Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To reduce probability that a vehicle cannot be charged as scheduled and troubles occur in traveling.SOLUTION: An information processing device 1 includes: a storage unit 12 for storing position data indicating a position of charging facilities capable of charging a storage battery of a vehicle V and travelable distance data indicating a relation between a power residual amount of the storage battery and distance on which the vehicle V can travel; an acquisition unit 131 for acquiring power residual amount data indicating a power residual amount of the storage battery; and a plan creation unit 132 for creating a travel plan of the vehicle including information for identifying charging facilities to be charged by the vehicle V and a charging scheduled date and time of the vehicle by specifying distance that the vehicle V can travel that has a power remaining amount indicated by the power residual amount data acquired by the acquisition unit 131 before being charged by the charging facilities by referring to travelable distance data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, vehicles that run on electricity stored in a storage battery are known. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that instructs a vehicle to move to the nearest charging point when the remaining charge in the storage battery falls below a predetermined value. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-44235 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] If the vehicle is unable to head to a charging point when the remaining charge of the storage battery falls below a predetermined value, the storage battery of the vehicle cannot be charged. For example, if the vehicle has passengers on board or the destination of the vehicle is fixed, the vehicle cannot immediately head to the charging point. As a result, there is a problem that the vehicle cannot run.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of these points, and has an object to reduce the probability that a vehicle cannot be charged as scheduled, causing disruption to its running. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An information processing device of a first aspect of the present invention has a memory unit that stores location data indicating the location of a charging facility that can charge a storage battery of a vehicle and driving distance data indicating the relationship between the remaining power of the storage battery and the distance the vehicle can travel, an acquisition unit that acquires remaining power data indicating the remaining power of the storage battery, and a plan creation unit that creates a driving plan for the vehicle including information for identifying the charging facility at which the vehicle will charge and a scheduled charging date and time for the vehicle by referring to the remaining power data to determine the distance the vehicle can travel before charging at the charging facility with the remaining power indicated by the remaining power data acquired by the acquisition unit, wherein the plan creation unit sends a notification regarding charging to the vehicle when a predetermined time is within the scheduled charging date and time, and when it determines that there is a possibility that the vehicle will not be able to arrive at a location where the charging facility is located by a date and time that is a predetermined margin time before the scheduled charging date and time, it sends the notification at the time of the determination, even if the predetermined time is prior to the scheduled charging date and time.

[0007] The plan creation unit may calculate the time required for the vehicle to travel from the vehicle's current location to the location where the charging equipment is located, and if it determines that the calculated time is longer than the time from the current time to the scheduled charging date and time by the margin time, it may determine that the vehicle may not be able to arrive.

[0008] The plan creation unit may transmit the notification indicating a location of the charging facility and a time to start charging. The notification may not be output as a voice when the vehicle is in the vehicle, and the content of the notification may be displayed in the vehicle.

[0009] An information processing method of a second aspect of the present invention includes the steps of: acquiring remaining power data indicating the remaining power in a storage battery of a vehicle, executed by a computer; referring to travel distance data indicating the relationship between the remaining power in the storage battery and the distance the vehicle can travel, and determining the distance the vehicle can travel before charging at a charging facility with the remaining power indicated by the acquired remaining power data, thereby creating a travel plan for the vehicle including information for identifying the charging facility at which the vehicle will charge and a scheduled charging date and time for the vehicle; and sending a notification regarding charging to the vehicle when a predetermined time has passed until the scheduled charging date and time, and if it is determined that there is a possibility that the vehicle will not be able to arrive at a location where the charging facility is located by a date and time that is a predetermined margin time before the scheduled charging date and time, sending the notification at the time of the determination, even if the predetermined time has passed until the scheduled charging date and time.

