Control device

Abstract

The invention provides a control device. The control device is provided with one or more processors; the one or more memories are connected with the processor, the processor executes processing, and the processing comprises the steps that identification information used for identifying a vehicle entering the charging station is obtained; associating the identification information with a charger in the charging station; and allowing the vehicle to use the charger associated with the identification information to charge a battery of the vehicle corresponding to the identification information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device. Background Art

[0002] In the past, electric vehicles that can travel using a motor using power stored in a battery are known. In addition, charging stations are installed in various places to charge the batteries of electric vehicles, and the charging stations have chargers that can supply power to the batteries. In such charging stations, Patent Document 1 discloses that a control device installed in the vehicle communicates with a control device installed in the charging station, and the charging completion time of the vehicle is predicted based on the information of the communication.

[0003] Prior art literature Patent Literature Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-114969 Summary of the invention

[0004] Technical issues However, vehicles in the charging station can freely use unused chargers in the charging station. Therefore, when a vehicle wants to use an unused charger, other vehicles may be blocked between the vehicle and the charger, causing the vehicle to be blocked and charged, resulting in an undesirable charging waiting situation.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a control device capable of preventing an undesired charging wait from occurring.

[0006] Technical Solution In order to solve the above problems, the control device of the present invention has: one or more processors; and one or more memories connected to the processor, The processor performs a process comprising: obtaining identification information for identifying a vehicle entering a charging station; associating the identification information with a charger in the charging station; The battery of the vehicle corresponding to the identification information is allowed to be charged using the charger associated with the identification information.

[0007] Technical Effects According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of undesired charging waiting. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the control system of this embodiment.

[0009] Figure 2This is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the first control device and the second control device in the present embodiment.

[0010] Figure 3 This is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the first control device according to the present embodiment.

[0011] Figure 4 This is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the second control device according to the present embodiment.

[0012] Figure 5 This is a schematic explanatory diagram for explaining an example of the association processing by the determination unit.

[0013] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram for explaining another example of the association processing by the determination unit.

[0014] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of the control process of the control system according to the present embodiment.

[0015] Explanation of symbols S: Charging station 100: Control system 400: Charger 600: First control device 600a: First communication unit 600b: Determination 600c: Generation Department 600d: Reporting Department 600e: Licensing Department 800: Second control device 800a: Second communication unit 800b: Reporting Department 900: Vehicles DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The specific dimensions, materials, numerical values, etc. shown in the relevant embodiments are merely illustrative for the purpose of facilitating the understanding of the invention, and do not limit the present invention except for the cases specifically described. It should be noted that in this specification and the accompanying drawings, for elements having substantially the same functions and structures, repeated descriptions are omitted by marking the same symbols, and the illustrations of elements that are not directly related to the present invention are omitted.

[0017] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the control system 100 of this embodiment. Figure 1As shown, the control system 100 includes an entrance door 200 , an exit door 300 , a plurality of chargers 400 , a plurality of photographing devices 500 , a first control device 600 , a display device 700 , and a second control device 800 .

[0018] The entrance door 200 , the exit door 300 , the plurality of chargers 400 , the plurality of imaging devices 500 , the first control device 600 , and the display device 700 are provided at the charging station S. In addition, the second control device 800 is provided at a vehicle 900 that can enter and exit the charging station S.

[0019] The entrance door 200 is provided at the entrance of the charging station S to open and close the entrance of the charging station S. The exit door 300 is provided at the exit of the charging station S to open and close the exit of the charging station S. When the entrance door 200 is in an open state, the vehicle 900 can pass through the entrance of the charging station S and can enter the charging station S from outside the charging station S. In addition, when the entrance door 200 is in a closed state, the vehicle 900 cannot pass through the entrance of the charging station S and cannot enter the charging station S from outside the charging station S.

[0020] When the exit door 300 is open, the vehicle 900 can pass through the exit of the charging station S and can exit from the charging station S to the outside. In addition, when the exit door 300 is closed, the vehicle 900 cannot pass through the exit of the charging station S and cannot exit from the charging station S to the outside.

[0021] The charger 400 has a cable and a connector. The cable of the charger 400 connects a power source (not shown) to the connector. The cable has, for example, a retractable portion of a winding structure, and is configured to be retractable from the charger 400 to the charging port of the vehicle 900. The connector of the charger 400 is configured to be electrically connected to the charging port of the vehicle 900. The connector can supply AC current or DC current from a power source (not shown) to the charging port of the vehicle 900.

[0022] It should be noted that when charger 400 supplies direct current, it can supply more current than when it supplies alternating current. When charger 400 supplies alternating current, charger 400 can normally charge the battery of vehicle 900. On the other hand, when charger 400 supplies alternating current, charger 400 can quickly charge the battery of vehicle 900.

