JP7625927B2 - Control device, program and control method - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a control device, a program, and a control method.

Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that, when switching from manual driving mode to autonomous driving mode, accepts a destination setting input by the driver or passenger, generates information to assist autonomous driving to the accepted destination, and executes autonomous driving assistance.

JP 2018-17740 A

However, in an autonomous vehicle such as that described in Patent Document 1, the autonomous driving mode consumes more power than the manual driving mode, resulting in longer charging times and higher charging costs. For this reason, users wanted to know the amount of power consumed in each of the manual and autonomous driving modes.

The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a control device, program, and control method that can grasp the amount of power consumed in each of the manual and automatic driving modes.

The control device according to the present disclosure is a control device for controlling a vehicle capable of executing an autonomous driving mode and a manual driving mode, and includes a processor configured to acquire a destination and a current position of the vehicle, calculate an amount of power consumption that is predicted based on the current position and the destination, the amount of power consumption that will be consumed on a driving route from the current position to the destination in each of the autonomous driving mode and the manual driving mode, and output the amount of power consumption in each of the autonomous driving mode and the manual driving mode.

The program according to the present disclosure also causes a processor included in a control device that controls a vehicle capable of executing an autonomous driving mode and a manual driving mode to acquire a destination and a current position of the vehicle, calculate an amount of power consumption that is predicted based on the current position and the destination, based on the current position and the destination, to be consumed on a driving route from the current position to the destination in each of the autonomous driving mode and the manual driving mode, and output the amount of power consumption in each of the autonomous driving mode and the manual driving mode.

In addition, in the control method according to the present disclosure, a processor included in a control device that controls a vehicle capable of executing an autonomous driving mode and a manual driving mode acquires a destination and a current position of the vehicle, calculates a predicted amount of power consumption to be consumed on a driving route from the current position to the destination in each of the autonomous driving mode and the manual driving mode based on the current position and the destination, and outputs the amount of power consumption in each of the autonomous driving mode and the manual driving mode.

The present disclosure has the effect of making it possible to grasp the amount of power consumed in both manual and automatic driving modes.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an autonomous driving system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a vehicle according to one embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a communication terminal according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the charging device according to one embodiment. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the center server according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an outline of the process executed by the ECU according to the embodiment.

The control device, program, and control method according to the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments. In addition, the same parts will be denoted by the same reference numerals in the following description.

[Autonomous Driving System Overview]
Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an autonomous driving system according to an embodiment. The autonomous driving system 1 shown in Fig. 1 includes a vehicle 10 capable of autonomous driving, a communication terminal 20 that accepts input of various operations by a user, a charging device 30 that can charge the vehicle 10, and a center server 40 that can communicate with the vehicle 10. The autonomous driving system 1 is configured to be able to communicate with each other through a network NW. This network NW is composed of, for example, an Internet line network and a mobile phone line network.

[Vehicle Functional Configuration]
First, a description will be given of the functional configuration of the vehicle 10. FIG 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the vehicle 10.

The vehicle 10 shown in FIG. 2 includes an operation unit 11, a drive unit 12, an imaging unit 13, a sensor group 14, a battery 15, a car navigation system 16, a storage unit 17, a communication unit 18, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 19. In the following, an electric vehicle capable of autonomous driving such as an EV (Electric Vehicle), a PHV (Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle), or a FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle) will be described as the vehicle 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to, for example, an electric two-wheeled vehicle such as a motorcycle, a bicycle, or a kickboard equipped with a motor and a battery, a tricycle, a bus, a truck, a ship, a drone, and the like. Furthermore, the vehicle 10 can automatically move toward a destination under the control of the center server 40 or the ECU 19. Of course, the vehicle 10 can also be moved toward a destination desired by a user such as a driver who uses the vehicle or a passenger who rides on the vehicle by operating the steering wheel, etc.

The operation unit 11 is configured using a steering wheel, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, etc. The operation unit 11 accepts operations by the driver or passengers in the vehicle 10.

