Charger management device and charging control device

Abstract

A charger management server (3) that manages suitability between an external charger (2) and a vehicle (1) is provided with: an information acquisition unit (41) that acquires charging status information relating to a status when the external charger (2) and the vehicle (1) are connected and charged; a suitability information generation unit (42) generates suitability information relating to suitability between the external charger (2) and the vehicle (1) on the basis of the charging status information, and a charger management database (31) stores the charging status information and the suitability information. An information acquisition unit (41) acquires, as charging status information, vehicle information pertaining to a vehicle (1), charger information pertaining to an external charger (2) to which the vehicle (1) is connected, and charging error information pertaining to a charging error occurring between the external charger (2) and the vehicle (1).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a charger management device and a charging control device. Background Art

[0002] When an electric vehicle such as an electric car or a hybrid car is to be charged from an external charger, if the charging method is not in accordance with the standard, the charger cannot be physically or electrically connected to the electric vehicle.

[0003] Therefore, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that extracts external chargers (charging stations) that meet the standards for vehicle charging methods and displays the location information of the external chargers to the vehicle, or navigates the vehicle according to the route to the external chargers. In addition, Patent Document 2 discloses a technology that accumulates charging record information when a vehicle uses an external charger (charging facility) in a database.

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-39289

[0007] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2011-237406 Summary of the invention

[0008] Technical problem to be solved by the invention

[0009] However, especially for direct current (DC) chargers used for fast charging, even if they meet the standards, charging failures such as charging not starting normally, charging delays, and malfunctions on the vehicle side or the external charger may occur due to poor electrical interchangeability between a specific vehicle and a specific external charger (so-called compatibility issues).

[0010] The above-mentioned Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not mention the so-called compatibility problem. Even if the vehicle is navigated to an external charger that should comply with the standard, charging failures may sometimes occur. When a charging failure occurs, since it is impossible to collect charging record information, there is of course a problem that the information cannot be accumulated in the database through the technology of Patent Document 2. In addition, in Patent Document 2, when the external charger and the vehicle are connected, the vehicle obtains various information of the external charger through the external charger and the wires, but when such a structure or communication protocol is not included in the standard, it is difficult to identify the external charger on the vehicle side.

[0011] Therefore, a technology is desired that prevents the use of an external charger that may cause charging failure based on consideration of compatibility issues between a vehicle and the external charger.

[0012] As described above, the technical problem to be solved by the present application is to provide a charger management device and a charging control device that can prevent the occurrence of charging failures and improve the charging convenience of electric vehicles.

[0013] Technical solutions to technical problems

[0014] The present disclosure has been made to solve at least a part of the above-mentioned technical problems and can be implemented as the following aspects or application examples.

[0015] (1) The charger management device involved in this application example is a charger management device for managing the compatibility between an external charger and a vehicle, and is characterized in that: the charger management device includes an information acquisition unit, a compatibility information generation unit and a management storage unit, the information acquisition unit acquires charging status information related to the status when the external charger and the vehicle are connected and charged, the compatibility information generation unit generates compatibility information related to the compatibility between the external charger and the vehicle based on the charging status information, the management storage unit stores the charging status information and the compatibility information, and the information acquisition unit acquires vehicle information related to the vehicle, charger information related to the external charger connected to the vehicle, and charging error information related to charging errors occurring between the external charger and the vehicle as the charging status information.

[0016] That is, the charger management device involved in this application example obtains charging error information as charging status information when the external charger is connected to the vehicle and charging is performed, in addition to the information of the vehicle and the external charger. And, based on such charging status information, compatibility information between the external charger and the vehicle is generated, and the compatibility information is stored in the management storage unit to create a database. By constructing such a database, it is possible to grasp the external chargers that may have charging failures based on the compatibility issues between the vehicle and the external charger. In this way, the occurrence of charging failures can be prevented and the charging convenience of electric vehicles can be improved.

[0017] (2) The charger management device involved in the above application example may also be, based on the above (1), the information acquisition unit obtains, as the charging error information, at least information related to the charging error during the charging pre-processing from the connection of the external charger to the start of charging of the driving battery of the vehicle.

[0018] In this way, the charger management device acquires charging error information of charging errors during charging preprocessing and creates a database, thereby being able to understand the incompatibility between the external charger and the vehicle before starting charging, and preventing the occurrence of charging failures in advance.

[0019] (3) The charger management device involved in the above application example may also be that, based on the above (1), the information acquisition unit obtains at least identification information of the external charger identified based on charging pre-processing from the connection of the external charger to the start of charging of the driving battery of the vehicle as the charger information.

[0020] By acquiring identification information of the external charger based on the charging pre-processing information and creating a database in this way, the external charger can be identified even under specifications in which the vehicle and the external charger cannot communicate directly, and a more convenient database can be constructed.

[0021] (4) The charger management device according to the above application example may be such that, in addition to the above (3), the charging pre-processing includes an insulation test in which a voltage is applied from an external charger to the vehicle to confirm the insulation condition, and the identification information is information obtained by identifying the external charger based on the behavior characteristics of the voltage value applied during the insulation test. Generally, when fast charging is performed, an insulation test is performed as charging pre-processing, and since the behavior of the voltage value of the external charger varies depending on the external charger, the external charger can be easily identified by identifying the external charger based on the behavior characteristics of the voltage value without having to communicate with the external charger.

