in S4 (S5-1; data acquisition step). In S5-1, the data acquisition unit 63 further acquires from the first output pattern a plurality of instantaneous energy consumption data items associated with each of the acquired plurality of similar data items. For example, the instantaneous fuel consumption data items associated with each of the plurality of similar data items acquired from the first output pattern are acquired as the instantaneous energy consumption data.

[0062] Next, the calculation unit 64 calculates the total energy consumption amount when the target vehicle A is assumed to travel a predetermined travel route by adding up the instantaneous energy consumption amounts indicated by the plurality of instantaneous energy consumption data (S6-1; calculation step). For example, in S5-1, the instantaneous fuel consumption amount indicated by the plurality of acquired instantaneous fuel consumption data is W F1 (L), W F2 (L), W F3 (L), ... W Fn If the target vehicle A is assumed to have traveled along the predetermined travel route, the calculation unit 64 can calculate the total fuel consumption Wtotal_F as the total energy consumption Wtotal by the following calculation: Wtotal(L) = Wtotal_F = W F1 +W F2 +W F3 , ... + W Fn

[0063] 14 shows the change in the cumulative fuel consumption when the instantaneous fuel consumptions associated with multiple similar data are sequentially summed up. The cumulative fuel consumption at the right end of the graph corresponds to the total energy consumption Wtotal (total fuel consumption Wtotal_F).

[0064] Finally, the calculation unit 64 calculates fuel efficiency based on the total fuel consumption amount Wtotal_F calculated in S6-1 and the distance of the predetermined driving route (S7-1). Note that fuel efficiency is a fuel consumption rate expressed as the ratio of fuel consumption amount to driving distance. Fuel efficiency is expressed in units of km / L. For example, if the distance of the predetermined driving route is D (km), fuel efficiency is expressed as D / (Wtotal_F).

[0065] As described above, in S5-1, instantaneous fuel consumption data is acquired as instantaneous energy consumption data. In other words, the instantaneous fuel consumption indicated by the instantaneous fuel consumption data is included in the instantaneous energy consumption. If the target vehicle A is a vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine, such as a gasoline-powered vehicle, the total fuel consumption Wtotal_F of the target vehicle A can be calculated as the energy consumption by integrating the instantaneous fuel consumption (S6-1).

[0066] By determining the total fuel consumption amount Wtotal_F in S6-1, the calculation unit 64 can reliably calculate the fuel efficiency based on the fuel consumption amount Wtotal_F and the distance D in S7-1.

[0067] The first output pattern preferably includes information on the outside air temperature at each moment when the target vehicle A is traveling in a predetermined environment (see FIG. 11 ). In this case, in S5-1, the data acquisition unit 63 acquires, from the first output pattern, instantaneous energy consumption data that is similar to the instantaneous data (speed and acceleration) included in the second output pattern and has a similar outside air temperature. For example, consider a three-dimensional coordinate system with speed, acceleration, and outside air temperature as the three axes. Then, in the three-dimensional coordinate system, consider a unit lattice (unit cubic lattice) centered on the instantaneous data, and acquire, from the first output pattern, instantaneous energy consumption data associated with similar data (points where the instantaneous data and the speed, acceleration, and outside air temperature are similar). The calculation unit 64 calculates the energy consumption (fuel consumption) by adding up the instantaneous energy consumption (instantaneous fuel consumption) indicated by each of the multiple instantaneous energy consumption data acquired above. Furthermore, in S7-1, the fuel efficiency of the target vehicle A can be calculated.

[0068] As described above, the outside temperature is a factor that affects the combustion efficiency of the engine and, ultimately, the fuel consumption amount. Therefore, by calculating the fuel consumption amount while taking the outside temperature into consideration as described above, the fuel efficiency can be calculated more accurately.

[0069] The first output pattern described above may be a pattern acquired by running the target vehicle A on a bench. That is, the target vehicle A may be run on a bench such as a chassis dynamometer (reproducing a predetermined environment) to acquire the first output pattern, which may then be stored in the first output pattern storage unit 21. In this case, there is an advantage that the first output pattern can be easily acquired.

[0070] When the first output pattern is obtained by running on a test bench, for example, by changing the load on the rollers on which the target vehicle A runs, fuel consumption data for the first output pattern can be obtained for each road gradient determined according to the load. Furthermore, by changing the temperature of the air supplied to the intake system of the engine of the target vehicle A, fuel consumption data for the first output pattern can be obtained for each intake temperature. Furthermore, by changing the pressure in the intake and exhaust system of the target vehicle A, fuel consumption data for the first output pattern can be obtained for each pressure. Note that fuel consumption data for the first output pattern may also be obtained for each of the above conditions by changing the conditions (temperature and / or pressure, etc.) in the test room in which the target vehicle A runs.

[0071] The vehicle testing method described in this embodiment is applicable even when the running vehicle B is the same model as the target vehicle A. For example, if a vehicle of the same model as the target vehicle A is already available at the location where a running test is to be performed, it is possible to run this vehicle as the running vehicle B and perform a running test (for example, measuring electricity consumption or fuel efficiency) in the same manner as in this embodiment.

