Charging control system, charging control device and storage medium

Abstract

This invention provides a charging control system, a charging control device, and a storage medium capable of preventing power shortages in the event of atmospheric particulate matter falling in a smart city. The charging control system includes: a charging device configured to store power supplied to a pre-defined area and having a first processor; a device group disposed within the area and configured to receive power from the charging device, the device group having a second processor; and a charging control device having a third processor configured to: predict the amount of atmospheric particulate matter suspended within the area; calculate, based on the predicted amount of atmospheric particulate matter, a removal charge for removing atmospheric particulate matter intruding into the device group; calculate a total charge by adding the removal charge to the standard charge supplied to the area; and perform charging control to store power exceeding the total charge in the charging device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a charging control system, a charging controller, and a storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] It is known that in smart cities, electricity pre-stored in charging devices is supplied to groups of equipment deployed within the city (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-069084 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem to be solved by the present invention

[0007] When there are high levels of atmospheric particulate matter (such as yellow sand and PM2.5), it may intrude into equipment clusters (sensors, cameras, charging stations, etc.) installed in smart cities, causing malfunctions. Therefore, when there are high levels of atmospheric particulate matter, the electricity stored in the charging device needs to be used to remove the intruding particulate matter, resulting in increased power consumption compared to normal conditions. Therefore, a technology is needed to prevent power shortages when atmospheric particulate matter falls.

[0008] This disclosure was made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a charging control system, a charging control device, and a storage medium for storing the charging control program that can prevent power shortages in the event of atmospheric particulate matter falling in a smart city.

[0009] means for solving problems

[0010] The charging control system disclosed herein comprises: a charging device configured to store power supplied to a pre-defined area, the charging device having a first processor; a device group disposed in the area and configured to be supplied with power from the charging device, the device group having a second processor; and a charging control device having a third processor configured to: predict the amount of atmospheric particulate matter suspended in the area; calculate, based on the predicted amount of atmospheric particulate matter, a removal charge for removing atmospheric particulate matter intruding into the device group; calculate a total charge by adding the removal charge to the charge supplied to the area in a standard manner; and perform charging control to store power exceeding the total charge in the charging device.

[0011] The charging control device disclosed herein includes a processor configured to: predict the amount of atmospheric particulate matter suspended in a pre-defined area; calculate, based on the predicted amount of atmospheric particulate matter, a removal charge for removing atmospheric particulate matter that has intruded into a group of devices located in the area; calculate a total charge by adding the removal charge to a charge supplied to the area in a standard manner; and perform charging control to store power exceeding the total charge in a charging device that supplies power to the area.

[0012] The charging control program stored in the storage medium disclosed herein causes the processor to perform the following: predict the amount of atmospheric particulate matter suspended in a pre-defined area; calculate the amount of electricity required to remove atmospheric particulate matter that has intruded into the equipment group located in the area based on the predicted amount of atmospheric particulate matter; calculate the total amount of electricity by adding the amount of electricity removed to the electricity supplied to the area in a standard manner; and perform charging control to store the electricity exceeding the total amount of electricity in a charging device that supplies electricity to the area.

[0013] The effects of the invention

[0014] According to this disclosure, power shortages can be prevented in the event of atmospheric particulate matter falling in smart cities. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a block diagram showing the details of the constituent elements of the charging control system according to the embodiment.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a charging control method executed by the charging control system according to the embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The charging control system, charging control device, and storage medium storing the charging control program according to embodiments of this disclosure are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the constituent elements in the following embodiments include elements that can be easily substituted by those skilled in the art, or elements that are substantially the same.

[0018] (Charging control system)

[0019] Reference Figure 1The charging control system including a charging control device according to the embodiment will be described. The charging control system is used to control the charging of a charging device that supplies power to a pre-defined area. The "pre-defined area" refers to an area where multiple users reside or use the area, such as a smart city, theme park, or amusement park. In this embodiment, the case of a smart city will be assumed for explanation.

[0020] like Figure 1 As shown, the charging control system 1 includes a charging control device 10, an equipment group 20, and multiple charging devices 30. The charging control device 10, the equipment group 20, and the charging devices 30 all have communication capabilities and are configured to communicate with each other via a network NW. This network NW may be, for example, an internet connection network or a mobile phone connection network.

[0021] (Charging control device)

[0022] The charging control device 10 is installed inside or outside the smart city. This charging control device 10 is implemented, for example, via a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or personal computer.

[0023] like Figure 1 As shown, the charging control device 10 includes a control unit 11, a communication unit 12, and a storage unit 13. Specifically, the control unit 11 includes a processor composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), etc.; and a memory (main storage unit) composed of RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), etc.

