Information processing apparatus and information processing method

Abstract

The invention relates to an information processing apparatus and an information processing method. The present disclosure suggests a charging facility that increases the latency during charging of a moving body using power from a rechargeable battery as a power source. This information processing device is provided with a control unit that: detects a plurality of charging facilities that are present within a prescribed range and that can be used by a moving body that uses power from a rechargeable battery as a power source; selecting a first charging facility from among the plurality of charging facilities on the basis of information relating to commercial facilities affiliated to the charging facilities; and outputting information related to the first charging facility. The control unit selects a first charging facility on the basis of one or more of the rated output of the charging facility, the use cost of the charging facility, and the remaining charging amount of the mobile body when the mobile body reaches the charging facility.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to path searching. Background Technology

[0002] One disclosed vehicle driving assistance system, in response to a path search request from a mobile body, uses the location information of charging points to search for a path via charging points from the origin to the destination where the remaining battery charge is greater than 0, and uses the searched path as a response. (For example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2010 / 137307 Summary of the Invention

[0006] One of the objectives of this disclosure is to provide an information processing apparatus and method that can suggest charging facilities that make the waiting time for charging of mobile bodies powered by electricity from rechargeable batteries more substantial.

[0007] One of the solutions disclosed herein is an information processing apparatus comprising a control unit that performs the following actions:

[0008] Multiple charging facilities that exist within a specified range and are powered by electricity from rechargeable batteries are tested.

[0009] Based on information relating to the commercial facilities attached to the charging facilities, a first charging facility is selected from the plurality of charging facilities; and

[0010] Output information related to the first charging facility.

[0011] One of the other solutions disclosed herein is a method that performs the following actions via a computer:

[0012] Access to multiple charging facilities within a specified range that can power a mobile body powered by electricity from a rechargeable battery;

[0013] Based on information relating to the commercial facilities attached to the charging facilities, a first charging facility is selected from the plurality of charging facilities; and

[0014] Output information related to the first charging facility.

[0015] Invention Effects

[0016] According to one of the solutions disclosed herein, a charging facility can be proposed that makes the waiting time for charging of a mobile body powered by electricity from a rechargeable battery more substantial. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the system configuration and server hardware configuration of the path retrieval system according to the first embodiment.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional structure of a server.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing an example of charging facility information maintained in a charging facility information database.

[0020] Figure 4 This is an example of a flowchart illustrating the server's path search process.

[0021] Figure 5 This is an example of a flowchart for the score acquisition process of a charging facility.

[0022] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0023] 1: Server;

[0024] 2: Vehicles;

[0025] 11: Control Department;

[0026] 12: Map Information Database;

[0027] 13: Vehicle Model Information Database;

[0028] 14: Charging facility information database;

[0029] 20: Vehicle-mounted devices;

[0030] 21: Task Execution Control Department;

[0031] 22: Vehicle Information Transmission Department;

[0032] 100: Path retrieval system;

[0033] 101: Processor;

[0034] 102: Memory;

[0035] 103: Auxiliary storage device;

[0036] 104: Ministry of Communications. Detailed Implementation

[0037] For example, when charging electric vehicles, even at high-speed charging facilities, there is a waiting time of several minutes to about an hour before the target charge is reached. However, conventional systems that search for paths to charging points do not take into account charging facilities that would make the charging wait time more substantial.

[0038] One of the solutions disclosed herein addresses the aforementioned problems by selecting a charging facility suitable for use by the mobile device based on information related to the commercial facility attached to the charging facility. During the charging of the mobile device, the user can utilize the commercial facility adjacent to the charging facility, thus avoiding boredom while waiting.

[0039] More specifically, one aspect of the disclosed solution is an information processing apparatus comprising a control unit that performs the following actions: detecting multiple charging facilities within a defined range that can be used by a mobile body powered by electricity from a rechargeable battery; selecting a first charging facility from the multiple charging facilities based on information related to commercial facilities associated with the charging facilities; and outputting information related to the first charging facility. The information processing apparatus may be, for example, a dedicated server or a general-purpose computer. The control unit may be, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). However, the control unit is not limited to a processor; for example, it may be a circuit such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), an integrated circuit (IC), or a CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device).