[0022] (5) The charger management device involved in the above application example may also be, based on the above (1), further comprising a distribution information generation unit, the distribution information generation unit generating distribution information including the compatibility information, and distributing the distribution information to each vehicle. By distributing the compatibility information to each vehicle in this way, it is possible to prevent charging failures from occurring in each vehicle, and to improve the charging convenience of the electric vehicle.

[0023] (6) The charging control device involved in this application example is a charging control device that controls charging of a vehicle's driving battery from an external charger, and is characterized in that: the charging control device includes a charging error detection unit, a charging status information generation unit and a communication unit, the charging error detection unit detects a charging error occurring between a connected external charger and a vehicle, the charging status information generation unit generates charging status information related to a condition when the external charger and the vehicle are connected and charging is performed, the communication unit sends the charging status information to the outside via a network, and the charging status information generation unit generates information including vehicle information related to the vehicle, charger information related to the external charger connected to the vehicle, and charging error information related to the error detected by the charging error detection unit as the charging status information.

[0024] That is, in addition to the information about the vehicle and the external charger, the charging control device of the vehicle in this application example also sends charging error information as charging status information when the external charger is connected and charging to the outside for sharing. By sharing such information, it is possible to identify the external charger that may have charging failures while also considering the compatibility issues between the vehicle and the external charger. In this way, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of charging failures and improve the charging convenience of electric vehicles.

[0025] (7) In the vehicle charging control device according to the present application example, in addition to the above (6), the charging error detection unit may detect, as a charging error, a charging error occurring during charging pre-processing from connecting the external charger to starting charging of the driving battery.

[0026] In this way, the vehicle charging control device can understand the incompatibility between the external charger and the vehicle before starting charging by sharing the charging error information of the charging error during the charging pre-processing, and can prevent the occurrence of charging failure in advance.

[0027] (8) The vehicle charging control device involved in this application example may also be, based on the above (6), the charging control device also includes a charger identification unit, which identifies the external charger based on the charging pre-processing from connecting the external charger to starting charging of the driving battery, and the charging status information generating unit generates the charging status information, and the charging status information includes the identification information of the external charger identified by the charger identification unit as the charger information.

[0028] By transmitting identification information of the external charger based on the charging pre-processing information to the outside in this manner, even under a specification in which the vehicle and the external charger cannot communicate directly, the external charger can be identified, and more convenient information can be shared.

[0029] (9) The vehicle charging control device according to this application example may be such that, based on the above (8), the charging pre-processing is an insulation test in which a voltage is applied from the external charger to the vehicle to confirm the insulation condition, and the charger identification unit identifies the external charger based on the behavior characteristics of the voltage value applied during the insulation test. Usually, when fast charging is performed, an insulation test is performed as charging pre-processing. Since the behavior of the voltage value of the external charger varies depending on the external charger, the external charger can be easily identified by identifying the external charger based on the behavior characteristics of the voltage value without having to communicate with the external charger.

[0030] (10) The vehicle charging control device involved in this application example may also be that, based on the above (6), the communication unit obtains compatibility information related to the compatibility between the external charger and the vehicle generated based on the charging status information from the outside, and the charging control device also includes a charging control unit, and when it is confirmed that the connected external charger and the vehicle are not compatible according to the compatibility information, the charging control unit stops charging. In this way, when it is confirmed that the connected external charger and the vehicle are not compatible according to the obtained compatibility information, charging is stopped, which can prevent the occurrence of charging failures and improve the charging convenience of the electric vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Figure 1 is a simplified structural diagram of a charger management system including a charger management device and a charging control device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 2A is an example of first external charger information;

[0033] Figure 2B is an example of the second external charger information;

[0034] Figure 2C is an example of third external charger information;

[0035] Figure 3 It is a table related to charging errors;

[0036] Figure 4 is a flow chart showing a charging control routine executed by the VCU;

[0037] Figure 5This diagram summarizes the information exchange between the charger management server and the vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Next, embodiments in which the present disclosure is embodied will be described.

[0039] Figure 1 A simplified structural diagram of a charger management system including a charger management device and a charging control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2A to Figure 2C An example of external charger information is shown. Next, based on these figures, the configuration of a charger management system including a charger management device and a charging control device according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0040] Figure 1 The charger management system according to the embodiment shown mainly includes a vehicle 1 including a charging control device, an external charger 2 for charging the vehicle, and a charger management server 3 (charger management device) connected to the vehicle 1 via a network N in a manner that allows communication with each other. Figure 1 In the figure, one vehicle 1, one external charger 2, and one charger management server 3 are shown respectively, but the charger management system may include multiple devices.

[0041] (External charger)

[0042] The external charger 2 is a charging device for supplying power to the vehicle 1. In the present embodiment, the external charger 2 is a direct current (DC) fast charger capable of charging the vehicle 1 with direct current (DC) at a specified voltage (450V) and a specified output (e.g., 50kW or more). The external charger 2 is provided with a connector 2a that can be connected to the vehicle 1 at the front end of the cable. It should be noted that the external charger 2 of the present embodiment is described by taking an external charger based on CHAdeMO (registered trademark), which is a direct current (DC) fast charging standard, as an example, but the charging standards to which the present disclosure can be applied are not limited thereto, and the present disclosure can also be applied to other standards.

