Fuel management device, fuel management system, fuel management method, and storage medium

Abstract

The present application provides a fuel management device, a fuel management system, a fuel management method, and a storage medium that can support the efficient sale of hydrogen fuel. The fuel management device includes: a remaining amount information acquisition unit that acquires, for a plurality of vehicles registered in advance, remaining amount information indicating the remaining amount of hydrogen fuel; a vehicle specification unit that specifies, based on the remaining amount information for each vehicle, a replenishment target vehicle whose remaining amount of hydrogen fuel is below a threshold value; an estimation unit that estimates, based on the replenishment amount of hydrogen fuel replenished to the replenishment target vehicle, the supply amount of hydrogen fuel at a hydrogen fuel supply facility; and an output control unit that causes an output unit to output information obtained based on the estimation result of the estimation unit.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-045437, filed on March 22, 2022, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to a fuel management device, a fuel management system, a fuel management method, and a storage medium. Background Technology

[0003] In recent years, to mitigate the adverse environmental impacts of motor vehicles, restrictions on vehicle emissions have been further tightened. Consequently, fuel cell vehicles, for example, are becoming increasingly common. These vehicles are powered by an electric motor that uses electricity generated through the chemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen is used as fuel in these vehicles. This hydrogen fuel is produced at hydrogen stations and supplied to the fuel cell vehicles. Therefore, users of fuel cell vehicles travel to hydrogen stations to refuel their vehicles.

[0004] As a related technology, the following technique is disclosed: To reduce the time required until hydrogen filling begins at the hydrogen station, a pre-processing procedure is required at the hydrogen station to fill the hydrogen storage compartment of a fuel cell vehicle. (For example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-110547). Summary of the Invention

[0005] However, with previous technologies, it was sometimes impossible to determine the required amount of hydrogen fuel at hydrogen stations, and sometimes it was impossible to set sales targets for hydrogen fuel. Therefore, hydrogen fuel sales were sometimes not efficient.

[0006] One of the objectives of this invention is to support the efficient sale of hydrogen fuel.

[0007] The fuel management device, fuel management system, fuel management method, and storage medium of the present invention adopt the following structure.

[0008] (1): A fuel management device according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a balance information acquisition unit that acquires balance information representing the balance of hydrogen fuel for each of a plurality of pre-registered vehicles; a vehicle identification unit that identifies vehicles whose hydrogen fuel balance is below a threshold based on the balance information of each vehicle; an estimation unit that estimates the amount of hydrogen fuel supplied at a hydrogen fuel supply facility based on the amount of hydrogen fuel supplied to the vehicles to be replenished; and an output control unit that causes an output unit to output information obtained based on the estimation result of the estimation unit.

[0009] (2): In the above-mentioned (1) scheme, the fuel management device includes: a location information acquisition unit that acquires the location information of each of the plurality of vehicles; and a facility specifying unit that specifies the supply facility for replenishing hydrogen fuel to the replenishment target vehicle based on the location information of the replenishment target vehicle, and the estimation unit estimates the supply amount at the supply facility specified by the facility specifying unit.

[0010] (3): In the above scheme (1) or (2), the fuel management device includes a transmission control unit, which sends a notification message urging the replenishment of hydrogen fuel to the vehicle to be replenished based on the estimated result.

[0011] (4): In any of the above schemes (1) to (3), the vehicle-specific unit changes the threshold based on the history of the remaining balance when each vehicle is replenished, and uses the changed threshold to specify the replenishment target vehicle.

[0012] (5): In any of the above schemes (1) to (4), when the output control unit produces a surplus of more than a predetermined amount from the supply amount estimated by the estimation unit, the output unit outputs information indicating that the remaining amount of hydrogen fuel can be supplied to purposes other than vehicles, as information obtained based on the estimation result.

[0013] (6): A fuel management system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of pre-registered vehicles and a fuel management device for managing the remaining hydrogen fuel of each of the plurality of vehicles, wherein the fuel management device comprises: a remaining information acquisition unit that acquires remaining information representing the remaining hydrogen fuel of each of the plurality of vehicles; a vehicle identification unit that identifies vehicles whose remaining hydrogen fuel is below a threshold based on the remaining information of each vehicle; an estimation unit that estimates the amount of hydrogen fuel supplied at a hydrogen fuel supply facility based on the amount of hydrogen fuel supplied to each of the vehicles; and an output control unit that causes the output unit to output information obtained based on the estimation result of the estimation unit.

