Charge control system, charge control method, and program

Abstract

To provide a charge control system, etc., capable of performing more appropriate charging.SOLUTION: A charge control system (a server 40) comprises: a decision section 41 for deciding a desired value 46a which is a changed value of a current setting value; an acquisition section 42 for acquiring an acquisition value 46b which is a non-changed value; an order decision section 43 for deciding a transmission order in an order starting from the smallest increment value which is a value obtained by subtracting the acquisition value 46b from the desired value 46a; and a transmission section (a transmission possibility determination section 44 and a transmission section 45) for transmitting the desired value 46a in a case where a total of a first addition value, a second addition value and a third addition value is equal to or less than a preset upper limit value in a target charger which is selected successively in the transmission order. The first addition value is the desired value 46a to be transmitted to the target charger, the second addition value is the acquisition value 46b of another charger before transmitting the desired value 46a other than the target charger, and the third addition value is larger one of the desired value 46a and the acquisition value 46b of another charger to which the desired value 46a has already been transmitted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a charging control system, a charging control method, and a program for charging an electric vehicle by supplying electric power from a grid to the electric vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, electric vehicles such as so-called electric cars that use electricity as a clean energy source to replace fossil fuels to drive automobiles have become widespread and are increasingly being used in general. In order to use vehicles appropriately, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle reservation management system in which, when reserving a vehicle for use, whether or not to prioritize a user's reservation is set according to the provision of economic services necessary for sharing the vehicle. In managing vehicle use in this way, when an electric vehicle is used as a vehicle, it is required that such an electric vehicle is charged as necessary.

[0003] Incidentally, when multiple electric vehicles are charged using multiple chargers, if all electric vehicles connected to each charger are charged at maximum power (maximum current setting value), there is a possibility that an excessive amount of power will be required temporarily. Depending on the situation, charging control is required to prevent such excessive power being required. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-136880 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When charging each electric vehicle by controlling the charging current setting value to be equal to or lower than a certain upper limit and changing the charging current setting value from moment to moment according to the situation, there is a possibility that inappropriate charging may be performed. Therefore, the present disclosure provides a charging control system and the like that enables more appropriate charging. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A charging control system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a charging control system that controls a current setting value supplied to each electric vehicle by a plurality of chargers, each of which is for charging an individual electric vehicle, and includes: a determination unit that determines a desired value, which is a value after the current setting value of each of the plurality of chargers is changed; an acquisition unit that acquires an acquired value, which is a value before the current setting value is changed, from each of the plurality of chargers; a ranking determination unit that determines a transmission order for each of the plurality of chargers in order of smallest increment value, which is a value obtained by subtracting the acquired value from the desired value; and a transmission unit that sequentially selects a target charger from the plurality of chargers according to the transmission order, and performs a first transmission operation of transmitting the desired value to the target charger if a sum of a first additional value, a second additional value, and a third additional value is equal to or less than a set upper limit value for the selected target charger, wherein the first additional value is the desired value to be transmitted to the target charger, the second additional value is the acquired value of a charger other than the target charger among the plurality of chargers, prior to transmitting the desired value, and the third additional value is the larger of the desired value and the acquired value of the other charger that has already transmitted the desired value.

[0007] A charge control method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a charge control method for controlling current setting values ​​supplied to individual electric vehicles by a plurality of chargers each for charging an individual electric vehicle, the charge control method including a determination step of determining a desired value which is a value after the current setting value of each of the plurality of chargers is changed, an acquisition step of acquiring an acquired value which is a value before the current setting value is changed from each of the plurality of chargers, a ranking determination step of determining a transmission ranking for each of the plurality of chargers in ascending order of increment values ​​which are values ​​obtained by subtracting the acquired value from the desired value, and a ranking determination step of determining a transmission ranking for each of the plurality of chargers in ascending order of increment values ​​which are values ​​obtained by subtracting the acquired value from the desired value. and a transmitting step of selecting a target charger in sequence along the line, and if the sum of the first additional value, the second additional value, and the third additional value in the selected target charger is equal to or less than a set upper limit value, performing a first transmitting operation of transmitting the desired value to the target charger, wherein the first additional value is the desired value to be transmitted to the target charger, the second additional value is the acquired value of another charger among the plurality of chargers other than the target charger prior to transmitting the desired value, and the third additional value is the larger of the desired value and the acquired value of the other charger which has already transmitted the desired value.

[0008] Moreover, a program according to one aspect of the present disclosure can be realized as a program for causing a computer to execute the above-described charging control method. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the charging control system according to one aspect of the present disclosure, more appropriate charging is possible. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a charge control system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the charge control system according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a current setting value according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining current setting values ​​according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining current setting values ​​according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining current setting values ​​according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] (Background to the disclosure) In recent years, electric vehicles have become widespread, and are increasingly being used in situations where a large number of vehicles are used, such as company cars and car sharing. In such applications, a large number of electric vehicles need to be charged by a large number of chargers. However, when a large number of electric vehicles are charged by a large number of chargers, if all of the electric vehicles connected to each charger are charged at the maximum power (maximum current setting value), there is a possibility that an excessive amount of power will be temporarily required, and the upper limit of the current amount set for the charger will be exceeded. If the supply current amount in the contract with the power supply company is increased in consideration of the possibility of exceeding the set upper limit, the operating costs of the electric vehicles will increase, and a situation may arise in which a large amount of power that the power supply company can supply is consumed, resulting in a shortage of power supply.

[0012] Therefore, there is a demand for the development of a technology that allows a charging control system to change the current setting value supplied to each electric vehicle (in other words, supplied to the charger) from time to time to perform appropriate charging within a set upper limit. However, when the current setting value supplied to such a charger is changed from time to time, there are cases where the previous current setting value is decreased in subsequent charging and cases where the previous current setting value is increased in subsequent charging. If a change is made to increase the current setting value first, there is a possibility that the set upper limit will be exceeded, even if only temporarily, and inappropriate charging will be performed. Therefore, the present disclosure provides a charging control system and the like that allows appropriate charging that does not exceed the above-mentioned set upper limit by considering the previous current setting value and the subsequent current setting value.

