Management device, management method, and program

Abstract

To effectively suppress the expiry of an electronic certificate used by a charge control device.SOLUTION: A management device includes a memory that stores expiry date information for a certificate received from a charge control device and a controller connected to the memory. At predetermined times, including after startup, this controller reads expiry date information from the memory and obtains the current date and time information, compares it with the expiry date information, and outputs a notification signal to a notification device to indicate that the certificate is about to expire if the period until the certificate expires is equal to or less than a threshold value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a management device, a management method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Known examples of vehicles that can be connected to an external power source to charge the driving battery (hereinafter referred to as electric vehicles) include battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHVs). There are two main methods for charging the driving battery: external identification means (EIM) and plug-and-charge. A new type of charger called Plug and Charge (PnC) has been proposed.

[0003] In the case of the external authentication method, the vehicle user pays for the charge at the location of the charging equipment, a charging stand, a power supply facility, etc. (hereinafter referred to as charging equipment) using cash, electronic money, a prepaid card, a credit card, etc. On the other hand, in the PnC method, charging and charging become possible when the plug of the charging equipment installed in the charging facility is connected to the vehicle.

[0004] Incidentally, when charging by PnC, a specific electronic certificate is exchanged between the vehicle and the charging equipment. Naturally, this electronic certificate is assumed to be valid at the time of exchange. There is a technique for verifying the validity period of such an electronic certificate. For example, in the following Patent Document 1, an in-vehicle charging control device verifies whether an electronic certificate received from a power supply facility is within its validity period by using verification date and time data created based on date and time information acquired by a GPS receiver. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-119243 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the above conventional technology, the on-board charging control device is activated when charging, and the expiration date of the electronic certificate is not checked unless the charging control device is activated, so there is a risk that the expiration date will expire without the user noticing. An aspect of the disclosed embodiment is to prevent the expiration of the electronic certificate even when the charging control device is not activated. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The disclosed embodiment is exemplified by a management device. The management device includes a memory that stores expiration date information of a certificate received from a charging control device, and a controller connected to the memory. The controller reads the expiration date information from the memory at a predetermined timing including after startup, obtains current date and time information and compares it with the expiration date information, and when the time remaining until the certificate expires falls below a threshold, outputs a notification signal to the notification device to indicate that the certificate is about to expire. Effect of the Invention

[0008] The management device can prevent the electronic certificate from expiring even if the charging control device is not activated. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a vehicle equipped with a charging control unit, a communication control unit, and an on-board control unit according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration related to charging in a vehicle and a charging facility. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the flow of expiration date information of a certificate installed in a vehicle among a charging control unit, a communication control unit, and an in-vehicle control unit. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the flow of information when each ECU of a vehicle notifies various servers of a user or business of the vehicle of expiration date information or the fact that the expiration date will be within a predetermined period of time. [Diagram 5] Figure 5 is an example of an impending expiration indicator. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of the expiration date distribution process performed by the charging control unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a process of notifying the expiration date by the communication control unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a process of notifying the expiration date by the vehicle control unit. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a process of displaying the expiration date by the charging control unit. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a charging process in a charging facility. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] A management device, a management method, and a program according to an embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 10. In the following embodiment, the management device is exemplified by various ECUs mounted on a vehicle 1. Examples of the various ECUs include a communication control unit 13, an on-board control unit 14, and the like.

[0011] (composition) FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a vehicle 1 equipped with a charging control unit 11, a communication control unit 13, and an on-board control unit 14 according to this embodiment. Note that FIG. 1 also illustrates a charging facility (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment, EVSE) 2 that supplies power to a battery 19 (see FIG. 2, also called a secondary battery or a storage battery) of the vehicle 1. FIG. 1 also illustrates a charging facility (EVSE) 2 that transmits and receives information to and from the vehicle 1. OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) server 5, which provides services to vehicle 1 Also shown is an MSP (e-Mobility Service Provider) server 4 and a CPO (Charge Point Operator) server 6. Furthermore, Fig. 1 also shows a user device 3 carried by a user. The user device 3 is a mobile terminal, a smartphone, or the like.

[0012] The vehicle 1 is called an electric vehicle, and runs on power from a battery 19 provided inside the vehicle. The vehicle 1 has a charging control unit 11 as an example of a charging control device, and executes a charging process between the vehicle 1 and the charging facility 2. In the charging process, the charging control unit 11 exchanges information with the charging facility 2 through encrypted communication, and executes charging by PnC as a first authentication procedure. Charging by PnC can be said to be an example of a first charging method. The procedure by such a first charging method is started, for example, when a plug 2B that supplies power from the charging facility 2 is connected to a power receiving unit of the vehicle 1 (arrow A1).

[0013] In addition to the above-mentioned PnC procedure, when charging the vehicle 1, an external authentication procedure by presenting an EIM is also possible as a second authentication procedure (arrow A2). For this reason, the charging equipment 2 has an EIM reader 2A. The external authentication method is, for example, a method of billing and charging using billing information acquired from a credit card, a QR code (registered trademark), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), or the like via the EIM reader 2A. Charging using the second authentication procedure can be said to be an example of the second charging method.

[0014] In this embodiment, the eMSP server 4, the OEM server 5, and the CPO server 6 may be involved in the charging control process between the vehicle 1 and the charging facility 2. The eMSP server 4, the OEM server 5, and the CPO server 6 can communicate with each other through a network N2. The network N2 is, for example, a public network such as the Internet.

[0015] The vehicle 1 can be connected to the OEM server 5 via a network N1. The network N1 can be, for example, a Long Term Evolution (LTE), a 5th Generation Mobile Communication System (5G), a 6th Generation Mobile Communication System (6G), etc. This includes wireless networks and wired public networks such as the Internet. Note that the network N1 and the network N2 may be connectable to each other. The wireless network may be of a generation later than 6G.