[0010] A third aspect of the program of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to execute the steps of: acquiring remaining power data indicating the remaining power in a storage battery of a vehicle; referring to travel distance data indicating the relationship between the remaining power in the storage battery and the distance the vehicle can travel, and determining the distance the vehicle can travel with the remaining power indicated by the acquired remaining power data before charging at a charging facility, thereby creating a travel plan for the vehicle including information for identifying the charging facility at which the vehicle will be charged and a scheduled charging date and time for the vehicle; and sending a notification regarding charging to the vehicle when a predetermined time has passed until the scheduled charging date and time, and if it is determined that there is a possibility that the vehicle will not be able to arrive at a location where the charging facility is located by a date and time that is a predetermined margin time before the scheduled charging date and time, sending the notification at the time of the determination, even if the predetermined time has passed until the scheduled charging date and time. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the probability that a vehicle cannot be charged as scheduled, causing a disruption to its running. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of an information processing system S. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displaying a driving plan displayed on the vehicle terminal 2. [Diagram 3] 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an information processing device 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of remaining distance data. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a screen for a driver to reserve charging equipment. [Figure 6] 11 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the vehicle allocation management unit 134. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the vehicle terminal 2 when the scheduled charging date and time approaches. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart showing a process flow for creating a driving plan by the information processing device 1. [Figure 9] 13 is a flowchart showing a process flow when the information processing device 1 acquires vehicle dispatch request data. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] [Outline of Information Processing System S] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of an information processing system S. The information processing system S is a system for enabling a driver of a vehicle V that runs using power stored in a storage battery to know when to charge the storage battery of the vehicle V. The vehicle V is, for example, an electric vehicle that runs with passengers on board, such as a taxi or a bus, but may also be an electric vehicle that runs for the business of the operator itself. The following description will be centered on the case where the vehicle V is a taxi.

[0014] The information processing system S includes an information processing device 1, a vehicle terminal 2, a user terminal 3, and a reservation server 4. The vehicle terminal 2 is a terminal provided in a vehicle V. The vehicle terminal 2 is a computer that the driver of the vehicle V can operate and view displayed information on, and is, for example, a tablet or a smartphone. The vehicle terminal 2 transmits and receives data to and from the information processing device 1 via a network N and a wireless communication line W. The network N is, for example, the Internet.

[0015] The user terminal 3 is a terminal used by a user who boards the vehicle V, and is, for example, a tablet or a smartphone. The user terminal 3 transmits and receives data to and from the information processing device 1 via the network N and the wireless communication line W. When the user inputs the date and time at which he or she wishes to board the vehicle V, the planned boarding location, and the planned disembarking location into the user terminal 3, the user terminal 3 transmits vehicle dispatch request data including the input information to the information processing device 1.

[0016] The information processing device 1 is a device for supporting the creation of a driving plan for the vehicle V by a business operator who manages the vehicle V, and is, for example, a computer managed by the business operator, or a server managed by another business operator who provides services to the business operator. The driving plan is created, for example, on a daily basis, and includes the places and times where the vehicle V will travel during the day.

[0017] When the information processing device 1 receives vehicle dispatch request data from the user terminal 3, it transmits vehicle dispatch request data to the vehicle terminals 2 of at least some of the vehicles V among the multiple vehicles V registered in advance to confirm whether or not the vehicle can be dispatched. The vehicle terminal 2 displays that it has received the vehicle dispatch request data, and when the driver performs an operation to accept the dispatch request, the vehicle terminal 2 transmits vehicle dispatch acceptance data indicating that the vehicle can be dispatched to the information processing device 1. When the information processing device 1 receives the vehicle dispatch acceptance data, it determines a vehicle dispatch schedule indicating the date and time of dispatch, the planned boarding location, and the planned disembarking location in association with the vehicle V. The information processing device 1 creates a driving plan for the vehicle V based on the vehicle dispatch schedule, for example.

