Power supply auxiliary device

Abstract

This power supply assistance device is provided with a control unit configured to acquire traffic jam prediction information that predicts traffic jam of a vehicle occurring on each road, and to determine, on the basis of the acquired traffic jam prediction information, a schedule of a power supply vehicle that supplies power to a general vehicle having an external power supply function.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a power supply assistance device. Background Art

[0002] In Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2020-047014, there is disclosed a dispatch management system for dispatching a plurality of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCVs) to a power shortage area where power shortage occurs.

[0003] It is known that an electric vehicle that stores power supplied from outside the vehicle and travels has a shorter cruising range than a gasoline vehicle. Therefore, there is a general concern that, for example, in the case of being caught in a large-scale traffic jam that exceeds the cruising range, or in the case of breaking down due to a sudden climate change, etc., it may become power-deficient due to inability to charge. Summary of the Invention

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a power supply assistance device that can prevent an electric vehicle from becoming power-deficient even when it is caught in a traffic jam.

[0005] The power supply assistance device according to the present disclosure includes a control unit configured to acquire traffic jam prediction information predicting traffic jams of vehicles occurring on each road, and based on the acquired traffic jam prediction information, determine the dispatch of power supply vehicles that supply power to general vehicles having an external power supply function.

[0006] According to the power supply assistance device of the present disclosure, an electric vehicle is less likely to become power-deficient even when it is caught in a traffic jam.

[0007] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described. In the drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same elements. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing the structure of the system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0009] Figure 2 It is a block diagram showing the structure of the power supply assistance device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 3 It is a block diagram showing the structure of the power supply vehicle and the general vehicle according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 4 It is a flowchart showing the operation of the system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Embodiments

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0013] In each of the accompanying drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the description of the present embodiments, the description of the same or corresponding parts will be appropriately omitted or simplified.

[0014] Refer to Figure 1 to describe the structure of the system 10 according to the present embodiment.

[0015] The system 10 includes at least one power supply auxiliary device 20, at least one power supply vehicle 30, and at least one general vehicle 40. In addition, the power supply auxiliary device 20, the power supply vehicle 30, and the general vehicle 40 may each be multiple.

[0016] The power supply auxiliary device 20 can communicate with the power supply vehicle 30 and the general vehicle 40 via the network 50. The power supply vehicle 30 can also communicate with the general vehicle 40 via the network 50.

[0017] The power supply auxiliary device 20 is provided in a facility such as a data center. The power supply auxiliary device 20 is, for example, a server belonging to a cloud computing system or other computing system.

[0018] A battery or a generator is mounted on the power supply vehicle 30. The power supply vehicle 30 is a vehicle that moves to the power supply location P based on an instruction from the power supply auxiliary device 20 and provides a charging service to the general vehicle 40. In the following description, the power supply vehicle 30 is mounted with a battery.

[0019] The general vehicle 40 is, for example, an electric vehicle of any type such as an HEV, PHEV, BEV, or FCEV. "HEV" is an abbreviation for hybrid electric vehicle. "PHEV" is an abbreviation for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. "BEV" is an abbreviation for battery electric vehicle. "FCEV" is an abbreviation for fuel cell electric vehicle. The general vehicle 40 is a vehicle other than the power supply vehicle 30, including vehicles owned by individuals and industrial vehicles. In the present embodiment, the general vehicle 40 is a private car, but it is not limited thereto, and may be any vehicle as long as it can be charged using the power supplied from the power supply vehicle 30. In the present embodiment, the general vehicle 40 is driven by a driver who is the user U, but it may also be an AV in which driving is automated at any level. "AV" is an abbreviation for autonomous vehicle. The level of automation is, for example, any one of levels 1 to 5 in the classification of SAE. "SAE" is an abbreviation for Society of Automotive Engineers.

[0020] The network 50 includes the Internet, at least one WAN, at least one MAN, or a combination thereof. "WAN" is an abbreviation for wide area network. "MAN" is an abbreviation for metropolitan area network. The network 50 may also include at least one wireless network, at least one optical network, or a combination thereof. The wireless network is, for example, an ad hoc network, a cellular network, a wireless LAN, a satellite communication network, or a terrestrial microwave network. "LAN" is an abbreviation for local area network.

