Vehicle Information Processor Travel Mode Planning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle information processors struggle to effectively plan travel modes for plug-in hybrid vehicles when travel loads in certain zones cannot be calculated, leading to surplus or insufficient battery power at the destination, which affects the frequency of internal combustion engine use and fuel consumption.

Innovation Solution

An information processor for vehicles that includes a travel route obtaining unit, a zone information obtaining unit, and a planning unit, which sets zones with unknown travel loads to a mode prioritizing motor-only travel to increase power consumption, ensuring sufficient battery usage and reducing internal combustion engine usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If zones with unknown travel load are set to the second mode (CS mode) to conserve battery power, then the internal combustion engine frequency increases, but the stored power consumption decreases leading to surplus battery power at destination

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestored power consumptionVSAvoidEV traveling distance

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of conserving battery power by default in zones with unknown travel load, the patent inverts the approach by setting these zones to the first mode (EV mode) to prioritize stored power consumption. This ensures that battery power is actively used in uncertain zones rather than preserved, preventing surplus power at destination and maximizing EV traveling distance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Productivity

If zones with unknown travel load are set to the first mode (EV mode) to increase power consumption, then the stored power consumption increases, but the reliability of power sufficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveEV traveling distanceVSAvoidpower sufficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by calculating the total power amount that can be output from the storage battery before reaching a lower limit value, and using this pre-calculated value to determine the optimal mode settings for zones with unknown travel load. This advance planning ensures that power consumption is maximized while maintaining reliability that the battery will not drop below the lower limit.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Device complexity

If the travel load calculation is skipped for zones with unknown information, then the planning complexity decreases, but the accuracy of mode selection deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplanning complexityVSAvoidtravel load calculation accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts zones with unknown travel load information from the normal travel load calculation process. Instead of attempting to calculate travel load for all zones, the system identifies and separates zones where calculation is not possible, then applies a default mode setting to these extracted zones. This reduces planning complexity while maintaining sufficient accuracy through the inversion principle.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS9896085B2Vehicle information processor

Publication Date: 2018.02.20 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK

AI summary

In the first mode, the vehicle gives priority to traveling in which only the motor is driven. In the second mode, the vehicle drives at least one of the internal combustion engine and the motor to sustain a stored power amount of the storage battery. At least one of a plurality of zones includes a load unknown portion, in which the travel load cannot be calculated. The planning unit is configured to set a zone including the load unknown portion to the first mode.