[0018] When the vehicle V is an electric vehicle, it needs to be charged when the remaining power of the storage battery mounted on the vehicle V (hereinafter referred to as "remaining power") becomes low. However, even if the driver realizes that the vehicle needs to be charged when the remaining power becomes low, he or she cannot charge the vehicle immediately if, for example, the vehicle is carrying a passenger or the vehicle V has a destination to head to. Furthermore, when the vehicle becomes able to charge the vehicle, it is assumed that there are no charging facilities nearby. As a result, problems may arise in that the vehicle cannot be dispatched on the date and time it should be dispatched, or the vehicle cannot run due to a lack of power while driving with a user who has requested the vehicle dispatch.

[0019] Therefore, in order to prevent such problems from occurring, the information processing device 1 of this embodiment is characterized by creating a driving plan that includes information for the driver to understand the location of the charging facility where the vehicle V is scheduled to be charged (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "planned charging location") and the planned charging date and time, and providing this driving plan to the driver or manager of the vehicle V.

[0020] 1, an information processing device 1 transmits and receives data to and from one or more vehicle terminals 2 provided in one or more vehicles V2 via a network N and a wireless communication line W. The information processing device 1 creates a charging schedule based on the remaining power of each of the one or more vehicles V, and notifies the one or more vehicle terminals 2 of a driving plan including a vehicle dispatch plan and a charging schedule.

[0021] The vehicle terminal 2 displays the driving plan received via the network N and the wireless communication line W. By displaying the driving plan including the charging schedule plan on the vehicle terminal 2, even if the driver of the vehicle V is not aware of the timing for charging, the driver can notice that the time to charge is approaching and move to a place where a charging facility is installed (for example, a taxi office, commercial facility A, or commercial facility B) to charge the vehicle V. Since the driving plan is created taking into consideration the dispatch schedule, the driver can move to the charging facility based on such a driving plan, thereby avoiding a situation in which the vehicle V needs to be charged while it is carrying a passenger.

[0022] Triangles (△) shown at the taxi offices, commercial facility A, and commercial facility B shown in Fig. 1 indicate charging facilities. Reservation information for these charging facilities is managed by a reservation server 4. The reservation information associates identification information of the charging facility, the reservation date and time, and identification information of the vehicle V to be charged (hereinafter referred to as "reserved vehicle"). The information processing device 1 may reserve the charging facility by transmitting the reservation information to the reservation server 4 based on the created charging schedule.

[0023] The charging equipment is configured to charge the reserved vehicle at the reserved date and time. For example, the charging equipment acquires identification information of the vehicle V in response to being connected to the vehicle V via a charging cable, and starts charging the vehicle V if the acquired identification information matches the identification information included in the reservation information. The charging equipment may perform such authentication by acquiring the identification information of the vehicle V through short-range wireless communication, or may perform authentication using the driver's IC card. If the charging equipment determines, as a result of the authentication, that the vehicle V is a vehicle that has a specific contract in advance, it may charge the vehicle V at a rate lower than the normal rate.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displaying a driving plan displayed on the vehicle terminal 2. The screen shown in FIG. 2 includes a schedule of the actual vehicle traveling with passengers on board, and a charging schedule. "Quick" in the charging schedule indicates that quick charging is planned, and "normal" indicates that normal charging, which requires a longer charging time than quick charging, is planned. The information processing device 1 creates such a driving plan and the vehicle terminal 2 displays the driving plan, thereby preventing the vehicle V from running out of remaining power at the time when it is supposed to travel with passengers on board. In the following description, the section of the reserved actual vehicle may be referred to as the travel reservation section.

[0025] Although the actual vehicle schedule is also shown in the driving plan shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle terminal 2 may display a screen showing only the charging schedule. The configuration and operation of the information processing device 1 and an example of transition of a screen of a driving plan displayed on the vehicle terminal 2 will be described in detail below.

[0026] [Configuration of information processing device 1] 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of the information processing device 1. The information processing device 1 has a communication unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a control unit 13. The control unit 13 has an acquisition unit 131, a plan creation unit 132, a reservation unit 133, and a vehicle dispatch management unit 134.

