Abstract: The present invention contemplates a hybrid vehicle capable of changing an amount to be charged to an electric power storage device in accordance with whether it is externally charged. The hybrid vehicle includes a control device inquiring of an occupant of the vehicle whether the occupant has an intention to go to a charging location for example at home. If so, the control device sets a target value for the electric power storage device's amount of a state (SOC) to have a value smaller than when the occupant does not have an intention to go to the charging location. This allows as much energy as possible to be received at the charging location and a vehicle can thus be obtained that less depends on an internal combustion engine and contributes to environmental protection.

Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes a regenerative charging area detection section, a recovery loss estimation section, and a motor use ratio increase section. The regenerative charging area detection section detects arrival of a regenerative charging possible area in which a regenerative charging from a motor to a battery is possible. The recovery loss estimation section estimates a recovery loss of the regenerative charging based on a regenerative charge amount in the regenerative charging possible area and a current remaining battery amount in response to detection by the regenerative charging area detection section. In response to estimation by the recovery loss estimation section, before the arrival at the regenerative charging possible area, the motor use ratio increase section increases a use ratio of the motor so as to decrease a remaining battery amount while limiting the temperature of the battery to a predetermined temperature range.

Abstract: A vehicle has a plurality of traveling modes. A display device for the vehicle comprises: a display unit displaying map information; and a control unit causing the display unit to display recognizably, at a portion of roads in the map information, traveling modes that correspond to the roads. Preferably, the control unit sets a destination in response to an instruction received from an operator, searches for a traveling route extending from a starting point to the destination, divides the traveling route into segments, and associates one of the traveling modes with each of the segments. More preferably, the control unit causes the display unit to display the plurality of candidate traveling routes, each with the traveling mode overlaid thereon, and selects in response to an instruction of the operator one traveling route planned to be taken among the plurality of candidate traveling routes.

Abstract: A driving support apparatus and method is provided. The apparatus includes a regenerative electric power specification unit that determines electric power generated by a regenerative brake. Also included is a guidance unit that performs guidance to encourage the deceleration of a vehicle at a timing based on a distance from the vehicle to a target. As setting unit sets a new timing for providing guidance based on the electric power determined by the regenerative electric power specification unit where the electric power is regenerated in response to braking that is performed after guidance, but before the vehicle passes the target. Subsequently, the guidance unit provides guidance at the new timing.

Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes a road condition acquisition portion (40, 41) that acquires information on an actual road condition; a storage portion (42) where road data is stored; a route setting portion (40) that sets a route to a destination, based on the road data stored in the storage portion (42); a travel pattern setting portion (30) that sets a travel pattern on the route set by the route setting portion (40), based on the road data stored in the storage portion (42); an operation schedule setting portion (30) that sets an operation schedule that is a schedule of operations of the engine and the motor, based on the travel pattern set by the travel pattern setting portion (30); and a control portion (30) that controls the operations of the engine and the motor based on the information on the actual road condition acquired by the road condition acquisition portion (40, 41) and the operation schedule set by the operation schedule setting portion (30).

Abstract: A vehicular travel guidance apparatus and method are provided. The apparatus includes a map image display unit that displays a map image on a display device and a maximum energy amount acquisition unit that acquires a maximum charging energy amount of an in-vehicle battery. The apparatus further includes a charging facility information acquisition unit that acquires information regarding a charging facility capable of charging the in-vehicle battery. Also included is a travelable area acquisition unit that acquires a travelable area, within which the vehicle is able to travel from the charging facility by consuming an energy amount corresponding to a predetermined percentage of the maximum charging energy amount. The apparatus also includes a display mode change unit that varies a display mode of the map image based on the acquired travelable area.

