Notification control method, notification controller, and vehicle

Abstract

A notification control method is performed by a notification controller configured to notify a user of a vehicle to replace an electric energy storage device mounted on the vehicle and configured to store electric power for driving the vehicle. The notification control method includes setting a threshold value related to an amount of electric power required to travel between a current position of the vehicle and a replacement site satisfying a predetermined condition among a plurality of replacement sites for the electric energy storage device, identifying a status value for identifying an amount of remaining electric power of the electric energy storage device, and controlling the notification device such that when the condition value falls below the threshold value, the notification device notifies the user to prompt the user to replace the electrical energy storage device. The notification controller includes a processor and a notification device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a notification control method, a notification controller, and a vehicle, and more particularly, to a notification control method executed by a notification controller that notifies a user of a vehicle to replace an electrical energy storage device mounted on the vehicle and storing electrical power for driving the vehicle, a notification controller that notifies the user of the vehicle to replace the electrical energy storage device mounted on the vehicle and storing electrical power for driving the vehicle, and a vehicle that notifies the user to replace the electrical energy storage device storing electrical power for driving the vehicle. Background Art

[0002] There has been a system that identifies at least one battery service station that an electric vehicle can reach using the remaining charge amount and in which the electric vehicle shows the at least one battery service station to the user of the electric vehicle (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014-135892 (JP 2014-135892A)). Summary of the Invention

[0003] In the technology of JP 2014-135892 A, when the state of charge of the battery is lower than a threshold value, a battery service station that can be reached using the remaining charge amount is identified. However, for example, in an area where the number of replacement locations for the electrical energy storage device is relatively small, when the remaining charge amount of the electrical energy storage device is lower than the threshold value, there may be no reachable replacement location.

[0004] The present disclosure provides a notification control method, a notification controller, and a vehicle that can prompt a user to replace an electrical energy storage device before the remaining electrical power amount of the electrical energy storage device is lower than the remaining electrical power amount required for the vehicle to reach a replacement location for the electrical energy storage device.

[0005] A first aspect of the present disclosure provides a notification control method. The notification control method is executed by a notification controller configured to notify a user of a vehicle to replace an electrical energy storage device mounted on the vehicle and configured to store electrical power for driving the vehicle. The notification controller includes a processor and a notification device. The notification control method includes: a setting step of setting, by the processor, a threshold value related to the amount of electrical power required to travel between the current position of the vehicle and a replacement location for the electrical energy storage device, the replacement location satisfying a predetermined condition; an identifying step of identifying, by the processor, a condition value for identifying the remaining electrical power amount of the electrical energy storage device; and a control step of controlling, by the processor, the notification device when the condition value drops below the threshold value so that the notification device notifies the user to prompt the user to replace the electrical energy storage device.

[0006] According to a first aspect, when a condition value for identifying the remaining electric power amount of an electric energy storage device drops below a threshold value related to the electric power amount required for traveling between the current position of the vehicle and a replacement location for the electric energy storage device, the user is notified to prompt the user to replace the electric energy storage device. Therefore, it is possible to provide a notification control method that can prompt the user to replace the electric energy storage device before the remaining electric power amount of the electric energy storage device drops below the remaining electric power amount required for the vehicle to reach the replacement location for the electric energy storage device.

[0007] In the first aspect, the predetermined condition may include a condition that the vehicle reaches the replacement location from the current position with the minimum required electric power amount.

[0008] With the above configuration, it is possible to prompt the user to replace the electric energy storage device before the remaining electric power amount drops below the remaining electric power amount required for the vehicle to reach a replacement location where the vehicle can reach from the current position with the minimum required electric power amount.

[0009] In the first aspect, the notification control method may include an acquisition step of acquiring, by a processor, information on the electric power amount of the electric energy storage device stored at the replacement location. The predetermined condition may include a condition related to the electric power amount of the electric energy storage device indicated by the acquired information.

[0010] With the above configuration, the replacement location for prompting the replacement of the electric energy storage device can be set as the replacement location where an electric energy storage device that satisfies the condition related to the electric power amount is stored.

[0011] In the first aspect, setting the threshold value may include a provision step of setting, by a processor, the threshold value based on the electric power efficiency and the distance between the current position and the replacement location that satisfies the predetermined condition.

[0012] With the above configuration, it is possible to further accurately set the threshold value related to the electric power amount required for traveling between the current position and the replacement location.

[0013] In the first aspect, the notification control method may include a provision step of controlling, by a processor, a notification device so that the notification device provides a screen for the user to make an appointment for replacing the electric energy storage device at the replacement location.

[0014] With the above configuration, it is possible to reduce the time and effort required for the user to perform an operation for making an appointment for replacing the electric energy storage device at the replacement location.

[0015] In the first aspect, the notification control method may include a prohibition step of prohibiting, by a processor, the notification for prompting the user to replace the electric energy storage device when the remaining electric power amount drops below the electric power amount required for traveling between the current position of the vehicle and the replacement location that satisfies the predetermined condition.

[0016] With the above configuration, when the remaining electric power amount of the electric energy storage device drops below the electric power amount required to travel between the current location of the vehicle and the replacement location, it is possible to stop unnecessary notifications, such as prompting for replacement, by determining that the user does not intend to replace the electric energy storage device (the user does not intend to replace the electric energy storage device but intends to charge the electric energy storage device).

[0017] In a first aspect, when controlling the notification device, the processor may be configured to control the notification device such that when the distance between the current location of the vehicle and a replacement location that meets a predetermined condition is less than a predetermined distance, the notification device notifies the user to prompt the user to replace the electric energy storage device.

[0018] In a situation where there is no replacement location in the surrounding area, it can be presumed that the electric energy storage device is basically not replaced but charged. For this reason, when the distance between the current location of the vehicle and the replacement location is greater than or equal to the predetermined distance, if the user is notified to prompt the user to replace the electric energy storage device, the user will feel troubled. With this configuration, when the distance between the current location of the vehicle and the replacement location is less than the predetermined distance, the user is notified to prompt the user to replace the electric energy storage device. Therefore, it is possible not to trouble the user.

