Charging management device for vehicle

Abstract

To provide a charging management device for a vehicle to appropriately perform charge control when a content is reproduced during charging.SOLUTION: A charging management device for a vehicle includes one or more processors, and a storage medium storing a program executed by the one or more processors, wherein the program includes one or more instructions, and the instructions cause the one or more processors to execute: processing for acquiring a remaining charging time up to a target capacity of a battery of the vehicle; processing for acquiring a remaining reproduction time up to a reproduction end of a content in the vehicle; and charging speed control processing for performing control of lowering a charging speed of the battery when the remaining charing time is shorter than the remaining reproduction time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of a vehicle charge management device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for providing a user with services such as content according to charging status information of an electric vehicle, for example, during a waiting time while the electric vehicle is being charged. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-46524 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] If the user returns to the vehicle before charging is complete, the user will have to wait until charging is complete. During this waiting time, content may be played back using the power of the vehicle's battery. In this case, if the content playback time is longer than the time required to complete charging, the content may continue to be played back even after charging is complete, and the battery's charge capacity may decrease by the time the content playback ends. In addition, it is generally known that quick charging places a large load on the battery, causing battery deterioration. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to perform appropriate charging control taking into consideration the loss of charge capacity and the load on the battery when content is played back during charging. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A vehicle charging management device in one embodiment of the present invention comprises one or more processors and a storage medium on which a program executed by the one or more processors is stored, the program including one or more instructions that cause the one or more processors to execute a process of acquiring a remaining charging time until a target capacity of a vehicle battery is reached, a process of acquiring a remaining playback time until playback of content in the vehicle ends, and a charging speed control process that performs control to reduce the charging speed of the battery if the remaining charging time is shorter than the remaining playback time. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, when the remaining charge time is shorter than the remaining playback time, the charging speed of the battery is decreased to extend the remaining charge time. This allows appropriate charging control to be performed even when content is being played back while charging. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 4 is a flowchart of a process example of a vehicle charging management device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] 4 is a flowchart of a process example of a vehicle charging management device according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] <Vehicle configuration> 1 shows a vehicle 1 equipped with a vehicle charging management device 10 according to the present embodiment. The vehicle 1 is an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle. The vehicle 1 includes a vehicle charge management device 10, an on-board battery 11, a PCU (Power Control Unit) 12, a motor 13, an operation unit 14, a display unit 15, an audio output unit 16, a connector unit 17, and a communication unit 18. FIG. 1 shows only a portion of the configuration of the vehicle 1, and it goes without saying that the vehicle 1 includes various configurations for traveling and operation.

[0009] The vehicle charging management device 10 is configured with one or more processors. Specifically, it is configured with one or more ECUs (Electronic Control Units) in the vehicle 1. The ECUs provided in the vehicle 1 may include various types such as a driving control ECU, a charging control ECU that performs charging control of the in-vehicle battery 11, an engine control ECU, a display control ECU that performs display control of a display device (including meters, etc.) provided in the vehicle 1, a driving assistance ECU, an automatic driving ECU, and an air conditioning control ECU. The vehicle charging management device 10 may be configured in any of these ECUs in the vehicle, or in an ECU specialized for the function of the present embodiment. The vehicle charging management device 10 is configured to include a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a non-volatile memory, an input / output interface, etc. The CPU executes various processes according to programs stored in the ROM and the non-volatile memory. The RAM appropriately stores data and the like required for the CPU to execute various processes.

[0010] The vehicle battery 11 is a high-voltage battery used for driving the vehicle 1. The vehicle battery 11 supplies power used for driving the wheels, power used for operating an air conditioner of the vehicle 1, and power used for operating other devices. Fig. 1 shows the power supply from the vehicle battery 11 for driving the wheels and the power supply to the display unit 15, and does not show the power supply used for operating each of the other units.

[0011] The vehicle battery 11 is charged by a current supplied from the PCU 12 . An on-board battery 11 supplies a power supply voltage to the PCU 12 for driving the motor 13 .

[0012] The PCU 12 is configured to include an inverter, a DC / DC converter, and the like for driving the motor 13 . The PCU 12 generates an AC current for driving the motor 13 based on the supplied power supply voltage, and supplies the AC current to the motor 13. The PCU 12 controls the torque of the motor 13 by controlling the AC current. The PCU 12 may also be provided with a regenerative braking function to optimize energy efficiency by utilizing regenerative energy.