[0016] Incidentally, in charging by PnC, various electronic certificates are exchanged between the vehicle 1 and the charging facility 2. An example of the electronic certificate is a Contract certificate. The Contract certificate is an electronic certificate that indicates details of a contract between an electric power supplying business (mobility service provider, hereinafter also referred to simply as business or eMSP) and the user of the vehicle 1. The electronic certificate is also called a digital certificate, and can be said to be data that confirms between communicating devices that the devices are legitimate or devices used by legitimate users. In the following embodiments, the electronic certificate is also simply called a certificate.

[0017] The eMSP server 4 is an information processing device operated by a business operator (eMSP) that provides a charging service to the vehicle 1. The user of the vehicle 1 makes a contract with the business operator (eMSP), and the business operator (eMSP) issues a user-specific Contract certificate to the user of the vehicle 1 from the eMSP server 4.

[0018] The OEM server 5 is an information processing device operated by the manufacturer or distributor (OEM) of the vehicle 1. The OEM server 5 executes various processes including maintenance for the vehicle 1. For example, the OEM server 5 receives a user-specific Contract certificate from the eMSP server 4 via the network N2 (arrow A3). The OEM server 5 then identifies the user of the vehicle 1 and transmits the Contract certificate to the charging control unit 11 of the vehicle 1 used by the identified user (arrow A4). The charging control unit 11 stores the Contract certificate received via the OEM server 5 in a memory such as the ROM 112 (see FIG. 3). Here, the ROM 112 is a rewritable ROM.

[0019] The CPO server 6 is an information processing device operated by a commercial power operator (CPO) that operates or manages the charging facility 2. In addition to operating the charging facility 2, the CPO server 6 may provide processes or services that support maintenance and repair, customer support, billing and payment processing, and the like.

[0020] Also, for example, the user makes a contract with the OEM to receive a charging service from the eMSP. At this time, the OEM server 5 installs an OEM Leaf certificate in the vehicle 1 and requests the eMSP server 4 to issue a Contract certificate unique to the user. Also, for example, the OEM server 5 requests the eMSP server 4 to register the issued Contract certificate and the OEM Leaf certificate installed in the vehicle 1 in association with each other.

[0021] On the other hand, the vehicle 1 presents the OEM Leaf certificate to the CPO server 6 via the charging facility 2. The CPO server 6 then obtains a Contract certificate from the eMSP server 4 based on the OEM Leaf certificate (arrow A5), and transmits it to the vehicle 1 via the charging facility 2 (arrow A6). 6) Through the above procedure, the vehicle 1 can also store the Contract certificate received via the charging facility 2 in a memory such as the ROM 112 of the charging control unit 11 (see FIG. 3).

[0022] A feature of the vehicle 1 in this embodiment is that the communication control unit 13, the in-vehicle control unit 14, etc., other than the charging control unit 11, execute processing as a management device. When the charging control unit 11 acquires a Contract certificate, it stores it in its own ROM 112 and distributes expiration date information of the Contract certificate to the communication control unit 13, the in-vehicle control unit 14, etc., which serve as management devices. The communication control unit 13, the in-vehicle control unit 14, etc. execute processing as management devices and store the distributed expiration date information in their respective ROMs 132, 142 (see FIG. 3).

[0023] As a result, the communication control unit 13, the in-vehicle control unit 14, etc. manage the expiration date information of the Contract certificate independently of the charging control unit 11, and execute a process of calling the attention of the user of the vehicle 1. For example, the communication control unit 13 calculates the period until the expiration date based on the distributed expiration date information and the current date and time information. Then, when it is determined that the period until the expiration date is within a set threshold, it transmits an expiration date notification to the OEM server 5, etc. or the user device 3, etc. (arrow A7). Similarly, for example, when the in-vehicle control unit 14 determines that the period until the expiration date is within a set threshold, it displays an expiration date notification on the in-vehicle display 144 (arrow A8). Hereinafter, when the communication control unit 13, the in-vehicle control unit 14, etc. are collectively referred to, they are called ECU (Electronic Control Unit) or simply control unit.

[0024] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of hardware related to charging in the vehicle 1 and the charging facility 2. When a plug 2B (see FIG. 1) connected to the charging facility 2 is connected to a power receiving unit of a charging circuit 18 that charges a battery 19, the charging control unit 11 of the vehicle 1 and the charging facility 2 communicate with each other, for example, by communication ICs 12 and 22, and perform TLS (Transport Layer Security) authentication and V2G (Vehicle to Grid) communication. 2 performs mutual authentication through TLS authentication and V2G communication, and charges the battery 19 of the vehicle 1 and processes billing for the charging.

[0025] The vehicle 1 has a charging control unit 11, a communication IC 12, a communication control unit 13, an in-vehicle control unit 14, an in-vehicle display 144, a charging circuit 18, and a battery 19. The charging control unit 11, the communication IC 12, the communication control unit 13, the in-vehicle control unit 14, etc. are connected to each other via an in-vehicle network N3. The in-vehicle network N3 is, for example, a Controller Area Network (CAN), a CAN FD (with Flexible Data Rate), a Local Interconnect Network (LIN), FlexRay, or a Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST).

[0026] The charging control unit 11 of the vehicle 1 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 111, a memory including a read only memory (ROM) 112, and an interface for an in-vehicle network N3. etc. The CPU 111 is also called a processor. The CPU 111 executes processes related to the PnC and controls charging of the battery 19 by a computer program executablely deployed in a memory including the ROM 112. The CPU 111 can be said to be an example of a controller. As already mentioned, the ROM 112 is a rewritable ROM. The ROM 112 is, for example, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), a flash memory, etc.

[0027] The charging control unit 11 communicates with the OEM server 5 via, for example, the communication control unit 13, acquires a user-specific Contract certificate issued by the eMSP, and stores it in the ROM 112. At this time, the charging control unit 11 distributes expiration date information of the new Contract certificate to ECUs such as the communication control unit 13 and the in-vehicle control unit 14 via the in-vehicle network N3. Furthermore, when the charging control unit 11 subsequently acquires a newly updated Contract certificate, it distributes the expiration date information of the updated Contract certificate to the communication control unit 13, the in-vehicle control unit 14, and other ECUs via the in-vehicle network N3. It is sufficient to distribute it to ECUs such as part 14.

