Hybrid EV Travel Support Control Outside Communication Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing travel support control devices for hybrid electric vehicles struggle to effectively manage travel modes when a hybrid electric vehicle travels in areas outside of communication coverage, as they rely on continuous communication with external servers for map and route information, leading to disruptions in mode switching and calculation of electric travel distances.
Innovation Solution
A travel support control device that includes a navigation system capable of receiving and storing map information, allowing it to create and maintain a travel support plan by assigning CD or CS modes to each travel section based on prediction information, and continues to calculate electric travel distances even when outside communication coverage, using stored map information and switching modes based on accelerator operations and battery state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the navigation system continuously communicates with the external server to acquire map information and route information, then the travel support control can be appropriately performed, but the system cannot operate in areas outside of communication coverage
Solution Approach 1:
The navigation system stores map information and route information in advance in its internal storage before the vehicle enters areas without communication coverage. This preliminary action ensures that the travel support control device can continue to access and use this stored information for mode switching decisions even when external communication is unavailable, thus resolving the contradiction between reliable control and adaptability to communication-denied environments.
2Loss of energy
If the system switches travel modes based on real-time communication with the server, then the running cost can be reduced, but the mode switching cannot be performed appropriately in areas outside communication coverage
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-acquires and stores prediction information including map data and route information before entering communication-denied areas. The travel support control device uses this stored information to continue performing mode switching control based on energy optimization algorithms, ensuring both energy efficiency and operational capability are maintained without real-time server communication.
3Measurement precision
If the navigation system relies on external server communication for route information, then accurate route guidance can be provided, but the system fails when communication is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The navigation system stores map information and route information in advance in its internal storage before the vehicle enters areas without communication coverage. This preliminary action ensures that the travel support control device can continue to access and use this stored information for mode switching decisions even when external communication is unavailable, thus resolving the contradiction between reliable control and adaptability to communication-denied environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a local copy of the necessary map information and route information from the external server and stores it in the navigation system's internal storage. This copy allows the system to operate independently of the external server when communication is unavailable, maintaining both accuracy and reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A travel support control device creates a travel support plan in which one of travel modes including a charge depleting (CD) mode and a charge sustaining (CS) mode is assigned to each travel section of a travel route based on prediction information generated for the travel route, performs travel support control, and calculates a total distance of electric traveling on the travel route as one result of the travel support control. When a hybrid electric vehicle is traveling in an area outside of communication coverage while the travel support control is being performed, the travel support control device stops switching the travel mode based on the travel support plan and keeps calculating the total distance of electric traveling on the travel route.