[0023] The charger 400 of this embodiment includes a first charger 400A, a second charger 400B, a third charger 400C, a fourth charger 400D, a fifth charger 400E, and a sixth charger 400F. The first charger 400A and the second charger 400B are chargers corresponding to the first model information and the first version information of the battery mounted on the vehicle 900. Here, the version information refers to the version information of the software used for charging in the vehicle 900. Hereinafter, the version information of the software is also referred to as the version information.

[0024] Third charger 400C and fourth charger 400D are chargers corresponding to the second model information and the second version information of the battery mounted on vehicle 900. Fifth charger 400E and sixth charger 400F are chargers corresponding to the third model information and the third version information of the battery mounted on vehicle 900.

[0025] The first model information is model information older than the second model information, and the first version information is version information older than the second version information. In addition, the second model information is model information older than the third model information, and the second version information is version information older than the third version information.

[0026] Among the multiple chargers 400, the first charger 400A and the second charger 400B correspond to the oldest battery model information and the oldest software version information, and the fifth charger 400E and the sixth charger 400F correspond to the latest battery model information and the latest software version information.

[0027] When the battery of the vehicle 900 is charged by the charger 400 that does not correspond to the battery model information and the software version information, the charging efficiency may be low or charging may not be possible. Therefore, it is preferable to charge the battery of the vehicle 900 by the charger 400 that corresponds to the battery model information and the software version information.

[0028] The camera 500 photographs the vehicle 900. In the present embodiment, the camera 500 photographs the front surface including the license plate of the vehicle 900. However, the camera is not limited thereto, and the camera 500 may also photograph the rear surface including the license plate of the vehicle 900. In addition, the camera 500 may also photograph the appearance of the vehicle 900 other than the front surface and the rear surface.

[0029] The camera 500 is installed at the entrance door 200, the exit door 300, the first charger 400A, the second charger 400B, the third charger 400C, the fourth charger 400D, the fifth charger 400E, and the sixth charger 400F. When the vehicle 900 approaches the entrance door 200, the exit door 300, the first charger 400A, the second charger 400B, the third charger 400C, the fourth charger 400D, the fifth charger 400E, and the sixth charger 400F, the camera 500 takes pictures. The image data taken by the camera 500 is sent to the first control device 600.

[0030] The display device 700 displays data transmitted from the first control device 600. The data transmitted from the first control device 600 includes image data captured by the image capturing device 500, information related to the charger 400, and the like.

[0031] Here, the vehicle 900 is described as an electric vehicle equipped with a motor and a battery (not shown). However, the vehicle 900 may be a hybrid vehicle having an engine and a motor, as long as it has at least a motor (not shown) for driving the vehicle 900 and a battery for driving the motor.

[0032] Figure 2 FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the simplified structure of the first control device 600 and the second control device 800 of this embodiment. Figure 2 As shown, the first control device 600 includes an I / F unit 610, a data holding unit 620, a system bus 630, one or more processors 640, and one or more memories 650. The I / F unit 610 is an interface for communicating with the second control device 800. The data holding unit 620 is composed of a RAM (Random Access Memory), a flash memory, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), etc., and holds various information required for the processing of the processor 640 shown below. For example, the data holding unit 620 holds various data of the vehicle 900 acquired via the second control device 800, which will be described in detail later. Specifically, the data holding unit 620 holds vehicle-related information acquired from the vehicle 900, information related to each charger 400, image data captured by the camera 500, etc. The information related to each charger 400 includes, for example, model information of the battery corresponding to each charger 400 and version information of the software. The system bus 630 is a transmission path that electrically connects the I / F unit 610, the data holding unit 620, the processor 640, and the memory 650 and transmits data between them.

[0033] The processor 640 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The memory 650 includes, for example, a ROM (Read-Only Memory), a RAM, etc. The ROM is a storage element that stores programs, operation parameters, etc. used by the CPU. The RAM is a storage element that temporarily stores data such as variables and parameters used in the processing executed by the CPU.

[0034] Figure 3 A block diagram showing an example of the functions of the first control device 600 of this embodiment. Figure 3 As shown, the first control device 600 includes a first communication unit 600a, a determination unit 600b, a generation unit 600c, a reporting unit 600d, and a permission unit 600e.

[0035] It should be noted that various processes including the processes described below performed by the first communication unit 600a, the determination unit 600b, the generation unit 600c, the reporting unit 600d, and the permission unit 600e can be performed by the processor 640 in cooperation with the program included in the memory 650. In detail, the various processes are performed by the processor 640 executing the program stored in the memory 650.