[0013] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, component arrangement and connection forms, steps, and order of steps shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. In addition, among the components in the following embodiments, components that are not described in the independent claims will be described as optional components.

[0014] In addition, each drawing is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily a precise illustration. In each drawing, the same reference numerals are used for substantially the same configurations, and duplicated explanations may be omitted or simplified.

[0015] (Embodiment) [Charging control system] First, the components of the charge control system according to the embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the charge control system according to the embodiment.

[0016] In FIG. 1, in addition to a server 40 constituting the charging control system, a plurality of electric vehicles 20a-20d, a plurality of chargers 30a-30d, a power system 60 for supplying power to the plurality of chargers 30a-30d, and a distribution board 61 are shown.

[0017] As described above, the server 40 is an example of a charging control system, and can change the current supplied from the distribution board 61 by issuing commands to the multiple connected chargers 30a-30d. The server 40 issues the commands so that the total current supplied to the multiple chargers 30a-30d is always equal to or less than the upper limit.

[0018] The grid power supply 60 is managed by a power supply company, and is the supply end when supplying electric power to customers who have contracts with the power supply company.

[0019] The distribution board 61 has a function of receiving power from the system power supply 60 and distributing the power to each power line within the consumer facility. A plurality of chargers 30a to 30d are connected to one or more of these power lines.

[0020] Each of the chargers 30a to 30d supplies power to each of the electric vehicles 20a to 20d to charge each of the storage batteries 21a to 21d mounted on each of the electric vehicles 20a to 20d. Charging an electric vehicle means charging a storage battery mounted on the electric vehicle.

[0021] Four chargers are shown here: charger A (charger 30a), charger B (charger 30b), charger C (charger 30c), and charger D (charger 30d); however, the number of chargers may be three or less, or five or more.

[0022] Charger A is connected to electric vehicle 20a to charge electric vehicle 20a. That is, charger A charges storage battery 21a of electric vehicle 20a. However, charger A does not have to be dedicated to electric vehicle 20a, and may charge any of electric vehicle 20b, electric vehicle 20c, and electric vehicle 20d.

[0023] Charger B is connected to electric vehicle 20b and charges electric vehicle 20b. That is, charger B charges storage battery 21b of electric vehicle 20b. However, charger B does not have to be dedicated to electric vehicle 20b, and may charge any of electric vehicle 20a, electric vehicle 20c, and electric vehicle 20d.

[0024] The charger C is connected to the electric vehicle 20c and charges the electric vehicle 20c. That is, the charger C charges the storage battery 21c of the electric vehicle 20c. However, the charger C does not have to be dedicated to the electric vehicle 20c, and may charge any of the electric vehicles 20a, 20b, and 20d.

[0025] The charger D is connected to the electric vehicle 20d and charges the electric vehicle 20d. That is, the charger D charges the storage battery 21d of the electric vehicle 20d. However, the charger D does not have to be dedicated to the electric vehicle 20d, and may charge any of the electric vehicles 20a, 20b, and 20c.

[0026] The electrically powered vehicles 20a to 20d are vehicles, such as electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles, that use electric power from the storage batteries 21a to 21d for driving.

[0027] The controller 31 is connected to each of the chargers 30a-30d, and provides each of the chargers 30a-30d with commands related to the current set value from the server 40, and acquires the current set value from each of the chargers 30a-30d. The controller 31 is connected to a network 50, and can communicate with the server 40 over the network 50. Therefore, the controller 31 can acquire commands related to the current set value from the server 40 over the network 50, and transmit the acquired current set value to the server 40 over the network 50.

[0028] The network 50 is a communication network such as a wide area communication network such as the Internet, or a local communication network such as an intranet. The network 50 may be any communication network that can maintain communication between the controller 31 and the server 40. It may be configured appropriately depending on the implementation form of the server 40 (such as an edge server or a cloud server).

[0029] The server 40 is an information processing server realized by an edge server or a cloud server. The server 40 includes one or more processors and a memory, and functions as a charging control system by executing a predetermined program stored in the memory by the one or more processors. The server 40 also functions as an information storage server. For this reason, the server 40 also includes a storage unit 46. The storage unit 46 may be realized by an information storage server different from the server 40. In other words, the charging control system does not need to include the storage unit 46 itself. The charging control system may be configured to access an external information storage server as necessary and input and output information to and from the storage unit 46 of the information storage server.

[0030] The server 40 has at least five functional parts, namely, a determination unit 41, an acquisition unit 42, a ranking determination unit 43, a transmission permission determination unit 44, and a transmission unit 45, as functional parts of the charging control system.

[0031] The determination unit 41 is a functional portion that determines the changed current setting value of each of the chargers 30a to 30d. The determination of the current setting value by the determination unit 41 may be performed in any manner.

[0032] For example, the determination unit 41 may determine the current setting value so that the current setting value of the charger 30a-30d to which the electric vehicle 20a-20d with a smaller remaining amount of energy is connected is larger according to the remaining energy of the storage battery 21a-21d of the electric vehicle 20a-20d connected to each charger 30a-30d. Also, for example, the determination unit 41 may determine the current setting value so that the current setting value of the charger 30a-30d to which the electric vehicle 20a-20d with a larger chargeable capacity is connected is larger according to the chargeable capacity of the storage battery 21a-21d of the electric vehicle 20a-20d connected to each charger 30a-30d. Also, for example, the determination unit 41 may determine the current setting value so that the current setting value of the charger 30a-30d to which the electric vehicle 20a-20d with a shorter period until the next use is connected is larger according to the usage schedule of the electric vehicle 20a-20d connected to each charger 30a-30d.

[0033] The determination unit 41 may be configured to obtain information necessary for determining such a current set value. For example, the determination unit 41 may obtain various information obtained by the acquisition unit 42 from each of the chargers 30a to 30d and determine the current set value, or may obtain a usage schedule of the electric vehicles 20a to 20d from an external schedule management server (not shown) and determine the current set value. The current set value determined by the determination unit 41 is stored in the storage unit 46 as a desired value 46a. The desired value 46a is determined for each charger, so in this example, four desired values ​​46a, namely, a desired value 46a for charger A, a desired value 46a for charger B, a desired value 46a for charger C, and a desired value 46a for charger D, are determined and stored.