[0040] The defined range may be, for example, a range of distances from the location of the moving vehicle or a range of distances from the predetermined travel path of the moving vehicle. The moving vehicle may be, for example, an electric vehicle, an electric scooter, or a bicycle with an electric motor, which is equipped with a rechargeable battery and driven by an electric motor powered by electricity from the rechargeable battery. Commercial facilities attached to charging facilities may include, for example, shopping malls, restaurants, retail stores, museums, art galleries, amusement parks, game centers, and gyms. However, commercial facilities attached to charging facilities are not limited to these. Information related to commercial facilities attached to charging facilities may include, for example, information related to the type, size, and scheduled events of the commercial facility. However, information related to commercial facilities attached to charging facilities is not limited to these.

[0041] According to one of the solutions disclosed herein, the charging facility for the mobile device is selected based on information related to the commercial facilities associated with the charging facility. Therefore, the user of the mobile device can use the commercial facilities while waiting for the mobile device to charge. Thus, it is possible to suggest charging facilities that make the waiting time for the mobile device to charge more efficient.

[0042] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the control unit may also select the first charging facility based on one or more of the rated output of the charging facility, the usage cost of the charging facility, and the remaining charging capacity of the mobile body upon arrival at the charging facility. This allows for the selection of the charging facility while considering factors such as charging speed and / or charging cost.

[0043] In one of the solutions disclosed herein, the control unit may obtain scores for each of a plurality of charging facilities existing within a defined range, for a first item and one or more second items, wherein the first item is an item of a commercial facility attached to the charging facility, and the second items are items of the rated output of the charging facility, the usage fee of the charging facility, and the remaining charge of the mobile vehicle upon arrival at the charging facility. Alternatively, the control unit may select the charging facility with the highest total score for the first item and one or more second items as the first charging facility. For example, the score for the first item of a commercial facility attached to the charging facility may be obtained such that the larger the scale of the commercial facility, the higher the score; the more the commercial facility matches the user's preferences, the higher the score; or the more suitable the commercial facility is for a particular time period, the higher the score. For example, the score for the rated output of the charging facility may be obtained such that the higher the rated output, the higher the score. For example, the score for the usage fee of the charging facility may be obtained such that the lower the usage fee, the higher the score. For example, the score for the remaining charge of the mobile vehicle upon arrival at the charging facility may be obtained such that the more remaining charge, the higher the score; or the less remaining charge, the higher the score. It should be noted that, alternatively, the scores of one or more of the following second items—the first item of the commercial facility attached to the charging facility, the rated output of the charging facility, the usage fee of the charging facility, and the remaining charging capacity of the mobile vehicle upon arrival at the charging facility—can be obtained using machine learning models.

[0044] The charging facility with the highest total score across all items is selected as the first charging facility, increasing the likelihood of choosing a facility that allows for earlier or cheaper charging and provides a more adequate charging wait time. It should be noted that the second item is not limited to the rated output of the charging facility, the usage fee of the charging facility, or the remaining charge level of the mobile vehicle upon arrival at the charging facility.

[0045] Furthermore, in this case, the control unit may also accept the designation of a third item, which is the highest priority item among the first item and one or more second items. The control unit excludes charging facilities whose scores for the third item are less than a predetermined value from the options of the first charging facility. Thus, the first charging facility can be selected based on the scores of the first item of the commercial facility attached to the charging facility, the rated output of the charging facility, the usage fee of the charging facility, and the remaining charging capacity of the mobile vehicle upon arrival at the charging facility—items that are of high importance to the user.

[0046] In this disclosure, as one of the alternatives, it can be identified as a method for executing the processing performed by the aforementioned information processing apparatus via a computer, a program for causing the computer to execute the method, and a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded.

[0047] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described based on the accompanying drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are illustrative, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configuration of the embodiments.

[0048] <First Implementation>

[0049] Figure 1 This diagram illustrates an example of the system configuration of the route retrieval system 100 according to the first embodiment and the hardware configuration of the server 1. The route retrieval system 100 is a system that suggests a route from a starting point to a destination, via a charging facility. The server 1 includes a server 1 and a vehicle 2. The server 1 and the vehicle 2 are connected to a network N1 and can communicate via the network N1. The network N1 is, for example, a public wireless network such as the Internet.