[0036] The first communication unit 600a communicates with the second control device 800 mounted on the vehicle 900. The determination unit 600b determines the charger 400 associated with the identification information based on the identification information of the vehicle 900. The generation unit 600c generates a password to be input when using the charger 400. The reporting unit 600d reports the charger 400 associated with the identification information of the vehicle 900, the password and other information to the second control device 800. The permission unit 600e permits the use of the charger 400 associated with the identification information of the vehicle 900 to charge the battery. The details of the first communication unit 600a, the determination unit 600b, the generation unit 600c, the reporting unit 600d and the permission unit 600e will be described later.

[0037] return Figure 2 The second control device 800 includes an I / F unit 810, a data holding unit 820, a system bus 830, one or more processors 840, and one or more memories 850. The I / F unit 810 is an interface for communicating with the first control device 600.

[0038] The data holding unit 820 is composed of a RAM, a flash memory, an HDD, etc., and holds various information required for the processing of the processor 840 described below. For example, the data holding unit 820 holds various data of the vehicle 900 as information associated with the vehicle. Specifically, the data holding unit 820 holds identification information of the vehicle 900 described in detail later, information acquired from the first control device 600, etc. The system bus 830 is a transmission path that electrically connects the I / F unit 810, the data holding unit 820, the processor 840, and the memory 850 and transmits data therebetween.

[0039] The processor 840 includes, for example, a CPU. The memory 850 includes, for example, a ROM, a RAM, etc. The ROM is a storage element that stores programs and operation parameters used by the CPU. The RAM is a storage element that temporarily stores data such as variables and parameters used in processing executed by the CPU.

[0040] Figure 4 800 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the second control device 800 of the present embodiment. Figure 4 As shown, the second control device 800 includes a second communication unit 800a and a reporting unit 800b.

[0041] It should be noted that various processes including the processes described below performed by the second communication unit 800a and the reporting unit 800b can be executed by the processor 840 in cooperation with the program stored in the memory 850. Specifically, the processor 840 executes the program stored in the memory 850 to execute various processes.

[0042] The second communication unit 800a communicates with the first communication unit 600a of the first control device 600. The reporting unit 800b reports various information acquired from the first control device 600 to the driver on the vehicle 900.

[0043] Below, use Figure 1 The operation of the control system 100 will be described in detail. First, when the vehicle 900 arrives at the entrance gate 200 of the charging station S, the first control device 600 of the charging station S and the second control device 800 of the vehicle 900 communicate with each other.

[0044] At this time, the first control device 600 obtains the vehicle-related information from the second control device 800. The vehicle-related information includes identification information for identifying the vehicle 900 entering the charging station S. The identification information is, for example, vehicle identification code (VIN: Vehicle Identification Number) information. The VIN information includes a serial number for identifying each vehicle 900. It should be noted that the identification information is not limited to VIN information, and may also be license plate number information.

[0045] In addition to identification information such as VIN information and license plate number information, the information related to the vehicle may also include information related to the battery of the vehicle 900 and information related to software used for charging in the vehicle 900. The information related to the battery is, for example, information on the model of the battery and information on the state of charge (SOC) of the battery. In addition, the information related to software used for charging in the vehicle 900 is, for example, version information of the software used when charging the battery.

[0046] The vehicle-related information acquired by the first control device 600 is pre-stored in the data holding unit 820 of the second control device 800 , and is transmitted from the second communication unit 800 a of the second control device 800 to the first communication unit 600 a of the first control device 600 .

[0047] If the first communication unit 600a acquires the information related to the vehicle, the determination unit 600b of the first control device 600 performs an association process between the identification information of the vehicle 900 including the acquired information related to the vehicle and the charger 400 in the charging station S. It should be noted that, when the first communication unit 600a cannot acquire the identification information of the vehicle 900, the first control device 600 acquires the image data captured by the camera 500 and analyzes the vehicle information of the vehicle 900 based on the image data. Then, the analyzed vehicle information is used as the identification information of the vehicle 900, and the identification information of the vehicle 900 is associated with the charger 400.

[0048] The following describes in detail the association process between the identification information and charger 400. In this embodiment, the vehicle-related information includes VIN information of vehicle 900, battery-related information, and software-related information.

[0049] The identification unit 600 b refers to the model information and version information of the battery of the vehicle 900 and the information on the charger 400 stored in the data holding unit 620 to identify the charger 400 corresponding to the model information and version information of the battery of the vehicle 900 .

[0050] For example, when the model information and the version information are the first model information and the first version information, identification unit 600b determines that the model information and the version information of the battery of vehicle 900 correspond to first charger 400A and second charger 400B.

[0051] Figure 5 600b is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of the association process performed by the determination unit 600b. Figure 5 In the example of FIG. 1 , identification information of two vehicles 900 is previously associated with first charger 400A and third charger 400C, respectively. Figure 5 As shown, in charging station S, vehicle 900 is parked in front of first charger 400A, and vehicle 900 is parked in front of third charger 400C. First charger 400A and third charger 400C are used by these two vehicles 900 .