The drive unit 12 is configured using a motor and the like. Under the control of the ECU 19, the drive unit 12 supplies driving force to the drive wheels of the vehicle 10 based on the power supplied from the battery 15.

The imaging unit 13 is configured using an imaging device including one or more lenses, and a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor that captures an image of a subject focused by the lens. A plurality of imaging units 13 are arranged outside the vehicle 10 and inside the vehicle 10. For example, when the imaging units 13 are arranged inside the vehicle 10, they are arranged near the entrance of the vehicle 10, near the exit of the vehicle 10, near the seats of the vehicle 10, and near the driver's seat of the vehicle 10. When the imaging units 13 are arranged outside the vehicle 10, they are arranged at the front, rear, and side of the vehicle 10. The imaging units 13 capture images under the control of the ECU 19, and output image data obtained by the capture to the ECU 19.

The sensor group 14 is composed of sensors for realizing autonomous driving and sensors for detecting the remaining charge of the battery 15. Specifically, the sensor group 14 is composed of 3D-LiDAR, a millimeter wave sensor, an infrared sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, an angular velocity sensor, a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, etc. Furthermore, the sensor group 14 is composed of sensors for detecting the driver's operation of the operation unit 11, and is composed of, for example, an accelerator pedal sensor, a brake pedal sensor, a steering sensor, etc. The sensor group 14 is also composed of testers and temperature sensors that detect the remaining charge (SOC), temperature, SOH (State of Health), voltage value, and current value of the battery 15. The sensor group 14 outputs the various detection results to the ECU 19.

Battery 15 is configured using a rechargeable secondary battery such as a nickel-metal hydride battery or a lithium-ion battery. Battery 15 stores high-voltage DC power for driving vehicle 10. Battery 15 can be electrically connected to charging device 30 via a charging port (not shown), and is charged with external power supplied from charging device 30.

The car navigation system 16 includes a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor 161, a map database 162, an alarm device 163, and an input unit 164.

The GPS sensor 161 receives signals from multiple GPS satellites or transmitting antennas, and calculates the position (longitude and latitude) of the vehicle 10 based on the received signals. The GPS sensor 161 is configured using a GPS receiving sensor, etc. In the first embodiment, the orientation accuracy of the vehicle 10 may be improved by installing multiple GPS sensors 161.

The map database 162 stores various map data. The map database 162 is configured using a storage medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD).

The notification device 163 has a display unit 163a that displays images, maps, videos, and text information, and an audio output unit 163b that generates sounds such as voices and alarm sounds. The display unit 163a is configured using a display such as a liquid crystal or organic EL (Electro Luminescence). The audio output unit 163b is configured using a speaker, etc.

The input unit 164 receives input of user operations and outputs signals corresponding to the various operations received to the ECU 19. The input unit 164 is realized using a touch panel, a button, a switch, a jog dial, etc.

The car navigation system 16 configured in this manner overlays the current position of the vehicle 10 acquired by the GPS sensor 161 on a map corresponding to the map data stored in the map database 162, and notifies the user of information including the road the vehicle 10 is currently traveling on and the driving route to the destination via the display unit 163a and the audio output unit 163b.

The storage unit 17 stores various information related to the vehicle 10. The storage unit 17 stores the CAN data of the vehicle 10 input from the ECU 19 and various programs executed by the ECU 19. The storage unit 17 is configured using a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a read only memory (ROM), a flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), and the like. The storage unit 17 also includes a program storage unit 171 executed by the vehicle 10, a learned model storage unit 172 that stores a learned model used by the ECU 19 to calculate the power consumption and the cruising range, and a vehicle information storage unit 173 that stores vehicle information for identifying the vehicle 10. Here, the learned model is formed, for example, using a deep neural network (DNN) as machine learning. The type of DNN network is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a network in which teacher data or learning data linking the vehicle model, fuel efficiency, speed, and distance of the vehicle 10 with the power consumption of the vehicle 10 is prepared, and the teacher data or learning data is input into a calculation model based on a multi-layer neural network for learning. Furthermore, as a machine learning method, a method based on DNN of a multi-layer neural network such as CNN (Convolutional Neural Network) or 3D-CNN may be used. In addition, the vehicle information includes identification information (e.g., a vehicle ID) for identifying the vehicle 10, the vehicle model and fuel efficiency information of the vehicle 10, etc.