[0034] The desired value 46a is the changed current setting value, and may be considered as a scheduled value. The scheduled value is transmitted to each of the chargers 30a to 30d, and charging with the current setting value is started from the time when the change is applied, so at the moment when the desired value 46a is saved, the current setting value is still the value before the change.

[0035] The acquisition unit 42 is a functional part that acquires various information from each of the chargers 30a to 30d. The various information includes the remaining energy of the storage batteries 21a to 21d of the connected electric vehicles 20a to 20d and the chargeable capacity of the storage batteries 21a to 21d of the electric vehicles 20a to 20d, as described above, and also includes the value of the current set value before it is changed, i.e., the current value of the current set value. The acquired current value of the current set value is stored in the storage unit 46 as an acquired value 46b. The acquired value 46b is acquired for each charger, so in this example, four acquired values ​​46b, namely, an acquired value 46b of charger A, an acquired value 46b of charger B, an acquired value 46b of charger C, and an acquired value 46b of charger D, are acquired and stored.

[0036] The acquisition unit 42 acquires the settable values ​​of each of the chargers 30a to 30d at least once after the charging control system is operated. The settable values ​​may be acquired from each of the chargers 30a to 30d, or may be acquired from an input value input by an administrator of the charging control system. The settable values ​​are a range of current setting values ​​that can be supplied from each of the chargers 30a to 30d to the electric vehicles 20a to 20d. In other words, the settable values ​​include maximum and minimum values ​​of current setting values ​​that can be set for each of the chargers 30a to 30d. The settable values ​​are stored in the storage unit 46 as settable values ​​46d. Since the settable values ​​46d are acquired for each charger, in this example, four settable values ​​46d, namely, the settable value 46d of the charger A, the settable value 46d of the charger B, the settable value 46d of the charger C, and the settable value 46d of the charger D, are acquired and stored. As long as the configuration of each of the chargers 30a to 30d connected to the charging control system is not changed, the settable values ​​46d stored in the storage unit 46 can be used repeatedly.

[0037] The order determination unit 43 is a functional part that determines the transmission order for each of the chargers 30a to 30d in ascending order of the increment value, which is the value obtained by subtracting the acquired value 46b from the desired value 46a. In other words, the determined transmission order is higher the smaller the change in the current setting value from the current setting value before the change to the current setting value after the change, and is lower the larger the change in the current setting value from the current setting value before the change to the current setting value after the change. However, as an exception, there is a case where the order determination unit 43 determines the transmission order by calculating the increment value using either the history value 46c or the settable value 46d instead of the acquired value 46b.

[0038] The transmission feasibility determination unit 44 is a functional part that determines whether or not the desired value 46a can be transmitted to each of the chargers 30a to 30d. When determining whether or not transmission is possible, the transmission feasibility determination unit 44 determines whether or not transmission is possible in ascending order of transmission priority determined by the priority determination unit 43. There are also cases where the transmission feasibility determination unit 44 determines that transmission is possible only in accordance with a command direction, which will be described later.

[0039] The transmission unit 45 is a functional part that transmits the desired value 46a determined to be transmittable to each of the chargers 30a to 30d. The transmission unit 45 sequentially transmits the desired value 46a determined to be transmittable by the transmission possibility determination unit 44. Therefore, it can be said that the transmission unit 45 transmits the desired value 46a determined to be transmittable to each of the chargers 30a to 30d in order from the one with the highest transmission priority. In this way, since the transmission possibility determination unit 44 and the transmission unit 45 function cooperatively, the transmission possibility determination unit 44 can also be understood as a part of the function of the transmission unit 45. In other words, it can be said that the transmission unit has the transmission possibility determination unit 44 and the transmission unit 45. The transmission unit 45 causes the storage unit 46 to store the same current setting value as the current setting value indicated by the transmitted desired value 46a as the history value 46c. This allows the server 40 to know at what current setting value each of the chargers 30a to 30d is charging the electric vehicles 20a to 20d.

[0040] The storage unit 46 is realized by a memory constituting the server 40, and is a storage device capable of storing information. The storage unit 46 does not have to be a memory constituting the server 40, so long as it is a semiconductor memory, a magnetic memory, or the like capable of storing information.

[0041] [Operation] The charge control system described above operates as shown in Fig. 2 to Fig. 6. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the charge control system according to the embodiment. Fig. 3 to Fig. 6 are diagrams for explaining the current setting value according to the embodiment.

[0042] First, when the operation of the charging control system is started, the determination unit 41 determines the desired value 46a (determination step S101). Next, the acquisition unit 42 acquires the acquired value 46b (acquisition step S102). The acquired acquired value 46b is the same as the desired value 46a transmitted previously, and should also be the same as the history value 46c. However, since these values ​​may not match, it is important to obtain the acquired value 46b directly (i.e., without estimating it from the past desired value 46a and history value 46c). An example in which the acquired value 46b differs from the past desired value 46a and history value 46c will be described later.

[0043] The order determination unit 43 determines the transmission order based on the desired value 46a and the acquired value 46b. Here, the order determination unit 43 calculates an increment value considering the positive or negative of the value by subtracting the acquired value 46b from the desired value 46a, and determines the transmission order in ascending order of the increment value (order determination step S103). Here, the transmission permission determination unit 44 determines whether or not there is any charger 30a to 30d that has not transmitted the desired value 46a (step S104). If there is no charger 30a to 30d that has not transmitted the desired value 46a (No in step S104), the process ends. In other words, if the determination unit 41 has determined the desired value 46a, the process continues (loops) until it is transmitted. In other words, the charging control system issues a command to always perform charging with the transmission desired value 46a as long as this loop is permitted.

