Operation system, charge plan creation program, and discharge plan creation program

Abstract

A path search section sets a plurality of nodes in an SOC (State Of Charge) interval between a target SOC at the time of charging a secondary battery mounted on an electric moving body and a current SOC, and sets a plurality of nodes in a chargeable time between a charge start time and a charge end time. A cost distribution section distributes a cost of a deterioration amount or an electricity rate between the nodes with reference to at least one of a deterioration characteristic, a charge cycle deterioration characteristic, and an electricity rate table divided by time period. The path search section searches for a charging path that minimizes a total of the costs of the paths between the nodes. A charge plan creation section creates a charge plan based on the searched charging path.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a computing system, a charging plan creation program, and a discharging plan creation program for creating a secondary battery. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHVs) have become increasingly popular. These electric vehicles are equipped with secondary batteries as a key component. To prevent the degradation of these secondary batteries and extend their lifespan, proper charge and discharge management is necessary.

[0003] For commercial vehicles such as delivery vehicles, cost management is even more critical. The goal is to create charging schedules that minimize secondary battery degradation during nighttime hours when electricity is cheaper. In this case, it's necessary to create optimal charging schedules that take into account the daily variations in pre-charge SOC (State of Charge) and the available charging time.

[0004] Regarding the creation of charging plans, a control method is proposed that changes the charging mode in real time based on the state of internal parameters. This control is based on fast charging and sets an upper limit current value to prevent degradation (for example, see Patent Document 1). Additionally, a control method is proposed that considers both preservation degradation and cyclic degradation to determine the State of Charge (SOC) during preservation, deciding not to perform charging and discharging (for example, see Patent Document 2).

[0005] Existing technical documents

[0006] Patent documents

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-092598

[0008] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 6651063 Summary of the Invention

[0009] Previous control methods could not simultaneously optimize current control, time control, and SOC control during rest periods.

[0010] This disclosure was made in view of the following circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a technique for creating a charging or discharging schedule that minimizes costs such as the degradation of secondary batteries.

[0011] To address the aforementioned problems, a computing system according to one aspect of this disclosure comprises: a path search unit that sets multiple nodes within a SOC interval between a target SOC and a current SOC when charging a secondary battery mounted on an electric mobile body, and sets multiple nodes within a rechargeable time between a charging start time and a charging end time, and searches for a charging path from the current SOC at the charging start time to the target SOC at the charging end time via the multiple nodes; a charging plan creation unit that creates a charging plan based on the searched charging path; and a cost allocation unit that allocates a cost of degradation or electricity charges to the path between nodes by referring to at least one of a preservation degradation characteristic, a charging cycle degradation characteristic, and an electricity cost table divided by time period, wherein the preservation degradation characteristic is defined by at least one factor including at least one of the SOC of the secondary battery and temperature, and the preservation degradation characteristic defines a preservation degradation rate; and the charging cycle degradation characteristic is defined by at least one factor including at least one of the SOC of the secondary battery and the current rate of the charging current, and the charging cycle degradation characteristic defines a cycle degradation rate during charging. The path search unit searches for the charging path that minimizes the total cost of the paths between nodes.

[0012] Furthermore, any combination of the above structural elements, or any manner in which the present disclosure is transformed between apparatus, method, system, computer program, etc., is also valid as a manner of the present disclosure.

[0013] According to this disclosure, it is possible to create charging or discharging plans that minimize costs such as secondary battery degradation. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a diagram used to illustrate the outline of the computing system involved in the implementation method.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating the detailed structure of the power supply system mounted on an electric vehicle according to the embodiments.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating the structure of a computing system according to an embodiment, Example 1.

[0017] Figure 4A This is a diagram illustrating a summary example of a mapping for the rate of degradation characteristics.

[0018] Figure 4B This is a diagram illustrating a summary example of the charging cycle degradation rate characteristic mapping.

[0019] Figure 4C This is a diagram illustrating a summary example of the rate characteristic mapping of discharge cycle degradation.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating an example of charging path searching.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a diagram used to illustrate an example of how the cost of path degradation is allocated.

[0022] Figure 7 It is a diagram used to specifically illustrate the current and time limitations of the path.

[0023] Figure 8A This is a diagram (one of many) used to illustrate an example of charging path search using Dijkstra's algorithm.

[0024] Figure 8B This is a diagram (one of many) used to illustrate an example of charging path search using Dijkstra's algorithm.

[0025] Figure 9A This is a diagram (the second one) used to illustrate an example of charging path search using Dijkstra's algorithm.

[0026] Figure 9B This is a diagram (the second one) used to illustrate an example of charging path search using Dijkstra's algorithm.

[0027] Figure 10A This is a diagram illustrating a specific example of the deviation of SOC and SOH between two monomers connected in series.

[0028] Figure 10B This is a diagram illustrating a specific example of the deviation of SOC and SOH between two monomers connected in series.

[0029] Figure 10C This is a diagram illustrating a specific example of the deviation of SOC and SOH between two monomers connected in series.

[0030] Figure 11 This diagram illustrates an example of charging path searching when two monomers have different SOC and SOH values.

[0031] Figure 12 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of creating a charging plan performed by the computing system involved in the implementation.

[0032] Figure 13 This is a diagram illustrating the structure of a computing system according to an embodiment, Example 2.

[0033] Figure 14 This is a diagram illustrating an example of discharge path searching.

[0034] Figure 15 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of exporting a target SOC by the computing system involved in the implementation.

[0035] Figure 16 This is a diagram illustrating the structure of the computing system involved in the embodiment, Example 3.

[0036] Figure 17 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of creating a discharge plan performed by the computing system involved in the implementation. Detailed Implementation

[0037] Figure 1 This diagram illustrates the general outline of the computing system 1 involved in the implementation method. The computing system 1 is a system used by businesses operating delivery services, bus services, taxi services, car rental services, car sharing services, etc. The computing system 1 is a system used to manage the business operations of these businesses. The computing system 1 consists of one or more information processing devices (e.g., servers, PCs). Some or all of the information processing devices constituting the computing system 1 may reside in a data center. For example, it may consist of a combination of a server within a data center and client PCs within the business.

[0038] The operator (in this specification, a delivery operator is assumed) owns multiple electric vehicles 3 and multiple chargers 4, and flexibly uses the multiple electric vehicles 3 in the delivery business. In this embodiment, the electric vehicle 3 is assumed to be a pure EV without an engine.

[0039] Multiple electric vehicles 3 are equipped with wireless communication capabilities and can connect to a network 2 connected to a computing system 1. The electric vehicles 3 can transmit battery data of their secondary batteries to the computing system 1 via the network 2. The electric vehicles 3 can transmit battery data both when parked in the business premises' parking lot or garage, and while in motion.

[0040] Network 2 is a general term for communication lines such as the Internet and dedicated lines, regardless of their communication medium or protocol. As a communication medium, it can include, for example, mobile phone networks (cellular networks), wireless LANs, wired LANs, fiber optic networks, ADSL networks, CATV networks, etc. As a communication protocol, it can include, for example, TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) / IP (Internet Protocol), UDP (User Datagram Protocol) / IP, Ethernet (registered trademark), etc.

[0041] Furthermore, the electric vehicle 3 can also connect to the operator's server or PC via P2P (Peer-to-Peer) to directly send battery data of the secondary battery mounted on the electric vehicle 3 to the operator's server or PC. Alternatively, the battery data can be forwarded to the operator's server or PC via a recording medium containing the battery data. Additionally, the electric vehicle 3 can also connect via the charging adapter 6 described later (see...). Figure 2 Send battery data to the business owner's server or PC.

[0042] Figure 2 This diagram illustrates the detailed structure of the power system 40 mounted on the electric vehicle 3 according to the embodiment. The power system 40 is connected to the motor 34 via a first relay RY1 and an inverter 35. During power operation, the inverter 35 converts the DC power supplied from the power system 40 into AC power and supplies it to the motor 34. During regeneration, the AC power supplied from the motor 34 is converted into DC power and supplied to the power system 40. The motor 34 is a three-phase AC motor that rotates in response to the AC power supplied from the inverter 35 during power operation. During regeneration, the rotational energy generated due to deceleration is converted into AC power and supplied to the inverter 35.

[0043] The vehicle control unit 30 is the vehicle ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls the electric vehicle 3 as a whole, and may be composed of, for example, a comprehensive VCM (Vehicle Control Module). The wireless communication unit 36 ​​performs signal processing for wireless connection to the network 2 via antenna 36a. The wireless communication network that the electric vehicle 3 can wirelessly connect to may include, for example, a mobile phone network (cellular network), wireless LAN, ETC (Electronic Toll Collection System), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communications), V2I (Vehicle-to-Infrastructure) communication, or V2V (Vehicle-to-Vehicle) communication.

[0044] The first relay RY1 is a contactor inserted between the wiring connecting the power system 40 and the inverter 35. When the vehicle is in motion, the vehicle control unit 30 controls the first relay RY1 to be in the ON (closed) state to electrically connect the power system 40 to the power system of the electric vehicle 3. When the vehicle is not in motion, the vehicle control unit 30, in principle, controls the first relay RY1 to be in the OFF (open) state to electrically disconnect the power system 40 from the power system of the electric vehicle 3. Alternatively, other types of switches, such as semiconductor switches, can be used instead of the relay.

[0045] The electric vehicle 3 can charge the battery module 41 within the power system 40 from an external source by connecting to the charger 4. In this embodiment, the electric vehicle 3 is connected to the charger 4 via a charging adapter 6. The charging adapter 6 is, for example, mounted on the front end of the terminals of the charger 4. When the charging adapter 6 is installed in the charger 4, a communication channel is established between the control unit within the charging adapter 6 and the control unit within the charger 4.

[0046] When the charging adapter 6 installed on the charger 4 is connected to the electric vehicle 3 via a charging cable, it becomes capable of charging the battery module 41 inside the electric vehicle 3 from the charger 4. The charging adapter 6 directly supplies power from the charger 4 to the electric vehicle 3. The charging adapter 6 has wireless communication capabilities, enabling data exchange with the computing system 1. The charging adapter 6 functions as a gateway relaying communication between the electric vehicle 3 and the charger 4, between the electric vehicle 3 and the computing system 1, and between the charger 4 and the computing system 1.

[0047] Charger 4 is connected to commercial power system 5 to charge power system 40 within electric vehicle 3. In electric vehicle 3, a second relay RY2 is inserted between the wiring connecting power system 40 and charger 4. Alternatively, other types of switches, such as semiconductor switches, can be used instead of relays. Before charging begins, battery management unit 42 controls the second relay RY2 to be in the ON state via vehicle control unit 30 or directly; after charging is completed, battery management unit 42 controls the second relay RY2 to be in the OFF state.