[0028] Furthermore, the charging control unit 11 of the vehicle 1 is connected to the charging facility 2 via the communication ICs 12 and 22, and performs TLS authentication and V2G communication. Furthermore, the charging control unit 11 controls a charging circuit 18 that receives power supply from a power line PL connected to the charging facility 2, and charges a battery 19.

[0029] The communication IC 12 executes a communication protocol in accordance with, for example, the ISO / IEC 15118 standard. The communication IC 12 executes communication with the communication IC 22 on the charging equipment 2 side through a communication line CL by a communication procedure similar to a power line communication (PLC (Power Line Communication)) technology. The communication line CL transmits, for example, a control pilot signal (CPLT This is called the Control Pilot line.

[0030] The communication control unit 13 is, for example, a device called a TCU (Telematics Control Unit). The communication control unit 13 is a communication unit that performs bidirectional information communication with the outside of the vehicle 1 in response to requests from other control units, such as the charging control unit 11 and the in-vehicle control unit 14. The communication control unit 13 communicates with the OEM server 5, for example, via the network N1.

[0031] The communication control unit 13 has therein a CPU 131, a memory including a ROM 132, a wireless communication unit 133, and an interface for the in-vehicle network N3. The CPU 131 and the ROM 132 are similar to the CPU 111 and the ROM 112, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. The wireless communication unit 133 is, for example, a high-frequency circuit for 4G, 5G, or a subsequent wireless access network. The wireless communication unit 133 may also include a wireless communication circuit for Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) or a receiving circuit for a Global Positioning System (GPS). The communication control unit 13 can be said to be an example of a management device. The CPU 131 can be considered as an example of a controller. The communication control unit 13 can be considered as an example of a control device capable of communicating with communication devices outside the vehicle 1. The user device 3, the eMSP server 4, the OEM server 5, the CPO server 6, and the like illustrated in FIG. 1 can be considered as examples of communication devices outside the vehicle 1.

[0032] The in-vehicle control unit 14 is, for example, a control unit of a car navigation system. The in-vehicle control unit 14 has therein a CPU 141, a memory including a ROM 142, and an interface for the in-vehicle network N3, etc. The CPU 141 and the ROM 142 are similar to the CPU 111 and the ROM 112, so their description will be omitted. The in-vehicle control unit 14 is connected to output devices such as an in-vehicle display 144 and a speaker, and provides navigation information to a user who is a driver of the vehicle 1 by images, sounds, etc. The in-vehicle control unit 14 can also be said to be an example of a management device, and the CPU 141 can also be said to be an example of a controller.

[0033] The charging circuit 18 is a drive circuit that supplies electric charge to the battery 19. The battery 19 receives power from the charging equipment 2 via the charging circuit 18 and stores the power.

[0034] The charging facility 2 includes an equipment control unit 21, a communication IC 22, a communication device 23, a display 24, and a power circuit 28. The equipment control unit 21 includes a CPU 211 and a memory 212. The CPU 211 executes processing as the equipment control unit 21 using a computer program on the memory 212. The equipment control unit 21 is connected to the vehicle 1, for example, via the communication IC 22, and executes processing related to PnC. The equipment control unit 21 is also connected to a network N2, for example, via the communication device 23, and communicates with the eMSP server 4, the CPO server 6, and the like. The equipment control unit 21 acquires, for example, from the eMSP server 4 via the CPO server 6, a user-specific Contract certificate associated with the identification information of the vehicle 1 and the OEM Leaf certificate, and stores the Contract certificate in the memory 212. The equipment control unit 21 then acquires a valid OEM Leaf certificate from the eMSP server 4. A user-specific Contract certificate is provided to a vehicle 1 having an eaf certificate. A power circuit 28 supplies power from a commercial power source 30 to a charging circuit 18 of the vehicle 1 via a power line PL.

[0035] (Example of processing expiry information) Here, a typical processing of expiry date information in a vehicle 1 is illustrated.

[0036] (Example 1) Acquiring expiration date information and distributing storage When the charging control unit 11 is started, the CPU 111 of the charging control unit 11 acquires the expiration date information included in the certificate data written in the ROM 112. The charging control unit 11 distributes the acquired expiration date information to various ECUs such as the communication control unit 13 and the in-vehicle control unit 14, and records it in a non-volatile memory (ROM 132, ROM 142, etc.).

[0037] That is, while the charging control unit 11 is running, these various ECUs only need to obtain the expiration dates of the certificates stored in the ROM 112 from the charging control unit 11. On the other hand, while the charging control unit 11 is stopped or in sleep mode, the ECUs other than the charging control unit 11 cannot obtain the expiration date information from the charging control unit 11. For this reason, the ECUs other than the charging control unit 11 record the expiration date information in advance in a non-volatile memory.

[0038] The timing when the expiration date information is distributed is, for example, when the user connects the plug 2B (charging gun) in FIG. 1 to the power receiving unit of the vehicle 1 to start charging, and charging is started. This is because the charging control unit 11 is started by connecting the plug 2B. More typically, the timing is when the various certificates stored in the charging control unit 11 are installed for the first time, and when the various certificates are updated thereafter. Hereinafter, in this embodiment, "when the various certificates are installed for the first time, and when the various certificates are updated thereafter" is called "when the various certificates are acquired by the charging control unit 11." When the various certificates are acquired by the charging control unit 11, the charging control unit 11 distributes the expiration date information of the various certificates acquired to the various ECUs and causes them to be stored, so that the latest expiration date information is stored in the various ECUs. Furthermore, at various times thereafter, the charging control unit 11 acquires the expiration date information of the various certificates from the ROM 112, distributes it to the various ECUs, and causes them to be stored, thereby preventing omission of distribution of the expiration date information and other problems.

[0039] (Example 2) How to check and notify the expiration date on vehicle 1 The various ECUs to which the expiration date information is distributed read out the expiration date information stored in the non-volatile memory at a predetermined timing including after startup, and execute the expiration date management process. One example of the expiration date management process is to notify the user device 3 or the like, or to display the expiration date information on the in-vehicle display 144 or the like. Another example of the expiration date management process is to confirm that the expiration date is approaching, and to notify the user device 3 or an external management server such as the OEM server 5 that the expiration date is approaching. Another example of the expiration date management process is to display that the expiration date is approaching on the in-vehicle display 144 or the like. Also, "after startup" means after the various ECUs are started.