[0050] Vehicle 2 is, for example, an electric vehicle (EV) or a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHV), a car equipped with a rechargeable battery and powered by electricity from that battery, and equipped with an external charging function. Vehicle 2 includes an on-board unit 20, which has communication capabilities. Vehicle 2 is connected to network N1 via the on-board unit 20.

[0051] When a request is received from vehicle 2, server 1 searches for a path from the origin to the destination, passing through one or more charging facilities, and sends the path to vehicle 2. In a first embodiment, server 1 obtains scores for each item, including rated output, remaining charging capacity of the vehicle upon arrival, usage fees, and associated commercial facilities, and sets the charging facility to be passed through as the one with the highest total score. In the first embodiment, the evaluation items for commercial facilities associated with the charging facility to be passed through are included, thus enabling the suggestion of charging facilities that make the charging wait time for vehicle 2 less tedious. An example of a charging facility suggested as a "first charging facility" is...

[0052] Figure 1 The diagram shows an example of the hardware configuration of server 1. Server 1 is, for example, a dedicated computer or a general-purpose computer. Server 1 is configured with a processor 101, a memory 102, an auxiliary storage device 103, and a communication unit 104. These hardware components are electrically connected to each other via a bus.

[0053] Memory 102 and auxiliary storage device 103 are computer-readable recording media. Auxiliary storage device 103 is, for example, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), a hard disk drive (HDD), or an SSD (Solid State Drive). The programs stored in auxiliary storage device 103 include, for example, an operating system (OS) and a pathfinding program via a charging facility. Memory 102 includes, for example, semiconductor memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) or RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0054] Processor 101 may be, for example, a CPU, GPU, or DSP (Digital Signal Processor). Multiple processors 101 may be present, not limited to one. Processor 101 is an example of a "control unit".

[0055] Next, the vehicle-mounted device 20 of vehicle 2 is configured with a processor, memory, auxiliary storage device, wireless communication unit, location information acquisition unit, and touch panel display as hardware. The processor, memory, and auxiliary storage device are the same as those in processor 101, memory 102, and auxiliary storage device 103. The wireless communication unit is, for example, a wireless communication circuit corresponding to cellular communication methods such as 5G, 4G, or 6G. The location information acquisition unit is, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver. The location information acquisition unit acquires the current location of the vehicle at a predetermined period.

[0056] It should be noted that the location information acquisition unit and the touch panel display can be separate units from the vehicle-mounted device 20, or they can be located in separate devices from the vehicle-mounted device 20. It should also be noted that the hardware configuration of the server 1 and the vehicle-mounted device 20 is not limited to this.

[0057] Hereinafter, communication of vehicle 2 will be carried out through vehicle-mounted device 20, but for convenience, communication of vehicle 2 through vehicle-mounted device 20 will be described with vehicle 2 as the main focus. For example, when receiving a request from vehicle-mounted device 20, it will be denoted as "receive request from vehicle 2", etc. For example, when sending data to vehicle-mounted device 20, it will be denoted as "send data request to vehicle 2", etc.

[0058] Figure 2 This diagram illustrates an example of the functional configuration of server 1. Server 1 includes a control unit 11, a map information DB (Database) 12, a vehicle model information DB 13, and a charging facility information DB 14 as its functional components. The control unit 11 is a functional component that achieves this, for example, by executing a predetermined program through the processor 101 of server 1.

[0059] The control unit 11 receives a route acquisition request from vehicle 2. Along with the request from vehicle 2, it also receives identification information such as departure point, destination, vehicle type, and remaining charge level of vehicle 2. Furthermore, if a user of vehicle 2 has specified a route, it also receives information indicating the route. Additionally, if a target charge amount is specified at a charging facility, it receives the target charge amount. Sometimes, the current location of vehicle 2 is also set as the departure point. The departure point, destination, and information indicating the route can be, for example, any of latitude and longitude, address, or name of facility or building.

[0060] When a route acquisition request is received from vehicle 2, control unit 11 searches for a route from the origin to the destination by referring to map information DB 12. The route search method can be any of the known techniques. After searching the route, control unit 11 searches for charging facilities to be passed through.

