JP2020117056A - Energy replenishment support device - Google Patents

Abstract

To receive an assistance in replenishment by an operator even when a vehicle is an unmanned automatic driving vehicle and an energy replenishment station that the vehicle can reach with a remaining energy amount is a self-service type.SOLUTION: An energy replenishment support device comprises: a control unit which outputs a control signal to switch a vehicle to automatic driving to an energy replenishment station, as a destination, that the vehicle can reach with a remaining energy amount for a travel of the vehicle when information representing that the remaining energy reaches lower than a predetermined level is input; and a communication unit which transmits, before the vehicle reaches the energy replenishment station, information, regarding whether an assistance in replenishment is required, including passenger information representing whether the vehicle is an unmanned automatic driving vehicle to the energy replenishment station.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to an energy supply support device.

Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which, when the remaining amount of fuel falls below a first level, the automatic driving control unit automatically drives to a gas station where the vehicle can reach with the remaining amount. In the technology described in Patent Document 1, a service inquiring unit inquires of a server whether a refueling service at an arbitrary replenishing place can be provided, and a candidate notifying unit receives a response from the server and a vehicle is heading for gasoline. Selectively notify the user of services that can be refueled at a place other than the stand, the service request unit requests the server to provide the selected service, and the automatic driving control unit causes the vehicle to be delivered to an arbitrary refueling place. Head for autonomous driving.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-1000092

However, in the above-mentioned conventional technology, the vehicle is an unmanned autonomous vehicle, and an energy supply station such as a gas station or a charging station, which can be reached by the remaining amount of energy such as fuel or electricity stored in the vehicle, is a so-called self-driving vehicle. In the case of an energy supply stand of a formula, there is a problem that energy supply cannot be performed.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to provide a self-driving vehicle in which the vehicle is an unmanned self-driving vehicle and which can be reached by the remaining amount of energy in the vehicle. , To provide an energy supply support device capable of receiving supply support from a worker.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the above-mentioned object, the energy replenishment support device according to the present invention, when the information indicating that the remaining amount of energy for driving the vehicle is below a predetermined level is input, A control unit for outputting a control signal for switching the energy supply stand reachable by the vehicle to the automatic operation with the remaining amount of the vehicle as a destination, and the necessity of supply support before the vehicle arrives at the energy supply stand. And a communication unit that transmits information to the energy supply stand.

According to the energy supply support device of the present invention, before the vehicle arrives at the energy supply stand, the information regarding the necessity of the supply support can be transmitted to the energy supply stand. Therefore, the vehicle is an unmanned autonomous vehicle, and Even if the energy supply stand that can be reached by the remaining amount of energy in the vehicle is of the self-type, it is possible to receive the energy supply support from the worker.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an energy supply support system to which an energy supply support device according to an embodiment of the present invention can be applied. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of the energy supply support method according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In all the drawings of the following embodiments, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals. Further, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

First, an energy supply support system to which an energy supply support device according to an embodiment of the present invention can be applied will be described. FIG. 1 shows an energy supply support system according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the energy supply support system 1 includes an energy supply support center 2, a plurality of vehicles 3, and a plurality of energy supply stands 4 that can communicate with each other via a network 10.

The network 10 is composed of an internet line network, a mobile phone line network, or the like. The network 10 is, for example, a public communication network such as the Internet. For example, a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), a telephone communication network such as a mobile phone or a public line, a VPN (Virtual Private Network), and It consists of one or more combinations such as leased lines. Wired communication and wireless communication are appropriately combined in the network 10.

(Energy supply support center)
In the present embodiment, the energy supply support center 2 as the energy supply support device includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit 23. The energy supply support center 2 is a server that supports the supply of fuel such as gasoline and electric power to the vehicle 3 which is an unmanned autonomous vehicle. The energy replenishment support center 2 includes vehicle identification information, running history information, vehicle information, and energy replenishment information (hereinafter referred to as energy replenishment information) regarding each vehicle 3 transmitted from the plurality of vehicles 3 having the communication unit 32. Information of the above is received via the network 10.

