Assistance method and assistance device for oil supply or power supply

Abstract

The present invention is an assistance method for oil supply or power supply to a host vehicle by using a computer, the method comprising: acquiring a type of at least one oil supply facility or power supply facility when recognizing the presence of the facility at an oil supply / power supply place; determining whether or not the type of the facility matches the host vehicle; detecting the unoccupied state of the facility; determining that the facility is available for the host vehicle when the facility of which the type matches the host vehicle is unoccupied; and displaying, on a display unit of the host vehicle, an image in which at least a part of the available facility is highlighted.

Description

Fueling or power supply assistance method and assistance device

[0001] The present invention relates to a fueling or power supply assistance method and an assistance device.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an in-vehicle device that displays an aerial view image for assisting in aligning the position of a vehicle's battery with an exchange device when replacing the battery of an electric vehicle.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-8020

[0004] By the way, at fueling / power supply locations such as gas stations and refueling stations, various fueling facilities or power supply facilities may be mixed, so there is a problem that it is impossible to immediately determine the facilities available for the own vehicle. The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a fueling or power supply assistance method and an assistance device that can immediately determine the facilities available for the own vehicle at fueling / power supply locations.

[0005] The present invention is a method for assisting fueling or power supply by a computer of the own vehicle, which, at a fueling / power supply location, when recognizing the presence of at least one fueling facility or power supply facility, acquires the type of the facility, determines whether the type of the facility and the own vehicle are compatible, detects the availability status of the facility, and when the facility with the type compatible with the own vehicle is available, determines that the facility is available for the own vehicle, and displays an image in which at least a part of the available facility is highlighted on the display unit of the own vehicle.

[0006] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to immediately determine the facilities available for the own vehicle at a fueling / power supply location.

[0007] It is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a vehicle. It is a block diagram showing the software configuration of a vehicle. It is an example of an aerial view diagram displayed on the display unit of a vehicle. It is a flowchart showing an example of a fueling or power supply assistance method.

[0008] Hereinafter, a vehicle having a fueling or power supply assistance method and an assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0009] <1. Vehicle Hardware Configuration> Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the vehicle hardware configuration. As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle 2 comprises an external environment acquisition unit 21, a vehicle control unit 22, a storage unit 23, a drive unit 24, a display unit 25, a transmission / reception unit 26, and a navigation device 27. In this embodiment, the vehicle control unit 22 corresponds to the support device.

[0010] The external environment acquisition unit 21 includes at least a shooting unit 211, a distance detection unit 212, a position detection unit 213, a direction detection unit 214, and an object detection unit 215, and acquires information regarding the position and orientation of the vehicle 2, captured images (including video) of the area around the vehicle 2, and obstacles around the vehicle 2.

[0011] Multiple imaging units 211 are provided to photograph the area around the vehicle 2, including the front, rear, and sides, and output the images as image data. These units are, for example, CCD cameras, CMOS cameras, or HD cameras. The imaging units 211 continuously photograph the area around the vehicle 2 and output the captured images to the display unit 25 as real-time video showing the area around the vehicle 2.

[0012] The distance detection unit 212 measures the distance to objects in front of and around the vehicle 2, and can use various sensors such as a laser rangefinder or an ultrasonic sensor. Examples of objects to be detected include pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, automobiles, and road obstacles (construction sites, traffic control materials, median strips, traffic signals, commercial facilities, residential facilities, vegetation, etc.). The state of the objects to be detected is not particularly limited, and can be detected whether they are moving or stationary.

[0013] The position detection unit 213 detects the current position of the vehicle 2, and can use, for example, a GPS device. The information regarding the current position of the vehicle 2 detected by the position detection unit 213 is output to the vehicle control unit 22.

[0014] The direction detection unit 214 detects the direction of travel of the vehicle 2 (the direction the vehicle is facing). For example, a gyro sensor can be used.

[0015] The object detection unit 215 detects moving and stationary objects around the vehicle (in front, to the side, and behind), and can use, for example, a camera, laser radar, millimeter-wave radar, optical sensor, or infrared sensor. Examples of objects to be detected include various types of equipment, pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, automobiles, and road obstacles (construction sites, traffic control materials, median strips, traffic signals, commercial facilities, residential facilities, vegetation, etc.). The state of the object to be detected is not particularly limited, and it can detect objects that are moving or stationary. In addition, multiple object detection units 215 are provided to detect objects in front of, to the side of, and behind the vehicle 2.

