Patent ID: 8694232

Claim:
A method of predicting energy consumption by a system for predicting energy consumption, the system having an energy consumption prediction apparatus and at least one terminal apparatus, wherein the energy consumption prediction apparatus delivers data for route search to the terminal apparatus and the terminal apparatus performs route displaying, based on the delivered data, the method comprising: the following steps performed by the energy consumption prediction apparatus: calculating geographic characteristic values of each of the links that form a route, based on energy consumptions collected from probe vehicles of differing vehicle types, wherein geography of each link affects consumption energy thereof with the geographic characteristic values, and wherein the calculating of the geographic characteristic values removes an effect of the vehicle types on the geographic characteristics values of said each of the links; receiving a prediction energy consumption request, including an indication of vehicle type, from the terminal apparatus; calculating a predicted energy consumption of each link selected, as a prediction target of the prediction energy consumption request, based on the geographic characteristic values and the vehicle type included in the prediction energy consumption request; and delivering each predicted energy consumption having been calculated to the terminal apparatus; and the following steps performed by the terminal apparatus: outputting route guide information from an output section, based on the predicted energy consumptions having been delivered.