[0021] Refer to Figure 1 , and the outline of the present embodiment will be described.

[0022] In a known electric moving body such as an electric vehicle that can store electric power supplied from outside the vehicle, the cruising range is shorter than that of a gasoline vehicle. Generally, the cruising range of an electric vehicle is 200 to 600 km. Therefore, when traveling long distances in an electric vehicle, it is necessary to plan the charging timing more frequently than in a gasoline vehicle. However, in the case of being caught in an unexpected traffic jam or breaking down due to heavy snow, etc., there is a possibility of becoming power-deficient without being able to reach the planned charging location. The "power-deficient state" means a state where the electric power for driving in an electric vehicle is insufficient. In order to charge an electric vehicle that has broken down in a traffic jam, it is also possible to consider dispatching a power supply vehicle to the vehicle queue in the traffic jam, but it is difficult to pass through the vehicle queue in the traffic jam. And charging also takes time, so there is also a case where it becomes a cause of causing a new traffic jam. In addition, the installation of charging stations requires a high installation cost, so currently the number of installations and the installation locations are limited.

[0023] In the system 10 according to the present embodiment, the power supply assistance device 20 acquires traffic jam prediction information D1 that predicts traffic jams of vehicles occurring on each road, and based on the acquired traffic jam prediction information D1, determines the dispatch of the power supply vehicle 30 that supplies power to the general vehicle 40 having an external power supply function.

[0024] According to the present embodiment, in the case of predicting a traffic jam, the power supply vehicle 30 can be pre-dispatched, and it is easy to charge the general vehicle 40 before getting caught in a traffic jam. Therefore, even if the general vehicle 40 gets caught in a traffic jam, it is not likely to become power-deficient. In addition, the installation location of the power supply vehicle 30 can be arbitrarily selected according to the traffic jam situation, so even if the number of charging stations is not increased, the power supply vehicle 30 can be installed at an appropriate location as needed. And the necessity of dispatching the power supply vehicle 30 in a traffic jam is reduced.

[0025] In the present embodiment, the power supply assistance device 20 dispatches the power supply vehicle 30 to the vicinity of the area where a traffic jam is predicted. Specifically, the power supply assistance device 20 predicts the position of the end E of the traffic jam and dispatches the power supply vehicle 30 to a position ahead of the predicted position. In the case where the scale of the traffic jam is above a certain scale, the power supply assistance device 20 can also determine the dispatch of the power supply vehicle 30. In addition, the power supply assistance device 20 can also change the charging capacity (power supply capacity) of the battery of the power supply vehicle 30 to be dispatched according to the scale of the traffic jam. In addition, the power supply assistance device 20 can also dispatch the power supply vehicle 30 to a commercial facility, and realize the convenience of using the commercial facility for the user U of the general vehicle 40 that is charged from the power supply assistance device 20.

[0026] Refer to Figure 2, the structure of the power supply auxiliary device 20 involved in this embodiment will be described.

[0027] The power supply auxiliary device 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit 23.

[0028] The control unit 21 includes at least one processor, at least one programmable circuit, at least one dedicated circuit, or any combination thereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or GPU, or a dedicated processor dedicated to specific processing. "CPU" is the abbreviation of central processing unit. "GPU" is the abbreviation of graphics processing unit. The programmable circuit is, for example, an FPGA. "FPGA" is the abbreviation of field-programmable gate array. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an ASIC. "ASIC" is the abbreviation of application specific integrated circuit. The control unit 21 controls each part of the power supply auxiliary device 20 and performs processing related to the operation of the power supply auxiliary device 20.

[0029] The storage unit 22 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a RAM or a ROM. "RAM" is the abbreviation of random access memory. "ROM" is the abbreviation of read only memory. The RAM is, for example, an SRAM or a DRAM. "SRAM" is the abbreviation of static random access memory. "DRAM" is the abbreviation of dynamic random access memory. The ROM is, for example, an EEPROM. "EEPROM" is the abbreviation of electrically erasable programmable read only memory. The storage unit 22 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache. Data for the operation of the power supply auxiliary device 20 and data obtained through the operation of the power supply auxiliary device 20 are stored in the storage unit 22. It is also possible to store traffic congestion prediction information D1 that predicts traffic congestion of vehicles occurring on each road in the storage unit 22.