[0061] The control unit 11 first refers to map information DB 12 to detect charging facilities around the target path. For example, it detects charging facilities located within a specified distance from the target path from the origin to the destination. Next, the control unit 11 obtains a score for each detected charging facility and selects the charging facility with the highest score as the charging facility to be passed through. Details regarding the processing of charging facility scores will be described later. When a charging facility to be passed through is selected, the control unit 11 re-searches for the path from the origin to the destination via the selected charging facility. It should be noted that if the charging amount is insufficient from the selected charging facility to the destination, the control unit 11 searches for charging facilities around the path from the selected charging facility to the destination and selects a second charging facility to be passed through based on the scores of the detected charging facilities. The control unit 11 sends the path from the origin to the destination via one or more selected charging facilities and information related to the charging facilities to be passed through to the vehicle 2.

[0062] The scoring process for charging facilities is as follows. For each of the extracted charging facilities, the control unit 11 obtains a score for each of the four evaluation items: (1) rated output, (2) charging capacity upon arrival, (3) usage fee, and (4) associated commercial facilities, and obtains a total score.

[0063] (1) The score for the rated output item is explained. The rated output of the charger installed in the charging facility is obtained from the charging facility information DB 14 described later. The higher the rated output, the shorter the charging time. Therefore, for the rated output item in (1), the higher the rated output, the higher the score obtained by the control unit 11. The score of the rated output of the charging facility can also be set in advance based on the value of the rated output.

[0064] (2) The score for the item regarding the remaining charging capacity upon arrival is explained. The remaining charging capacity of vehicle 2 upon arrival at the charging facility is obtained based on the energy efficiency of vehicle 2 and the distance to the charging facility. The energy efficiency of vehicle 2 refers to the relationship between the driving distance and the power consumption, expressed as the power consumption per 1km (Wh) or the driving distance per 1kWh (m). The energy efficiency of vehicle 2 is obtained from the vehicle model information DB 13 described later. For example, the more remaining charging capacity vehicle 2 has upon arrival at the charging facility, the shorter the charging time required. Therefore, for the item regarding the remaining charging capacity upon arrival in (2), the more remaining charging capacity vehicle 2 has upon arrival at the charging facility, the higher the score obtained by the control unit 11. However, it is not limited to this. Alternatively, in order to reduce the number of times the vehicle passes through the charging facility, for the item regarding the remaining charging capacity upon arrival in (2), the less remaining charging capacity vehicle 2 has upon arrival at the charging facility, the higher the score obtained by the control unit 11. For example, if the vehicle 2 has insufficient charge until it arrives at the charging facility, the control unit 11 can set the score of the charge balance at arrival (2) to 0, or obtain a negative value in such a way that the more insufficient the charge, the smaller the score.

[0065] The score for item (3) usage fee will be explained. The score for item (3) usage fee is obtained, for example, based on the cost required to charge to the target charging amount. The cost required to charge to the target charging amount is obtained based on the usage cost per unit time of the charging facility, the rated output of the charging facility, and the target charging amount of vehicle 2. The usage cost per unit time and the rated output of the charging facility are obtained from the charging facility information DB 14, which will be described later. The target charging amount of vehicle 2 is received along with the route acquisition request. If the target charging amount of vehicle 2 is not received along with the route acquisition request, for example, the full charging amount of vehicle 2 can also be used as the target charging amount of vehicle 2. The full charging amount of vehicle 2 is obtained from the vehicle model information DB 13. The cheaper the usage cost of the charging facility, the more beneficial it is to the user. Therefore, for item (3) usage fee, the cheaper the usage cost of the charging facility, the higher the score obtained by the control unit 11. However, the score for item (3) usage fee can also be obtained based on the usage cost per unit time of the charging facility.

[0066] The score for item (4) related to commercial facilities is explained below. The score for item (4) related to commercial facilities is obtained based on the commercial facilities attached to the charging facility and / or the activities held in such commercial facilities. The commercial facilities attached to the charging facility and the activities held in such commercial facilities are obtained from the charging facility information DB 14 described later.

[0067] For example, the score can be predetermined based on the type of commercial facility, and the control unit 11 can then obtain the score for the item of the (4) affiliated commercial facility. Alternatively, if an event is being held at the commercial facility, the control unit 11 can obtain the score for the item of the (4) affiliated commercial facility by adding it to a predetermined value. Furthermore, the control unit 11 can adjust the value to be added depending on the content of the event.