Under the control of the ECU 19, the communication unit 18 transmits various data to the center server 40 through the network NW, and receives various data from the center server 40. For example, under the control of the ECU 19, the communication unit 18 acquires traffic information from the center server 40 and outputs the acquired traffic information to the ECU 19. The communication unit 18 is configured using a communication module capable of transmitting and receiving various information.

The ECU 19 is configured using a memory and a processor having hardware such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The ECU 19 controls each part of the vehicle 10. For example, when the driving mode of the vehicle 10 is set to an autonomous driving mode, the ECU 19 controls the drive unit 12 using the detection results of the sensor group, etc., to cause the vehicle 10 to drive autonomously. The ECU 19 has an acquisition unit 191, a decision unit 192, a first calculation unit 193, a second calculation unit 194, an output control unit 195, a mode setting unit 196, and a determination unit 197. In one embodiment, the ECU 19 functions as a control device.

The acquisition unit 191 acquires the destination and current position of the vehicle 10. Specifically, the acquisition unit 191 acquires the destination of the vehicle 10 input by the passenger or driver via the input unit 164, and acquires the current position of the vehicle 10 via the GPS sensor 161 and the map database 162.

The determination unit 192 selects from among a plurality of driving routes and determines a driving route based on the destination of the vehicle 10, the current position of the vehicle 10, and the map database 162. Specifically, the determination unit 192 selects from among the plurality of driving routes a driving route that provides the shortest distance between the destination of the vehicle 10 and the current position, and determines the driving route.

The first calculation unit 193 calculates the power consumption amount that is a prediction of the power consumption of the battery 15 to be consumed on the driving route from the current position to the destination in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode, based on the destination of the vehicle 10 and the current position of the vehicle 10. Specifically, the first calculation unit 193 uses the learned model stored in the learned model storage unit 172 to calculate the power consumption amount by inputting the distance, gradient, and presence or absence of traffic congestion on the driving route from the current position to the destination as input data, and outputting the power consumption amount as output data.

The second calculation unit 194 calculates the possible driving distance of the vehicle 10 in each of the autonomous driving mode and the manual driving mode based on the current remaining charge of the battery 15 and the predicted power consumption calculated by the first calculation unit 193. Specifically, the second calculation unit 194 calculates the possible driving distance of the vehicle 10 in each of the autonomous driving mode and the manual driving mode based on the current remaining charge of the battery 15 acquired via the sensor group 14, the predicted power consumption calculated by the first calculation unit 193, the distance of the driving route determined by the determination unit 192, the gradient of the driving route, the presence or absence of traffic congestion on the driving route, and the charging position (e.g., a charging station) of the charging device 30 installed on the driving route.

The output control unit 195 outputs at least one of the predicted power consumption in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode calculated by the first calculation unit 193 and the cruising distance in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode calculated by the second calculation unit 194. Specifically, the output control unit 195 displays at least one of the predicted power consumption and the cruising distance in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode by outputting them to the display unit 163a. In addition, when the determination unit 197 described later determines that congestion has occurred on the driving route on which the vehicle 10 is traveling, the output control unit 195 outputs at least one of the predicted power consumption in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode calculated by the first calculation unit 193 and the cruising distance in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode calculated by the second calculation unit 194.

The mode setting unit 196 sets the driving mode of the vehicle 10 to an automatic driving mode or a manual driving mode in response to the driver's or passenger's operation of the input unit 164.

The determination unit 197 determines whether or not a traffic jam has occurred on the route along which the vehicle 10 is traveling, based on the traffic information acquired by the acquisition unit 191.

[Functional configuration of communication terminal]
Next, a description will be given of the functional configuration of the communication terminal 20. FIG.

The communication terminal 20 shown in FIG. 3 includes a first communication unit 21, a second communication unit 22, a display unit 23, an input unit 24, a position acquisition unit 25, an imaging unit 26, a third communication unit 27, a memory unit 28, and a terminal control unit 29.