[0030] The map information D2 may also be stored in the storage unit 22. The map information D2 is information representing a map that includes roads where traffic jams are predicted and the surroundings of the roads, and on which a plurality of commercial facilities F capable of dispatching the power supply vehicle 30 are drawn.

[0031] The communication unit 23 includes at least one communication interface. The communication interface is, for example, a LAN interface. The communication unit 23 receives data for the operation of the power supply assistance device 20, and also transmits data obtained through the operation of the power supply assistance device 20. In the present embodiment, the communication unit 23 communicates with the power supply vehicle 30 and the general vehicle 40.

[0032] The functions of the power supply assistance device 20 are implemented by a processor, which is the control unit 21, executing the program according to the present embodiment. That is, the functions of the power supply assistance device 20 are implemented by software. For the program, by causing a computer to execute the operations of the power supply assistance device 20, the computer functions as the power supply assistance device 20. That is, the computer functions as the power supply assistance device 20 by executing the operations of the power supply assistance device 20 according to the program.

[0033] The program can be stored in a non-temporary computer-readable medium. The non-temporary computer-readable medium is, for example, a flash memory, a magnetic recording device, an optical disc, a magneto-optical recording medium, or a ROM. The distribution of the program is performed, for example, by selling, transferring, or lending a portable medium such as an SD card, a DVD, or a CD-ROM storing the program. "SD" is an abbreviation for Secure Digital. "DVD" is an abbreviation for digital versatile disc. "CD-ROM" is an abbreviation for compact disc read only memory. The program can also be distributed by storing the program in the storage of a server and transmitting the program from the server to other computers. The program can also be provided as a program product.

[0034] A computer temporarily stores, for example, a program stored in a portable medium or a program transmitted from a server in a main storage device. Further, the computer reads the program stored in the main storage device by a processor and executes processing by the processor according to the read program. The computer may also directly read a program from a portable medium and execute processing according to the program. Each time a program is transmitted from a server to the computer, the computer may also sequentially execute processing according to the received program. It is also possible to execute processing by a so-called ASP-type service that achieves functions only through execution instructions and result acquisition without transmitting a program from a server to the computer. "ASP" is an abbreviation for Application Service Provider. A program includes information according to the program for processing by an electronic computer. For example, data that is not a direct instruction to a computer but has the nature of prescribing processing of the computer belongs to "information according to the program".

[0035] Part or all of the functions of the power supply auxiliary device 20 may also be implemented by a programmable circuit or an application-specific circuit as the control unit 21. That is, part or all of the functions of the power supply auxiliary device 20 may also be implemented by hardware.

[0036] Refer to Figure 3 FIG., the structure of the power supply vehicle 30 and the structure of the general vehicle 40 according to the present embodiment will be described. Since the power supply vehicle 30 and the general vehicle 40 have common structural elements, the same drawings are used for the description. However, the two differ in that the power supply vehicle 30 has a power supply unit 36 while the general vehicle 40 has a power receiving unit 46.

[0037] The power supply vehicle 30 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, a communication unit 33, a positioning unit 34, a battery 35, and a power supply unit 36. The general vehicle 40 includes a control unit 41, a storage unit 42, a communication unit 43, a positioning unit 44, a battery 45, and a power receiving unit 46.

[0038] The control units 31 and 41 include at least one processor, at least one programmable circuit, at least one application-specific circuit, or any combination thereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or GPU, or a dedicated processor dedicated to specific processing. The programmable circuit is, for example, an FPGA. The application-specific circuit is, for example, an ASIC. The control units 31 and 41 respectively control each part of the power supply vehicle 30 and the general vehicle 40, and execute processing related to the operations of the power supply vehicle 30 and the general vehicle 40.

[0039] The storage units 32 and 42 include at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a RAM or a ROM. The RAM is, for example, an SRAM or a DRAM. The ROM is, for example, an EEPROM. The storage unit 32 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache. Data for operating the power supply vehicle 30 and the general vehicle 40, and data obtained through the operations of the power supply vehicle 30 and the general vehicle 40 are stored in the storage unit 32.

