Charge control device and charge control method

The charging control device optimizes battery charging by categorizing destinations and adjusting power consumption patterns to prevent battery deterioration and ensure sufficient charge, addressing user anxiety and inefficiencies in existing systems.

JP2025014933APending Publication Date: 2025-01-30HONDA MOTOR CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2023117908
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-07-19
Publication Date
2025-01-30

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing charging systems fail to optimize battery charging to minimize deterioration while ensuring sufficient charge levels, often leading to excessive charging due to user anxiety about battery depletion.

Method used

A charging control device and method that categorizes travel destinations as constant or variable, adjusting charging based on predicted power consumption patterns and timing to set optimal charging amounts, avoiding excessive charging at irregular destinations.

Benefits of technology

Accurately sets charging levels to prevent battery deterioration while ensuring sufficient charge, reducing the risk of power deficiency and enhancing driving comfort by optimizing charging at regular and predictable destinations.

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Abstract

To set a sufficient charging amount while suppressing deterioration of a battery.SOLUTION: A charge control device 1 controls a charging to a battery 2 from an external power supply 3. The charge control device 1 comprises: a charging amount setting part 10 for setting a charging amount; a point acquisition part 12 that acquires a movement source point that becomes a starting point of a movement of a vehicle 100, a steady movement destination point that is steadily set to a target point of the movement, and a non-steady movement destination point that is non-steadily set to a target point of the movement; a power consumption amount acquisition part 13 that acquires a power consumption amount; and a charging timing information acquisition part 14 that acquires information in regard to a charging timing. The power consumption amount acquisition part 13 acquires a steady power consumption amount (a non-steady power consumption amount) as a power consumption amount in each predetermined period caused by the movement between the movement source point and the steady movement destination point (the non-steady movement destination point). The charging amount setting part 10 sets the charging amount in accordance with the power consumption amount obtained by combining the steady power consumption and the non-steady power consumption amount in a period until it is sequentially charged.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a charge control device and a charge control method. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a device for suitably charging a battery mounted on a vehicle from an external power source. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a device for setting a target charge amount that is equal to or less than the chargeable amount that can be charged by the next scheduled driving time of the vehicle and suppresses deterioration of the battery, or for setting a target power consumption amount that is equal to or more than the minimum power consumption required by the vehicle in the next and subsequent drives and suppresses deterioration of the battery. Patent Document 2 discloses a device for determining the location and characteristics of a charging station for charging the battery mounted on the vehicle when the vehicle is connected to the charging station and updating a database that records information about the charging station. Furthermore, in such technical fields, there is a desire to increase the share of renewable energy in the total energy mix and to phase out polluting fossil power plants. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-144507 [Patent Document 2] JP 2015-39289 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Therefore, consideration is given to the environment by providing electrically powered devices that can reduce the size and weight of the entire system and improve energy efficiency. In addition, consideration is given to the environment by extending the life of the battery itself. For example, in order to suppress deterioration of the battery due to repeated charging and discharging, it is preferable to keep the charging amount low so as to maintain the battery's SOC (state of charge) low (so-called "gentle charging"). However, general users tend to charge the battery so as to keep the SOC as high as possible due to concerns about running out of power (i.e., the battery running out). In such a situation, a technology is required to appropriately set the charging amount to the battery.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the charge control device and charge control method according to the present disclosure is to set a sufficient charge amount while suppressing deterioration of the battery. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A charge control device (1) according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a charge control device (1) that controls charging a battery (2) mounted on a vehicle (100) from an external power source (3), and includes a charge amount setting unit (10) that sets a charge amount of the battery (2), a point acquisition unit (12) that acquires a movement origin point that is a starting point of movement of the vehicle (100), a regular movement destination point that is a regular movement destination of the vehicle (100), and a non-regular movement destination point that is a non-regular movement destination of the vehicle (100), a power consumption acquisition unit (13) that acquires power consumption of the battery (2), and a charge timing information acquisition unit (14) that acquires information regarding the charging timing at which the battery (2) is charged. The power consumption acquisition unit (13) acquires information regarding the movement origin point, the regular movement destination point, and the non-regular movement destination point. Based on the point and the power consumption, a steady power consumption is obtained, which is the power consumption per predetermined period caused by the vehicle (100) moving between the origin point and the steady destination point, and based on the origin point, the non-steady destination point, and the power consumption, a non-steady power consumption is obtained, which is the power consumption per predetermined period caused by the vehicle (100) moving between the origin point and the non-steady destination point, and a charge amount setting unit (10) executes a charge amount setting process to set the charge amount when charging the battery (2) according to the power consumption obtained by combining the steady power consumption and the non-steady power consumption in the period until the battery (2) is next charged, based on the steady power consumption, the non-steady power consumption, and information on the charging timing.

[0007] According to this charge control device (1), the destinations of the vehicle are divided into regular destinations and non-regular destinations, and the battery is charged according to the power consumption amount obtained by adding up the power consumption amount required for traveling to the regular destinations and the power consumption amount required for traveling to the non-regular destinations during the period until the battery is next charged. This makes it possible to accurately estimate the charge amount that can avoid running out of power, and to realize charging with the minimum charge amount necessary to suppress deterioration of the battery (so-called "gentle charging"). Therefore, it is possible to set a sufficient charge amount while suppressing deterioration of the battery.

[0008] In the charge control device (1) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the location acquisition unit (12) may acquire waypoints along the way between the origin point and the regular destination point, and the power consumption acquisition unit (13) may acquire the power consumption per predetermined period caused by the vehicle (100) moving between the origin point and the regular destination point via the waypoints as the regular power consumption. In this way, the power consumption required for traveling to waypoints that are visited regularly, such as supermarkets or convenience stores, can be included in the power consumption required for traveling to the regular destination. Therefore, the risk of running out of power due to the accumulation of power consumption caused by visiting waypoints regularly can be reduced.

[0009] In the charge control device (1) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the point acquisition unit (12) may determine whether each point that the vehicle (100) has set as a non-regular destination of travel has been set as a destination of travel of the vehicle (100) once or twice or more, and may exclude points that have been set as a destination of travel once from non-regular destination points. Travel to a point that has been set as a destination only once is presumed to be an extremely irregular case, such as a trip. Therefore, by avoiding increasing the amount of charge for travel to such a point, it is possible to set a suitable amount of charge with greater accuracy.

[0010] In the charge control device (1) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the point acquisition unit (12) may acquire, among points that the vehicle (100) has set as destinations of travel in a non-regular manner, points that are to be destinations of travel of the vehicle (100) at a predetermined timing as regular destination points instead of non-regular destination points. For points that are not regularly used as destinations but are to be destinations at a predetermined timing, the accuracy of travel prediction is relatively high. Therefore, by treating such points as destinations of travel, it is possible to set a suitable amount of charge with greater accuracy.