[0027] The communication unit 11 includes a communication interface for the information processing device 1 to transmit and receive data between the vehicle terminal 2 or the user terminal 3. The communication unit 11 inputs data indicating the remaining power of the vehicle V received from the vehicle V to the acquisition unit 131. The communication unit 11 transmits data indicating the driving plan created by the plan creation unit 132 to the vehicle terminal 2.

[0028] The communication unit 11 inputs the vehicle allocation request data received from the user terminal 3 to the vehicle allocation management unit 134, and transmits the vehicle allocation request data input from the vehicle allocation management unit 134 to the vehicle terminal 2. The communication unit 11 inputs the vehicle allocation acceptance data received from the vehicle terminal 2 in response to the vehicle allocation request data to the vehicle allocation management unit 134. Furthermore, the communication unit 11 transmits the reservation data for the charging facility input from the reservation unit 133 to the reservation server 4 that manages the charging facility.

[0029] The storage unit 12 has storage media such as a Read Only Memory (ROM), a Random Access Memory (RAM), and a Solid State Drive (SSD). The storage unit 12 stores a program executed by the control unit 13. The storage unit 12 stores the travel plan created by the plan creation unit 132 in association with the identification information of the vehicle V. The storage unit 12 also stores various data used by the plan creation unit 132 to create the travel plan.

[0030] The memory unit 12 stores, for example, the location of charging equipment that can charge the storage battery of the vehicle V. Specifically, the memory unit 12 stores the name of the facility where the charging equipment is installed and the address or latitude and longitude of the facility. The memory unit 12 may further store the type and number of charging equipment installed in each facility.

[0031] The memory unit 12 also stores travelable distance data indicating the relationship between the remaining power of the storage battery of the vehicle V and the distance the vehicle V can travel. The memory unit 12 may store the travelable distance data in association with identification information of the vehicle V, or may store the travelable distance data in association with the type of the vehicle V. The memory unit 12 may store the travelable distance data for each combination of the type of the vehicle V and the specifications of the storage battery installed in the vehicle V.

[0032] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of remaining distance data. In the remaining distance data shown in Fig. 4, the horizontal axis indicates the remaining power, and the vertical axis indicates the remaining distance. The remaining power is indicated, for example, as a percentage of the power when fully charged. In the example shown in Fig. 4, it is assumed that the vehicle V can travel 1 km with power equivalent to 1%.

[0033] The memory unit 12 may store a driving history of the vehicle V on past days. In the driving history, a date and time are associated with the driving route of the vehicle V. The driving history may include the date and time and the place where a passenger boarded the vehicle V, and the date and time and the place where the passenger disembarked. The memory unit 12 may store a past charging history of the vehicle V. The charging history includes the date and time of charging, and the type of charging (rapid charging or normal charging).

[0034] The storage unit 12 may store at least one reserved driving section along which the vehicle V should travel. Specifically, when the communication unit 11 receives vehicle allocation acceptance data from the vehicle terminal 2 of the vehicle V that has transmitted the distribution request data in response to receiving the vehicle allocation request data from the user terminal 3, the storage unit 12 stores vehicle allocation schedule data indicating the reserved driving section from the planned boarding location to the planned disembarking location in association with the date and time of vehicle allocation indicated by the distribution request data.

[0035] The control unit 13 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 13 executes the programs stored in the storage unit 12 to function as an acquisition unit 131, a plan creation unit 132, a reservation unit 133, and a vehicle allocation management unit 134.

[0036] The acquisition unit 131 acquires remaining power data indicating the remaining power of the storage battery of the vehicle V. The acquisition unit 131 acquires the remaining power data periodically from the vehicle V, for example, but may acquire the remaining power data from an external device that stores the remaining power data acquired from the vehicle V. The acquisition unit 131 acquires the remaining power data, for example, before the driver of the vehicle V starts work for the day. The acquisition unit 131 notifies the plan creation unit 132 of the acquired remaining power data.