[0013] The motor 13 is configured as a motor generator having a power generating function, and drives the wheels based on the supplied AC current.

[0014] The operation unit 14 includes, for example, various types of buttons, levers, and other operators arranged in front of the driver's seat of the vehicle 1. In addition, the operation unit 14 may include an MFD (Multi Function Display) having a touch panel function, a display unit of a navigation device, and the like.

[0015] The display unit 15 collectively represents, for example, an MFD installed in front of the driver and other display devices for presenting information to the driver. The display unit 15 displays information based on detection signals detected by various sensors equipped in the vehicle 1. The display unit 15 appropriately displays various information such as the total mileage of the vehicle, outside temperature, and instantaneous fuel consumption. In addition, the display unit 15 is capable of displaying map information, extracted route information, and the like. The display unit 15 is also capable of displaying contents to be described later.

[0016] The audio output unit 16 collectively represents audio output devices such as various speakers installed in the vehicle cabin. The audio output unit 16 is capable of outputting audio corresponding to the content displayed on the display unit 15.

[0017] The connector unit 17 has a structure into which a charging plug provided in a charging facility such as a charger can be inserted. The connector unit 17 outputs AC voltage supplied via the inserted charging plug to the PCU 12. The PCU 12 is provided with an AC / DC converter and supplies the converted DC voltage to the vehicle-mounted battery 11, thereby charging the vehicle-mounted battery 11.

[0018] The communication unit 18 has a function of communicating with the outside of the vehicle, and performs communication via various transmission paths, such as network communication such as the Internet, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and road-to-vehicle communication.

[0019] <Processing example> A description will be given of the process of the embodiment realized in the above-mentioned vehicle charging management device 10. The process of the embodiment assumes a situation in which content is played back using the power of the in-vehicle battery 11 in the vehicle 1 during charging, and realizes appropriate charging control in such a situation.

[0020] Assume that the vehicle 1 is parked in a parking lot where a charger is installed, and charging is being performed on the in-vehicle battery 11 with the connector unit 17 connected to the charging plug of the charger. Charging is completed when charging is performed up to a target capacity desired by the user (for example, a fully charged capacity). Here, there may be a case where the user (passenger) of the vehicle 1 returns to the vehicle 1 before charging of the in-vehicle battery 11 is completed. In the process of the embodiment, when charging is not completed when the user gets into the vehicle 1, the vehicle charging management device 10 causes the display unit 15 to play content. The content is content that is played over a predetermined time (playback time), such as video content. As will be described later, the vehicle charging management device 10 recommends playing content that has a remaining playback time longer than the remaining charge time, taking into account the remaining charge time required for charging to the target capacity. In addition, in response to the execution of content playback, the vehicle charging management device 10 manages the charging rate of the in-vehicle battery 11. As described below, when the remaining charge time is shorter than the remaining playback time of the content, the vehicle charging management device 10 performs control to reduce the charging rate so as to extend the remaining charge time in consideration of the remaining playback time. At the stage where the reproduction of the content is finished, for example, it is assumed that charging up to the target capacity is completed and the user drives the vehicle 1 and departs from the parking lot.

[0021] FIG. 2 shows an example of a process executed by the vehicle charging management device 10 to play back content while the in-vehicle battery 11 is being charged.

[0022] In step S101, the vehicle charging management device 10 determines whether or not a user has boarded the vehicle 1. For example, the vehicle charging management device 10 performs the boarding determination based on a detection value of a sensor that detects the load applied to the seat of the vehicle 1 or imaging data of an imaging device that images the interior of the vehicle. The vehicle charging management device 10 may also determine that a user has boarded the vehicle 1 in response to the power being turned on to the vehicle 1 by a user operation. The method of boarding determination is not limited to the above and can be changed as appropriate depending on the configuration of the vehicle 1.

[0023] When it is determined in step S101 that the user is not in the vehicle 1, the vehicle charging management device 10 ends the process in Fig. 2. Note that the vehicle charging management device 10 periodically executes the process in Fig. 2, for example, at predetermined time intervals, until it is determined that the user is in the vehicle 1. When it is determined in step S101 that the user has got into the vehicle 1, the vehicle charging management device 10 proceeds to step S102.