[0014] (7): A fuel management method according to one aspect of the present invention causes a computer of a fuel management device to perform processing, the processing including: a balance information acquisition step, acquiring balance information representing the balance of hydrogen fuel for each of a plurality of pre-registered vehicles; a vehicle-specific step, identifying vehicles whose hydrogen fuel balance is below a threshold based on the balance information of each vehicle; an estimation step, estimating the amount of hydrogen fuel supplied at a hydrogen fuel supply facility based on the amount of hydrogen fuel supplied to the vehicles to be replenished; and an output control step, causing an output unit to output information based on the estimation result in the estimation step.

[0015] (8): In one aspect of the present invention, the storage medium is a non-temporary storage medium that stores a program that can be read by a computer, wherein the program causes the computer of the fuel management device to perform the following processing: obtaining the remaining amount information of a plurality of pre-registered vehicles, each representing the remaining amount of hydrogen fuel; identifying, based on the remaining amount information of each vehicle, vehicles whose remaining hydrogen fuel is below a threshold; estimating the amount of hydrogen fuel supplied at the hydrogen fuel supply facility based on the amount of hydrogen fuel supplied to each of the vehicles; and causing the output unit to output information obtained based on the estimated result.

[0016] Based on the above schemes (1) to (8), it is possible to support the efficient sale of hydrogen fuel. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing the structure of the fuel management system in an implementation scheme.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware structure of a fuel management device.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the structure representing the function of a fuel management device.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a diagram representing an example of vehicle information storage.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of fuel management processing performed by a fuel management device. Detailed Implementation

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments of the fuel management device, fuel management system, fuel management method, and procedure of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] [Structure of Fuel Management System 1]

[0024] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing the structure of the fuel management system 1 according to the implementation method. Figure 1 In this system, the fuel management system 1 includes a fuel management device 100, a hydrogen fuel generation device 102, and a vehicle 110 (110-1 to 110-n). Each device is connected via a network 140 for communication. The fuel management device 100 and the vehicle 110 (including the information processing unit in the vehicle 110) include a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), and a communication unit.

[0025] Fuel management device 100 manages hydrogen fuel generation device 102. Hydrogen fuel generation device 102 is located at hydrogen stations St (St-1 to St-M). Hydrogen stations St are facilities that supply hydrogen fuel. Hydrogen stations St-1 to St-M are a series of stations operated by the company headquarters. It should be noted that in fuel management system 1, the number of hydrogen stations St is not limited to multiple; it can also be a single station. Additionally, hydrogen stations St can also be located in truck yards used for loading, unloading, and transshipment of goods in commercial trucks.

[0026] The hydrogen fuel generation device 102 utilizes electricity from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power to decompose water into hydrogen fuel. Therefore, when the amount of hydrogen fuel generated exceeds the amount supplied to vehicles, losses sometimes occur due to the operations and processes involved in water electrolysis, hindering efficient energy utilization. It should be noted that the hydrogen fuel generation device 102 can also generate hydrogen fuel by modifying urban gases (methane) or LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) with steam.

[0027] In addition to the hydrogen fuel generation unit 102, the hydrogen station St also includes a compressor 103 and a distributor 104. The compressor 103 stores hydrogen fuel. The distributor 104 has nozzles for filling hydrogen fuel into the vehicle 110, an operating panel for monitoring flow rate and temperature, and measuring the filling amount. The nozzles engage with the receptacle of the vehicle 110, forming a structure that will not detach even after filling is completed and before depressurization.

[0028] The fuel management device 100 manages the amount of hydrogen fuel produced by the hydrogen fuel generation device 102, the amount stored in the accumulator 103, and the amount of hydrogen fuel discharged from the distributor 104. Additionally, the fuel management device 100 includes a vehicle information database 101. The vehicle information database 101 stores the remaining hydrogen fuel in each vehicle 110, the location information of each vehicle 110, etc. For more detailed information, please refer to... Figure 4 To be discussed later.

[0029] Vehicle 110 is a fuel cell vehicle. In this embodiment, vehicle 110 is set as a regular motor vehicle (e.g., a 2-ton truck), but it can also be a large motor vehicle, a two-wheeled vehicle, an automatic tricycle, a sidecar, etc. For ease of explanation, the amount of hydrogen fuel when fully loaded is set to, for example, 5000g (125 liters). It should be noted that the amount of hydrogen fuel is described below in terms of weight (g), but it can also be expressed in terms of volume (liters).

[0030] Vehicle 110 is equipped with a detection unit to detect the remaining hydrogen fuel level. Additionally, the vehicle is equipped with a GPS (Global Positioning System) unit to detect its own location information. Vehicle 110 is equipped with information processing devices such as a navigation system, and periodically sends the remaining hydrogen fuel level and its current location information to the fuel management device 100.