Under the control of the terminal control unit 29, the first communication unit 21 receives various information from the vehicle 10 or the wearable device and outputs the received various information to the terminal control unit 29. The first communication unit 21 is configured using a communication module capable of performing, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark) or the like.

The second communication unit 22 receives various information from the vehicle 10 under the control of the terminal control unit 29, and outputs the received information to the terminal control unit 29. The second communication unit 22 is configured using a communication module capable of Wi-Fi (registered trademark) and the like.

The display unit 23 displays various information under the control of the terminal control unit 29. The display unit 23 is configured using a display panel such as a liquid crystal or organic electroluminescence (EL) display panel.

The input unit 24 receives input of various operations by the user and outputs signals corresponding to the received operations to the terminal control unit 29. The input unit 24 is configured using a touch panel, switches, buttons, etc.

The position acquisition unit 25 acquires the position of the communication terminal 20 and outputs the acquired position to the terminal control unit 29. The position acquisition unit 25 is realized using multiple GPS receiving sensors, etc.

Under the control of the terminal control unit 29, the imaging unit 26 generates image data by capturing an image of a subject, and outputs this image data to the terminal control unit 29. The imaging unit 26 is realized using one or more optical systems and a CCD or CMOS image sensor that generates image data by capturing an image of a subject formed by the optical system.

The third communication unit 27 communicates with the center server 40 via the network NW under the control of the terminal control unit 29, and outputs the destination related to the destination set by the user via the input unit 24 to the vehicle 10 or the center server 40. The third communication unit 27 is configured using a communication module capable of implementing communication standards via mobile phone lines, such as the 4th generation mobile communication system (4G (4th Generation Mobile Communication System)) and the 5th generation mobile communication system (5G (5th Generation Mobile Communication System)).

The storage unit 28 stores various information related to the communication terminal 20 and various programs executed by the communication terminal 20. The storage unit 28 is realized using a DRAM, a ROM, a flash memory, an SSD, a memory card, etc.

The terminal control unit 29 is configured using a memory and a processor having hardware such as a CPU. The terminal control unit 29 controls each part of the communication terminal 20.

[Functional configuration of charging device]
Next, a description will be given of the functional configuration of the charging device 30. FIG.

The charging device 30 shown in FIG. 4 includes a first power transmission unit 31, a second power transmission unit 32, a communication unit 33, a memory unit 34, and a charging control unit 35.

The first power transmission unit 31 is connected to a charging port of the vehicle 10 (not shown) and supplies power by converting AC current of a predetermined voltage value (e.g., 6600 V) supplied from an external AC power source into DC current of a predetermined voltage value (e.g., 200 V) (normal charging). The first power transmission unit 31 is configured using a connector that can be connected to the charging port of the vehicle 10 (not shown), a cable that transfers power to the connector, an AC/DC converter, an inverter, a rectifier circuit, a transformer, a circuit breaker, etc. The first power transmission unit 31 may also be configured to supply power contactlessly (wireless AC charging). In this case, the power supply method may be either a magnetic field coupling method or an electric field coupling method.

The second power transmission unit 32 supplies power by converting an AC current of a predetermined voltage value (e.g., 6600 V) supplied from an external AC power source into a DC current of a predetermined voltage value (e.g., 500 V) (quick charging method). The second power transmission unit 32 is composed of a connector that can be connected to a charging port of the vehicle 10 (not shown), a cable that transfers power to the connector, an AC/DC converter, an inverter, a rectifier circuit, a transformer, a circuit breaker, etc.

Under the control of the charging control unit 35, the communication unit 33 communicates with the vehicle 10, the communication terminal 20, and the center server 40 through the network NW to transmit and receive various information. The communication unit 33 is configured using a communication module, etc.

The memory unit 34 stores various information related to the charging device 30. The memory unit 34 is configured using DRAM, ROM, flash memory, SSD, etc.