[0048] Generally, charging is performed using AC in normal charging and DC in fast charging. When charging with AC (e.g., single-phase 100V / 200V), AC power is converted to DC power by an AC / DC converter (not shown) inserted between the second relay RY2 and the power system 40. When charging with DC, the charger 4 generates DC power by full-wave rectification of the AC power supplied from the commercial power system 5 and smoothing it using a filter.

[0049] As fast charging standards, various standards can be used, such as CHAdeMO (registered trademark), ChaoJi, GB / T, and Combo (Combined Charging System). In CHAdeMO 2.0, the maximum output (specification) is specified as 1000V × 400A = 400kW. In CHAdeMO 3.0, the maximum output (specification) is specified as 1500V × 600A = 900kW. In ChaoJi, the maximum output (specification) is specified as 1500V × 600A = 900kW. In GB / T, the maximum output (specification) is specified as 750V × 250A = 185kW. In Combo, the maximum output (specification) is specified as 900V × 400A = 350kW. In CHAdeMO, ChaoJi, and GB / T, CAN (Controller Area Network) is used as the communication method. In Combo, PLC (Power Line Communication) is used as the communication method.

[0050] In CAN-based charging cables, in addition to power lines, communication lines are also included. When the electric vehicle 3 is connected to the charging adapter 6 via this charging cable, the vehicle control unit 30 establishes a communication channel with the control unit within the charging adapter 6. Furthermore, in PLC-based charging cables, communication signals are transmitted superimposed on the power lines.

[0051] The vehicle control unit 30 and the battery management unit 42 establish a communication channel via an in-vehicle network (e.g., CAN, LIN (Local Interconnect Network)). When the communication standard between the vehicle control unit 30 and the control unit within the charging adapter 6 differs from the communication standard between the vehicle control unit 30 and the battery management unit 42, the vehicle control unit 30 assumes the function of a gateway.

[0052] In this embodiment, the computing system 1 has the function of creating an optimal charging plan (charging schedule), the details of which will be described later. When the control unit in the charging adapter 6 receives a charging plan from the computing system 1, it forwards the received charging plan to the control unit in the charger 4. In this case, even if the control unit in the charging adapter 6 receives a charging current command value from the vehicle control unit 30, it does not forward the command value to the control unit in the charger 4. Furthermore, if the control unit in the charging adapter 6 receives an upper limit value (limit value) for power, current, and voltage from the vehicle control unit 30, it forwards that upper limit value to the control unit in the charger 4.

[0053] The charging adapter 6 is preferably constructed with a small housing. In this case, the driver of the electric vehicle 3 can easily carry the charging adapter 6 and use it on chargers 4 other than those located at the business premises. For example, the charging adapter 6 can be used on chargers 4 located in public facilities, commercial facilities, gas stations, car dealerships, and highway service areas, which are chargers 4 other than those located at the business premises. In this case, the battery module 41 inside the electric vehicle 3 can also be charged from the charger 4 outside the business premises based on a charging plan created by the computing system 1.

[0054] The power system 40 installed in the electric vehicle 3 includes a battery module 41 and a battery management unit 42. The battery module 41 includes multiple cells E1-En connected in series. Alternatively, the battery module 41 may also include multiple cells connected in series and parallel. Furthermore, the battery module 41 may be composed of a combination of multiple battery modules. The cells can be lithium-ion battery cells, nickel-metal hydride battery cells, lead-acid battery cells, etc. Hereinafter, this specification assumes the use of lithium-ion battery cells (nominal voltage: 3.6V-3.7V). The number of cells E1-En connected in series depends on the drive voltage of the motor 34.

[0055] A shunt resistor Rs is connected in series with multiple individual cells E1-En. The shunt resistor Rs functions as a current sensing element. Alternatively, a Hall effect sensor can be used instead of the shunt resistor Rs. Furthermore, multiple temperature sensors T1 and T2 are provided within the battery module 41 for detecting the temperature of the multiple individual cells E1-En. Either a single temperature sensor can be provided for the entire battery module, or a temperature sensor can be provided for each of the multiple individual cells. The temperature sensors T1 and T2 can be, for example, thermistors.

[0056] The battery management unit 42 includes a voltage measurement unit 43, a temperature measurement unit 44, a current measurement unit 45, and a battery control unit 46. Each node of the multiple series-connected cells E1-En is connected to the voltage measurement unit 43 via multiple voltage lines. The voltage measurement unit 43 measures the voltage of each cell E1-En by measuring the voltage between two adjacent voltage lines. The voltage measurement unit 43 sends the measured voltage of each cell E1-En to the battery control unit 46.

[0057] The voltage measurement unit 43 operates at a higher voltage relative to the battery control unit 46; therefore, the voltage measurement unit 43 and the battery control unit 46 are connected via a communication line in an insulated manner. The voltage measurement unit 43 can be constructed from an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or a general-purpose analog front-end IC. The voltage measurement unit 43 includes a multiplexer and an A / D converter. The multiplexer sequentially outputs the voltages between two adjacent voltage lines in a top-to-bottom order to the A / D converter. The A / D converter converts the analog voltage input from the multiplexer into a digital value.

[0058] The temperature measurement unit 44 includes voltage divider resistors and an A / D converter. The A / D converter sequentially converts multiple analog voltages obtained by voltage division through multiple temperature sensors T1, T2 and multiple voltage divider resistors into digital values ​​and outputs them to the battery control unit 46. The battery control unit 46 estimates the temperature of multiple individual cells E1-En based on these digital values. For example, the battery control unit 46 estimates the temperature of each individual cell E1-En based on the values ​​measured by the temperature sensor closest to each individual cell E1-En.

[0059] The current measurement unit 45 includes a differential amplifier and an A / D converter. The differential amplifier amplifies the voltage across the shunt resistor Rs and outputs it to the A / D converter. The A / D converter converts the analog voltage input from the differential amplifier into a digital value and outputs it to the battery control unit 46. The battery control unit 46 estimates the current flowing to the multiple cells E1-En based on this digital value.

[0060] Furthermore, if the battery control unit 46 is equipped with an A / D converter and has an analog input port, the temperature measurement unit 44 and the current measurement unit 45 can also output analog voltages to the battery control unit 46, and the A / D converter in the battery control unit 46 can convert the analog voltages into digital values.

[0061] The battery control unit 46 manages the state of the multiple individual cells E1-En based on the voltage, temperature, and current measured by the voltage measurement unit 43, temperature measurement unit 44, and current measurement unit 45. The battery control unit 46 can be configured with a microcomputer and non-volatile memory (e.g., EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) or flash memory). The battery control unit 46 estimates the SOC and SOH (State of Health) of each individual cell of the multiple cells E1-En.

[0062] The battery control unit 46 combines the OCV (Open Circuit Voltage) method with the current integration method to estimate the SOC. The OCV method is a method for estimating the SOC based on the OCV of each cell E1-En and the SOC-OCV curve of each cell E1-En measured by the voltage measurement unit 43. The SOC-OCV curve of each cell E1-En is pre-made based on characteristic tests conducted by the battery manufacturer and is registered in the internal memory of the microcomputer at the time of shipment.

[0063] The current integration method estimates the state of charge (SOC) based on the integral value of the initial charge / discharge value (OCV) of each cell E1-En and the current measured by the current measuring unit 45. In the current integration method, the measurement error of the current measuring unit 45 accumulates as the charge / discharge time increases. Therefore, it is preferable to use the SOC estimated by the OCV method to correct the SOC estimated by the current integration method.

[0064] SOH (State of Health) is defined as the ratio of the current Full Charge Capacity (FCC) to the initial FCC. The lower the value (closer to 0%), the more severe the degradation. SOH can be determined either by capacity measurements based on full charge and discharge or by adding storage degradation to cycle degradation.

[0065] Furthermore, SOH can also be estimated based on its correlation with the internal resistance of the monomer. Internal resistance can be estimated by dividing the voltage drop generated when a specified current flows through the monomer for a specified time by that current value. Regarding internal resistance, there is a relationship that the higher the temperature, the lower the internal resistance, and vice versa, that the lower the SOH, the higher the internal resistance.

[0066] The battery control unit 46 sends the voltage, temperature, current, SOC, and SOH of multiple individual cells E1-En to the vehicle control unit 30 via the vehicle network. The vehicle control unit 30 then sends battery data, including the current SOC, SOH, and temperature of the multiple individual cells E1-En, to the computing system 1.

[0067] Figure 3This diagram illustrates a structural example 1 of the computing system 1 according to the embodiment. The computing system 1 includes a processing unit 11, a storage unit 12, an operation unit 13, a display unit 14, and a communication unit 15. The processing unit 11 includes an input information acquisition unit 111, a battery data acquisition unit 112, a path search unit 113, a cost allocation unit 114, a charging plan creation unit 115, and a charging plan output unit 116. The functions of the processing unit 11 can be implemented through the cooperation of hardware resources and software resources or solely through hardware resources. As hardware resources, CPUs, ROMs, RAMs, GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), ASICs, FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), and other LSIs can be utilized. As software resources, operating systems, applications, and other programs can be utilized.

[0068] The storage unit 12 includes a degradation speed characteristic map 121, a charge cycle degradation speed characteristic map 122, a discharge cycle degradation speed characteristic map 123, and an electricity meter 124 divided by time period. The storage unit 12 includes non-volatile recording media such as SSD (Solid State Drive) and HDD (Hard Disk Drive) for recording various programs and data.

[0069] The preservation degradation rate characteristic mapping 121, the charge cycle degradation rate characteristic mapping 122, and the discharge cycle degradation rate characteristic mapping 123 are obtained by mapping the preservation degradation rate characteristics, charge cycle degradation rate characteristics, and discharge cycle degradation rate characteristics of the secondary battery installed in the electric vehicle 3. The preservation degradation rate characteristics, charge cycle degradation rate characteristics, and discharge cycle degradation rate characteristics of the secondary battery are pre-derived for each product of the secondary battery based on experiments and simulations conducted by the battery manufacturer. Alternatively, data derived from other evaluation agencies may also be used.

[0070] Storage degradation is a deterioration of a secondary battery that intensifies over time, corresponding to its temperature and state of charge (SOC) at various points in time. It accelerates regardless of whether the battery is being charged or discharged. Storage degradation primarily occurs due to the formation of a coating (SEI - Solid Electrolyte Interphase) film at the negative electrode. Storage degradation depends on the SOC and temperature at various points in time. Generally, higher SOCs and higher temperatures at various points in time result in a faster rate of storage degradation.

[0071] Cyclic degradation is a degradation process that intensifies with increasing charge-discharge cycles. It primarily occurs due to cracking and peeling caused by the expansion or contraction of the active material. Cyclic degradation depends on the current rate, the operating state of charge (SOC) range, and the temperature. Generally, higher current rates, a wider operating SOC range, and higher temperatures result in a faster rate of cyclic degradation.