[0072] [5. Supplementary Information] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the first output pattern output from one target vehicle A is stored in the first output pattern storage unit 21 (see FIG. 1 ), which is a database. However, the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, a plurality of target vehicles A of the same model may be prepared, and the plurality of target vehicles A may be driven, and the driving data of the plurality of target vehicles A may be aggregated to generate the first output pattern. Various routes are conceivable as predetermined driving routes for which energy consumption or electricity efficiency, etc., is to be estimated. Therefore, it is desirable to store as much data as possible in the database to accommodate various driving routes. For example, it is desirable to drive the target vehicle A under various environments, such as traffic, roads, gradients, and temperature environments, and to store as much driving data in the database as possible to cover any driving environment or driving state. In this regard, a method of driving a plurality of target vehicles A and including as much driving data in the first output pattern is very effective.

[0073] As driving data (second output pattern) when the driving vehicle B drives a predetermined driving route (road R), the results of a traffic flow simulation or a vehicle simulation may be used instead of the data output from the driving vehicle B. A traffic flow simulation is a simulation of the flow of vehicles (traffic flow) when multiple vehicles drive on road R. A vehicle simulation is a driving simulation on road R for one specific vehicle. Also, observation data obtained by actually observing traffic flow may be used. When these methods are used, the second output pattern can be generated without having the driving vehicle B drive on road R.

[0074] If the first output pattern includes additional data such as the SOC, battery temperature, number of occupants, or air conditioner usage status, it is desirable to extract instantaneous energy consumption data from the first output pattern while also referring to the additional data such as the SOC. In this case, it is possible to estimate electricity consumption that is closer to the actual driving environment. The number of occupants can be detected based on output signals from a sensor that detects whether a seat belt is fastened, a sensor that detects whether the vehicle is seated, or the like.

[0075] When the speed and acceleration information included in the first output pattern (or the second output pattern) is not discrete scattered data but continuous data that changes continuously over time, it is possible to obtain similar data (or instantaneous data) by decomposing the continuous data over time.

[0076] When the incidental data includes multiple types of data, such as road gradient, outside temperature, and / or air pressure, in addition to instantaneous energy consumption, the data to be considered may be prioritized. For example, when acquiring similar data from the first output pattern, priority may be given to acquiring similar data that is similar to the instantaneous data in terms of speed, acceleration, and road gradient; if there is no similar road gradient, priority may be given to acquiring similar data that is similar to the instantaneous data in terms of speed, acceleration, and outside temperature; and if there is no similar outside temperature, priority may be given to acquiring similar data that is similar to the instantaneous data in terms of speed, acceleration, road gradient, and outside temperature. Alternatively, priority may be given to acquiring similar data that is similar to the instantaneous data in terms of all of speed, acceleration, road gradient, outside temperature, and air pressure.

[0077] The vehicle testing system 1 of this embodiment does not need to include the communication unit 3, the display unit 4, and the input unit 5. In other words, even if the vehicle testing system 1 does not include the communication unit 3, the display unit 4, and the input unit 5, it is possible to realize the vehicle testing method described in this embodiment.

[0078] The "energy consumption" described in this embodiment includes not only the energy consumption itself, such as the amount of power consumption, but also the amount of consumption (secondary consumption) that occurs secondarily as a result of energy consumption. The secondary consumption may include, for example, the amount of exhaust emitted from a vehicle due to energy consumption. The exhaust may be, for example, exhaust gas in a vehicle equipped with an engine, or water in a vehicle equipped with a fuel cell. The secondary consumption may also include the amount of wear on the tires mounted on the vehicle and the amount of brake dust (the amount of dust generated by abrading the brake pads during braking). When calculating (estimating) these secondary consumptions, instantaneous values ​​of the amount of exhaust emission, the amount of wear, or the amount of brake dust corresponding to the instantaneous speed and acceleration of the target vehicle may be acquired in advance as auxiliary data and stored in a database (for example, the first output pattern storage unit 21).

[0079] [6. Program] The control unit 6 of the vehicle testing system 1 of this embodiment can be configured as a computer on which an operating program (application software) is installed. By having the computer (e.g., the control unit 6) read and execute the program, each unit of the control unit 6 (the first output pattern acquisition unit 61, the second output pattern acquisition unit 62, the data acquisition unit 63, and the calculation unit 64) can be operated to execute the above-mentioned processes (each step). Such a program is acquired, for example, by downloading it from an external source via a network and stored in the program storage unit 23 of the storage unit 2 or in the memory of the control unit 6. The program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory), and the program may be read from the recording medium and stored in the memory or the like. In other words, the program of this embodiment is a vehicle testing program for causing a computer to execute the vehicle testing method of this embodiment described above. Furthermore, the recording medium of this embodiment is a computer-readable, non-transitory recording medium on which the program is recorded.

[0080] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these, and the invention can be expanded or modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0081] The present invention can be used in a vehicle testing system that estimates the amount of energy consumed when a target vehicle travels a predetermined travel route.