[0044] However, in reality, there is a risk that the loop will never end, so in this embodiment, an upper limit is set for the number of times such a loop can be performed. Specifically, as shown in the figure, after step S104 becomes Yes, it is determined whether the total number of transmissions, which is the total number of times transmissions have been performed, is greater than a predetermined number (step S104e). If the total number of transmissions exceeds the predetermined number (step S104e becomes Yes), it indicates that no transmission has been performed even after transmissions have been performed more than the predetermined number of times, and it is presumed that there is a problem such as a communication failure that is not temporary, so the process is terminated without looping.

[0045] On the other hand, if the total number of transmissions is equal to or less than the predetermined number (No in step S104e), the operation for transmission continues. In this way, only when the total number of transmissions as the number of at least one of the first transmission operation and the second transmission operation (both described later) is equal to or less than the predetermined number, the first transmission operation and the second transmission operation are not terminated (prohibited), and when the total number of transmissions exceeds the predetermined number, the first transmission operation and the second transmission operation are terminated (prohibited). Note that the total number of transmissions may match the number of the first transmission operation, may match the number of the second transmission operation, or may match the total number of the first transmission operation and the second transmission operation. In addition, the predetermined number may be appropriately set to an appropriate number that can distinguish between a transient communication failure or a single transmission error, and a non-transient communication failure. For example, the predetermined number may be set according to the number of chargers connected and the communication speed.

[0046] If there is a charger 30a-30d that has not transmitted the desired value 46a and the total number of transmissions is equal to or less than a predetermined number (i.e., Yes in step S104 and No in step S104e), the process proceeds to transmission of the desired value 46a. Specifically, if Yes is determined in step S104, the charger with the highest transmission rank is selected from among the chargers 30a-30d that have not transmitted the desired value 46a (step S105). For example, FIG. 3 shows the desired value 46a, acquired value 46b, increment value, and command direction (described later) for chargers A, B, C, and D in a certain situation. Here, it can be seen that charger D, whose desired value 46a is 10 and whose acquired value 46b is 20, is the highest with an increment value of -10, and charger A, whose desired value 46a is 20 and whose acquired value 46b is 10, is the lowest with an increment value of 10. The transmission priority is highest in the order of charger D, followed by charger C, charger B and charger A.

[0047] If the desired value 46a has not been transmitted to any of the chargers 30a to 30d, the charger D is selected in step S105. Here, the command direction is information indicating whether the desired value 46a is equal to or less than the acquired value 46b. In other words, the command direction is information indicating whether the current setting value in charging is decreased by transmitting the desired value 46a. The transmission possibility determination unit 44 determines whether the desired value 46a is equal to or less than the acquired value 46b, that is, whether the command direction is decrease (step S106), and when it is determined that the desired value 46a is equal to or less than the acquired value 46b and the command direction is decrease (Yes in step S106), the transmission unit 45 transmits the desired value 46a to the charger (step S107). For example, in FIG. 3, the result of step S106 for the chargers D and C is Yes, so that the desired value 46a is immediately transmitted to the chargers D and C. After step S106 is judged as YES, the process returns to step S104 and the next charger is selected.

[0048] The determination of whether transmission is possible and the transmission of the desired value 46a up to this point are also referred to as a second transmission operation. When the second transmission operation is performed, the first transmission operation described below is not performed. In other words, the second transmission operation is performed instead of the first transmission operation when the condition for Yes in step S106 is satisfied. On the other hand, when it is determined that the desired value 46a is greater than the acquired value 46b and the command direction is an increase (No in step S106), the first transmission operation is performed.

[0049] Specifically, after step S106 is No, the transmission permission determination unit 44 determines whether transmission is possible based on the desired value 46a and the acquired value 46b (step S108). Here, by using the acquired value 46b and the desired value 46a of each charger 30a to 30d, it is determined whether the sum of the first additional value, the second additional value, and the third additional value is equal to or less than a set upper limit, and it is determined that the desired value 46a is transmittable only when the sum is equal to or less than the set upper limit (step S109 is Yes).

[0050] The first additional value is the desired value 46a to be sent to the charger selected as the target (target charger), the second additional value is the acquired value 46b of another charger among the multiple chargers other than the target charger before transmitting the desired value 46a, and the third additional value is the larger of the desired value 46a and the acquired value 46b of the other charger that has already transmitted the desired value 46a.

[0051] In the example of Fig. 3, the desired values ​​46a of charger D and charger C have been transmitted, and therefore it is determined whether or not the desired value 46a of charger B can be transmitted next. If the current setting values ​​of charger D and charger C have been changed in accordance with the desired values ​​46a, both the desired values ​​46a and the acquired values ​​46b of charger D and charger C are 10, and therefore the third additional value is 10+10=20. If the current setting values ​​of charger D and charger C have not been changed in accordance with the desired values ​​46a, the desired values ​​46a of charger D and charger C are 10, but the acquired values ​​46b are 20 and 15, respectively, and therefore the third additional value is 20+15=35.

[0052] On the other hand, since the charger A has not yet been selected, the acquired value 46b, 10, becomes the second additional value. Since the desired value 46a of the selected charger B is 20, the first additional value becomes 20. If the upper limit value here is assumed to be 60, 20+10+35=65, which exceeds the upper limit value, it is determined that the desired value 46a of the charger B cannot be transmitted. Therefore, the result is No in step S109, and the device waits for a predetermined time (step S111). The predetermined time is an appropriate time for changing the current setting value according to the desired value 46a, and depends on the performance of the charger, the communication environment, and the like, so it may be appropriately determined by prior experiments, etc. During the waiting time for the predetermined time, a new current value is acquired and the acquired value 46b is updated (step S112). If the current setting value has been changed, the determination of whether or not to transmit can be made in the next determination based on the acquired value 46b reflecting the changed current setting value. Therefore, after step S112, the process returns to the transmission order determination step S103 where the updated acquired value 46b is used.