The charging control unit 35 is configured using a memory and a processor having hardware such as a CPU. The charging control unit 35 controls each part of the charging device 30.

[Functional configuration of the center server]
Next, a description will be given of the functional configuration of the center server 40. FIG.

The center server 40 shown in FIG. 5 includes a communication unit 41, a memory unit 42, a vehicle information database 43 (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle information DB 43"), a map information database 44 (hereinafter referred to as "map information DB 44"), a charging position information database 45 (hereinafter referred to as "charging position information DB 45"), a traffic information database 46 (hereinafter referred to as "traffic information DB 46"), and a server control unit 47.

The communication unit 41 communicates with the vehicle 10, the communication terminal 20, and the charging device 30 via the network NW under the control of the server control unit 47. The communication unit 41 is configured using a communication module, etc.

The storage unit 42 stores various information related to the center server 40. The storage unit 42 also has a program storage unit 421 that stores various programs executed by the center server 40. The storage unit 42 is realized using a DRAM, a ROM, a flash memory, an SSD, an HDD, a memory card, etc.

The vehicle information DB 43 stores vehicle information that associates vehicle identification information for identifying the vehicle 10, current status information of the vehicle 10, and current location information of the vehicle 10. The vehicle identification information includes the model name, year, and owner of the vehicle 10. The status information includes the remaining charge of the battery 15 of the vehicle 10, CAN data, and the like. The vehicle information DB 43 is configured using a HDD, SSD, and the like.

The map information DB 44 stores map data including multiple driving routes that the vehicle 10 can travel. The map information DB 44 is configured using a HDD, SSD, etc.

The charging location information DB 45 stores charging information that associates charging identification information that identifies the charging device 30, charging status information that indicates the current charging status of the charging device 30, and installation information that indicates the installation location of the charging device 30. The charging identification information is the charging method of the charging device 30 (for example, normal charging method (single-phase AC 200V or 100V) or quick charging method), the shape of the charging connector, and the device address. The charging status information is whether the vehicle 10 is currently being charged by the charging device 30, the estimated time of completion of charging the battery 15 of the vehicle 10, and the charging status of the battery of the vehicle 10. The charging location information DB 45 is configured using a HDD, SSD, etc.

The traffic information DB 46 stores traffic information on multiple travel routes that the vehicle 10 can travel. The traffic information DB 46 is configured using a HDD, SSD, etc.

The server control unit 47 is configured using a memory and a processor having hardware such as a CPU, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and a graphics processing unit (GPU). The server control unit 47 controls each part of the center server 40.

[Processing by ECU]
Next, a description will be given of the process executed by the ECU 19. FIG 6 is a flow chart showing an outline of the process executed by the ECU 19.

As shown in FIG. 6, first, the acquisition unit 191 acquires the destination and current position of the vehicle 10 (step S101). Specifically, the acquisition unit 191 acquires the destination of the vehicle 10 input by the passenger or driver via the input unit 164, and acquires the current position of the vehicle 10 via the GPS sensor 161 and the map database 162. The acquisition unit 191 may also acquire the destination of the vehicle 10 input by the passenger via the input unit 24 of the communication terminal 20 via the communication unit 18.

Then, the determination unit 192 selects from among a plurality of driving routes based on the destination of the vehicle 10, the current position of the vehicle 10, and the map database 162 to determine the driving route (step S102). In this case, the determination unit 192 selects from among the plurality of driving routes the driving route that provides the shortest distance between the destination and the current position of the vehicle 10 to determine the driving route. At this time, the acquisition unit 191 may communicate with the center server 40 via the communication unit 18 to acquire position information of the charging device 30 installed on the determined driving route.

Then, the first calculation unit 193 calculates the power consumption of the battery 15 predicted on the driving route from the current position to the destination in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode based on the destination of the vehicle 10 and the current position of the vehicle 10 (step S103). Specifically, the first calculation unit 193 calculates the power consumption predicted on the driving route from the current position to the destination in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode based on the distance, gradient, and presence or absence of traffic congestion on the driving route from the current position to the destination. In this case, the first calculation unit 193 uses the learned model stored in the learned model storage unit 172 to input the distance, gradient, and presence or absence of traffic congestion on the driving route from the current position to the destination as input data, and outputs the power consumption as output data to perform the calculation.