[0019] In a first aspect, the notification control method may further include: an acquisition step of the processor acquiring traffic congestion information of a route from the current location of the vehicle to a replacement location that meets a predetermined condition; and a proposal step of the processor controlling the notification device such that when the traffic congestion information indicates a possibility of traffic congestion, the notification device proposes suppressing electric power consumption until the traffic congestion disappears.

[0020] When a condition value used to identify the remaining electric power amount of the electric energy storage device drops below a threshold value related to the electric power amount required to reach the replacement location for the electric energy storage device, the user is notified to prompt the user to replace the electric energy storage device. In this case, if the vehicle encounters traffic congestion and consumes additional electric power, the possibility that the vehicle cannot reach the replacement location increases. With this configuration, when it is indicated that there is a possibility of traffic congestion on the route from the current location to the replacement location, the user is proposed to suppress the consumption of electric power until the traffic congestion disappears. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation where the vehicle cannot reach the replacement location.

[0021] A second aspect of the present disclosure provides a notification controller. The notification controller is configured to notify a user of a vehicle to replace an electrical energy storage device installed on the vehicle and configured to store electrical power for driving the vehicle. The notification controller includes a processor and a notification device. The processor is configured to set a threshold related to an amount of electrical power required to travel between a current location of the vehicle and a replacement location for the electrical energy storage device, the replacement location satisfying a predetermined condition, identify a status value for identifying a remaining amount of electrical power of the electrical energy storage device, compare the status value with the threshold, and when the status value drops below the threshold, control the notification device such that the notification device notifies the user to prompt the user to replace the electrical energy storage device.

[0022] According to the second aspect, it is possible to provide a notification controller capable of prompting a user to replace an electrical energy storage device before a remaining amount of electrical power of the electrical energy storage device drops below a remaining amount of electrical power required for the vehicle to reach a replacement location for the electrical energy storage device.

[0023] A third aspect of the present disclosure provides a vehicle. The vehicle is configured to notify a user to replace an electrical energy storage device configured to store electrical power for driving the vehicle. The vehicle includes a processor, a communication device for communicating with an external device, and a notification device configured to notify a user of information. The processor is configured to control the communication device such that the communication device sends information indicating a current location of the vehicle and a remaining amount of electrical power of the electrical energy storage device to the external device, and control the notification device such that when a status value for identifying the remaining amount of electrical power drops below a threshold related to an amount of electrical power required to travel between the current location and a replacement location for the electrical energy storage device, the notification device notifies information prompting replacement of the electrical energy storage device. The information is sent from the external device. The threshold is identified by the external device. The replacement location satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0024] According to the third aspect, it is possible to provide a vehicle capable of prompting a user to replace an electrical energy storage device before a remaining amount of electrical power of the electrical energy storage device drops below a remaining amount of electrical power required for the vehicle to reach a replacement location for the electrical energy storage device.

[0025] According to the first, second, and third aspects of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a notification control method, a notification controller, and a vehicle capable of prompting a user to replace an electrical energy storage device before a remaining amount of electrical power of the electrical energy storage device drops below a remaining amount of electrical power required for the vehicle to reach a replacement location for the electrical energy storage device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals denote like elements, and in which:

[0027] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a battery replacement system according to an embodiment;

[0028] Figure 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of devices included in a battery replacement system according to an embodiment;

[0029] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the process of battery replacement notification processing according to the first embodiment; and

[0030] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the process of battery replacement notification processing according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0031] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Similar reference numerals denote the same or corresponding parts in the drawings, and their descriptions will not be repeated.

[0032] First Embodiment

[0033] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a battery replacement system 1 according to an embodiment. Figure 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of devices included in a battery replacement system 1 according to an embodiment. As Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the battery replacement system 1 includes a plurality of vehicles 10A, 10B (hereinafter also representatively referred to as "vehicle 10"), a plurality of replacement stations 20A, 20B, 20C (hereinafter also representatively referred to as "replacement station 20"), equipment servers 200A, 200B, 200C (hereinafter also representatively referred to as "equipment server 200") respectively provided in the replacement stations 20A, 20B, 20C, and a management server 100. The battery replacement system 1 may include a mobile terminal 800 carried by a user of each vehicle 10. The vehicles 10A, 10B, the equipment servers 200A, 200B, 200C, the management server 100, and the mobile terminal 800 can communicate via a communication network 900.

[0034] The vehicle 10 includes a battery 11, an electronic control unit (ECU) 12, a drive unit 13, a data communication module (DCM) 14, and a human-machine interface (HMI) 15. The battery 11 stores electric power for driving the vehicle 10 and is installed on the vehicle 10 in a state where it can be replaced by a replacement device 21 (described later). The battery 11 is, for example, a lithium-ion battery. However, the battery 11 is not limited thereto. The battery 11 may be another type of battery, for example, a nickel-metal hydride battery or a all-solid-state battery.

[0035] The ECU 12 includes a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, and a Global Positioning System (GPS). The memory includes a Random Access Memory (RAM) and a Read Only Memory (ROM), and stores programs and data used by the CPU. The CPU executes predetermined processing defined by the program based on the programs and data stored in the memory and the data input from the outside, and stores the resultant data of the execution in the memory or outputs the data to the outside. The GPS detects the position information of the vehicle 10 and transmits the position information to the CPU.

[0036] The drive unit 13 includes a motor generator and an inverter. The inverter drives the motor generator by using the electric power of the battery 11 and charges the battery 11 with the regenerative electric power from the motor generator. The drive unit 13 may further include an engine that runs on fuel to drive the motor generator or the vehicle 10. In other words, the vehicle 10 may be a Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) that includes a motor generator but does not include an engine, or may be a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) or a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) that includes a motor generator and an engine. Moreover, the vehicle 10 may be a Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV).

[0037] The DCM 14 is a module for communicating with an external device via the communication network 900, sending data from the ECU 12 to the external device, and transmitting data from the external device to the ECU 12.

