Charging system and method for controlling charging system

Abstract

To construct a system capable of charging a plurality of electric vehicles at a lower cost than conventional systems.SOLUTION: A charging system (1) includes a switching unit (30) having a first switching section (31) that switches a power line (61) through which a charging device (20) supplies charging power to an electric vehicle (V) between a plurality of charging connectors (50), and a second switching section (32) that switches a communication path (a group of signal lines 62) through which the charging device communicates with the electric vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a charging system for charging an electric vehicle, and a control method for the charging system. [Background technology]

[0002] A charging device having a charging connector for connecting to an electric vehicle is known. The charging connector connects to the electric vehicle together with a power line through which the charging device supplies power for charging and a communication line through which the charging device communicates with the electric vehicle regarding charging.

[0003] In addition, a charging system has been proposed that is equipped with multiple charging connectors and can charge multiple electric vehicles using a power source with a limited capacity by sequentially performing rapid charging on each electric vehicle connected to each charging connector. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-176232 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Conventionally, charging systems capable of charging multiple electric vehicles have been constructed as dedicated systems, but such charging systems have few common parts with normal charging devices that charge electric vehicles one-to-one, and are therefore expensive.

[0006] In view of the above problems, an object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a charging system that can build a system capable of charging a plurality of electric vehicles at lower cost than conventional systems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, a charging system of one embodiment of the present invention includes a charging device capable of communicating with an electric vehicle via a charging connector to charge the electric vehicle, a plurality of charging connectors for connecting to the plurality of electric vehicles respectively, and a switching unit that switches which of the charging connectors the charging device is connected to, wherein the switching unit has a first switching unit that switches, between the plurality of charging connectors, a power line through which the charging device supplies charging power to the electric vehicle, and a second switching unit that switches a communication path through which the charging device communicates with the electric vehicle.

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, a control method for a charging system according to one aspect of the present invention provides a charging system including a charging device capable of communicating with an electric vehicle via a charging connector to charge the electric vehicle, a plurality of charging connectors for connecting to the plurality of electric vehicles, respectively, and a switching unit that switches which of the charging connectors the charging device is connected to, wherein the switching unit has a first switching unit that switches a power line through which the charging device supplies charging power to the electric vehicle, between the plurality of charging connectors, and a second switching unit that switches a communication path through which the charging device communicates with the electric vehicle. The method includes the steps of controlling the switching unit to connect a first charging connector, which is one of the multiple charging connectors, to the charging device; communicating information between the charging device and the electric vehicle connected to the first charging connector regarding charging of the electric vehicle by the charging device; charging the electric vehicle by the charging device; and, after completion of the charging step, controlling the switching unit to switch the connection destination of the charging device to a charging connector other than the first charging connector and to which the electric vehicle to be charged is connected.

[0009] The control unit of the charging system according to each aspect of the present invention may be realized by a computer. In this case, the control program of the charging device that causes the computer to operate as each part (software element) of the control unit to realize the control unit, and the computer-readable recording medium on which it is recorded, also fall within the scope of the present invention. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a charging system can be realized that can configure a system capable of charging a plurality of electric vehicles at lower cost than before. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a charging system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram illustrating a procedure for setting an electric vehicle to be charged in the charging system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram for explaining the operation of charging an electric vehicle by the charging system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a charging system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a charging system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a charging system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] [Embodiment 1] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 3. Note that, in the present application, the function of the charger to charge the storage battery mounted on the electric vehicle will be mainly described, but the charger may be a charging / discharging device having a function of discharging and outputting the electric power stored in the storage battery. When the charger has a discharging function, the discharged and output electric power may be connected to a grid and may be reverse-flowed, or may be supplied to a load.

[0013] <Charging system overview> 1 is a block diagram showing an overview of a charging system 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The charging system 1 is a system capable of charging an electric vehicle V (V1, V2, V3, V4, ...) through a charging connector 50 (501, 502, 503, 504, ...).

[0014] The charging system 1 includes a control unit 10, a charging device 20, a switching unit 30, a plurality of stands 40 (401, 402, 403, 404...), and a plurality of charging connectors 50 (501, 502, 503, 504...). In the charging system 1, the charging device 20 can supply charging power to the on-board batteries of each of electric vehicles V1, V2, V3, V4... through any one of the charging connectors 50 to only one electric vehicle V at a time.