[0043] (vehicle)

[0044] The vehicle 1 is, for example, an electric car, and a driving motor 10 (hereinafter referred to as the motor 10) is installed in the vehicle 1 as a power source. The output shaft of the motor 10 is connected to the left and right driving wheels via a power transmission unit and a drive shaft, wherein the power transmission unit is composed of a reduction gear and a differential device, which are not shown. The vehicle 1 can travel because the driving force generated by the motor 10 is transmitted to the driving wheels.

[0045] The electric motor 10 is electrically connected to a high voltage (eg, 200 V) driving battery 13 via an inverter / converter (hereinafter, simply referred to as an inverter 11 ) and a junction box 12 .

[0046] The driving battery 13 is, for example, a secondary battery such as a lithium-ion battery. The driving battery 13 converts the stored direct current into alternating current via the inverter 11 and supplies the converted alternating current to the motor 10. In addition, for example, when the vehicle 1 is decelerating or traveling on a downhill road (regenerative driving), the motor 10 uses the reverse driving force from the driving wheel side to work as a generator (regenerative braking). The vehicle 1 can also charge the driving battery 13 using the power generated by the motor 10.

[0047] The junction box 12 has the function of connecting and disconnecting the driving battery 13 and various electrical devices installed in the vehicle 1. Inside the junction box 12, there are provided a circuit that electrically connects the driving battery 13 and various electrical devices, and various contactors (electromagnetic contactors), relays and other switches that disconnect / connect the circuit. By disconnecting and connecting the switches, it is possible to control the power supply and disconnection from the driving battery 13 to various electrical devices. The vehicle-mounted charging switch 14 is one of the various electrical devices connected to the junction box 12.

[0048] The on-board charging switch 14 includes a filter, a power conversion circuit, and a relay (not shown), and has a function of supplying power supplied from the external charger 2 to the driving battery 13. The on-board charging switch 14 has a function of communicating with the external charger 2. The on-board charging switch 14 is connected to the charging socket 15. The charging socket 15 includes a power receiving terminal for fast charging, and the power receiving terminal is connected to the connector 2a of the external charger 2 in a mating manner.

[0049] When the connector 2a is connected to the charging socket 15, the external charger 2 performs charging pre-processing on the vehicle 1 (strictly speaking, the on-board charging switch 14). As a charging pre-processing, at least an insulation test is included. The insulation test is a test in which the external charger 2 applies a voltage to the vehicle 1 to confirm the insulation condition between the external charger 2 and the vehicle 1 before starting charging when the connector 2a is connected to the charging socket 15. The behavior characteristics of the voltage value applied in the insulation test vary depending on the external charger 2. It should be noted that, if it is judged that there is no insulation through the insulation test, the external charger 2 does not start charging. On the other hand, if it is judged that there is insulation through the insulation test, the external charger 2 grants charging permission to the vehicle 1, and the vehicle 1 turns on the relay of the on-board charging switch 14 to start charging.

[0050] In addition, the charging pre-processing includes a process for confirming the charging control protocol. The charging control protocol basically uses a protocol defined by a standard, but because the behavior of the fine communication steps etc. differs depending on the external charger, the on-vehicle charging switch 14 performs a process for confirming the charging control protocol before charging.

[0051] Furthermore, the vehicle 1 is equipped with a vehicle storage unit 16 , a vehicle communication unit 17 , and a vehicle control unit 20 (Vehicle Control Unit, hereinafter referred to as VCU 20 ).

[0052] The vehicle storage unit 16 is an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk or a SSD (Solid State Drive), and stores various information. The vehicle storage unit 16 of this embodiment stores vehicle information related to the vehicle, charger information related to the external charger 2, compatibility information distributed from the charger management server 3, and charging error information described later.

[0053] The vehicle information includes the manufacturer, model, type, date of manufacture, etc. of the vehicle.

[0054] The charger information includes the model information of the external charger, the charging preprocessing information, and the setting location information where the external charger is set. The model information of the external charger includes, for example, information such as the manufacturer, model, standard, and version of the standard of the external charger. In addition, it may also include information related to the charging performance such as the output current and output voltage of the external charger. The charging preprocessing information includes insulation test information including the behavioral characteristics of the voltage value in the above insulation test (specifically, the voltage waveform), and protocol information including the behavior of the above charging control protocol. The setting location information is information such as the latitude, longitude, and elevation of the location where the external charger is set. It should be noted that the external charger information is not limited to this, and may also include other information such as image information showing the appearance of the external charger.

[0055] The compatibility information includes information related to the compatibility between the external charger and the vehicle. The compatibility information includes "compatible" information and "incompatible" information, wherein "compatible" means that the external charger can charge without charging errors, and "incompatible" means that there is an obstacle when the external charger charges the vehicle, such as a charging error in the same vehicle model. It should be noted that the information "not clear whether it is compatible" may also be included, and "not clear whether it is compatible" may be included, such as when the external charger has not been connected to the same vehicle model. In addition, the importance or urgency may be set for "incompatible", and the steps for stopping charging and the types of warnings described later may be different according to the importance or urgency.

[0056] In addition, in order to identify the external charger, the compatibility information also includes charger information. Specifically, Figure 2A to Figure 2C An example of adaptability information is shown in Figure 2A to Figure 2C An example of the compatibility information stored in the vehicle storage unit 16 will be described.

[0057] Figure 2A The first external charger shown is a model of aa-11 manufactured by company A and a standard version of 0.x. During the insulation test, the voltage gradually increases toward the second half, indicating that the charging control protocol is behavior type A. Furthermore, it is confirmed that the first external charger is compatible with the vehicle.

