Charge controller and navigation device for plug-in vehicle

A navigation device for a vehicle comprising:

• a charge controller for charging a battery of a plug-in vehicle with a plurality of electric power sources including a solar photovoltaic generation system, the controller including:
• a processor and a memory;
• a driving route estimation element for estimating a next optimum driving route based on information, which an user input;
• an estimated electric power consumption amount calculator for calculating an estimated electric power consumption amount, which is necessary to travel the next optimum driving route;
• a weather information obtaining element for obtaining weather information until a next driving time;
• a sunshine information obtaining element for obtaining sunshine information until the next driving time;
• a solar photovoltaic generation electric power amount calculator for calculating a solar photovoltaic generation electric power amount until a next driving time based on the weather information and the sunshine information;
• an electric power shortage amount calculator for calculating an electric power shortage amount when the solar photovoltaic generation electric power amount is smaller than the estimated electric power consumption amount;
• a charge schedule preparation element for preparing a charge schedule, which represents a first charge time for charging the battery with the solar photovoltaic generation system and a second charge time for charging the battery by the electric power shortage amount with another electric power source;
• a charge control element for controlling to charge the battery according to the charge schedule;
• and
• an actual electric power consumption data obtaining element for obtaining actual electric power consumption data of a probe vehicle, which is stored in an information center,
• wherein the estimated electric power consumption amount calculator calculates the estimated electric power consumption amount based on the actual electric power consumption data of the probe vehicle when the probe vehicle is similar to the plug-in vehicle, and the probe vehicle has traveled on a same route as the next optimum driving route.

A charge controller for charging a battery of a plug-in vehicle with a plurality of electric power sources including a solar photovoltaic generation system, the controller comprising:

• a processor and a memory;
• a driving route estimation element for estimating a next optimum driving route based on information, which an user input;
• an estimated electric power consumption amount calculator for calculating an estimated electric power consumption amount, which is necessary to travel the next optimum driving route;
• a weather information obtaining element or obtaining weather information until a next driving time;
• a sunshine information obtaining element for obtaining sunshine information until the next driving time;
• a solar photovoltaic generation electric power amount calculator for calculating a solar photovoltaic generation electric power amount until a next driving time based on the weather information and the sunshine information;
• an electric power shortage amount calculator for calculating an electric power shortage amount when the solar photovoltaic generation electric power amount is smaller than the estimated electric power consumption amount;
• a charge schedule preparation element for preparing a charge schedule, which represents a first charge time for charging the batter with the solar photovoltaic generation system and a second charge time for charging the battery by the electric power shortage amount with another electric power source;
• a charge control element for controlling to charge the battery according to the charge schedule;
• and
• an information obtaining element for obtaining information, which affects the charge schedule or a driving condition of the plug-in vehicle after the charge schedule preparation element prepares the charge schedule,
• wherein the charge schedule preparation element modifies the charge schedule when the charge schedule preparation element determines based on the information obtained by the information obtaining element that a scheduled departure time is changed or the next optimum driving route is crowded.