[0015] <Charging device> The charging device 20 is a device capable of one-to-one charging of an electric vehicle V. When one charging connector 50 is directly connected to the charging device 20, the charging device 20 is a device capable of charging the electric vehicle V by performing communication required for charging with the electric vehicle V via the charging connector 50.

[0016] That is, the charging device 20 is a device that can independently execute appropriate charging control between the charging device 20 and the electric vehicle V to charge an on-board battery equipped in the electric vehicle V. Such charging devices 20 are already in widespread use. The charging device 20 has a power supply unit 21 that supplies charging power to the electric vehicle V. The charging device 20 also has a charging control unit 22 that communicates with the electric vehicle V and controls the power supply unit 21 to charge the electric vehicle V.

[0017] <Charging connector, cable> The charging connector 50 (501, 502, 503, 504...) is a component that is connected to a vehicle-side connector provided on the electric vehicle V and enables supply of charging power from the charging system 1 to the electric vehicle V. The cable 60 connected to the charging connector 50 includes a pair of power lines 61 that are lines for transmitting charging power to the electric vehicle V. The cable 60 also includes a group of signal lines 62 that transmit various signals.

[0018] In Fig. 1, the power lines 61 and the group of signal lines 62 are shown separately. In Fig. 1, the pair of power lines 61 are shown as a single line for the sake of simplicity, but the pair of power lines 61 is actually made up of at least two power lines, a positive and a negative. Similarly, the group of signal lines 62 are shown as a single line for the sake of simplicity.

[0019] The charging connector 50 has a pair of charging terminals connected to a pair of power lines 61 for connection to a vehicle-side connector, and one or more signal connectors connected to a signal line group 62. The signal line group 62 mediates communication related to charging between the charging device 20 and the electric vehicle V. The signals transmitted by the signal line group 62 may include, for example, a signal indicating start / end of charging and permission / prohibition of charging, a signal for confirming connection of the charging connector 50, or a signal for CAN (Controller Area Network) communication.

[0020] It is not necessarily required that all of the signals transmitted through the signal line group 62 are configured to be transmitted to the side of the electric vehicle V. Some of the signals transmitted through the signal line group 62 may be signals that the charging connector 50 itself transmits to the charging device 20, or signals that the charging connector 50 itself receives from the charging device 20.

[0021] <Switching unit> The switching unit 30 is a circuit that switches the connection so that only one of the multiple charging connectors 50 (501, 502, 503, 504 . . . ) included in the charging system 1 is connected to the charging device 20 during charging.

[0022] The switching unit 30 has a first switching section 31 that switches the power line through which the charging device 20 supplies charging power to the electric vehicle V, between the multiple charging connectors 50. The switching unit 30 also has a second switching section that switches a signal line group 62, which is a communication path through which the charging device 20 communicates with the electric vehicle V, in conjunction with the switching of the power lines. In other words, the switching unit 30 is configured to synchronously switch not only the line (power line 61) through which the charging power is supplied, but also the communication path (signal line group 62) that realizes communication between the charging connector 50 and the control unit 10.

[0023] The switching unit 30 executes switching of the connection in the first switching unit 31 and the second switching unit 32 in response to an instruction from the control unit 10. To this end, the first switching unit 31 may have, for each charging connector 50, a switch for switching between opening and closing of the charging connector 50 to the charging device 20. Specifically, each such switch may be an electromagnetic relay or a semiconductor switch whose opening and closing is controlled by the control unit 10.

[0024] In the first switching unit 31, one switch is illustrated for the pair of power lines 61, but this is a simplified illustration of switches provided for at least two power lines, a positive and a negative, in the pair of power lines 61. The same is true for the switches for the signal line group 62 in the second switching unit 32, and this is a simplified illustration of a switch provided for each of the multiple signal lines that make up the signal line group 62. In addition, the control unit 10 may be integrated with the switching unit 30.

[0025] The switching unit 30 may also be provided with a port for the control unit 10 to monitor the content of the communication between the charging control unit 22 of the charging device 20 and the electric vehicle V via the second switching unit 32.

[0026] <Stand, operation unit> The stands 40 (401, 402, 403, 404...) are physically structures to which the charging connectors 50 (501, 502, 503, 504...) are connected via cables 60 and which can store unused charging connectors 50. The stands 40 are installed near the parking spaces of the electric vehicles V to be charged.