[0024] In step S102, the vehicle charging management device 10 acquires the remaining charge time of the in-vehicle battery 11. The remaining charge time is the remaining time required for charging up to the target capacity. The vehicle charging management device 10 calculates and acquires the remaining charge time based on information such as the current SOC (State of Charge) of the in-vehicle battery 11, the SOC of the target capacity, and the current charging speed (amount of charge per unit time). Note that instead of calculating the remaining charge time itself, the vehicle charging management device 10 may acquire the calculated remaining charge time from an external device such as another ECU provided in the vehicle 1 or a control device of a charger.

[0025] In step S103, the vehicle charging management device 10 executes a content recommendation presentation process. The content recommendation presentation process is a process for recommending to the user to play content that has a remaining playback time longer than the remaining charge time. Specifically, as a content recommendation presentation process, the vehicle charging management device 10 extracts content having a remaining playback time longer than the remaining charging time acquired in step S102, and controls the display unit 15 to execute a presentation recommending playback of the extracted content. The remaining playback time of a content is the remaining time required until playback of the content is completed. The remaining playback time may be the remaining time of the content being played back, or the remaining time of the content to be played back. The remaining playback time that is the condition for content extraction in step S103, when the content is not being played back, is the remaining time of the content to be played back, for example, the playback time of an entire piece of content, or the remaining time until the end of playback of a piece of content that was previously played partway through. This allows, for example, content that has a playback time longer than the remaining charge time or content that is in the middle of being played and has a remaining time longer than the remaining charge time to be extracted. When extracting content, the vehicle charging management device 10 acquires the content from an external device by network communication via the communication unit 18, for example. This allows video content provided by a subscription service to which the user subscribes to to be played in the vehicle 1. The vehicle charging management device 10 may also acquire the content from a content group stored in advance in a storage unit of an ECU included in the vehicle charging management device 10 or the vehicle 1. The vehicle charging management device 10, as a presentation recommending the playback of the extracted content, for example, displays on the display unit 15 a screen on which the user can select the content for playback, and presents at least one of the extracted contents in a selectable state on the screen.

[0026] In step S104, the vehicle charging management device 10 accepts a content selection operation by the user. Here, the user may select the content to be played back from among the contents recommended by the vehicle charging management device 10, or may select any other content.

[0027] In step S105, the vehicle charging management device 10 controls the playback of the content selected in response to a selection operation by the user. For example, the vehicle charging management device 10 causes the display unit 15 to display the content, and further causes the audio output unit 16 to output audio for the content that includes audio. After performing control to play back the content in S105, the vehicle charging management device 10 ends the process of FIG.

[0028] FIG. 3 shows an example of a process executed by the vehicle charge management device 10 to manage the charging speed of the vehicle-mounted battery 11 according to the remaining playback time of the content.

[0029] In step S201, the vehicle charge management device 10 determines whether or not the remaining charge time of the vehicle-mounted battery 11 is shorter than the remaining playback time of the content being played back. At this time, the vehicle charging management device 10 newly acquires the remaining charge time of the in-vehicle battery 11 at the time of the determination in step S201 and uses the newly acquired remaining charge time for the determination. The vehicle charging management device 10 may use the remaining charge time acquired in step S102 for the determination instead of newly acquiring the remaining charge time, but since the user may take time to select content, more accurate control can be achieved by using the newly acquired remaining charge time at the time of the determination. At this time, the vehicle charging management device 10 acquires the remaining playback time of the content being played at the time of the determination in step S201 and uses it for the determination. The remaining playback time in step S201, when the content is being played, is the remaining time of the content being played, and specifically, the remaining time required from the time of the determination until the playback of the content ends. For example, for content that has just started to be played at the time of the determination, the remaining playback time is approximately equal to the playback time of the entire content. For content that has been played partway at the time of the determination, the remaining playback time is the remaining time required from the time of the determination until the playback of the content ends.

[0030] When it is determined in step S201 that the remaining charge time is not shorter than the remaining regeneration time, the vehicle charging management device 10 ends the process of FIG. If it is determined in step S201 that the remaining charge time is shorter than the remaining regeneration time (for example, the remaining charge time is 5 minutes and the remaining regeneration time is 10 minutes), the vehicle charging management device 10 proceeds to step S202.

[0031] In step S202, the vehicle charging management device 10 calculates the difference (time) between the remaining charge time and the remaining regeneration time. For example, if the remaining charge time is 5 minutes and the remaining regeneration time is 10 minutes, "5 minutes" is calculated as the difference.