[0038] The HMI 15 is a device provided near the driver's seat of the vehicle 10. The HMI 15 receives information input from the user and outputs the information to the ECU 12. The HMI 15 is configured to inform the user of the information from the ECU 12 by display or voice. The HMI 15 is configured to include, for example, a touch screen display.

[0039] The equipment server 200 includes a CPU 210, a memory 220, a communication unit 230, and a mass storage device 240. The memory 220 includes a Random Access Memory (RAM) and a Read Only Memory (ROM). The communication unit 230 can communicate with an external device via the communication network 900, send data from the CPU 210 to the external device, and transmit data from the external device to the CPU 210. The mass storage device 240 is a Hard Disk Drive (HDD), a Solid State Drive (SSD), etc. The mass storage device 240 stores programs and data used in the CPU 210. The CPU 210 executes predetermined processing defined by the program based on the programs and data stored in the memory 220 or the mass storage device 240 and the data input from the external device to the communication unit 230, and stores the resultant data of the execution in the memory 220 or the mass storage device 240 or outputs the data from the communication unit 230 to the external device.

[0040] The replacement station 20 for the battery 11 includes a replacement device 21 and an equipment server 200. Under the control of the equipment server 200, the replacement device 21 separates the battery 11 of the vehicle 10 from the vehicle 10, moves the separated battery 11 to a storage location, starts charging the moved battery 11, takes out the fully charged battery 11 from the storage location, and installs the taken-out battery 11 into the vehicle 10. In an embodiment, after scheduling the replacement of the battery 11, the battery 11 charged to a charge state (SOC) of 80% is charged to a full charge SOC of 100%.

[0041] The management server 100 includes a CPU 110, a memory 120, a communication unit 130, and a mass storage device 140. The management server 100 manages the replacement of the battery 11 at each replacement station 20 in the battery replacement system 1. The functions of the CPU 110, the memory 120, the communication unit 130, and the mass storage device 140 of the management server 100 are respectively similar to the functions of the CPU 210, the memory 220, the communication unit 230, and the mass storage device 240 of the equipment server 200.

[0042] The mobile terminal 800 includes a CPU 810, a memory 820, a communication unit 830, an input unit 840, and an output unit 850. The functions of the memory 820 and the communication unit 830 of the mobile terminal 800 are respectively similar to the functions of the memory 220 and the communication unit 830 of the equipment server 200. The input unit 840 is composed of a touch panel, operation buttons, and a microphone, and transmits the data input from the touch panel, the operation buttons, or the microphone to the CPU 810. The output unit 850 is composed of a display and a speaker, and outputs the data from the CPU 810 from the display or the speaker. The CPU 810 performs a predetermined process defined by a program according to the program and data stored in the memory 820, the data input from an external device to the communication unit 830, and the data input from the input unit 840, and stores the executed result data in the memory 820 or outputs the data from the communication unit 830 to an external device or outputs the data from the output unit 850.

[0043] In the above battery replacement system 1, when the charge state of the battery 11 is lower than a threshold value, it is possible to infer and identify the replacement station 20 that the vehicle 10 can reach with the remaining charge amount. Here, assuming that the number of surrounding replacement stations 20 for the battery 11 is relatively small, when the remaining charge amount of the battery 11 is lower than the threshold value, there may be no reachable replacement station 20 around.

[0044] To this end, the notification control method includes: setting a threshold value related to the amount of electric power required to travel between the current position of the vehicle 10 and a replacement station 20 that meets a predetermined condition among a plurality of replacement stations 20 for the battery 11; identifying a status value for identifying the remaining electric power amount of the battery 11; and when the status value drops below the threshold value, performing a process of notifying the user to prompt the user to replace the battery 11.

[0045] With this configuration, when the status value for identifying the remaining electric power amount of the battery 11 drops below the threshold value related to the amount of electric power required to travel between the current position of the vehicle 10 and the replacement station 20 for the battery 11, the user is notified to prompt the user to replace the battery 11. Therefore, it is possible to prompt the user to replace the battery 11 before the remaining electric power amount drops below the remaining electric power amount required for the vehicle 10 to reach the replacement station 20 for the battery 11.

[0046] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the process flow of the battery replacement notification process according to the first embodiment. As Figure 3 shown, the ECU 12 of the vehicle 10 calls and executes the battery replacement notification process from the upper-level process at intervals of a constant time period (for example, a constant time period from a few milliseconds to several tens of milliseconds).

[0047] The ECU 12 of the vehicle 10 determines whether a predetermined time period (for example, a period of each predetermined minute, such as every minute) has elapsed (step S111). When the ECU 12 determines that the predetermined time period has not elapsed ( "No" in step S111), the ECU 12 returns the process to the upper-level process that is the source of calling the battery replacement notification process.

[0048] On the other hand, when the ECU 12 determines that the predetermined time has elapsed ( "Yes" in step S111), the ECU 12 determines whether the HMI 15 is notifying a prompt to replace the battery 11 (step S112).

[0049] When the ECU 12 determines that the HMI 15 is not notifying a prompt to replace the battery 11 ("No" in step S112), the ECU 12 identifies a replacement station 20 for the battery 11 that satisfies a predetermined condition (step S113). In the embodiment, the predetermined condition is the condition that the replacement station 20 is closest to the current position of the vehicle 10 (i.e., the condition that the vehicle 10 can reach the replacement station 20 with the least required amount of electric power). The predetermined condition may include the condition that the replacement station 20 stores a battery 11 having a predetermined amount of electric power (e.g., a value greater than or equal to 50%, such as SOC = 80%) or higher. In this case, the SOC of the stored battery 11 is identified and stored by the equipment server 200 of the replacement station 20. The ECU 12 of the vehicle 10 acquires information indicating whether a battery 11 having a predetermined or greater amount of electric power is stored from the equipment server 200, and identifies the replacement station 20 that satisfies the condition of storing a battery 11 having a predetermined or greater amount of electric power. At the replacement station 20, when a reservation for the replacement device 21 is accepted by the equipment server 200, charging is started so that the battery 11 that has been charged to a predetermined amount of electric power is charged to a full charge SOC = 100%.