[0011] In a charging control device (1) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the point acquisition unit (12) acquires a point that is predicted to be a destination of a non-regular movement of the vehicle (100) based on a prediction condition and is located outside a predetermined area including the movement origin point, as a regular movement destination point instead of the non-regular movement destination point, and the prediction condition may include at least one of the following: the movement is performed on a holiday, the movement is performed during consecutive holidays, the destination of the movement is known in advance, and the destination of the movement is predicted to be outside the predetermined area based on past statistical information. According to this, in a situation where a long trip is predicted, the charge amount is increased by treating the point as a regular movement destination, thereby reducing the risk of running out of power and ensuring driving comfort.

[0012] In the charge control device (1) according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the power consumption acquisition unit (13) sets the charge amount when charging the battery (2) according to the power consumption obtained by summing up the steady power consumption amount obtained by aggregating the steady power consumption amount for each learning period set in advance and the aggregated non-steady power consumption amount obtained by aggregating the non-steady power consumption amount for each learning period, and the point acquisition unit (12) may acquire a point that the vehicle (100) has set as a destination for regular travel in two consecutive learning periods as a steady destination point for the next learning period, and may acquire a point that the vehicle (100) has set as a destination for non-steady travel in two consecutive learning periods as a non-steady destination point for the next learning period. This makes it possible to learn only the points that are set as destinations for repeated travel, without including sudden long trips where the destination is a single trip, and as a result, it is possible to set a suitable charge amount with greater accuracy.

[0013] In the charge control device (1) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the location acquisition unit (12) may acquire the charging location as a regular destination location when the battery (2) is periodically charged at a charging location located a predetermined distance from the origin location. According to this, when there is no charging facility at the origin location, which is the starting point of the movement, and charging is periodically performed at a charging facility at the predetermined charging location, such a charging location can be treated as a destination location of the regular movement, so that a suitable charge amount can be set with greater accuracy. As an example, when there is no charging facility in a parking lot at home, and charging is periodically performed at a charging location located a predetermined distance from home, the charging facility may be treated as a regular destination location.

[0014] In the charge control device (1) according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the charge amount setting unit (10) may not execute the charge amount setting process if the number of trips to any destination does not exceed a predetermined lower limit. This makes it possible to not execute the charge setting process when it is difficult to obtain a sufficient amount of data to learn the destination of the trip. Specific examples of the situation include a case where the user is a freelancer and the destination of the trip is always non-regular, or a case where the vehicle is a rental car and the destination of the trip is always non-regular, etc.

[0015] A charge control method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a charge control method for controlling charging from an external power source (3) to a battery (2) mounted on a vehicle (100), and includes a charge amount setting step for setting a charge amount of the battery (2), a location acquisition step for acquiring a source point that is a starting point of movement of the vehicle (100), a regular destination point that is a destination of regular movement of the vehicle (100), and a non-regular destination point that is a destination of non-regular movement of the vehicle (100), a power consumption acquisition step for acquiring power consumption of the battery (2), and a charge timing information acquisition step for acquiring information regarding the charging timing at which the battery (2) is charged. In the power consumption acquisition step, the vehicle (100) moves between the source point and the regular destination point based on the source point, the regular destination point, and the power consumption. and acquires a steady power consumption amount, which is the power consumption for a predetermined period caused by the movement of the vehicle (100) between the origin point and the unsteady destination point, based on the origin point, the unsteady destination point, and the power consumption. In a charge amount setting step, a charge amount setting process is executed to set the charge amount when charging the battery (2) according to the power consumption amount obtained by combining the steady power consumption amount and the unsteady power consumption amount in the period until the battery (2) is next charged, based on the steady power consumption amount, the unsteady power consumption amount, and information on the charging timing. In a point acquisition step, when the battery (2) is periodically charged at a charging point located a predetermined distance from the origin point, the charging point is acquired as the steady destination point.

[0016] According to this charging control method, the destinations of the vehicle are divided into regular destinations and non-regular destinations, and the battery is charged according to the power consumption amount obtained by adding up the power consumption amount required for traveling to the regular destinations during the period until the battery is next charged and the power consumption amount required for traveling to the non-regular destinations. This makes it possible to accurately estimate the charge amount that can avoid running out of battery, and to realize charging with the minimum charge amount required to suppress deterioration of the battery (so-called caring charging). Therefore, it is possible to set a sufficient charge amount while suppressing deterioration of the battery. In addition, when there is no charging facility at the starting point of the movement, which is the starting point of the movement, and charging is performed periodically at a charging facility at a specific charging point, such a charging point can be treated as a destination of the regular movement, so that a suitable charge amount can be set more accurately. As an example, when there is no charging facility in the parking lot at home, and charging is performed periodically at a charging point located a specific distance from the home, the charging facility may be treated as a regular destination point.

[0017] A charge control method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a charge control method for controlling charging from an external power source (3) to a battery (2) mounted on a vehicle (100), and includes a charge amount setting step of setting a charge amount of the battery (2), a location acquisition step of acquiring a source point that is a starting point of movement of the vehicle (100), a regular destination point that is a destination of regular movement of the vehicle (100), and a non-regular destination point that is a destination of non-regular movement of the vehicle (100), a power consumption acquisition step of acquiring power consumption of the battery (2), and a charge timing information acquisition step of acquiring information regarding the charging timing at which the battery (2) is charged. In the power consumption acquisition step, a charge amount setting step is performed to set a charge amount of the battery (2) when the vehicle (100) is in a state where the battery (2) is in a constant state based on the source point, the regular destination point, and the power consumption. a steady power consumption amount, which is the power consumption per predetermined period caused by movement between the origin point and the non-steady destination point, is acquired based on the origin point, the non-steady destination point, and the power consumption, and a non-steady power consumption amount, which is the power consumption per predetermined period caused by the movement of the vehicle (100) between the origin point and the non-steady destination point is acquired based on the origin point, the non-steady destination point, and the power consumption amount, and in a charge amount setting step, a charge amount setting process is executed to set the charge amount when charging the battery (2) according to the power consumption amount obtained by combining the steady power consumption amount and the non-steady power consumption amount in the period until the battery (2) is next charged, based on information related to the steady power consumption amount, the non-steady power consumption, and the charging timing, and if the number of times of movement to any of the destination points does not exceed a predetermined lower limit, the charge amount setting process is not executed.

[0018] According to this charging control method, the destinations of the vehicle are divided into regular destinations and non-regular destinations, and the battery is charged according to the power consumption amount obtained by adding up the power consumption amount required for traveling to regular destinations and the power consumption amount required for traveling to non-regular destinations during the period until the battery is next charged. This makes it possible to accurately estimate the charge amount that can avoid running out of power, and to realize charging with the minimum charge amount required to suppress deterioration of the battery (so-called caring charging). Therefore, it is possible to set a sufficient charge amount while suppressing deterioration of the battery. In addition, it is possible not to execute the charging setting process when it is difficult to obtain a sufficient amount of data to learn the destination of the movement. Specific examples of situations include a case where the user is a freelancer and the destination of the movement is always non-regular, or a case where the vehicle is a rental car and the destination of the movement is always non-regular.