[0027] In addition, the stands 40 (401, 402, 403, 404...) are provided with operation units 411, 412, 413, 414... for notifying the control unit 10 that the charging connector 50 (501, 502, 503, 504...) physically connected to each stand by a cable is the charging connector 50 to which the electric vehicle V to be charged is connected.

[0028] When an operator performs a specific operation, the operation units 411, 412, 413, 414, ... notify the control unit 10 of the operation. Here, an operation unit provided on a specific stand 40k to which a charging connector 50k (k: 1, 2, 3, 4, ...) is connected is represented as an operation unit 41k.

[0029] Specifically, the operation units 411, 412, 413, 414... may be push buttons or other switches, touch panels, or non-contact switches. Alternatively, the operation units 411, 412, 413, 414... may be configured to accept operations by an operator using voice recognition. Furthermore, the stand 40 may be provided with a notification unit that notifies information visually, such as with a lamp or a display, or that notifies information audibly, such as with voice guidance or a warning sound.

[0030] The stand 40 may be in the form of a so-called freestanding stand erected on the vehicle running surface. However, if there is a wall of a building near the parking space, a wall-mounted structure may be used instead of the stand 40. In addition, the operation units 411, 412, 413, 414, . . . may be integrated with the switching unit 30 or the control unit 10.

[0031] <Procedure for setting electric vehicles to be charged> The following describes a method for charging a plurality of electric vehicles V using the charging system 1. When a plurality of electric vehicles V are each connected to a charging connector 50, the charging system 1 automatically switches and sequentially charges each of the electric vehicles V.

[0032] Next, a procedure will be described in which the control unit 10 of the charging system 1 selects an electric vehicle V to be charged, i.e., a charging connector 50 to be used for charging, from among the multiple charging connectors 50 included in the charging system 1. Fig. 2 is a sequence diagram for describing a procedure in which the charging system 1 sets an electric vehicle to be charged before sequential charging is performed.

[0033] Each subject of operation or manipulation is shown in Fig. 2. Here, the subject described as EV1 includes charging connector 501 and electric vehicle V1 connected to charging connector 501. The control unit also includes the function of operation unit 411.

[0034] Step S1: An operator connects the charging connector 501 to the electric vehicle V1.

[0035] Step S2: Next, the operator operates the operation unit 411 corresponding to the charging connector 501, for example, a push button provided on the stand 40.

[0036] Step S3: The operation unit 411 notifies the control unit 10 that a predetermined operation has been performed. The control unit 10 recognizes from the notification that the electric vehicle V to be charged has been connected to the charging connector 501.

[0037] Step S4: The control unit 10 instructs the switching unit 30 to connect the charging device 20 and the charging connector 501 to each other.

[0038] Step S5: The switching unit 30 connects the charging device 20 and the charging connector 501 in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 10. In this way, a communication path is established between the charging device 20 and the electric vehicle V1 connected to the charging connector 501. Note that only the signal line group 62 (switching the switch of the second switching unit 32 from off to on) may be connected at this point. By not connecting the power line 61 (not switching the switch of the first switching unit 31 from off to on), it is possible to reduce the probability of failure of switches such as relays that fail relatively frequently.

[0039] Step S6: The control unit 10 instructs the charging control unit 22 of the charging device 20 to communicate with the electric vehicle V1 connected to the charging device 20 regarding information relating to charging.

[0040] Step S7: The charging control unit 22 of the charging device 20 communicates information related to charging with the electric vehicle V1 connected to the charging device 20. At this time, the control unit 10 may monitor the communication content of the charging device 20 and appropriately acquire vehicle information related to the charging of the electric vehicle V1.

[0041] Step S8: The control unit 10 instructs the switching unit 30 to disconnect the charging connector 501 from the charging device 20.

[0042] Step S9: The switching unit 30 disconnects the charging connector 501 from the charging device 20 in accordance with the instruction from the control unit 10.

[0043] Step S10: The control unit 10 sets the electric vehicle V1 as a charging target. That is, the control unit 10 sets the operation of sequentially charging a plurality of electric vehicles to include charging using the charging connector 501. Furthermore, the control unit 10 appropriately determines and sets the charging conditions when charging the electric vehicle V1 using the charging connector 501, based on the acquired vehicle information related to the charging of the electric vehicle V1. Note that, if communication between the charging control unit 22 of the charging device 20 and the electric vehicle V in step S7 is not established, the control unit 10 does not set the electric vehicle V1 as a charging target.