[0050] The ECU 12 determines whether the identified replacement station 20 is within a predetermined range from the current position (step S114). In the embodiment, the predetermined range is a range in which the driving distance of the route from the current position to the replacement station 20 is less than or equal to a predetermined distance. However, the predetermined range is not limited thereto. The straight-line distance from the current position to the replacement station 20 may be within a range less than or equal to the predetermined distance, or may be within the same municipal district or the same county as the current position.

[0051] When the ECU 12 determines that the replacement station 20 is not within the predetermined range ("No" in step S114), the ECU 12 returns the process to the upper-level process that called the battery replacement notification process. On the other hand, when the ECU 12 determines that the replacement station 20 is within the predetermined range ("Yes" in step S114), the ECU 12 sets a predetermined multiple (e.g., a multiple greater than one, such as a multiple of 1.1) of the SOC required to travel between the current position and the replacement station 20 as a threshold value (step S115). The SOC required to travel between the current position and the replacement station 20 is set by using the distance between the current position and the replacement station 20 and the electric power efficiency (available driving distance per unit amount of electric power) of the vehicle 10.

[0052] The ECU 12 identifies the current SOC of the battery 11 (step S116) and determines whether the SOC is lower than the threshold value (step S117). When the ECU 12 determines that the SOC is not lower than the threshold value ("No" in step S117), the ECU 12 returns the process to the upper-level process that called the battery replacement notification process.

[0053] On the other hand, when the ECU 12 determines that the SOC is lower than the threshold (Yes in step S117), the ECU 12 controls the HMI 15 such that the HMI 15 issues a notification prompting the replacement of the battery 11 (step S118). The notification prompting the replacement of the battery 11 may include information about the replacement station 20 that meets a predetermined condition (e.g., location, facility name, number of batteries 11 having a rated or greater electric power amount). In this case, since the process of step S126 (described later) has not been executed, the current SOC has not yet become lower than the SOC required for traveling between the current location and the replacement station 20. In other words, when there is a small margin between the remaining electric power amount of the battery 11 and the electric power amount required for the vehicle 10 to reach the replacement station 20, such as when the current SOC is higher than or equal to the required SOC and lower than the threshold, it is possible to inform the user to prompt the user to replace the battery 11.

[0054] Subsequently, the ECU 12 executes a process for reserving the replacement device 21 for the battery 11 at the replacement station 20 using the HMI 15 (step S119). The reservation of the replacement device 21 at the replacement station 20 is managed by the management server 100 or the equipment server 200 of the replacement station 20. The reservation process includes a process of communicating with the server that manages the reservation (management server 100 or equipment server 200) to display a screen for reserving the replacement device 21 at the replacement station 20 on the HMI 15 of the vehicle 10, and a process in which the server receives the user's reservation details (e.g., information for identifying the replacement device 21 to be reserved, start time, and end time) from the HMI 15 via the DCM 14.

[0055] When the ECU 12 determines that the information prompting the replacement of the battery 11 is being notified (Yes in step S112) or after step S119, the ECU 12 obtains traffic congestion information on the route from the current location to the replacement station 20 from a source that provides traffic congestion information via the communication network 900 and the DCM 14 (step S121).

[0056] The ECU 12 determines whether there is traffic congestion on the route (step S122). When the ECU 12 determines that there is traffic congestion (Yes in step S122), the ECU 12 prompts the user to suppress the consumption of electric power (e.g., park the vehicle 10, turn off the ignition of the vehicle 10, or stop equipment in the vehicle 10 that consumes a relatively large amount of electric power) until the traffic congestion disappears via the HMI 15 (step S123).

[0057] When the ECU 12 determines that there is no traffic congestion ( "No" in step S122) or after step S123, the ECU 12 identifies the SOC required to travel between the current location and the replacement station 20 (step S124). The ECU 12 identifies the current SOC of the battery 11 and determines whether the SOC is lower than the required SOC (step S125). When the ECU 12 determines that the SOC is lower than the required SOC ( "Yes" in step S125), the ECU 12 prohibits the notification prompting the replacement of the battery 11 (step S126). In this case, it is possible to avoid providing a notification that troubles the user by determining that the user has no intention of replacing the battery 11 (intending to perform charging without replacement).

[0058] When the ECU 12 determines that the SOC is not lower than the required SOC ( "No" in step S125) or after step S126, the ECU 12 returns the process to the upper process that is the source of calling the battery replacement notification process.

[0059] Second Embodiment

[0060] In the first embodiment, Figure 3 the battery replacement notification process shown in is executed by the ECU 12 of the vehicle 10. In the second embodiment, as shown in Figure 4 (described later), the battery replacement notification process is executed by the CPU 110 of the management server 100.

[0061] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the process flow of the battery replacement notification process according to the second embodiment. As shown in Figure 4 the battery replacement notification process is called and executed by the CPU 110 of the management server 100 at intervals of a constant time period from the upper process.

[0062] The CPU 110 of the management server 100 determines whether a predetermined time period (for example, a period of each predetermined minute, such as every minute) has elapsed for any one of the managed vehicles 10 (step S201). When the CPU 110 determines that the predetermined time period has not elapsed for any one of the vehicles 10 ( "No" in step S201), the CPU 110 returns the process to the upper process that is the source of calling the battery replacement notification process.

[0063] On the other hand, when the CPU 110 determines that a predetermined time period has elapsed for any one of the vehicles 10 (Yes in step S201), the CPU 110 acquires information such as the SOC of the battery 11 from the vehicle 10, the position information of the vehicle 10, and the controlled state of the vehicle 10 (e.g., the controlled state of the ignition on or off, the driving controlled state, the controlled state of the HMI 15, and the electric power efficiency of the vehicle 10) (step S202). The CPU 110 determines whether the HMI 15 in the vehicle 10 is notifying a prompt to replace the battery 11 based on the acquired controlled state of the HMI 15 (step S212).