[0019] Note that the reference symbols in parentheses above are intended to indicate the reference symbols of components in the embodiments described below as an example of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure to the aspects of the embodiments. Effect of the Invention

[0020] In this manner, the charge control device and charge control method according to the present disclosure can set a sufficient charge amount while suppressing deterioration of the battery. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a vehicle equipped with a charge control device according to this embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing examples of a movement origin point, a regular movement destination point, a non-regular movement destination point, a waypoint, and a charging point. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of power consumption, charging timing, and charging amount per day. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the number of visits and the proportion of visit time at each location for a user who frequently moves around in a routine manner. [Diagram 5]FIG. 5 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the number of visits and the proportion of visit time at each location for a user who frequently moves non-routinely. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of learning about travel patterns on a weekly basis. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the charge amount setting control executed by the charge control device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. The same or corresponding parts in each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted. In the following description, the phrase "acquire each point" can be read as "acquire information about each point", and more specifically, it may be read as "acquire position information about each point" or "acquire latitude and longitude information about each point".

[0023] [Overall configuration] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a vehicle 100 equipped with a charge control device 1 according to this embodiment. The vehicle 100 shown in Fig. 1 is an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle that runs on a drive motor. The vehicle 100 may be a passenger car, a bus, a truck, or the like. The vehicle 100 is equipped with a battery 2 that supplies power to the drive motor. The battery 2 can be charged by connecting the vehicle 100 to a charging facility connected to an external power source 3 with a cable.

[0024] The charge control device 1 is a device that controls charging from an external power source 3 to a battery 2. Specifically, the charge control device 1 executes charge amount setting control for setting a sufficient charge amount while suppressing deterioration of the battery 2. The battery 2 may be, for example, a lithium ion battery, a nickel metal hydride battery, or a lead storage battery. The external power source 3 may be a general commercial power source supplied by a power company.

[0025] The physical configuration of the charging control device 1 will be described. The charging control device 1 is physically configured as a computer C. The charging control device 1 includes a control arithmetic device, a storage device, and an input / output device. The control arithmetic device is configured by a controller such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and executes arithmetic processing and controls the storage device and the input / output device. The storage device includes, for example, a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device. The main storage device includes, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory). The auxiliary storage device includes, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory). The input / output device includes, for example, an input device that receives data from the outside and transmits it to the storage device, and an output device that outputs to the outside the calculation result that is calculated by the control arithmetic unit and stored in the storage device. The input / output device includes a communication device that transmits and receives information to and from an external device. The charging control device 1 executes the charge amount setting control by, for example, loading a program stored in the ROM into the RAM and executing the program loaded into the RAM by the CPU. The charging control device 1 may physically include a configuration different from the above-mentioned configuration.

[0026] The following describes the functional configuration of the charge control device 1. Functionally, the charge control device 1 includes a charge amount setting unit 10, a vehicle position acquisition unit 11, a point acquisition unit 12, a power consumption acquisition unit 13, and a charge timing information acquisition unit 14.

[0027] The charge amount setting unit 10 sets the charge amount of the battery 2. Specifically, the charge amount setting unit 10 executes a charge amount setting process described below. The charge amount setting unit 10 may execute the charge amount setting process only when the number of times of travel to at least one of the points as a destination exceeds a predetermined lower limit. In other words, the charge amount setting unit 10 may not execute the charge amount setting process when the number of times of travel to any of the points as a destination does not exceed a predetermined lower limit.

[0028] The vehicle position acquisition unit 11 acquires the current position of the vehicle 100. The vehicle position acquisition unit 11 may acquire the current position of the vehicle 100, for example, by receiving a GPS signal using a GPS receiver mounted on the vehicle 100. The vehicle position acquisition unit 11 acquires the number of visits and the stay time (stay time ratio) of the vehicle 100 at each point from the acquired history of the current position of the vehicle 100.

[0029] The point acquisition unit 12 acquires an origin point, a regular destination point, and an unregular destination point of the vehicle 100. The "origin point" is a point that is the starting point of the movement of the vehicle 100. More specifically, the origin point is a point where the vehicle 100 is normally parked. As an example, the origin point may be a parking lot attached to the user's home (life base).

[0030] The "regular destination point" is a point that the vehicle 100 regularly travels to. "Regularly" means that it is repeated at a certain timing. For example, "regularly" may mean that it is repeated every day from Monday to Friday, or that it is repeated only every Wednesday. As an example, the regular destination point may be the user's workplace, etc.

[0031] A "non-regular destination point" is a point that the vehicle 100 non-regularly travels to. "Non-regular" means that the travel is not repeated at a fixed timing. For example, "non-regular" may mean that the travel is only performed on Mondays and Tuesdays last week and on Thursdays this week. As an example, a regular destination point may be a business trip destination where the user makes irregular business trips.

[0032] The point acquisition unit 12 acquires waypoints of the vehicle 100. A "waypoint" is a point that is passed through in the movement between the origin point and the regular destination point. The waypoint may be, for example, a point that is always visited on the way to the destination, or a point that is visited with a predetermined frequency on the way to the destination, or a point that is always visited on the way back, or a point that is visited with a predetermined frequency on the way back. As an example, the waypoint may be a supermarket (supermarket) or a convenience store (convenience store) that the user visits on a daily basis.

[0033] The point acquisition unit 12 determines whether the number of times the vehicle 100 has been set as a destination of the movement of the vehicle 100 is once or twice or more for each point that the vehicle 100 has set as a destination of the movement of the vehicle 100. For example, the point acquisition unit 12 may determine whether the number of times the vehicle 100 has been set as a destination of the movement of the vehicle 100 is once or twice or more based on the number of times the vehicle 100 has stayed at each point acquired by the vehicle position acquisition unit 11. The point acquisition unit 12 may exclude a point that has been set as a destination of the movement of the vehicle 100 once from the non-regular destination points. In other words, the point acquisition unit 12 may determine a point that has been set as a destination of the movement of the vehicle 100 twice or more as a non-regular destination point among the points that the vehicle 100 sets as a destination of the movement of the vehicle 100.

[0034] The point acquisition unit 12 acquires a point that is set as a destination of the movement of the vehicle 100 at a predetermined timing, among the points that the vehicle 100 has set as a destination of the movement of the vehicle 100 non-regularly, as a regular destination point instead of the non-regular destination point. The "predetermined timing" may mean that the timing is not regular but has a certain regularity. For example, the "predetermined timing" may be once every two weeks, or may be alternately repeated every three days and every five days.