[0072] Figures 4A-4C This is a diagram illustrating a summary example of the storage degradation rate characteristic map, the charge cycle degradation rate characteristic map, and the discharge cycle degradation rate characteristic map. Figure 4A This shows a summary example of a storage degradation rate characteristic mapping. The X-axis represents SOC [%], the Y-axis represents temperature [°C], and the Z-axis represents the storage degradation rate [% / √h]. It is known that storage degradation worsens at a rate of 0.5 times the square root of time h (hour). Figure 4A As shown, the higher the SOC, the faster the storage degradation rate.

[0073] Figure 4B This shows a summary example of a charging cycle degradation rate characteristic mapping. The X-axis represents the state of charge (SOC) range [%], the Y-axis represents the current rate [C], and the Z-axis represents the charging cycle degradation rate [% / √Ah]. Cycle degradation is assumed to increase at a rate of 0.5 times the square root of ampere-hours (Ah). Figure 4B As shown, the charging cycle degradation rate is faster when charging in a region with a low State of Charge (SOC). Conversely, while the charging cycle degradation rate is not as fast as when charging in a region with a high SOC, it is still faster when charging in a region with a high SOC.

[0074] Figure 4C This diagram illustrates a summary example of the discharge cycle degradation rate characteristic mapping. The X-axis represents the usable SOC range [%], the Y-axis represents the current rate [C], and the Z-axis represents the discharge cycle degradation rate [% / √Ah]. The lower the SOC region during discharge, the faster the discharge cycle degradation rate.

[0075] Furthermore, the cyclic degradation characteristics are also affected by temperature, although this effect is not as significant as that of the current rate. Therefore, to improve the accuracy of the cyclic degradation rate estimation, it is preferable to prepare cyclic degradation characteristics that define the relationship between the SOC range and the cyclic degradation rate for each of the multiple two-dimensional combinations of current rates and temperatures. On the other hand, in generating a simplified cyclic degradation rate characteristic mapping, the temperature is considered to be room temperature, and it is sufficient to prepare cyclic degradation rate characteristics for each of the multiple current rates.

[0076] Furthermore, the degradation rate characteristics, charge cycle degradation rate characteristics, and discharge cycle degradation rate characteristics can be preserved not through mapping, but through functions.

[0077] Return to Figure 3 Table 124, which describes time-based electricity rates, describes the electricity rates for those who have contracts with power companies. Nighttime electricity rates are generally set lower than daytime rates. Furthermore, daytime rates are mostly based on a volume-based system where the rate per kWh increases progressively with cumulative electricity usage.

[0078] Japanese power companies offer a wide variety of pricing plans. For example, the following options are offered: (a) Set the price based on usage, regardless of time period or day of the week; (b) Set the price lower for the period from 1 a.m. to 9 a.m.; (c) Set the price lower for the period from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day; (d) Set the price lower for the period from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. the next day; (e) Set the price lower for the period from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. the next day; (f) Set the price lower for the period from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. the next day; (g) Set the price lower for Saturdays and Sundays; (h) As a summer option, divide the time period into three time periods, setting the peak time (1 p.m. to 4 p.m.) higher and the nighttime (11 p.m. to 7 a.m. the next day) lower; (i) Set the price in detail by "season" and "time period", and set the price lower for the period from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. the next day.

[0079] In the case of large-scale operators such as the distribution operators involved in this embodiment, more detailed and customized fee schemes can be set through individual contracts between the operator and the power company.

[0080] The operation unit 13 is a user interface such as a keyboard, mouse, and touch panel, used to handle user operations on the computing system 1. The display unit 14 includes a display such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, which displays images generated by the processing unit 11. The communication unit 15 performs communication processing for communication via the network 2 or directly with the charging adapter 6, the electric vehicle 3, or the charger 4.

[0081] The input information acquisition unit 111 acquires the target SOC, charging start time, and charging end time of the battery module 41 mounted on the electric vehicle 3, which are input from the operation unit 13. The time from the charging start time to the charging end time is the time that can be used for charging.

[0082] The battery data acquisition unit 112 acquires battery data of the battery module 41 from the vehicle control unit 30 of the electric vehicle 3 via the communication unit 15. This battery data includes at least the current SOC of each of the plurality of cells E1-En included in the battery module 41. The battery data may further include the current SOH and temperature of the plurality of cells E1-En.

[0083] The path search unit 113 sets a plurality of nodes at a specified unit division width within the SOC interval between the acquired target SOC and the current SOC. For example, the nodes are set at divisions of 0.5% as a unit. Alternatively, the nodes may be set at other unit division widths such as divisions of 1%, 5%, or 10% as a unit.

[0084] The path search unit 113 sets a plurality of nodes at a specified unit division width within the chargeable time between the acquired charging start time and charging end time. For example, the nodes are set at divisions of 30 minutes as a unit. Alternatively, the nodes may be set at other unit division widths such as divisions of 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, or 15 minutes as a unit.

[0085] The path search unit 113 sets paths between the set matrix-arranged nodes. The cost allocation unit 114 refers to the stored degradation rate characteristic map 121 and the charge cycle degradation rate characteristic map 122 to allocate degradation costs to the paths between the respective nodes. The path search unit 113 searches for a charging path that minimizes the total sum of the degradation costs of the paths between the nodes. The charging plan creation unit 115 creates a charging plan based on the searched charging path. The charging plan output unit 116 transmits the created charging plan to the charger 4 via the charging adapter 6. A specific example will be described below.

[0086] Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of charging path search. Figure 5 shows an example where the start SOC is 40% and the target SOC is 80%. The start SOC is set to the current SOC acquired by the battery data acquisition unit 112. The amount of electric power corresponding to the SOC range between the target SOC and the start SOC corresponds to the required charging amount. The path search unit 113 searches for the optimal path from the start SOC to the target SOC within the limited available time for charging.

[0087] Figure 6 is a diagram for describing an example of degradation cost allocation to paths. As Figure 5 shown, in the charging path according to the present embodiment, charging can be paused in units of ΔT[s]. During the charging pause period, only storage degradation progresses.

[0088] like Figure 6 As shown, the cost allocation unit 114 calculates the degradation amount when the system is stagnant for a unit time (ΔT) at a SOC of 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, and 80% as degradation costs, referring to the stored degradation rate characteristic mapping 121.

[0089] When the temperature of the monomer is below 40°C, the effect of temperature on the storage degradation rate is small, so the cost allocation unit 114 can assume the temperature to be normal. In this case, the cost allocation unit 114 calculates the storage degradation rate between each horizontal node based on the normal temperature and the state of charge (SOC). The cost allocation unit 114 calculates the degradation amount between each horizontal node by multiplying the storage degradation rate between each horizontal node by a unit time (ΔT).

[0090] Furthermore, the cost allocation unit 114 may also assume that the current temperature of the individual cells acquired by the battery data acquisition unit 112 continues until the end of charging. In this case, the cost allocation unit 114 calculates the retention degradation rate between each lateral node based on the acquired temperature and SOC. The cost allocation unit 114 calculates the degradation amount between each lateral node by multiplying the retention degradation rate between each lateral node by a unit time (ΔT).

[0091] Additionally, the cost allocation unit 114 can obtain weather forecast information for the area where the charger 4 is installed from a weather forecast server (not shown) to estimate the temperature between each horizontal node from the start time of charging to the end time of charging. In this case, the cost allocation unit 114 calculates the preservation degradation rate between each horizontal node based on the estimated temperature and SOC between each horizontal node. The cost allocation unit 114 multiplies the preservation degradation rate between each horizontal node by a unit time (ΔT) to calculate the degradation amount between each horizontal node.

[0092] On the other hand, during charging, both charging cycle degradation and storage degradation are exacerbated. For example... Figure 6 As shown, the cost allocation unit 114 calculates the current rate (in time) required to reach 50% SOC from 40% SOC per unit time (ΔT). Figure 6 The example shown is 0.1C), used for the current rate at which the SOC reaches 60% from 40% to 60% per unit time (ΔT). Figure 6The example shown is 0.2C), used for the current rate to reach 70% SOC from 40% SOC per unit time (ΔT). Figure 6 The example shown is 0.3C), and the current rate used to reach 80% SOC from 40% SOC per unit time (ΔT) is... Figure 6 (0.4C in the example shown). During charging, the SOC increases, thus causing inter-node movement in the upper right direction.

[0093] Although Figure 6 Not shown in the figure, but the cost allocation unit 114 also calculates the current rate for reaching SOC 60% from SOC 50% to SOC 70% from SOC 50% to SOC 70% from SOC 50% to SOC 80% from SOC 50% to SOC 80% from SOC 50% to SOC 80% from SOC 60% to SOC 70% from SOC 60% to SOC 70% from SOC 60% to SOC 80% from SOC 60% to SOC 80% from SOC 7 ...

[0094] For each path between nodes in the upper right direction, the cost allocation unit 114 determines the charging cycle degradation rate based on the SOC range and current rate reference charging cycle degradation rate characteristic mapping 122. The cost allocation unit 114 determines the storage degradation rate based on the SOC and temperature reference storage degradation rate characteristic mapping 121. The SOC used to determine the storage degradation rate can, for example, be the average of the upper and lower limits of the SOC range.

[0095] The cost allocation unit 114 calculates the charging cycle degradation amount for each path between nodes in the upper right direction by multiplying the determined charging cycle degradation rate by the current (Ah) corresponding to a unit SOC (ΔSOC). The cost allocation unit 114 also calculates the preservation degradation amount for each path between nodes in the upper right direction by multiplying the determined preservation degradation rate by a unit time (ΔT). Finally, the cost allocation unit 114 sums the calculated charging cycle degradation amount and the preservation degradation amount for each path between nodes in the upper right direction to calculate the final degradation amount.

[0096] Furthermore, in reality, the charging path is not a path that can pass through all nodes; it is limited by current or time.

[0097] Figure 7This diagram is used to specifically illustrate the current and time limitations of the path. First, since time does not reverse, there is no path that migrates to the left. Furthermore, during charging, the State of Charge (SOC) essentially does not decrease, thus creating paths that migrate to the upper right or to the right, but not to the lower right.

[0098] According to the specifications of charger 4, there are upper limits on the charging power and charging current for each charger 4. Therefore, charging must not exceed the upper limit of the charging current of charger 4. Similarly, according to the specifications of electric vehicle 3, there are upper limits on the charging power and charging current for each electric vehicle 3. Therefore, charging must not exceed the upper limit of the charging current of electric vehicle 3.