[0032] In step S203, the vehicle charging management device 10 performs a charging speed control process. The charging speed control process is a process for controlling the charging speed (amount of charge per unit time) of the vehicle-mounted battery 11 to be lowered in consideration of the remaining charging time and the remaining regeneration time. In other words, it is a process for extending the remaining charging time.

[0033] Specifically, the vehicle charge management device 10 transmits control information based on the difference between the remaining charge time and the remaining regeneration time calculated in step S202 to the charge control ECU, and performs control to reduce the charge rate of the vehicle-mounted battery 11. At this time, the vehicle charge management device 10 instructs the charge control ECU to set a lower charging current for the vehicle-mounted battery 11, for example. As a result, if the remaining charge time is 5 minutes, the remaining regeneration time is 10 minutes, and the difference is 5 minutes, for example, the charge rate of the vehicle-mounted battery 11 is reduced so that the remaining charge time is extended by another 5 minutes. In this case, the remaining charge time becomes "10 minutes", which approximately matches the remaining regeneration time of the content being reproduced. At this time, the vehicle charging management device 10 may transmit the difference between the remaining charge time and the remaining regeneration time itself as control information to the charging control ECU, or may transmit information calculated from the difference as control information to the charging control ECU. For example, the vehicle charging management device 10 may perform control to set a charging speed according to the difference between the remaining charge time and the remaining regeneration time, and transmit the set charging speed as control information to the charging control ECU.

[0034] The charge control ECU limits the charging current flowing to the vehicle-mounted battery 11 based on the control information received from the vehicle charge management device 10, and reduces the charging speed. For example, the charge control ECU reduces the charging rate so that charging is performed at the charging rate set by the vehicle charging management device 10. Alternatively, the charge control ECU sets the charging rate according to the difference received from the vehicle charging management device 10, and reduces the charging rate so that charging is performed at the set charging rate. In addition, when the vehicle charging management device 10 is configured to include a charging control ECU, it goes without saying that there is no need to transmit control information from the vehicle charging management device 10 to the charging control ECU. In this case, the vehicle charging management device 10 limits the charging current flowing to the in-vehicle battery 11 based on the control information, and reduces the charging speed.

[0035] In step S204, the vehicle charging management device 10 monitors whether the content being played back has been interrupted or changed. In the following step S205, the vehicle charging management device 10 determines whether the playback of the content has ended. The vehicle charging management device 10 repeats the processes of steps S204 and S205 until it is determined in step S205 that the playback of the content has ended. If it is determined in step S204 that the content being reproduced has been interrupted or changed before the reproduction of the content ends, the vehicle charging management device 10 returns from step S204 to step S201, and repeats the processes in and after step S201. Specifically, when it is determined in step S204 that the content has been interrupted, the vehicle charging management device 10 executes the process of step S201 in response to the resumption of the playback of the interrupted content. In step S201, the vehicle charging management device 10 acquires the remaining playback time of the content at the time of resuming the content and the remaining charging time at the time of the determination, and performs the process. If it is determined in step S204 that the content has been changed, the vehicle charging management device 10 executes the process of step S201 in response to the playback of the changed content. In step S201, the vehicle charging management device 10 acquires the remaining playback time of the changed content and the remaining charging time at the time of the determination, and performs the process.

[0036] When it is determined in step S205 that the playback of the content has ended, the vehicle charging management device 10 ends the process in FIG.

[0037] The above embodiment provides the following advantages. The vehicle charging management device 10 of the embodiment executes a process of acquiring the remaining charging time until the target capacity of the battery (vehicle battery 11) of the vehicle 1, a process of acquiring the remaining playback time until the end of playback of content in the vehicle 1, and a charging rate control process of controlling the charging rate of the battery (vehicle battery 11) to be reduced if the remaining charging time is shorter than the remaining playback time (see steps S201 to S203 in FIG. 3). As a result, when the remaining charge time is shorter than the remaining playback time, the charging speed of the in-vehicle battery 11 is reduced to extend the remaining charge time. This allows appropriate charging control to be performed even when content is being played back during charging. Specifically, when the remaining playback time is longer than the remaining charge time, the content continues to be played even after charging is completed, which may reduce the charge capacity at the end of the content playback. On the other hand, in the embodiment, the remaining charge time is extended by the charging speed control process, which can reduce the charge capacity at the end of the content playback. Furthermore, the charging speed control process performs slow charging, which reduces the load on the in-vehicle battery 11 and suppresses deterioration of the in-vehicle battery 11. In addition, for example, in a charging facility such as a charging station with a certain power supply capacity, when a vehicle requiring rapid charging is nearby, the charging speed of the vehicle may be slowed down to reduce the amount of power supplied to the vehicle. By performing charging speed control processing in such a situation, it becomes possible to supply power preferentially to the vehicle requiring rapid charging. Note that the vehicle charging management device 10 may transmit and receive information required for such charging control by communicating with other vehicles and control devices of charging facilities via the communication unit 18.