[0037] The acquisition unit 131 may acquire position data indicating the current position of the vehicle V, data indicating the occupancy state, and travel history data indicating at least the travel distance. The data indicating the occupancy state is data indicating whether the vehicle V is in an empty state, an occupied state with a passenger on board, a deadheading state, etc. The acquisition unit 131 notifies the plan creation unit 132 of these data.

[0038] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 131 may acquire an instruction for creating a driving plan from an external device. The external device is, for example, a computer used by a manager of the vehicle V, but may also be the vehicle terminal 2.

[0039] The plan creation unit 132 creates a travel plan for the vehicle V. The plan creation unit 132 refers to the travelable distance data stored in the memory unit 12, and identifies the distance that the vehicle V can travel before charging with the remaining power indicated by the remaining power data acquired by the acquisition unit 131, thereby creating a travel plan for V that includes information for identifying the charging facility at which the vehicle V will be charged and the scheduled charging date and time of the vehicle V. The information for identifying the charging facility includes at least one of the name of the facility where the charging facility is installed, the address of the location where the charging facility is installed, and a number or text unique to the charging facility.

[0040] The plan creation unit 132 transmits the created driving plan to the vehicle terminal 2 via the communication unit 11, or displays it on a display or a computer connected to the information processing device 1. That is, the plan creation unit 132 enables the driver of the vehicle V or the manager of the vehicle V to check the driving plan by viewing a screen such as that shown in Fig. 2. The plan creation unit 132 may notify the reservation unit 133 and the vehicle dispatch management unit 134 of the driving plan.

[0041] The plan creation unit 132 may create a driving plan based on the result of predicting the remaining power at each time point by predicting the driving distance of the vehicle V within a predetermined period. The plan creation unit 132 predicts the driving distance of the vehicle V within a predetermined period based on, for example, a dispatch schedule or a past driving history, and predicts the remaining power at each time point.

[0042] When the memory unit 12 stores the reserved travel section of the vehicle V, the plan creation unit 132 creates a travel plan that includes the reserved travel section stored in the memory unit 12. In the example shown in Fig. 2, a travel plan is created that includes a reserved travel section from company J to company K starting at 10:30, and a reserved travel section from company L to company M starting at 13:30.

[0043] The plan creation unit 132 creates a driving plan including a scheduled charging date and time for a period excluding the time while the vehicle V is traveling in the travel reserved section so that the vehicle V can continue traveling in the travel reserved section. Furthermore, if it is expected that there will be insufficient remaining power before traveling in the travel reserved section, the plan creation unit 132 creates a driving plan including a scheduled charging date and time determined so that the power required for the vehicle to travel in the travel reserved section remains in the storage battery at the time travel in the travel reserved section starts. For example, the plan creation unit 132 creates a driving plan in which a scheduled charging date and time is set before travel in the travel reserved section starts.

[0044] In order to create a driving plan including the scheduled charging date and time, the plan creation unit 132 first refers to the travelable distance data stored in the memory unit 12 to identify a distance that the vehicle V, with the remaining power state indicated by the remaining power data acquired by the acquisition unit 131, can travel before charging at a charging facility. The plan creation unit 132 compares the identified travelable distance with the distance of the reserved travel section, to determine whether the vehicle V can travel the reserved travel section without charging before starting travel on the reserved travel section.

[0045] If the specified travelable distance is shorter than the distance of the travel reserved section, the plan creation unit 132 determines that the vehicle V cannot travel in the travel reserved section unless charging is performed before travel in the travel reserved section starts, and sets the scheduled charging date and time to a time slot before travel in the travel reserved section starts. If the specified travelable distance is greater than or equal to the distance of the travel reserved section, and determines that the vehicle V can travel in the travel reserved section without charging before travel in the travel reserved section starts, the plan creation unit 132 may not set the scheduled charging date and time to a time slot before travel in the travel reserved section starts.

[0046] However, even if traveling in the travel reserved section is completed, if the vehicle V cannot move from the point where the travel reserved section ends to the point where the charging facility is located, the vehicle V will be unable to travel. Therefore, when the identified travelable distance is shorter than the sum of the distance of the travel reserved section and the distance from the point where the travel reserved section ends to the point where the charging facility is located, the plan creation unit 132 may set the scheduled charging date and time to a time period before traveling in the travel reserved section starts.