[0031] [Hardware structure of fuel management device 100]

[0032] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware structure of the fuel management device 100. Figure 2 In this device, the fuel management unit 100 includes a CPU 201, a memory 202, an input device 203, a storage medium I / F (interface) 204, a communication I / F 205, and an output device 206. Each of the structural components 201 to 206 is connected via a bus 220.

[0033] CPU 201 manages the overall control of the fuel management device 100. Memory 202 includes, for example, ROM, RAM, and flash ROM. For example, flash ROM and ROM store various programs. These programs include the fuel management program of this embodiment. RAM is used as the working area of ​​CPU 201. Programs stored in memory 202 are loaded into CPU 201, causing CPU 201 to execute the coded processes. Memory 202 stores vehicle information DB101.

[0034] Input devices 203 include keyboards, mice, touch panels, operation buttons, microphones, cameras, scanners, etc. Storage medium I / F 204, under the control of CPU 201, controls the reading and writing of data on storage media (not shown), such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, disks, and optical discs.

[0035] The communication I / F205 is connected to a network 140, such as the Internet, via a communication line, and is connected to other devices (e.g., vehicle 110, hydrogen fuel generation device 102, etc.) via the network 140. The communication I / F205 controls the interface between the network 140 and the internal device, and controls the input and output of data from other devices.

[0036] Output device 206 is an example of an output section. Output device 206 includes a display and a speaker. The display includes a touch panel type display.

[0037] [Structure of the functions of the fuel management device 100]

[0038] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the structure representing the function of the fuel management device 100. Figure 3 In this device, the fuel management unit 100 includes a low fuel level information acquisition unit 301, a vehicle-specific unit 302, an estimation unit 303, an output control unit 304, a location information acquisition unit 305, a facility-specific unit 306, and a transmission control unit 307. Each part is implemented by a CPU 201. That is, the CPU 201 executes the fuel management program to realize the function of each part.

[0039] The remaining fuel information acquisition unit 301 acquires the remaining fuel information of each of the pre-registered vehicles 110. The remaining fuel information indicates the amount of hydrogen fuel remaining. The remaining fuel information is transmitted from each vehicle 110 at a predetermined frequency. The fuel management device 100 receives the remaining fuel information transmitted from each vehicle 110 via the communication I / F 205 and stores it in the memory 202. The frequency at which each vehicle transmits the remaining fuel information is a preset frequency, such as every few minutes, every few hours, every half day, or once a day.

[0040] The reserve information acquisition unit 301 acquires the reserve information stored in the memory 202. When a predetermined totaling time occurs, the reserve information acquisition unit 301 summarizes and acquires the information stored in the memory 202. The totaling time may be, for example, the time corresponding to the start of the operation after receiving a total from the operator, or a time at a predetermined interval (every few hours, half a day, or day). Alternatively, the totaling time may be when the number of vehicles 110 that have sent reserve information reaches a constant number. It should be noted that the reserve information acquisition unit 301 is not limited to acquiring reserve information by summarizing during the totaling time; it may also acquire each reserve information whenever it is sent from each vehicle.

[0041] The remaining hydrogen fuel in each vehicle 110 is used to estimate the amount of hydrogen fuel supplied to the hydrogen station St. Therefore, as in this embodiment, when vehicle 110 has a fixed tank capacity (5000g), the replenishment amount "5000g - (remaining amount)" can be calculated based on the tank capacity and the remaining amount. It should be noted that if other vehicles with tank capacities different from 5000g are included in the fuel management system 1, the remaining amount information for other vehicles can include information indicating the remaining amount and information indicating the tank capacity.

[0042] Alternatively, each vehicle can send the available amount obtained by "(tank capacity) - (remaining amount)" as remaining amount information to the fuel management device 100. In this case, the remaining amount information acquisition unit 301 can acquire the remaining amount information representing the available amount for each vehicle.

[0043] The vehicle-specific unit 302 identifies vehicles whose remaining fuel supply is below a first threshold based on the remaining fuel supply information of each vehicle 110. The first threshold is a value that indicates the level of recommended hydrogen fuel replenishment, such as one-fifth of the tank capacity (1000g). It should be noted that the first threshold can be set to any value according to the settings made by the operator of the fuel management device 100.

[0044] The estimation unit 303 estimates the amount of hydrogen fuel supplied to the hydrogen station St (hydrogen fuel generation unit 102). The supply amount is the total amount of fuel supplied by the hydrogen station St to the vehicles to be supplied. The estimation unit 303 calculates the amount of fuel supplied to each vehicle to be supplied and obtains the supply amount by adding up all the calculated amounts of fuel supplied.

