Patent ID: 8698642
Filing Date: 2014-04-15
Classification: B60L,G01C,G01R,Y02T,Y04S

Abstract:
1. An electric power amount information output device for outputting information indicating a remaining electric power amount of a battery provided as a drive power source to electrically drive a vehicle, the electric power amount information output device comprising: a departure point information acquisition section, which acquires departure point information indicating a point of departure of the vehicle; a destination point information acquisition section, which acquires destination point information indicating a point of destination of the vehicle; a remaining electric power amount information acquisition section, which acquires remaining electric power amount information indicating an amount of electric power remaining in the battery; a required total electric power amount calculation section, which calculates a required total electric power amount based on the departure point information and the destination point information, the required total electric power amount indicating an amount of electric power required for the vehicle to travel from the departure point to the destination point; an output section, which outputs information; and a control section, which checks whether the remaining electric power amount indicated by the remaining electric power amount information at the departure point is less than the required total electric power amount, and drives the output section to output insufficiency information indicating that the remaining electric power amount of the battery is insufficient if the remaining electric power amount is less than the required total electric power amount, wherein the electric power amount information output device further comprises an availability information acquisition section, which acquires availability information indicating availability of each of a plurality of charging stations provided to charge batteries, the control section further drives the output section to output the availability information of each of the charging stations, if the remaining electric power amount is less than the required total electric power amount, the electric power amount information output device further comprises a location information acquisition section, which acquires location information indicating a location of each of the charging stations, the control section searches for a reachable charging station, which the vehicle is able to reach with the remaining electric power amount, based on the departure point information, the location information and the remaining electric power amount information, and limits the availability information to only the reachable charging station, the electric power amount information output device further comprises a required supplemental electric power amount calculation section, which calculates a required supplemental electric power amount required to be charged to the battery at the reachable charging station for the vehicle to travel from the reachable charging station to the destination point with respect to each of the reachable charging stations, the required total electric power amount is calculated based on the location information of the reachable charging station in addition to the departure point information and the destination point information, so that the required total electric power amount indicates a total amount of electric power required for the vehicle to travel from the departure point to the destination point through the reachable charging station, the electric power amount information output device further comprises a charging start time calculation section, which calculates a charging start time based on the availability information of the charging station and the required supplemental electric power amount with respect to each reachable charging station the charging start time indicating a start time of charging allowed to charge the required supplemental electric power at the reachable charging station, the control section drives the output section to output the charging start time at the reachable charging station as the display information with respect to each charging station in an order of earlier time of the charging start time, the electric power amount information output device further comprises a priority selection input reception section, which receives an input of priority selection of one of at least two display information outputted by the output section, the control section drives the output section to output the display information in an order of the priority selected by the priority selection input reception section, wherein the electric power amount information output device further comprises a temporary reservation request signal transmission section, which transmits a request signal of a temporary reservation for the charging station, the temporary reservation being effective only for a predetermined period, and the control section drives the temporary reservation request signal transmission section to transmit the request signal to the charging station, which is outputted at a top of a list of charging stations rearranged in accordance with the selected priority.