Abstract: Provided is a driving support device and method that includes a charging facility information acquisition unit that acquires information indicating a position and a charging capacity of a charging facility that exists within a predetermined distance from a position of a vehicle and a guidance unit that provides information indicating a charging time period at the charging facility based on the position of the vehicle, a registered position, the position and the charging capacity of the charging facility, and a remaining electric power amount of a battery in the vehicle and information indicating a charging time period at the charging facility that is required for traveling a route from the position of the vehicle to the registered position by electric power of the battery.

Abstract: A site registering device that registers a site allowing charging where a vehicle battery can be charged, the device including: a position acquisition unit that acquires position information on a charging site where charging of the battery has been conducted; and a registering unit that specifies, on the basis of an actual charging result in the charging site, a category to which the charging site belongs among a plurality of categories, associates the charging site with the specified category and the position information, and registers the thus associated charging site as the site allowing charging.

Abstract: Driving support devices, methods, and programs determine a target position ahead of a vehicle, a target vehicle speed at the target position, and an intermediate target vehicle speed that is higher than the target vehicle speed. The devices, methods, and programs set a first target charging electric power at a value that will cause regeneration braking to reduce a vehicle speed to the intermediate target vehicle speed, and set a second target charging electric power at a value that will cause regeneration braking to reduce the vehicle speed from the intermediate target vehicle speed to the target vehicle speed. The devices, methods, and programs control an electric generator installed in the vehicle to generate the regeneration braking based on the first and second target charging electric power, and charge the battery with the first and second target charging electric power.

Abstract: Driving support devices, methods, and programs determine a target position ahead of a vehicle and a target vehicle speed at the target position. The devices, methods, and programs divide a section between a deceleration start position to start deceleration of the vehicle and the target position into a plurality of sections and set target charging electric power to different values for respective sections forming the plurality of sections to reduce a speed of the vehicle to the target vehicle speed at the target position. The devices, methods, and programs control an electric generator installed in the vehicle to generate the regeneration brake in the respective sections forming the plurality of sections based on the set charging electric power values and charge the battery with the target charging electric power generated in each of the respective sections.

Abstract: When passage through a road pricing area where an exhaust gas emission vehicle is subjected to billing is predicted, ECU acquires a current SOC of a power storage device, and estimates a required energy quantity for passing through the road pricing area where an exhaust gas emission vehicle is subjected to billing by EV traveling. Further, a determination is made whether or not the vehicle can pass through the road pricing area by EV traveling based on the current SOC and the required energy quantity as estimated. When a determination is made that the vehicle cannot pass through the road pricing area by EV traveling, ECU executes steps of guiding a route to an adjacent charging station and/or steps of guiding a bypass.

Abstract: Guidance devices, methods, and programs acquire a current speed of a vehicle and calculate a regeneration upper limit operation amount of the regenerative brake based on the current speed of the vehicle. The devices, methods, and programs acquire a deceleration target speed, acquire a deceleration target position, calculate a distance to the deceleration target position, and calculate a deceleration required operation amount of the brake pedal required for reducing the current speed of the vehicle to the deceleration target speed at the deceleration target position based on the acquired current speed of the vehicle, the acquired deceleration target speed, and the calculated distance to the deceleration target position. The devices, methods, and programs communicate guidance regarding the operation amount of the brake pedal based on the calculated regeneration upper limit operation amount and the calculated deceleration required operation amount.

Abstract: An ECU executes a program including a step of detecting a present location using a GPS system (S1000); a step of reading out data of a geographical map proximate to the present location (S1010) and presenting in the geographical map charging installations including a charging installation employing solar light, together with the location of its vehicle (S1020); a step of, if a presentation switching request is made (YES in S1030) and a real-time solar radiation correction request is made (YES in S1050), detecting a solar radiation amount (S1060) and correcting a charge amount per unit time provided by the power generation installation employing solar light, based on the detected solar radiation amount (S1070); and a step of detecting an SOC in the battery to calculate an amount of discharge done until arrival at the charging installation (S1080, S1090), calculating time required for charging up to a fully charged state (S1100), and presenting the time required for charging in the geographical map (S1200).