[0045] It should be noted that the estimation unit 303 may also include the amount of hydrogen fuel stored in the accumulator 103 when estimating the supply amount. That is, the supply amount may also be set as the amount obtained by adding the amount of hydrogen fuel stored in the accumulator 103 to the amount obtained by adding up the amount of hydrogen fuel stored in each of the replenishment target vehicles.

[0046] The output control unit 304 causes the output device 206 (e.g., a display) to output information obtained based on the estimation result of the estimation unit 303. For example, if a certain amount or more of hydrogen fuel is available in the supply, the output control unit 304 outputs information based on the estimation result, indicating that hydrogen fuel can be replenished to the vehicle to be replenished, and indicating that the remaining amount of hydrogen fuel can be supplied to other uses. Other uses are uses other than supplying to vehicle 110, such as sales to various manufacturing plants. It should be noted that if a certain amount or more of hydrogen fuel is available in the supply, the output control unit 304 outputs information indicating that hydrogen fuel can be replenished to the vehicle to be replenished, instead of information indicating that it can be supplied to other uses.

[0047] Next, the acquisition of location information will be explained. The location information acquisition unit 305 acquires the location information of each of the pre-registered vehicles 110. From the perspective of protecting user privacy, the location information is information about the approximate area (e.g., a radius of 5 km) where the vehicle 110 is located. However, the location information is not limited to area information; it can also be the latitude and longitude information of the vehicle 110. The location information, along with the remaining fuel information, is transmitted from each vehicle 110 at a predetermined frequency. The location information, together with the remaining fuel information, is transmitted from the vehicle 110 to the fuel management device 100. The fuel management device 100 receives the location information transmitted from each vehicle 110 via the communication I / F 205 and stores it in the memory 202.

[0048] The facility-specific unit 306 identifies a hydrogen station St that will refuel the target vehicle based on the vehicle's location information. Specifically, the facility-specific unit 306 identifies the hydrogen station St closest to the target vehicle. More specifically, the facility-specific unit 306 obtains the location information of each hydrogen station and, based on the obtained location information of each hydrogen station and the target vehicle's location, identifies the hydrogen station St closest to the target vehicle's location. The estimation unit 303 estimates the supply amount at the hydrogen station St identified by the facility-specific unit 306. The estimation unit 303 estimates the supply amount for each hydrogen station St.

[0049] Next, the notification to the vehicle requiring hydrogen refueling will be explained. The transmission control unit 307, based on the estimation result of the estimation unit 303, sends a refueling notification message to the vehicle requiring hydrogen refueling. The transmission control unit 307 controls the communication I / F 205 to send the refueling notification message to the vehicle requiring refueling. The refueling notification message is sent to the user via a display and speaker provided by the vehicle 110. It should be noted that the destination of the refueling notification message can also be a terminal device (e.g., a smartphone) pre-associated with the vehicle 110 and registered. In this case, the refueling notification message is sent to the user via the terminal device.

[0050] Here, among the users utilizing the fuel management system 1, there are also users who refuel when there is a surplus of hydrogen fuel in the fuel tank (hereinafter referred to as "early refueling users"). Specifically, there are also early refueling users who refuel when the tank capacity is about one-quarter (1250g). Therefore, in this embodiment, it is also possible to change the threshold for the remaining amount for a specific vehicle to be refueled when the user is an early refueling user. Specifically, the vehicle information DB101 stores the history of the remaining amount (hereinafter referred to as "refueling time balance") of each vehicle 110 before refueling. The history of the refueling time balance can be, for example, the average of all past refueling time balances or the average of the refueling time balances over the most recent specified period.

[0051] The vehicle-specific unit 302 changes the threshold from a first threshold (e.g., 1000g) to a second threshold (e.g., 1250g) based on the history of replenishment reserves. The second threshold is a value larger than the first threshold. Then, the vehicle-specific unit 302 uses the second threshold to specify the replenishment target vehicles. In this way, the vehicle-specific unit 302 changes the threshold for each early replenishment user and specifies the replenishment target vehicles. In addition, the estimation unit 303 estimates the supply amount based on the amount of hydrogen fuel replenished to general replenishment target vehicles with hydrogen fuel below the first threshold and replenishment target vehicles of early replenishment users with hydrogen fuel below the second threshold. In addition, in this case, the transmission control unit 307 sends replenishment notification information to the vehicles 110 used by early replenishment users at a time corresponding to the history of replenishment reserves.

