Information processing apparatus

Abstract

The invention relates to an information processing apparatus. The present disclosure suggests a charging point suitable for use when a trailer is coupled to a vehicle. The present invention is provided with a control unit which is configured to: acquire setting information indicating an attribute of a trailer connected to a vehicle, which is an electric vehicle; acquiring a departure place and a destination of the vehicle; a battery consumption prediction unit that predicts the amount of consumption of a battery mounted on the vehicle on the basis of the properties of the trailer indicated by the acquired setting information; a search unit that searches for one or more charging points on a route from the departure point to the destination and / or around the route on the basis of the predicted battery consumption amount; and outputting information related to a result of the retrieval.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus. BACKGROUND

[0002] A vehicle navigation system is proposed that presents a route including a charging point based on a remaining amount of a battery, a charging characteristic of the battery, a position of the charging point, and an attribute of the charging point (for example, refer to Patent Literature 1).

[0003] PRIOR ART DOCUMENT

[0004] PATENT LITERATURE

[0005] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-063766 SUMMARY

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to suggest a charging point suitable for use when a trailer is coupled to a vehicle.

[0007] One of the aspects of the present disclosure is an information processing apparatus including a control section configured to perform the following actions: acquire setting information indicating an attribute of a trailer coupled to a vehicle that is an electric vehicle; acquire a departure place and a destination of the vehicle; predict a consumption amount of a battery mounted on the vehicle according to the attribute of the trailer indicated by the acquired setting information; perform a search for one or more charging points on at least either of a route from the departure place to the destination and a vicinity of the route according to the predicted consumption amount of the battery; and output information related to a result of the search.

[0008] Further, other aspects of the present disclosure are an information processing method of executing processing in the above-described information processing apparatus by a computer, a program for causing a computer to execute processing in the above-described information processing apparatus, and a storage medium in which the program is stored non-transitorily.

[0009] EFFECT OF THE INVENTION

[0010] According to the present disclosure, a charging point suitable for use when a trailer is coupled to a vehicle can be suggested. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system of an embodiment.

[0012] Figure 2 is a diagram showing a table configuration of a vehicle information DB.

[0013] Figure 3 is a diagram showing a screen displayed on a touch panel when a trailer attribute is input to a user terminal.

[0014] Figure 4is a diagram showing a screen when a position of a searched charging point is displayed on a touch panel of a user terminal.

[0015] Figure 5 is a flowchart of processing in a server of an embodiment.

[0016] Explanation of Reference Signs:

[0017] 1: system;

[0018] 10: vehicle;

[0019] 11: battery;

[0020] 12: trailer;

[0021] 20: user terminal;

[0022] 30: server;

[0023] 31: control section;

[0024] 32: storage section;

[0025] 33: communication module;

[0026] 40: charging point. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] There is a user who, in a certain scenario, connects a trailer to a vehicle that travels by an electric motor, in the next scenario, separates the trailer, and further, in the next scenario, uses the vehicle by changing the composition of the trailer in a manner such as connecting a different kind of trailer. In the usage of the vehicle of such a user, the attribute of the trailer, such as the presence or absence of the trailer, the kind of the connected trailer, can change at any time. When the attribute of the connected trailer changes, the consumption characteristics of the battery of the vehicle can change. In the past, the influence generated by the change in the attribute of the trailer has not been considered, and it can be difficult to appropriately suggest a charging point. The present disclosure solves this problem.

[0028] A control section of an information processing apparatus as one of the schemes of the present disclosure acquires setting information indicating attributes of a trailer linked to a vehicle. The setting information is information associated with a consumption characteristic of a battery of the vehicle, such as a kind of the trailer, a number of axles, a kind of a hitch, a brake type, a length of the trailer, a length of the hitch, a length of a crossbeam, and the like. The setting information can also be input by a user. The setting information can also be acquired, for example, in a case where there is a change in attributes of the vehicle, or acquired at a prescribed time. Further, the control section acquires a departure place and a destination of the vehicle. The departure place and the destination of the vehicle can also be specified by the user. Further, as another example, a route including the departure place and the destination of the vehicle can also be acquired. Also, as another example, in a case where there is a predetermined route such as a delivery route, the departure place and the destination can be acquired based on the route. The control section predicts a consumption amount of the battery mounted on the vehicle based on the attributes of the trailer indicated by the acquired setting information. The battery is a secondary battery that supplies electric power to an electric motor that drives the vehicle. The setting information is information that has a correlation with the consumption amount of the battery, and thus the control section can predict the consumption amount of the battery based on the setting information.