[0064] When the CPU 110 determines that the HMI 15 in the vehicle 10 is not notifying a prompt to replace the battery 11 (No in step S212), the CPU 110 identifies a replacement station 20 for the battery 11 that satisfies a predetermined condition (step S213). In an embodiment, the predetermined condition is a condition that the replacement station 20 is closest to the current position of the vehicle 10 (i.e., a condition that the vehicle 10 can reach the replacement station 20 with the least amount of required electric power). The predetermined condition may include that the replacement station 20 stores a battery 11 having a predetermined amount of electric power (e.g., a value greater than or equal to 50%, such as SOC = 80%) or higher. In this case, the SOC of the stored battery 11 is identified and stored by the equipment server 200 of the replacement station 20. The CPU 110 of the management server 100 acquires information indicating whether a battery 11 having a predetermined or greater amount of electric power is stored from the equipment server 200 and identifies the replacement station 20 that satisfies the condition of storing a battery 11 having a predetermined or greater amount of electric power. At the replacement station 20, when the equipment server 200 accepts a reservation for the replacement device 21, charging is started so that the battery 11 that has been charged to a predetermined amount of electric power is charged to full charge (SOC = 100%).

[0065] The CPU 110 determines whether the identified replacement station 20 is within a predetermined range from the current position of the vehicle 10 (step S214). In an embodiment, the predetermined range is a range where the driving distance of the route from the current position to the replacement station 20 is less than or equal to a predetermined distance. However, the predetermined range is not limited thereto. The straight-line distance from the current position to the replacement station 20 may be within a range less than or equal to the predetermined distance, or may be within the same municipal district or the same county as the current position.

[0066] When the CPU 110 determines that the replacement station 20 is not within the predetermined range (No in step S214), the CPU 110 returns the process to the upper-level process that is the source of the battery replacement notification process. On the other hand, when the CPU 110 determines that the replacement station 20 is within the predetermined range (Yes in step S214), the CPU 110 sets a predetermined multiple (for example, a multiple greater than one, such as a multiple of 1.1) of the SOC required for the vehicle 10 to travel between the current position and the replacement station 20 as the threshold value (step S215). The SOC required for traveling between the current position and the replacement station 20 is set by using the distance between the current position and the replacement station 20 and the electric power efficiency of the vehicle 10 (the available traveling distance per unit electric power amount).

[0067] The CPU 110 determines whether the SOC of the battery 11 of the acquired vehicle 10 is lower than the threshold value (step S217). When the CPU 110 determines that the SOC is not lower than the threshold value (No in step S217), the CPU 110 returns the process to the upper-level process that is the source of the battery replacement notification process.

[0068] On the other hand, when the CPU 110 determines that the SOC is lower than the threshold value (Yes in step S217), the CPU 110 transmits, via the communication unit 130 and the communication network 900, information for controlling the HMI 15 of the vehicle 10 so that the HMI 15 issues a notification prompting the replacement of the battery 11 of the vehicle 10 (step S218). The information to be transmitted to the vehicle 10 may include information about the replacement station 20 that satisfies a predetermined condition (for example, location, facility name, number of batteries 11 having a predetermined or greater electric power amount). In the vehicle 10, in response to the DCM 14 receiving the information from the management server 100, the ECU 12 controls the HMI 15 so that the HMI 15 issues a notification prompting the replacement of the battery 11. The notification prompting the replacement of the battery 11 may include information about the replacement station 20 that satisfies a predetermined condition (for example, location, facility name, number of batteries 11 having a predetermined or greater electric power amount). In this case, since the process of step S226 (described later) has not been executed, the current SOC of the battery 11 of the vehicle 10 has not become lower than the SOC required for the vehicle 10 to travel between the current position and the replacement station 20. In other words, when there is a small margin between the remaining electric power amount of the battery 11 and the electric power amount required for the vehicle 10 to reach the replacement station 20, such as when the current SOC of the battery 11 of the vehicle 10 is higher than or equal to the required SOC and lower than the threshold value, it is possible to inform the user to prompt the user of the vehicle 10 to replace the battery 11.

[0069] Subsequently, the CPU 110 executes a process of allowing the user of the vehicle 10 to reserve the replacement device 21 for the battery 11 at the replacement station 20 through the HMI 15 (step S219). The reservation of the replacement device 21 at the replacement station 20 is managed by the management server 100 or the equipment server 200 of the replacement station 20. The reservation process includes communicating with the server that manages the reservation (the management server 100 or the equipment server 200) to display a screen for reserving the replacement device 21 at the replacement station 20 on the HMI 15 of the vehicle 10, and the server receiving the user's reservation details (e.g., when there are multiple replacement devices 21 at the replacement station 20, information for identifying the replacement device 21 to be reserved, start time, and end time) from the HMI 15 via the DCM 14.

[0070] When the CPU 110 determines that the HMI 15 in the vehicle 10 is notifying a prompt to replace the battery 11 (Yes in step S212) or after step S219, the CPU 110 obtains traffic congestion information of the route from the current position of the vehicle 10 to the replacement station 20 from a source that provides traffic congestion information via the communication network 900 and the communication unit 130 (step S221).

[0071] The CPU 110 determines whether there is traffic congestion on the route (step S222). When the CPU 110 determines that there is traffic congestion (Yes in step S222), the CPU 110 sends information to the vehicle 10 via the communication unit 130 and the communication network 900 to prompt the user through the HMI 15 of the vehicle 10 to suppress the consumption of electric power (e.g., park the vehicle 10, turn off the ignition device of the vehicle 10, or stop devices in the vehicle 10 with relatively large electric power consumption) until the traffic congestion disappears (step S223).