[0040] The following are examples of the predetermined timing including after the above-mentioned start-up at which the expiration management process is executed. For example, when the user turns on the IG (ignition) power supply or the ACC (accessory) power supply of the vehicle 1. When the IG power supply or the ACC power supply of the vehicle 1 is turned on, the communication control unit 13 (TCU), the in-vehicle control unit 14 (car navigation system), etc. are started. Therefore, the CPU 131 of the started communication control unit 13 and the CPU 141 of the in-vehicle control unit 14 access the ROM 132 and the ROM 142, respectively, to obtain expiration date information and execute the expiration management process. As already mentioned, the charging control unit 11 starts up when charging begins by connecting the plug 2B. In this way, the communication control unit 13 and the in-vehicle control unit 14 as management devices function as a charging control device. The charging control unit 11 starts up at a different timing from the charging control unit 11 in FIG.

[0041] The timing for executing the time limit management process is, for example, when the user connects the plug 2B (charging gun) in Fig. 1 to the power receiving unit of the vehicle 1 to start charging. This is because the charging control unit 11 is started up by connecting the plug 2B.

[0042] Furthermore, the timing when the deadline management process is executed is, for example, when the communication control unit 13 (TCU) is started and communicates with the outside of the vehicle 1. This is because the communication control unit 13 is automatically started without user operation. For example, even if the IG power supply is off, the communication control unit 13 is started at the timing when software updates (OTA (Over The Air) reprogramming) of various ECUs are executed. The communication control unit 13 has a wake-up receiver that operates with low power or weak current. The wake-up receiver is started by a request such as a wake-up packet from an external server that executes the software update. After starting up, the wake-up receiver starts up the communication control unit 13. After starting up, the communication control unit 13 executes OTA. Note that the in-vehicle control unit 14 may also have a wake-up receiver and be started up at the time of OTA.

[0043] The various ECUs, such as the communication control unit 13 and the in-vehicle control unit 14, read the expiration date information of the certificate written in the non-volatile memory and compare it with the current date and time information. For example, after charging is completed, when the vehicle 1 is next started, the in-vehicle control unit 14 displays the expiration date information of the certificate on the in-vehicle display 144 or the like together with the charging result. The start-up of the vehicle 1 can also be regarded as the start-up of the various ECUs, such as the communication control unit 13 and the in-vehicle control unit 14. Furthermore, the charging control unit 11 notifies the in-vehicle control unit 14 of the charging result when charging is completed, and the in-vehicle control unit 14 confirms that the notified charging result has not been displayed. Then, the in-vehicle control unit 14 displays the expiration date information of the certificate on the in-vehicle display 144 together with the undisplayed charging result.

[0044] Furthermore, the in-vehicle control unit 14 may calculate the number of days (period) remaining until the expiration date from the expiration date information and the current date and time. Then, when the number of days (period) remaining becomes equal to or less than a predetermined number of days (period), the in-vehicle control unit 14 may automatically display on the in-vehicle display 144 that the expiration date of the certificate is approaching. The in-vehicle display 144 may be considered as an example of an alarm device. Furthermore, the display signal transmitted from the in-vehicle control unit 14 to the in-vehicle display 144 may be considered as an example of an alarm signal. Furthermore, the predetermined number of days (period) serving as a criterion for determining the number of days (period) remaining may be considered as an example of a threshold value.

[0045] (Example 3) Method of notifying expiration date at charging facility 2 Equipment control unit 21 of charging equipment 2 may display expiration date information on display 24 of charging equipment 2 at least one of the following timings: after verifying the expiration date of the certificate of vehicle 1 in charging equipment 2, during charging, and when displaying the result after charging is completed. Furthermore, charging control unit 11 may instruct equipment control unit 21 to display the expiration date information via communication between communication ICs 12 and 22. Charging equipment 2 can be said to be an example of a notification device.

[0046] (Example 4) Method of notifying expiration date in user device 3 The communication control unit 13 may receive a user operation or an operation by an OEM staff member, and may receive a notification timing setting in advance. The communication control unit 13 may automatically notify the expiration date information to the user's smartphone or other user device 3 at a preset timing by sending a push notification via an application or an email. More specifically, the communication control unit 13 may request a push notification server on the network N2 to send a push notification that the expiration date or the expiration date is approaching, specifying the identification information (device token, etc.) of the user device 3. The communication control unit 13 may also send a push notification of the expiration date information or the expiration date is approaching, to the email address of the user device 3 via a mail server on the network N2. The user device 3 can be considered as an example of a notification device. The expiration date information or a signal indicating that the expiration date is approaching, which is transmitted from the communication control unit 13 to the user device 3 via a push notification server or a mail server, can be considered as a notification signal.

[0047] (Example 5) Notification to service provider (mobility service provider, eMSP) The communication control unit 13 may transmit the identification number unique to the vehicle 1 together with the expiration date information to the eMSP server 4, which is a management server of the mobility service provider. It is assumed here that a certificate is installed in the vehicle 1. By notifying the eMSP server 4 of the expiration date information and the like, the eMSP server 4 can detect whether the certificate is being used correctly in the vehicle 1 specified by the unique identification number, whether it is being used in an untargeted vehicle, and so on.

[0048] (Example 6) By OEM Server 5 The OEM server 5 may cooperate with the communication control unit 13 of the vehicle 1 to acquire and manage the expiration date information from the vehicle 1. The OEM server 5 may transmit the expiration date information or a notification indicating that the expiration date is approaching to the user device 3.

[0049] (Example 7) Notification timing settings The charging control unit 11, the communication control unit 13, the in-vehicle control unit 14, etc. may receive settings of the notification timing from a user or an operator of a service provider such as an OEM. The charging control unit 11, the communication control unit 13, the in-vehicle control unit 14, etc. may receive settings of an arbitrary date and time as the notification timing, the number of days for which it is determined that the expiration date is approaching, the period (threshold value), etc.