[0053] In the example of FIG. 3, the process returns to the transmission order determination step S103, and step S108 is performed again for charger B. At this time, it is assumed that the current setting values ​​of charger D and charger C have been changed in accordance with the desired value 46a. Therefore, the third additional value is 10+10=20. If it is assumed that the upper limit value is 60, then 20+10+20=55, which is less than the upper limit value, and it is determined that the desired value 46a of charger B can be transmitted. Therefore, the result in step S109 is Yes, and the transmission unit 45 transmits the desired value 46a (step S110). Steps S106 to S110 may be collectively referred to as a transmission step related to the transmission of the desired value 46a.

[0054] In this way, by taking into consideration the acquired value 46b, which is the current setting value up to that point, and the desired value 46a, which is the subsequent current setting value, depending on whether the desired value 46a has been transmitted, appropriate charging is possible that does not exceed the set upper limit value as described above.

[0055] Here, as shown in FIG. 4, there are cases where some of the acquired values ​​46b cannot be acquired. For example, such a situation occurs when the acquiring unit 42 cannot acquire the acquired values ​​46b due to a breakdown in communication with the charger D. In such a case, the process using the acquired values ​​46b, i.e., the ranking determination step S103, the step S105 using the transmission ranking, and the transmission step cannot be performed. Therefore, when the acquired values ​​46b include values ​​that cannot be acquired, the settable values ​​46d of each of the chargers 30a to 30d can be used instead of the acquired values. At this time, the part of the settable values ​​to be used is set so that the part that is less likely to exceed the upper limit value is used, from the viewpoint of enabling appropriate charging that does not exceed the set upper limit value.

[0056] Specifically, in the transmission order determination step S103, the maximum current setting value of the settable values ​​46d in each of the chargers 30a to 30d is used instead of the acquired value 46b. In this way, the maximum current setting value of the settable values ​​46d, which is a larger value, is used instead of the acquired value 46b, and the increment value is smaller than the original increment value, so the transmission order is higher. For example, FIG. 4 shows a diagram corresponding to FIG. 3, and among them, only the acquired value 46b in the charger D has not been acquired. Note that the settable values ​​46d of the charger D are 5 to 30. In other words, the minimum current setting value is 5, and the maximum current setting value is 30.

[0057] If it has been acquired, the acquired value 46b of the charger D is 20, and the increment value is -10. On the other hand, if it has not been acquired, the maximum current setting value of the charger D, which is 30, is used, and the increment value is -20. If the current setting value changes from the acquired value 46b to the desired value 46a, there is a possibility that the current setting value will decrease, and therefore it is possible to provide a margin for the set upper limit. For this reason, the determination of whether transmission is possible is made first, and if transmission is possible, the desired value 46a is transmitted even if the acquired value 46b has not been acquired.

[0058] However, if the maximum current setting value of the settable value 46d is used instead of the acquired value 46b in determining whether or not transmission is possible and transmitting the desired value 46a, i.e., in the first transmission operation, this is preferable because it prevents an erroneous determination in which the set upper limit is exceeded due to the fact that the acquired value 46b is unknown in determining whether or not transmission is possible.

[0059] On the other hand, for the command direction, conversely, if the maximum current setting value of the settable value 46d is used, the desired value 46a will certainly be equal to or less than the maximum current setting value of the settable value 46d, and the desired value 46a will certainly be transmitted in the second transmission operation. This is inappropriate because there is a possibility that the set upper limit will be exceeded. If the minimum current setting value of the settable value 46d is used instead of the acquired value 46b in the second transmission operation, the desired value 46a will be transmitted only when the desired value 46a is the minimum current setting value, and therefore the set upper limit will not be exceeded, which is preferable.

[0060] In this way, when some of the acquired values ​​46b cannot be acquired, the settable values ​​46d are used, thereby enabling appropriate charging without exceeding the set upper limit.

[0061] 5 and 6, the history value 46c can be used to prevent the set upper limit from being exceeded due to a malfunction. Specifically, when there is an acquired value 46b and a history value 46c, the acquired value 46b reflecting the desired value 46a should match the history value 46c, which is the same value as the desired value 46a. Based on this premise, there is no need to store the history value 46c.

[0062] However, due to a malfunction, a situation may occur in which the current setting value has not been changed even after waiting for a predetermined time after the desired value 46a is transmitted, and the acquired value 46b and the historical value 46c differ.

[0063] In such a case, the desired value 46b that was not reflected is unexpectedly reflected, and if the desired value 46a is a larger current setting value than the acquired value 46b, the total current setting value increases accordingly. For example, if charging control is performed with the acquired value 46b as is, and charging control is performed so that the total current setting value is close to the set upper limit, the increase in the current setting value cannot be absorbed and may exceed the set upper limit. Therefore, the next charging control may be changed as if the desired value 46b that was not reflected had been reflected.

[0064] Conversely, if the acquired value 46b is a current setting value greater than the desired value 46a, the total current setting value will increase accordingly. If the next charge control is changed assuming that the desired value 46b is reflected, the set upper limit may be exceeded.

[0065] Therefore, control may be performed in the following manner when the acquired value 46b and the history value 46c differ from each other.

[0066] In the transmission order determination step S103, if the history value 46c is greater than the acquired value 46b, the transmission order may be determined using the history value 46c instead of the acquired value 46b.

[0067] Fig. 5 corresponds to Fig. 3, and the acquired value 46b of charger C is 15, which is different from the history value 46c of 25. In terms of the transmission priority, if the acquired value 46b and the history value 46c are different, the transmission priority is likely to be higher. Since a margin may be provided for the set upper limit, the transmission possibility is determined preferentially, and if transmission is possible, the desired value 46a is transmitted even if the acquired value 46b and the history value 46c are different.

[0068] On the other hand, in determining whether or not to actually transmit and in the subsequent transmission, i.e., the first transmission operation, the history value 46c, which is a value that may cause the acquired value 46b to suddenly increase, is used instead of the acquired value 46b of charger C. Therefore, when determining whether or not to transmit the desired value 46a to a charger other than charger C, the increased acquired value 46b of charger C will not cause the set upper limit to be exceeded.