[0072] When the CPU 110 determines that there is no traffic congestion (No in step S222) or after step S223, the CPU 110 identifies the SOC required for the vehicle 10 to travel between the current position and the replacement station 20 (step S224). The CPU 110 determines whether the SOC of the battery 11 of the obtained vehicle 10 is lower than the required SOC (step S225). When the CPU 110 determines that the SOC is lower than the required SOC (Yes in step S225), the CPU 110 sends information to the vehicle 10 via the communication unit 130 and the communication network 900 to prohibit the notification of the prompt to replace the battery 11 in the vehicle 10 (step S226). In this case, by determining that the user of the vehicle 10 has no intention of replacing the battery 11 (intending to perform charging instead of replacement), it is possible not to provide a notification that troubles the user of the vehicle 10.

[0073] When the CPU 110 determines that the SOC is not lower than the required SOC (\"No\" in step S225) or after step S226, the CPU 110 returns the process to the upper process that is the source of the call to the battery replacement notification process.

[0074] Modify

[0075] (1) In the above embodiment, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the electric energy storage device installed on the vehicle 10 and configured to store the electric power for driving the vehicle 10 is described as the battery 11. However, the configuration is not limited thereto. The electric energy storage device may be another type of electric energy storage device, for example, a capacitor.

[0076] (2) In the above embodiment, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the battery 11 of the vehicle 10 is automatically replaced by the replacement device 21 at the replacement station 20. However, the configuration is not limited thereto. The battery 11 of the vehicle 10 may be manually replaced by the staff at the replacement station 20.

[0077] (3) In the above embodiment, as Figure 3 step S113 of Figure 4 and step S213 of

[0078] (4) In the above embodiment, as Figure 3 step S113 of Figure 4 shown, the predetermined condition for identifying the replacement station 20 for replacing the battery 11 of the vehicle 10 is the condition that the replacement station 20 is the closest to the current position of the vehicle 10 (that is, the vehicle 10 can reach the replacement station 20 with the least required amount of electric power). However, the configuration is not limited thereto. As long as the predetermined condition is a condition for identifying the replacement station 20 for replacing the battery 11 of the vehicle 10, the predetermined condition may also be another condition. The predetermined condition may be the condition that the replacement station 20 has the highest usage frequency, or may be the condition that the replacement station 20 is preset.

[0079] For example, the predetermined condition may include a condition that the amount of electric power stored in each of a predetermined number (e.g., one, five, etc.) of the batteries 11 arranged in descending order of the amount of electric power at the replacement station 20 is greater than or equal to a predetermined amount of electric power. In this case, information indicating the amount of electric power stored in each of the predetermined number of batteries 11 arranged in descending order of the amount of electric power at the replacement station 20 is acquired from the equipment server 200, and the replacement station 20 that satisfies the condition that the amount of electric power stored in each of the predetermined number of batteries 11 arranged in descending order of the amount of electric power at the replacement station 20 is greater than or equal to the predetermined amount of electric power is identified. Alternatively, in this case, information indicating the amount of electric power stored in each of all the batteries 11 at the replacement station 20 may be acquired from the equipment server 200, and the replacement station 20 that satisfies the condition that the amount of electric power stored in each of the predetermined number of batteries 11 arranged in descending order of the amount of electric power at the replacement station 20 is greater than or equal to the predetermined amount of electric power may be identified.

[0080] (5) In the above-described embodiment, as Figure 3 shown in step S113 of Figure 4 and step S213 of

[0081] (6) In the above-described embodiment, as Figure 3 and Figure 4 shown, the HMI 15 of the vehicle 10 notifies a prompt to replace the battery 11. The HMI 15 is used to exchange information with the user to complete the process of reserving the replacement device 21 for the battery 11. However, the configuration is not limited thereto. Instead of the HMI 15, the input unit 840 and the output unit 850 of the mobile terminal 800 of the user of the vehicle 10 may also be used to perform the operation.

[0082] (7) In the above-described embodiment, as Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, when the SOC of the battery 11 of the vehicle 10 drops below a threshold value, the user is notified to prompt the user to replace the battery 11. Here, the threshold value is a predetermined multiple of the SOC corresponding to the amount of electric power required to travel between the current position of the vehicle 10 and the replacement station 20 that meets the predetermined conditions among the replacement stations 20 for the battery 11. In other words, the threshold value is the value (%) of the SOC that has an estimated margin for traveling between the current position of the vehicle 10 and the replacement location (such as the replacement station 20). However, the configuration is not limited to this. The threshold value only needs to be a value related to the amount of electric power required to travel between the current position of the vehicle 10 and the replacement station 20 that meets the predetermined conditions among the replacement stations 20 for the battery 11. For example, the threshold value can be the amount of electric power (kWh) with an estimated margin required to travel between the current position of the vehicle 10 and the replacement location (such as the replacement station 20). Alternatively, the threshold value can be the value (kWh) of the amount of electric power required to travel between the current position of the vehicle 10 and the replacement location (such as the replacement station 20) or the corresponding SOC value (%).

[0083] As Figure 3 in step S117 of Figure 4 and step S217 of

[0084] (8) The above embodiments can be regarded as the disclosure of the battery replacement system 1, the vehicle 10, the management server 100, the equipment server 200, or the mobile terminal 800, or can be regarded as the disclosure of a control processing method or a control processing program that executes a predetermined process, such as the battery replacement notification process executed by the battery replacement system 1, the vehicle 10, the management server 100, the equipment server 200, or the mobile terminal 800.

[0085] Abstract

[0086] (1) As Figures 1 to 4 shown, a notification control method executed by a notification controller (for example, the ECU 12 of the vehicle 10 or the management server 100), the notification controller notifies the user of the vehicle 10 to replace the electrical energy storage device (for example, the battery 11 or the capacitor) installed on the vehicle 10 and configured to store the electric power for driving the vehicle 10. As Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown in the figure, the notification controller includes a processor (e.g., the CPU 110 of the management server 100, the CPU of the ECU 12 of the vehicle 10, or the CPU 810 of the mobile terminal 800) and a notification device (e.g., the communication unit 130 of the management server 100, the HMI 15 of the vehicle 10, or the output unit 850 of the mobile terminal 800).