[0099] The computing system 1 stores the upper limits of the charging power and charging current of each charger 4 and the upper limits of the charging power and charging current of each electric vehicle 3 in the upper limit value table (not shown) of the storage unit 12. The upper limits of the charging power and charging current of the charger 4 and the electric vehicle 3 can be input by the user from the operation unit 13, or obtained from the charger 4 or electric vehicle 3 when the computing system 1 communicates with the charger 4 or electric vehicle 3 for the first time.

[0100] Cost Allocation Department 114 Figure 6 Paths in the calculated paths between nodes that require a current rate exceeding the upper limit of the charging current of charger 4 or electric vehicle 3 are set as invalid paths.

[0101] exist Figure 7 In the example shown, paths P1 and P2 are designated as invalid paths due to current limitations. This is because the migration angle in the upper right direction is restricted due to the upper limit current constraint. Path P3 is a path that cannot be traversed due to both the remaining time constraint and the upper limit current constraint. If path P3 were traversed, the target SOC could not be reached within the remaining time within the permissible upper right migration angle range. Therefore, path P3 is designated as an invalid path.

[0102] The path search unit 113 searches for the charging path that minimizes the total degradation amount of the paths between nodes. Specifically, the path search unit 113 calculates the total storage degradation amount and the total charging cycle degradation amount of each charging path based on the following equations (1) and (2). The path search unit 113 adds these two amounts together to calculate the total degradation amount of each charging path. The path search unit 113 selects the charging path that minimizes this total degradation amount.

[0103] Total amount of deterioration retained = √(Σ(ΔT*Ks^2))…(Equation 1)

[0104] Storage degradation rate Ks[% / √h] = Storage degradation map(SOC[%], temperature[°C])

[0105] Total charging cycle degradation = √(Σ(ΔAh*Kc^2))…(Equation 2)

[0106] Charging cycle degradation rate Kc[% / √Ah] = Charging cycle degradation mapping (SOC[%], current rate[C])

[0107] The path search unit 113 can use existing path search algorithms to search for the charging path that minimizes the total degradation of the paths between nodes. For example, Dijkstra's algorithm can be used as the path search algorithm. Path search algorithms are generally used in vehicle navigation.

[0108] Figures 8A-8B This is a diagram (one of many) used to illustrate an example of charging path search using Dijkstra's algorithm. Figures 9A-9B This is a diagram (second example) illustrating an example of charging path search using Dijkstra's algorithm. First, as an initial process, the path search unit 113 sets the distance to all nodes to indeterminate (∞). Next, the distance to node a is set to 0. The following is a repetition of this process.

[0109] The path search unit 113 selects the node with the shortest distance from nodes with uncertain distances and determines the distance. Figure 8A In the example shown, the distance to node a is set to 0 (refer to the star marker). Next, the path search unit 113 calculates the distances to nodes b, c, and d, which are connected to node a. Figure 8A In the example shown, the distances to nodes b, c, and d are 2, 4, and 6, respectively. If the distance to nodes b, c, or d is shorter than the current distance, the pathfinding unit 113 updates the current distance to the newly calculated distance. Figure 8A In the example shown, the distances to nodes b, c, and d are updated from ∞, ∞, ∞ to 2, 4, and 6.

[0110] Next, the path search unit 113 selects the node with the shortest distance from the nodes with undetermined distances and determines the distance. Figure 8B In the example shown, the distance to node b is determined to be 2 (refer to the star marker). Next, the path search unit 113 calculates the total distance via node ab for each of the nodes e, f, and g connected to node b. Figure 8B In the example shown, the distances from node ab to nodes e, f, and g are 5, 6, and 8, respectively. If the distance to nodes e, f, or g is shorter than the current distance, the path search unit 113 updates the current distance to the newly calculated distance. Figure 8BIn the example shown, the distances to nodes e, f, and g are updated from ∞, ∞, ∞ to 5, 6, and 8.

[0111] Next, the path search unit 113 selects the node with the shortest distance from the nodes with undetermined distances and determines the distance. Figure 9A In the example shown, the distance to node c is determined to be 4 (refer to the star marker). Next, the path search unit 113 calculates the total distance via node ac for each of the nodes e, f, and g connected to node c. Figure 9A In the example shown, the distances from node ac to nodes e, f, and g are 4, 5, and 7, respectively. If the distance to nodes e, f, or g is shorter than the current distance, the path search unit 113 updates the current distance to the newly calculated distance. Figure 9A In the example shown, the distances to nodes e, f, and g are updated from 5, 6, and 8 to 4, 5, and 7.

[0112] Next, the path search unit 113 selects the node with the shortest distance from the nodes with undetermined distances and determines the distance. Figure 9B In the example shown, the distance to node e is determined to be 4 (refer to the star marker). Next, the path search unit 113 calculates the total distance via node ace for each of the nodes h, i, and j connected to node e. Figure 9B In the example shown, the distances from node ace to nodes h, i, and j are 9, 10, and 11, respectively. If the distance to nodes h, i, or j is shorter than the current distance, the path search unit 113 updates the current distance to the newly calculated distance. Figure 9A In the example shown, the distances to nodes h, i, and j are updated from ∞, ∞, ∞ to 9, 10, and 11. This process is repeated until the distances to all nodes are determined.

[0113] When the path search unit 113 finds a charging path that minimizes degradation, the charging plan creation unit 115 converts the found charging path into a charging plan defined by the current value per unit time interval at the start of charging. The charging plan output unit 116 sends the charging plan created by the charging plan creation unit 115 to the charging adapter 6, the electric vehicle 3, or the charger 4 via the communication unit 15.

[0114] For example, the data format of a charging plan includes the charging start time [s] and the target charging amount [Ah], and specifies multiple data slots for storing the current value for each unit time interval (e.g., a division in 3-minute units).

[0115] Furthermore, the computing system 1 can also create a temperature adjustment plan within the power system 40 when the battery module 41 in the electric vehicle 3 is being charged from the charger 4. In this case, the computing system 1 sends the temperature adjustment plan to the battery management unit 42 within the electric vehicle 3 via the charging adapter 6 or directly. For example, the data format of the temperature adjustment plan specifies multiple data slots for storing target values ​​of temperature per unit time (e.g., in 3-minute intervals). When the battery management unit 42 receives the temperature adjustment plan, it adjusts the temperature within the battery module 41 according to the plan. For example, the battery management unit 42 controls the output of a fan, cooler, or heater (not shown) to adjust the temperature within the battery module 41.

[0116] exist Figure 5 The example shown in Figure 9 illustrates an example of searching for a charging path that minimizes degradation during charging when the SOC and SOH of multiple E1-En cells connected in series are ideally consistent. In reality, the SOC or SOH of multiple E1-En cells connected in series are inconsistent in most cases.

[0117] Figures 10A-10C This is a diagram illustrating a specific example of the deviation of SOC and SOH between two monomers E1 and E2 connected in series. Figure 10A The example shown illustrates a discrepancy in SOH between two monomers E1 and E2 connected in series. Specifically, the SOC is the same in monomer E1 and monomer E2, both being 100%. Regarding SOH, monomer E1 has 100% and monomer E2 has 90%, indicating a state of accelerated degradation in monomer E2.

[0118] Figure 10B The example shown illustrates a discrepancy in SOC between two monomers E1 and E2 connected in series. Specifically, SOH is the same in both monomer E1 and monomer E2, at 100%. Regarding SOC, monomer E1 has 100% and monomer E2 has 80%, representing a lower capacity for monomer E2.

[0119] Figure 10C The example shown illustrates a discrepancy in SOC and SOH between two series-connected monomers E1 and E2. Specifically, regarding SOC, monomer E1 is at 80% and monomer E2 is at 100%, indicating a lower capacity for monomer E1. Regarding SOH, monomer E1 is at 100% and monomer E2 is at 90%, indicating a more severe degradation for monomer E2.

[0120] When there is a deviation between two cells E1 and E2 connected in series, the charging path that minimizes the degradation of cell E1 may differ from the charging path that minimizes the degradation of cell E2. Therefore, it is necessary to set an index to determine the charging path of multiple cells connected in series as a whole.

[0121] The first metric aims to minimize the overall degradation of multiple cells connected in series. The path search unit 113 searches for a charging path that minimizes the degradation of the cell with the lowest State of Health (SOH) among the multiple cells connected in series. During charging based on this charging path, the burden on the cell with the lowest SOH is most suppressed. Among the multiple cells connected in series, the cell with the lowest SOH becomes the bottleneck, and the lifespan of the cell with the lowest SOH determines the overall lifespan of the multiple cells. By using the first metric, the overall lifespan of the battery module 41 can be extended.

[0122] The second metric is aimed at minimizing the State of Health (SOH) deviation among multiple series-connected cells. The path search unit 113 searches for the charging path that minimizes the difference in degradation amount among the multiple series-connected cells. Specifically, the path search unit 113 sets a cost for each path (in the case of charging, lateral and upper-right movement) based on the difference in degradation amount (the sum of differences corresponding to the number of cell combinations), and searches for the charging path that minimizes the difference in degradation amount. During charging based on this charging path, the SOH deviation among the multiple series-connected cells can be reduced. The SOH deviation among the multiple series-connected cells relates to a reduction in the overall usable capacity and a shortened lifespan of these cells. Therefore, by using the charging path determined by the second metric, the SOH deviation can be reduced, contributing to an increase in usable capacity and an extension of lifespan. Especially in the case of a power system 40 without a cell equalization circuit, SOH deviations between cells are prone to occur.

[0123] The third metric aims to ensure that the drivable range for the following day does not decrease. The path search unit 113 searches for a charging path that minimizes the degradation of the cell with the lowest actual capacity among the multiple cells connected in series. The actual capacity of a cell (i.e., the actual dischargeable capacity) is defined by SOC × SOH. In charging based on this charging path, the cell with the lowest actual capacity is reliably charged to the target SOC. The overall usable capacity of the multiple cells connected in series depends on the capacity of the cell with the lowest actual capacity. Therefore, in the charging path determined by the third metric, the cell with the lowest actual capacity is reliably charged to the target SOC, thus suppressing the reduction in the overall usable capacity of the multiple cells connected in series.

[0124] Figure 11This diagram illustrates an example of charging path searching when the State of Charge (SOC) and State of Harm (SOH) differ between two monomers, E1 and E2. Figure 11 In the example shown, the state of charge (SOC) of cell E1 before charging begins is 60%, and the state of alcohol (SOH) is 100%. The state of charge (SOC) of cell E2 before charging begins is 50%, and the state of alcohol (SOH) is 90%. Figure 11 In the example shown, the unit SOC (ΔSOC) of monomer E1 is set in units of 10%. The unit SOC (ΔSOC) of monomer E2 is set in units of 9%. The unit SOC (ΔSOC) of monomer E2 is calculated by multiplying the unit SOC of monomer E1 (ΔSOC = 10%) by the SOH of monomer E2 / the SOH of monomer E1 ( = 90% / 100%).