[0040] The communication units 33 and 43 include at least one communication interface. The communication interface is, for example, a LAN interface. The communication units 33 and 43 receive data for operating the power supply vehicle 30 and the general vehicle 40, and also transmit data obtained through the operations of the power supply vehicle 30 and the general vehicle 40. In the present embodiment, the communication units 33 and 43 communicate with the power supply assistance device 20. The communication unit 33 of the power supply vehicle 30 may also communicate with the general vehicle 40. The communication unit 43 of the general vehicle 40 may also communicate with the power supply vehicle 30.

[0041] The positioning units 34 and 44 include at least one GNSS receiver. "GNSS" is an abbreviation for Global Navigation Satellite System. GNSS is, for example, GPS, QZSS, GLONASS, or Galileo. "GPS" is an abbreviation for Global Positioning System. "QZSS" is an abbreviation for Quasi-Zenith Satellite System. The satellites of QZSS are also called quasi-zenith satellites. "GLONASS" is an abbreviation for Global Navigation Satellite System. The positioning units 34 and 44 respectively position the positions of the power supply vehicle 30 and the general vehicle 40. The position is represented by latitude, longitude, etc.

[0042] The batteries 35 and 45 are configured to include, for example, a secondary battery such as a lithium-ion secondary battery or a nickel-metal hydride secondary battery that can be repeatedly charged and discharged. As the batteries 35 and 45, other power storage devices such as multilayer capacitors may be used instead of the secondary battery. The batteries 35 and 45 include a control circuit for controlling current, voltage, temperature, etc. The battery 35 may also be a large battery mounted on the rear part of the power supply vehicle 30 or the like. The battery 45 may be disposed at any location within the general vehicle 40, such as under the rear seat or in the trunk of the general vehicle 40.

[0043] The power supply unit 36 is a part that supplies the power of the battery 35 from the power supply vehicle 30 to the general vehicle 40. The power supply unit 36 can be configured to include, for example, a power supply cable and a connector provided at the front end of the power supply cable.

[0044] The power receiving unit 46 receives the supply of power from the outside in order to charge the battery 45. The power receiving unit 46 includes a charging port. The charging port includes a charging inlet for connecting a connector of a charging cable from the power supply vehicle 30. The charging port can be arranged at any position such as the upper part of the front grille, the front fender, the rear fender, and the rear bumper of the general vehicle 40.

[0045] Although the power supply from the power supply vehicle 30 to the general vehicle 40 has been described as being performed by contact charging using a power supply cable or the like, it is not limited thereto. For example, non-contact charging that wirelessly transmits power by using a power transmission coil and a power reception coil or the like can also be used.

[0046] Refer to Figure 4 , the operation of the system 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. This operation corresponds to the control method according to the present embodiment.

[0047] In S1 (hereinafter, each step of the flowchart is determined by S and a number), the control unit 21 of the power supply assistance device 20 acquires traffic jam prediction information D1 that predicts traffic jams of vehicles occurring on each road. The traffic jam prediction information D1 can be acquired in any order. The control unit 21, for example, communicates with an external server provided in a traffic information center or the like via the communication unit 23 and receives the traffic jam prediction information D1 sent from the external server, thereby acquiring the traffic jam prediction information D1. Alternatively, when there are a plurality of general vehicles 40 including the general vehicle 40', the control unit 21 can also communicate with these plurality of general vehicles 40, predict traffic jams based on the driving history records of each general vehicle 40, etc., and acquire the predicted result as the traffic jam prediction information D1. The traffic jam prediction information D1 includes, for example, the identification information of the road R predicted to have a traffic jam, the predicted occurrence time, and the position information of the starting point PS and the ending point PT of the traffic jam. The control unit 21 can also store the acquired traffic jam prediction information D1 in the storage unit 22.