[0087] As Figure 3 and Figure 4 shown in the figure, the notification control method includes setting, by the processor, a threshold value related to the amount of electric power required to travel between the current position of the vehicle 10 and a replacement location that satisfies a predetermined condition (e.g., the condition that the replacement station 20 is the closest to the current position, the condition that the replacement station 20 has the highest usage frequency, or the condition that the replacement station 20 is pre-set) among a plurality of replacement locations for the electric energy storage device (e.g., the replacement station 20 where the automatic replacement device 21 is installed or the replacement location replaced by a worker) (e.g., in Figure 3 and Figure 4 the figure, the SOC with an estimated margin, the required electric power amount with an estimated margin corresponding to the SOC, or the required electric power amount without an estimated margin or the required corresponding SOC for traveling between the current position and the replacement location, as shown in steps S115 and S215) (e.g., Figure 3 step S115 of Figure 4 or Figure 3 step S215 of Figure 4 ), identifying a status value of the remaining electric power amount of the electric energy storage device (e.g., SOC (%) or remaining electric power amount (kWh)) (e.g., Figure 3 step S116 of Figure 4 or Figure 4 step S202 of Figure 3 Figure 4 ), and controlling the notification device such that when the status value drops below the threshold value, the notification device performs a process of notifying the user to prompt the user to replace the electric energy storage device (e.g., as shown in step S118 of

[0088] Figure 3 and step S218 of Figure 4 , this can be a process of the HMI 15 of the vehicle 10 notifying a prompt for replacement, or a process of the output unit 850 of the mobile terminal 800 notifying a prompt for replacement, or, as shown in step S218 of Figure 4 , it is a process of the CPU 110 and the communication unit 130 of the management server 100 sending information in the vehicle 10 to notify a prompt for replacement, or a process of the CPU 110 and the communication unit 130 of the management server 100 sending information in the mobile terminal 800 to notify a prompt for replacement) (e.g., Figure 3 step S118 of Figure 4 or

[0088] Figure 4 step S218 of Figure 3 Figure 4 ).

[0088] With this configuration, when the status value used to identify the remaining electric power amount of the electric energy storage device drops below a threshold value related to the electric power amount required to travel between the current position of the vehicle 10 and the replacement location for the electric energy storage device, the user is notified to prompt the user to replace the electric energy storage device. Therefore, it is possible to prompt the user to replace the electric energy storage device before the remaining electric power amount of the electric energy storage device drops below the remaining electric power amount required for the vehicle 10 to reach the replacement location for the electric energy storage device.

[0089] (2) As shown in step S113 of Figure 3 and step S213 of Figure 4 , the predetermined condition may include the condition that the vehicle 10 can reach the replacement location from the current position with the minimum required electric power amount.

[0090] With this configuration, it is possible to prompt the user to replace the electric energy storage device before the remaining electric power amount drops below the remaining electric power amount required for the vehicle to reach the replacement location that the vehicle 10 can reach from the current position with the minimum required electric power amount.

[0091] (3) As shown in step S113 of Figure 3 and step S213 of Figure 4 , the notification control method may further include the processor obtaining information about the electric power amount of the electric energy storage device stored at each of the plurality of replacement locations, and the predetermined condition may include a condition related to the electric power amount of the electric energy storage device indicated by the obtained information.

[0092] With this configuration, the replacement location for prompting the user to replace the electric energy storage device can be set to the replacement location where the electric energy storage device that satisfies the condition related to the electric power amount is stored.

[0093] (4) As shown in step S115 of Figure 3 and step S215 of Figure 4 , setting the threshold value may include the processor setting the threshold value according to the electric power efficiency and the distance between the current position and the replacement location that satisfies the predetermined condition.

[0094] With this configuration, it is possible to further accurately set the threshold value related to the electric power amount required to travel between the current position and the replacement location.

[0095] (5) As shown in step S119 of Figure 3 and step S219 of Figure 4 , the notification control method may further include the processor controlling the notification device so that the notification device provides the user with a screen for making an appointment to replace the electric energy storage device at the replacement location.

[0096] With this configuration, the user does not need to perform an operation for displaying a screen for reserving replacement of the energy storage device at the replacement site, so it is possible to reduce the user's time and effort for performing an operation for reserving replacement of the energy storage device at the replacement site.

[0097] (6) Figure 3 Step S126 and Figure 4 As shown in step S226, the notification control method may also include, when the remaining electric power amount drops below the electric power amount required to travel between the current position of the vehicle 10 and a replacement location that meets predetermined conditions, prohibiting the processor from prompting the user to replace the electric energy storage device.

[0098] With this configuration, when the remaining electric power amount of the energy storage device drops below the electric power amount required to travel between the vehicle's current position and the replacement location, it is possible to stop unnecessary notifications, such as prompts for replacement, by determining that the user has no intention of replacing the energy storage device (the user has no intention of replacing the energy storage device but intends to charge the energy storage device).

[0099] (7) Figure 3 Step S114 and Figure 4 As shown in step S214, the processor may be configured to, when the distance between the current position of the vehicle and a replacement location that satisfies a predetermined condition is less than a predetermined distance, control the notification device so that the notification device notifies the user to prompt the user to replace the electric energy storage device.

[0100] In the case of an area without a replacement location around, it can be inferred that the electric energy storage device is basically not replaced and charged. For this reason, when the distance between the current position of the vehicle 10 and the replacement location is greater than or equal to the predetermined distance, if the user is notified to prompt the user to replace the electric energy storage device, the user feels troublesome. With this configuration, when the distance between the current position of the vehicle 10 and the replacement location is less than the predetermined distance, the user is notified to prompt the user to replace the electric energy storage device. Therefore, the user is likely not to feel troublesome.

