CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0120631, filed on Oct. 10, 2018, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a route guide apparatus and a route guide method for an electric vehicle, capable of searching for and providing a route representing the optimal energy consumption, based on the energy consumption of the electric vehicle to guide the electric vehicle.

Description of Related Art

In general, a navigation mounted in an electric vehicle additionally searches for and provides an ECO route to guide the electric vehicle, which is the optimal energy consumption path, in addition to the shortest route and the fastest route, when a destination is set. The ECO route refers to a route established based on energy consumption and representing the optimal energy consumption.

A driving battery mounted in the electric vehicle has a characteristic that battery power is lowered as a battery temperature is lowered in the same amount of charge remaining in a battery or as the amount of charge remaining in the battery is decreased at the same battery temperature. Accordingly, the electric vehicle may not drive up along a hill road since the power of the driving battery is lowered due to the discharge of the driving battery in the state that an amount of charge less remains in the driving battery in the winter.

However, in the conventional route guide apparatus for an electric vehicle, since the route to a destination is searched based on only an amount of charge remaining in the battery (State of Charge; SoC) and provided to guide the electric vehicle, a road section (link) which is difficult to drive as the battery power is lowered is not excluded from the route. Therefore, conventionally, there occurs the case that the electric vehicle is guided to the road section difficult to drive under a current battery power of the vehicle.

The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and may not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Various aspects of the present invention are directed to providing a route guide apparatus and a route guide method for an electric vehicle, configured for searching for a route to a destination, which represents the optimal energy consumption, based on battery power made as the battery temperature of the electric vehicle is lowered, to guide the electric vehicle.

The technical problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the aforementioned problems, and any other technical problems not mentioned herein will be clearly understood from the following description by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains.

According to various aspects of the present invention, a route guide apparatus for an electric vehicle, may include a sensor to measure an ambient temperature of the electric vehicle, a battery manager to monitor a battery temperature, and a processor to perform a route guide by predicting battery power based on at least one of the ambient temperature or the battery temperature, when searching for a traveling route to a destination, and by selecting, as a traveling route, a route which represents the least total cost of battery consumption energy based on the predicted battery power.

The processor searches for at least one route to the destination based on map data and obtains road information related to each link included in the route which is found.

The processor predicts available battery power before traveling on each link, based on the battery temperature and a state of charge obtained through the battery manager.

The processor predicts battery power required in traveling on the link based on the road information related to the link.

The road information related to the link may include at least one of an average vehicle speed, a traveling time, a traveling distance, or a gradient of the link.

The processor determines a battery power cost of the link based on the required battery power and the available battery power.

The processor determines whether traveling is possible on the link, based on the battery power cost of the link.

The processor determines a total cost of the battery consumption energy, based on the battery power cost of the link.

The sensor may include an ambient temperature sensor mounted in the electric vehicle.

The ambient temperature sensor is implemented with a thermistor.

Meanwhile, according to various aspects of the present invention, a route guide method for an electric vehicle, may include detecting an ambient temperature and a battery temperature of the electric vehicle when searching for a traveling route to a destination, predicting battery power based on at least one of the ambient temperature or the battery temperature, and performing a route guide by selecting, the traveling route, a route representing the least total cost of battery consumption energy, based on the battery power.

The detecting of the ambient temperature and the battery temperature may include searching for at least one route to the destination based on map data and obtains road information related to each link included in the route which is found.

The predicting of the battery power may include predicting a battery state in traveling on each link by use of the road information related to the link, the battery temperature, and a state of charge, and predicting available battery power before traveling on the link, based on the battery state.

The predicting of the battery state may include estimating the battery temperature and the state of charge in traveling on the link by predicting an average current and energy consumption in traveling based on the road information related to the link.

The predicting of the battery state may include predicting battery power required in traveling on the link based on the road information related to the link.

The predicting of the available battery power may include estimating the available battery power before traveling on the link, based on the battery temperature and the state of charge, which are estimated, in traveling on the link.

The route guide method may include excluding a non-travelable link based on a difference between the required battery power and the available battery power, after determining a battery power cost of the link.

The route guide method may include determining, as a non-travelable area, a link having the required battery power greater than the available battery power, after determining the battery power cost of the link.

The route guide method may include displaying the non-travelable area on a display screen, after determining the battery power cost of the link.

The road information related to the link may include at least one of an average vehicle speed, a traveling time, a traveling distance, or a gradient of the link.

The methods and apparatuses of the present invention have other features and advantages which will be apparent from or are set forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and the following Detailed Description, which together serve to explain certain principles of the present invention.