[0058] Figure 2B The second external charger shown is a model bb-05 manufactured by Company B, with a standard version of 1.x. During the insulation test, the voltage value behavior characteristics of the voltage rising in two stages are shown, and it can be seen that the charging control protocol is behavior type B. In addition, it can be seen that the second external charger has been confirmed to be incompatible (unsuitable) with this vehicle. There are cases where the standard version is outdated like this and it is unsuitable.

[0059] Figure 2C The third external charger shown is a model of cc-15 manufactured by Company C, with a standard version of 2.x. The behavior characteristics of the voltage value showing a voltage rise of three times during the insulation test show that the charging control protocol is behavior type A. In addition, it is known that the third external charger is confirmed to be incompatible with the vehicle. There are cases where the charger is incompatible even with the same standard version as the first external charger compatible with the vehicle.

[0060] Such charger information and compatibility information are stored in the vehicle storage unit 16 of the vehicle 1 , and are also stored in a charger management database 31 of the charger management server 3 described later.

[0061] The vehicle communication unit 17 is a communication device capable of wireless communication with an external information network such as the Internet or a dedicated network. In the present embodiment, the vehicle communication unit 17 is connected to the server communication unit 30 of the charger management server 3 via the network N so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0062] VCU20 is a computer including a central processing unit (CPU), a main storage device (ROM, RAM, etc.) for storing control programs, control mappings, etc., an input / output device, a timer, etc. VCU20 is connected to various devices and other control units installed in the vehicle 1 in a communicative manner via CAN (Control Area Network) which is an in-vehicle communication network. The VCU20 of this embodiment is connected to the above-mentioned motor 10, inverter 11, junction box 12, drive battery 13, on-board charging switch 14, vehicle storage unit 16, and vehicle communication unit 17 in a communicative manner. In addition, VCU20 can perform control related to the fast charging performed by the external charger 2 in the vehicle 1.

[0063] Specifically, the VCU 20 includes a charger identification unit 21, an error detection unit 22 (charging error detection unit), a charging status information generation unit 23, and a charging control unit 24, wherein the charger identification unit 21 identifies the connected external charger 2, the error detection unit 22 (charging error detection unit) detects a charging error occurring between the vehicle 1 and the connected external charger 2, the charging status information generation unit 23 generates charging status information related to the status when the external charger 2 is connected and charging is performed, and the charging control unit 24 performs control related to charging the driving battery 13.

[0064] The charger identification unit 21 has a function of identifying the external charger 2 based on the charging preprocessing before the external charger 2 is connected and the driving battery 13 is charged. Specifically, the charger identification unit 21 determines the model information of the external charger 2 by comparing the charging preprocessing before the external charger 2 is connected and the driving battery 13 is charged with the charging preprocessing information stored in the vehicle storage unit 16, thereby identifying the external charger 2. For example, in the insulation test as the charging preprocessing, the charger identification unit 21 identifies the external charger 2 based on the behavior characteristics of the voltage value obtained by detecting the voltage applied to the vehicle-mounted charging switch 14 and analyzing the detected voltage. In addition, the charger identification unit 21 of this embodiment can also obtain information such as the charging control protocol sent from the external charger 2 to the vehicle 1 when the external charger 2 is connected, and consider this information as supplementary information to identify the external charger 2. In addition, the charger identification unit 21 of this embodiment can also identify the external charger 2 by comparing the vehicle GPS (not shown) with the location information included in the charger information. In addition, the charger identification unit 21 can also use a vehicle-mounted camera (not shown) to capture a charger image including the connected external charger 2, and compare the appearance information of the external charger 2 (such as color, logo display, etc.) obtained by analyzing the charger image with the image information included in the charger information, thereby identifying the external charger 2.

[0065] The error detection unit 22 has a function of detecting charging errors that occur from the connection of the external charger 2 to the completion of charging and generating charging error information. For example, the error detection unit 22 distinguishes the charging preprocessing from the connection of the external charger 2 to the start of charging of the driving battery, the charging process after the charging preprocessing, and the charging end, and detects charging errors in each stage. It should be noted that if no charging error is detected in each stage, information that there is no error is generated as charging error information.

[0066] Specifically, Figure 3 The types of charging errors and error examples are shown in FIG.

[0067] like Figure 3 As shown, the charging pre-processing includes connecting the charging connector, charging control protocol communication, locking the charger connector, and performing an insulation test (applying voltage).

[0068] Examples of errors when connecting the charging connector include: a case where the connection with the vehicle 1 cannot be recognized due to an abnormality in the charging authentication system or communication on the external charger 2 side; a case where the external charger 2 is not activated due to an error in the connection of a charging activation signal or a circuit abnormality on the external charger 2 side; a case where charging cannot be started due to a disconnection of the connector or cable on the external charger 2 side, etc. The error detection unit 22 detects such a charging error when connecting the charging connector as a charging activation error.

[0069] As an example of an error when locking the charger connector, there is a case where the connector 2a of the external charger 2 is not locked due to a failure of the locking mechanism included in the connector 2a. The error detection unit 22 detects such a charging error when locking the charger connector as a locking mechanism error. Since the locking mechanism error may cause an electric shock accident due to the connector 2a falling off, the importance or urgency is set higher than usual.