[0068] Commercial facilities include, for example, restaurants, shopping malls, retail stores, museums, art galleries, amusement parks, game centers, gyms, etc. For example, the higher the satisfaction level when the charging time of vehicle 2 is spent in the commercial facility, the higher the score of the project in the attached commercial facility. For example, the maximum charging time of vehicle 2 is about 1 hour, so the score of restaurants can be set higher than that of shopping malls and museums, which can not be visited in about 1 hour.

[0069] However, the scores for the attached commercial facilities (4) are not limited to those obtained as described above. For example, users who have pre-established an association with vehicle 2 can specify the priority of the types of commercial facilities based on their preferences, with higher-priority commercial facilities receiving higher scores. For example, the scores for various commercial facilities can vary depending on the time of day, such as adding the score of a restaurant to a set value during mealtimes. Alternatively, the scores for the attached commercial facilities (4) can also be obtained using a machine learning model. This machine learning model has, for example, learned the relationship between information such as the type of commercial facility, the size of the commercial facility, the scheduled usage time, the scheduled charging time, the availability of activities, the type of activities, and the attribute information of users who have established an association with vehicle 2, and the user's satisfaction rating. By establishing a correspondence between user satisfaction and the scores for the attached commercial facilities (4), the scores can be obtained as output by inputting the above information into the machine learning model. It should be noted that the method for obtaining the scores for the attached commercial facilities (4) is not limited to those described above.

[0070] The scores for each of the four items (1) rated output, (2) remaining charging capacity upon arrival, (3) usage fee, and (4) associated commercial facilities) can all be within the same range. For example, each item can be a value between 0 and 10. If there are multiple charging facilities with the same total score, for example, the control unit 11 selects the charging facility with the higher score in the order of (1) rated output, (2) remaining charging capacity upon arrival, (3) usage fee, and (4) associated commercial facilities. If all scores for the four items of multiple charging facilities with the same total score are also the same, for example, the control unit 11 selects the charging facility closest to the target path based on the location of the vehicle 2.

[0071] However, it is not limited to this. The control unit 11 can also select the items that the user values ​​most for the four evaluation items of the charging facility as described above from the settings of the vehicle 2. In this case, the control unit 11 will exclude charging facilities whose scores for the evaluation items set as important are less than a threshold from the options. Alternatively, the control unit 11 can select the items that the user values ​​most for the four evaluation items of the charging facility as described above from the settings of the vehicle 2. In this case, the control unit 11 can also weight the items with higher priority and give them greater weight to obtain the total score of the charging facility. In cases where the user sets the items or priority for the evaluation items and the scores of the items of the attached commercial facilities (4) reflect the user's preferences, a database that maintains this information as part of the user information can also be set up on the server 1. Alternatively, the score of the charging facility can also be obtained using a machine learning model that takes information related to the evaluation items (1) to (4) as input and outputs a score. This machine learning model is, for example, a model that has been trained on learning data for a specified charging facility, taking information related to the evaluation items (1) to (4) as input data and the evaluation value of the user's charging time satisfaction as output data. It should be noted that the evaluation criteria for charging facilities are not limited to the four items mentioned above. For example, the number of chargers available and their availability can also be considered.

[0072] Map information DB 12, vehicle model information DB 13, and charging facility information DB 14 are respectively stored in the storage area of ​​auxiliary storage device 103 of server 1. Map information DB 12 stores map information. It should be noted that map information DB 12 can also use map information that is not stored by server 1 but by other servers via the network. Vehicle model information DB 13 stores vehicle model information related to the performance of each vehicle model 2. The vehicle model information stores, for example, vehicle model identification information, battery capacity (full charge capacity), and energy efficiency (km / Wh or kWh / m). Charging facility information DB 14 stores charging facility information related to charging facilities. Details of the information stored in charging facility information DB 14 will be described later. It should be noted that... Figure 2 The functional configuration of server 1 shown is an example and is not limited to... Figure 2 The example shown.

[0073] Figure 3This is a diagram illustrating an example of charging facility information maintained in Charging Facility Information DB 14. The charging facility information maintained in Charging Facility Information DB 14 includes fields for Facility ID, Location Information, Rated Output, Usage Fee, Ancillary Facilities, and Activities. The Facility ID field stores identification information for the charging facility. The Location Information field stores the location information for the charging facility. The location information for the charging facility can be, for example, latitude and longitude or an address. The Rated Output field stores the rated output (kW) of the charger for the charging facility. The Usage Fee field stores the cost per unit time for the charging facility. For example, the unit time is 1 minute, 10 minutes, etc.