[0038] In the embodiment, as the charging speed control process, when the remaining charging time is shorter than the remaining regeneration time, control is performed to set the charging speed according to the difference between the remaining charging time and the remaining regeneration time (see steps S202 to S203 in FIG. 3). In this way, the charging speed is set to eliminate the difference between the remaining charge time and the remaining playback time, so that the remaining charge time and the remaining playback time are approximately equal. This allows charging of the vehicle battery 11 to be completed approximately simultaneously with the end of the content playback, further reducing the loss of charge capacity when the content playback ends. Therefore, the user can manage the charge capacity of the vehicle battery 11 at the time of departure as desired.

[0039] In the embodiment, the vehicle charging management device 10 executes the recommendation presentation process for recommending playback of content that has a remaining playback time longer than the remaining charge time (see step S103 in FIG. 2). This recommends playing content that has a longer remaining playback time than the remaining charge time. When the user plays the content, the charging speed control process in step S203 in Fig. 3 is executed to reduce the charging speed of the vehicle battery 11. This further suppresses deterioration of the vehicle battery 11.

[0040] In the embodiment, an example has been given in which the vehicle charging management device 10 terminates the processing of FIG. 3 when it is determined in step S201 of FIG. 3 that the remaining charging time is not shorter than the remaining regeneration time (i.e., when the remaining charging time is equal to or longer than the remaining regeneration time). On the other hand, if it is determined in step S201 that the remaining charge time is not shorter than the remaining playback time, the vehicle charging management device 10 may execute a recommendation presentation process (see step S103 in FIG. 2) that recommends playback of content that has a remaining playback time longer than the remaining charge time, instead of terminating the process in FIG. 3. As a result, even if the remaining charge time is equal to or longer than the remaining playback time, playback of the content with the remaining playback time longer than the remaining charge time is recommended, and when the user plays back the content, a charging speed control process is executed to reduce the charging speed of the in-vehicle battery 11 and extend the remaining charge time. If the remaining charge time is equal to or longer than the remaining playback time of the content selected by the user, there is no need to extend the remaining charge time from the user's point of view. However, there may be cases where it is preferable to slow down the charging speed of the battery from the viewpoint of preventing deterioration of the in-vehicle battery 11 or from the viewpoint of realizing rapid charging of other vehicles in the charging facility described above.

[0041] In the embodiment, an example of control to set the charging speed according to the difference between the remaining charge time and the remaining regeneration time has been given, but from the viewpoint of suppressing deterioration of the battery, if the control is to reduce the charging speed, it is not necessary to set the charging speed so that the remaining charge time and the remaining regeneration time are approximately equal. For example, it is also possible to set the charging speed so that the remaining charge time is longer than the remaining regeneration time. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 1. Vehicle 10...Vehicle charging management device 11…Car battery

Claims

1. one or more processors; A storage medium storing a program executed by the one or more processors, The program includes one or more instructions, The instructions cause the one or more processors to: Obtaining a remaining charging time until a target charging capacity of a battery of a vehicle is reached; A process of acquiring a remaining playback time until the end of playback of the content in the vehicle; and a charging speed control process for controlling the charging speed of the battery to be reduced when the remaining charging time is shorter than the remaining regeneration time. Vehicle charging management device.

2. The instruction, as the charging speed control process, When the remaining charge time is shorter than the remaining regeneration time, a process of controlling to set a charging speed according to a difference between the remaining charge time and the remaining regeneration time is performed. causing said one or more processors to execute The vehicle charge management device according to claim 1 .

3. The instruction: a recommendation presentation process for recommending playback of a content having a remaining playback time longer than the remaining charge time, causing said one or more processors to execute The vehicle charge management device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The instruction: a recommendation presentation process for recommending playback of a content having a remaining playback time longer than the remaining charge time when the remaining charge time is not shorter than the remaining playback time; causing said one or more processors to execute The vehicle charge management device according to claim 1 or 2.

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