[0052] The replenishment time balance history is managed by the fuel management device 100 on a per-vehicle basis and is updated continuously. Specifically, each vehicle 110 sends replenishment time balance information, indicating the replenishment time balance, to the fuel management device 100 when replenishing hydrogen fuel. The fuel management device 100 uses the received replenishment time balance information to update the replenishment time balance history for each vehicle 110.

[0053] Next, the prediction (estimation) of the supply volume at hydrogen station St after a specified time will be explained. In this embodiment, not only can the real-time supply volume be estimated, but the supply volume at a predicted time after the specified time can also be estimated (predicted). As a prediction method, calculation results (average values, learning results) based on various historical data can be used. An example of the prediction method will be explained below.

[0054] For example, for each vehicle, the specific vehicle to be replenished can be determined based on the current remaining hydrogen fuel and the amount of hydrogen fuel consumed from the current moment until a specified time has elapsed. Specifically, when the operator specifies a supply forecast for 6 hours later, for each vehicle 110, the specific vehicle to be replenished can be determined based on the current remaining hydrogen fuel and the amount of hydrogen fuel consumed in 6 hours (e.g., 500g). The relationship between time and consumption can be derived from past history. The time in this history can also include time periods, days of the week, and seasons. Furthermore, this history can also be stored for each vehicle 110.

[0055] The vehicle-specific unit 302 changes the specific threshold used to replenish the target vehicle to a threshold that takes into account the amount consumed over a specified time. Specifically, the vehicle-specific unit 302 changes the threshold from a first threshold (e.g., 1000g) to a third threshold (e.g., 1500g after adding 500g over 6 hours). The third threshold is a value larger than the first threshold. The vehicle-specific unit 302 then uses the third threshold to specifically replenish the target vehicle.

[0056] The correspondence between the specified time up to the prediction time and the third threshold can be obtained based on past experience. For example, the correspondence "specified time: third threshold" could be "6 hours: 1500g", "9 hours: 2000g", or "12 hours: 3000g". The operator can then select which prediction time to use. Vehicle-specific unit 302 can be changed to the third threshold corresponding to the prediction time selected by the operator.

[0057] It should be noted that, regarding early replenishment users, it is also possible to predict (estimate) the supply amount after a specified time. In this case, the specific threshold for the replenishment target vehicle will be changed to a threshold that takes into account the consumption amount over the specified time. Specifically, the vehicle-specific unit 302 can change the threshold from the second threshold (e.g., 1250g) to the fourth threshold (e.g., 1750g). The fourth threshold is a larger value than the second threshold. The fourth threshold, like the third threshold, is correlated with the specified time up to the prediction time and can be changed according to the operator's selection.

[0058] In this way, the vehicle-specific unit 302 changes to a threshold corresponding to the predicted time period and specifies the vehicles to be replenished. Furthermore, the estimation unit 303 estimates the supply amount for the predicted time based on the amount of hydrogen fuel replenished to vehicles with hydrogen fuel reserves below the third threshold. Therefore, the transmission control unit 307 can send replenishment notification information earlier than the real-time predicted supply amount.

[0059] It should be noted that supply forecasts (estimates) can also be obtained solely based on past history (supply levels for each time period, day of the week, season, and weather). For example, past history might show increased supply on rainy Monday mornings. Using such history, it is also possible to determine (predict) the required supply level at hydrogen stations based on each time period and day of the week.

[0060] Furthermore, at each hydrogen station (St), it is possible to predict in advance the remaining idle periods exceeding the prescribed amount of hydrogen fuel supply and the congested periods when the remaining amount is no longer exceeding the prescribed amount. Additionally, by sending supplementary notification information to vehicles (110), users can be notified in advance of congested periods. Therefore, congestion during peak hours can also be alleviated.

[0061] Additionally, situations may arise where a large number of vehicles 110 with low hydrogen fuel reserves are generated at once, leading the estimation unit 303 to estimate a supply shortage. In such cases, the output control unit 304 may also set the selection information for vehicles requiring replenishment based on the estimation result. Specifically, the information urging selection prioritizes vehicles with low hydrogen fuel reserves. The fuel management device 100 may also select a predetermined number of vehicles for replenishment based on the operator's selection, according to the output of this notification information.

[0062] It should be noted that this selection is not limited to manual operation by the operator; it can also be performed automatically by the fuel management device 100. Specifically, the fuel management device 100 may be equipped with a selection unit. When the selection unit receives a presumed result of insufficient supply, it can prioritize vehicles with low remaining hydrogen fuel and select a specified number of vehicles for replenishment.