[0125] For example, when a first criterion is set for the path search unit 113, the path search unit 113 searches for the charging path that minimizes the degradation of the E2 of the individual cell. Furthermore, when a third criterion is set for the path search unit 113, the path search unit 113 also searches for the charging path that minimizes the degradation of the E2 of the individual cell.

[0126] exist Figures 5-11 In the example shown, the path search unit 113 searches for a charging path that minimizes the degradation cost during charging. In this regard, the path search unit 113 can also search for a charging path that minimizes the electricity cost incurred during charging. The cost allocation unit 114 allocates cost to the paths between nodes with reference to the electricity cost table 124 divided by time period. The cost is the electricity charge required to travel along each path. When the charging time includes a specific time period, the electricity cost per kWh varies based on the cumulative charging amount during that specific time period.

[0127] Furthermore, in countries and regions where electricity is traded on the market, such as PJM (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland) in the United States, the cost allocation unit 114 obtains the latest market price for the charging period and allocates the market price to the path between nodes.

[0128] The path search unit 113 searches for the charging path that minimizes the total cost of the paths between nodes. The charging plan creation unit 115 creates a charging plan based on the searched charging path. The charging plan output unit 116 sends the created charging plan to the charger 4 via the charging adapter 6 or directly.

[0129] Figure 12This is a flowchart illustrating the charging plan creation process performed by the computing system 1 involved in the embodiment. The user selects one of four indicators for determining the charging path: (a) minimizing the degradation of the cell with the lowest SOH among the series-connected cells; (b) minimizing the difference in degradation between the series-connected cells; (c) minimizing the degradation of the cell with the lowest actual capacity among the series-connected cells; and (d) minimizing the electricity cost.

[0130] When the input information acquisition unit 111 acquires the indicator selected by the user input from the operation unit 13, it sets the selected indicator to the path search unit 113 (S10). Furthermore, the user can appropriately switch between the four indicators. Alternatively, an indicator switching unit (not shown) can be provided in the processing unit 11, which switches indicators according to predetermined rules. For example, the indicator switching unit selects indicator (c) when the overall SOH of the battery module 41 is higher than a first set value, and switches from indicator (c) to indicator (a) when the SOH becomes lower than the first set value. Similarly, for example, indicator (c) is selected when the deviation of the SOH of the multiple cells E1-En within the battery module 41 is less than a second set value, and switches from indicator (c) to indicator (b) when the deviation becomes greater than the second set value.

[0131] The input information acquisition unit 111 acquires the target SOC, charging start time, and charging end time input from the operation unit 13 when charging the battery module 41 mounted on the electric vehicle 3 (S11). The battery data acquisition unit 112 acquires the battery data (including the current SOC) of the multiple cells E1-En included in the battery module 41 from the vehicle control unit 30 of the electric vehicle 3 via the communication unit 15 (S12).

[0132] The path search unit 113 sets up multiple nodes within the SOC interval between the acquired target SOC and the current SOC, dividing the width into predetermined units (S13). The path search unit 113 also sets up multiple nodes within the rechargeable time interval between the acquired charging start time and charging end time, dividing the width into predetermined units (S14).

[0133] The path search unit 113 sets paths between the nodes in the defined matrix. The cost allocation unit 114 invalidates paths between nodes that do not meet current or time limits (S15). The cost allocation unit 114 allocates costs to the paths between nodes by referring to at least one of the stored degradation rate characteristic map 121, the charging cycle degradation rate characteristic map 122, and the electricity rate table 124 divided by time period (S16).

[0134] The path search unit 113 applies a path search algorithm to search for the charging path that minimizes the cost corresponding to the set decision indicators (S17). The charging plan creation unit 115 creates a charging plan based on the searched charging path (S18). The charging plan output unit 116 sends the created charging plan to the charger 4 via the charging adapter 6 or directly (S19).

[0135] Figure 13 This is a diagram illustrating a structural example 2 of the computing system 1 according to the embodiment. Figure 3 In the structural example 1 shown, the target SOC is assumed to be input by the user. In structural example 2, the function of automatically calculating the target SOC is added.

[0136] In structural example 2, in addition to the input information acquisition unit 111, battery data acquisition unit 112, route search unit 113, cost allocation unit 114, charging plan creation unit 115, and charging plan output unit 116, the processing unit 11 also includes a delivery plan creation unit 117, a power consumption prediction unit 118, and a SOC usage range determination unit 119.

[0137] The delivery planning unit 117 creates a delivery plan for the following day for each electric vehicle 3 owned by the delivery operator based on order information from an order management system (not shown). The delivery plan also includes delivery routes. The power consumption forecasting unit 118 calculates the travel distance of the electric vehicles 3 required for the following day's deliveries based on the delivery routes included in the delivery plan. The power consumption forecasting unit 118 calculates the power consumption required to travel the calculated distance as a forecast of the power consumption for the following day.

[0138] Based on the predicted power consumption for the following day, the SOC usage range determination unit 119 derives multiple candidates for the SOC usage range of the battery module 41 for the next day. For example, if the predicted power consumption for the following day is equivalent to 50% of the DOD (Depth of Discharge) of the battery module 41, the SOC usage range determination unit 119 derives multiple candidates for SOC usage ranges of 100%-50%, 90%-40%, 80%-30%, 70%-20%, 60%-10%, and 50%-0%. In this example, the candidates are derived in 10% increments, but candidates could also be derived in other increments.

[0139] The path search unit 113 sets up multiple nodes within the SOC usage area, dividing it into widths according to a predetermined unit, for each candidate SOC usage area. Based on the next day's delivery plan, the path search unit 113 sets up multiple nodes within the delivery time between the delivery start and end times, dividing it into widths according to a predetermined unit. The path search unit 113 sets up paths between the set matrix of nodes. The cost allocation unit 114 allocates degradation costs to the paths between each node by referring to the stored degradation rate characteristic map 121 and discharge cycle degradation rate characteristic map 123.

[0140] The path search unit 113 searches for the discharge path that minimizes the total degradation cost of the paths between nodes among multiple SOC usage range candidates for each SOC usage range candidate. The path search unit 113 determines the SOC usage range of the discharge path that minimizes the total degradation cost among the multiple SOC usage range candidates. The path search unit 113 sets the upper limit SOC of the determined SOC usage range as the target SOC during charging.

[0141] Figure 14 This is a diagram illustrating an example of discharge path searching. Figure 14 This example illustrates the creation of a discharge plan based on a delivery schedule with a predicted DOD of 40% for electricity consumption. The route search unit 113 searches for the optimal route from the optimal upper limit SOC to the optimal lower limit SOC within the delivery time of the following day. Figure 14 In the example shown, the discharge path with an upper limit SOC of 80% and a lower limit SOC of 40% was selected as the optimal path.

[0142] The method for allocating path degradation costs between nodes is the same as the above-described case of searching for charging paths, except that the relationship is reversed.

[0143] Figure 15 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of deriving the target SOC by the computing system 1 involved in the embodiment. The delivery plan creation unit 117 creates a delivery plan for the electric vehicle 3 for the following day based on order information from an order management system (not shown) (S20). The power consumption prediction unit 118 calculates the travel distance of the electric vehicle 3 required for the next day's delivery based on the delivery route included in the delivery plan, and predicts the power consumption required to travel that distance (S21).

[0144] The SOC usage range determination unit 119 derives multiple candidates for the SOC usage range of the battery module 41 for the next day based on the predicted power consumption for the next day (S22). The route search unit 113, for each candidate SOC usage range, sets multiple nodes within the SOC interval between the upper and lower limits of the SOC usage range, dividing the width into predetermined units (S23). The route search unit 113 also sets multiple nodes within the delivery time between the delivery start time and the delivery end time, dividing the width into predetermined units (S24).

[0145] The path search unit 113 sets paths between the defined matrix of nodes. The cost allocation unit 114 invalidates paths between nodes that do not meet current or time limits (S25). The cost allocation unit 114 allocates degradation costs to the paths between each node by referring to the stored degradation rate characteristic map 121 and the discharge cycle degradation rate characteristic map 123 (S26).

[0146] The path search unit 113 applies a path search algorithm to search for the discharge path that minimizes the degradation cost corresponding to the determination index (S27). In structural example 2, the determination index is selected from the following three indices: (a) minimizing the degradation amount of the monomer with the lowest SOH among the multiple monomers connected in series; (b) minimizing the difference in degradation amount between the multiple monomers connected in series; and (c) minimizing the degradation amount of the monomer with the lowest actual capacity among the multiple monomers connected in series.

[0147] The path search unit 113 determines the SOC usage range of the discharge path that minimizes degradation cost among multiple candidate SOC usage ranges (S28). The path search unit 113 sets the upper limit SOC of the determined SOC usage range as the target SOC during charging (S29).

[0148] exist Figure 15In the flowchart shown, the path search unit 113 determines the SOC usage range of the discharge path that minimizes degradation cost among multiple SOC usage range candidates. This can also be determined through the following process: The path search unit 113 calculates the total degradation amount [i] of the discharge path that minimizes degradation cost for each of the multiple (i) SOC usage range candidates. The path search unit 113 calculates the total degradation amount [i] of the charging path that minimizes degradation cost from the current SOC to the upper limit SOC of each SOC usage range candidate for each of the multiple (i) SOC usage range candidates. The path search unit 113 adds the total degradation amount [i] of the discharge path that minimizes degradation cost to the total degradation amount [i] of the charging path that minimizes degradation cost for each of the multiple (i) SOC usage range candidates. The path search unit 113 determines the SOC usage range that minimizes the total degradation amount [i] obtained by summing. In this case, there is no need to search for a new charging path; a charging plan is created based on the charging path that minimizes degradation cost calculated above.

[0149] Alternatively, the SOC usage range can be determined through the following process. The path search unit 113 calculates the total degradation amount [i] of the discharge path for each of the plurality (i) SOC usage range candidates by applying the predicted discharge mode. For example, the path search unit 113 calculates the total degradation amount [i] of the discharge path when the discharge mode corresponding to the driving mode predicted based on the delivery plan is applied for each of the SOC usage range candidates of 100%-50%, 90%-40%, 80%-30%, 70%-20%, 60%-10%, and 50%-0%. The path search unit 113 calculates the total degradation amount [i] of the charging path that minimizes the degradation cost from the current SOC to the upper limit SOC of each SOC usage range candidate for each of the plurality (i) SOC usage range candidates. For each of the multiple (i) SOC usage range candidates, the path search unit 113 adds the total degradation amount [i] of the discharge path to the total degradation amount [i] of the charging path. The path search unit 113 determines the SOC usage range that minimizes the total degradation amount [i] obtained by the addition. In this case, there is no need to search for a new charging path; a charging plan is created based on the charging path that minimizes the degradation cost calculated above.