[0035] The location acquisition unit 12 may acquire a location that is predicted to be the destination of the vehicle 100 non-regularly based on the prediction conditions and is located outside a predetermined area including the origin point as a regular destination point instead of the non-regular destination point. The "prediction conditions" are conditions for a prediction to be correct with a certain degree of accuracy or higher. For example, the "prediction conditions" may include at least one of the following: the movement is performed on a holiday, the movement is performed during consecutive holidays, the destination of the movement is known in advance, and the destination of the movement is predicted to be outside the predetermined area based on past statistical information. The "holiday" may be, for example, Saturday, Sunday, and public holiday, or may be a day of the week arbitrarily set by the user. The "consecutive holidays" may be a holiday that lasts for two or more days, or may be a holiday that lasts for three or more days. The "destination of the movement is known in advance" may mean, for example, that the destination of the movement is known in advance by acquiring information from an application that manages schedules, or that the destination of the movement is known in advance by the user inputting a schedule. The "past statistical information" may be information obtained by statistically processing information on the past movement patterns of the vehicle 100 accumulated by the charge control device 1, or may be information aggregated as a general movement pattern including the behavioral patterns of other vehicles 100. The "predetermined area" is an area that includes the movement origin point. For example, the "predetermined area" may be an area within a circle of a predetermined radius centered on the movement origin point, an area that can be reached in a predetermined time when traveling on a road from the movement origin point, or an area within a predetermined administrative district in which the movement origin point is located. Note that the regular movement destination point, the non-regular movement destination point, and the waypoint may be included in the predetermined area. In addition, movement outside the predetermined area may mean a so-called long trip.

[0036] The point acquisition unit 12 acquires a point that the vehicle 100 has set as a destination of regular movement in two consecutive learning periods as a regular destination point in the next learning period. In addition, the point acquisition unit 12 acquires a point that the vehicle 100 has set as a destination of non-regular movement in two consecutive learning periods as a non-regular destination point in the next learning period. The "learning period" will be described in detail later. In this way, a point that has been set as a destination of regular movement in two consecutive learning periods is likely to be a destination of regular movement in the next learning period as well, so it is set as a regular destination point in the next learning period. In addition, a point that has been set as a destination of non-regular movement in two consecutive learning periods is likely to be a destination of non-regular movement in the next learning period as well, so it is set as a non-regular destination point in the next learning period.

[0037] When the battery 2 is periodically charged at a charging point located a predetermined distance from the starting point, the point acquisition unit 12 acquires the charging point as a regular destination point. A "charging point" is a point where a charging facility for charging the battery 2 of the vehicle 100 is installed. An example of such a situation is when the starting point of the user does not have a charging facility and the vehicle 100 is moved to a predetermined charging point each time charging is required.

[0038] The power consumption acquisition unit 13 acquires the power consumption of the battery 2. Specifically, the power consumption acquisition unit 13 acquires the steady power consumption of the vehicle 100 based on the origin point, the steady destination point, and the power consumption. The "steady power consumption" is the power consumption per predetermined period caused by the vehicle 100 moving between the origin point and the steady destination point. In addition, the power consumption acquisition unit 13 acquires the non-steady power consumption of the vehicle 100 based on the origin point, the non-steady destination point, and the power consumption. The "non-steady power consumption" is the power consumption per predetermined period caused by the vehicle 100 moving between the origin point and the non-steady destination point. The above "predetermined period" may be, for example, one day.

[0039] When the vehicle 100 moves between the origin point and the regular destination point via waypoints, the power consumption acquisition unit 13 acquires the amount of power consumption per predetermined period caused by the movement between the origin point and the regular destination point via waypoints as the regular power consumption. For example, when there are multiple waypoints, the power consumption acquisition unit 13 may acquire the amount of power consumption per predetermined period caused by the movement between the origin point and the regular destination point via the multiple waypoints as the regular power consumption.

[0040] The power consumption acquisition unit 13 sets the charge amount when charging the battery 2 according to the power consumption obtained by adding up the aggregated steady power consumption and the non-steady power consumption. The "aggregated steady power consumption" is the power consumption obtained by aggregating the steady power consumption for each preset learning period. The "aggregated non-steady power consumption" is the power consumption obtained by aggregating the non-steady power consumption for each preset learning period. The "learning period" is a period that is a unit for aggregating the movement pattern of the vehicle 100. The specific length of the learning period is not particularly limited, but may be in weekly units (e.g., one week or two weeks) so as to be less subject to restrictions on days of the week. The learning period may be arbitrarily changeable by the user.

[0041] The charging timing information acquisition unit 14 acquires information regarding the charging timing at which the battery 2 is charged. The "charging timing" may be information regarding the day of the week at which the battery 2 is charged, information regarding the interval at which the battery 2 is charged, or other information. The charging timing information acquisition unit 14 may acquire information regarding the charging timing based on a history such as the date and time when the battery 2 of the vehicle 100 was charged in the past, or may acquire information regarding the charging timing based on an input from a user.

[0042] In the charge control device 1 configured as above, the charge amount setting unit 10 executes a charge amount setting process to set the charge amount when charging the battery 2. The "charge amount setting process" is a process for setting the charge amount when charging the battery 2 according to the power consumption obtained by summing up the steady power consumption and the non-steady power consumption during the period until the battery 2 is next charged, and is specifically executed based on the steady power consumption, the non-steady power consumption, and information on the charging timing. Here, "setting according to the power consumption obtained by summing up the steady power consumption and the non-steady power consumption" may simply mean setting the value to the power consumption obtained by summing up the steady power consumption and the non-steady power consumption itself, or may mean setting the value obtained by adding, subtracting, or multiplying the power consumption obtained by summing up the steady power consumption and the non-steady power consumption by a predetermined value.

[0043] [Specific example] Next, a specific example will be given to explain the charge amount setting control by the charge control device 1. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing examples of a movement origin point, a regular movement destination point, a non-regular movement destination point, a waypoint, and a charging point.

[0044] In Figure 2, the solid-line frame labeled "A" indicates the range of movement of a user who frequently moves in a routine manner. This user regularly moves between a living base (origin point) such as a home equipped with a charging facility and a frequently visited location (regular destination point) such as a workplace, via a stopover point (waypoint) such as a convenience store.

[0045] In Fig. 2, the short dashed line frame labeled "B" indicates the movement range of a user who performs both routine and non-routine movements (specifically, a user who often performs random actions for work). This user routinely moves between a living base (origin point) such as a home equipped with a charging facility and a frequently visited point (regular destination point) such as a workplace, via a stopover point (waypoint) such as a convenience store. This user also non-regularly moves between a living base (origin point) and a frequently visited point (non-regular destination point) such as a business associate, via a stopover point (waypoint) such as a convenience store.

[0046] In Fig. 2, the dashed-dotted frame labeled "C" indicates the range of movement of a user who moves around a lot and uses charging facilities other than his / her home to charge the battery 2. This user moves regularly between a living base (origin point) such as a home that does not have a charging facility and a frequently visited location (regular destination point) such as a workplace, via a stopover point (waypoint) such as a convenience store. This user also periodically charges the battery 2 at a charging point a little away (i.e., located at a predetermined distance) from the living base (origin point).

[0047] The long dashed line frame labeled "D" in Figure 2 shows the movement range of a user who moves a lot in an atypical manner (specifically, a retired user who moves a lot randomly). This user moves non-regularly between a living base (origin point) such as a home equipped with a charging facility and multiple frequent destinations (non-regular destination points).