[0044] The procedure from steps S1 to S10 described above is repeated for the electric vehicle V to be charged, thereby completing the setting of the electric vehicle V to be charged. In other words, it is not necessary that an electric vehicle V is connected to all of the charging connectors 50k. The control unit 10 can wait until moving on to the next operation to start charging, in a state where it knows which charging connector 50k an electric vehicle V is connected to.

[0045] In the above procedure, in step S7, the control unit 10 obtains information about the charging status of the electric vehicle V1 by monitoring the communication content of the charging device 20. However, the control unit 10 may obtain vehicle information about the charging of the electric vehicle V1 from the charging control unit 22 of the charging device 20 that has finished the communication in step S7.

[0046] <Sequential charging operation by the charging system> Next, a detailed description will be given of the operation of the charging system 1 when sequentially charging the multiple electric vehicles V that are set as charging targets. The control unit 10 of the charging system 1 controls each part of the charging system 1 to sequentially charge the electric vehicles V that are set as charging targets in the above procedure. This sequential charging does not require any human operation such as an operator, and a series of operations are controlled by programmed automatic operations from the control unit 10. It is also possible to give the control unit 10 an instruction to start sequential charging remotely, for example, from the cloud.

[0047] The charging of each electric vehicle V may be performed in sequence, one at a time, until each electric vehicle V reaches a predetermined charge amount, such as a full charge. Alternatively, the electric vehicles V may be charged in rotation. In this case, in the operation of sequentially charging each electric vehicle V, charging of a specific electric vehicle V is performed multiple times. This method can be effective when the charging power that the charging device 20 can output is large, and it is efficient to charge a specific electric vehicle V for a relatively short time each time in multiple times with cooling of the charging connector 50 and the on-board battery of the electric vehicle V in between.

[0048] Fig. 3 is a sequence diagram for explaining the operation of charging an electric vehicle V by the charging system 1. Fig. 3 shows in detail the operation from start to finish of one charging of an electric vehicle V1 connected to a specific charging connector 501 when the charging system 1 sequentially charges a plurality of electric vehicles V that are set as charging targets.

[0049] Step S101: The control unit 10 instructs the switching unit 30 to connect the charging connector 501 to the charging device 20.

[0050] Step S102: The switching unit 30 connects the charging connector 501 to the charging device 20 in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 10. Here, the power line 61 and the group of communication lines 62 are both connected by turning on both the switches of the first switching unit 31 and the second switching unit 32. Note that the power line 61 and the group of communication lines 62 may be connected at the same time or with a slight time difference therebetween.

[0051] The first switching unit 31 connects the charging connector 501 to the power supply unit 21 of the charging device 20 and prevents other charging connectors from being connected to the power supply unit 21 of the charging device 20. The second switching unit 32 connects the charging connector 501 to the charging control unit 22 of the charging device 20 and prevents other charging connectors from being connected to the charging control unit 22 of the charging device 20.

[0052] In this way, the charging device 20 and the electric vehicle V1 are connected via the switching unit 30 and the charging connector 501 so as to enable one-to-one communication, and also so as to enable one-to-one charging of the electric vehicle V1.

[0053] Step S103: The control unit 10 instructs the charging control unit 22 of the charging device 20 to start charging. The contents of the instruction from the control unit 10 to the charging device 20 include charging conditions including an end condition. Examples of such charging end conditions include a condition that charging ends when charging continues for 10 minutes, or a condition that charging continues until the electric vehicle V1 notifies the charging device 20 of the completion of charging.

[0054] Step S104: The charging control unit 22 of the charging device 20 performs a predetermined communication with the electric vehicle V1 when starting charging. The content of the communication may include, for example, confirmation of connection, vehicle information, and information on charging conditions.

[0055] Step S105: The charging control unit 22 of the charging device 20 controls the power supply unit 21 to supply charging power to the electric vehicle V1 and start charging. At this time, the charging control unit 22 performs charging while reflecting the charging conditions acquired from the control unit 10 in step S103 and the charging conditions resulting from communication with the electric vehicle V1 in step S104.