[0052] At this time, if the vehicle 900 arrives at the entrance gate 200 of the charging station S, the first control device 600 obtains the vehicle-related information of the vehicle 900 that has arrived at the entrance gate 200, and determines the charger 400 corresponding to the model information and version information of the battery of the vehicle 900. Here, for example, the determination unit 600b determines that the model information and version information of the battery of the vehicle 900 correspond to the first charger 400A and the second charger 400B. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the charger 400 associated with the identification information of the vehicle 900 is determined based on both the model information and version information of the battery of the vehicle 900. However, this is not limited to this, and the determination unit 600b may also determine the charger 400 associated with the identification information of the vehicle 900 based on either the model information or the version information of the battery of the vehicle 900. For example, the determination unit 600b may determine the charger 400 associated with the identification information of the vehicle 900 based only on the model information of the battery of the vehicle 900. In addition, identification unit 600b may identify charger 400 associated with identification information of vehicle 900 based only on the version information of vehicle 900. The same applies to the following.

[0053] At this time, the determination unit 600b refers to the data holding unit 620 to determine whether there is identification information already associated with the first charger 400A and identification information already associated with the second charger 400B. Here, it is determined that there is identification information already associated with the first charger 400A, and the determination unit 600b determines that the first charger 400A is currently in use or that the first charger 400A is expected to be used in the near future. On the other hand, it is determined that there is no identification information associated with the second charger 400B, and the determination unit 600b determines that the second charger 400B is not currently in use.

[0054] At this time, since first charger 400A is in use among first charger 400A and second charger 400B, identification unit 600b performs an association process of associating second charger 400B, which is not in use, with the identification information of vehicle 900. The identification information and the information of charger 400 that have been subjected to the association process are stored in data holding unit 620 of first control device 600.

[0055] In this way, the determination unit 600b determines the charger 400 corresponding to the model information and version information of the battery of the vehicle 900 from among the chargers 400 other than the charger 400 currently in use. Then, the determination unit 600b performs an association process of associating the determined charger 400 with the identification information of the vehicle 900.

[0056] When the identification unit 600b associates the identification information of the charger 400 with the vehicle 900, the generation unit 600c generates a password corresponding to the identification information. The generated password is also associated with the identification information of the vehicle 900 and the information of the charger 400 and stored in the data storage unit 620 of the first control device 600.

[0057] The reporting unit 600d sends the generated password to the second communication unit 800a of the second control device 800 via the first communication unit 600a of the first control device 600. In addition, the reporting unit 800b of the second control device 800 reports the password received from the second communication unit 800a to the driver of the vehicle 900. For example, the reporting unit 800b is a display device of a car navigation system mounted on the vehicle 900, and the password is reported to the driver by displaying the password on the display device. It should be noted that the reporting unit 800b can also be a speaker mounted on the vehicle 900. In this case, the password is reported to the driver by the sound emitted from the speaker. In this way, the generated password is notified to the driver of the vehicle 900.

[0058] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the password generation by the generator 600c is described as an example, but the password generation is not essential. Therefore, it is also possible not to generate a password, but only to perform the association process between the identification information of the vehicle 900 and the charger 400 based on the determination unit 600b.

[0059] When the identification information of the vehicle 900 is associated with the charger 400, the entrance door 200 is controlled from the closed state to the open state, and the vehicle 900 can enter the charging station S. At this time, the reporting unit 600d transmits the information of the charger 400 associated with the identification information of the vehicle 900 to the second communication unit 800a of the second control device 800 via the first communication unit 600a of the first control device 600. Thus, the information of the charger 400 associated with the identification information is notified to the driver of the vehicle 900. Here, the information of the second charger 400B associated with the identification information is notified to the driver of the vehicle 900.

[0060] By notifying the driver of vehicle 900 of the information of second charger 400B, the driver of vehicle 900 can Figure 5As shown, vehicle 900 is driven from entrance gate 200 to second charger 400B. When vehicle 900 arrives in front of second charger 400B, first control device 600 communicates with second control device 800 of vehicle 900 located in front of second charger 400B, and acquires information about the vehicle including identification information of vehicle 900 from second control device 800 again.

[0061] Permitting unit 600e checks whether charger 400 associated with the reacquired identification information is second charger 400B by referring to data holding unit 620. In other words, permitting unit 600e checks whether the identification information of vehicle 900 located in front of charger 400 matches the identification information associated with charger 400.

[0062] The driver of vehicle 900 inputs the notified password into an input unit (not shown) of second charger 400B. Permission unit 600e refers to data storage unit 620 to check whether the input password is the password associated with the reacquired identification information.