[0047] It is also possible that the vehicle V may move to the start position of the reserved travel section before starting travel in the reserved travel section, or may travel in other sections before starting travel in the reserved travel section. Even if the travelable distance is equal to or greater than the distance of the reserved travel section, if a large amount of power is consumed traveling in such other sections, there is a risk of a power shortage while traveling in the reserved travel section.

[0048] Therefore, the plan creation unit 132 may use a result of predicting the cumulative travel distance in the time period until the start of travel in the reserved travel section based on the travel history of the vehicle V for which the travel plan is to be created to determine whether or not to set the scheduled charging date and time in the time period before the start of travel in the reserved travel section. That is, the plan creation unit 132 may predict the cumulative travel distance at each of multiple times on the target day for which the travel plan is to be created based on the travel history, and create a travel plan that includes the scheduled charging date and time determined based on the predicted cumulative travel distance and the remaining travel distance indicated by the remaining travel distance data. The plan creation unit 132 may predict the cumulative travel distance using statistics of the travel history of multiple vehicles V different from the vehicle V for which the travel plan is to be created.

[0049] Specifically, when the distance that can be traveled before reaching the charging facility is shorter than the sum of the predicted cumulative travel distance and the distance of the travel reserved section, the plan creation unit 132 sets the scheduled charging date and time to a time slot before travel in the travel reserved section starts. When the distance that can be traveled before reaching the charging facility is shorter than the sum of the predicted cumulative travel distance, the distance of the travel reserved section, and the distance from the point where the travel reserved section ends to the point where the charging facility is located, the plan creation unit 132 may set the scheduled charging date and time to a time slot before travel in the travel reserved section starts. In this way, by creating a travel plan in which the scheduled charging date and time is set taking into account the travel distance before and after the planned travel section, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a situation in which the vehicle V cannot travel.

[0050] When a predetermined time has elapsed until the scheduled charging date and time, the plan creation unit 132 may transmit a notification regarding charging to the vehicle terminal 2 of the vehicle V. The predetermined time is, for example, 30 minutes. The notification regarding charging is a notification indicating the location of the charging facility and the time when charging should start. When the vehicle terminal 2 receives the notification, it displays the content of the notification on a display or outputs it as audio. By allowing the driver to understand such a notification, the driver can start moving so as to arrive at the facility where the charging facility where charging is scheduled to be performed is located by the scheduled charging date and time. However, if the notification audio is output while the driver is actually driving the vehicle, it is a nuisance for passengers. Therefore, when the driver is actually driving the vehicle, the vehicle terminal 2 may only display the content of the notification without outputting the notification audio.

[0051] If the timing of sending the notification by the plan creation unit 132 is too late, a situation may occur in which the driver cannot arrive at the charging facility by the scheduled charging date and time even if the driver starts moving toward the charging facility after understanding the contents of the notification. Therefore, when the plan creation unit 132 determines that there is a possibility that the vehicle V cannot arrive at the location where the charging facility is located by a date and time that is a predetermined margin time (e.g., 15 minutes) before the scheduled charging date and time, for example, the plan creation unit 132 may send a notification regarding charging at that time even if it is a predetermined time before the scheduled charging date and time.

[0052] Specifically, the plan creation unit 132 first calculates the time required for the vehicle V to travel from the current position to a facility with charging equipment. If the plan creation unit 132 determines that the calculated time is longer than the time from the current time to 15 minutes before the scheduled charging date and time, it transmits a notification regarding charging to the vehicle terminal 2 of the vehicle V. By the plan creation unit 132 operating in this manner, it is possible to reduce the probability that the vehicle V will not be able to reach a facility with charging equipment by the scheduled charging date and time.