[0082] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Vehicle testing system 21 First output pattern storage unit 22 Second output pattern storage unit 61 First output pattern acquisition unit 62 Second output pattern acquisition unit 63 Data acquisition unit 64 Calculation unit A Target vehicle B Traveling vehicle R Road (predetermined travel route)

Claims

1. A vehicle test system for estimating the energy consumption of a target vehicle when the target vehicle is assumed to have traveled a predetermined driving route, comprising: a first output pattern acquisition unit that acquires driving data when the target vehicle travels in a predetermined environment as a first output pattern; a second output pattern acquisition unit that acquires driving data when a test vehicle travels the predetermined driving route as a second output pattern; a data acquisition unit that acquires a plurality of similar data similar to a plurality of instantaneous data included in the second output pattern from the first output pattern, and acquires a plurality of instantaneous energy consumption data associated with each of the plurality of similar data; and a calculation unit that calculates the total energy consumption when the target vehicle is assumed to have traveled the predetermined driving route by summing the instantaneous energy consumption indicated by each of the plurality of instantaneous energy consumption data.

2. The vehicle test system according to claim 1, wherein the first output pattern includes information on speed and acceleration at each instant when the target vehicle travels in the predetermined environment.

3. The vehicle test system according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of instantaneous data includes information on speed and acceleration at each instant when the test vehicle travels the predetermined driving route, and the plurality of similar data includes information on speed and acceleration at each instant of the target vehicle, which is similar to the plurality of instantaneous data.

4. The vehicle test system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the first output pattern further includes information on road gradient at each instant when the target vehicle travels in the predetermined environment.

5. The vehicle test system according to claim 4, wherein the data acquisition unit acquires, from the first output pattern, the instantaneous energy consumption data corresponding to the road gradients at a plurality of points included in the predetermined driving route among the plurality of instantaneous energy consumption data associated with each of the plurality of similar data, and the calculation unit calculates the energy consumption by summing the instantaneous energy consumption indicated by each of the plurality of instantaneous energy consumption data corresponding to the road gradients.

6. The vehicle test system according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the first output pattern further includes information on at least one of the battery charge rate and the battery temperature at each instant.

7. The vehicle test system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the instantaneous energy consumption includes instantaneous power consumption.

8. The calculation unit sums a plurality of the instantaneous power consumptions to calculate a total power consumption as the energy consumption, and calculates an electricity cost based on the calculated power consumption and the distance of the predetermined driving route. The vehicle test system according to claim 7.

9. The vehicle test system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the instantaneous energy consumption includes instantaneous fuel consumption.

10. The calculation unit sums a plurality of the instantaneous fuel consumptions to calculate a total fuel consumption as the energy consumption, and calculates a fuel consumption rate based on the calculated fuel consumption and the distance of the predetermined driving route. The vehicle test system according to claim 9.

11. The vehicle test system according to claim 10, wherein the first output pattern further includes information on the outside air temperature at each instant when the target vehicle travels in the predetermined environment.

12. The vehicle test system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising a first output pattern storage unit that stores the first output pattern, and the first output pattern acquisition unit reads and acquires the first output pattern from the first output pattern storage unit.

13. The vehicle test system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising a second output pattern storage unit that stores the second output pattern, and the second output pattern acquisition unit reads and acquires the second output pattern from the second output pattern storage unit.

14. The vehicle test system according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the first output pattern is a pattern obtained by the target vehicle running on a platform.

15. The vehicle test system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the vehicle for running is a vehicle different from the target vehicle.

16. A vehicle test method for estimating the energy consumption of a target vehicle when it is assumed that the target vehicle travels a predetermined driving route, the method comprising: a first output pattern acquisition step of acquiring driving data when the target vehicle travels in a predetermined environment as a first output pattern; a second output pattern acquisition step of acquiring driving data when a driving vehicle travels the predetermined driving route as a second output pattern; a data acquisition step of acquiring, from the first output pattern, a plurality of similar data respectively similar to a plurality of instantaneous data included in the second output pattern, and acquiring a plurality of instantaneous energy consumption data associated with each of the plurality of similar data; and a calculation step of calculating the total energy consumption of the target vehicle when it is assumed that the target vehicle travels the predetermined driving route by summing the instantaneous energy consumption indicated by each of the plurality of instantaneous energy consumption data.

17. A vehicle test program for causing a computer to execute a vehicle test method for estimating the energy consumption of a target vehicle when it is assumed that the target vehicle travels a predetermined driving route, the program causing the computer to execute: a first output pattern acquisition step of acquiring driving data when the target vehicle travels in a predetermined environment as a first output pattern; a second output pattern acquisition step of acquiring driving data when a driving vehicle travels the predetermined driving route as a second output pattern; a data acquisition step of acquiring, from the first output pattern, a plurality of similar data respectively similar to a plurality of instantaneous data included in the second output pattern, and acquiring a plurality of instantaneous energy consumption data associated with each of the plurality of similar data; and a calculation step of calculating the total energy consumption of the target vehicle when it is assumed that the target vehicle travels the predetermined driving route by summing the instantaneous energy consumption indicated by each of the plurality of instantaneous energy consumption data.

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