IP Library Granted Patent US 8,301,365
Granted Patent B2
US 8,301,365 · App. 12/451,800 · Granted Oct 30, 2012

Navigation device presenting information regarding charging and vehicle including same device

Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha; Aisin AW Co., Ltd
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,301,365
App. No.
12/451,800
Granted
Oct 30, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

An ECU executes a program including a step of detecting a present location using a GPS system; a step of reading out data of a geographical map proximate to the present location and presenting in the geographical map charging installations including a charging installation employing solar light, together with the location of its vehicle; a step of, if a presentation switching request is made and a real-time solar radiation correction request is made, detecting a solar radiation amount and correcting a charge amount per unit time provided by the power generation installation employing solar light, based on the detected solar radiation amount; and a step of detecting an SOC in the battery to calculate an amount of discharge done until arrival at the charging installation, calculating time required for charging up to a fully charged state, and presenting the time required for charging in the geographical map.

Claims (49)

1. A navigation device comprising:

a display unit for displaying a detected location of a vehicle and stored geographical map information;

a storage unit for storing location information of a charging facility having a solar cell to charge a power storage mechanism mounted on the vehicle using electric power generated through solar light energy; and

a control unit for controlling said display unit to present information about said charging facility on said display unit, wherein

said control unit causes said display unit to present thereon, in association with a location of said charging facility, information about a charging performance in said charging facility attained based on an amount of electric power generated by said solar cell, and

the information about said charging performance includes information about an amount of charging electric power per unit time and information about a distance in which the vehicle is capable of traveling using the amount of charging electric power per unit time.

2. The navigation device according to claim 1 , wherein the information includes information about a ratio of increase of a charge amount per unit time to a fully charged state.

3. The navigation device according to claim 2 , wherein said control unit causes the information about the charging performance to be presented in consideration of the amount of electric power generated by said solar cell, which varies depending on a weather condition.

4. A navigation device comprising:

a display unit for displaying a detected location of a vehicle and stored geographical map information;

a storage unit for storing location information of a charging facility having a solar cell to charge a power storage mechanism mounted on the vehicle using electric power generated through solar light energy; and

a control unit for controlling said display unit to present information about said charging facility on said display unit, wherein

said control unit causes said display unit to present thereon, in association with a location of said charging facility, information about charging time that is based on an amount of electric power generated by said solar cell, and

the information about said charging time includes information about an amount of charging electric power per unit time and information about a distance in which the vehicle is capable of traveling using the amount of charging electric power per unit time.

5. The navigation device according to claim 4 , wherein said control unit causes the information about the charging time to be presented in consideration of the amount of electric power generated by said solar cell, which varies depending on a weather condition.

6. The navigation device according to claim 1 , wherein said control unit causes information about charging time in said charging facility to be presented in consideration of a discharge amount resulting from traveling of the vehicle to said charging facility.

7. The navigation device according to claim 6 , wherein said control unit causes the information about the charging time in said charging facility to be presented in consideration of a traffic condition during traveling of the vehicle to said charging facility.

8. The navigation device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the vehicle has a solar cell mounted thereon, and

said control unit causes the information about said charging facility to be presented in consideration of an amount of electric power generated by said solar cell mounted on the vehicle.

9. The navigation device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the vehicle has a solar cell mounted thereon, and

said control unit causes information about charging time in said charging facility to be presented in consideration of at least one of an amount of electric power generated by said solar cell mounted on the vehicle during traveling of the vehicle to said charging facility and a discharge amount resulting from the traveling.

10. The navigation device according to claim 9 , wherein said control unit causes the information about the charging time in said charging facility to be presented in consideration of a traffic condition during traveling of the vehicle to said charging facility.

11. A navigation device, comprising:

display means for displaying a detected location of a vehicle and stored geographical map information;

storage means for storing location information of a charging facility having a solar cell to charge a power storage mechanism mounted on the vehicle using electric power generated through solar light energy; and

control means for controlling said display means to present information about said charging facility on said display means, wherein

said control means includes means for presenting on said display means, in association with a location of said charging facility, information about a charging performance in said charging facility attained based on an amount of electric power generated by said solar cell, and

the information about said charging performance includes information about an amount of charging electric power per unit time and information about a distance in which the vehicle is capable of traveling using the amount of charging electric power per unit time.

12. The navigation device according to claim 11 , wherein the information includes information about a ratio of increase of a charge amount per unit time to a fully charged state.

13. The navigation device according to claim 12 , wherein said control means includes means for presenting the information about the charging performance in consideration of the amount of electric power generated by said solar cell, which varies depending on a weather condition.

14. A navigation device comprising:

a display means for displaying a detected location of a vehicle and stored geographical map information;

a storage means for storing location information of a charging facility having a solar cell to charge a power storage mechanism mounted on the vehicle using electric power generated through solar light energy; and

a control means for controlling said display means to present information about said charging facility on said display means, wherein

said control means includes means for displaying on said display means, in association with a location of said charging facility, information about charging time that is based on said solar cell, and

the information about said charging time includes information about an amount of charging electric power per unit time and information about a distance in which the vehicle is capable of traveling using the amount of charging electric power per unit time.

15. The navigation device according to claim 14 , wherein said control means includes means for presenting the information about the charging time in consideration of the amount of electric power generated by said solar cell, which varies depending on a weather condition.

16. The navigation device according to claim 11 , wherein said control means includes means for presenting information about charging time in said charging facility in consideration of a discharge amount resulting from traveling of the vehicle to said charging facility.

17. The navigation device according to claim 16 , wherein said control means includes means for presenting the information about the charging time in said charging facility in consideration of a traffic condition during traveling of the vehicle to said charging facility.

18. The navigation device according to claim 11 , wherein:

the vehicle has a solar cell mounted thereon, and

said control means includes means for presenting the information about the charging facility, in consideration of an amount of electric power generated by said solar cell mounted on the vehicle.

19. The navigation device according to claim 11 , wherein:

the vehicle has a solar cell mounted thereon, and

said control means includes means for presenting information about charging time in said charging facility in consideration of at least one of an amount of electric power generated by said solar cell mounted on the vehicle during traveling of the vehicle to said charging facility and a discharge amount resulting from the traveling.

20. The navigation device according to claim 19 , wherein said control means includes means for presenting the information about the charging time in said charging facility in consideration of a traffic condition during the traveling of the vehicle to said charging facility.

21. A vehicle comprising the navigation device according to claim 1 .

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 1, 2009
From: NIWA, TOSHIAKI; TAKAHARA, MASATOSHI
To: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA; AISIN AW CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 023604/0037 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2007-192185 · Jul 24, 2007 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20100169008A1 · Jul 1, 2010