[0048] In Fig. 2, the dashed double-dashed line frame labeled "E" indicates the range of points that are considered to be destinations for non-regular travel, and are located outside a specified area that includes the base of daily life (point of origin). Each point shown here is a point that is a destination for so-called long-distance travel. Specifically, examples shown include points in the daily life area where people often spend time on holidays, travel destinations for special holidays, and public charging facilities at long-distance travel destinations.

[0049] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of daily power consumption, charging timing, and charging amount. In FIG. 3, the horizontal axis is divided into days from Sunday to Wednesday of the following week. The vertical axis shows the SOC (State of Charge) indicating the amount of power of the battery 2. The thick arrow indicates the non-stationary power consumption due to movement to a non-stationary destination point. On the other hand, the thin arrow indicates the stationary power consumption due to movement to a stationary destination point. The SOC, which was initially 100%, decreases by the amount of power equivalent to the stationary power consumption on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in addition to the non-stationary power consumption on Sunday. Thereafter, the battery 2 is charged to the recommended SOC at the charging timing from Wednesday to Thursday. This recommended SOC is set according to the power consumption obtained by adding up the stationary power consumption and the non-stationary power consumption from Saturday to Sunday until the next charging timing.

[0050] The SOC is then reduced by an amount of power equivalent to the steady power consumption on Thursday and Friday plus the non-steady power consumption on Saturday. Battery 2 is then charged to a new recommended SOC during the charging period from Saturday to Sunday. This new recommended SOC is set according to the combined steady power consumption and non-steady power consumption from Wednesday to Thursday until the next charging period.

[0051] FIG. 4 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the number of stays at each location and the proportion of stay time for a user who frequently makes routine movements. FIG. 5 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the number of stays at each location and the proportion of stay time for a user who frequently makes non-routine movements. In FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the horizontal axis shows the number of stays at each location (here, home, workplace, shopping mall, restaurant, and convenience store are exemplified) during a certain period. The vertical axis shows the proportion of stay time at each location (the proportion of time spent at each location when the total stay time at all locations is 100%). In FIG. 4, the stay at the workplace is 5 times during the period, which is 29%, and the workplace is determined to be the destination of routine movements. On the other hand, in FIG. 5, the stay at workplace "1" is 4 times during the period, which is 18%, and the stay at workplace "2" is 8 times during the period, which is 11%. In this way, workplace "2," where the visits were made eight times and were relatively frequent, is determined to be a destination for regular travel, while workplace "1," where the visits were made four times and were relatively infrequent, is determined to be a destination for non-regular travel.

[0052] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of learning of a movement pattern for each week. As described above, in the charge control device 1, a point that has been set as a destination of regular (non-regular) movement in two consecutive learning periods (here, one week) is set as a regular destination point (non-regular destination point) in the next learning period. In FIG. 6, "points where the value obtained by dividing the average number of stays by the number of days is greater than a predetermined value (x) and the order of the magnitude," "main charging point," "aggregated regular power consumption (regular behavior ΔSOC amount)," and "aggregated non-regular power consumption (non-regular behavior ΔSOC amount)" are each summarized in a table for each week. Here, it is determined whether the point is a regular destination point or a non-regular destination point based on "points where the value obtained by dividing the average number of stays by the number of days is greater than a predetermined value (x) and the order of the magnitude."

[0053] In the table for the first week in FIG. 6, since new learning is performed on "points where the value obtained by dividing the average number of stays by the number of days is greater than the predetermined value (x) and the order of magnitude," the regular destination points and non-regular destination points are set to the learning value for the first week. In the table for the second week, since "points where the value obtained by dividing the average number of stays by the number of days is greater than the predetermined value (x) and the order of magnitude" is the same as in the first week, the same points are set as destinations of regular (non-regular) moves in two consecutive learning periods. As a result, the settings of regular destination points and non-regular destination points for the next week are set to the learning value for the second week (however, they have not changed from the learning value for the first week). In the table for the third week, "points where the value obtained by dividing the average number of stays by the number of days is greater than the predetermined value (x) and the order of magnitude" has changed from the second week. Since this behavior pattern is the first week, the settings of regular destination points and non-regular destination points are not changed, and the learning value for the third week is held as pending learning information. In the table for the fourth week, "the points where the value obtained by dividing the average number of stays by the number of days is greater than a predetermined value (x) and the order of their magnitudes" is similar to that of the third week, and similar (substantially similar) points are set as destinations of regular (non-regular) movement in two consecutive learning periods. As a result, the settings of regular destination points and non-regular destination points for the next week are set to the learning values ​​related to the fourth week. At this time, the learning values ​​related to the second week, which is the setting before the change, are recorded as original learning information. In the table for the fifth week, "the points where the value obtained by dividing the average number of stays by the number of days is greater than a predetermined value (x) and the order of their magnitudes" has changed from the fourth week. However, since this behavior pattern is similar to that of the first and second weeks, the learning values ​​related to the second week, which were recorded as original learning information, are read out, and the settings of regular destination points and non-regular destination points for the next week are set to the learning values ​​related to the second week that were read out. At this time, the learning values ​​related to the fourth week, which is the setting before the change, are recorded as original learning information.

[0054] [Charging amount setting control] Next, a description will be given of the charge amount setting control executed by the charge control device 1. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the charge amount setting control executed by the charge control device 1.

[0055] In step S10, the point acquisition unit 12 of the charge control device 1 acquires a movement origin point that is a starting point of movement of the vehicle 100. After that, the charge amount setting control proceeds to step S12.

[0056] In step S12, the location acquisition unit 12 of the charge control device 1 acquires a charging location located a predetermined distance from the movement origin location where the battery 2 is periodically charged. After that, the charge amount setting control proceeds to step S14.

[0057] In step S14, the point acquisition unit 12 of the charge control device 1 acquires a regular destination point that is a destination of regular movement of the vehicle 100. The point acquisition unit 12 also acquires a point that is a destination of movement of the vehicle 100 at a predetermined timing, among the points that the vehicle 100 has non-regularly set as destinations, as a regular destination point instead of a non-regular destination point. The point acquisition unit 12 also acquires a point that is predicted to be a destination of non-regular movement of the vehicle 100 based on the prediction conditions and is located outside a predetermined area including the movement origin point, as a regular destination point instead of a non-regular destination point. When the battery 2 is periodically charged at a charging point located a predetermined distance from the movement origin point, the point acquisition unit 12 also acquires the charging point as a regular destination point. Thereafter, the charge amount setting control proceeds to step S16.

[0058] In step S16, the point acquisition unit 12 of the charge control device 1 acquires waypoints that are points along the way in the movement between the movement origin point and the regular movement destination point of the vehicle 100. After that, the charge amount setting control proceeds to step S18.