[0016] The vehicle control unit 22 controls the movement of the vehicle 2. For example, the vehicle control unit 22 controls the vehicle 2 to move along the input driving path based on various environmental information obtained by the external environment acquisition unit 21. It also performs processing to support refueling and power supply, as will be described later. The vehicle control unit 22 may be a computer such as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit).

[0017] The storage unit 23 is a storage medium for storing various types of information, and can be, for example, ROM, RAM, SRAM, HDD, SSD, or a combination thereof. The storage unit 23 stores various types of information necessary for the vehicle control unit 22 to perform various processes. For example, it stores control programs, map information, and information about the vehicle itself. The map information includes road information as well as information about various facilities.

[0018] Information about a facility may include, for example, information about a power supply / fueling location and the power supply / fueling equipment located therein. A power supply / fueling location is a gas station, a power supply station, or a facility having both. Fueling / power supply equipment is equipment for refueling or equipment for supplying electricity. Fueling equipment includes at least one of the following: high-octane gasoline refueling equipment, regular gasoline refueling equipment, and diesel refueling equipment, and information about these types may be included. Information about the location of the refueling nozzles in these facilities may also be included. Power supply equipment includes at least one of the following: a fast charger and a standard charger, and information about these types may be included. Information about the location of the power plug of at least one of the chargers may also be included.

[0019] The map information described above may be provided by a navigation device 27 installed in the vehicle, or by an external server, etc.

[0020] Furthermore, the memory unit 23 stores information related to refueling or power supply to the vehicle 2. For example, if the vehicle 2 is an internal combustion engine vehicle, information on whether regular gasoline, premium gasoline, or diesel fuel is suitable, and information on the location of the vehicle 2's fuel filler cap are stored. On the other hand, if the vehicle 2 is an electric vehicle, information on the location of the vehicle 2's power plug is stored.

[0021] Furthermore, in the case of electric vehicles, the memory unit 23 stores a history of past charging. For example, data such as when normal charging or rapid charging was performed is stored. Similarly, in the case of internal combustion engine vehicles, a history of past refueling may also be stored. For example, it may store what type of fuel was refueled and when.

[0022] The drive unit 24 includes a drive mechanism such as an electric motor and / or an internal combustion engine that are the driving source for the vehicle, a power transmission device including a drive shaft and an automatic transmission that transmits the output from these driving sources to the drive wheels, and a braking device that brakes the wheels. Based on the control signals input from the vehicle control unit 22, the drive unit 24 generates control signals for each of these drive mechanisms and performs driving control, including acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle. The drive unit 24 may also include other equipment necessary for the vehicle 2 to run, such as headlights, turn signals, hazard lights, and wipers.

[0023] The display unit 25 is a display device such as a screen installed inside the vehicle. The display unit 25 displays, for example, instruments, maps from the navigation system, operation screens for in-vehicle equipment, images of the outside of the vehicle taken by the camera unit 211, and aerial images, which will be described later.

[0024] The transmitting / receiving unit 26 transmits and receives various information and signals to and from devices such as servers outside the vehicle. For example, it can receive map information, information about power supply and refueling locations and the power supply and refueling equipment within them from an external server. The transmitting / receiving unit 26 includes, for example, a wireless device that is an interface such as a wireless LAN. The wireless device includes, for example, wireless modules such as Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth®. As a result, the server 1 is connected to a network such as a wireless LAN, a public network such as the Internet, or a wireless network such as a mobile phone network including a communication base station.

[0025] The navigation device 27 is a well-known device that displays road information and other data to the input destination on its display unit based on map information. The navigation device 27 may be an in-vehicle device, or it may use a navigation application provided from an external server or the like.

[0026] <2. Vehicle Software Configuration> Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the vehicle control unit 22 of the vehicle. The program loaded into the RAM of the vehicle control unit 22 is interpreted and executed by the ECU, etc. As a result, as shown in Figure 2, the vehicle control unit 22 functions as a computer equipped with a refueling / power supply location determination unit 221, a refueling / power supply equipment recognition unit (recognition unit) 222, an available equipment determination unit (determination unit) 223, and an equipment information drawing unit (drawing unit) 224.

[0027] The refueling / power supply location determination unit 221 determines whether the vehicle 2's current location is within a refueling / power supply location, or whether a refueling / power supply location exists near the vehicle's current location. The vicinity of the current location is, for example, near the entrance of the refueling / power supply location, or on a road facing the refueling / power supply location, preferably a location where the refueling / power supply equipment within the refueling / power supply location is visible. This determination can be made, for example, based on location information and map information from the location detection unit 213. Alternatively, the camera unit 211 can use image recognition technology to determine whether the current location is a refueling / power supply location from the image it captures.