[0024] The control unit 11 loads the program stored in the storage unit 13 into the operating area of ​​the main storage unit and executes it. By executing the program, it controls various components, thereby achieving functions consistent with the intended purpose. The control unit 11 functions as the atmospheric particulate matter quality prediction unit 111, the power calculation unit 112, and the charging control unit 113 by executing the program stored in the storage unit 13.

[0025] The atmospheric particulate matter quality prediction unit 111 predicts the amount of atmospheric particulate matter falling into a pre-defined area (hereinafter referred to as "smart city"). The specific method for predicting the amount of atmospheric particulate matter in the atmospheric particulate matter quality prediction unit 111 is not particularly limited, and various prediction methods can be used.

[0026] The atmospheric particulate matter quality prediction unit 111 can collect weather information from servers (weather servers) installed in meteorological agencies, etc., and predict the current or future amount of atmospheric particulate matter in the smart city based on this weather information. Alternatively, the atmospheric particulate matter quality prediction unit 111 can also predict the current or future amount of atmospheric particulate matter in the smart city using a prediction model pre-generated through machine learning, based on past atmospheric particulate matter data. Furthermore, the atmospheric particulate matter quality prediction unit 111 can also predict the current or future amount of atmospheric particulate matter in the smart city based on detection values ​​from weather sensors and the like installed in the smart city. Additionally, the atmospheric particulate matter quality prediction unit 111 only needs to predict the amount of atmospheric particulate matter in locations within the smart city where at least the equipment group 20 is installed.

[0027] The power calculation unit 112 calculates the amount of electricity (hereinafter referred to as "removal power") used to remove atmospheric particulate matter that has intruded into the equipment group 20 based on the amount of atmospheric particulate matter predicted by the atmospheric particulate matter quality prediction unit 111. Examples of "removal power" include, for instance, the electricity used to move a removal vehicle that removes atmospheric particulate matter accumulated in the equipment group 20, and the electricity supplied to a car wash facility that cleans vehicles with accumulated atmospheric particulate matter.

[0028] Furthermore, the power calculation unit 112 can also predict the amount of atmospheric particulate matter that will be naturally removed from the device assembly 20 based on the weather conditions before and after the atmospheric particulate matter falls within the smart city, and calculate the power removal amount by considering the predicted amount of atmospheric particulate matter (natural removal amount) based on the amount of atmospheric particulate matter predicted by the atmospheric particulate matter mass prediction unit 111. The amount of atmospheric particulate matter removed from the device assembly 20 can be predicted, for example, based on information such as wind speed and weather conditions (e.g., whether it is raining) within the smart city, contained in weather information. In this way, by considering not only the amount of atmospheric particulate matter within the smart city but also the amount naturally removed due to wind, the power removal amount can be calculated more accurately. Therefore, the power stored in the charging device 30 can be optimized, and the accumulation of excess power in the charging device 30 can be suppressed.

[0029] Furthermore, when calculating the removal power based on the predicted amount of particulate matter to be removed according to the weather before and after the particulate matter falls in the smart city, the removal power will increase or decrease depending on the weather. For example, if it is raining before and after the particulate matter falls, it is assumed that the particulate matter adhering to the equipment group 20 and vehicles will be more difficult to remove compared to other conditions. Therefore, the power calculation unit 112 calculates the removal power to be higher when it is raining before and after the particulate matter falls than when it is not raining.

[0030] Furthermore, when the airflow is high before and after the atmospheric particulate matter falls, it is assumed that the amount of atmospheric particulate matter adhering to the equipment assembly 20 and the vehicle will be naturally removed compared to the case of low airflow. Therefore, the power calculation unit 112 calculates the removal power when the airflow is high before and after the atmospheric particulate matter falls as less than the removal power when the airflow is low.

[0031] Additionally, the power calculation unit 112 can also calculate the amount of power to be removed based on the number (scale) of devices malfunctioning within the smart city. In this case, the power calculation unit 112 first obtains device information from the device group 20, and based on this device information, identifies the devices in the device group 20 that have malfunctioned due to the falling atmospheric particulate matter. Furthermore, the "device information" indicates, for example, the operating status of the sensors 21, cameras 22, and charging piles 23 included in the device group 20, i.e., information on whether each device is operating normally.

[0032] Next, the power calculation unit 112 calculates the power to be removed based on the number of devices that malfunctioned and the amount of particulate matter predicted by the atmospheric particulate matter mass prediction unit 111. This allows for a more accurate calculation of the power to be removed by identifying the devices in the equipment group 20 that actually malfunctioned due to the intrusion of particulate matter. Therefore, the power stored in the charging device 30 can be optimized, and the accumulation of excess power in the charging device 30 can be suppressed.