[0029] The control section performs a search for one or more charging points on at least either of a route from the departure place to the destination and a surrounding of the route based on the predicted consumption amount of the battery. The searched charging point can be, for example, a charging point disposed at a position that can be reached before the consumption amount of the battery becomes a prescribed amount or more. The prescribed amount can be a consumption amount at which the vehicle becomes unable to travel. Further, the searched charging point can also be a charging point disposed at a position that can charge the battery before a remaining amount of the battery of the vehicle becomes 0. Note that the charging point includes a charging device itself and a facility having the charging device, and the like. In a case where charging is required a plurality of times until the departure place to the destination, the control section performs the search in such a manner that the plurality of charging points are passed through. The charging point on the route is a charging point disposed along a road for the vehicle to travel. Further, the surrounding of the route refers to a range that deviates from the range of the set route and is, for example, within a prescribed distance from the route. The prescribed distance can be a distance allowed by the user, or a distance that can be traveled based on the remaining amount of the battery. The distance allowed by the user can be specified by the user. The control section outputs information related to the result of the search. The output can be, for example, to a navigation device of the vehicle or a portable terminal of the user. Further, the information related to the result of the search can also include, for example, information on a route from the departure place to the destination with the searched charging point as a passing point. Also, the information related to the result of the search can also include an instruction to cause the terminal of the user to display the result of the search.

[0030] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described based on the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments. Furthermore, the following embodiments can be combined as much as possible.

[0031] <EMBODIMENT>

[0032] Figure 1 Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an outline configuration of a system 1 according to an embodiment. The system 1 includes a user terminal 20 and a server 30. The user terminal 20 is a terminal for a user of a vehicle 10. The user is, for example, a driver of the vehicle 10. The user terminal 20 can be a portable terminal, or a terminal mounted on the vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 is a battery electric vehicle (BEV), and is associated with the user terminal 20. A trailer 12 is connectable to the vehicle 10. There can be a plurality of trailers 12 connectable to the vehicle 10. The system 1 is a system that provides information related to a charging point 40 to the user terminal 20 in accordance with a route of the vehicle 10.

[0033] The charging point 40 is a device that can charge a battery 11 of the vehicle 10 by supplying electric power to the battery 11 of the vehicle 10. There can be a plurality of charging points 40, vehicles 10, and user terminals 20, respectively. Furthermore, the server 30 can also be constituted by a plurality of servers. The user terminal 20 and the server 30 are connected to each other through a network N1. Note that the network N1 is, for example, a public communication network of a world scale such as the Internet, and can employ a WAN (Wide Area Network), another communication network. Furthermore, the network N1 can also include a telephone communication network such as a portable telephone, a wireless communication network such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0034] The server 30 can be configured as a computer having a processor (CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), etc.), a main storage device (RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), etc.), and an auxiliary storage device (EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), a hard disk drive, a removable medium, etc.). The auxiliary storage device stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc., and each function (software module) conforming to a prescribed purpose can be realized by executing the program stored in the auxiliary storage device. However, a part or all of the modules can also be realized as hardware modules by, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or the like.

[0035] The server 30 has a control section 31, a storage section 32, and a communication module 33. The control section 31 is an arithmetic unit that realizes various functions of the server 30 by executing a prescribed program. The control section 31 can be realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU. In addition, the control section 31 can also be configured to include a RAM, a ROM, a cache memory, etc.

[0036] The control section 31 of the server 30 predicts the consumption amount of the battery 11 on the basis of setting information indicating the attributes of the trailer 12 connected to the vehicle 10 and the departure place and the destination of the vehicle 10. Also, the control section 31 performs a search for one or more charging points 40 at least either on the route from the departure place to the destination or around the route on the basis of the consumption amount of the battery 11. Furthermore, the control section 31 transmits information related to the result of the search to the user terminal 20. Details will be described later.

[0037] The storage section 32 is a unit that stores information and is configured by a storage medium such as a RAM, a disk, a flash memory, etc. The storage section 32 stores a program executed by the control section 31, data used for the program, etc. In addition, a vehicle information DB (Database) 321, a charging point information DB 322, and a map information DB 323 as databases are constructed in the storage section 32. The vehicle information DB 321 stores information related to a vehicle (hereinafter, also referred to as vehicle information).