[0028] The refueling / power supply equipment recognition unit 222 recognizes the type of refueling / power supply equipment from images or videos of refueling / power supply equipment located within a refueling / power supply location, captured by the vehicle's camera unit 211, using known image recognition technology. For example, in the case of refueling equipment, it recognizes from its external image whether it dispenses regular gasoline, premium gasoline, or diesel fuel. If one piece of equipment can dispense two or more types of fuel, such as regular gasoline, premium gasoline, and diesel fuel, it recognizes the location of the refueling nozzles for each type of fuel at that equipment. On the other hand, in the case of power supply equipment, it recognizes from its external image whether it is a standard charger or a fast charger. If one piece of equipment can perform both standard and fast charging, it recognizes the location of the charging plug at that equipment.

[0029] Furthermore, the refueling / power supply equipment recognition unit 222 recognizes the availability of the equipment from images or videos acquired by the imaging unit 211. For example, if another vehicle is parked in front of the equipment, it recognizes that the equipment is in use for refueling or power supply. Alternatively, if it recognizes a display on the equipment indicating that it is out of service, it recognizes that the equipment is unavailable.

[0030] The available equipment determination unit 223 determines whether the equipment recognized by the refueling / power supply equipment recognition unit 222 is available for use by the vehicle 2. For example, if the vehicle 2 is an internal combustion engine vehicle, it determines whether the fuel that can be supplied by the recognized equipment is available for use by the vehicle 2. It can also determine availability from the past refueling history stored in the storage unit 23. For example, if there is a history of refueling with regular gasoline, it can be set to use regular gasoline as the available fuel type.

[0031] Furthermore, if the vehicle 2 is an electric vehicle, both standard and rapid chargers can be used. However, based on, for example, the past power supply history stored in the memory unit 23 and the day's schedule (such as the time of arrival at the destination), one of them can be made available. For example, if rapid charging has been used more often than standard charging in the past, the rapid charger can be made available as the available type. Also, if the power supply facility at the destination entered by the driver into the navigation device 27 is either a rapid charger or a standard charger, that charger can be made available as the type.

[0032] If the available equipment determination unit 223 determines that a suitable piece of equipment is in use by another vehicle or is unavailable, the equipment information rendering unit 224 (described later) displays a message on the display unit 25 prompting the user to move to an available piece of equipment. In this case, for example, the display unit 25 can display an image indicating available equipment with an arrow or the like.

[0033] If the available equipment determination unit 223 determines that no suitable equipment exists, the equipment information display unit 224 displays a message on the display unit 25 prompting the user to move to another refueling / power supply location. On the other hand, if the available equipment determination unit 223 determines that suitable equipment exists but is not available, the display unit 25 displays a message prompting the user to wait until equipment becomes available or to move to another refueling / power supply location.

[0034] The equipment information display unit 224 displays available equipment on the display unit 25. That is, when the vehicle 2 approaches any of the available equipment, a bird's-eye view image 7, as shown in Figure 3, is displayed on the display unit 25. As shown in Figure 3, this bird's-eye view image 7 is generated based on images taken by a plurality of imaging units 211 using a known method. This bird's-eye view image 7 can display, for example, the refueling and power supply equipment, the location of the appropriate refueling nozzle or power supply plug in that equipment, and the location of the refueling port or power supply plug of the vehicle 2. In the example in Figure 3, the vehicle 2 is a vehicle for which high-octane gasoline is recommended, and the gasoline refueling port 201 is shown. An example is also shown in which the refueling equipment 72 is equipped with refueling nozzles 721 to 723 for regular gasoline, high-octane gasoline, and diesel fuel.

[0035] As described later, when vehicle 2 approaches available refueling and power supply equipment, at least one of vehicle 2's fuel filler or power plug and the equipment's fuel nozzle or power plug can be highlighted. Examples of highlighting include coloring or flashing the relevant area. In addition, when vehicle 2 approaches available refueling and power supply equipment, it can also be notified by voice.

[0036] <3. Assistance Methods for Fueling and Power Supply> Next, we will explain the assistance methods for fueling and power supply in a vehicle configured as described above, referring to the flowchart in Figure 4.