[0063] If the verification is consistent, the permission unit 600e allows the battery of the vehicle 900 corresponding to the identification information to be charged using the charger 400 associated with the identification information of the vehicle 900. As a result, the vehicle 900 entering the charging station S can only use the charger 400 associated with the identification information of the vehicle 900. Therefore, even if another vehicle cuts in close to the second charger 400B, since the identification information of the other vehicle is not associated with the second charger 400B, the other vehicle cannot use the second charger 400B and the cutting-in charging can be prevented. As a result, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of undesirable charging waiting in the charging station S.

[0064] In addition, the determination unit 600b determines the charger 400 associated with the identification information of the vehicle 900 based on the information related to the battery of the vehicle 900. For example, the determination unit 600b determines the charger 400 associated with the identification information of the vehicle 900 based on the model information of the battery of the vehicle 900. As a result, the vehicle 900 can be charged using the charger 400 corresponding to the model information of the mounted battery. Therefore, the battery can be charged efficiently.

[0065] In addition, the identification unit 600b identifies the charger 400 associated with the identification information of the vehicle 900 based on the information about the software for charging in the vehicle 900. Thus, the vehicle 900 can be charged using the charger 400 corresponding to the version information of the software for charging. Therefore, the battery can be charged efficiently.

[0066] Figure 6600b is a schematic diagram for explaining another example of the association process performed by the determination unit 600b. Figure 6 In the example of FIG. 1 , identification information of six vehicles 900 is respectively associated with first charger 400A, second charger 400B, third charger 400C, fourth charger 400D, fifth charger 400E, and sixth charger 400F in advance. Then, in charging station S, vehicles 900 are parked in front of first charger 400A, second charger 400B, third charger 400C, fourth charger 400D, fifth charger 400E, and sixth charger 400F. These six vehicles 900 use all chargers 400 in charging station S.

[0067] At this time, if the vehicle 900 arrives at the entrance gate 200 of the charging station S, the first control device 600 acquires vehicle-related information of the vehicle 900 arriving at the entrance gate 200 and determines the charger 400 corresponding to the model information and version information of the battery of the vehicle 900 .

[0068] For example, when determining unit 600b determines that the model information and version information of the battery of vehicle 900 correspond to fifth charger 400E and sixth charger 400F, determining unit 600b refers to data holding unit 620 to determine whether there is identification information associated with fifth charger 400E and identification information associated with sixth charger 400F.

[0069] Here, it is determined that there is identification information associated with fifth charger 400E, and determination unit 600b determines that fifth charger 400E is currently in use or fifth charger 400E is expected to be used in the near future. Similarly, it is determined that there is identification information associated with sixth charger 400F, and determination unit 600b determines that sixth charger 400F is currently in use or sixth charger 400F is expected to be used in the near future.

[0070] Then, the determination unit 600b acquires the battery model information, SOC information, and version information included in the vehicle-related information of the vehicle 900 whose identification information is associated with the fifth charger 400E currently in use. The determination unit 600b predicts the charging end time when the charging of the battery using the fifth charger 400E is completed based on the acquired information. Similarly, the determination unit 600b acquires the battery model information, SOC information, and version information included in the vehicle-related information of the vehicle 900 whose identification information is associated with the sixth charger 400F currently in use. The determination unit 600b predicts the charging end time when the charging of the battery using the sixth charger 400F is completed based on the acquired information. In addition, the determination unit 600b predicts the earlier charging end time of the charging end time of the fifth charger 400E and the charging end time of the sixth charger 400F.

[0071] The determination unit 600b sets the chargeable time so that the battery mounted on the vehicle 900 can be charged after the predicted earlier charge end time. The chargeable time includes the scheduled charge start time at which charging is scheduled to start, the scheduled charge end time at which charging is scheduled to end, and information indicating the order of the vehicles 900 waiting for charging. For example, the chargeable time includes information such as the scheduled charge start time ○○:○○ to the scheduled charge end time △△:△△, the second one.