[0150] Figure 16This diagram illustrates a structural example 3 of the computing system 1 according to the embodiment. In structural example 3, a function for creating a discharge plan is also included. In structural example 3, the processing unit 11 includes, in addition to, an input information acquisition unit 111, a battery data acquisition unit 112, a route search unit 113, a cost allocation unit 114, a charging plan creation unit 115, a charging plan output unit 116, a delivery plan creation unit 117, a power consumption prediction unit 118, and a SOC usage range determination unit 119, a discharge plan creation unit 1110 and a discharge plan output unit 1111.

[0151] Figure 17 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of creating a discharge plan performed by the computing system 1 according to the embodiment. Figure 17 The flowchart shown contains steps S20-S28 of the processing and... Figure 15 Steps S20-S28 in the flowchart shown are the same.

[0152] The path search unit 113 determines the SOC range of the discharge path that minimizes degradation cost among multiple candidate SOC usage ranges (S28). The discharge plan creation unit 1110 creates a discharge plan based on the discharge path that minimizes degradation cost within the determined SOC usage range (S210). Specifically, the discharge plan creation unit 1110 converts the determined discharge path into a discharge plan specified by the current value per unit time interval at the start of operation (discharge start time).

[0153] For example, the data format of the discharge plan includes the start time of travel [s] and the predicted power consumption [Ah], and specifies multiple data slots for storing the current value for each unit time interval. In addition, the discharge plan creation unit 1110 can also convert the current value for each unit time interval into the speed of the electric vehicle 3, and store the recommended speed of the electric vehicle 3 for each unit time interval in multiple data slots.

[0154] The discharge plan output unit 1111 sends the created discharge plan to the electric vehicle 3 via the charging adapter 6 or directly (S211).

[0155] When the vehicle control unit 30 of the electric vehicle 3 receives a discharge plan, it displays the recommended speed for each time period on a display inside the vehicle (e.g., the display of the vehicle navigation system, the instrument display). Furthermore, if the electric vehicle 3 is an autonomous vehicle, it travels at a speed as close as possible to the recommended speed for each time period within a safe range.

[0156] Figure 17The process shown in the flowchart assumes that the battery can be pre-charged to the optimal upper limit of SOC before delivery begins. In this case, when creating a discharge plan using the current SOC as the starting SOC for discharge, the process is as follows: The SOC usage range determination unit 119 converts the power consumption predicted by the power consumption prediction unit 118 into the DOD of the battery module 41. The SOC usage range determination unit 119 sets the current SOC as the upper limit of the SOC usage range, and sets the value obtained by subtracting the aforementioned DOD from this upper limit SOC as the lower limit of the SOC usage range.

[0157] The path search unit 113 sets up multiple nodes within the SOC usage range determined by the SOC usage range determination unit 119, and sets up multiple nodes within the drivable time (dischargeable time) between the start of driving (start of discharge) and the end of driving (end of discharge). The cost allocation unit 114 allocates degradation costs to the paths between each node by referring to the stored degradation rate characteristic map 121 and the discharge cycle degradation rate characteristic map 123. The path search unit 113 searches for the discharge path that minimizes the total degradation cost of the paths between nodes, from the upper limit SOC of the SOC usage range at the start of driving through multiple nodes to the lower limit SOC of the SOC usage range at the end of driving.

[0158] As explained above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to create a charging or discharging plan that minimizes costs such as secondary battery degradation. In the charging of electric vehicles 3 used in delivery services, it is desirable to create a charging plan that minimizes secondary battery degradation during the night when electricity is cheap. The State of Charge (SOC) at the start of charging and the available charging time vary daily. Therefore, it is necessary to create an optimal charging plan that takes into account these variations in SOC and charging time.

[0159] In this embodiment, the charging replacement from the current SOC to the target SOC is considered as a path problem. That is, by referring to the stored degradation rate characteristic map 121 and the charging cycle degradation rate characteristic map 122, the degradation amount of each path can be set for the passage cost, and the path that minimizes the degradation amount can be searched to create an optimal charging plan.

[0160] This method can search for the charging mode that minimizes degradation within a specified time (chargeable time), and can simultaneously optimize the control of current, time, and SOC preservation. Previously, it was impossible to calculate the decisions of these three factors simultaneously through a single program.

[0161] Furthermore, in this embodiment, after inputting battery data (SOC, SOH) for multiple individual E1-En cells, control can be implemented to minimize the overall degradation of the battery module 41. Additionally, control can be implemented to suppress the widening of the SOH difference between the multiple individual E1-En cells. These control modes can be easily switched based on the cost indicators of the desired switching path.

[0162] The present disclosure has been described above based on the embodiments. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments are illustrative, and there can be various modifications to the combination of these structural elements and processing procedures, and such modifications are also within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0163] In the above embodiments, four examples of decision indicators are given. In this regard, decision indicators can also be set with the aim of both suppressing the degradation of individual units and saving electricity costs. For example, the path search unit 113 calculates the cost of degradation and the cost of electricity for each selectable charging path, calculates the comprehensive cost by weighted summation or weighted average of the two, and determines the charging path that minimizes the comprehensive cost.

[0164] In the above embodiment, an example of sending a charging plan from the computing system 1 to the charger 4 via the charging adapter 6 was described. In this respect, the charging adapter 6 is not necessary and can be omitted. In this case, the charging plan is sent from the computing system 1 directly to the charger 4 or via the electric vehicle 3.

[0165] Furthermore, indicators aimed at minimizing electricity costs are not necessary and can be omitted. In this case, the time-based electricity bill table 124 can be omitted.

[0166] In the above embodiments, examples of creating a charging or discharging plan for the battery module 41 mounted on the electric vehicle 3 have been described. In this regard, the electric vehicle 3 can also be a two-wheeled electric motorcycle (electric scooter) or electric bicycle. Furthermore, the electric vehicle 3 also includes low-speed electric vehicles such as golf carts and land cars used in shopping malls, entertainment facilities, etc. Moreover, the object mounting the battery module 41 is not limited to the electric vehicle 3. For example, it also includes electric ships, railway vehicles, multi-rotor helicopters (drones), and other electric mobile bodies.

[0167] In addition, the implementation method can also be determined by the following items.

[0168] [Project 1]

[0169] A computing system (1), characterized in that it comprises:

[0170] The path search unit (113) sets multiple nodes within the SOC interval between the target SOC (State of Charge) and the current SOC when charging the secondary battery (41) mounted on the electric mobile body (3), and sets multiple nodes within the rechargeable time between the charging start time and the charging end time, and searches for a charging path from the current SOC at the charging start time to the target SOC at the charging end time via multiple nodes;

[0171] The charging plan creation unit (115) creates a charging plan based on the searched charging paths; and

[0172] The cost allocation unit (114) allocates the cost of degradation or electricity charges to the path between nodes by referring to at least one of the preservation degradation characteristics (121), the charging cycle degradation characteristics (122), and the electricity bill (124) divided by time period. The preservation degradation characteristics (121) are defined by at least one element including at least one of the SOC and temperature of the secondary battery (41). The charging cycle degradation characteristics (122) are defined by at least one element including at least one of the SOC and the current rate of the charging current. The charging cycle degradation characteristics (122) define the rate of cycle degradation during charging.

[0173] The path search unit (113) searches for the charging path that minimizes the total cost of the paths between nodes.

[0174] Therefore, it is possible to create charging plans that minimize the cost of charging.

[0175] [Project 2]

[0176] According to the computing system (1) described in Project 1, its characteristic is that,

[0177] The charging plan creation unit (115) creates a charging plan that includes the charging start time and the current values ​​for each time interval.

[0178] Therefore, it is optimal to control the current supplied from the charger (4) to the secondary battery (41) mounted on the electric mobile body (3).

[0179] [Project 3]

[0180] According to the computing system (1) described in item 1 or 2, its characteristic is that,

[0181] The cost allocation unit (114) sets the paths between the nodes where the required current rate exceeds the upper limit of the charging current as invalid paths.

[0182] Therefore, it is possible to prevent the creation of charging plans that cannot be implemented.

[0183] [Project 4]

[0184] According to the computational system (1) described in any one of items 1 to 3, it is characterized in that,

[0185] The secondary battery (41) comprises multiple cells (E1-En) connected in series.

[0186] The path search unit (113) searches for the charging path that minimizes the degradation of the monomer with the lowest SOH (State of Health) among the plurality of monomers (E1-En).

[0187] Therefore, it is possible to create a charging plan that minimizes the overall degradation of multiple individual units (E1-En).

[0188] [Project 5]

[0189] According to the computational system (1) described in any one of items 1 to 3, it is characterized in that,

[0190] The secondary battery (41) comprises multiple cells (E1-En) connected in series.

[0191] The path search unit (113) searches for the charging path that minimizes the difference in degradation between the plurality of cells (E1-En).

[0192] Accordingly, it is possible to create a reduced charging schedule that relates to the deviation in the amount of degradation between multiple cells (E1-En).

[0193] [Project 6]

[0194] According to the computational system (1) described in any one of items 1 to 3, it is characterized in that,

[0195] The secondary battery (41) comprises multiple cells (E1-En) connected in series.

[0196] The path search unit (113) searches for the charging path that minimizes the degradation of the cell with the lowest actual capacity among the plurality of cells (E1-En).

[0197] Accordingly, it is possible to create a charging plan that can prevent the reduction of the driving range of electric vehicles (3).

[0198] [Project 7]

[0199] According to the computational system (1) described in any one of items 1 to 3, it is characterized in that,

[0200] The path search unit (113) searches for the charging path that minimizes the total electricity cost of the paths between nodes.

[0201] Therefore, it is possible to create charging plans that minimize electricity costs.

[0202] [Project 8]

[0203] According to the arithmetic system (1) described in any one of items 1 to 7, it is characterized in that,

[0204] The path search unit (113) can switch the decision index of the cost of the charging path that should be minimized.

[0205] Therefore, flexible control can be implemented according to the situation.

[0206] [Project 9]

[0207] According to the arithmetic system (1) described in any one of items 1 to 8, it is characterized in that,

[0208] It also includes a SOC usage range determination unit (119), which derives multiple candidates for the SOC usage range of the secondary battery (41) based on the electric power predicted for the next use of the electric mobile body (3).

[0209] The path search unit (113) sets multiple nodes within the SOC usage range for each of the multiple SOC usage range candidates derived from the list, and sets multiple nodes within the usage time between the next start time and end time of use of the electric mobile body (3).