[0048] In S2, the control unit 21 of the power supply assistance device 20 demarcates the rearmost end E of the predicted traffic jam on a certain road based on the traffic jam prediction information D1 obtained in S1. As an example, according to the traffic jam prediction information D1, it is shown that a traffic jam is predicted to occur on a certain road R1 from the starting point PS1 to the ending point PT1. The control unit 21 refers to the traffic jam prediction information D1 and demarcates, for the road R1, the position represented by the position information of the ending point PT1 indicated by the traffic jam prediction information D1 as the rearmost end E of the traffic jam predicted on the road R1.

[0049] In S3, the control unit 21 of the power supply assistance device 20 selects the power supply location P for dispatching the power supply vehicle 30. The control unit 21 selects a location behind the rearmost end E of the traffic jam demarcated in S2 as the power supply location P. Here, "behind" refers to the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the traffic jam.

[0050] The power supply location P for dispatching the power supply vehicle 30 only needs to be a location behind the rearmost end E of the traffic jam and can be arbitrarily selected. In the present embodiment, the control unit 21 of the power supply assistance device 20 selects the power supply location P in the following order.

[0051] In the first order, the control unit 21 of the power supply assistance device 20 acquires the map information D2. In the present embodiment, the map information D2 is a map including the road R1 where the traffic jam is predicted and the periphery of the road R1. In the present embodiment, on the map represented by the map information D2, a plurality of commercial facilities F registered as locations where the power supply vehicle 30 can be dispatched are drawn. Examples of "commercial facilities" include stores such as shopping centers, supermarkets, convenience stores, discount stores, department stores, hypermarkets, toy stores, bookstores, auto supply stores, clothing stores, sports goods stores, or fast food restaurants, or banks, etc., which sell certain goods or provide certain services. The map information D2 can be acquired in any order. In the present embodiment, the map information D2 is pre-stored in the storage unit 22, and the control unit 21 acquires the map information D2 by reading the map information D2 from the storage unit 22.

[0052] In the second order, the control unit 21 of the power supply assistance device 20 selects, among the plurality of commercial facilities F represented by the map information D2 acquired in the first order, the commercial facility F' that is behind the rearmost end E demarcated in S2 and is the closest to the rearmost end E as the power supply location P.

[0053] In S4, the control unit 21 of the power supply assistance device 20 determines the dispatch of the power supply vehicle 30. Specifically, in S4, the control unit 21 determines the dispatch of the power supply vehicle 30 to the selected power supply location P. The dispatch of the power supply vehicle 30 can be determined in any order, but for example, it is determined in the following order. The control unit 21 of the power supply assistance device 20 generates a dispatch instruction X that instructs the power supply vehicle 30 to move to the power supply location P. The dispatch instruction X includes the location information of the power supply location P. The control unit 21 transmits the generated dispatch instruction X to the power supply vehicle 30 via the communication unit 23. The power supply vehicle 30 receives the dispatch instruction X via the communication unit 33 and moves to the location indicated by the location information of the power supply location P included in the received dispatch instruction X. In this way, the power supply vehicle 30 is dispatched to the power supply location P.

[0054] As described above, the power supply assistance device 20 acquires traffic jam prediction information D1 that predicts traffic jams of vehicles occurring on each road, and based on the acquired traffic jam prediction information D1, determines the dispatch of the power supply vehicle 30 that supplies power to the general vehicle 40 having an external power supply function.

[0055] According to this configuration, in the case of predicting a traffic jam, the power supply vehicle 30 can be pre-dispatched. In addition, the power supply vehicle 30 is dispatched to a position ahead of the end of the predicted traffic jam on a certain road. Therefore, the general vehicle 40, which is an electric vehicle, can stop by at the power supply location P and charge from the power supply vehicle 30 before getting stuck in the traffic jam. As a result, even if the general vehicle 40 gets stuck in a traffic jam, it is not easily out of power.

[0056] As a modification example of the present embodiment, the control unit 21 of the power supply assistance device 20 may determine the dispatch of the power supply vehicle 30 when the scale of the traffic jam is a certain level or more. The scale of the traffic jam can be represented by, for example, the distance d. For example, the control unit 21 may also determine whether the distance d from the starting point PS1 to the ending point PT1 is equal to or greater than the threshold Th1 based on the traffic jam prediction information D1 acquired in S1, and when the distance d is equal to or greater than the threshold Th1, determine the dispatch of the power supply vehicle 30. The threshold Th1 can be any value and can be set arbitrarily. For example, it is a value calculated by multiplying the average cruising range of an electric vehicle (e.g., 200 - 600 km) by a prescribed coefficient.