[0072] The scheduled charging start time is, for example, the time after the scheduled time of the predicted charging end time. Here, the scheduled time is the time when the vehicle 900 that has finished charging can leave the space in front of the charger 400, but is not limited to this. For example, the scheduled time may be 0. In addition, the scheduled charging end time is the time when the charging of the battery of the vehicle 900 using the charger 400 is completed, and is derived based on the scheduled charging start time, the model information of the battery, the SOC information, and the version information. Specifically, the determination unit 600b derives the charging time of the battery mounted on the vehicle 900 based on the SOC information. At this time, the determination unit 600b may also derive the charging time by considering the model information of the battery corresponding to the charger 400 and the model information of the battery mounted on the vehicle 900. In addition, the determination unit 600b may also derive the charging time by considering the version information of the software used by the charger 400 when charging the battery and the version information of the software used by the vehicle 900 when charging the battery. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the example of determining the scheduled charging end time based on both the model information and the version information of the battery of the vehicle 900 is described. However, the determination unit 600b is not limited thereto, and the scheduled charging end time may be determined based on either the model information or the version information of the battery of the vehicle 900. For example, the determination unit 600b may determine the scheduled charging end time based only on the model information of the battery of the vehicle 900. In addition, the determination unit 600b may determine the scheduled charging end time based only on the version information of the vehicle 900. The same is true below. The order of the vehicles 900 waiting for charging is derived based on the number of identification information associated with one charger 400.

[0073] Here, it is assumed that the scheduled charging end time of the fifth charger 400E is earlier than the scheduled charging end time of the sixth charger 400F. The determination unit 600b performs an association process for associating the identification information of the vehicle 900 with the chargeable time set for the fifth charger 400E. It should be noted that the identification information, the charger 400, and the chargeable time information that have been subjected to the association process are stored in the data holding unit 620 of the first control device 600.

[0074] In this way, when a plurality of identification information is associated with one charger 400, the determination unit 600b sets different chargeable times for the plurality of vehicles 900 corresponding to the plurality of identification information. If the determination unit 600b performs the association process between the identification information of the charger 400 and the vehicle 900, the generation unit 600c generates a password corresponding to the identification information. It should be noted that the generated password is also associated with the identification information of the vehicle 900 and the information of the charger 400, and is stored in the data holding unit 620 of the first control device 600.

[0075] The reporting unit 600d transmits the generated password to the second communication unit 800a of the second control device 800 via the first communication unit 600a of the first control device 600. In addition, the reporting unit 800b of the second control device 800 reports the password received from the second communication unit 800a to the driver of the vehicle 900. Thus, the generated password is notified to the driver of the vehicle 900.

[0076] In addition, the reporting unit 600d transmits the information of the charger 400 and the information of the chargeable time associated with the identification information of the vehicle 900 to the second communication unit 800a of the second control device 800 via the first communication unit 600a of the first control device 600. In addition, the reporting unit 800b of the second control device 800 reports the information of the charger 400 and the information of the chargeable time received from the second communication unit 800a to the driver of the vehicle 900. Here, the information of the fifth charger 400E associated with the identification information, the scheduled charging start time ○○:○○ to the scheduled charging end time △△:△△, the second, and the like are notified to the driver of the vehicle 900.

[0077] like Figure 6 As shown, the vehicle 900 to which the information of the charger 400 and the information of the available charging time are reported is guided to wait in the waiting vehicle space until the scheduled charging start time ○○:○○ is reached. This guidance can be performed by the reporting unit 800b of the second control device 800 of the vehicle 900, or by the display device 700 in the charging station S.

[0078] Then, when charging by fifth charger 400E is completed and the scheduled charging start time is ○○:○○, a message indicating that fifth charger 400E can be used is transmitted from reporting unit 600d to vehicle 900 having identification information associated with fifth charger 400E. Reporting unit 800b of second control device 800 receives the message and notifies the driver, thereby enabling the driver to drive vehicle 900 to move from the waiting vehicle space to fifth charger 400E.

[0079] It should be noted that, when the second control device 800 cannot receive the message indicating that the fifth charger 400E can be used, in addition to the message, the display device 700 is caused to display the license plate number information analyzed based on the image data captured by the camera 500. Thus, the driver of the vehicle 900 matching the license plate number information can be notified of the above message, and the vehicle 900 can be moved from the waiting vehicle space to the fifth charger 400E by the driver's driving.

[0080] When vehicle 900 arrives in front of fifth charger 400E, first control device 600 communicates with second control device 800 of vehicle 900 located in front of fifth charger 400E, and acquires vehicle-related information of vehicle 900 from second control device 800 again.

[0081] Permission unit 600e refers to data holding unit 620 to check whether charger 400 associated with identification information included in the reacquired vehicle-related information is fifth charger 400E. In addition, the driver of vehicle 900 inputs the notified password into an input unit (not shown) of fifth charger 400E. Permission unit 600e refers to data holding unit 620 to check whether the input password is the password associated with the reacquired identification information.

[0082] Furthermore, the permission unit 600e checks whether the current time matches the reacquired chargeable time associated with the identification information by referring to the data holding unit 620. That is, the permission unit 600e checks whether the identification information of the vehicle 900 located in front of the charger 400 matches the identification information associated with the charger 400, and whether the current time matches the chargeable time associated with the identification information.