[0063] Furthermore, the output control unit 304 can also output information that prompts an increase or decrease in hydrogen fuel production based on information obtained from the estimation results of the estimation unit 303. For example, in the event of a supply shortage, it can output information that prompts an increase in production corresponding to the amount of shortage based on information obtained from the estimation results. Alternatively, in the event of a supply surplus, it can output information that prompts a reduction in production corresponding to the amount of surplus based on information obtained from the estimation results.

[0064] Additionally, the fuel management device 100 can also increase or decrease the production of hydrogen fuel by instructing the hydrogen fuel generation device 102 to increase or decrease the production amount. This instruction can be given automatically or manually based on operator input.

[0065] It should be noted that, Figure 3 The various functional components shown are implemented, for example, by executing programs (software) through hardware processors such as CPUs (Central Processing Units). Additionally, some or all of these components can be implemented using hardware (including the circuitry) such as LSIs (Large Scale Integration), ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays), and GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), or through the coordinated use of software and hardware.

[0066] [An example of information stored in vehicle information DB101]

[0067] Figure 4 This is a diagram representing an example of the information stored in vehicle information DB101. Figure 4 In the database, vehicle information DB101 includes items such as vehicle ID, address, remaining fuel, location information, and a history of replenishment fuel. The vehicle ID is the identification information for vehicle 110. The address indicates the destination of vehicle 110 on network 140. The remaining fuel indicates the remaining hydrogen fuel of each vehicle 110. The location information indicates the nearest area where vehicle 110 is located. The history of replenishment fuel represents the average of accumulated replenishment fuel.

[0068] The various information displayed in the vehicle information DB101 is updated appropriately based on the information received from the vehicle 110. It should be noted that the vehicle information DB101 can also be provided by the fuel management device 100 or by an external device such as an external server.

[0069] [An example of fuel management processing performed by the fuel management device 100]

[0070] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of fuel management processing performed by the fuel management device 100. Figure 5 In the process, the fuel management device 100 determines whether it is a time for total fuel consumption. If it is not a time for total fuel consumption, the fuel management device 100 proceeds to step S514. When it is a time for total fuel consumption, the fuel management device 100 retrieves the remaining fuel information and location information of the vehicle 110 to be determined from the memory 202.

[0071] Then, the fuel management device 100 determines whether the user of the vehicle 110, the source of the remaining fuel information and location information, is an early refueling user (a user who refuels hydrogen in advance). If the user is not an early refueling user, the fuel management device 100 proceeds to step S505.

[0072] On the other hand, in the case of an early replenishment user, the fuel management device 100 changes the specific threshold used for replenishing the target vehicle to a threshold (second threshold) corresponding to the history of the remaining balance at the time of replenishment.

[0073] Next, the fuel management device 100 determines whether it is a prediction of the supply amount after a specified time. If it is a prediction of the supply amount, the fuel management device 100 changes the specific threshold used to replenish the target vehicle to a threshold corresponding to the prediction time specified by the operator (the third threshold). It should be noted that if the user of the vehicle 110, the source of the remaining balance information and location information, is an early replenishment user and it is a prediction of the supply amount after a specified time, then in step S503, the specific threshold used to replenish the target vehicle can be changed from the second threshold to the fourth threshold.

[0074] On the other hand, in cases where the supply is not predicted but rather estimated in real time, the fuel management device 100 proceeds to step S507. It should be noted that if the user of vehicle 110, the source of the location information and remaining balance information, is not an early replenishment user and the supply is not predicted after a specified time, a first threshold is used for the specific threshold applied to the replenishment target vehicle.

[0075] Next, the fuel management device 100 determines whether the vehicle 110 is a replenishment target vehicle. Specifically, the fuel management device 100 determines whether the remaining balance shown in the balance information is below a threshold. If the vehicle 110 is not a replenishment target vehicle, that is, if the remaining balance shown in the balance information is not below the threshold, the process proceeds to step S514.

[0076] On the other hand, if the vehicle 110 is determined to be a supplementary vehicle and the remaining amount shown in the remaining amount information is below a threshold, the fuel management device 100 will select the nearest hydrogen station St based on the location information.

[0077] Next, the fuel management device 100 determines whether the determination of all vehicles 110 has been completed. If the determination of all vehicles 110 has not been completed, the fuel management device 100 returns to step S502 and repeats the processing of steps S502 to S508. On the other hand, if the determination of all vehicles 110 has been completed, the fuel management device 100 estimates (predicts) the amount of hydrogen fuel to be supplied according to each hydrogen station St specified in step S507.

[0078] Then, the fuel management device 100 determines whether, as a presumed result, a surplus exceeding a predetermined amount has been generated in the supply. If no surplus exceeding the predetermined amount has been generated in the supply, the fuel management device 100 uses a display to notify the operator that hydrogen fuel can be refueled to the vehicle to be refueled, and proceeds to step S513.