Abstract: A navigation apparatus for use in a hybrid vehicle in which an engine and a drive motor are used in combination acquires a current SOC value of a battery, geometry of roads around the vehicle, gradient information, traffic information, learning information, and so forth. A travelable range of the vehicle after the battery is charged is calculated for each of a plurality of various charge times on the basis of the acquired information. The plurality of calculated travelable ranges is simultaneously displayed on a liquid crystal display. It is thus possible to display a minimum charge time required to travel to a destination in a manner easily understandable to a user.

Abstract: A road information acquisition device includes: a surface elevation acquisition unit that obtains a surface elevation; a road information acquisition unit that calculates first road information relating to a travel route to be traveled by a host vehicle on the basis of the surface elevation; and a structure determination unit that determines whether or not a structure exists on the travel route, wherein, when the structure determination unit determines that the structure exists on the travel route, the road information acquisition unit obtains second road information, which is different from the first road information, relating to a point at which the structure exists on the travel route.

Abstract: A power cable is connected from an external commercial power supply, and an in-vehicle battery is charged. Using the power cable as a communication conduit, communication is conducted with the outside world. In particular, by communication during charging, regional information regarding the current location, where the charging is being performed, or regional control parameter information is obtained. A control parameter of a vehicle is then set in accordance with the obtained information.

Abstract: A vehicle has a plurality of traveling modes. A display device for the vehicle comprises: a display unit displaying map information; and a control unit causing the display unit to display recognizably, at a portion of roads in the map information, traveling modes that correspond to the roads. Preferably, the control unit sets a destination in response to an instruction received from an operator, searches for a traveling route extending from a starting point to the destination, divides the traveling route into segments, and associates one of the traveling modes with each of the segments. More preferably, the control unit causes the display unit to display the plurality of candidate traveling routes, each with the traveling mode overlaid thereon, and selects in response to an instruction of the operator one traveling route planned to be taken among the plurality of candidate traveling routes.

Abstract: The present invention contemplates a hybrid vehicle capable of changing an amount to be charged to an electric power storage device in accordance with whether it is externally charged. The hybrid vehicle includes a control device inquiring of an occupant of the vehicle whether the occupant has an intention to go to a charging location for example at home. If so, the control device sets a target value for the electric power storage device's amount of a state (SOC) to have a value smaller than when the occupant does not have an intention to go to the charging location. This allows as much energy as possible to be received at the charging location and a vehicle can thus be obtained that less depends on an internal combustion engine and contributes to environmental protection.

Abstract: An apparatus for predicting road shape includes a map data reading unit, a clothoid curve calculating unit for calculating a clothoid curve corresponding to a corner area, and a fitting unit for adjusting the clothoid curve to the corner area. The clothoid curve calculating unit calculates a clothoid curve by using X-coordinates and Y-coordinates which are found by expressions: x = X 0 + ? L ? cos ? ? ? ( 1 ) and y = Y 0 + ? L ? · sin ? ? ? , ( 2 ) wherein X0 and Y0 are coordinates at a start point of a clothoid curve, L is distance from the start point of the clothoid curve, ? is computed by equation (3) ?=?+2kL, wherein ? is an angle for the start point of the clothoid curve and “k” is computed by equation (4) k =28/A2, wherein A is a clothoid coefficient.

Abstract: The invention provides a suspension control apparatus for a vehicle which can execute a suspension control suitable even for a rough road by executing the suspension control based on an actual road surface profile, while taking various vehicle states (weight, speed, etc.) into consideration, and learning the road surface profile. The suspension control apparatus has a vertical acceleration sensor for detecting a vertical acceleration of the vehicle, and a control unit for determining a road surface profile by estimating waves and irregularities in the road surface based on the vertical acceleration of the vehicle detected by the vertical acceleration sensor, and determining a suspension control value based on the thus determined road surface profile.