The vehicle identification information includes various information for identifying the individual vehicles 3 from each other. The travel history information includes information such as a travel route and a travel area of each vehicle 3, and map information. The information on the travel route is information about whether a particular road is going up or down, or information about whether a particular road is going up or down. The traveling area information is information on traveling routes, information on municipalities, information on prefectures, or information on areas such as Kanto and Tokai. The map information includes information that can output a specific map image and information about the state of the road. The vehicle information includes information regarding the ignition timing, the fuel injection amount, the injection timing, the throttle opening, the VVT, and the EGR valve control amount as information regarding the internal combustion engine of the vehicle 3. The vehicle information may further include information such as total traveling distance, position information, speed information, acceleration information, sensor group acquisition information, and vehicle type.

The control unit 21 specifically includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a processor such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), and a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory). Of the main memory (not shown). The control unit 21 loads the program stored in the storage unit 22 into the work area of the main storage unit, executes the program, and controls each component through execution of the program to realize a function that matches a predetermined purpose. it can.

When the energy remaining amount in the energy storage unit 35 that stores the energy for running the vehicle 3 becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined level, the control unit 21 determines one of the vehicles that the vehicle can reach based on the energy remaining amount in the energy storage unit 35. It outputs a control signal to switch the energy supply stand to the automatic operation with the destination.

In the present embodiment, the functions of the list creation unit 21a and the vehicle determination unit 21b are executed by executing the program by the control unit 21. When the vehicle 3 is an unmanned self-driving vehicle, the list creation unit 21a performs a process of creating a list of energy supply stands corresponding to energy supply. The list creation unit 21a stores the created list data in the storage unit 22. The vehicle determination unit 21b determines the vehicle 3 based on the vehicle identification information included in the vehicle information transmitted from the vehicle 3, and identifies the vehicle 3 that is the transmission destination of the list data created by the list creation unit 21a. I do.

The storage unit 22 is physically selected from volatile memory such as RAM, non-volatile memory such as ROM, EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), hard disk drive (HDD, Hard Disk Drive), and removable media. Composed of medium. The removable medium is, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, or a disc recording medium such as a CD (Compact Disc), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), and a BD (Blu-ray (registered trademark) Disc). is there. Further, the storage unit 22 may be configured by using a computer-readable recording medium such as a memory card that can be mounted from the outside. The storage unit 22 can store an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, various databases, etc. for executing the operation of the energy supply support center 2. The various programs include the energy supply support program according to the present embodiment. These various programs can be recorded in a computer-readable recording medium such as a hard disk, a flash memory, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, and a flexible disk, and distributed widely.

As described above, the storage unit 22 stores the information about the received energy supply, the vehicle identification information of the vehicle 3, and the vehicle information in a searchable manner. The storage unit 22 further stores and updates the list data generated by the list creation unit 21a of the control unit 21 and stores the list data.

The communication unit 23 is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface board or a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication. The LAN interface board and the wireless communication circuit are connected to the network 10 such as the Internet which is a public communication network. The communication unit 23 as a transmission unit and a reception unit is connected to the network 10 and communicates with the plurality of vehicles 3. The communication unit 23 receives various kinds of information such as vehicle identification information, travel history information, and vehicle information with each vehicle 3, and sends various kinds of information such as list data and control signals to the vehicle 3. Send information.

The vehicle identification information includes various information for identifying the individual vehicles 3 from each other. The travel history information includes information such as a travel route and travel area of each vehicle 3, map information, and weather information. The information on the travel route is information about whether a particular road is going up or down, or information about whether a particular road is going up or down. The traveling area information is information on traveling routes, information on municipalities, information on prefectures, or information on areas such as Kanto and Tokai. The map information includes information that can output a specific map image and information about the state of the road. The weather information includes information on the outside temperature and humidity, and weather information such as fine weather, cloudy weather, rain, and snow. The information on the outside temperature and the humidity may include not only the information on the temperature and the humidity during traveling but also the information on the actual measured temperature and the measured humidity of the outside air. Further, the weather information may include information in which the wind direction, the wind speed, and the traveling direction of the vehicle 3 are associated with each other. The vehicle information includes information regarding the ignition timing, the fuel injection amount, the injection timing, the throttle opening, the VVT, and the EGR valve control amount as information regarding the internal combustion engine of the vehicle 3. The vehicle information may further include information such as total traveling distance, position information, speed information, acceleration information, sensor group acquisition information, and vehicle type.

(vehicle)
The vehicle 3 is an autonomous vehicle or the like configured to be capable of autonomous traveling according to a given operation command. The vehicle 3 includes a control unit 31, a communication unit 32, a drive unit 33, a storage unit 34, and an energy storage unit 35. The control unit 31 and the storage unit 34 are physically similar to the control unit 21 and the storage unit 22 described above, respectively. The control unit 31 centrally controls the operations of various components mounted on the vehicle 3 by executing the programs stored in the storage unit 34.