[0057] Since the number of power supply vehicles 30 is limited, if the power supply vehicle 30 is dispatched every time a traffic jam is predicted, there may be a shortage of power supply vehicles 30. According to this modification example, the power supply vehicle 30 is selectively dispatched. Therefore, even when the number of power supply vehicles 30 is limited, the power supply vehicle 30 can be efficiently dispatched.

[0058] As a modification of this embodiment, the control unit 21 of the power supply assistance device 20 may also be configured to: when scheduling the power supply vehicle 30 in S4, determine the scale of the traffic jam that delimits the rearmost end E based on the traffic jam prediction information D1, and determine the available power supply capacity in the power supply vehicle 30 according to the determined scale of the traffic jam. Specifically, the control unit 21 may also be configured to: the larger the scale of the traffic jam, the larger the charging capacity (available power supply capacity) of the battery 35 in the power supply vehicle 30. For example, it may also be configured to: determine the power supply capacity per unit distance in advance, and the control unit 21 determines the value calculated by multiplying the distance representing the scale of the traffic jam by the power supply capacity per unit distance as the available power supply capacity in the power supply vehicle 30.

[0059] According to this modification, the available power supply capacity in the power supply vehicle 30 is determined according to the scale of the traffic jam, so it is easy to avoid the situation where the available power supply capacity in the power supply vehicle 30 is insufficient.

[0060] As a modification of this embodiment, assume a situation where a commercial facility F' is selected as the power supply location P in S3 and power is supplied to the general vehicle 40'. The control unit 21 of the power supply assistance device 20 may also perform the following control, that is: determine the general vehicle 40' that is supplied with power from the power supply vehicle 30 scheduled to the commercial facility F', and prompt the advertisement AD1 that promotes the commercial facility F' to the user U' of the determined general vehicle 40'. The user U' is, for example, the driver of the general vehicle 40'. Specifically, the control unit 21 may also perform the following processes S5 and S6.

[0061] In S5, the control unit 21 of the power supply assistance device 20 determines the general vehicle 40' that is supplied with power from the power supply vehicle 30 scheduled to the commercial facility F' selected as the power supply location P. The general vehicle 40' can be determined in any order, but for example, it is determined in the following order.

[0062] The control unit 21 of the power supply assistance device 20, for example, acquires vehicle identification information D3 including the vehicle identifier ID' that identifies the general vehicle 40' that is supplied with power from the power supply vehicle 30, and determines the general vehicle 40' based on the acquired vehicle identifier ID' represented by the vehicle identification information D3. The vehicle identification information D3 can be acquired by the power supply assistance device 20 in any order, but in this embodiment, it is acquired in the following order.

[0063] If the control unit 41 of the general vehicle 40 detects that a connector of the power supply unit 36 of the power supply vehicle 30 is connected to the charging port of the power receiving unit 46' of the general vehicle 40', it generates information including the vehicle identifier ID' of the general vehicle 40' as vehicle identification information D3. The control unit 41 sends the generated vehicle identification information D3 to the power supply assistance device 20 via the communication unit 43. The control unit 21 of the power supply assistance device 20 receives the vehicle identification information D3 sent from the general vehicle 40' via the communication unit 23. In this way, the control unit 21 obtains the vehicle identification information D3.

[0064] Alternatively, the vehicle identification information D3 may also be sent from the power supply vehicle 30 to the power supply assistance device 20. Specifically, if the control unit 31 of the power supply vehicle 30 detects that the connector of the power supply unit 36 is connected to the charging port of the power receiving unit 46' of the general vehicle 40', it may also communicate with the general vehicle 40' via the communication unit 33 and receive the vehicle identification information D3 sent from the general vehicle 40'. Moreover, the control unit 31 may send the received vehicle identification information D3 to the power supply assistance device 20 via the communication unit 33.

