Denso Corporation

Satoshi Kouchiyama

Teruhiko Karashima

Yoshihiko Sugawara

Ryoichi Ijima

Daisuke Nomura

Eiji Sobue

A charge controller for charging a battery of a plug-in vehicle with a plurality of electric power sources includes: a driving route estimation element; an estimated electric power consumption amount calculator; a weather information obtaining element; a sunshine information obtaining element; a solar photovoltaic generation electric power amount calculator; an electric power shortage amount calculator for calculating an electric power shortage amount when the solar photovoltaic generation electric power amount is smaller than an 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 a solar photovoltaic generation system and a second charge time for charging the battery by the electric power shortage amount with another electric power source; and a charge control element for controlling to charge the battery according to the charge schedule.

Charge controller and navigation device for plug-in vehicle

While main power in an automobile is off, a telematics station in the automobile intermittently runs to execute a process. The station has a first CPU in a wireless section for a wireless signal waiting process and a second CPU, having active and sleep modes, in a control section for resetting the first CPU. At resetting timing, if the first CPU is executing the process, it outputs a signal indicating that it is executing the process for the second CPU not to reset it. When the main power turns on, the second CPU determines that the signal is not outputted in order to reset the first CPU.

Mobile station having waiting process with main power off

In a vehicle navigation system, a data storage device stores data on categories of points of interest indicated on sign boards provided at freeway exits and facilities and services available at the points of interest. The navigation system performs a search for a point of interest that provides facilities or services specified by an input from a user in a category specified by an input from the user based on the stored data. The navigation system displays an exit at which a sign board including the searched point is provided in a manner that the searched exit is distinguishable from other exit on the display device. Furthermore, the navigation system displays a route to the searched point of interest on the display device.

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Chita, Japan

Satoshi Kouchiyama