[0056] Step S106: During charging, the charging control unit 22 of the charging device 20 executes charging control as appropriate while communicating with the electric vehicle V1. At this time, the control unit 10 may monitor the communication content of the charging device 20 and appropriately acquire information related to the charging status of the electric vehicle V1.

[0057] Step S107: When the charging control unit 22 of the charging device 20 determines that the required termination condition is reached, it controls the power supply unit 21 to terminate charging of the electric vehicle V1.

[0058] Step S108: The charging control unit 22 of the charging device 20 performs a predetermined communication with the electric vehicle V1 in response to the end of charging. The content of the communication may include, for example, information regarding the result of charging.

[0059] As described above, the operations from step S104 to step S108 are the same as the operations of the charging device 20 when one charging connector 50 is directly connected to an independent charging device 20 and one electric vehicle V connected to the charging connector 50 is charged. In other words, it can be said that the control unit 10 hands over control of the operations from step S104 to step S108 to the charging device 20. In other words, it can be said that a single-function charging device having one charging connector 50 and charging one electric vehicle V can be converted into a multi-function charging device having multiple charging connectors 50 that charges multiple electric vehicles V as is.

[0060] Step S109: The control unit 10 communicates with the charging control unit 22 of the charging device 20 to obtain the result of charging the electric vehicle V1. When the control unit 10 obtains information that the charging state of the electric vehicle V1 has reached a predetermined state, such as a full charge, the control unit 10 excludes the electric vehicle V1 connected to the charging connector 501 from being subject to subsequent charging.

[0061] Step S110: The control unit 10 instructs the switching unit 30 to disconnect the charging connector 501 from the charging device 20.

[0062] Step S111: The switching unit 30 disconnects the charging connector 501 from the charging device 20 in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 10. That is, the switching unit 30 disconnects both the power line 61 and the communication line group 62 (both switches of the first switching unit 31 and the second switching unit 32 are turned off).

[0063] The operations of steps S101 to S111 described above are performed sequentially for each electric vehicle V to be charged, thereby completing the operation of sequentially charging a series of electric vehicles V. In this manner, in the first embodiment, the control unit 10 controls the switching unit 30 to connect the charging device 20 to the charging connector 501 and cause the charging device 20 to communicate with the electric vehicle V1, thereby causing the charging device 20 to charge the electric vehicle V1.

[0064] Furthermore, when charging of the electric vehicle V1 by the charging device 20 is completed, the control unit 10 controls the switching unit 30 to switch the connection destination of the charging device 20 to a charging connector (e.g., charging connector 502) to which the electric vehicle to be charged is connected, which is different from the charging connector 501.

[0065] In the above description, in step S106, the control unit 10 obtains information regarding charging of the electric vehicle V1 by monitoring the communication content of the charging control unit 22 of the charging device 20. However, it is not essential for the control unit 10 to obtain such information during charging. Also, in step S109, the control unit 10 obtains information regarding the result of charging from the charging control unit 22 of the charging device 20, but in step S108, the control unit 10 may obtain the information by monitoring the communication content of the charging device 20.

[0066] <Action and effect> The charging system 1 according to the first embodiment is capable of charging a plurality of electric vehicles V, and uses, as the charging device 20, a device that can independently charge an electric vehicle V one-to-one. Such charging devices 20 are already in wide use, and can be procured at low cost due to mass production efficiency.

[0067] The charging system 1 according to the first embodiment is configured by combining the charging device 20 with the control unit 10, the switching unit 30, etc. Therefore, according to the first embodiment, it is not necessary to build a charging system capable of charging a plurality of electric vehicles V from scratch, and it can be constructed at low cost.

[0068] Moreover, in the charging system 1 according to the first embodiment, the switching unit 30 has a first switching section 31 that not only switches the supply of charging power but also switches communication between the charging device 20 and the electric vehicle V via the charging connector 50. Therefore, a charging system that can sequentially charge a plurality of electric vehicles V is realized while using the charging device 20 that can independently charge the electric vehicle V one-to-one.