[0038] Figure 2Fig. 10 is a diagram showing a table configuration of the vehicle information DB 321. The vehicle information DB 321 has columns of a vehicle ID, a user terminal ID, a departure place, a destination, and setting information. The vehicle ID column stores information (vehicle ID) that can identify the vehicle 10. The user terminal ID column stores information (user terminal ID) that can identify the user terminal 20 associated with the vehicle 10. The departure place column stores information related to the departure place of the vehicle 10. The destination column stores information related to the destination of the vehicle 10. Note that the departure place and the destination can also be stored as one route. The setting information column stores setting information indicating the attributes of the trailer 12. The setting information is information associated with the consumption amount of the battery 11 in the trailer 12. The setting information is, for example, information related to the kind of the trailer 12, the number of axles of the trailer 12, the kind of the hitch of the trailer 12, the kind of the brakes of the trailer 12, the length of the trailer 12, the length of the hitch of the trailer 12, and the length of the cross member of the trailer 12. The information stored in the vehicle information DB 321 is transmitted from the user terminal 20 to the server 30. When the vehicle information is received from the user terminal 20, the control section 31 stores the vehicle information in the vehicle information DB 321.

[0039] Figure 3 Fig. 11 is a diagram showing a screen displayed on the touch panel 24 when the attributes of the trailer are input in the user terminal 20. The trailer name is an arbitrary name input by the user in a manner that can identify the trailer. The trailer kind, the hitch kind, the number of axles, and the kind of brakes are selected by the user from a list set in advance. The length of the trailer, the length of the hitch, the length of the cross member, and the overall length can be input by the user or can be automatically input according to the trailer kind and the like input by the user. When the attributes of the trailer are input to the user terminal 20, the attributes of the trailer are associated with the vehicle ID and the user terminal ID and transmitted as the setting information from the user terminal 20 to the server 30. Note that the setting information can be acquired from the user terminal 20 in advance before the charging spot 40 is searched. Further, the attributes of the trailer can also be stored in the storage section 22 of the user terminal 20. Also, for example, when the attributes of the trailer are input, the user can select the trailer name, and the attributes of the trailer associated with the trailer name can be automatically selected.

[0040] The charging point information DB 322 stores information related to the charging point 40 (hereinafter, also referred to as charging point information). The charging point information may, for example, also include information related to the position of the charging point 40, information related to the size (for example, length, width, height) of the vehicle 10 that can be accommodated, information related to the kind of the battery 11 that can be accommodated, and the like. The map information DB 323 stores map information including map data, POI (Point of interest) information such as a word or a photograph indicating the characteristics of each place on the map data. Note that the map information DB 323 can also be provided by another system connected to the network N1, such as a GIS (Geographic Information System).

[0041] The communication module 33 is a communication interface for connecting the server 30 to the network N1. The communication module 33 may, for example, also be configured to include a network interface board, a wireless communication interface for wireless communication, and the like. The server 30 can perform data communication with the user terminal 20 via the communication module 33.

[0042] The control section 31 of the server 30 generates a route of the vehicle based on the departure place and the destination included in the vehicle information. Note that the departure place can be the departure place input to the user terminal 20, or can be the current position of the vehicle 10 or the user terminal 20. Further, the destination can be the destination input to the user terminal 20, or can be a predetermined delivery destination in the case where the vehicle 10 is used to travel in a predetermined route and perform delivery.

[0043] The control section 31 predicts the consumption amount of the battery 11 of the vehicle 10 based on the setting information. For example, the consumption amount of the battery 11 per unit distance of travel corresponding to each of the kind of the trailer 12, the number of axles of the trailer 12, the kind of the hitch of the trailer 12, the kind of the brake of the trailer 12, the length of the trailer 12, the length of the hitch of the trailer 12, and the length of the cross member of the trailer 12 can also be stored in advance in the storage section 32. Further, the control section 31 can calculate the total value of the consumption amount of the battery 11 per unit distance of travel corresponding to each of the above, and acquire the consumption amount of the battery 11 per unit distance of travel of the entire vehicle 10.