Next, the second calculation unit 194 calculates the cruising distance of the vehicle 10 in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode based on the current remaining amount of the battery 15 and the predicted power consumption calculated by the first calculation unit 193 (step S104). In this case, the second calculation unit 194 may calculate the cruising distance of each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode based on the current remaining amount of the battery 15 acquired via the sensor group 14, the predicted power consumption calculated by the first calculation unit 193, the distance of the driving route determined by the determination unit 192, the gradient of the driving route, the presence or absence of traffic congestion on the driving route, and the charging position of the charging device 30 installed on the driving route. At this time, when multiple charging devices 30 are installed on the driving route determined by the determination unit 192, the second calculation unit 194 may calculate the cruising distance of each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode taking into account the congestion degree of the charging device 30 and the distance to each charging device 30. For example, when multiple charging devices 30 are installed on the driving route determined by the determination unit 192, the second calculation unit 194 calculates the possible driving distance in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode by selecting a charging device 30 that can charge the battery 15 with the amount of power required to reach the destination in the fastest time based on the congestion status of each of the multiple charging devices 30.

Then, the output control unit 195 outputs at least one of the predicted power consumption of each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode calculated by the first calculation unit 193 and the cruising distance of each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode calculated by the second calculation unit 194 (step S105). Specifically, the output control unit 195 displays at least one of the predicted power consumption and the cruising distance of each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode by outputting them to the display unit 163a. This allows the driver or passenger to intuitively grasp at least one of the predicted power consumption and the cruising distance of each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode. The output control unit 195 may output at least one of the predicted power consumption and the cruising distance of each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode to the passenger's communication terminal 20 via the communication unit 18, thereby displaying them on the display unit 23 of the communication terminal 20. In this case, when the driver or passenger starts the vehicle 10, the output control unit 195 may output at least one of the predicted power consumption and the cruising distance in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode to the passenger's communication terminal 20 via the communication unit 18, thereby displaying them on the display unit 23 of the communication terminal 20. This allows the driver or passenger to intuitively grasp at least one of the predicted power consumption and the cruising distance in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode before driving the vehicle 10.

Next, if the driver or passenger selects the driving mode of the vehicle 10 to be the automatic driving mode via the input unit 164 (step S106: Yes), the mode setting unit 196 sets the driving mode of the vehicle 10 to the automatic driving mode (step S107). After step S107, the ECU 19 proceeds to step S109, which will be described later. On the other hand, if the driver or passenger does not select the driving mode of the vehicle 10 to be the automatic driving mode via the input unit 164 (step S106: No), the mode setting unit 196 sets the driving mode of the vehicle 10 to the manual driving mode (step S108). After step S108, the ECU 19 proceeds to step S109, which will be described later.

In step S109, the acquisition unit 191 acquires traffic information on the driving route determined by the determination unit 192 from the center server 40 via the communication unit 18.

Then, the determination unit 197 determines whether or not congestion has occurred on the driving route on which the vehicle 10 is traveling, based on the traffic information acquired by the acquisition unit 191 (step S110). If the determination unit 197 determines that congestion has occurred on the driving route on which the vehicle 10 is traveling (step S110: Yes), the vehicle 10 proceeds to step S111, which will be described later. On the other hand, if the determination unit 197 determines that congestion has not occurred on the driving route on which the vehicle 10 is traveling (step S110: No), the vehicle 10 proceeds to step S115, which will be described later.

In step S111, the acquisition unit 191 acquires the current position of the vehicle 10 via the GPS sensor 161 and the map database 162.

Next, the first calculation unit 193 calculates the predicted power consumption of the battery 15 on the driving route from the current position to the destination in each of the autonomous driving mode and the manual driving mode based on the destination of the vehicle 10 and the current position of the vehicle 10 (step S112).