[0079] On the other hand, if a surplus exceeding a predetermined amount is generated from the supply, the fuel management device 100 uses a display to notify the operator that the hydrogen fuel can be used for other sales. It should be noted that in this case, the operator can also be notified that hydrogen fuel can be refueled to the intended vehicle.

[0080] Then, the fuel management device 100 sends a replenishment notification message to the vehicle to be replenished, urging it to replenish hydrogen fuel. This allows the user of vehicle 110 to be reminded to replenish hydrogen fuel.

[0081] Then, the fuel management device 100 determines whether it has received replenishment time information indicating that hydrogen fuel is available in the vehicle 110. If no replenishment time information is received, the fuel management device 100 terminates a series of processes. On the other hand, if replenishment time information is received from the vehicle 110, the fuel management device 100 updates the replenishment time history of the vehicle 110 stored in the vehicle information DB101 and terminates a series of processes.

[0082] The fuel management system 1 described above estimates the hydrogen fuel supply at the hydrogen station St based on the amount of hydrogen fuel replenished to vehicles whose remaining hydrogen fuel levels are below a certain threshold, and outputs information based on this estimation result. Therefore, the hydrogen station St can determine the required level of hydrogen fuel supply, thus ensuring that the generated hydrogen fuel is sold without excess or deficiency. Furthermore, it can suppress the occurrence of vehicles 110 that cannot accept hydrogen fuel replenishment. Therefore, according to this embodiment, efficient sales of hydrogen fuel can be supported.

[0083] Furthermore, the fuel management system 1 of this embodiment identifies a hydrogen station St that will refuel the target vehicle based on the location information obtained from each vehicle 110, and estimates the supply amount at the identified hydrogen station St. This allows for efficient refueling at the hydrogen station St closest to the vehicle 110.

[0084] Furthermore, the fuel management system 1 of this embodiment sends a notification message urging the vehicle to replenish hydrogen fuel based on the estimated supply amount. This allows for prompting the user to replenish hydrogen fuel. Therefore, the vehicle 110 (the user) can be refueled efficiently.

[0085] Furthermore, the fuel management system 1 of this embodiment modifies the threshold used to specify the vehicles to be refueled based on the history of the remaining fuel supply at refueling times, and uses the modified threshold to specify the vehicles to be refueled. Therefore, it is possible to estimate the supply amount by taking into account the refueling of early refueling users, thus improving the accuracy of the supply estimate. In addition, it is possible to urge early refueling users to refuel at the appropriate time.

[0086] Furthermore, when the fuel management system 1 of this embodiment produces a surplus exceeding a predetermined amount from the estimated supply, it outputs information based on the estimated result indicating that the surplus hydrogen fuel can be supplied to uses other than the vehicle 110. Therefore, when there is a surplus exceeding the predetermined amount of hydrogen fuel produced, sales to various manufacturing plants and the like can be facilitated. Thus, losses related to the operations and processes required for water electrolysis can be suppressed, and efficient utilization of renewable energy can be supported.

[0087] The above description illustrates specific embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to such embodiments in any way, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, this embodiment describes an example using hydrogen produced by water electrolysis, etc., but hydrogen purchased and transported from, for example, large-scale hydrogen production facilities or hydrogen storage facilities can also be used instead or based on this. This also allows for more efficient sales processes.

Claims

1. A fuel management device, wherein, The fuel management device includes: The remaining information acquisition unit acquires remaining information representing the remaining amount of hydrogen fuel for each of the pre-registered vehicles. The vehicle-specific unit, based on the remaining information of each vehicle, identifies the vehicles whose remaining hydrogen fuel is below a certain threshold. The estimation unit estimates the amount of hydrogen fuel supplied at the hydrogen fuel supply facility based on the amount of hydrogen fuel supplied to the vehicles to be replenished. as well as The output control unit causes the output unit to output information based on the estimation result of the estimation unit. The vehicle-specific unit identifies vehicles that have refueled when their hydrogen fuel level exceeds a first threshold, based on the history of each vehicle's remaining hydrogen fuel level at refueling. It then changes the threshold for this specific vehicle from the first threshold to a second threshold, which is a value larger than the first threshold, and uses the second threshold to identify the refueling target vehicle. The estimation unit estimates the supply amount based on the amount of hydrogen fuel replenished to the vehicles targeted for replenishment whose hydrogen fuel reserves are below the first threshold and to the vehicles targeted for replenishment whose hydrogen fuel reserves are below the second threshold. The supplementary vehicle is controlled to travel to the specific supply facility via a supplementary notification message.