[0044] Note that the prediction form of the consumption amount is not particularly limited as long as the material for determining whether the battery remaining amount can reach the destination can be provided, and can be appropriately selected according to the embodiment. The prediction of the consumption amount of the battery 11 can be direct prediction of the consumption amount, such as prediction of the power consumption amount per prescribed travel distance (unit travel distance), or can be indirect prediction of the consumption amount, such as prediction of the travelable distance per unit power consumption amount, the distance that can be traveled with the remaining amount of the battery 11, or the like. The remaining amount of the battery 11 can be acquired by the user terminal 20 and transmitted to the server 30.

[0045] Further, in the calculation of the consumption amount of the battery 11, the control portion 31 can also consider information other than the setting information. For example, the consumption amount of the battery 11 can change depending on the charge-discharge characteristics of the battery 11, the slope of the road corresponding to the route, the weather, the kind (vehicle model) of the vehicle 10, the congestion forecast, the use of accessories, the weight of the vehicle 10 excluding the trailer 12, and the like, and thus the control portion 31 can also calculate the consumption amount of the battery 11 taking these into consideration. For example, the charge voltage and the discharge voltage vary depending on the SOC (State of Charge) or the capacity (mAh) of the battery 11, and thus the consumption amount of the battery 11 can change depending on the SOC or the capacity of the battery 11. Therefore, the control portion 31 can also calculate the consumption amount of the battery 11 depending on these. The charge-discharge characteristics of the battery 11 can be stored in advance in the storage portion 32. Further, for example, in the case where there is an uphill on the route, the control portion 31 can calculate the consumption amount of the battery 11 in such a manner that the greater the slope, the greater the consumption amount of the battery 11. Information related to the slope of the road can be stored in the map information DB 323. The relationship between the slope of the road and the consumption amount of the battery 11 can also be stored in the storage portion 32. Further, for example, the control portion 31 can calculate the consumption amount of the battery 11 in such a manner that the longer the distance of the congestion obtained by the congestion forecast, the greater the consumption amount of the battery 11. The control portion 31 can acquire the congestion forecast from an external server that provides the congestion forecast. The relationship between the length of the congestion or the time required to pass through the congestion and the consumption amount of the battery 11 can also be stored in the storage portion 32. Further, for example, in the case where the use of an accessory that is supplied with electric power from the battery 11 is scheduled, the control portion 31 can calculate the consumption amount of the battery 11 in such a manner that the greater the consumption electric power of the accessory, the greater the consumption amount of the battery 11. The consumption electric power of the accessory can also be stored in the storage portion 32. Further, the control portion 31 can calculate the consumption amount of the battery 11 in such a manner that the greater the load amount (for example, the weight of the cargo) of the vehicle 10, the greater the consumption amount of the battery 11. For example, the user can input the weight of the cargo to the user terminal 20, and the weight of the cargo can be transmitted from the user terminal 20 to the server 30. Information related to the consumption amount of the battery 11 corresponding to the weight of the cargo can also be stored in the storage portion 32. Further, when the air temperature becomes low, the consumption amount of the battery 11 becomes greater due to heating, and when the air temperature becomes high, the consumption amount of the battery 11 becomes greater due to cooling. That is, the consumption amount of the battery 11 can change depending on the air temperature. Therefore, the control portion 31 can also calculate the consumption amount of the battery 11 depending on the air temperature. Information related to the consumption amount of the battery 11 corresponding to the air temperature can also be stored in the storage portion 32. Further, the consumption amount of the battery 11 per unit distance of travel can change depending on the vehicle model, and thus the control portion 31 can also calculate the consumption amount of the battery 11 depending on the vehicle model. Information related to the consumption amount of the battery 11 corresponding to the vehicle model can also be stored in the storage portion 32.

[0046] Further, the control section 31 can use a machine learning model that sets the set information and the actual consumption amount of the battery 11 per unit distance traveled as training data, sets the set information as input data, and sets the consumption amount of the battery 11 per unit distance traveled as output data, as a prediction model that predicts the consumption amount of the battery 11 per unit distance traveled. In the case where the control section 31 uses this machine learning model, the control section 31 can also collect travel data under the attributes (set information) of the specified trailer, and construct a prediction model for this user using the collected travel data. Further, the machine learning model can also be personalized by tuning such as transfer learning, relearning, or additional learning. Further, the control section 31 can also perform tuning for each kind of setting of the battery 11. Further, the control section 31 can also use a prediction model that further incorporates information other than the set information.