[0069] Also, in the second transmission operation, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, when the history value 46c is equal to or less than the acquired value 46b, the second transmission operation may be performed using the history value 46c instead of the acquired value 46b. FIG. 6 corresponds to FIG. 3, and the acquired value 46b of the charger C is 15, which is different from the history value 46c of 5. In addition, in the calculation of the increment value, the acquired value 46b, which is greater than the history value 46c, is used, and the numerical value is -5. In the second transmission operation, the smallest history value 46c as a possible value to be changed is used instead of the acquired value 46b, and the desired value 46a is transmitted only when the desired value 46a is equal to or less than the history value 46c, which is preferable since it does not exceed the set upper limit.

[0070] In this way, when the acquired value 46b and the history value 46c differ from each other, by using the comparison result between the acquired value 46b and the history value 46c, appropriate charging can be performed without exceeding the set upper limit.

[0071] There are cases where the history value 46c cannot be acquired. For example, there are situations where the history value 46c has not yet been saved, such as in the initial operation of the charging control system. In such cases, since it is not possible to verify whether the acquired value 46b is an appropriate value by comparing it with the history value 46c, the settable value 46d may be used in the same manner as in the case where the acquired value 46b has not yet been acquired.

[0072] [Effects, etc.] As described above, the charging control system (server 40) according to the first embodiment is a charging control system that controls the current setting values ​​supplied to each of the electric vehicles 20a to 20d by the multiple chargers 30a to 30d for charging each of the electric vehicles 20a to 20d, and includes a determination unit 41 that determines a desired value 46a that is a value after the current setting value of each of the multiple chargers 30a to 30d is changed, an acquisition unit 42 that acquires an acquired value 46b that is a value before the current setting value is changed from each of the multiple chargers 30a to 30d, and a ranking determination unit 44 that determines a transmission ranking for each of the multiple chargers 30a to 30d in ascending order of an increment value that is a value obtained by subtracting the acquired value 46b from the desired value 46a. 3, and a transmitting unit (transmission feasibility determination unit 44 and transmitting unit 45) that selects a target charger from the multiple chargers 30a to 30d in sequence according to the transmission order, and performs a first transmission operation of transmitting a desired value 46a to the target charger if the sum of the first additional value, the second additional value and the third additional value in the selected target charger is equal to or less than a set upper limit value, wherein the first additional value is the desired value 46a to be transmitted to the target charger, the second additional value is an acquired value 46b of a charger other than the target charger among the multiple chargers 30a to 30d before transmitting the desired value 46a, and the third additional value is the larger of the desired value 46a and the acquired value 46b of the other charger that has already transmitted the desired value 46a.

[0073] According to such a charging control system, a first transmission operation can be performed in which a desired value 46a is determined whether or not to transmit to the chargers 30a-30d in sequence according to the transmission order corresponding to the ascending increment value, and the desired value 46a is transmitted to the selected chargers 30a-30d if the sum of the desired value 46a (first addition value) to be transmitted to the chargers 30a-30d selected as the target, the acquired value 46b (second addition value) indicating the current charging current setting value of the chargers 30a-30d before the desired value 46a is transmitted among the non-selected chargers 30a-30d, and the larger one (third addition value) of the desired value 46a corresponding to the changed current setting value of the chargers 30a-30d after the desired value 46a is transmitted and the acquired value 46b indicating the current charging current setting value among the non-selected chargers 30a-30d is equal to or less than an upper limit value. In this way, by using the larger of the desired value 46a and the acquired value 46b as the third additional value when determining whether to transmit the desired value 46a, even if the desired value 46a has been transmitted or even if the desired value 46a has not been transmitted due to an error or the like, the third additional value becomes a current setting value larger than expected. In either case, when the desired value 46a is transmitted to the target chargers 30a-30d, the sum of the current setting values ​​of all of the chargers 30a-30d does not exceed the upper limit, enabling more appropriate charging.

[0074] Also, for example, a charging control system according to a second aspect is the charging control system described in the first aspect, and when a desired value 46a to be transmitted to a target charger is equal to or less than an acquired value 46b of the target charger, the transmitting unit performs a second transmission operation to transmit the desired value 46a to the target charger instead of the first transmission operation.

[0075] According to this, if the desired value 46a to be transmitted to the target chargers 30a to 30d indicates a value equal to or less than the acquired value 46b, and if the sum of the current setting values ​​of all the chargers 30a to 30d does not exceed the upper limit even if the desired value 46a is transmitted, the desired value 46a can be transmitted by a second transmission operation that does not involve a comparison of the upper limit value with the sum of the first added value, the second added value and the third added value.

[0076] Also, for example, a charging control system according to a third aspect is the charging control system according to the first or second aspect, in which, when the sum of the first additional value, the second additional value, and the third additional value exceeds a set upper limit value in the first transmission operation, the transmitting unit waits for a predetermined time and then performs the first transmission operation again, and the acquiring unit 42 acquires new values ​​of the current setting value before the change from each of the multiple chargers 30a to 30d while the transmitting unit is waiting for the predetermined time, and updates the acquired value 46b.

[0077] According to this, in the first transmission operation, if the sum of the first additional value, the second additional value, and the third additional value exceeds the set upper limit value, the first transmission operation can be performed again after waiting for a predetermined time. During the waiting period, the value before the change of the current setting value is acquired to update the acquired value 46b, and when the first transmission operation is performed again, the updated acquired value 46b can be used.

[0078] Also, for example, a charge control system according to a fourth aspect is the charge control system according to the third aspect, in which the transmitter prohibits the first transmission operation when the number of times the first transmission operation has been performed exceeds a predetermined number of times.

[0079] According to this, if the number of times the first transmission operation has been performed exceeds a predetermined number of times, there is a possibility that a non-transient communication failure or the like has occurred, and the first transmission operation can be prohibited in accordance with such circumstances.

[0080] Furthermore, for example, a charging control system according to a fifth aspect is a charging control system according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, in which the transmitting unit stores the desired value 46a transmitted to the target charger as a history value 46c, and when the history value 46c is greater than the acquired value 46b, the ranking determination unit 43 uses the history value 46c instead of the acquired value 46b to determine the transmission ranking in the order of smallest increment value.

