Patent ID: 8301323
Filing Date: 2012-10-30
Classification: B60K,B60W,G01C,Y02T

Abstract:
1. A navigation system for a hybrid vehicle including an internal combustion engine and a motor that outputs a vehicle driving force using electric power from a power storage device, said navigation system comprising: a prediction unit configured to predict in advance whether said hybrid vehicle will pass through a certain regulated area where vehicle traveling using said internal combustion engine is subjected to billing, based on vehicle position information and road map information; an acquisition unit configured to acquire a current state of charge (SOC) of said power storage device when passage through said regulated area is predicted; an estimation unit configured to estimate a required energy quantity (Wev) required to be output from said power storage device for passing through said regulated area in an electric traveling mode of traveling using the vehicle driving force from said motor with said internal combustion engine stopped, when passage through said regulated area is predicted; a determination unit configured to determine whether or not said hybrid vehicle can pass through said regulated area in said electric traveling mode, based on an estimated value of said required energy quantity estimated by said estimation unit and the current state of charge of said power storage device; and a search unit configured to execute route searching for avoiding billing in response to a determination by said determination unit that said hybrid vehicle cannot pass through said regulated area in said electric traveling mode, wherein said power storage device is configured to be rechargeable by a charging facility external to said hybrid vehicle, and said road map information contains information on said charging facility, and said search unit is configured to search for a route to an adjacent charging facility relative to a current position of said hybrid vehicle, as said route searching for avoiding billing.