[0210] The cost allocation unit (114) allocates degradation costs to the paths between nodes with reference to the preservation degradation characteristics (121) and the discharge cycle degradation characteristics (123). The discharge cycle degradation characteristics (123) are defined by at least one of the SOC of the secondary battery (41) and the current rate of the discharge current. The discharge cycle degradation characteristics (123) define the cycle degradation rate during discharge.

[0211] The path search unit (113) searches for the discharge path that minimizes the total degradation cost of the path between nodes for each of the plurality of SOC usage range candidates, and determines the SOC usage range of the discharge path that minimizes the total degradation cost among the discharge paths that minimize the total degradation cost for each of the plurality of SOC usage range candidates, and sets the upper limit of the determined SOC usage range as the target SOC.

[0212] Therefore, the target SOC during charging can be determined automatically.

[0213] [Project 10]

[0214] According to the arithmetic system (1) described in any one of items 1 to 8, it is characterized in that,

[0215] It also includes a SOC usage range determination unit (119), which derives multiple candidates for the SOC usage range of the secondary battery (41) based on the electric power predicted for the next use of the electric mobile body (3).

[0216] The path search unit (113) calculates the degradation amount of the discharge path based on the predicted discharge mode for each of the multiple SOC usage range candidates derived, and calculates the degradation amount of the charging path that minimizes the degradation cost from the current SOC to the upper limit SOC of each SOC usage range candidate. It then determines the SOC usage range that minimizes the sum of the degradation amount of the discharge path and the degradation amount of the charging path, and sets the upper limit of the determined SOC usage range as the target SOC.

[0217] Therefore, the target SOC during charging can be determined automatically.

[0218] [Project 11]

[0219] A charging plan creation program, characterized in that it causes a computer to perform the following processes:

[0220] Multiple nodes are set within the SOC interval between the target SOC and the current SOC when charging the secondary battery (41) mounted on the electric mobile body (3), and multiple nodes are set within the rechargeable time between the start time of charging and the end time of charging.

[0221] The cost of degradation or electricity charges is allocated to the path between nodes by referring to at least one of the preservation degradation characteristics (121), the charging cycle degradation characteristics (122), and the electricity bill (124) divided by time period. The preservation degradation characteristics (121) are specified by at least one element including at least one of the SOC and temperature of the secondary battery (41). The charging cycle degradation characteristics (122) are specified by at least one element including at least one of the SOC and the current rate of the charging current. The charging cycle degradation characteristics (122) specify the rate of cycle degradation during charging.

[0222] Search for the charging path that minimizes the total cost of the paths between nodes from the current SOC at the start of charging to the target SOC via multiple nodes; and

[0223] Create a charging plan based on the found charging paths.

[0224] Therefore, it is possible to create charging plans that minimize the cost of charging.

[0225] [Project 12]

[0226] A computing system (1), characterized in that it comprises:

[0227] The path search unit (113) sets multiple nodes within the SOC usage range when discharging from the secondary battery (41) mounted on the electric mobile body (3), and sets multiple nodes within the dischargeable time between the start time of discharge and the end time of discharge, and searches for a discharge path from the upper limit SOC of the SOC usage range at the start time of discharge to the lower limit SOC of the SOC usage range at the end time of discharge via multiple nodes.

[0228] The discharge plan creation unit (1110) creates a discharge plan based on the searched discharge paths; and

[0229] The cost allocation unit (114) allocates degradation costs to the paths between nodes by referring to the preservation degradation characteristics (121) and the discharge cycle degradation characteristics (123). The preservation degradation characteristics (121) are defined by at least one of the SOC and temperature of the secondary battery (41), and the discharge cycle degradation characteristics (123) are defined by at least one of the SOC and the current rate of the discharge current of the secondary battery (41). The discharge cycle degradation characteristics (123) define the cycle degradation rate during discharge.

[0230] The path search unit (113) searches for the discharge path that minimizes the total deterioration cost of the paths between nodes.

[0231] Therefore, it is possible to create a discharge plan that minimizes the cost of discharge.

[0232] [Project 13]

[0233] A discharge plan creation program, characterized in that it causes a computer to perform the following processes:

[0234] Multiple nodes are set within the SOC usage range when discharging from the secondary battery (41) mounted on the electric mobile body (3), and multiple nodes are set within the dischargeable time between the start time of discharge and the end time of discharge.

[0235] The degradation cost is allocated to the path between nodes by referring to the preservation degradation characteristic (121) and the discharge cycle degradation characteristic (123). The preservation degradation characteristic (121) is defined by at least one of the SOC and temperature of the secondary battery (41). The discharge cycle degradation characteristic (123) is defined by at least one of the SOC and the current rate of the discharge current of the secondary battery (41). The discharge cycle degradation characteristic (123) defines the cycle degradation rate during discharge.

[0236] Search for the discharge path that minimizes the total degradation cost of the paths between nodes among the discharge paths from the upper limit of the SOC usage range at the start of the discharge to the lower limit of the SOC usage range at the end of the discharge via multiple nodes; and

[0237] A discharge plan is created based on the searched discharge path.

[0238] Therefore, it is possible to create a discharge plan that minimizes the cost of discharge.

[0239] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0240] 1: Computing system; 2: Network; 3: Electric vehicle; 4: Charger; 5: Commercial power system; 6: Charging adapter; 11: Processing unit; 111: Input information acquisition unit; 112: Battery data acquisition unit; 113: Route search unit; 114: Cost allocation unit; 115: Charging plan creation unit; 116: Charging plan output unit; 117: Delivery plan creation unit; 118: Power consumption prediction unit; 119: SOC usage range determination unit; 1110: Discharge plan creation unit; 1111: Discharge plan output unit; 12: Storage unit; 121: Stores degradation rate characteristic mapping; 12 2: Charging cycle degradation rate characteristic mapping; 123: Discharge cycle degradation rate characteristic mapping; 124: Electricity meter divided by time period; 13: Operation unit; 14: Display unit; 15: Communication unit; 30: Vehicle control unit; 34: Motor; 35: Inverter; 36: Wireless communication unit; 36a: Antenna; 40: Power system; 41: Battery module; 42: Battery management unit; 43: Voltage measurement unit; 44: Temperature measurement unit; 45: Current measurement unit; 46: Battery control unit; E1-En: Single cell; RY1, RY2: Relay; T1, T2: Temperature sensor; Rs: Shunt resistor.

Claims

1. A computing system, characterized in that, have: The path search unit sets multiple nodes within the SOC interval between the target SOC and the current SOC when charging the secondary battery mounted on the electric mobile body, and sets multiple nodes within the rechargeable time between the charging start time and the charging end time, and searches for a charging path from the current SOC at the charging start time to the target SOC at the charging end time via the multiple nodes. The charging plan creation department creates charging plans based on the searched charging routes; as well as The cost allocation department allocates the cost of degradation or electricity charges to the paths between nodes by referring to at least one of the following: preservation degradation characteristics, charging cycle degradation characteristics, and electricity tariffs divided by time periods. The preservation degradation characteristics are defined by at least one factor, including at least one of the secondary battery's state of charge (SOC) and temperature. The charging cycle degradation characteristics are defined by at least one factor, including at least one of the secondary battery's SOC and the charging current rate. The charging cycle degradation characteristics define the rate of degradation during charging. The path search unit searches for the charging path that minimizes the total cost of the paths between nodes. The computing system also includes a State of Charge (SOC) usage range determination unit, which derives multiple candidates for the SOC usage range of the secondary battery based on the predicted electrical force required for the next use of the electric vehicle. The path search unit sets multiple nodes within the SOC usage range for each of the multiple SOC usage range candidates derived from the list, and also sets multiple nodes within the usage time between the next start and end time of the electric mobile body's use. The cost allocation unit allocates degradation costs to the paths between nodes by referring to the preservation degradation characteristics and the discharge cycle degradation characteristics. The discharge cycle degradation characteristics are defined by at least one factor, including at least one of the secondary battery's state of charge (SOC) and the discharge current rate, which specifies the rate of cycle degradation during discharge. The path search unit searches for the discharge path that minimizes the total degradation cost of the paths between nodes for each of the plurality of SOC usage range candidates, and determines the SOC usage range of the discharge path that minimizes the total degradation cost among the discharge paths that minimize the total degradation cost for each of the plurality of SOC usage range candidates, and sets the upper limit of the determined SOC usage range as the target SOC.

2. The computing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The charging plan creation unit creates a charging plan that includes the charging start time and the current values ​​for each time interval.

3. The computing system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The cost allocation unit sets paths between the nodes where the required current rate exceeds the upper limit of the charging current as invalid paths.

4. The computing system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The secondary battery comprises multiple cells connected in series. The path search unit searches for the charging path that minimizes the degradation of the monomer with the lowest state of health (SOH) among the plurality of monomers.

5. The computing system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The secondary battery comprises multiple cells connected in series. The path search unit searches for the charging path that minimizes the difference in degradation between the plurality of individual units.

6. The computing system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The secondary battery comprises multiple cells connected in series. The path search unit searches for the charging path that minimizes the degradation of the cell with the lowest actual capacity among the plurality of cells.

7. The computing system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The path search unit searches for the charging path that minimizes the total electricity cost of the paths between nodes.

8. The computing system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The path search unit can switch the decision metric for the cost of the charging path that should be minimized.

9. A computing system, characterized in that, have: The path search unit sets multiple nodes within the SOC interval between the target SOC and the current SOC when charging the secondary battery mounted on the electric mobile body, and sets multiple nodes within the rechargeable time between the charging start time and the charging end time, and searches for a charging path from the current SOC at the charging start time to the target SOC at the charging end time via the multiple nodes. The charging plan creation department creates charging plans based on the searched charging routes; as well as The cost allocation department allocates the cost of degradation or electricity charges to the paths between nodes by referring to at least one of the following: preservation degradation characteristics, charging cycle degradation characteristics, and electricity tariffs divided by time periods. The preservation degradation characteristics are defined by at least one factor, including at least one of the secondary battery's state of charge (SOC) and temperature. The charging cycle degradation characteristics are defined by at least one factor, including at least one of the secondary battery's SOC and the charging current rate. The charging cycle degradation characteristics define the rate of degradation during charging. The path search unit searches for the charging path that minimizes the total cost of the paths between nodes. The computing system also includes a State of Charge (SOC) usage range determination unit, which derives multiple candidates for the SOC usage range of the secondary battery based on the predicted electrical force required for the next use of the electric vehicle. For each of the multiple SOC usage range candidates derived from the output, the path search unit calculates the degradation amount of the discharge path based on the predicted discharge mode, and calculates the degradation amount of the charging path that minimizes the degradation cost from the current SOC to the upper limit SOC of each SOC usage range candidate. It then determines the SOC usage range that minimizes the sum of the degradation amount of the discharge path and the degradation amount of the charging path, and sets the upper limit of the determined SOC usage range as the target SOC.