[0047] Further, the control section 31 searches for one or more charging points 40. As a typical example, it is also possible to determine a position on the route of the vehicle 10 where the remaining amount of the battery 11 is less than a threshold value, and search for the charging point 40 closest to this position. Further, as another example, it is also possible to specify a region on the route of the vehicle 10 where the remaining amount of the battery 11 is less than a threshold value, and search for the charging point 40 within this region or the charging point 40 closest to this region. Note that the range in which the charging point 40 is searched for is not particularly limited as long as the consumption amount of the battery 11 predicted from the set information is reflected, and can be appropriately determined according to the embodiment.

[0048] Further, in the case of long distance travel, it is sometimes necessary to charge multiple times until the destination is reached. The long distance referred to here is a distance where, even if the charging point 40 is selected as a via, and the charging at this charging point 40 is reflected in the remaining amount of the battery 11 (for example, even if full charging is performed here), the remaining amount of the battery 11 after charging is not sufficient to travel to the destination from this charging point 40. In this case, it is also possible that, after one of the one or more charging points 40 suggested is selected as a via, the control section 31 further searches for a charging point 40 between the via (charging point 40) and the destination.

[0049] Here, if the set information is not reflected, the consumption amount of the battery 11 increases to more than the assumption, and thus charging is not performed at an appropriate timing, and the number of times of charging (that is, the number of charging points 40 at which the vehicle needs to stop) can increase. In view of this, according to the present disclosure, by using the set information, it is possible to expect optimization of the number of times of charging in long distance travel.

[0050] Note that the control section 31 can perform the search and the suggestion of the charging point 40 only in a case where the current remaining amount of the battery 11 cannot reach the destination. Alternatively, the control section 31 can perform the search and the suggestion of the charging point 40 regardless of whether the current remaining amount of the battery 11 can reach the destination. Further, the control section 31 can perform the search and the suggestion of the charging point 40 in a case where the destination is not the charging point 40. Alternatively, the control section 31 can omit the search and the suggestion of the charging point 40 in a case where the destination is the charging point 40. Further, the control section 31 can perform the search and the suggestion of the charging point 40 regardless of whether the charging point 40 exists at the destination. Further, the control section 31 can perform the search and the suggestion of the charging point 40 regardless of whether the trailer 12 is coupled to the vehicle 10.

[0051] Note that the search for the charging point 40 can be configured to search for the charging point 40 suitable for the kind of the trailer 12. For example, the search can be performed for the charging point 40 at which the trailer 12 can be parked in a state where the trailer 12 is coupled to the vehicle 10. The control section 31 can output an instruction to display the positions of the searched charging points 40 on the touch panel 24 of the user terminal 20. Further, the control section 31 can output the search result in a case where the searched charging points 40 are located at positions at which the remaining amount of the battery 11 is less than a threshold value when the vehicle 1 arrives, or at positions within a prescribed distance from the positions. Further, the control section 31 can output the search result in a case where the user inputs a departure place and a destination to the user terminal 20.

[0052] Figure 4 is a view illustrating a screen when the positions of the searched charging points 40 are displayed on the touch panel 24 of the user terminal 20. In Figure 4 , Al indicates a departure place, and A2 indicates a destination. A line connecting Al and A2 is a route. On the route or around the route, the positions of the charging points 40 are indicated by icons on which numbers 1 to 4 are displayed. Note that in Figure 4 , the icons on which the numbers 2 and 3 are displayed indicate the positions of the charging points 40 existing on the route, and the icons on which the numbers 1 and 4 are displayed indicate the positions of the charging points 40 existing around the route. Descriptions corresponding to the respective charging points 40 are displayed at portions indicated by a reference numeral 241. Further, the control section 31 can output an instruction to display the positions of the searched charging points 40 on the touch panel 24 of the user terminal 20 so that the user can select the charging points 40 as the via places. The user can select the charging points 40 by clicking any one of the icons on which the numbers 1 to 4 are displayed in the screen illustrated in Figure 4 .

[0053] Note that, also in the case where the charging point 40 is selected as the destination or a via, the temperature of the battery 11 can be adjusted before reaching the charging point 40. The method of adjusting the temperature of the battery 11 is not particularly limited, and can be appropriately selected depending on the embodiment. A publicly known method can also be employed. By adjusting the temperature of the battery 11 to a temperature suitable for charging in advance, for example, the amount of charging of the battery 11 can be increased.