[0065] In S6, the control unit 21 of the power supply assistance device 20 controls to prompt the user U of the general vehicle 40' determined in S5 to view the advertisement AD1 of the commercial facility F'. As an example, the user U' of the general vehicle 40' is pre-associated with the vehicle identifier ID' of the general vehicle 40'. The control unit 21 determines the user U' associated with the vehicle identifier ID' of the general vehicle 40' as the user U' of the general vehicle 40'. The control unit 21 controls the terminal device TL' held by the determined user U' to display the notification N1 which is the advertisement AD1' of the commercial facility F'. Specifically, the control unit 21 generates, as the notification N1, the message M1 "Thank you for charging. Now, a thank-you coupon that can be used at the commercial facility F' is being issued!" and sends it to the terminal device TL'. The message M1 may also include coupon information such as a discount coupon. The terminal device TL' causes the message M1 sent from the power supply assistance device 20 to be displayed on the screen of the terminal device TL'. Alternatively, the control unit 21 of the power supply assistance device 20 may communicate with the general vehicle 40' and control to display the notification N1 on the in-vehicle display of the general vehicle 40'. Specifically, the control unit 21 may also send the message M1 as the notification N1 to the general vehicle 40'. The general vehicle 40' may prompt the user U' by causing the message M1 sent from the power supply assistance device 20 to be displayed on the screen of the in-vehicle display mounted on the general vehicle 40'. Alternatively, the control unit 21 may perform control such as printing a receipt issued when the charging of the general vehicle 40' is completed as the message M1 of the notification N1. As another example, the general vehicle 40 may be configured to be able to send the position information indicating the position of the general vehicle 40 to the power supply assistance device 20 during the power supply from the power supply vehicle 30. The control unit 21 of the power supply assistance device 20 may also perform the following control: instead of determining the user U' associated with the vehicle identifier ID' of the general vehicle 40', it obtains the position information sent from the charging general vehicle 40', determines the terminal device at the same position as the position indicated by the obtained position information as the terminal device TL', and causes the determined terminal device TL' to display the message M1.

[0066] According to this modification example, it is possible to promote the utilization of the commercial facility F' by the user U' who has been charged from the power supply vehicle 30 to the general vehicle 40. If the user U' stops by the commercial facility F', the general vehicle 40 will not get stuck in traffic congestion. In addition, for the commercial facility F', there is also the advantage of increasing revenue through an increase in the number of customers. And if the number of users U who stop by the commercial facility F' increases, the number of vehicles traveling on the road R1 in traffic congestion decreases. As a result, it can also be considered that it helps to relieve traffic congestion. Therefore, the general vehicle 40 is not easily stuck in traffic congestion. As a result, the general vehicle 40 is not easily in a power shortage state.

[0067] In this embodiment, one or more users U may also be pre-registered in the power supply assistance device 20. The registration of the users U can be performed in any order, but for example, it is performed in the following order. The user U who wants to use the system 10 uses the terminal devices TL held respectively to perform usage registration. Specifically, the user U inputs the login information D4 required for registration to their respective terminal devices TL. The login information D4 includes, for example, the vehicle identifier ID that identifies the general vehicle 40 driven by each user U. The terminal device TL accepts the input of the login information D4 by the user U. The terminal device TL sends the login information D4 input by each user U to the power supply assistance device 20.

[0068] The power supply assistance device 20 acquires the login information D4 sent from the terminal device TL. Specifically, the control unit 21 of the power supply assistance device 20 communicates with the terminal device TL via the communication unit 23 and receives the login information D4 sent from the terminal device TL. The control unit 21 stores the received login information D4 in the storage unit 22. In this way, one or more users U who use the system 10 are registered in the power supply assistance device 20.