Then, the second calculation unit 194 calculates the cruising distance of the vehicle 10 in each of the autonomous driving mode and the manual driving mode based on the current remaining charge of the battery 15 and the predicted power consumption calculated by the first calculation unit 193 (step S113).

Next, the output control unit 195 outputs at least one of the predicted power consumption of each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode calculated by the first calculation unit 193 and the cruising distance of each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode calculated by the second calculation unit 194 (step S114). Specifically, the output control unit 195 displays at least one of the predicted power consumption and the cruising distance of each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode by outputting them to the display unit 163a. This allows the driver or passenger to intuitively grasp at least one of the predicted power consumption and the cruising distance of each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode from the current position to the destination when a traffic jam occurs. That is, when the driver or passenger determines that the predicted power consumption or the cruising distance is insufficient from the current position of the vehicle 10 to the destination when the vehicle 10 is in the automatic driving mode, the driver or passenger can switch the driving mode of the vehicle 10 from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode. As a result, if traffic congestion occurs when the vehicle 10 is in autonomous driving mode, the autonomous driving mode, which consumes a lot of power, can be switched to manual mode, preventing power shortages caused by traffic congestion.

After that, if the vehicle 10 has arrived at the destination (step S115: Yes), the ECU 19 ends this process. On the other hand, if the vehicle 10 has not arrived at the destination (step S115: No), the ECU 19 returns to step S106.

According to the embodiment described above, the first calculation unit 193 calculates the amount of power consumption predicted for the driving route from the current position to the destination in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode based on the current position of the vehicle 10 and the destination, and the output control unit 195 outputs the amount of power consumption in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode, so that the driver or passenger can grasp the amount of power consumption in each of the manual driving mode and the automatic driving mode.

In addition, according to one embodiment, the second calculation unit 194 calculates the possible driving distance in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode based on the remaining charge of the battery 15 and the power consumption in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode, and the output control unit 195 outputs the possible driving distance in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode, so that the driver or passenger can grasp the possible driving distance in each of the manual driving mode and the automatic driving mode.

According to one embodiment, when the determination unit 197 determines that congestion has occurred on the driving route of the vehicle 10, the output control unit 195 outputs at least one of the power consumption and the cruising distance in the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode. Therefore, when the driver or passenger determines that the predicted power consumption or cruising distance from the current position of the vehicle 10 to the destination is insufficient when the vehicle 10 is in the automatic driving mode, the driver or passenger can switch the driving mode of the vehicle 10 from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode. As a result, if congestion occurs when the vehicle 10 is in the automatic driving mode, it is possible to switch from the automatic driving mode, which consumes a large amount of power, to the manual mode, thereby preventing a power shortage due to congestion.

In addition, according to one embodiment, the second calculation unit 194 calculates the cruising distance based on the power consumption, the distance of the driving route of the vehicle 10, the gradient of the driving route, the presence or absence of traffic congestion on the driving route, and the charging location, so that the cruising distance in each of the manual driving mode and the autonomous driving mode can be calculated with high accuracy.

In addition, according to one embodiment, the second calculation unit 194 outputs the possible driving distance when the battery 15 is charged by the charging device 30, so that the driver or passenger can grasp the possible driving distance in each of the manual driving mode and the automatic driving mode.

In addition, according to one embodiment, the output control unit 195 outputs the amount of power consumption in each of the manual driving mode and the automatic driving mode when the vehicle 10 is started and when the destination is set, so that the driver or passenger can grasp the amount of power consumption in each of the manual driving mode and the automatic driving mode before starting to drive the vehicle 10.

Other Embodiments
In addition, in one embodiment, the above-mentioned "unit" can be read as a "circuit" etc. For example, a control unit can be read as a control circuit.

The program executed by the autonomous driving system according to one embodiment is provided as file data in an installable or executable format stored on a computer-readable storage medium such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, a digital versatile disk (DVD), a USB medium, or a flash memory.

The program executed by the autonomous driving system according to one embodiment may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by downloading it via the network.