[0070] Examples of errors during charging control protocol communication include mismatching of charging parameters (transmission signal, voltage, etc.) transmitted from external charger 2 to vehicle 1. Error detection unit 22 detects such charging errors during charging control protocol communication as protocol errors.

[0071] As an example of an error when performing an insulation test (applying voltage), there is a case where an insulation failure is found in the connector 2a or cable of the external charger as a result of the insulation test. The error detection unit 22 detects such a charging error when performing the insulation test as an insulation error. Since an insulation error may cause an electric shock accident due to insulation failure, the importance or urgency is set higher than usual.

[0072] In addition, examples of errors during charging include: abnormal charging output, overvoltage, or overcurrent of the external charger 2; overheating of the connector 2a; and abnormal insulation of the high-voltage circuit of the external charger 2. When such a charging error occurs, charging is interrupted, and the error detection unit 22 detects it as a charging interruption error.

[0073] In addition, examples of error cases when charging is completed include: the communication protocol is not stopped; the external charger 2 is not completely charged and the voltage is over; the connector 2a is not unlocked; other abnormalities are detected on the charger side, etc. The error detection unit 22 detects such a charging error when charging is completed as a charging completion error.

[0074] The charging status information generating unit 23 has a function of generating charging status information related to the status when connected to the external charger 2. Specifically, the charging status information generating unit 23 generates information including vehicle information stored in the vehicle storage unit 16, charger information of the external charger 2 identified by the charger identifying unit 21, and charging error information related to the charging error detected by the error detecting unit 22 as the charging status information. In addition, the charging status information generating unit 23 transmits the generated charging status information to the charger management server 3 via the vehicle communication unit 17.

[0075] It should be noted that, when the external charger is connected to a charger that is not stored in the vehicle storage unit 16, that is, when the charger identification unit 21 cannot identify the external charger, the charging status information generation unit 23 also uploads the charging pre-processing information such as the charging control protocol information and the charging error information obtained on the vehicle 1 side as the charging status information to the charger management server 3 via the vehicle communication unit 17. By updating the charger management database 31 based on the external charger information obtained on the vehicle side in this way, the external charger information can be automatically accumulated.

[0076] The charging control unit 24 has a function of not starting charging when the external charger identified by the charger identification unit 21 is not an external charger compatible with the vehicle. Specifically, the charging control unit 24 obtains the compatibility information corresponding to the external charger 2 identified by the charger identification unit 21 from the vehicle storage unit 16, and controls not to start charging when the external charger 2 is not an external charger compatible with the vehicle. On the other hand, when the external charger 2 is an external charger compatible with the vehicle, the charging control unit 24 controls to start charging. In the present embodiment, the control of starting or not starting the charging is performed by controlling the on / off of the relay in the vehicle-mounted charging switch 14. In addition, the charging control unit 24 also performs other charging-related controls such as determining whether the connector 2a of the external charger 2 is connected to the charging socket 15.

[0077] In addition, the charging control unit 24 can also perform a warning process for making the driver or other charging operator aware that charging will not start when charging is stopped without starting charging. As a specific warning process, the charging control unit 24, for example, lights up an indicator for notifying charging abnormality provided on the instrument panel of the vehicle 1, or displays an error message on a display screen included in the vehicle 1, or emits a warning sound.

[0078] The charging control unit 24 can also acquire distribution information including the latest charger information and compatibility information from the charger management database 31 of the charger management server 3 via the vehicle communication unit 17 and update the information in the vehicle storage unit 16. The charging control unit 24 updates the information in the vehicle storage unit 16 sequentially or periodically.

[0079] Figure 4 A flowchart showing a charging control routine executed by the VCU 20 of the present embodiment is shown, and the procedure of charging control on the vehicle side of the present embodiment will be described below according to the flowchart.

[0080] First, as step S1, the charging control unit 24 of the VCU20 determines whether the connector 2a of the external charger 2 is connected to the power receiving terminal for fast charging of the charging socket 15. When the judgment result is false (no), the VCU20 ends the charging control routine. On the other hand, when the judgment result is true (yes), that is, when the connector 2a is connected, the VCU20 causes the processing to enter step S2. It should be noted that at the stage of step S1, when a charging error occurs, the error detection unit 22 detects the error related to the activation of the external charger 2 as a charging activation error, and detects the error related to the locking mechanism of the connector 2a as a locking mechanism error.

[0081] In step S2, the charger identification unit 21 of the VCU 20 confirms the charging control protocol as a pre-processing of charging. Specifically, the charging control unit 24 obtains information such as the charging control protocol sent from the external charger 2 to the vehicle 1. When the acquisition of the charging control protocol and other information is completed, the VCU 20 proceeds to step S3. It should be noted that when a charging error occurs at the stage of step S2, the error detection unit 22 detects the charging error as a protocol error.

[0082] In step S3, the external charger 2 performs an insulation test. At this time, the charger identification unit 21 of the VCU 20 sequentially detects the voltage applied from the external charger 2 and stores the detected voltage in the vehicle storage unit 16. When the insulation test is completed, the VCU 20 advances the process to step S4. It should be noted that, when a charging error occurs at the stage of step S3, the error detection unit 22 detects the charging error as an insulation error.

[0083] In step S4, the charger identification unit 21 of the VCU 20 analyzes the voltage waveform as the behavior characteristics of the voltage value based on the voltage detected in step S3. When the analysis of the voltage waveform is completed, the VCU 20 advances the process to step S5.