[0037] As shown in Figure 4, first, the refueling / power supply location determination unit 221 determines whether the vehicle's current location or its vicinity is a refueling / power supply location (step S11). If the refueling / power supply location determination unit 221 determines that the current location or its vicinity is a refueling / power supply location (YES in step S12), the refueling / power supply equipment recognition unit 222 recognizes the equipment located within the refueling / power supply location (step S13).

[0038] For example, if the suitable fuel for the vehicle 2 is high-octane gasoline, the available equipment determination unit 223 determines whether or not the equipment recognized by the refueling / power supply equipment recognition unit 222 is capable of supplying high-octane gasoline (step S14).

[0039] If there is no equipment available to supply the suitable fuel (NO in step S15), the available equipment determination unit 223 displays a message on the display unit 25 prompting the user to move to another refueling / power supply facility (step S16). Also, if there is equipment available to supply the suitable fuel (YES in step S15), but it is being used by another vehicle or is out of service (NO in step S17), the available equipment determination unit 223 displays a message on the display unit 25 prompting the user to wait until the equipment becomes available or to move to another refueling / power supply facility (step S18). On the other hand, if there is an available facility to supply the suitable fuel (YES in step S17), the display unit 25 displays a message prompting the user to move to the available facility (step S19).

[0040] Then, when the vehicle 2 approaches the available equipment, the equipment information display unit 224 displays the bird's-eye view image 7 on the display unit 25. For example, if the vehicle 2's suitable fuel is premium gasoline, the display unit 25 highlights the vehicle's fuel filler 201 and the premium gasoline refueling nozzle 721 at the equipment 72, allowing the driver to easily see their relative positions. Therefore, the driver can move the vehicle 2 so that its fuel filler 201 is close to the premium gasoline refueling nozzle 721 while looking at the bird's-eye view image 7.

[0041] At this time, the display unit 25 can display or output audibly how the host vehicle should be moved so that the fuel filler or charging plug of the host vehicle can be brought close to the fuel nozzle or charging plug of the facility. For example, instructions for moving the host vehicle forward or backward can be displayed or output audibly.

[0042] <4. Features> According to the support method and support device according to the present embodiment, at a refueling / charging location, when there are a plurality of refueling / charging facilities, the facilities that can be used without the driver getting lost can be specified. Further, when the host vehicle approaches a facility that can be used, the positions of the matching fuel nozzle or charging plug and the fuel filler or charging plug of the host vehicle 2 can be easily visually recognized from the bird's-eye view image 7, so that the host vehicle 2 can be easily moved for aligning these positions.

[0043] <5. Modification Example> Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the following modifications are possible. Further, the gists of the following modification examples can be appropriately combined with each other, and can also be combined with the above embodiment.

[0044] (1) In the above embodiment, after the bird's-eye view image 7 is displayed on the display unit 25, the driver moves the host vehicle himself / herself to align the fuel filler or charging plug of the host vehicle 2 with the fuel nozzle or charging plug of the facility, but this may be performed automatically. For example, the vehicle control unit 22 can recognize the positional relationship between the two and drive the drive unit 24 to automatically move the host vehicle 2. That is, alignment control of the vehicle can be performed.

[0045] (2) In the above embodiment, at a refueling / charging location, information on the facility (such as the position and type of the facility) is recognized based on the image captured by the imaging unit 211, but it is not limited thereto. For example, when the map information stored in the storage unit 23 in advance includes information on the facility, the available facility determination unit 223 may make a determination based on it. Further, information on the facility can also be acquired from an external server or the like via the transmission / reception unit 26.

[0046] (3) The bird's-eye view image 7 shown in FIG. 3 is an image displayed centered on the host vehicle, but it may also be an image displayed centered on the facility by image processing. Also, an operation may be performed so that an enlarged view of the bird's-eye view image can be displayed.

[0047] Also, the mode of the bird's-eye view is not particularly limited, and as shown in FIG. 3, at least one of an image viewed from directly above (first image) and an image viewed from obliquely above (second image) can be displayed on the display unit. The image viewed from obliquely above is, for example, an image in which a fueling nozzle or a power supply plug provided in the facility can be visually recognized.

[0048] (4) The length information of the fueling hose or the power supply hose of the fueling / power supply facility is recognized by the imaging unit 211 or obtained from an external server or the like, and it can be displayed how close the host vehicle 2 should be to the facility so that the fueling nozzle or the power supply plug reaches the fueling port or the power supply plug of the host vehicle 2. For example, a stop range appropriate for parking the host vehicle 2 can be displayed in the bird's-eye view image 7.