Note that in the explanation of the flowcharts in this specification, the order of processing between steps is clearly indicated using expressions such as "first," "then," and "continue." However, the order of processing required to implement this embodiment is not uniquely determined by these expressions. In other words, the order of processing in the flowcharts described in this specification can be changed as long as there are no contradictions.

Further advantages and modifications may be readily derived by those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Thus, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

Reference Signs List 1 Autonomous driving system 10 Vehicle 11 Operation unit 12 Drive unit 13 Imaging unit 14 Sensor group 15 Battery 16 Car navigation system 17 Memory unit 18 Communication unit 19 ECU
20 Communication terminal 30 Charging device 40 Center server 161 GPS sensor 162 Map database 163 Notification device 163a Display unit 163b Audio output unit 164 Input unit 171 Program storage unit 172 Learned model storage unit 173 Vehicle information storage unit 191 Acquisition unit 192 Decision unit 193 First calculation unit 194 Second calculation unit 195 Output control unit 196 Mode setting unit 197 Determination unit NW Network

Claims (9)

A control device for controlling a vehicle capable of executing an automatic driving mode and a manual driving mode,
Obtaining a destination of the vehicle and a current location of the vehicle;
Calculating an amount of power consumption that is predicted based on the current position and the destination from the current position to the destination in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode;
a processor configured to output the amount of power consumption in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode even if the amount of power consumption in the driving route from the current position to the destination exceeds a remaining battery charge detected by a sensor group of the vehicle;
Control device. The control device according to claim 1 ,
The processor,
Get the remaining chargeable battery level,
Calculating a cruising distance in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode based on the remaining amount and the power consumption amount in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode;
outputting the cruising distance in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode;
Control device. The control device according to claim 2,
The processor,
Acquire traffic information on the travel route;
determining whether or not a traffic jam has occurred on the travel route based on the traffic information;
after outputting the amount of power consumption in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode, when the driving mode of the vehicle is set to either the automatic driving mode or the manual driving mode and congestion occurs on the travel route, recalculating at least one of the amount of power consumption and the cruising range;
outputting at least one of the power consumption amount and the cruising range;
Control device. The control device according to claim 3,
The processor,
acquiring charging positions of a plurality of charging devices on the travel route;
Calculating the cruising range based on the power consumption, the distance of the travel route, the gradient of the travel route, the presence or absence of traffic congestion on the travel route, and the charging location.
Control device. The control device according to claim 4,
The processor,
outputting the cruising distance when the battery is charged by the charging device;
Control device. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The processor,
outputting the power consumption amount when the vehicle is started and when the destination is set;
Control device. A control device for controlling a vehicle capable of executing an automatic driving mode and a manual driving mode,
Obtaining a destination of the vehicle and a current location of the vehicle;
Calculating an amount of power consumption that is predicted based on the current position and the destination, the amount of power consumption that will be consumed on a driving route from the current position to the destination in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode;
Get the remaining chargeable battery level,
Calculating a cruising distance in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode based on the remaining amount and the power consumption amount in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode;
A processor configured to output the cruising distance in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode even if the amount of power consumption on the driving route from the current position to the destination exceeds a remaining battery charge detected by a sensor group of the vehicle.
Control device. A processor included in a control device that controls a vehicle capable of executing an automatic driving mode and a manual driving mode,
Obtaining a destination of the vehicle and a current location of the vehicle;
Calculating an amount of power consumption that is predicted based on the current position and the destination from the current position to the destination in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode;
Even if the amount of power consumption on the travel route from the current position to the destination exceeds the remaining battery charge detected by a sensor group of the vehicle, the amount of power consumption in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode is output.
A program to make that happen. A processor included in a control device that controls a vehicle capable of executing an autonomous driving mode and a manual driving mode,
Obtaining a destination of the vehicle and a current location of the vehicle;
Calculating an amount of power consumption that is predicted based on the current position and the destination from the current position to the destination in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode;
Even if the amount of power consumption on the travel route from the current position to the destination exceeds the remaining battery charge detected by a sensor group of the vehicle, the amount of power consumption in each of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode is output.
Control methods.

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