[0083] If the verification is consistent, the permission unit 600e allows the battery of the vehicle 900 corresponding to the identification information to be charged using the charger 400 associated with the identification information of the vehicle 900 only at the set charging time. As a result, the vehicle 900 entering the charging station S can only use the charger 400 associated with the identification information of the vehicle 900. Therefore, even if other vehicles squeeze in close to the fifth charger 400E, since the identification information of the other vehicles is not associated with the fifth charger 400E, the other vehicles cannot use the fifth charger 400E and the charging squeeze can be prevented. As a result, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of undesirable charging waiting in the charging station S.

[0084] In addition, the determination unit 600b determines the charger 400 associated with the identification information of the vehicle 900 based on the information related to the battery of the vehicle 900. For example, the determination unit 600b determines the charger 400 associated with the identification information of the vehicle 900 based on the model information of the battery of the vehicle 900. As a result, the vehicle 900 can be charged using the charger 400 corresponding to the model information of the mounted battery. Therefore, the battery can be charged efficiently.

[0085] In addition, the identification unit 600b identifies the charger 400 associated with the identification information of the vehicle 900 based on the information about the software for charging in the vehicle 900. Thus, the vehicle 900 can be charged using the charger 400 corresponding to the version information of the software for charging. Therefore, the battery can be charged efficiently.

[0086] Furthermore, the notification unit 600d can notify the vehicle 900 of the time when charging is possible. Therefore, the driver can grasp the approximate time when the battery can be charged.

[0087] In addition, the determination unit 600b sets the chargeable time based on the information about the battery. In addition, the determination unit 600b sets the chargeable time based on the information about the software used for charging in the vehicle 900. Thus, the charging time for charging the battery of the vehicle 900 can be derived with high accuracy, and the scheduled charging end time can be derived with high accuracy.

[0088] In addition, the permission unit 600e allows charging only when the driver's password is input. As a result, it is possible to more reliably prevent the jamming charging caused by another vehicle jamming between the host vehicle and the charger 400. For example, in a state where the charger 400 and the host vehicle can be checked, even if another vehicle jams, the other vehicle cannot be charged unless the driver of the other vehicle enters the correct password. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent the jamming charging.

[0089] In addition, when charging is completed and the vehicle 900 exits the charging station S, the first control device 600 communicates with the second control device 800 of the vehicle 900 located in front of the exit door 300, and obtains vehicle-related information including identification information of the vehicle 900 from the second control device 800 again.

[0090] The permission unit 600e performs a process of deleting the identification information acquired again and the information of the charger 400 associated with the identification information from the data holding unit 620. If the process of deleting from the data holding unit 620 is performed, the exit door 300 is controlled from the closed state to the open state, and the vehicle 900 can exit from the charging station S. At this time, the permission unit 600e performs a process of setting and changing the charging available time based on the exit status of the vehicle 900 from the charging station S.

[0091] For example, when vehicle 900 that has completed charging by fifth charger 400E exits charging station S, identification information associated with fifth charger 400E is deleted from data holding unit 620. In this case, for example, a process is performed to advance the order of vehicles 900 waiting for charging associated with fifth charger 400E stored in data holding unit 620. When the advance process of the order is performed, reporting unit 600d transmits information of the advanced order to second communication unit 800a of second control device 800 via first communication unit 600a. Thus, the driver of vehicle 900 waiting in the waiting vehicle space can recognize the waiting order until charger 400 can be used.

[0092] In this way, the permission unit 600e sets the chargeable time based on the exit status of the vehicle 900 from the charging station S. As a result, when the vehicle 900 exits the charging station S after completing charging, the waiting order of the charger 400 can be reflected in real time.

[0093] Figure 7 1 is a flowchart of the control process of the control system 100 of this embodiment. Figure 7 As shown, first, the first communication unit 600a communicates with the second control device 800 mounted on the vehicle 900 located at the entrance gate 200 to obtain vehicle-related information including identification information for identifying the vehicle 900 entering the charging station S (step S100).

[0094] The determination unit 600b performs an association process of associating the acquired identification information with the charger 400 in the charging station S (step S102). In addition, the generation unit 600c generates a password corresponding to the acquired identification information (step S104).

[0095] The determination unit 600b determines whether the charger 400 associated with the identification information is currently in use (step S106). If the charger 400 is currently in use (Yes in step S106), the determination unit 600b sets a chargeable time in association with the identification information (step S108).

[0096] On the other hand, when the charger 400 is not currently in use (No in step S106), the reporting unit 600d sends information about the charger 400 and a password to the second control device 800, and notifies the driver (step S110). In addition, when the charging time is set in step S108, the reporting unit 600d sends information about the charger 400, a password, and information about the charging time to the second control device 800, and notifies the driver, and the charger 400 is associated with the identification information. Furthermore, when the scheduled charging start time comes, the reporting unit 600d notifies the driver of the waiting vehicle 900 of the message and guides the driver to the idle charger 400.