[0081] According to this, the past desired value 46a stored as the history value 46c can be used. Specifically, when the history value 46c is greater than the acquired value 46b, the history value 46c can be used instead of the acquired value 46b to determine the transmission order in ascending order of increment value.

[0082] Also, for example, a charging control system according to a sixth aspect is the charging control system according to the fifth aspect, and when the history value 46c cannot be used, the ranking determination unit 43 determines the transmission ranking in ascending order of increment value by using the maximum current setting value in each of the multiple chargers 30a to 30d instead of the acquired value 46b.

[0083] According to this, when the history value 46c cannot be used, the maximum current setting value in each of the plurality of chargers 30a to 30d can be used instead of the acquired value 46b to determine the transmission order in ascending order of increment value.

[0084] Also, for example, a charge control system according to a seventh aspect is a charge control system according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, in which the transmission unit stores the desired value 46a transmitted to the target charger as a history value 46c, and if the history value 46c is greater than the acquired value 46b, the transmission unit performs a first transmission operation using the history value 46c instead of the acquired value 46b.

[0085] According to this, the past desired value 46a stored as the history value 46c can be used. Specifically, when the history value 46c is greater than the acquired value 46b, the first transmission operation can be performed using the history value 46c instead of the acquired value 46b.

[0086] Also, for example, a charging control system according to an eighth aspect is the charging control system according to the seventh aspect, and when the history value 46c cannot be used, the transmitting unit performs the first transmission operation using the maximum current setting value in each of the multiple chargers 30a to 30d instead of the acquired value 46b.

[0087] According to this, when the history value 46c cannot be used, the first transmission operation can be performed using the maximum current setting value in each of the plurality of chargers 30a to 30d instead of the acquired value 46b.

[0088] Also, for example, a charging control system according to a ninth aspect is the charging control system described in the second aspect, in which the transmitting unit stores the desired value 46a transmitted to the target charger as a history value 46c, and if the history value 46c is less than or equal to the acquired value 46b, the transmitting unit performs a second transmission operation using the history value 46c instead of the acquired value 46b.

[0089] According to this, the past desired value 46a stored as the history value 46c can be used. Specifically, when the history value 46c is equal to or less than the acquired value 46b, the second transmission operation can be performed using the history value 46c instead of the acquired value 46b.

[0090] Also, for example, a charging control system according to a tenth aspect is the charging control system according to the ninth aspect, and when the history value 46c cannot be used, the transmitting unit performs the second transmission operation using the minimum current setting value in each of the multiple chargers 30a to 30d instead of the acquired value 46b.

[0091] According to this, when the history value 46c cannot be used, the second transmission operation can be performed using the minimum current setting value in each of the plurality of chargers 30a to 30d instead of the acquired value 46b.

[0092] Also, for example, a charging control system according to an eleventh aspect is a charging control system according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, and when the acquisition unit 42 cannot acquire the acquired value 46b, the order determination unit 43 determines the transmission order in ascending order of increment value using the maximum current setting value in each of the multiple chargers 30a to 30d instead of the acquired value 46b.

[0093] According to this, when the acquired value 46b cannot be acquired, the maximum current setting value in each of the plurality of chargers 30a to 30d can be used instead of the acquired value 46b to determine the transmission order in ascending order of increment value.

[0094] Also, for example, a charging control system according to a twelfth aspect is a charging control system according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects, and when the acquisition unit 42 cannot acquire the acquired value 46b, the transmission unit performs a first transmission operation using the maximum current setting value in each of the multiple chargers 30a to 30d instead of the acquired value 46b.

[0095] According to this, when the acquired value 46b cannot be acquired, the first transmission operation can be performed using the maximum current setting value in each of the plurality of chargers 30a to 30d instead of the acquired value 46b.

[0096] Also, for example, a charging control system according to a thirteenth aspect is the charging control system described in the second aspect, and when the acquisition unit 42 cannot acquire the acquired value 46b, the transmission unit performs a second transmission operation using the minimum current setting value in each of the multiple chargers 30a to 30d instead of the acquired value 46b.

[0097] According to this, when the acquired value 46b cannot be acquired, the second transmission operation can be performed using the minimum current setting value in each of the plurality of chargers 30a to 30d instead of the acquired value 46b.

[0098] Also, for example, a charge control method according to a fourteenth aspect is a charge control method for controlling a current setting value supplied to each of the electric vehicles 20a to 20d by a plurality of chargers 30a to 30d for charging each of the electric vehicles 20a to 20d, and includes a determination step S101 for determining a desired value 46a which is a value after the current setting value of each of the plurality of chargers 30a to 30d is changed, an acquisition step S102 for acquiring an acquired value 46b which is a value before the current setting value is changed from each of the plurality of chargers 30a to 30d, and a ranking determination step S103 for determining a transmission ranking for each of the plurality of chargers 30a to 30d in ascending order of an increment value which is a value obtained by subtracting the acquired value 46b from the desired value 46a. The method includes a transmission step (steps S106 to S110) of selecting a target charger from the multiple chargers 30a to 30d in order of transmission rank, and performing a first transmission operation of transmitting a desired value 46a to the target charger if the sum of the first additional value, the second additional value, and the third additional value in the selected target charger is equal to or less than a set upper limit value, where the first additional value is the desired value 46a to be transmitted to the target charger, the second additional value is an acquired value 46b of a charger other than the target charger among the multiple chargers 30a to 30d before transmitting the desired value 46a, and the third additional value is the larger of the desired value 46a and the acquired value 46b of the other charger that has already transmitted the desired value 46a.

[0099] This can provide the same effects as the charging control system described above.

[0100] Also, for example, a program according to a fifteenth aspect is a program for causing a computer to execute the charge control method according to the fourteenth aspect.

[0101] According to this, it is possible to achieve the same effects as those of the above-described charging control system by using a computer.

[0102] (Other embodiments) Although the embodiments have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0103] For example, in the above embodiment, the process executed by a specific processing unit may be executed by another processing unit. Also, the order of multiple processes may be changed, or multiple processes may be executed in parallel.

[0104] In the above embodiment, each component may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU or a processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory.