10. A computer program product, comprising a charging plan creation program, characterized in that, The charging plan creation program causes the computer to perform the following processes: Multiple nodes are set within the SOC interval between the target SOC and the current SOC when charging the secondary battery mounted on the electric mobile body, and multiple nodes are set within the rechargeable time between the start and end of charging. The cost of degradation or electricity charges is allocated to the path between nodes by referring to at least one of the following: preservation degradation characteristics, charging cycle degradation characteristics, and electricity charges divided by time period. The preservation degradation characteristics are defined by at least one of the secondary battery's state of charge (SOC) and temperature. The charging cycle degradation characteristics are defined by at least one of the secondary battery's SOC and the current rate of the charging current. The charging cycle degradation characteristics define the rate of cycle degradation during charging. Search for the charging path that minimizes the total cost of the paths between the nodes among the charging paths from the current SOC at the start of charging to the target SOC at the end of charging via multiple nodes. as well as Create a charging plan based on the found charging paths. The charging plan creation program also causes the computer to perform the following processes: Based on the electrical power predicted for the next use of the electric vehicle, several candidates for the SOC (State of Charge) range of the secondary battery are derived. For each of the multiple SOC usage range candidates derived, multiple nodes are set within the SOC usage range, and multiple nodes are also set within the usage time between the next start time and end time of the electric mobile body. The degradation cost is allocated to the path between each node by referring to the preservation degradation characteristics and the discharge cycle degradation characteristics. The discharge cycle degradation characteristics are defined by at least one of the secondary battery's SOC and the discharge current rate, and the discharge cycle degradation characteristics define the cycle degradation rate during discharge. as well as For each of the multiple SOC usage range candidates, search for the discharge path that minimizes the total degradation cost of the paths between nodes, and determine the SOC usage range of the discharge path that minimizes the total degradation cost among the multiple SOC usage range candidates. Set the upper limit of the determined SOC usage range as the target SOC.

11. A computer program product, comprising a charging plan creation program, characterized in that, The charging plan creation program causes the computer to perform the following processes: Multiple nodes are set within the SOC interval between the target SOC and the current SOC when charging the secondary battery mounted on the electric mobile body, and multiple nodes are set within the rechargeable time between the start and end of charging. The cost of degradation or electricity charges is allocated to the path between nodes by referring to at least one of the following: preservation degradation characteristics, charging cycle degradation characteristics, and electricity charges divided by time period. The preservation degradation characteristics are defined by at least one of the secondary battery's state of charge (SOC) and temperature. The charging cycle degradation characteristics are defined by at least one of the secondary battery's SOC and the current rate of the charging current. The charging cycle degradation characteristics define the rate of cycle degradation during charging. Search for the charging path that minimizes the total cost of the paths between the nodes among the charging paths from the current SOC at the start of charging to the target SOC at the end of charging via multiple nodes. as well as Create a charging plan based on the found charging paths. The charging plan creation program also causes the computer to perform the following processes: Based on the electrical power predicted for the next use of the electric vehicle, several candidates for the SOC (State of Charge) range of the secondary battery are derived. as well as For each of the multiple SOC usage range candidates derived, the degradation amount of the discharge path is calculated based on the predicted discharge mode, and the degradation amount of the charging path that minimizes the degradation cost from the current SOC to the upper limit SOC of each SOC usage range candidate is calculated. The SOC usage range that minimizes the sum of the degradation amount of the discharge path and the degradation amount of the charging path is determined, and the upper limit value of the determined SOC usage range is set as the target SOC.

12. A computing system, characterized in that, have: The path search unit sets multiple nodes within the state of charge (SOC) range of the secondary battery mounted on the electric mobile body during discharge, and sets multiple nodes within the dischargeable time between the start and end of discharge, and searches for a discharge path from the upper limit SOC of the SOC range at the start of discharge to the lower limit SOC of the SOC range at the end of discharge via the multiple nodes. The discharge plan creation department creates discharge plans based on the searched discharge paths; as well as The cost allocation department allocates degradation costs to the paths between nodes by referring to preservation degradation characteristics and discharge cycle degradation characteristics. The preservation degradation characteristics are defined by at least one factor, including at least one of the secondary battery's state of charge (SOC) and temperature, which specifies the preservation degradation rate. The discharge cycle degradation characteristics are defined by at least one factor, including at least one of the secondary battery's SOC and the discharge current rate, which specifies the cycle degradation rate during discharge. The path search unit searches for the discharge path that minimizes the total degradation cost of the paths between nodes. The computing system also includes a State of Charge (SOC) usage range determination unit, which derives multiple candidates for the SOC usage range of the secondary battery based on the predicted electrical force required for the next use of the electric vehicle. The path search unit sets multiple nodes within the SOC usage range for each of the multiple SOC usage range candidates derived from the list, and also sets multiple nodes within the usage time between the next start and end time of the electric mobile body's use. The cost allocation unit allocates degradation costs to the paths between nodes by referring to the preservation degradation characteristics and the discharge cycle degradation characteristics. The discharge cycle degradation characteristics are defined by at least one factor, including at least one of the secondary battery's state of charge (SOC) and the discharge current rate, which specifies the rate of cycle degradation during discharge. The path search unit searches for the discharge path that minimizes the total degradation cost of the paths between nodes for each of the plurality of SOC usage range candidates, and determines the SOC usage range of the discharge path that minimizes the total degradation cost for each of the plurality of SOC usage range candidates. The upper limit of the determined SOC usage range is set as the target SOC when charging the secondary battery.

13. A computing system, characterized in that, have: The path search unit sets multiple nodes within the state of charge (SOC) range of the secondary battery mounted on the electric mobile body during discharge, and sets multiple nodes within the dischargeable time between the start and end of discharge, and searches for a discharge path from the upper limit SOC of the SOC range at the start of discharge to the lower limit SOC of the SOC range at the end of discharge via the multiple nodes. The discharge plan creation department creates discharge plans based on the searched discharge paths; as well as The cost allocation department allocates degradation costs to the paths between nodes by referring to preservation degradation characteristics and discharge cycle degradation characteristics. The preservation degradation characteristics are defined by at least one factor, including at least one of the secondary battery's state of charge (SOC) and temperature, which specifies the preservation degradation rate. The discharge cycle degradation characteristics are defined by at least one factor, including at least one of the secondary battery's SOC and the discharge current rate, which specifies the cycle degradation rate during discharge. The path search unit searches for the discharge path that minimizes the total degradation cost of the paths between nodes. The computing system also includes a State of Charge (SOC) usage range determination unit, which derives multiple candidates for the SOC usage range of the secondary battery based on the predicted electrical force required for the next use of the electric vehicle. For each of the multiple SOC usage range candidates derived from the output, the path search unit calculates the degradation amount of the discharge path based on the predicted discharge mode, and calculates the degradation amount of the charging path that minimizes the degradation cost from the current SOC to the upper limit SOC of each SOC usage range candidate. It then determines the SOC usage range that minimizes the sum of the degradation amount of the discharge path and the degradation amount of the charging path, and sets the upper limit of the determined SOC usage range as the target SOC when charging the secondary battery.

14. A computer program product, comprising a discharge plan creation program, characterized in that, The discharge plan creation program causes the computer to perform the following processes: Multiple nodes are set within the range of the state of charge (SOC) used when discharging from the secondary battery mounted on the electric mobile body, and multiple nodes are set within the dischargeable time between the start and end of the discharge. The degradation cost is allocated to the path between each node by referring to the preservation degradation characteristics and the discharge cycle degradation characteristics. The preservation degradation characteristics are defined by at least one of the secondary battery's SOC and temperature. The discharge cycle degradation characteristics are defined by at least one of the secondary battery's SOC and the discharge current rate. The discharge cycle degradation characteristics define the cycle degradation rate during discharge. Search for the discharge path that minimizes the total degradation cost of the paths between nodes among the discharge paths from the upper limit of the SOC's usage range at the start of the discharge to the lower limit of the SOC's usage range at the end of the discharge via multiple nodes. as well as A discharge plan is created based on the discovered discharge paths. The discharge plan creation program also causes the computer to perform the following processes: Based on the electrical power predicted for the next use of the electric vehicle, several candidates for the SOC (State of Charge) range of the secondary battery are derived. For each of the multiple SOC usage range candidates derived, multiple nodes are set within the SOC usage range, and multiple nodes are also set within the usage time between the next start time and end time of the electric mobile body. The degradation cost is allocated to the path between each node by referring to the preservation degradation characteristics and the discharge cycle degradation characteristics. The discharge cycle degradation characteristics are defined by at least one of the secondary battery's SOC and the discharge current rate, and the discharge cycle degradation characteristics define the cycle degradation rate during discharge. as well as For each of the multiple SOC usage range candidates, a discharge path that minimizes the total degradation cost of the paths between nodes is searched. The SOC usage range of the discharge path that minimizes the total degradation cost among the multiple SOC usage range candidates is determined. The upper limit of the determined SOC usage range is set as the target SOC when charging the secondary battery.

15. A computer program product, comprising a discharge plan creation program, characterized in that, The discharge plan creation program causes the computer to perform the following processes: Multiple nodes are set within the range of the state of charge (SOC) used when discharging from the secondary battery mounted on the electric mobile body, and multiple nodes are set within the dischargeable time between the start and end of the discharge. The degradation cost is allocated to the path between each node by referring to the preservation degradation characteristics and the discharge cycle degradation characteristics. The preservation degradation characteristics are defined by at least one of the secondary battery's SOC and temperature. The discharge cycle degradation characteristics are defined by at least one of the secondary battery's SOC and the discharge current rate. The discharge cycle degradation characteristics define the cycle degradation rate during discharge. Search for the discharge path that minimizes the total degradation cost of the paths between nodes among the discharge paths from the upper limit of the SOC's usage range at the start of the discharge to the lower limit of the SOC's usage range at the end of the discharge via multiple nodes. as well as A discharge plan is created based on the discovered discharge paths. The discharge plan creation program also causes the computer to perform the following processes: Based on the electrical power predicted for the next use of the electric vehicle, several candidates for the SOC (State of Charge) range of the secondary battery are derived. as well as For each of the multiple SOC usage range candidates derived, the degradation amount of the discharge path is calculated based on the predicted discharge mode, and the degradation amount of the charging path that minimizes the degradation cost from the current SOC to the upper limit SOC of each SOC usage range candidate is calculated. The SOC usage range that minimizes the sum of the degradation amount of the discharge path and the degradation amount of the charging path is determined, and the upper limit value of the determined SOC usage range is set as the target SOC when charging the secondary battery.

Images