[0069] The control unit 21 of the power supply auxiliary device 20 may also notify one or more registered users U of power supply promotion information D5 for facilitating power supply. Specifically, if the control unit 21 obtains traffic congestion prediction information D1 in S1, it may also use the obtained traffic congestion prediction information D1 as the power supply promotion information D5 and notify one or more registered users U. For example, the control unit 21 may send the traffic congestion prediction information D1 to the respective terminal devices TL of the users U via the communication unit 23. Or, if the control unit 21 determines the scheduling of the power supply vehicle 30 in S4, it may also notify each user U of the situation that the power supply vehicle 30 is scheduled to the power supply location P as the power supply promotion information D5. Specifically, the control unit 21 may send the location information indicating the location of the power supply location P to the terminal device TL as the power supply promotion information D5 via the communication unit 23. And the control unit 21 may also control to prompt each user U with an advertisement AD2' for promoting the commercial facility F' selected as the power supply location P. Specifically, the control unit 21 controls to cause the terminal devices TL respectively held by the registered users U to display a notification N2 for the advertisement AD2' for promoting the commercial facility F'. For example, the control unit 21 generates a message M2 such as "Coupons that can be used in the commercial facility F' are being issued to customers charging in the commercial facility F'!" as the notification N2 and sends it to each terminal device TL. The message M2 may also include preferential preview information such as discount coupons that can be used in the commercial facility F' after charging. The terminal devices TL respectively display the message M2 sent from the power supply auxiliary device 20 on the screens of the terminal devices TL. Or, the control unit 21 of the power supply auxiliary device 20 may also control to communicate with one or more general vehicles 40 and cause the notification N2 to be displayed on the respective in-vehicle monitors of the general vehicles 40. Specifically, the control unit 21 may send the message M2 as the notification N2 to the general vehicles 40. The general vehicles 40 may also prompt the users U by displaying the message M2 sent from the power supply auxiliary device 20 on the screens of the in-vehicle monitors mounted on the general vehicles 40.

[0070] According to this structure, it is widely notified to one or more users U who have registered the use of system 10 that traffic congestion is predicted and that a power supply vehicle 30 is dispatched to the power supply location P. Thus, it encourages user U to charge in advance at the power supply location P before getting stuck in traffic congestion. In addition, compared with the case of notifying N1 to the general vehicle 40' of user U' after charging is determined, it encourages more users U to stop by the commercial facility F' that serves as the power supply location P. Therefore, the number of general vehicles 40 stuck in traffic congestion can be further reduced by an amount corresponding to the number of users U. In addition, for the commercial facility F', if the number of user U who visit increases, there is also the advantage of expecting more revenue. And if the number of users U who stop by the commercial facility F' increases, the number of general vehicles 40 traveling on the road R1 during traffic congestion decreases. As a result, it can also be considered that the traffic congestion is alleviated. Thus, each general vehicle 40 is not easily stuck in traffic congestion. As a result, the general vehicle 40 is not easily in a power shortage state.

[0071] This disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, multiple blocks described in the block diagram can be combined, or one block can be divided. Instead of executing the multiple steps described in the flowchart in time series according to the description, they can be executed in parallel or in a different order according to the processing ability of the device that executes each step, or as needed. In addition, changes can be made without departing from the gist of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A power supply auxiliary device, wherein: The power supply auxiliary device includes a control unit configured to obtain traffic congestion prediction information predicting traffic congestion of vehicles occurring on each road, and determine a dispatch of a power supply vehicle for supplying power to a general vehicle having an external power supply function based on the obtained traffic congestion prediction information.

2. The power supply auxiliary device according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit defines the end of a traffic jam predicted on a certain road based on the traffic jam prediction information, selects a location behind the defined end as a power supply point, and determines the dispatch of the power supply vehicle to the selected power supply point.

3. The power supply auxiliary device according to claim 2, wherein: The control unit determines the scale of the traffic jam defining the last traffic jam based on the traffic jam prediction information, and determines the power supply capacity in the power supply vehicle according to the determined scale.

4. The power supply auxiliary device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: The control unit acquires map information indicating a map, the map including a road where the traffic jam is predicted and the surroundings of the road, and a plurality of commercial facilities registered as places where the power supply vehicle can be dispatched, The control unit selects, as the power supply point, a commercial facility that is behind the last one and is closest to the last one among the plurality of commercial facilities indicated by the map information.

5. The power supply auxiliary device according to claim 4, wherein: The control unit performs the following control, namely: A general vehicle supplied with electric power from the power supply vehicle dispatched to the commercial facility selected as the power supply location is identified, and an advertisement promoting the commercial facility is presented to a user of the identified general vehicle.

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