[0049] (5) In the case of power supply, the schedule of the driver is acquired from a mobile terminal such as a smartphone possessed by the driver, and based on this schedule, the available facility determination unit 223 can also determine whether rapid charging or normal charging is appropriate. For example, after calculating the remaining time until the next schedule starting from the current time, the navigation device 27 acquires the travel distance required to reach the final destination and the final destination. Then, based on the travel distance and the remaining time, it can be determined whether rapid charging or normal charging is appropriate. Thereby, even when destination information is not input to the navigation device, an optimal charging method can be selected based on the remaining time according to the driver's schedule.

[0050] (6) The support method according to the present invention can also be applied to autonomous vehicles. In this case, the vehicle control unit 22 uses various information input from the external environment acquisition unit 21 to control the drive unit 24 in accordance with the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 2 and in accordance with traffic laws and regulations to drive the vehicle 2. Specific operations include, for example, braking, turning signal operation, accelerator operation, steering operation, and shift lever operation. Furthermore, the above-described processes (for example, the processes shown in Figure 4) can be performed automatically.

[0051] 2: Own vehicle 7: Bird's-eye view 25: Display unit 72: Equipment 201: Fuel filler cap 721-723: Fuel nozzle

Claims

1. A method for assisting with refueling or power supply by the vehicle's computer, comprising: when the presence of at least one refueling or power supply facility is recognized at a refueling or power supply location, acquiring the type of the facility; determining whether the type of the facility matches the vehicle; detecting the availability of the facility; determining that the facility is available for use if the facility whose type matches the vehicle is available; and displaying an image on the vehicle's display unit that highlights at least a portion of the available facility.

2. The support method according to claim 1, wherein the image includes highlighting of a fuel nozzle that supplies a type of fuel suitable for the vehicle, or a charging plug of a charger previously used in the vehicle, in the fuel supply equipment or the power supply equipment.

3. The support method according to claim 2, wherein the image includes an emphasis on the fuel filler port or power plug of the vehicle.

4. The support method according to claim 1, wherein the image is a bird's-eye view of the vehicle and the available equipment viewed from above.

5. The support method according to claim 4, wherein the bird's-eye view image includes at least one of a first image of the vehicle viewed from directly above and a second image of the vehicle viewed from diagonally above, the second image being an image of the vehicle viewed from a direction in which a fuel nozzle or power plug provided on the equipment is visible.

6. The support method according to claim 1, comprising performing positioning control of the vehicle with respect to the available equipment.

7. The support method according to claim 1, wherein the types of refueling equipment are regular gasoline refueling equipment, high-octane gasoline refueling equipment, and diesel fuel refueling equipment.

8. The support method according to claim 1, wherein the type of power supply equipment is a standard charger and a rapid charger.

9. The support method according to claim 1, comprising: storing the type of the refueling equipment or the power supply equipment that has been used to refuel or supply power; and determining whether the refueling equipment or the power supply equipment is suitable for the vehicle based on the types of refueling equipment or the power supply equipment that have been stored in the past.

10. The support method according to claim 1, which, when a destination is specified that includes the presence of the power supply equipment having either a standard charger or a rapid charger, determines whether the power supply equipment is suitable for the vehicle.

11. The support method according to claim 1, comprising: obtaining the driver's schedule; calculating the grace period until the next scheduled appointment starting from the current time; obtaining the final destination and the distance required to reach the final destination; and determining, based on the grace period and distance, whether normal charging or rapid charging is appropriate when the vehicle is to be charged at the refueling / charging location.

12. The support method according to claim 1, wherein, when the fuel filler cap or power plug of the vehicle and the equipment that the vehicle can use are far apart, guidance is provided by at least one of the display unit and / or by sound to guide the vehicle to move closer to the equipment that the vehicle can use.

13. The support method according to claim 1, comprising acquiring length information of the fuel supply hose in the fuel supply equipment or length information of the power supply hose in the power supply equipment, and displaying on the display unit the stopping range of the vehicle in which fuel can be supplied by the fuel supply hose or the stopping range of the vehicle in which charging can be performed by the power supply hose.

14. A support device for assisting the refueling or power supply of a vehicle, comprising: a recognition unit that recognizes the presence of at least one refueling or power supply facility at a refueling or power supply location, and recognizes the type of each facility and the availability of each facility; a determination unit that determines which facilities are available for use by determining whether the type is suitable for the vehicle and whether the facilities are available; and a drawing unit that displays, with emphasis, the information relating to the facilities determined to be available by the determination unit on the display unit of the vehicle.

Images