US-20260125072-A1 - NOTIFICATION SYSTEM

US20260125072A1US 20260125072 A1US20260125072 A1US 20260125072A1US-20260125072-A1

Abstract

In a notification system, a determination unit determines whether a predetermined change related to a travel plan of a vehicle needs to be executed. A speed of the vehicle or a temperature of a predetermined portion of the vehicle is automatically controlled to approach a target value. The predetermined change is a first automatic change of the target value by an absolute difference, the absolute difference being not less than a predetermined threshold, or a second automatic change of the travel plan during traveling of the vehicle. A notification unit provides, prior to execution of the predetermined change, a notification to an occupant in response to determination that the predetermined change related to the travel plan needs to be executed. The notification includes a reason that the predetermined change related to the travel plan is to be executed and information on the predetermined change related to the travel plan.

Inventors

Hiroki Furukawa
Mitsuharu HIGASHITANI
Noriaki Ikemoto

Assignees

DENSO CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251031
Priority Date: 20241106

Claims (11)

1 . A notification system for a vehicle, the system comprising: control circuitry configured to cause the system to: determine whether a predetermined change related to a predetermined travel plan of the vehicle needs to be executed, the vehicle being controlled to travel in accordance with the travel plan such that at least one of a speed of the vehicle or a temperature of a predetermined portion of the vehicle is automatically controlled to approach a target value, the predetermined change related to the travel plan being at least one of: a first automatic change of the target value by an absolute difference in accordance with the travel plan, the absolute difference being not less than a predetermined threshold; and a second automatic change of the travel plan during traveling of the vehicle; and provide, prior to execution of the predetermined change, a notification to an occupant of the vehicle in response to determination that the predetermined change related to the travel plan needs to be executed, the notification including (i) at least one reason that the predetermined change related to the travel plan is to be executed and (ii) information on the predetermined change related to the travel plan.
2 . The notification system according to claim 1 , wherein: the vehicle is an electric vehicle that includes a secondary battery and travels based on power acquired from the secondary battery; and the travel plan is predetermined to enable the vehicle to travel while ensuring that a state of charge of the secondary battery remains not less than a predetermined allowable lower limit.
3 . The notification system according to claim 1 , wherein: the control circuitry is configured to cause the system to provide the notification to the occupant using at least one of sound or visual indication.
4 . The notification system according to claim 1 , wherein: the speed of the vehicle is automatically controlled to approach a target speed as the target value; the predetermined threshold is a predetermined target-speed threshold defined as a threshold for the target speed; the absolute difference is an absolute target vehicle-speed difference; and the predetermined change related to the travel plan is the first automatic change of the target speed by the absolute target vehicle-speed difference in accordance with the travel plan, the absolute target vehicle-speed difference being not less than the predetermined target-speed threshold.
5 . The notification system according to claim 1 , wherein: the predetermined portion of the vehicle is a cabin of the vehicle; the temperature in the cabin is automatically controlled to approach a target cabin temperature as the target value; the predetermined threshold is a predetermined target-temperature threshold defined as a threshold for the target cabin temperature; the absolute difference is an absolute target cabin-temperature difference; and the predetermined change related to the travel plan is the first automatic change of the target cabin temperature by the absolute target cabin-temperature difference in accordance with the travel plan, the second absolute difference being not less than the predetermined target-temperature threshold.
6 . The notification system according to claim 1 , wherein: the predetermined portion is a portion in the vehicle, a temperature variation of the portion being transferred to the occupant.
7 . The notification system according to claim 1 , wherein: the predetermined change related to the travel plan is the second automatic change of the travel plan during traveling of the vehicle.
8 . The notification system according to claim 1 , wherein: the control circuitry is configured to cause the system to determine the travel plan in accordance with information including (i) a current position of the vehicle, (ii) a destination, (iii) an ambient temperature around the vehicle, (iv) a traffic congestion around the vehicle, and (v) vehicle information including a speed of the vehicle and a present state of charge of the secondary battery, the travel plan including: a scheduled travel route of the vehicle; at least one charging facility selected to be stopped during the scheduled travel route; a transition of a target speed of the vehicle during travelling of the vehicle, the target speed of the vehicle corresponding to the target value of the speed of the vehicle; and a transition of a target temperature of the predetermined portion of the vehicle, the target temperature of the predetermined portion of the vehicle corresponding to the target value of the temperature of the predetermined portion of the vehicle.
9 . The notification system according to claim 8 , wherein: the control circuitry is configured to cause the system to perform at least one of the first automatic change or the second automatic change as the predetermined change related to the travel plan.