[0050] 3 is a diagram illustrating the flow of expiration date information of the certificates installed in the vehicle 1 among the charging control unit 11, the communication control unit 13, and the in-vehicle control unit 14. As described above, during operation, the charging control unit 11 distributes expiration date information of the Contract certificate and other certificates to various ECUs such as the communication control unit 13 and the in-vehicle control unit 14 and stores the same.

[0051] The CPU 111 of the charging control unit 11 reads the certificate from the ROM 112 and acquires the expiration date information. Then, the charging control unit 11 accesses the communication control unit 13 via the in-vehicle network N3 and transmits the expiration date information. The CPU 131 of the communication control unit 13 receives the expiration date information from the interface of the in-vehicle network N3 and stores it in the ROM 132.

[0052] The charging control unit 11 also accesses the in-vehicle control unit 14 via the in-vehicle network N3 and transmits the expiration date information. The CPU 141 of the in-vehicle control unit 14 receives the expiration date information from the interface of the in-vehicle network N3 and stores it in the ROM 142.

[0053] 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the flow of information when various ECUs of the vehicle 1 notify various servers of the user or business of the vehicle 1 of the expiration date information or the fact that the expiration date is within a predetermined period of time. For example, the communication control unit 13 acquires GPS time information from the GPS via a GPS receiver and converts it into current date and time information. However, if the communication control unit 13 is equipped with an OS (Operating System), the current date and time information may be acquired by the OS. The communication control unit 13 compares the expiration date information distributed from the charging control unit 11 and stored in the ROM 132 with the current date and time information.

[0054] Then, the communication control unit 13 may notify the user device 3 of the expiration date information via the network N1 or N2 to which the wireless communication unit 133 is connected (arrow NT3). Furthermore, as a result of comparing the expiration date information with the current date and time information, if the expiration date is within a predetermined period (threshold), the communication control unit 13 may notify the user device 3 that the expiration date is approaching. The notification may be by email or by an application on the user device 3. Alternatively, the push notification may be sent to the application via a push notification server on the network N1 (or N2).

[0055] Furthermore, the communication control unit 13 may transmit the identification number unique to the vehicle 1 together with the expiration date information to management servers such as the eMSP server 4, the OEM server 5, and the CPO server 6 (arrows NT4 and NT5). The manufacturer / seller (OEM) of the vehicle 1, the mobility service provider (eMSP), and the operator (CPO) of the charging facility 2 can detect in each management server whether the certificate is being used correctly in the specified vehicle 1 and whether it is being used in an untargeted vehicle.

[0056] The above-mentioned processing of the communication control unit 13 may be executed at a predetermined timing while the communication control unit 13 is operating. For example, the above-mentioned processing, for example, comparing the expiration date information with the current date and time information and notifying the result of the comparison, may be executed every time the communication control unit 13 is started. The communication control unit 13 may also execute the above-mentioned processing when a specific event, for example, a software update by OTA, is executed. The communication control unit 13 may also execute the above-mentioned processing at a timing set by a user or an operator of the OEM (for example, periodically). The above-mentioned timing may be specified by the eMSP or the like to the OEM or the user.

[0057] The in-vehicle control unit 14 may, for example, obtain GPS time information from the communication control unit 13 and convert it into current date and time information. However, if the in-vehicle control unit 14 is equipped with an OS, the in-vehicle control unit 14 may obtain the current date and time information by the OS. Like the communication control unit 13, the in-vehicle control unit 14 also compares the expiration date information distributed from the charging control unit 11 and stored in the ROM 142 with the current date and time information. Then, the in-vehicle control unit 14 may display the expiration date information on the in-vehicle display 144 (arrow NT1). Furthermore, if the comparison between the expiration date information and the current date and time information shows that the expiration is within a predetermined period (threshold), the in-vehicle control unit 14 may display on the in-vehicle display 144 that the expiration date is approaching.

[0058] The above-mentioned processing of the in-vehicle control unit 14 may be executed at a predetermined timing while the in-vehicle control unit 14 is operating. For example, the above-mentioned processing, for example, comparing the expiration date information with the current date and time information and notifying the result of the comparison, may be executed every time the in-vehicle control unit 14 is started. The in-vehicle control unit 14 may also execute the above-mentioned processing when a specific event, for example, a software update by OTA, is executed. The in-vehicle control unit 14 may also execute the above-mentioned processing at a timing (for example, periodically) set by an operator such as a user or an OEM, or a manufacturer / distributor of the in-vehicle control unit 14.

[0059] As already described, the equipment control unit 21 of the charging equipment 2 may also display the expiration date on the display 24 of the charging equipment 2 at least one of the following timings: after verifying the expiration date of the certificate of the vehicle 1 in the charging equipment 2, during charging, and when displaying the result after charging is completed. Furthermore, the charging control unit 11 may instruct the equipment control unit 21 to display the expiration date (arrow NT2) at a timing when communication is possible via communication between the communication ICs 12 and 22.

[0060] For example, when plug 2B (see FIG. 1) is attached to the connection part of charging circuit 18 and charging by PnC is performed or charging is completed, the expiration date may be displayed on display 24. At least one of equipment control unit 21 and charging control unit 11 may compare the expiration date information of the certificate with the current date and time. Then, when the result of comparing the expiration date information with the current date and time information indicates that the expiration is within a predetermined period (threshold), at least one of equipment control unit 21 and charging control unit 11 may cause display 24 to display that the expiration date is approaching.

[0061] Fig. 5 is an example of a display indicating that the validity period is approaching. The display in Fig. 5 is output to the user device 3, the in-vehicle display 144, or the display 24 of the charging facility 2. The display in Fig. 5 may include, for example, a message indicating that the validity period is approaching, the number of days (or a period including hours) until the expiration, the type of certificate, identification information of the certificate (certificate ID), a uniform resource locator (URL) of a website that the user accesses when renewing the certificate, etc.