2. The fuel management device according to claim 1, wherein, The fuel management device includes: The location information acquisition unit acquires the location information of each of the plurality of vehicles; and A facility-specific department, based on the location information of the vehicle to be replenished, specifically designates the supply facility for replenishing hydrogen fuel to the vehicle to be replenished. The estimation section estimates the supply quantity at the supply facility specified by the facility-specific section.

3. The fuel management device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The fuel management device includes a transmission control unit that, based on the estimated result, sends a notification message urging the replenishment of hydrogen fuel to the vehicle to be replenished.

4. The fuel management device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, When the output control unit produces a surplus of more than a predetermined amount from the supply amount estimated by the estimation unit, it outputs information indicating that the remaining amount of hydrogen fuel can be supplied to purposes other than vehicles, based on information obtained from the estimation result.

5. A fuel management system comprising a plurality of pre-registered vehicles and a fuel management device for managing the remaining hydrogen fuel in each of the plurality of vehicles, wherein, The fuel management device includes: The remaining information acquisition unit acquires remaining information representing the remaining amount of hydrogen fuel for each of the plurality of vehicles; The vehicle-specific unit, based on the remaining information of each vehicle, identifies the vehicles whose remaining hydrogen fuel is below a certain threshold. The estimation unit estimates the amount of hydrogen fuel supplied at the hydrogen fuel supply facility based on the amount of hydrogen fuel supplied to the vehicles to be replenished. as well as The output control unit causes the output unit to output information based on the estimation result of the estimation unit. The vehicle-specific unit identifies vehicles that have refueled when their hydrogen fuel level exceeds a first threshold, based on the history of each vehicle's remaining hydrogen fuel level at refueling. It then changes the threshold for this specific vehicle from the first threshold to a second threshold, which is a value larger than the first threshold, and uses the second threshold to identify the refueling target vehicle. The estimation unit estimates the supply amount based on the amount of hydrogen fuel replenished to the vehicles targeted for replenishment whose hydrogen fuel reserves are below the first threshold and to the vehicles targeted for replenishment whose hydrogen fuel reserves are below the second threshold. The supplementary vehicle is controlled to travel to the specific supply facility via a supplementary notification message.

6. A fuel management method, wherein, The fuel management method causes the computer of the fuel management device to perform processing, which includes: The remaining information acquisition step involves obtaining remaining information representing the remaining amount of hydrogen fuel for each of the pre-registered vehicles. A vehicle-specific step, based on the remaining information of each vehicle, to identify vehicles whose remaining hydrogen fuel is below a certain threshold. The estimation step estimates the amount of hydrogen fuel supplied at the hydrogen fuel supply facility based on the amount of hydrogen fuel supplied to the vehicles to be replenished. The output control step causes the output unit to output information based on the estimation result in the estimation step; The step of controlling the replenishment target vehicle to travel to the specific supply facility via the sent supplementary notification information. In the vehicle-specific step, based on the history of each vehicle's remaining hydrogen fuel at refueling times, vehicles that have refueled when their hydrogen fuel reserves exceed a first threshold are identified. The threshold for this specific vehicle is then changed from the first threshold to a second threshold, which is a value larger than the first threshold. This second threshold is then used to identify the refueling target vehicle. In the estimation step, the supply amount is estimated based on the amount of hydrogen fuel replenished to the replenishment target vehicles whose hydrogen fuel balance is below the first threshold and the replenishment target vehicles whose hydrogen fuel balance is below the second threshold, respectively.

7. A storage medium that stores a non-transitory program that can be read by a computer, wherein, The program causes the computer of the fuel management device to perform the following processing: Obtain the remaining amount of hydrogen fuel for each of the pre-registered vehicles. Based on the remaining information of each vehicle, vehicles with a specific hydrogen fuel remaining amount below a threshold are selected for replenishment. The amount of hydrogen fuel supplied at the hydrogen fuel supply facility is estimated based on the amount of hydrogen fuel supplied to each of the vehicles to be replenished. The output unit outputs information based on the estimated result. Based on the history of the remaining amount of each vehicle when it is refueled, vehicles that have refueled when the remaining amount of hydrogen fuel exceeds a first threshold are identified, and the threshold for the specific vehicle is changed from the first threshold to a second threshold that is a value greater than the first threshold, and the second threshold is used to identify the refueling target vehicle. The supply amount is estimated based on the amount of hydrogen fuel replenished to the vehicles to which the hydrogen fuel reserve is below the first threshold and the vehicles to which the hydrogen fuel reserve is below the second threshold. The supplementary vehicle is controlled to travel to the specific supply facility via a supplementary notification message.

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