10 . A program product for a vehicle, comprising: a non-transitory storage medium; and computer-program instructions stored in the non-transitory storage medium, the computer-program instructions causing a processor to: determine whether a predetermined change related to a predetermined travel plan of the vehicle needs to be executed, the vehicle being controlled to travel in accordance with the travel plan such that at least one of a speed of the vehicle or a temperature of a predetermined portion of the vehicle is automatically controlled to approach a target value, the predetermined change related to the travel plan being at least one of: a first automatic change of the target value by an absolute difference in accordance with the travel plan, the absolute difference being not less than a predetermined threshold; and a second automatic change of the travel plan during traveling of the vehicle; and provide, prior to execution of the predetermined change, a notification to an occupant of the vehicle in response to determination that the predetermined change related to the travel plan needs to be executed, the notification including (i) at least one reason that the predetermined change related to the travel plan is to be executed and (ii) information on the predetermined change related to the travel plan.
11 . A notification method for a vehicle that is controlled to travel in accordance with a travel plan such that at least one of a speed of the vehicle or a temperature of a predetermined portion of the vehicle is automatically controlled to approach a target value, the notification method comprising: determining whether a predetermined change related to a predetermined travel plan of the vehicle needs to be executed, the predetermined change related to the travel plan being at least one of: a first automatic change of the target value by an absolute difference in accordance with the travel plan, the absolute difference being not less than a predetermined threshold; and a second automatic change of the travel plan during traveling of the vehicle; and providing, prior to execution of the predetermined change, a notification to an occupant of the vehicle in response to determination that the predetermined change related to the travel plan needs to be executed, the notification including (i) at least one reason that the predetermined change related to the travel plan is to be executed and (ii) information on the predetermined change related to the travel plan.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This present application is based on and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-194468 filed on Nov. 6, 2024, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to notification systems for vehicles. BACKGROUND Japanese Patent Publication No. 3814050 discloses an emergency automatic braking apparatus for a vehicle that automatically actuates brakes in an emergency. In this apparatus, when an emergency occurs, the occurrence of an emergency is first notified, and thereafter the brakes are automatically actuated. SUMMARY In recent years, technologies have been seen in which the speed of a vehicle for example is automatically controlled for purposes such as energy saving and comfortable driving. Such automatic vehicle-speed control, which is not intended by one or more occupants, may be performed. This may give the one or more occupants a sense of discomfort and, consequently, may impair the occupant's comfort. The technology disclosed in the patent publication provides a notification function for the purpose of occupant safety and reassurance. Unfortunately, the technology does not consider a reduction of an occupant's discomfort when the automatic vehicle-speed control unintended by the occupant is performed. After detailed consideration by the inventors, the inventors have identified the above issues. In view of the above issues, the present disclosure seems to provide a notification system capable of reducing an occupant's discomfort when, in automatic control of a vehicle, control unintended by one or more occupants is performed. An exemplary aspect of the present disclosure provides a notification system for a vehicle. The notification system includes a determination unit configured to determine whether a predetermined change related to a predetermined travel plan of the vehicle needs to be executed. The vehicle is controlled to travel in accordance with the travel plan such that at least one of a speed of the vehicle or a temperature of a predetermined portion of the vehicle is automatically controlled to approach a target value. The predetermined change related to the travel plan is at least one of a first automatic change of the target value by an absolute difference in accordance with the travel plan, the absolute difference being not less than a predetermined threshold, and a second automatic change of the travel plan during traveling of the vehicle. The notification system includes a notification unit configured to provide, prior to execution of the predetermined change, a notification to an occupant of the vehicle in response to determination that the predetermined change related to the travel plan needs to be executed. The notification includes (i) at least one reason that the predetermined change related to the travel plan is to be executed and (ii) information on the predetermined change related to the travel plan. The above configuration of the notification system enables the occupant to recognize, prior to execution of the predetermined change related to the travel plan, that (i) the predetermined change related to the travel plan is to be executed and (ii) the at least one reason of the execution of the predetermined change related to the travel plan in accordance with the notification performed by the notification unit. This therefore makes it possible to reduce, even if the execution of the predetermined change related to the travel plan is not intended by the occupant, an occupant's discomfort due to the occurrence of the predetermined change related to the travel plan. Where reference characters are used in parentheses for various elements throughout the present disclosure, such characters are provided merely as an example of the correspondence between the elements and the specific structures in the embodiments described later. The present disclosure is therefore not limited by the use of such reference characters. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a side view schematically illustrating a vehicle to which a notification system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure is to be applied; FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating typical components installed in the vehicle illustrated in FIG. 1 and typical components of a cloud that is communicably connected to the vehicle; FIG. 3 is a timing chart illustrating a combination of graphs, each of which schematically shows an example of a transition of a corresponding one of a target vehicle speed, a target battery temperature, a target cabin temperature, and a predicted charge rate of a high-voltage battery; FIG. 4 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a control routine for preparing a travel plan of the vehicle, whi