[0069] [Embodiment 2] Other embodiments of the present invention will be described below. For the sake of convenience, the same reference numerals will be used to designate components having the same functions as those described in the above embodiment, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

[0070] 4 is a block diagram showing an outline of a charging system 2 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The charging system 2 includes a control unit 10, a charging device 20A, a switching unit 30A, and a switching unit 30B. The charging device 20A includes a power supply unit 21 and a charging control unit 22, and has the same functions as the charging device 20 in the first embodiment. Each of the switching units 30A and 30B has the same functions as the switching unit 30 in the first embodiment.

[0071] Each of the switching units 30A and 30B is connected to the charging device 20A. Charging connectors 501A, 502A, 503A, 504A... are connected to the switching unit 30A via cables 60. Charging connectors 501B, 502B, 503B, 504B... are connected to the switching unit 30B via cables 60. In the charging system 2 of the second embodiment, the control unit 10 controls the switching units 30A and 30B so that only one of these charging connectors is connected to the charging device 20A at a time.

[0072] As in the first embodiment, each cable 60 is composed of a pair of power lines 61 and a group of signal lines 62, but to avoid complexity, they are collectively shown as a cable 60 in Fig. 4. Also, in Fig. 4, the stand 40 provided with an operation unit is omitted, but it is assumed that it is installed for each charging connector, as in the first embodiment.

[0073] Also, although omitted in FIG. 4, similarly to the first embodiment, each of the switching unit 30A and the switching unit 30B may be provided with a port that enables the control unit 10 to monitor the content of communication between the charging control unit 22 of the charging device 20A and the electric vehicle V via the second switching unit 32.

[0074] In the charging system 2 of the second embodiment, two switching units are provided for one charging device 20A. Therefore, if the configurations of the switching units 30A and 30B are the same as those of the switching unit 30 in the first embodiment, the charging system 2 according to the second embodiment can have twice as many charging connectors as the charging system 1 in the first embodiment.

[0075] In the example shown in Fig. 4, there are two switching units, but a greater number of switching units may be applied. In this way, according to the present invention, charging systems of various scales can be flexibly constructed in relation to the number of electric vehicles V to be charged.

[0076] [Embodiment 3] 5 is a block diagram showing an outline of a charging system 3 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The charging system 3 includes a control unit 10, a charging device 20A, a charging device 20B, and a switching unit 30A. The charging device 20B includes a power supply unit 21 and a charging control unit 22, and has the same functions as the charging device 20 in the first embodiment. Charging connectors 501A, 502A, 503A, 504A, etc. are connected to the switching unit 30A via cables 60, respectively.

[0077] In the charging system 3 according to the third embodiment, two charging devices 20A and 20B are each connected to a switching unit 30A. In the third embodiment, when the charging system 3 is in operation, only one of the charging devices is operated, and the other is used as a backup when an abnormality occurs in one of the charging devices or during maintenance. Thus, according to the third embodiment of the present invention, a charging system 3 having redundancy for the charging devices can be constructed, which is particularly useful in situations where the charging system is applied to important infrastructure such as public transportation.

[0078] [Embodiment 4] 6 is a block diagram showing an outline of a charging system 4 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The charging system 3 includes a control unit 10, a charging device 20A, a charging device 20B, a switching unit 30A, and a switching unit 30B. Charging connectors 501A, 502A, 503A, 504A... are connected to the switching unit 30A via cables 60. Charging connectors 501B, 502B, 503B, 504B... are connected to the switching unit 30B via cables 60.

[0079] In the fourth embodiment, the charging device 20A is connected to the switching unit 30A, and is also connected to the switching unit 30B via the opening / closing unit 70. The opening / closing unit 70 can open and close the power line for the charging power supplied from the charging device 20A to the switching unit 30B, and can also open and close the communication path for communication between the charging device 20A and the electric vehicle V connected via the switching unit 30B.

[0080] Further, the charging device 20B is connected to the switching unit 30B, and is also connected to the switching unit 30A via the opening / closing unit 70. The opening / closing unit 70 can open and close the power line for the charging power supplied from the charging device 20B to the switching unit 30A, and can also open and close the communication path for communication between the charging device 20B and the electric vehicle V connected via the switching unit 30A.

[0081] In the charging system 4, the control unit 10 controls the opening / closing section 70 to be in a closed state, and one of the two charging devices 20A and 20B is operated, thereby allowing the charging system 4 to operate in the same manner as the charging system 2 according to the second embodiment. In this case, the charging device that is not in operation is used as a backup when an abnormality occurs in one of the charging devices or during maintenance. In this way, according to the present invention, it is possible to flexibly configure charging systems having redundancy for charging devices of various scales in terms of the number of electric vehicles V to be charged.