[0062] (Processing Procedure) FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the procedure of the expiration date distribution process by the charging control unit 11. As already described, this process can be performed at various times. In FIG. 6, as an example, the expiration date distribution process is executed when various certificates are acquired. That is, in this process, the charging control unit 11 determines whether or not a certificate has been newly acquired (S11). The time when a certificate is newly acquired is when a certificate is installed in the charging control unit 11 for the first time, and when an updated certificate is saved in the charging control unit 11.

[0063] If it is determined in S11 that the time does not correspond to when the certificate is acquired, the charging control unit 11 ends the process. On the other hand, if it is determined in S11 that the time corresponds to when the certificate is acquired, the charging control unit 11 further acquires expiration date information from the acquired certificate (S12). Then, the charging control unit 11 distributes the expiration date information to the communication control unit 13 via the in-vehicle network N3 (S13). Furthermore, the charging control unit 11 distributes the expiration date information to the in-vehicle control unit 14 via the in-vehicle network N3 (S14). Then, the charging control unit 11 ends the process. Note that the process of the charging control unit 11 is not limited to the procedure of FIG. 6. For example, the charging control unit 11 does not need to execute both the process of S13 and the process of S14, and may execute at least one of the process of S13 and the process of S14. Also, the charging control unit 11 may first execute the process of S14 to distribute the expiration date information to the in-vehicle control unit 14, and then execute the process of S13 to distribute the expiration date information to the communication control unit 13.

[0064] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the procedure of the notification process of the expiration date by the communication control unit 13. As already described, the notification process of the expiration date is performed at various timings, for example, periodically. Also, for example, when the communication control unit 13 is started, the communication control unit 13 executes the notification process of the expiration date. In FIG. 7, as an example, the communication control unit 13 is started by receiving a wake-up packet (S20). The communication control unit 13 is started by receiving a wake-up packet, and for example, OTA reprogramming, that is, updating of software, firmware, etc. is executed. Furthermore, the notification process of the expiration date by the communication control unit 13 is executed at a predetermined timing. That is, in this process, the communication control unit 13 determines whether or not a condition of a predetermined timing is satisfied (S21). The predetermined timing is a predetermined timing including after startup, which is described in the above (Example 2) Confirmation and Notification Method in the Vehicle 1 of the Expiration Date, or a timing described in (Example 7) Notification Timing Setting, etc.

[0065] If the predetermined timing condition is not satisfied, the communication control unit 13 ends the process. On the other hand, if the predetermined timing condition is satisfied, the communication control unit 13 acquires the current date and time (S22). The current date and time is acquired based on date and time information from a GPS receiver, for example. The current date and time may also be acquired from the OS of the communication control unit 13.

[0066] Next, the communication control unit 13 reads the expiration date information from the ROM 132 (S23). Then, the communication control unit 13 calculates the period until the expiration date (S24). Furthermore, the communication control unit 13 determines whether the period until the expiration date is within a set value (S25). The set value can be considered as an example of a threshold value.

[0067] If the time remaining until the expiration is within the set value, the communication control unit 13 transmits a notice indicating that the expiration is approaching (also called an expiration notice) to the user device 3 via the wireless communication unit 133 (S26). As a result, the user device 3 displays on the display device that the expiration is approaching. Next, the communication control unit 13 transmits the expiration date information and the identification information of the vehicle 1 to the management server (S27). Here, the management server is, for example, the eMSP server 4, the OEM server 5, the CPO server 6, etc. This allows the management server to determine whether or not the certificate specific to the vehicle 1 (for example, a Contract certificate) is being used in accordance with regulations.

[0068] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the procedure of the expiration date notification process by the in-vehicle control unit 14. As already described, the expiration date notification process is performed at various times, for example, when the in-vehicle control unit 14 is started or periodically. In FIG. 7, as an example, the expiration date notification process is performed at a predetermined timing. That is, in this process, the in-vehicle control unit 14 determines whether or not the condition of the predetermined timing is satisfied (S31). The predetermined timing is the same as that described in FIG. 7.

[0069] If the predetermined timing condition is not satisfied, the in-vehicle control unit 14 ends the process. On the other hand, if the predetermined timing condition is satisfied, the in-vehicle control unit 14 acquires the current date and time (S32). The current date and time is acquired based on date and time information from a GPS receiver, for example. The current date and time may also be acquired from the OS of the in-vehicle control unit 14.

[0070] Next, the in-vehicle control unit 14 reads the expiration date information from the ROM 142 (S33). Then, the in-vehicle control unit 14 calculates the period until the expiration date (S34). Furthermore, the in-vehicle control unit 14 determines whether the period until the expiration date is within a set value (S35). The set value can be considered as an example of a threshold value. If the period until the expiration date is within the set value, the in-vehicle control unit 14 displays information (expiration notification) indicating that the expiration date is approaching on the in-vehicle display 144 (S36). Then, the in-vehicle control unit 14 ends the process.

[0071] 9 is a flowchart illustrating the procedure of the process of displaying the expiration date by the charging control unit 11. As already described, the process of displaying the expiration date is performed at various times, for example, when the plug 2B is attached to the charging circuit 18 of the vehicle 1, when authentication for charging is completed, or when charging is finished. Note that the time when the plug 2B is attached to the charging circuit 18 of the vehicle 1 can also be regarded as the start-up time of the charging control unit 11. In FIG. 9, as an example, the process of displaying the expiration date is performed when charging is finished. That is, in this process, the charging control unit 11 determines whether or not charging is finished (S41).

[0072] If charging is not completed, the charging control unit 11 ends the process. On the other hand, if charging is completed, the charging control unit 11 acquires the current date and time (S42). The current date and time is acquired based on date and time information from a GPS receiver, for example. The current date and time may also be acquired from the OS of the charging control unit 11.

[0073] Next, the charging control unit 11 reads out expiration date information from the certificate stored in the ROM 112 (S43). Then, the on-board control unit 14 calculates the period until expiration (S44). Furthermore, the on-board control unit 14 determines whether the period until expiration is within a set value (S45). The set value can be considered as an example of a threshold. If the period until expiration is within the set value, the on-board control unit 14 transmits information indicating that expiration is approaching (expiration notification) to the charging equipment 2, and causes it to be displayed on the display 24 (S46). Then, the on-board control unit 14 ends the process.