[0054] The user terminal 20 is a terminal used by a user of the vehicle 10, and is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a wearable terminal, or a PC (Personal Computer), or the like. Further, as another example, the user terminal 20 can also be a terminal including a computer mounted on the vehicle 10. In this case, the user terminal 20 can also be, for example, a DCM (Data Communication Module) of the vehicle 10, a head unit, or a navigation system, or the like. The user terminal 20 is provided with a control section 21, a storage section 22, a communication module 23, a touch panel 24, and a position information sensor 25. These configurations can also be, for example, constituent elements of the DCM (Data Communication Module) of the vehicle 10, a head unit, a navigation system, an air conditioning system, a running system, or the like. An application software for registering vehicle information and displaying a route and the charging point 40 is installed in the user terminal 20, for example.

[0055] The control section 21 is an arithmetic unit that realizes various functions of the user terminal 20 by executing a prescribed program. The control section 21 can be realized by a hardware processor such as a CPU, for example. Further, the control section 21 can also be configured to include a RAM, a ROM, a cache memory, or the like. The storage section 22 is a unit that stores information, and is constituted by a storage medium such as a RAM, a magnetic disk, a flash memory, or the like. The storage section 22 stores a program executed by the control section 21, data used for the program, or the like. The communication module 23 is a communication unit for connecting the user terminal 20 to the network N1. The communication module 23 is, for example, a circuit for communicating with other devices (such as the server 30 or the like) via the network N1 using a LAN (Local Area Network) interface board, a mobile communication service (such as a telephone communication network of 6G (6th Generation), 5G (5th Generation), 4G (4th Generation), 3G (3rd Generation), LTE (Long Term Evolution), or the like), a wireless communication network of Wi-Fi (registered trademark), or the like.

[0056] The touch panel 24 is a device that receives input from a user and a device that presents information to the user. The position information sensor 25 acquires position information (e.g., latitude, longitude) of the user terminal 20. The position information sensor 25 is, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, a wireless communication section, or the like.

[0057] The control section 21 of the user terminal 20 acquires vehicle information in accordance with information input by the user to the touch panel 24. The touch panel 24 displays, for example, a vehicle ID, a departure location, a destination, and a user interface for inputting a trailer attribute. As for the trailer attribute, the user inputs it on the screen shown in FIG. 6. The vehicle ID is stored in advance in the user terminal 20. The departure location can be a current position acquired by the position information sensor 25. The destination can be a position clicked by the user on a map displayed on the touch panel 24 or an address input by the user. The control section 21 that has acquired the vehicle information transmits the vehicle information to the server 30. Further, when receiving information related to a route of the vehicle 10 from the server 30, the control section 21 causes the touch panel 24 to display a map and displays the route. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, it can be configured to cause a plurality of charging points 40 to be displayed on the touch panel 24 and the user to be able to select a charging point 40 therefrom. Also, the control section 21 can perform route guidance. The position of the charging point 40 to be passed through is displayed on the map. Further, in a case where the user selects a charging point 40, the control section 21 transmits information related to the selected charging point 40 to the server 30. Figure 3 Figure 4

[0058] Figure 5 is a flowchart of processing in the server 30 of the embodiment. Figure 5 The processing shown in FIG. 8 is executed in the server 30 with respect to each user terminal 20. Figure 5 The processing shown in FIG. 9 is executed in the user terminal 20 in a case where a prescribed input related to route search has been made.

[0059] ​​In step S101, the control unit 31 acquires the departure and destination of the vehicle 10. The departure and destination are input by the user on the user terminal 20 and sent from the user terminal 20 to the server 30. On the user terminal 20, the user inputs the departure and destination in the input screen of an application software or webpage used for route retrieval. It should be noted that the departure point can be the current location acquired by the location information sensor 25 of the user terminal 20. Furthermore, for example, if the departure and destination are predetermined, such as in the case of delivery along a predetermined route, the departure and destination can also be stored in the storage unit 32. The control unit 31 can also retrieve the departure and destination from the storage unit 32. In this case, for example, the departure and destination can be associated with a user terminal ID; the user terminal ID can be retrieved from the user terminal 20, and the departure and destination corresponding to the user terminal ID can be retrieved from the storage unit 32. In addition, the control unit 31 can also send instructions to the user terminal 20 for the user interface displayed on the touch panel 24 of the user terminal 20 for the user to input the departure and destination, and instructions to send the obtained departure and destination to the server 30. When the departure and destination are obtained, the control unit 31 stores the departure and destination in the vehicle information DB321.