[0084] In step S5, the charger identification unit 21 of the VCU 20 identifies the connected external charger 2. Specifically, the charger identification unit 21 compares the external charger information having a voltage waveform consistent with or similar to the voltage waveform analyzed in step S4 from the vehicle storage unit 16, thereby determining the external charger information of the external charger 2 connected this time. In addition, when there are multiple external charger information having a voltage waveform consistent with or similar to the analyzed voltage waveform in the vehicle storage unit 16, or when there is no external charger information having a consistent or similar voltage waveform in the vehicle storage unit 16, the information such as the charging control protocol acquired in step S2 is also taken into consideration to determine the external charger information.

[0085] In step S6, the charging control unit 24 of VCU20 compares the external charger information determined in step S5 with the compatibility information stored in the vehicle storage unit 16 to determine whether the external charger 2 connected this time is an external charger compatible with the vehicle. When the judgment result is true (yes), that is, when it can be confirmed through the external charger information that the external charger 2 is compatible with the vehicle, VCU20 causes the processing to enter step S7. It should be noted that when the determined external charger information does not record information related to the adaptation of the vehicle, or when the external charger cannot be identified in step S5, the charging control unit 24 also determines that the judgment result of step S6 is true (yes), and causes the processing to enter step S8, and stores the newly acquired information as new external charger information in the vehicle storage unit 16.

[0086] In step S7 , the charging control unit 24 of the VCU 20 starts charging. Specifically, the charging control unit 24 controls the relay in the vehicle-mounted charging switch 14 to be turned on.

[0087] In step S8, the charging control unit 24 of the VCU 20 continues charging unless an error occurs. It should be noted that, if a charging error occurs in the stage of step S8, the error detection unit 22 detects the charging error as a charging interruption error.

[0088] In step S9, when the charging end condition is met, the charging control unit 24 of the VCU 20 performs the charging end process. As the charging end condition, for example, there are: when the set charging time is reached; when the charge level (SOC) of the driving battery reaches a specified level, etc. Specifically, in the charging end process, the charging control unit 24 controls the relay in the vehicle charging switch 14 to be disconnected, thereby stopping the charging. It should be noted that when a charging error occurs at the stage of step S9, the error detection unit 22 detects the charging error as a charging end error.

[0089] On the other hand, when the determination result of step S6 is false (No), that is, when it can be confirmed from the compatibility information that the connected external charger 2 is not compatible with the host vehicle, the VCU 20 advances the process to step S10 .

[0090] In step S10, the charging control unit 24 of the VCU 20 controls not to start charging by the external charger 2. Specifically, the charging control unit 24 stops charging by turning off the relay in the vehicle-mounted charging switch 14. When the control to stop charging is completed, the VCU 20 advances the process to step S11.

[0091] In step S11, the charging control unit 24 of the VCU 20 performs a warning process. Specifically, the charging control unit 24 lights an indicator notifying of charging abnormality, displays an error message, or emits a warning sound. When the warning process is completed, the VCU 20 ends the routine.

[0092] It should be noted that the steps of the charging control are the flow when no charging error occurs. When a charging error occurs in each step, the charging control unit 24 performs the charging end processing at that moment. In particular, when a charging error of high importance or urgency is detected, the charging control unit 24 immediately stops charging and issues a stronger warning than usual.

[0093] As described above, the vehicle 1 including the charging control device (VCU20) of the charger management system involved in this embodiment sends charging error information as charging status information when the external charger 2 is connected and charging to the charger management server 3 for sharing, in addition to the information of the vehicle and the external charger 2. By sharing such information, it is possible to grasp the external charger that may have charging failures based on the compatibility issues between the vehicle and the external charger. In this way, the occurrence of charging failures can be prevented, and the charging convenience of electric vehicles can be improved.

[0094] Furthermore, the VCU 20 of the vehicle 1 can recognize the incompatibility between the external charger and the vehicle at the stage before starting charging by sharing the charging error information of the charging error during the charging pre-processing, and can prevent the occurrence of charging failure in advance.

[0095] Furthermore, by transmitting identification information of the external charger 2 based on the charging pre-processing information to the outside, the VCU 20 of the vehicle 1 can identify the external charger even under a specification in which the vehicle and the external charger cannot communicate directly, thereby enabling more convenient information sharing.

[0096] In particular, the VCU 20 of the vehicle 1 of the present embodiment obtains identification information obtained by identifying the external charger based on the behavior characteristics of the voltage value applied during the insulation test. Generally, during fast charging, an insulation test is performed as a charging preprocessing. Since the behavior of the voltage value of the external charger varies depending on the external charger, by identifying the external charger based on the behavior characteristics of the voltage value, the external charger can be easily identified without communicating with the external charger.

[0097] Furthermore, as described above, when it is confirmed based on the acquired compatibility information that the connected external charger 2 is not compatible with the vehicle 1 , the VCU 20 of the vehicle 1 stops charging, thereby preventing the occurrence of charging failure and improving the charging convenience of the electric vehicle.

[0098] (Charger Management Server)

[0099] The charger management server 3 is a server that manages information of the external charger 2 , and is connected to an external network N. The charger management server 3 includes a server communication unit 30 , a charger management database 31 (management storage unit), and a management control unit 40 .