[0074] The "Affiliated Facilities" section stores information related to the commercial facilities attached to the charging facility. This information may include, for example, the facility's identification information, type, and size. Regarding the size of the commercial facility, it could be indicated by, for example, the number of seats for a restaurant, the number of shops for a shopping mall, or the number of game tables and floor area for a game center. If a commercial facility is not attached to the charging facility, the "Affiliated Facilities" section will be empty or indicate that no commercial facility is attached.

[0075] The "Activities" section stores information related to events that are currently being held or scheduled to be held at commercial facilities attached to the charging station. It should be noted that the information stored in... Figure 3 The charging facility information DB 14 shown is an example and is not limited to... Figure 3 The example shown.

[0076] <Processing flow>

[0077] Figure 4 This is an example of a flowchart of the path search process for server 1. Figure 4 The process shown is executed repeatedly at a predetermined cycle during the operation of server 1. Figure 4 The execution entity of the process shown is, for example, the CPU 101 of server 1, but for convenience, the description will focus on the functional components.

[0078] In OP101, the control unit 11 determines whether a route search request has been received from vehicle 2. Along with receiving the route search request, it also receives, for example, identification information such as origin, destination, vehicle type, and remaining charge level of vehicle 2. If a route search request has been received (OP101: Yes), the process proceeds to OP102. If no route search request has been received (OP101: No), Figure 4 The processing shown is now complete.

[0079] In OP102, the control unit 11 searches for paths from the origin to the destination. If multiple paths are detected, the control unit 11 sorts them, for example, by arrival time from earliest to latest or by travel distance from shortest to longest, and selects a predetermined number of paths that rank highest. Processing from OP103 onwards is performed on each of the selected paths. Hereinafter, the paths among the selected paths that are being processed will be referred to as object paths.

[0080] In OP103, the control unit 11 refers to map information DB 12 to search for charging facilities around the target path. In OP104, the control unit 11 determines whether multiple charging facilities are detected. If multiple charging facilities are detected around the target path (OP104: Yes), the process proceeds to OP105. If only one charging facility is detected around the target path (OP104: No), the process proceeds to OP108. It should be noted that if no charging facilities are detected around the target path, the control unit 11 may also expand the search scope and re-search for charging facilities.

[0081] In OP105, the control unit 11 performs a score acquisition process for each of the detected charging facilities. Details of the charging facility score acquisition process will be described later. Through the charging facility score acquisition process, the score of each of the detected charging facilities is acquired.

[0082] In OP106, the control unit 11 selects the charging facility to be traversed based on a score. The selection criteria for the charging facility to be traversed are as described above. In OP107, the control unit 11 determines whether the remaining battery power of the vehicle 2 after charging is sufficient to reach the destination from the charging facility selected in OP106. If the remaining battery power of the vehicle 2 after charging is sufficient to reach the destination (OP107: Yes), the process proceeds to OP108. If the remaining battery power of the vehicle 2 after charging is insufficient to reach the destination (OP107: No), the process proceeds to OP102, where the control unit 11 searches for a path from the charging facility selected in OP106 to the destination, retrieves charging facilities around the path, and selects the charging facility to be traversed.

[0083] In OP108, the control unit 11 re-retrieves the route from the destination to the origin via one or more selected charging facilities. In OP109, the control unit 11 sends information related to the one or more selected charging facilities and the route via those charging facilities to the vehicle 2. The information related to the charging facilities may be, for example, charging facility information stored in charging facility information 14. Afterwards, Figure 4The processing shown is now complete. It should be noted that when performing OP103 to OP108 for multiple paths from the origin to the destination, information related to the multiple paths is sent to vehicle 2 in OP109.

[0084] Figure 5 This is an example of a flowchart for the score acquisition process of a charging facility. Figure 5 The process shown is equivalent to in Figure 4 The processing is performed in OP105. Furthermore... Figure 5 The score acquisition process for the charging facilities shown is performed for each of the multiple charging facilities detected in OP103. Hereinafter, the charging facility to be processed among the multiple charging facilities detected in OP103 will be referred to as the object charging facility.