[0060] In step S102, the control unit 31 acquires setting information. This setting information is obtained by the user. Figure 3 Input is made in the screen shown. It should be noted that the setting information can be obtained simultaneously with the departure and destination points, or it can be obtained before obtaining the departure and destination points. The control unit 31 can also send instructions to the user terminal 20 regarding the user interface displayed on the touch panel 24 of the user terminal 20 for inputting setting information, and instructions to send the obtained setting information to the server 30. When the setting information is obtained, the control unit 31 stores the setting information in the vehicle information DB321.

[0061] In step S103, the control unit 31 generates a route based on the origin and destination obtained in step S101. The generated route is generated according to predetermined rules such as the shortest distance or the shortest travel time. Known techniques can be used to generate this route.

[0062] In step S104, the control section 31 calculates the consumption amount of the battery 11. The consumption amount of the battery 11 is calculated on the basis of the setting information. The control section 31 can also calculate the consumption amount of the battery 11 per unit distance of travel, for example, on the basis of the setting information, and further calculate the consumption amount of the battery 11 by multiplying the distance of the route. The relationship between the consumption amount of the battery 11 per unit distance of travel and the setting information is stored in advance in the storage section 32. Further, the control section 31 calculates the consumption amount of the battery 11 at each location on the route by multiplying the distance from the departure location at each location on the route by the consumption amount of the battery 11 per unit distance of travel.

[0063] Note that, the control section 31 can calculate the consumption amount of the battery 11 by taking into account, in addition to the setting information, the charge-discharge characteristics of the battery 11, the slope of the road on the route, the weather, the kind (model) of the vehicle 10, the congestion forecast, the usage status of the accessories in the vehicle 10, the load amount of the vehicle 10, and the like, when calculating the consumption amount of the battery 11. Further, in the case where the control section 31 uses a trained machine learning model as a prediction model for predicting the consumption amount of the battery 11, the control section 31 can input the setting information to the machine learning model, thereby obtaining the consumption amount of the battery 11 per unit distance of travel as output data.

[0064] In step S105, the control section 31 determines whether charging of the battery 11 is required on the way to the destination. In the case where the remaining amount of the battery 11 at the destination is less than a threshold value, the control section 31 determines that charging of the battery 11 is required. The remaining amount of the battery 11 at the destination is a value obtained by subtracting the consumption amount of the battery 11 to the destination from the remaining amount of the battery 11 at the departure location. Note that, the remaining amount of the battery 11 at the departure location can be obtained from the user terminal 20 or the vehicle 10. Further, as another example, the control section 31 can assume that the battery 11 is in a full charge state or a prescribed charge state at the departure location. The threshold value is the remaining amount of the battery 11 that enables travel from the destination to the charging point 40. The threshold value can be set in accordance with the distance from the destination to the charging point 40, or can be specified by the user. In the case where the control section 31 makes an affirmative determination in step S105, the processing proceeds to step S106, and in the case where the control section 31 makes a negative determination, the routine ends.

[0065] In step S106, the control section 31 searches for the charging spot 40. The control section 31 calculates the position where charging is required on the basis of the consumption amount of the battery 11 calculated in step S104. The control section 31 calculates the position where the remaining amount of the battery 11 is less than a threshold value on the route. The threshold value is, for example, the remaining amount of the battery 11 by which the charging spot 40 can be reached. In an area where the charging spots 40 are more, the threshold value can also be a smaller amount. Further, the threshold value can vary depending on the vehicle type, or can be designated by the user. Also, the charging spot 40 within a prescribed distance from the position where charging is required is extracted. The prescribed distance referred to here can be the distance by which the battery 11 can be driven with the remaining amount of the battery 11, or can be a distance designated by the user.

[0066] Note that the control section 31 can extract the nearest charging spot 40 from the position where charging is required, or can extract two or more charging spots 40 in order from near to far from the position where charging is required. Further, for example, the control section 31 can also extract the charging spot 40 that can be parked at by the vehicle 10. For example, depending on the overall length, overall width, or height of the vehicle 10, there can be charging spots 40 at which the vehicle 10 cannot be parked, and thus the charging spot 40 that can be parked at by the vehicle 10 can also be extracted taking into account the overall length, overall width, or height of the vehicle 10. The setting information corresponding to the vehicle 10 that can be parked is stored in the charging spot information DB 322 for each charging spot 40.