The communication unit 32 serving as a transmission unit and a reception unit includes, for example, an in-vehicle communication module (DCM: Data Communication Module). The communication unit 32 communicates at least with the energy supply support center 2 and the energy supply stand 4 by wireless communication via the network 10.

The drive unit 33 is a conventionally known drive unit required for traveling of the vehicle 3. Specifically, the vehicle 3 includes an engine that is an internal combustion engine that serves as a drive source, a motor that is an electric motor, a drive transmission mechanism that transmits a driving force from the drive source, and drive wheels for traveling. The engine of the vehicle 3 may be configured to be capable of generating power using a motor or the like when driven by combustion of fuel. The generated electric power is charged into a rechargeable battery.

The storage unit 34 stores various information including the vehicle identification information, the map information, the travel history information, the vehicle information, and the list data of the vehicle 3 described above in a storable and updatable manner. Various data detected by various sensors (not shown) in the vehicle 3 are stored in the storage unit 34 as sensor information so that they can be accumulated and updated. The vehicle 3 further includes an input/output unit, a sensor group, a GPS unit (all not shown), and the like.

The energy storage unit 35 is a storage unit for storing energy required to drive the vehicle 3, and is composed of, for example, a tank for storing fuel such as a fuel tank and a battery for storing electricity. When the energy stored in the energy storage unit 35 is supplied to the drive unit 33, the drive unit 33 drives and the vehicle 3 can travel. The remaining amount of energy in the energy storage unit 35 is detected by a predetermined remaining amount sensor (not shown) and is output to the control unit 31 as energy remaining amount data.

The control unit 31 sequentially stores information such as map information, travel history information, and vehicle information in the storage unit 34 based on information acquired from a sensor group (not shown) when the vehicle 3 is running or is stopped. .. On the other hand, the control unit 31 sequentially receives the remaining energy amount data from the remaining amount sensor. The control unit 31 communicates information such as traveling history information and vehicle information stored in the storage unit 34 at a timing based on the remaining energy amount, specifically, at a timing when the remaining energy amount becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined level. It is transmitted to the energy supply support center 2 through the unit 32. In the energy supply support center 2, the storage unit 22 stores information such as traveling history information and vehicle information received from each vehicle 3. As a result, in the storage unit 22 of the energy supply support center 2, the information on the current position of the vehicle 3 is updated at a timing based on the amount of energy remaining in the energy storage unit 35 of the vehicle 3.

(Energy supply stand)
Each energy supply station 4 is composed of a gas station or a charging station provided with the energy supply facility 45. The energy supply stand 4 includes a computer including a control unit 41, a storage unit 42, a communication unit 43, and an output unit 44. The control unit 41, the storage unit 42, and the communication unit 43 are physically the same as the control unit 21, the storage unit 22, and the communication unit 23 described above, respectively. The output unit 44 includes a touch panel display, a speaker microphone, and the like. Under the control of the control unit 41, the output unit 44 is configured to display characters and figures on the screen of the touch panel display and output sound from the speaker microphone to notify predetermined information to the outside. .. An input unit configured to be able to input predetermined information may be provided in the control unit 41 by a user operating a touch panel display or uttering a voice toward a speaker microphone. The control unit 41 outputs predetermined information from the output unit 44 by executing the program stored in the storage unit 42. The energy supply facility 45 provided in the energy supply stand 4 is configured to be able to supply fuel and electric power to the vehicle 3.

(Energy supply support method)
Next, an energy supply support method executed in the energy supply support system 1 configured as described above will be described. In the following description, transmission and reception of information is performed via the network 10, but description of this point will be omitted. FIG. 2 is a flow chart for explaining the energy supply support method according to the present embodiment.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2, in step ST1, the list creation unit 21a of the control unit 21 of the energy replenishment support center 2 creates a list of energy replenishment stands corresponding to the energy replenishment of the vehicle 3, which is an autonomous vehicle. .. On the other hand, in step ST2, the control unit 31 of the vehicle 3 determines whether or not the remaining energy amount in the energy storage unit 35 has become equal to or lower than a predetermined level. As a result, when the remaining energy amount becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined level, the control unit 31 informs the energy supplement support center 2 via the communication unit 32 that the list request signal indicating that the remaining energy amount is equal to or lower than the predetermined level and the vehicle. Send identification information.