[0074] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of charging processing in the charging facility 2. The process is executed, for example, when the plug 2B is connected to the vehicle 1. In this process, the equipment control unit 21 of the charging equipment 2 acquires a Contract certificate, etc. from the vehicle 1, and executes authentication according to the PnC procedure (S5A). At this time, the Contract certificate, etc. are temporarily stored in the memory 212. Here, if the authentication fails (NO in S5B), the equipment control unit 21 ends the process. On the other hand, if the authentication is successful (YES in S5B), the equipment control unit 21 controls the power circuit 28 to execute charging (S51). When charging is completed, the equipment control unit 21 acquires the current date and time (S52). The current date and time may be acquired from the OS of the equipment control unit 21. The current date and time may also be acquired, for example, from the CPO server 6.

[0075] Next, the equipment control unit 21 reads out expiration date information from the certificate temporarily stored in the memory 212 (S53). Then, the equipment control unit 21 calculates the period until the expiration date (S54). Furthermore, the equipment control unit 21 judges whether the period until the expiration date is within a set value (S55). The set value can be said to be an example of a threshold value. If the period until the expiration date is within the set value, the equipment control unit 21 displays information (expiration notification) indicating that the expiration date is approaching on the display 24 (S56). Then, the equipment control unit 21 ends the process.

[0076] The equipment control unit 21 may display the expiration date information on the display 24 regardless of whether the expiration date is within the set value in S55. For example, the equipment control unit 21 may display the expiration date information of the Contract agreement on the display 24 together with the charging result.

[0077] (Effects of the embodiment) In this embodiment, the CPU 131 of the communication control unit 13 and the CPU 141 of the in-vehicle control unit 14 execute processing as controllers and store the certificate expiration date information received from the charging control unit 11 in the ROM 132 and ROM 142, respectively. Then, the CPU 131 and CPU 141 read the expiration date information from the ROM 132 and ROM 142, respectively, at a predetermined timing, and obtain the current date and time information and compare it with the expiration date information. Then, when the period until the expiration of the certificate becomes equal to or less than a threshold, for example, the communication control unit 13 transmits an expiration date notification as an alert signal to the user device 3 as an alert device to indicate that the expiration date is approaching. Also, for example, the in-vehicle control unit 14 displays the expiration date notification on the in-vehicle display 144 as an alert device. Therefore, the vehicle 1 of this embodiment can reduce the scenes in which PnC cannot be performed due to the expiration of the certificate by increasing the means and opportunities for notifying the expiration date of the certificate. As a result, the vehicle 1 of this embodiment is expected to improve the convenience of charging by PnC for the user.

[0078] Furthermore, the communication control unit 13 periodically or at a predetermined timing compares the expiration date and time information stored in the ROM 132 with the current date and time. When the time remaining until the certificate expires approaches a predetermined threshold, the communication control unit 13 notifies a management server such as the OEM server 5 of an expiration notification, which is information indicating that the certificate is about to expire. The notification from the communication control unit 13 enables the management server such as the OEM server 5 to take measures before the certificate distributed to the vehicle 1 expires.

[0079] The above-mentioned predetermined timing includes the start-up of the communication control unit 13, the in-vehicle control unit 14, etc. The start-up of the communication control unit 13, the in-vehicle control unit 14, etc. is before the user starts driving the vehicle 1, and it is easy for the user to recognize the display of the user device 3 and the in-vehicle display 144, etc. Therefore, the communication control unit 13, the in-vehicle control unit 14, etc. can increase the possibility of the user being aware of the deadline notification by notifying or displaying the deadline notification at the start-up timing. Furthermore, in this way, the communication control unit 13 and the in-vehicle control unit 14 as a management device start up at a different timing from the charging control unit 11 as a charging control device. Therefore, in the vehicle 1, Even when the charging control unit 11 is in a stopped state or a sleep state, the process of checking the validity period of the certificate can be executed.

[0080] The timing at which the expiration date information is distributed from the charging control unit 11 to the communication control unit 13, the in-vehicle control unit 14, etc. is, for example, when charging starts. This is because the charging control unit 11 is activated at the start of charging, and the CPU 111 can read the expiration date information from the ROM 112. Furthermore, the timing of distribution includes the time when the charging control unit 11 newly acquires a certificate. That is, when a certificate is installed in the vehicle 1 for the first time, and when a certificate already installed in the vehicle 1 is updated by a new certificate, the charging control unit 11 transmits the expiration date information to various ECUs such as the communication control unit 13, the in-vehicle control unit 14, etc. For this reason, the charging control unit 11 can transmit the latest expiration date information to various ECUs such as the communication control unit 13, the in-vehicle control unit 14, etc. Then, the charging control unit 11 stores the expiration date information in the ROM 132, the ROM 142, etc. of the communication control unit 13, the in-vehicle control unit 14, etc., respectively. For this reason, when charging is not performed, that is, even when the charging control unit 11 is in a stopped state or a sleep state, the various ECUs such as the communication control unit 13, the in-vehicle control unit 14, etc. can execute processing as a management device. That is, the various ECUs increase the possibility that the user of the vehicle 1 is made aware that the expiration date is approaching or that the expiration date information itself is available.

[0081] Furthermore, the in-vehicle control unit 14 performs a similar process to display information (expiration notice) indicating that the certificate is about to expire, for example, on the in-vehicle display 144. By displaying the notice on the in-vehicle display 144, the in-vehicle control unit 14 can urge the user of the vehicle 1 to take measures before the certificate distributed to the vehicle 1 expires.

[0082] Furthermore, the charging control unit 11 notifies the charging equipment 2 to display the expiration date of the certificate on the display 24 of the charging equipment 2 during charging by PnC. That is, the charging control unit 11 can make the user aware of the expiration date of the certificate via the display 24 of the charging equipment 2. Furthermore, the charging control unit 11 can notify the user via the display 24 of the charging equipment 2 that the certificate is approaching expiration.