[0105] Furthermore, each component may be realized by hardware. Each component may be a circuit (or an integrated circuit). These circuits may form a single circuit as a whole, or each may be a separate circuit. Furthermore, each of these circuits may be a general-purpose circuit, or a dedicated circuit.

[0106] In addition, the general or specific aspects of the present disclosure may be realized in a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, or in any combination of a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a recording medium.

[0107] In addition, for example, in the above embodiment, the server device is described as an example of the charging control system, but the charging control system may be realized as a charging control device. In this case, the charging control device may be mounted on the charger or may be installed in the controller of the charger.

[0108] The present disclosure may be realized as a charging control method performed by a computer such as the charging control system of the above embodiment, or as a program for causing a computer to execute the charging control method. The present disclosure may also be realized as a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium having such a program recorded thereon.

[0109] In addition, the present disclosure also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications to each embodiment that a person skilled in the art may conceive, or forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of each embodiment within the scope that does not deviate from the spirit of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0110] 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d Electric vehicles 21a, 21b, 21c, 21d storage battery 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d charger 31 Controller 40 Server (Charging control system) 41 Decision Section 42 Acquisition Department 43 Ranking Division 44 Transmission permission determination unit 45 Transmitter 46 Memory section 46a Desired value 46b Obtained value 46c Historical Value 46d Possible settings 50 Network 60 Grid power supply 61 Distribution Board

Claims

1. A charging control system for controlling a current setting value supplied to each of a plurality of electric vehicles by a plurality of chargers each for charging a respective one of the electric vehicles, the charge control system comprising: A determination unit that determines a desired value, which is a value after the current setting value of each of the plurality of chargers is changed; an acquisition unit that acquires an acquired value, which is a value before a current setting value is changed, from each of the plurality of chargers; a priority determination unit that determines a priority of transmission for each of the plurality of chargers in ascending order of an increment value, which is a value obtained by subtracting the acquired value from the desired value; a transmitter that sequentially selects a target charger from the plurality of chargers in accordance with the transmission rank order, and performs a first transmission operation to transmit the desired value to the target charger when a sum of the first additional value, the second additional value, and the third additional value is equal to or less than a set upper limit value in the selected target charger, the first additional value is the desired value to be transmitted to the target charger; the second additional value is a charger other than the target charger among the plurality of chargers, and is the acquired value of the other charger before transmitting the desired value; The third added value is the larger one of the desired value of the other charger that has already transmitted the desired value and the acquired value. Charging control system.

2. When the desired value to be transmitted to the target charger is equal to or less than the acquired value of the target charger, the transmission unit performs a second transmission operation of transmitting the desired value to the target charger instead of the first transmission operation. The charging control system according to claim 1 .

3. When a sum of the first additional value, the second additional value, and the third additional value exceeds a set upper limit value in the first transmission operation, the transmission unit waits for a predetermined time and then performs the first transmission operation again, The acquisition unit acquires new values ​​of the current setting values ​​before the change from each of the plurality of chargers while the transmission unit is waiting for the predetermined time, and updates the acquired values. The charging control system according to claim 1 .

4. The transmitter prohibits the first transmission operation when the number of times the first transmission operation has been performed exceeds a predetermined number of times. The charging control system according to claim 3 .

5. The transmission unit stores the desired value transmitted to the target charger as a history value, When the history value is greater than the acquired value, the order determination unit uses the history value instead of the acquired value to determine the transmission order in ascending order of the increment value. The charging control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. When the history value cannot be used, the order determination unit determines the transmission order in ascending order of the increment value by using a maximum current setting value in each of the plurality of chargers instead of the acquired value. The charging control system according to claim 5 .

7. The transmission unit is storing the desired value transmitted to the target charger as a history value; If the historical value is greater than the acquired value, the first transmission operation is performed using the historical value instead of the acquired value. The charging control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

8. When the history value cannot be used, the transmission unit performs the first transmission operation by using a maximum current setting value in each of the plurality of chargers instead of the acquired value. The charging control system according to claim 7.

9. The transmission unit is storing the desired value transmitted to the target charger as a history value; If the history value is less than or equal to the acquired value, the history value is used instead of the acquired value to perform the second transmission operation. The charging control system according to claim 2 .

10. When the history value cannot be used, the transmission unit performs the second transmission operation by using a minimum current setting value in each of the plurality of chargers instead of the acquired value. The charging control system according to claim 9.

11. When the acquisition unit cannot acquire the acquired value, the order determination unit determines the transmission order in ascending order of the increment value by using a maximum current setting value in each of the plurality of chargers instead of the acquired value. The charging control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

12. When the acquisition unit cannot acquire the acquired value, the transmission unit performs the first transmission operation by using a maximum current setting value in each of the plurality of chargers instead of the acquired value. The charging control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

13. When the acquisition unit cannot acquire the acquired value, the transmission unit performs the second transmission operation by using a minimum current setting value in each of the plurality of chargers instead of the acquired value. The charging control system according to claim 2 .

14. 1. A charging control method for controlling a current setting value supplied to each of a plurality of electric vehicles by a plurality of chargers each for charging a respective one of the electric vehicles, the method comprising: determining a desired value, which is a value after the current setting value of each of the plurality of chargers is changed; an acquisition step of acquiring an acquired value, which is a value before a current setting value is changed, from each of the plurality of chargers; a ranking determination step of determining a transmission ranking for each of the plurality of chargers in ascending order of an increment value, which is a value obtained by subtracting the acquired value from the desired value; a transmitting step of selecting a target charger from the plurality of chargers in sequence according to the transmission rank order, and performing a first transmitting operation of transmitting the desired value to the target charger when a sum of the first additional value, the second additional value, and the third additional value is equal to or less than a set upper limit value in the selected target charger, the first additional value is the desired value to be transmitted to the target charger; the second additional value is a charger other than the target charger among the plurality of chargers, and is the acquired value of the other charger before transmitting the desired value; The third added value is the larger one of the desired value of the other charger that has already transmitted the desired value and the acquired value. Charging control method.

15. A method for causing a computer to execute the charging control method according to claim 14. program.

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