[0100] The server communication unit 30 is a communication device capable of wireless communication with an external information network such as the Internet or a dedicated network. In the present embodiment, the server communication unit 30 is connected to the vehicle 1 via the network N so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0101] The charger management database 31 is an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk or SSD (Solid State Drive), and stores various information. The charger management database 31 of the present embodiment stores various information such as charging status information acquired from the vehicle 1 via the communication unit and compatibility information generated by the management control unit 40 (strictly speaking, the compatibility information generating unit 42).

[0102] The management control unit 40 is a computer including a central processing unit (CPU), a main storage device (ROM, RAM, etc.) for storing control programs and control mappings, an input / output device, a timer, etc., and performs various controls on the charger management server 3 .

[0103] Specifically, the management control unit 40 includes an information acquisition unit 41, a compatibility information generation unit 42 and a distribution information generation unit 43, wherein the information acquisition unit 41 acquires various information via the server communication unit 30, the compatibility information generation unit 42 generates compatibility information related to the compatibility between the external charger and the vehicle based on the acquired charging status information, and the distribution information generation unit 43 generates distribution information for distributing the compatibility information to each vehicle.

[0104] The information acquisition unit 41 has a function of acquiring charging status information related to the status when the external charger and the vehicle are connected and charging is performed via the server communication unit or from the charger management database 31. As described above, the charging status information is information including vehicle information related to the vehicle 1, charger information related to the external charger 2 connected to the vehicle 1, and charging error information related to charging errors occurring between the external charger 2 and the vehicle 1. The charging error information is generated by distinguishing charging errors corresponding to the charging pre-processing from the connection of the external charger 2 to the start of charging the driving battery of the vehicle 1, the charging process after the charging pre-processing, and the end of charging.

[0105] In addition, the information acquisition unit 41 acquires at least identification information of the external charger 2 identified based on the charging preprocessing from the connection of the external charger 2 to the start of charging the driving battery of the vehicle as the charger information. Specifically, as described above, the charging preprocessing is an insulation test in which a voltage is applied from the external charger 2 to the vehicle 1 to confirm the insulation condition, and the identification information is information obtained by identifying the external charger 2 based on the behavior characteristics of the voltage value applied during the insulation test.

[0106] The compatibility information generating unit 42 analyzes the multiple charging status information stored in the charger management database 31, and organizes the compatibility with each external charger according to the vehicle model, and stores the organized information in the charger management database 31. Specifically, as described above, the information on compatibility or incompatibility with each external charger is set according to the vehicle model. In addition, the compatibility information generating unit 42 may also set the compatibility in stages or add conditions to the compatibility, for example, according to the importance or urgency of the charging error. For example, for an external charger with a large amount of charging error information of high importance or urgency, such as a locking mechanism error or an insulation error, a warning may be issued at a stage where the vehicle can identify the external charger before connecting the connector using location information or image information, or a prompt may be issued to not start charging or other processing information.

[0107] The distribution information generating unit 43 classifies the latest charger information and compatibility information by vehicle type and generates distribution information, and distributes the distribution information to the corresponding vehicles sequentially or periodically.

[0108] Figure 5 An explanatory diagram is shown that summarizes information exchange between the charger management server and the vehicle.

[0109] like Figure 5 As shown, the charger management server 3 obtains charging status information each time the external charger is connected from a plurality of vehicles having the structure of the above-mentioned vehicle 1. The charging status information includes vehicle information, charger information including identification information, and charging error information.

[0110] The charger management server 3 accumulates the acquired charging status information in the charger management database 31. In addition, the adaptability information generation unit 42 of the charger management server 3 generates adaptability information based on the charging status information accumulated in the charger management database 31 and accumulates the generated adaptability information in the charger management database 31.

[0111] Then, the distribution information generating unit 43 generates distribution information including the compatibility information, and distributes the distribution information to each vehicle.

[0112] As described above, the charger management server 3 of the charger management system involved in this embodiment obtains charging error information as charging status information when the external charger 2 is connected to the vehicle 1 and charging is performed, in addition to the information of the vehicle 1 and the external charger 2. And, based on such charging status information, compatibility information between the external charger 2 and the vehicle 1 is generated, and the compatibility information is stored in the charger management database 31 to create a database. By constructing such a database, it is possible to grasp the external charger that may have a charging failure based on the compatibility problem between the vehicle and the external charger. In this way, the occurrence of charging failures can be prevented and the charging convenience of electric vehicles can be improved.

[0113] In addition, the charger management server 3 acquires charging error information during charging preprocessing as charging error information and creates a database, thereby being able to grasp the incompatibility between the external charger and the vehicle before starting charging, and preventing the occurrence of charging failures in advance.

[0114] Furthermore, by acquiring identification information of the external charger based on the charging pre-processing information and creating a database, the charger management server 3 can identify the external charger even in a specification where the vehicle and the external charger cannot communicate directly, thereby building a more convenient database.

[0115] In particular, the charger management server 3 of the present embodiment obtains identification information obtained by identifying the external charger based on the behavior characteristics of the voltage value applied during the insulation test. Generally, during fast charging, an insulation test is performed as a charging preprocessing. Since the behavior of the voltage value of the external charger varies depending on the external charger, by identifying the external charger based on the behavior characteristics of the voltage value, the external charger can be easily identified without communicating with the external charger.

[0116] Furthermore, the charger management server 3 can prevent charging failure from occurring in each vehicle by distributing the compatibility information to each vehicle, thereby improving the charging convenience of the electric vehicle.