[0101] (8) Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown in , the notification control method may also include obtaining, by the processor, traffic congestion information of a route from the current position of the vehicle to a replacement location that satisfies a predetermined condition (eg, Figure 3 Step S121 or Figure 4 and, when the traffic congestion information indicates the possibility of traffic congestion, the processor controls the notification device so that the notification device proposes to suppress the consumption of electric power until the traffic congestion disappears (for example, Figure 3 Step S122 and step S123 or Figure 4 Step S222 and step S223).

[0102] When a condition value for identifying the remaining electric power amount of an electric energy storage device drops below a threshold related to the electric power amount required to reach a replacement location for the electric energy storage device, a user is notified to prompt replacement of the electric energy storage device. In this case, if the vehicle encounters traffic congestion and consumes an excessive amount of electric power, the possibility that the vehicle cannot reach the replacement location increases. With this configuration, when indicating the possibility of traffic congestion on the route from the current location to the replacement location, the user is prompted to suppress the consumption of electric power until the traffic congestion disappears. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation where the vehicle cannot reach the replacement location.

[0103] (9) As Figures 1 to 4 shown, the vehicle 10 includes a processor (e.g., ECU 12) configured to notify the user to replace an electric energy storage device (e.g., battery 11 or capacitor) configured to store the electric power for driving the vehicle 10, a communication device (e.g., DCM 14) for communicating with an external device (e.g., management server 100), and a notification device (e.g., HMI 15) configured to notify information to the user. As Figure 4 shown, the processor is configured to control the communication device such that the communication device sends information indicating the current location of the vehicle 10 and the remaining electric power amount of the electric energy storage device to an external device (e.g., in the management server 100, the information sent from the vehicle 10 is acquired in step S202), and when a condition value for identifying the remaining electric power amount drops below a threshold related to the electric power amount required to travel between the current location and a replacement location that meets a predetermined condition among a plurality of replacement locations for the electric energy storage device, control the notification device such that the notification device notifies the information prompting replacement of the electric energy storage device sent from the external device (e.g., the information sent by the management server 100 in step S218 is notified by the HMI 15 of the vehicle 10). The threshold is identified by the external device.

[0104] With this configuration, it is possible to prompt the user to replace the electric energy storage device before the remaining electric power amount of the electric energy storage device drops below the remaining electric power amount required for the vehicle 10 to reach the replacement location for the electric energy storage device.

[0105] The above embodiments are illustrative in all aspects and not restrictive. The scope of the present disclosure is not defined by the description of the above embodiments, but by the appended claims. The scope of the present disclosure is intended to cover all modifications within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A notification control method executed by a notification controller, the notification controller being configured to notify a user of a vehicle to replace an electrical energy storage device installed on the vehicle and configured to store electrical power for driving the vehicle, the notification control method comprising: A setting step of setting, by a processor, a threshold related to an amount of electrical power required to travel between a current location of the vehicle and a replacement location for the electrical energy storage device, the replacement location satisfying a predetermined condition; An identifying step of identifying, by the processor, a status value for identifying a remaining amount of electrical power of the electrical energy storage device; And A control step of controlling, when the status value drops below the threshold, a notification device by the processor such that the notification device notifies the user to prompt the user to replace the electrical energy storage device, wherein The notification controller includes a processor and a notification device.

2. The notification control method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition includes a condition that the vehicle reaches the replacement location from the current location with a minimum required amount of electrical power.

3. The notification control method according to claim 2, further comprising an obtaining step of obtaining, by the processor, information about an amount of electrical power of the electrical energy storage device stored at the replacement location, wherein The predetermined condition includes a condition related to the amount of electrical power of the electrical energy storage device indicated by the obtained information.

4. The notification control method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the setting step of setting the threshold includes setting, by the processor, the threshold according to an electrical power efficiency and a distance between the current location and the replacement location satisfying the predetermined condition.

5. The notification control method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a providing step of controlling, by the processor, the notification device such that the notification device provides a screen for the user to make an appointment to replace the electrical energy storage device at the replacement location.

6. The notification control method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a prohibiting step of prohibiting, when the remaining amount of electrical power drops below the amount of electrical power required to travel between the current location of the vehicle and the replacement location satisfying the predetermined condition, the notification for prompting the user to replace the electrical energy storage device by the processor.

7. The notification control method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, In the control step of controlling the notification device, the processor is configured to control the notification device such that when a distance between the current location of the vehicle and the replacement location satisfying the predetermined condition is less than a predetermined distance, the notification device notifies the user to prompt the user to replace the electrical energy storage device.

8. The notification control method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising: An obtaining step of obtaining, by the processor, traffic congestion information of a route from the current location of the vehicle to the replacement location satisfying the predetermined condition; And A proposing step of controlling, by the processor, the notification device such that when the traffic congestion information indicates a possibility of traffic congestion, the notification device proposes suppressing the electrical power consumption until the traffic congestion disappears.

9. A notification controller configured to notify a user of a vehicle to replace an electrical energy storage device installed on the vehicle and configured to store electrical power for driving the vehicle, the notification controller comprising: A processor; And A notification device, wherein The processor is configured to: Set a threshold related to the amount of electric power required to travel between the current position of the vehicle and the replacement location for the electrical energy storage device, where the replacement location meets a predetermined condition. Identify a status value for identifying the remaining electric power amount of the electrical energy storage device. Compare the status value with the threshold, and When the status value drops below the threshold, control the notification device so that the notification device notifies the user to prompt the user to replace the electrical energy storage device.

10. A vehicle configured to notify a user to replace an electrical energy storage device configured to store electric power for driving the vehicle, the vehicle comprising: A processor; A communication device for communicating with an external device; And A notification device configured to notify a user of information, where The processor is configured to control the communication device so that the communication device sends information indicating the current position of the vehicle and the remaining electric power amount of the electrical energy storage device to an external device, and Control the notification device so that when a status value for identifying the remaining electric power amount drops below a threshold related to the amount of electric power required to travel between the current position and the replacement location for the electrical energy storage device, the notification device notifies information prompting replacement of the electrical energy storage device, The information is sent from an external device, The threshold is set by an external device, and The replacement location meets a predetermined condition.

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