[0085] In OP201, the control unit 11 obtains the charging facility information of the target charging facility from the charging facility information DB 14. In OP202, the control unit 11 obtains the score for the target charging facility's (1) rated output. In OP203, the control unit 11 obtains the score for the target charging facility's (2) remaining charging capacity upon arrival. In OP204, the control unit 11 obtains the score for the target charging facility's (3) usage fee. In OP205, the control unit 11 obtains the score for the target charging facility's (4) associated commercial facilities. In OP206, the control unit 11 obtains the total score for the target charging facility by summing the scores for the four evaluation items: (1) rated output, (2) remaining charging capacity upon arrival, (3) usage fee, and (4) associated commercial facilities. Afterwards, for the target charging facility, Figure 5 The processing is complete. When all of the multiple charging facilities detected in OP103 are processed, Figure 5 When the processing ends, the processing enters... Figure 4 OP106.

[0086] <Effects of the First Embodiment>

[0087] In the first embodiment, the evaluation criteria for selecting charging facilities along the route from the origin to the destination based on a score include items related to commercial facilities attached to the charging facilities. The score for each commercial facility attached to a charging facility is determined by the likelihood that it provides sufficient time for the vehicle 2 to charge. By selecting charging facilities with high scores, according to the first embodiment, the likelihood of selecting charging facilities attached to commercial facilities or activities that provide sufficient time for the vehicle 2 to charge increases. This results in a more adequate time for the vehicle 2 to charge.

[0088] <Other Implementation Methods>

[0089] The above-described implementation is merely an example, and this disclosure may be implemented with appropriate modifications without departing from its spirit.

[0090] In the first embodiment, server 1 receives a route search request from vehicle 2 from its origin to its destination, searches for charging facilities to be accessed and the routes via those charging facilities, and sends this information back to vehicle 2 as a response. This is not a limitation; for example, server 1 may receive a search request from vehicle 2 for charging facilities in the vicinity of a specified location, assign scores to multiple charging facilities existing within a predetermined range from the specified location, and, based on the scores, send information about recommended charging facilities to vehicle 2. In this case, information about charging facilities with a higher-order score may also be provided to vehicle 2.

[0091] The processing and units described in this disclosure can be freely combined and implemented without causing technical conflicts.

[0092] Furthermore, processes described in a manner performed by a single device can also be executed by multiple devices. Alternatively, processes described in a manner performed by different devices can also be executed by a single device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) used to implement various functions can be flexibly changed.

[0093] This disclosure can also be implemented by providing a computer program, which has the functions described in the above embodiments, to a computer, and having one or more processors read and execute the program. Such a computer program can be provided to the computer via a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that can be connected to the computer's system bus, or via a network. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media include, for example, any type of disk such as a hard disk (floppy disk, hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (CD-ROM, DVD / Blu-ray disc, etc.), a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), a magnetic card, flash memory, an optical card, or any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising a control unit, the control unit performing the following operations: Multiple charging facilities that exist within a specified range and are powered by electricity from rechargeable batteries are tested. Based on information related to the commercial facilities attached to the charging facilities, a first charging facility is selected from the plurality of charging facilities; as well as Output information related to the first charging facility.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The control unit also selects the first charging facility based on one or more of the rated output of the charging facility, the usage cost of the charging facility, and the remaining charging capacity of the mobile body when it arrives at the charging facility.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The control unit acquires a score for each of the plurality of charging facilities for a first item and one or more second items, wherein the first item is an item of a commercial facility attached to the charging facility, and the second item is an item from the rated output of the charging facility, the usage fee of the charging facility, and the remaining charge of the mobile vehicle upon arrival at the charging facility. The control unit selects the charging facility with the highest total score of the first item and the one or more second items as the first charging facility.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, The control unit accepts the designation of a third item, wherein the third item is the highest priority item among the first item and the one or more second items. The control unit excludes charging facilities whose scores for the third item are less than a predetermined value from the options of the first charging facility.

5. An information processing method that performs the following actions via a computer: Multiple charging facilities that exist within a specified range and are powered by electricity from rechargeable batteries are tested. Based on information related to the commercial facilities attached to the charging facilities, a first charging facility is selected from the plurality of charging facilities; as well as Output information related to the first charging facility.

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