[0059] In step S18, the point acquisition unit 12 of the charge control device 1 acquires non-regular destination points that are points that the vehicle 100 non-regularly travels to. At this time, the point acquisition unit 12 excludes points that have been used as a destination of the vehicle 100 once from the non-regular destination points. In other words, the point acquisition unit 12 sets as the non-regular destination points the points that have been used as a destination of the vehicle 100 two or more times among the points that the vehicle 100 non-regularly travels to. Thereafter, the charge amount setting control proceeds to step S20.

[0060] In step S20, the charge timing information acquisition unit 14 of the charge control device 1 acquires information regarding the charge timing at which the battery 2 is charged. The charge timing information acquisition unit 14 may acquire information regarding the charge timing based on a history such as the date and time when the battery 2 of the vehicle 100 was previously charged, or may acquire information regarding the charge timing based on an input from a user. After that, the charge amount setting control proceeds to step S22.

[0061] In step S22, the power consumption acquisition unit 13 of the charge control device 1 acquires steady power consumption, which is the power consumption per predetermined period (here, one day) caused by the vehicle 100 moving between the origin point and the steady destination point. When the vehicle 100 moves between the origin point and the steady destination point via waypoints, the power consumption acquisition unit 13 acquires the power consumption per day caused by the movement between the origin point and the steady destination point via waypoints as steady power consumption. Then, the power consumption acquisition unit 13 acquires an aggregate steady power consumption, which is the power consumption obtained by aggregating the steady power consumption for each preset learning period. Thereafter, the charge amount setting control proceeds to step S24.

[0062] In step S24, the power consumption acquisition unit 13 of the charge control device 1 acquires unsteady power consumption, which is the amount of power consumed per day by the vehicle 100 as it moves between the origin point and the unsteady destination point. Then, the power consumption acquisition unit 13 acquires an aggregated unsteady power consumption, which is the amount of power consumed by aggregating the unsteady power consumption for each preset learning period. After that, the charge amount setting control proceeds to step S26.

[0063] In step S26, the point acquisition unit 12 of the charge control device 1 acquires the points that the vehicle 100 has regularly traveled to as destinations in the most recent two consecutive learning periods as regular travel destination points in the next learning period. After that, the charge amount setting control proceeds to step S28.

[0064] In step S28, the point acquisition unit 12 of the charge control device 1 acquires the points that the vehicle 100 has non-regularly traveled to as destinations in the most recent two consecutive learning periods as non-regular travel destination points in the next learning period. After that, the charge amount setting control proceeds to step S30.

[0065] In step S30, the charge amount setting unit 10 of the charge control device 1 judges whether or not the number of times of travel to at least any one of the points as a destination exceeds a predetermined lower limit. If it is judged that the number of times of travel to at least any one of the points as a destination exceeds the predetermined lower limit (step S30: YES), the charge amount setting control proceeds to step S32. On the other hand, if the number of times of travel to none of the points as a destination does not exceed the predetermined lower limit (step S30: NO), the charge amount setting control skips step S34 and ends.

[0066] In step S32, the charge amount setting unit 10 of the charge control device 1 executes a charge amount setting process to set the charge amount of the battery 2. Specifically, the charge amount setting unit 10 executes a charge amount setting process to set the charge amount when charging the battery 2 according to the power consumption obtained by adding up the steady power consumption (aggregated steady power consumption) and the non-steady power consumption (aggregated non-steady power consumption) during the period until the battery 2 is next charged. With the above, the current charge amount setting control ends.

[0067] [Action and Effects] As described above, the charge control device 1 is a charge control device 1 that controls charging from the external power source 3 to the battery 2 mounted on the vehicle 100, and includes a charge amount setting unit 10 that sets the charge amount of the battery 2, a location acquisition unit 12 that acquires a movement origin point that is a starting point of movement of the vehicle 100, a regular movement destination point that is a regular movement destination of the vehicle 100, and a non-regular movement destination point that is a non-regular movement destination of the vehicle 100, a power consumption acquisition unit 13 that acquires the power consumption of the battery 2, and a charge timing information acquisition unit 14 that acquires information regarding the charging timing at which the battery 2 is charged, and the power consumption acquisition unit 13 determines, based on the movement origin point, the regular movement destination point, and the power consumption, A steady power consumption amount is obtained, which is the power consumption per predetermined period (here, one day) caused by the vehicle 100 moving between the origin point and the steady destination point, and a non-steady power consumption amount is obtained, which is the power consumption per day caused by the vehicle 100 moving between the origin point and the non-steady destination point, based on the origin point, the non-steady destination point, and the power consumption amount.The charge amount setting unit 10 executes a charge amount setting process to set the charge amount when charging the battery 2 according to the power consumption amount obtained by combining the steady power consumption amount and the non-steady power consumption amount in the period until the battery 2 is next charged, based on the steady power consumption amount, the non-steady power consumption amount, and information on the charging timing.

[0068] According to this charging control device 1, the destinations of the vehicle are divided into regular destinations and non-regular destinations, and the battery is charged according to the power consumption amount obtained by adding up the power consumption amount required for traveling to the regular destinations during the period until the battery is next charged and the power consumption amount required for traveling to the non-regular destinations. This makes it possible to accurately estimate the charge amount that can avoid running out of power, and to realize charging with the minimum charge amount necessary to suppress deterioration of the battery (so-called "gentle charging"). Therefore, it is possible to set a sufficient charge amount while suppressing deterioration of the battery.

[0069] In addition, by performing learning separately for regular destination points and non-regular destination points, the risk of erroneous learning can be reduced and the learning speed can be improved. In particular, even when data from a period when travel is irregular, such as a vacation season, is mixed in, the risk of erroneous learning can be effectively reduced.

[0070] In the charging control device 1, the point acquisition unit 12 acquires waypoints along the way between the origin point and the regular destination point, and the power consumption acquisition unit 13 acquires the daily power consumption caused by the vehicle 100 moving between the origin point and the regular destination point via the waypoints as the regular power consumption. This allows the power consumption required for traveling to waypoints that the vehicle stops at daily, such as supermarkets or convenience stores, to be included in the power consumption required for traveling to the regular destination. This makes it possible to reduce the risk of running out of power due to the accumulation of power consumption caused by stopping at waypoints daily.

[0071] In the charge control device 1, the location acquisition unit 12 determines whether each location that the vehicle 100 has set as a non-regular destination of travel has been set as a destination of travel by the vehicle 100 once or twice or more, and excludes the location that has been set as a destination once from non-regular destination locations. Travel to a location that has been set as a destination only once is presumed to be an extremely irregular case, such as a trip. Therefore, by avoiding increasing the amount of charge for travel to such a location, it is possible to set a suitable amount of charge with greater accuracy.

[0072] In the charge control device 1, the point acquisition unit 12 acquires a point that is set as a destination of the vehicle 100 at a predetermined timing, among the points that the vehicle 100 has set as a destination of the vehicle 100's non-regular movement, as a regular movement destination point instead of the non-regular movement destination point. For points that are not set as a regular movement destination but are set as a destination at a predetermined timing, the accuracy of the movement prediction is relatively high. Therefore, by treating such points as a regular movement destination, it is possible to set a suitable charge amount with more accuracy.