[0117] The above is the end of the description of the embodiment of the present disclosure, but the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment.

[0118] For example, in the above embodiment, the VCU 20 of the vehicle 1 has the functions of the charger identification unit 21, the error detection unit 22, the charging status information generation unit 23, and the charging control unit 24, but the present invention is not limited to this structure, and the external charger side may have some or all of the functions.

[0119] In addition, in the above embodiment, the compatibility or incompatibility with each external charger is set according to the vehicle model, but the compatibility is not limited to setting the compatibility according to the vehicle model. For example, in addition to the vehicle model, the compatibility with the external charger can also be set according to the date of manufacture, the type of vehicle-mounted devices such as the vehicle's motor, inverter, drive battery, and vehicle-mounted charging switch.

[0120] In addition, in the above embodiment, the importance or urgency of the charging error is set to only two levels, "normal" and "high", but more levels may be set. For example, a charging error with an importance or urgency "lower" than normal may be set, and for an external charger that has a charging error with a low importance or urgency, the response when the vehicle and the external charger are connected may be different from the response to other levels of charging errors, for example, charging is not stopped but only a warning is issued when the external charger is connected to the vehicle.

[0121] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the charging control unit 24 controls whether charging is started or not by turning on and off the relay in the vehicle-mounted charging switch 14, but as long as the charging of the driving battery can be controlled, for example, the charging control unit 24 may control whether charging is started or not by turning on and off the relay in the junction box.

[0122] In the above embodiment, the vehicle 1 is an electric vehicle, but the present disclosure may be any vehicle as long as the driving battery can be charged from an external charger, and may be, for example, a hybrid electric vehicle.

[0123] Explanation of symbols

[0124] 1: Vehicle

[0125] 2: External charger

[0126] 2a: Connector

[0127] 3: Charger management server (charger management device)

[0128] 13: Driving battery

[0129] 14: Car charging switch

[0130] 15: Charging port

[0131] 16: Vehicle storage department

[0132] 17: Vehicle Communication Department

[0133] 20: Vehicle Control Unit (VCU)

[0134] 21: Charger identification unit

[0135] 22: Error detection unit

[0136] 23: Charging status information generation unit

[0137] 24: Charging control unit

[0138] 30: Server Communication Department

[0139] 31: Charger management database

[0140] 40: Management and Control Department

[0141] 41: Information Acquisition Department

[0142] 42: Adaptability information generation unit

[0143] 43: Distribution information generation unit.

Claims

1. A charger management device, which manages the compatibility between an external charger and a vehicle, characterized in that: The charger management device includes an information acquisition unit, an adaptability information generation unit and a management storage unit. The information acquisition unit acquires charging status information related to a status when the external charger is connected to the vehicle and charging is performed. The compatibility information generating unit generates compatibility information related to compatibility between the external charger and the vehicle based on the charging status information. The management storage unit stores the charging status information and the compatibility information, The information acquisition unit acquires, as the charging status information, vehicle information related to the vehicle, charger information related to an external charger connected to the vehicle, and charging error information related to a charging error occurring between the external charger and the vehicle.

2. The charger management device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The information acquisition unit acquires, as the charging error information, at least information related to a charging error during a charging pre-process from when the external charger is connected to when charging of the driving battery of the vehicle starts.

3. The charger management device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The information acquisition unit acquires, as the charger information, at least identification information of the external charger identified based on a charging pre-process from when the external charger is connected to when charging of the driving battery of the vehicle starts.

4. The charger management device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The charging pre-processing includes an insulation test in which a voltage is applied to the vehicle from an external charger to confirm the insulation condition. The identification information is information obtained by identifying the external charger based on the behavior characteristics of the voltage value applied during the insulation test.

5. The charger management device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The charger management device further includes a distribution information generation unit configured to generate distribution information including the compatibility information and distribute the distribution information to each vehicle.

6. A charging control device for controlling charging of a driving battery of a vehicle from an external charger, characterized in that: The charging control device includes a charging error detection unit, a charging status information generation unit, and a communication unit. The charging error detection unit detects a charging error occurring between the connected external charger and the vehicle. The charging status information generating unit generates charging status information related to a status when the external charger is connected to the vehicle and charging is performed. The communication unit transmits the charging status information to the outside via a network, The charging status information generating unit generates, as the charging status information, information including vehicle information about the vehicle, charger information about the external charger connected to the vehicle, and charging error information about the charging error detected by the charging error detecting unit.

7. The charging control device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The charging error detection unit detects, as a charging error, a charging error that occurs during a charging pre-process from when the external charger is connected to when charging of the driving battery starts.

8. The charging control device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The charging control device further includes a charger identification unit that identifies the external charger based on a charging pre-process from when the external charger is connected to when charging of the driving battery starts. The charging status information generating unit generates the charging status information including identification information of the external charger identified by the charger identifying unit as the charger information.

9. The charging control device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The charging pre-processing is an insulation test in which a voltage is applied from the external charger to the vehicle to confirm the insulation condition. The charger identification unit identifies the external charger based on a behavior characteristic of a voltage value applied during the insulation test.

10. The charging control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The communication unit acquires compatibility information related to compatibility between the external charger and the vehicle, which is generated based on the charging status information, from the outside. The charging control device further includes a charging control unit configured to stop charging when it is determined based on the compatibility information that the connected external charger is not compatible with the vehicle.

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