Upon receiving the list request signal and the vehicle identification information, the control unit 21 of the energy supply support center 2 obtains the list information of the energy supply stations 4 that can be reached from the storage unit 22 in the remaining energy amount in the energy storage unit 35 of the vehicle 3. It is searched and transmitted to the vehicle 3 together with the control signal. The control signal is a signal for switching the reachable energy supply stand 4 selected by the vehicle 3 to the automatic operation with the destination as the destination.

Next, in step ST3, the control unit 31 of the vehicle 3 selects a predetermined energy supply stand 4 from the received list information. The vehicle 3 switches the destination to the selected energy supply stand 4 based on the control signal received from the energy supply support center 2. Further, the control unit 31 calculates the time to reach the selected energy supply station 4 (estimated arrival time) based on the information input from the GPS unit, the sensor group (neither is shown), and the like. Through the communication unit 32, the control unit 31 uses, as the information regarding the necessity of the replenishment support, the occupant information indicating whether or not the vehicle 3 is an unmanned self-driving vehicle, the information of the selected energy replenishment stand 4, (selection information ) And estimated arrival time information are transmitted to the energy supply support center 2.

Next, in step ST4, the vehicle determination unit 21b of the energy supply support center 2 determines the characteristics of the vehicle 3 associated with the vehicle identification information from the storage unit 22 and the energy type of the vehicle 3 based on the received vehicle identification information. Read out. The energy type is the type of energy that can be supplied to the energy storage unit 35 of the vehicle 3, such as fuel and electricity such as gasoline, light oil, and high-octane gasoline. The control unit 21 transmits the estimated arrival time received from the vehicle 3 and the read characteristics and energy type of the vehicle 3 to the energy supply stand 4 via the communication unit 23.

After that, when the vehicle 3 arrives at the energy supply stand 4 in step ST5, the control unit 31 transmits an arrival notification to the energy supply stand 4 via the communication unit 32. Subsequently, in step ST6, the control unit 31 of the vehicle 3 controls to open the energy supply port in the energy storage unit 35 after stopping the drive source such as the engine and the motor.

Next, in step ST7, in the energy supply stand 4, the worker uses the energy supply equipment 45 to supply energy from the energy supply port of the energy storage unit 35 of the vehicle 3. After the energy supply is completed, the worker closes the energy supply port. The control unit 41 of the energy supply stand 4 transmits the signal of the supply completion notification to the vehicle 3 through the communication unit 43. When the vehicle 3 receives the signal of the supply completion notification via the communication unit 32, the vehicle 3 proceeds to step ST8, confirms the supply of energy, and then leaves the energy supply stand 4. The vehicle 3 starts traveling toward a predetermined destination so as to return to its original position. With the above, the processing of the energy supply support method according to the present embodiment is completed.

According to the embodiment of the present invention described above, since the information about the necessity of the support of the energy supply can be transmitted to the energy supply stand before the vehicle 3 arrives at the energy supply stand 4, the vehicle 3 can be unmanned. Even if the energy supply stand 4 that is an autonomous vehicle and can reach the remaining amount of energy in the vehicle 3 is self-operated, it is possible to receive energy supply support from a worker.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been specifically described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described one embodiment, and various modifications can be made based on the technical idea of the present invention. For example, the numerical values given in the above-described embodiment are merely examples, and different numerical values may be used if necessary. Further effects and modifications can be easily derived by those skilled in the art. The broader aspects of the present invention are not limited to the specific details and the exemplary embodiments represented and described above. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

1 Energy Supply Support System 2 Energy Supply Support Center 3 Vehicle 4 Energy Supply Stand 21, 31, 41 Control Unit 21a List Creation Unit 21b Vehicle Discrimination Unit 22, 34, 42 Storage Unit 23, 32, 43 Communication Unit 33 Drive Unit 35 Energy Storage unit 44 Output unit 45 Energy supply equipment

Claims (1)

When the information indicating that the remaining amount of energy to drive the vehicle has become less than or equal to a predetermined level is input, a control signal that switches the energy supply station reachable by the vehicle to the automatic driving with the destination reached by the remaining amount of energy is transmitted. Output control unit,
An energy replenishment support device, comprising: a communication unit that transmits information regarding the necessity of replenishment support to the energy replenishment stand before the vehicle arrives at the energy replenishment stand.

Images