[0067] In step S107, the control section 31 outputs information related to the searched charging spot 40. The control section 31 can also output information related to the position of the charging spot 40. At this time, the control section 31 can also transmit an instruction to the user terminal 20 to display the route of the vehicle 10 and the position of the charging spot 40 on the map displayed on the touch panel 24 of the user terminal 20.

[0068] In step S108, the control section 31 determines whether information related to the charging spot 40 selected from the user terminal 20 has been received. Note that the processing of steps S108 to S110 can also be omitted. In a case where a plurality of charging spots 40 are displayed on the map displayed on the touch panel 24 of the user terminal 20, in a case where the user taps any of the charging spots 40, information related to the selected charging spot 40 is transmitted from the user terminal 20 to the server 30. In step S108, when the control section 31 makes a positive determination, the processing proceeds to step S109, and when the control section 31 makes a negative determination, the routine ends.

[0069] In step S109, the control section 31 regenerates the route via the charging spot 40 selected. That is, the control section 31 generates a route in such a manner that the vehicle 10 travels from the departure location to the destination via the selected charging spot 40.

[0070] In step S110, the control section 31 calculates the consumption amount of the battery 11 from the selected charging point 40 to the destination, assuming that full charging is performed at the selected charging point 40. Here, as with the processing in step S104, the control section 31 calculates the consumption amount of the battery 11 from the selected charging point 40 to the destination, taking the selected charging point 40 as the departure point. When the processing in step S110 is completed, the processing returns to step S105. Then, in step S105, the control section 31 determines whether charging of the battery 11 is required on the way from the selected charging point 40 to the destination. In this way, even in the case of long distance travel, the control section 31 can suggest multiple charging points 40 to the user.

[0071] As described above, according to the present embodiment, by reflecting the attribute of the trailer 12 in the prediction of the consumption amount of the battery 11 and the search for the charging point 40, the control section 31 can suggest a charging point 40 that is suitable for the attribute of the trailer 12 to the user.

[0072] <OTHER EMBODIMENTS>

[0073] The above-described embodiments are merely examples, and the present disclosure can be implemented as appropriate with variations that do not depart from the gist thereof. The processing and units described in the present disclosure can be freely combined and implemented without causing technical conflicts. Furthermore, the processing described as being performed by one device can be executed by multiple devices. Alternatively, the processing described as being performed by different devices can be executed by one device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) by which each function is implemented can be freely changed. For example, the user terminal 20 can have part or all of the functions of the server 30. The user terminal 20 in this case can be a portable terminal or a vehicle-mounted terminal.

[0074] The present disclosure can also be implemented by providing a computer program in which the functions described in the above-described embodiments are installed to a computer having one or more processors that read out the program and execute it. Such a computer program can be provided to the computer via a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that is connectable to a system bus of the computer or can be provided to the computer via a network. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium includes, for example, any type of disk including flexible disks, hard disk drives (HDDs), and solid state drives (SSDs), magneto-optical disks, ROMs, RAMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, electrically erasable programmable ROMs (EEPROMs), magnetic or optical cards, multimedia cards, and any type of media suitable for storing electronic instructions.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising a control unit configured to perform the following operations: Obtain setting information representing the attributes of the trailer connected to the vehicle, which is an electric vehicle. Obtain the origin and destination of the vehicle; The consumption of the battery mounted on the vehicle is predicted based on the attributes of the trailer shown by the obtained setting information. Based on the predicted battery consumption, at least one charging point is searched along the route from the origin to the destination and in at least one of the surrounding areas. as well as Output information related to the search results.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, When the control unit searches for one or more charging points, it searches for charging points that can provide parking for the vehicle based on the set information.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The control unit is configured to also perform the following actions: The route is regenerated using charging points selected by the user; and Search for more than one charging point on the route from the user-selected charging point to the destination and in at least one of the surrounding areas of the route.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, In addition to the attributes of the trailer, the control unit also predicts the battery consumption based on the battery's charging and discharging characteristics, the gradient of the road corresponding to the route, the weather, the type of vehicle, congestion prediction, the use of accessories in the vehicle, and the weight of the vehicle excluding the trailer.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: The storage unit stores the relationship between the setting information and the battery consumption per unit distance traveled by the vehicle. The control unit predicts the battery consumption along the route based on the battery consumption per unit distance traveled, calculated using relationships stored in the storage unit and the setting information. The control unit searches for charging points along the route within a specified distance from a location where the battery consumption is less than a threshold.

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