[0073] In the charging control device 1, the point acquisition unit 12 acquires a point that is predicted to be a destination of non-regular movement of the vehicle 100 based on the prediction conditions and is located outside a predetermined area including the movement origin point as a regular movement destination point instead of a non-regular movement destination point, and the prediction conditions include at least one of the following: the movement is performed on a holiday, the movement is performed during consecutive holidays, the destination of the movement is known in advance, and the destination of the movement is predicted to be outside the predetermined area based on past statistical information. According to this, in a situation where a long trip is predicted, by treating the destination as a regular movement destination, the charge amount is increased, the risk of running out of power is suppressed, and driving comfort can be ensured.

[0074] In the charging control device 1, the power consumption acquisition unit 13 sets the charge amount when charging the battery 2 according to the power consumption obtained by adding up the aggregated steady power consumption obtained by aggregating the steady power consumption for each preset learning period and the aggregated unsteady power consumption obtained by aggregating the unsteady power consumption for each learning period, and the point acquisition unit 12 acquires a point that the vehicle 100 has set as a destination for steady travel in two consecutive learning periods as a steady destination point for the next learning period, and acquires a point that the vehicle 100 has set as a destination for unsteady travel in two consecutive learning periods as a unsteady destination point for the next learning period. This makes it possible to learn only the points that are set as destinations for repeated travel, without including sudden long trips where the destination is a single trip, and as a result, it becomes possible to set a suitable charge amount with greater accuracy.

[0075] In the charge control device 1, the location acquisition unit 12 acquires the charging location as a regular destination location when the battery 2 is periodically charged at a charging location located a predetermined distance from the origin location. According to this, when there is no charging facility at the origin location, which is the starting point of the movement, and charging is periodically performed at a charging facility at a predetermined charging location, such a charging location can be treated as a destination location of the regular movement, so that a suitable charge amount can be set with greater accuracy. As an example, when there is no charging facility in a parking lot at home, and charging is periodically performed at a charging location located a predetermined distance from home, the charging facility may be treated as a regular destination location.

[0076] In the charge control device 1, the charge amount setting unit 10 does not execute the charge amount setting process if the number of times of travel to any destination does not exceed a predetermined lower limit. This makes it possible not to execute the charge setting process when it is difficult to obtain a sufficient amount of data to learn the destination of travel. Specific examples of the situation include a case where the user is a freelancer and the destination of travel is always non-regular, or a case where the vehicle is a rental car and the destination of travel is always non-regular, etc.

[0077] The charging control method is a charging control method for controlling charging from an external power source 3 to a battery 2 mounted on a vehicle 100, and includes a charging amount setting step for setting a charging amount of the battery 2, a point acquisition step for acquiring a source point which is a starting point of movement of the vehicle 100, a regular destination point which is a destination of regular movement of the vehicle 100, and a non-regular destination point which is a destination of non-regular movement of the vehicle 100, a power consumption acquisition step for acquiring the power consumption of the battery 2, and a charging timing information acquisition step for acquiring information on the charging timing at which the battery 2 is charged. In the power consumption acquisition step, a daily power consumption resulting from movement of the vehicle 100 between the source point and the regular destination point is acquired based on the source point, the regular destination point, and the power consumption. A steady power consumption amount is acquired, which is the power consumption per day caused by the vehicle 100 moving between the origin point and the non-steady destination point, based on the origin point, the non-steady destination point, and the power consumption. In a charge amount setting step, a charge amount setting process is executed to set the charge amount when charging the battery 2 according to the power consumption amount obtained by adding up the steady power consumption and the non-steady power consumption in the period until the battery 2 is next charged, based on the steady power consumption amount, the non-steady power consumption, and information on the charging timing. In a point acquisition step, when the battery 2 is periodically charged at a charging point located a predetermined distance from the origin point, the charging point is acquired as the steady destination point.

[0078] According to this charging control method, the destinations of the vehicle are divided into regular destinations and non-regular destinations, and the battery is charged according to the power consumption amount obtained by adding up the power consumption amount required for traveling to the regular destinations during the period until the battery is next charged and the power consumption amount required for traveling to the non-regular destinations. This makes it possible to accurately estimate the charge amount that can avoid running out of battery, and to realize charging with the minimum charge amount required to suppress deterioration of the battery (so-called caring charging). Therefore, it is possible to set a sufficient charge amount while suppressing deterioration of the battery. In addition, when there is no charging facility at the starting point of the movement, which is the starting point of the movement, and charging is performed periodically at a charging facility at a specific charging point, such a charging point can be treated as a destination of the regular movement, so that a suitable charge amount can be set more accurately. As an example, when there is no charging facility in the parking lot at home, and charging is performed periodically at a charging point located a specific distance from the home, the charging facility may be treated as a regular destination point.

[0079] The charging control method is a charging control method for controlling charging from an external power source 3 to a battery 2 mounted on a vehicle 100, and includes a charging amount setting step for setting a charging amount of the battery 2, a point acquisition step for acquiring a source point which is a starting point of movement of the vehicle 100, a regular destination point which is a destination of regular movement of the vehicle 100, and a non-regular destination point which is a destination of non-regular movement of the vehicle 100, a power consumption acquisition step for acquiring power consumption of the battery 2, and a charging timing information acquisition step for acquiring information regarding the charging timing at which the battery 2 is charged. In the power consumption acquisition step, the source point and the regular destination point are acquired based on the power consumption, and the power consumption is acquired. a steady power consumption which is the daily power consumption resulting from movement between the start point and the non-steady destination point is obtained, and a non-steady power consumption which is the daily power consumption resulting from movement of the vehicle 100 between the start point and the non-steady destination point is obtained based on the start point, the non-steady destination point, and the power consumption; in the charge amount setting step, a charge amount setting process is executed to set the charge amount when charging the battery 2 according to the combined power consumption of the steady power consumption and the non-steady power consumption in the period until the battery 2 is next charged, based on the steady power consumption, the non-steady power consumption, and information on the charging timing; and if the number of times of movement to any of the points as a destination does not exceed a predetermined lower limit, the charge amount setting process is not executed.

[0080] According to this charging control method, the destinations of the vehicle are divided into regular destinations and non-regular destinations, and the battery is charged according to the power consumption amount obtained by adding up the power consumption amount required for traveling to regular destinations and the power consumption amount required for traveling to non-regular destinations during the period until the battery is next charged. This makes it possible to accurately estimate the charge amount that can avoid running out of power, and to realize charging with the minimum charge amount required to suppress deterioration of the battery (so-called caring charging). Therefore, it is possible to set a sufficient charge amount while suppressing deterioration of the battery. In addition, it is possible not to execute the charging setting process when it is difficult to obtain a sufficient amount of data to learn the destination of the movement. Specific examples of situations include a case where the user is a freelancer and the destination of the movement is always non-regular, or a case where the vehicle is a rental car and the destination of the movement is always non-regular.