[0083] The communication control unit 13 can also be considered a control device capable of communicating with communication devices connected to networks N1, N2, etc. external to the vehicle 1. Therefore, the communication control unit 13 can notify management servers, such as the eMSP server 4, the OEM server 5, and the CPO server 6, connected to the networks N1, N2, etc., of expiration date information and identification information of the vehicle 1. Therefore, these management servers can check whether the certificate is being used properly by the vehicle 1. The communication control unit 13 can also send an expiration date notification to the user device 3 connected to the networks N1, N2, etc. external to the vehicle 1 to alert the user.

[0084] Furthermore, the communication control unit 13 and the in-vehicle control unit 14 are started up upon receiving a wake-up packet. Therefore, even if the vehicle 1 has the IG power supply or the ACC power supply turned off, the expiration date information stored in the ROM 132 and the ROM 142 can be compared with the current date and time information to determine whether the expiration date is approaching a predetermined limit.

[0085] (Computer-readable recording medium) A program for causing a computer or other machine or device (hereinafter, referred to as a computer, etc.) to realize any of the above functions can be recorded on a recording medium readable by the computer, etc. Then, the computer, etc. can provide the function by reading and executing the program from the recording medium.

[0086] Here, a computer-readable recording medium is a medium that stores information such as data and programs electrically, magnetically, optically, mechanically, or chemically and that can be read by a computer or the like. This refers to a recording medium that can be read from a computer. Examples of such recording media that can be removed from a computer include flexible disks, optical magnetic disks, CD-ROMs, CD-R / Ws, DVDs, Blu-ray disks, DATs, 8mm tapes, and memory cards such as flash memory. Examples of recording media that are fixed to a computer include hard disks and ROMs (read-only memories). Furthermore, SSDs (Solid State Drives) are also recording media that can be removed from a computer, The present invention can also be used as a recording medium fixed to a computer.

[0087] (others) Furthermore, this embodiment includes the following aspects (hereinafter, referred to as supplementary notes). (Appendix 1) A management device provided in a vehicle, a memory that stores expiration date information of the certificate received from the charging control device; At a predetermined timing including after startup, the expiration date information is read from the memory, and current date and time information is acquired and compared with the expiration date information. When the period until the expiration of the certificate falls below a threshold, a notification signal is output to a notification device to indicate that the expiration is approaching. A management device comprising a controller. (Appendix 2) The management device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined timing includes a start-up time of the controller. The charging control device is activated when charging of the vehicle starts, and transmits the expiration date information to the controller; 3. The management device according to claim 1, wherein the controller receives the expiration date information transmitted from the charge control device and stores the expiration date information in the memory. (Appendix 4) when the certificate is newly acquired, the charging control device transmits the acquired expiration date information to the controller; 4. The management device according to claim 1, wherein the controller receives the expiration date information transmitted from the charge control device and stores the expiration date information in the memory. (Appendix 5) The management device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the controller is started at a different timing from the charge control device. (Appendix 6) The management device according to any one of appendixes 1 to 5, wherein the controller is provided in a control device capable of communicating with a communication device outside the vehicle. (Appendix 7) The management device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the controller is activated when communicating with a communication device outside the vehicle when the vehicle is powered off. (Appendix 8) The management device according to any one of appendices 1 to 7, wherein the controller outputs a display signal to an in-vehicle display indicating that the expiration date is approaching when the period until the expiration date falls below a threshold value. (Appendix 9) The management device: A management method comprising: reading from a memory expiration date information of a certificate received from a charging control device at a predetermined timing including after startup; obtaining current date and time information and comparing it with the expiration date information; and, when the period until the certificate expires falls below a threshold, outputting an alarm signal to an alarm device to indicate that the expiration is approaching. (Appendix 10) On the computer, A program for executing the following: reading from a memory expiration date information of a certificate received from a charging control device at a predetermined timing including after startup, obtaining current date and time information and comparing it with the expiration date information, and when the period until the expiration of the certificate falls below a threshold value, outputting an alarm signal to an alarm device to indicate that the expiration is approaching. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 1 vehicle 2 Charging equipment 3 User Device 4. eMSP Server 5 OEM Servers 6 CPO Server 11 Charging control unit 12, 22 Communication IC 13 Communication control section 14 Vehicle control unit 21 Equipment Control Section 24 Display 111, 121, 131, 141 CPUs 112, 122, 132, 142 ROM 144 In-vehicle display 211 CPU 212 Memory

Claims

1. A management device provided in a vehicle, a memory that stores expiration date information of the certificate received from the charging control device; At a predetermined timing including after startup, the expiration date information is read from the memory, and current date and time information is acquired and compared with the expiration date information. When the period until the expiration of the certificate falls below a threshold, a notification signal is output to a notification device to indicate that the expiration is approaching. A management device comprising a controller.

2. The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined timing includes a time when the controller is started up.

3. The charging control device is activated when charging of the vehicle starts, and transmits the expiration date information to the controller; The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller receives the expiration date information transmitted from the charge control device and stores the expiration date information in the memory.

4. when the certificate is newly acquired, the charging control device transmits the acquired expiration date information to the controller; The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller receives the expiration date information transmitted from the charge control device and stores the expiration date information in the memory.

5. The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is activated at a different timing from the charge control device.

6. The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is provided in a control device capable of communicating with a communication device outside the vehicle.

7. The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is activated when the controller communicates with a communication device outside the vehicle while the power supply of the vehicle is off.

8. The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller outputs, when the period remaining until the expiration date falls below a threshold, a display signal to an in-vehicle display, indicating that the expiration date is approaching.

9. The management device: A management method comprising: reading from a memory expiration date information of a certificate received from a charging control device at a predetermined timing including after startup; obtaining current date and time information and comparing it with the expiration date information; and, when the period until the certificate expires falls below a threshold, outputting an alarm signal to an alarm device to indicate that the expiration is approaching.

10. On the computer, A program for executing the following: reading from a memory expiration date information of a certificate received from a charging control device at a predetermined timing including after startup, obtaining current date and time information and comparing it with the expiration date information, and when the period until the expiration of the certificate falls below a threshold value, outputting an alarm signal to an alarm device to indicate that the expiration is approaching.

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