[0097] If the vehicle 900 arrives in front of the charger 400, the first communication unit 600a of the first control device 600 communicates with the second control device 800 of the vehicle 900 located in front of the charger 400, and obtains the identification information of the vehicle 900 from the second control device 800 again. Then, the permission unit 600e refers to the data holding unit 620 to check the identification information obtained again and the identification information associated with the charger 400 (step S112). In addition, the driver of the vehicle 900 inputs the notified password into the input unit of the charger 400 not shown. The permission unit 600e refers to the data holding unit 620 to check whether the input password is the password associated with the identification information obtained again. Furthermore, the permission unit 600e refers to the data holding unit 620 to check whether the current time matches the charging time associated with the identification information obtained again.

[0098] If the verification is consistent (Yes in step S112), the permission unit 600e permits the battery of the vehicle 900 corresponding to the identification information to be charged using the charger 400 associated with the identification information of the vehicle 900 only at the set charging available time (step S114). On the other hand, if the verification is inconsistent (No in step S112), the permission unit 600e prohibits the battery of the vehicle 900 using the charger 400 (step S116).

[0099] The permission unit 600e determines whether there is a vehicle 900 exiting from the exit gate 300 (step S118). For example, when the identification information of the vehicle 900 located at the exit gate 300 is acquired again, it is determined that there is a vehicle 900 exiting from the exit gate 300. On the other hand, when the identification information of the vehicle 900 located at the exit gate 300 is not acquired again, it is determined that there is no vehicle 900 exiting from the exit gate 300.

[0100] When it is determined that there is a vehicle 900 exiting from the exit gate 300 (Yes in step S118 ), the permission unit 600 e deletes the identification information of the exiting vehicle 900 and changes and resets the charging enabled time (step S120 ).

[0101] The preferred embodiment of the present invention is described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is certainly not limited to the embodiment. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that various variations or modifications can be imagined within the scope of the claims, and it should be understood that these variations or modifications naturally also belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

[0102] It should be noted that the series of processes performed by the first control device 600 and the second control device 800 of the present embodiment described above can be implemented using any one of software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. The program constituting the software is, for example, pre-stored in a non-transitory storage medium (non-transitory media) provided inside or outside each device. Moreover, the program is read from, for example, a non-transitory storage medium (e.g., ROM) to a temporary storage medium (e.g., RAM), and executed by a processor such as a CPU.

[0103] Programs for realizing the functions of the above-mentioned devices can be created and installed in computers of the above-mentioned devices. The processor executes the processing of the above-mentioned functions by executing the programs stored in the memory. In this case, the execution of the program can be shared by multiple processors, or the program can be executed by one processor. In addition, the functions of the above-mentioned devices can also be realized by cloud computing using multiple computers, and the multiple computers are connected to each other through a communication network.

[0104] It should be noted that the program may be provided to the computers of each device by transmission from an external device via a communication network and installed. Alternatively, the program may be stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium and provided to the computers of each device via the storage medium and installed.

[0105] In addition, according to the present embodiment, a program for executing the processing of each function of each of the above-mentioned devices can be provided. Furthermore, a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium storing the program can also be provided. The non-transitory storage medium can be, for example, a disk-type storage medium such as an optical disk, a magnetic disk, or an optical magnetic disk, or a semiconductor memory such as a flash memory or a USB memory.

Claims

1. A control device, characterized in that: have: one or more processors; as well as one or more memories connected to the processor, The processor performs a process comprising: obtaining identification information for identifying a vehicle entering a charging station; associating the identification information with a charger in the charging station; The battery of the vehicle corresponding to the identification information is allowed to be charged using the charger associated with the identification information.

2. The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The processor performs processing including determining the charger associated with the identification information based on information related to the battery.

3. The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The processor performs processing including determining the charger associated with the identification information based on information related to software used for the charging in the vehicle.

4. The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The processor performs a process comprising: When a plurality of identification information are associated with one charger, different charging available times are set for a plurality of vehicles corresponding to the plurality of identification information; The charging is allowed only at the set charging time.

5. The control device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The processor performs processing including reporting the chargeable time.

6. The control device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The processor performs processing including setting a chargeable time based on a condition in which a vehicle exits from the charging station.

7. The control device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The processor performs processing including setting the chargeable timing based on information related to the battery.

8. The control device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The processor performs processing including setting the chargeable timing based on information related to software used for the charging in the vehicle.

9. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The processor performs a process comprising: generating a password corresponding to the identification information; notifying the password to a driver of a vehicle corresponding to the identification information; The charging is permitted only when the password is input by the driver.

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