[0082] Furthermore, in the charging system 4, the control unit 10 controls the opening / closing section 70 to be in an open state, and both of the two charging devices 20A and 20B are operated, thereby making it possible to operate the charging system 4 as a charging system including two charging systems 1 according to the first embodiment. In this way, according to the present invention, it is possible to construct a charging system that can be flexibly operated according to the number of electric vehicles V that actually require charging.

[0083] In addition, in the charging system 4, the opening / closing section 70 may be closed under the control of the control unit 10, and both of the two charging devices 20A and 20B may be operated to charge the electric vehicle V from the two charging devices 20A and 20B.

[0084] [Software implementation example] The functions of the control unit 10 (hereinafter referred to as "device") can be realized by a program for making a computer function as the device. In this case, the device includes a computer having at least one control device (e.g., a processor) and at least one storage device (e.g., a memory) as hardware for executing the program. The functions described in each of the above embodiments are realized by executing the program using the control device and the storage device.

[0085] The program may be non-transitory and may be recorded in one or more computer-readable recording media. The recording media may or may not be included in the device. In the latter case, the program may be provided to the device via any wired or wireless transmission medium.

[0086] In addition, some or all of the functions of the control blocks can be realized by logic circuits. For example, an integrated circuit in which a logic circuit that functions as each of the control blocks is formed is also included in the scope of the present invention.

[0087] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. The technical scope of the present invention also includes embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in the different embodiments and modified examples. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 1, 2, 3, 4 Charging System 10. Control Unit 20, 20A, 20B charging device 21 Power supply section 22 Charging control unit 30, 30A, 30B Switching Unit Stands 40, 401, 402, 403, 404 411, 412, 413, 414 Operation section 50, 501, 502, 503, 504, 501A, 501B Charging connector 60 Cable 61 Power Lines 62 Signal lines (communication paths) 70 Opening and Closing Section V, V1, V2, V3, V4 electric vehicle

Claims

1. a charging device capable of communicating with an electric vehicle via a charging connector and charging the electric vehicle; a plurality of charging connectors for connection to the plurality of electric vehicles, respectively; a switching unit for switching which of the charging connectors is to be connected to the charging device, The switching unit includes: a first switching unit that switches a power line through which the charging device supplies charging power to the electric vehicle, between the plurality of charging connectors; a second switching unit that switches a communication path for communication between the charging device and the electric vehicle.

2. The switch further includes a control unit for controlling the switch unit. When the electric vehicles to be charged are connected to two or more of the charging connectors, the control unit controlling the switching unit to connect the charging device to a first charging connector that is a charging connector to which the electric vehicle to be charged is connected, and having the charging device communicate with the electric vehicle connected to the first charging connector, thereby causing the charging device to charge the electric vehicle; 2. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein, when charging of the electric vehicle by the charging device is completed, the switching unit is controlled to switch a connection destination of the charging device to a charging connector to which the electric vehicle to be charged is connected, the charging connector being different from the first charging connector.

3. The charging system according to claim 1 , wherein the second switching unit switches a communication path for communication between the charging device and the electric vehicle in accordance with the switching of the power line.

4. The charging system according to claim 2 , further comprising an operation unit for notifying the control unit that the electric vehicle to be charged is connected to the charging connector.

5. a charging device capable of communicating with an electric vehicle via a charging connector and charging the electric vehicle; a plurality of charging connectors for connection to the plurality of electric vehicles, respectively; a switching unit for switching which of the charging connectors is to be connected to the charging device, The switching unit includes: a first switching unit that switches a power line through which the charging device supplies charging power to the electric vehicle between the plurality of charging connectors; A control method for a charging system having a second switching unit that switches a communication path for communication between the charging device and the electric vehicle, controlling the switching unit to connect a first charging connector, which is one of the plurality of charging connectors, to the charging device; communicating information regarding charging of the electric vehicle by the charging device between the charging device and the electric vehicle connected to the first charging connector; charging the electric vehicle by the charging device; and after the step of performing charging is completed, controlling the switching unit to switch a connection destination of the charging device to a charging connector to which the electric vehicle to be charged is connected, the charging connector being different from the first charging connector.

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