[0033] After calculating the power to be removed, the power calculation unit 112 calculates the total power by adding the power supplied to the standard area within the region to the power to be removed. In addition, the so-called "power supplied to the standard area within the region" refers to the power set according to the standard power demand of the equipment group 20, facilities, etc. in the smart city, excluding the power to be removed.

[0034] The charging control unit 113 performs charging control of the charging device 30 based on the amount of electricity calculated by the power calculation unit 112. The charging control unit 113 performs charging control to accumulate power exceeding the total amount of electricity calculated by the power calculation unit 112 into the charging device 30. The specific charging control method of the charging control unit 113 is not particularly limited. For example, it can determine the charging amount based on the total amount of electricity calculated by the power calculation unit 112 at a predetermined period and charging information (such as the current charging capacity) obtained in advance from the charging device 30. Based on this charging amount, it sends instructions to the charging device 30 to increase or decrease the current or future charging amount, thereby performing charging control.

[0035] The communication unit 12 is composed, for example, of a LAN (Local Area Network) interface board and a wireless communication line for wireless communication. The communication unit 12 is connected to a network NW, such as the Internet, which is a public communication network. Furthermore, the communication unit 12 communicates between the device group 20 and the charging device 30 through its connection to this network NW.

[0036] The storage unit 13 is composed of recording media such as EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), hard disk drive (HDD), and removable media. Examples of removable media include USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, CD (Compact Disc), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), and BD (Blu-ray Disc). The storage unit 13 can store operating systems (OS), various programs, various tables, various databases, etc. Furthermore, the storage unit 13 can store, for example, the amount of atmospheric particulate matter predicted by the atmospheric particulate matter quality prediction unit 111, the amount of energy removed calculated by the energy calculation unit 112, and the amount of charge determined by the charging control unit 113, as needed.

[0037] (Equipment Group)

[0038] Equipment group 20 comprises various devices installed in designated locations within the smart city, operating on power supplied from charging device 30. Examples of equipment group 20 include sensors (motion sensors, weather sensors, etc.) 21 for information collection in the smart city, cameras (surveillance cameras, etc.) 22, and charging stations (contact charging stations, contactless charging stations) 23 for EV vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles. Equipment group 20 may also include lighting, traffic signals, and other devices installed within the smart city. Furthermore, equipment group 20 transmits equipment information indicating its operational status to charging control device 10 at any time or at predetermined intervals.

[0039] (Charging device)

[0040] The charging device 30 is a device for storing electricity supplied to the equipment group 20, and is installed inside or outside the smart city. This charging device 30 is implemented, for example, via a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or personal computer. Furthermore, the charging device 30 incorporates a battery for storing electricity, a control mechanism for controlling the charging and discharging of the electricity, etc. Additionally, the charging device 30 sends charging information related to the current charging state to the charging control device 10 at any time or at predetermined intervals.

[0041] (Charging control method)

[0042] Reference Figure 2 This describes an example of the processing procedure of the charging control method executed by the charging control system 1 according to the embodiment.

[0043] First, the charging device 30 sends charging information to the charging control device 10 (step S1). Next, the device group 20 sends device information to the charging control device 10 (step S2). Alternatively, the order of steps S1 and S2 can be reversed.

[0044] Next, the atmospheric particulate matter quality prediction unit 111 of the charging control device 10 predicts the amount of atmospheric particulate matter in the smart city based on weather information, detection values ​​from weather sensors, etc. (step S3). Next, the power calculation unit 112 calculates the amount of power to be removed based on the amount of atmospheric particulate matter in the smart city and device information, and then calculates the total power by adding the removed power to the power supplied to the area according to standard conditions (step S4). Next, the charging control unit 113 executes charging control of the charging device 30 based on the total power calculated in step S4 (step S5). As described above, the charging control method is completed.

[0045] As described above, the charging control system, charging control device, and storage medium storing the charging control program according to the embodiments can prevent power shortages in the event of atmospheric particulate matter falling in smart cities.

[0046] That is, if atmospheric particulate matter is suspended within a smart city, it may intrude into the equipment group 20 installed within the smart city, causing malfunctions. Therefore, it is necessary to use removal vehicles and car wash facilities to remove atmospheric particulate matter. However, if the power consumption in ordinary households and various facilities increases at the same time, power consumption will reach its peak, which may lead to insufficient power for the removal vehicles and car wash facilities to operate.

[0047] On the other hand, in the charging control system, charging control device, and storage medium storing the charging control program according to the embodiment, the amount of power to be removed is calculated based on the predicted amount of atmospheric particulate matter, and the charging control of the charging device 30 is performed based on this amount of power removed. Therefore, there will be no power shortage when atmospheric particulate matter falls. In addition, the charging control system, charging control device, and storage medium storing the charging control program according to the embodiment can ensure the power used to remove atmospheric particulate matter that has intruded into the device assembly 20, thus suppressing abnormal operation of the device assembly 20.