[0081] [Variations] The above-described embodiment can be implemented in various forms modified or improved based on the knowledge of a person skilled in the art. For example, the power consumption does not have to be acquired every day (i.e., the predetermined period does not have to be one day), and the learning period does not have to be one week. In addition, the regular destination point (non-regular destination point) in the next learning period does not have to be a point that the vehicle 100 regularly travels to in two consecutive learning periods, and may be a point that the vehicle 100 regularly travels to in, for example, three or more learning periods. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1. Charging control device 2 Battery 3 External power supply 10 Charge amount setting section 11 Vehicle position acquisition unit 12 Point acquisition part 13 Power consumption acquisition part 14. Charging timing information acquisition unit 100 vehicles

Claims

1. A charge control device that controls charging of a battery mounted on a vehicle from an external power source, a charge amount setting unit that sets a charge amount of the battery; a point acquisition unit that acquires a starting point that is a starting point of movement of the vehicle, a regular destination point that is a destination of regular movement of the vehicle, and a non-regular destination point that is a destination of non-regular movement of the vehicle; a power consumption acquisition unit for acquiring the power consumption of the battery; a charge timing information acquisition unit that acquires information regarding a charge timing at which the battery is charged; The power consumption acquisition unit acquiring a steady-state power consumption amount, which is the power consumption amount for each predetermined period caused by the vehicle moving between the origin point and the steady-state destination point, based on the origin point, the steady-state destination point, and the power consumption amount; acquiring, based on the origin point, the non-steady destination point, and the amount of power consumption, a non-steady power consumption amount which is the amount of power consumption caused by the vehicle moving between the origin point and the non-steady destination point for each of the predetermined periods; The charge control device executes a charge amount setting process to set the charge amount when charging the battery according to the power consumption amount obtained by summing the steady power consumption amount and the unsteady power consumption amount in a period until the battery is next charged, based on information related to the steady power consumption amount, the unsteady power consumption amount, and the charging timing.

2. The point acquisition unit acquires waypoints to be passed through in the movement between the movement origin point and the regular movement destination point, 2. The charging control device according to claim 1, wherein the power consumption acquisition unit acquires, as the steady-state power consumption, the power consumption for each of the predetermined periods caused by the vehicle moving between the origin point and the steady-state destination point via the intermediate points.

3. 2. The charging control device according to claim 1, wherein the location acquisition unit determines, for each location that the vehicle has set as a destination for non-regular travel, whether the location has been set as a destination for travel of the vehicle once or twice or more, and excludes a location that has been set as a destination for travel of the vehicle once from the non-regular travel destination locations.

4. 2. The charging control device according to claim 1, wherein the point acquisition unit acquires a point that is to be the destination of the movement of the vehicle at a predetermined timing as the regular destination point instead of the non-regular destination point.

5. the point acquisition unit acquires, as the regular destination point, a point that is predicted to be a destination of non-regular movement of the vehicle based on a prediction condition and that is located outside a predetermined area including the movement origin point, instead of the non-regular destination point; 2. The charging control device according to claim 1, wherein the prediction conditions include at least one of the following: the movement is performed on a holiday, the movement is performed during a consecutive holiday, the destination of the movement is known in advance, and the destination of the movement is predicted to be outside the specified area based on past statistical information.

6. the power consumption acquisition unit sets the charging amount when charging the battery according to the power consumption obtained by summing up an aggregate steady power consumption obtained by aggregating the steady power consumption for each preset learning period and an aggregate unsteady power consumption obtained by aggregating the unsteady power consumption for each preset learning period; The location acquisition unit, A point that the vehicle has regularly traveled to during two consecutive learning periods is acquired as the regularly traveled point for the next learning period; The charge control device according to claim 1 , wherein a point set as a destination of non-regular movement by the vehicle during two consecutive learning periods is acquired as the non-regular movement destination point during a next learning period.

7. The charge control device according to claim 1 , wherein, when the battery is periodically charged at a charging point located a predetermined distance from the movement origin point, the point acquisition unit acquires the charging point as the regular movement destination point.

8. The charge control device according to claim 1 , wherein the charge amount setting unit does not execute the charge amount setting process when the number of times of movement to any one of the destination points does not exceed a predetermined lower limit.

9. A charge control method for controlling charging of a battery mounted on a vehicle from an external power supply, comprising: a charge amount setting step of setting a charge amount of the battery; a point acquisition step of acquiring a starting point which is a starting point of the movement of the vehicle, a regular destination point which is a destination of the movement of the vehicle, and a non-regular destination point which is a destination of the movement of the vehicle; a power consumption acquisition step of acquiring a power consumption of the battery; A charge timing information acquisition step of acquiring information regarding a charge timing at which the battery is charged, In the power consumption acquisition step, acquiring a steady-state power consumption amount, which is the power consumption amount for each predetermined period caused by the vehicle moving between the origin point and the steady-state destination point, based on the origin point, the steady-state destination point, and the power consumption amount; acquiring, based on the origin point, the non-steady destination point, and the amount of power consumption, a non-steady power consumption amount which is the amount of power consumption caused by the vehicle moving between the origin point and the non-steady destination point for each of the predetermined periods; a charge amount setting step for setting the charge amount when charging the battery according to the power consumption amount obtained by adding up the steady power consumption amount and the unsteady power consumption amount during a period until the battery is next charged, based on information related to the steady power consumption amount, the unsteady power consumption amount, and the charging timing; In the point acquisition step, when the battery is periodically charged at a charging point located a predetermined distance from the origin point, the charging point is acquired as the regular destination point.

10. A charge control method for controlling charging of a battery mounted on a vehicle from an external power supply, comprising: a charge amount setting step of setting a charge amount of the battery; a point acquisition step of acquiring a starting point which is a starting point of the movement of the vehicle, a regular destination point which is a destination of the movement of the vehicle, and a non-regular destination point which is a destination of the movement of the vehicle; a power consumption acquisition step of acquiring a power consumption of the battery; A charge timing information acquisition step of acquiring information regarding a charge timing at which the battery is charged, In the power consumption acquisition step, acquiring a steady-state power consumption amount, which is the power consumption amount for each predetermined period caused by the vehicle moving between the origin point and the steady-state destination point, based on the origin point, the steady-state destination point, and the power consumption amount; acquiring, based on the origin point, the non-steady destination point, and the amount of power consumption, a non-steady power consumption amount which is the amount of power consumption caused by the vehicle moving between the origin point and the non-steady destination point for each of the predetermined periods; In the charge amount setting step, executing a charge amount setting process for setting the charge amount when charging the battery according to the power consumption amount obtained by adding up the steady power consumption amount and the unsteady power consumption amount during a period until the battery is next charged, based on information on the steady power consumption amount, the unsteady power consumption amount, and the charging timing; The charge control method does not execute the charge amount setting process when the number of times of movement to any one of the destination points does not exceed a predetermined lower limit.

Citation Information

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