[0048] Furthermore, according to the embodiment, the charging control system, the charging control device, and the storage medium storing the charging control program are all designed to suppress power waste and battery degradation by controlling the charging process in a way that does not accumulate more than the power consumed in the charging device 30.

[0049] Those skilled in the art can readily derive further effects and variations. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific details expressed and described above, as well as the exemplary embodiments. Thus, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the overall inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0050] Symbol Explanation

[0051] 1. Charging Control System

[0052] 10 Charging control devices

[0053] 11 Control Department

[0054] 111 Atmospheric Suspended Parts Quality Prediction Department

[0055] 112 Power Calculation Department

[0056] 113 Charging Control Unit

[0057] 12Ministry of Communications

[0058] 13 Storage Department

[0059] 20 equipment groups

[0060] 21 sensors

[0061] 22 cameras

[0062] 23 charging piles

[0063] 30 charging devices

[0064] NW network.

Claims

1. A charge control system comprising: a charge device configured to store electric power supplied to a predetermined area, the charge device having a first processor; a device group provided in the area and configured to be supplied with electric power from the charge device, the device group having a second processor; and a charge control device having a third processor configured to predict an amount of atmospheric particulate matter suspended in the area, calculate an amount of electric power for removing atmospheric particulate matter that has intruded into the device group based on the predicted amount of atmospheric particulate matter, calculate a total amount of electric power by adding the amount of electric power for removal to an amount of electric power normally supplied to the area, and perform charge control to store electric power of the total amount or more in the charge device, wherein the third processor predicts an amount of atmospheric particulate matter that is naturally removed from the device group based on weather before and after the atmospheric particulate matter falls in the area, and calculates the amount of electric power for removal taking into account the predicted amount of removal.

2. The charge control system according to claim 1, wherein the second processor outputs device information showing an operation state of the device group to the charge control device, and the third processor determines a device in which an operation failure occurs due to the atmospheric particulate matter falling in the device group based on the device information, and calculates the amount of electric power for removal taking into account the number of devices in which the operation failure occurs.

3. A charge control device comprising a processor configured to: predict an amount of atmospheric particulate matter suspended in a predetermined area, calculate an amount of electric power for removing atmospheric particulate matter that has intruded into a device group provided in the area based on the predicted amount of atmospheric particulate matter, calculate a total amount of electric power by adding the amount of electric power for removal to an amount of electric power normally supplied to the area, perform charge control to store electric power of the total amount or more in a charge device that supplies electric power to the area, predict an amount of atmospheric particulate matter that is naturally removed from the device group based on weather before and after the atmospheric particulate matter falls in the area, and calculate the amount of electric power for removal taking into account the predicted amount of removal.

4. The charge control device according to claim 3, wherein the processor acquires device information showing an operation state of the device group from the device group, determines a device in which an operation failure occurs due to the atmospheric particulate matter falling in the device group based on the device information, and calculates the amount of electric power for removal taking into account the number of devices in which the operation failure occurs.

5. A storage medium storing a charge control program that causes a processor to perform: predicting an amount of atmospheric particulate matter suspended in a predetermined area, calculating an amount of electric power for removing atmospheric particulate matter that has intruded into a device group provided in the area based on the predicted amount of atmospheric particulate matter, calculating a total amount of electric power by adding the amount of electric power for removal to an amount of electric power normally supplied to the area, and performing charge control to store electric power of the total amount or more in a charge device that supplies electric power to the area, predicting an amount of atmospheric particulate matter that is naturally removed from the device group based on weather before and after the atmospheric particulate matter falls in the area, and calculating the amount of electric power for removal taking into account the predicted amount of removal. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ calculating a removal electric quantity for removing the atmospheric suspended particulate matter intruded into a group of devices provided in the area, based on the predicted amount of the atmospheric suspended particulate matter, calculating a total electric quantity by adding the removal electric quantity to an electric quantity to be supplied to the area as a standard, performing charging control to accumulate electric power of the total electric quantity or more into a charging device that supplies electric power to the area, predicting an amount of the atmospheric suspended particulate matter intruded into the group of devices that is naturally removed before and after the atmospheric suspended particulate matter falls in the area, and calculating the removal electric quantity in consideration of the predicted removed amount.

6. The storage medium storing the charging control program according to claim 5, wherein the charging control program causes the processor to perform the following: acquire device information showing an operation state of the group of devices from the group of devices, determine a device in which an operation failure occurs due to the falling of the atmospheric suspended particulate matter in the group of devices, based on the device information, calculate the removal electric quantity in consideration of the number of devices in which the operation failure occurs.

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