[0053] Incidentally, it is assumed that the travel distance and travel position predicted based on the past travel history of the vehicle V when the plan creation unit 132 creates a travel plan may differ from the actual travel distance and travel position of the vehicle V. In this regard, the plan creation unit 132 may update the travel plan based on the actual travel record of the vehicle V acquired via the acquisition unit 131. The plan creation unit 132 updates the travel plan, for example, every time the vehicle V switches between an active vehicle and an unoccupied vehicle. As an example, when the plan creation unit 132 determines that the vehicle V cannot arrive at the charging facility by the scheduled charging date and time, the plan creation unit 132 updates the travel plan and notifies the vehicle terminal 2 of the updated travel plan. The plan creation unit 132 may notify the reservation unit 133 and the vehicle allocation management unit 134 of the updated travel plan.

[0054] When the plan creation unit 132 determines that the travel distance indicated by the travel record of the vehicle V is greater than the predicted travel distance assumed when creating the travel plan, and there is a possibility that the vehicle V will not be able to travel the planned travel section, the plan creation unit 132 may update the travel plan to bring forward the planned charging date and time. By operating the plan creation unit 132 in this manner, the risk of being unable to travel the planned travel section can be reduced.

[0055] Conversely, when the plan creation unit 132 determines that the travel distance indicated by the travel record of the vehicle V is smaller than the predicted travel distance assumed when creating the travel plan and that the vehicle V can travel the planned travel section without charging before starting travel of the planned travel section, the plan creation unit 132 may delay the planned charging date and time or cancel the plan to charge. The plan creation unit 132 may notify the reservation unit 133, which will be described later, that the plan has been canceled, and cancel the reservation of the charging facility. By operating the plan creation unit 132 in this manner, it is possible to prevent time loss caused by the vehicle V stopping at a charging facility to charge.

[0056] The plan creation unit 132 may update the driving plan in response to a change in the riding state from an actual vehicle state in which a passenger is riding in the vehicle V to an empty vehicle state in which no passenger is riding in the vehicle V, based on the data indicating the riding state input from the acquisition unit 131. By operating the plan creation unit 132 in this manner, it is possible to prevent the driver's concentration from decreasing due to the driving plan being updated during the actual driving.

[0057] However, if the number of rapid charging operations is large, the storage battery is more likely to deteriorate. Therefore, in order to reduce the number of rapid charging operations as much as possible, the plan creation unit 132 may create a driving plan including a plan for normal charging when it determines that a sufficient charging time can be secured based on the past driving history. When it determines that the deterioration level of the storage battery of the vehicle V is below a predetermined level based on the past charging history stored in the memory unit 12, the plan creation unit 132 may create a driving plan in which the frequency of rapid charging is lower than when the deterioration level of the storage battery is at or above the predetermined level. By creating such a plan by the plan creation unit 132, deterioration of the storage battery can be suppressed.

[0058] The plan creation unit 132 may determine the scheduled charging date and time based on the price of electricity. The price of electricity fluctuates depending on the balance between supply and demand. In addition, the amount of electricity generated by solar power generation and wind power generation fluctuates depending on the weather. The plan creation unit 132 may preferentially determine, as the scheduled charging date and time, a time period in which the price of electricity is estimated to be equal to or lower than a threshold based on these fluctuating factors. When the market trading price of electricity is published every morning, the plan creation unit 132 may determine, as the scheduled charging date and time, a time period in which the market trading price is relatively low in response to the publication of the market trading price of electricity. Specifically, the plan creation unit 132 may determine the scheduled charging date and time in response to the acquisition unit 131 acquiring the market trading price. By operating the plan creation unit 132 in this manner, the cost required for charging can be reduced.

[0059] The reservation unit 133 makes a reservation for charging of the vehicle V at a charging facility where the vehicle V is expected to be charged on a scheduled charging date and time, based on the driving plan created by the plan creation unit 132. The reservation unit 133 reserves the charging facility by transmitting reservation information including identification information of the vehicle V and the scheduled charging date and time to the reservation server 4 via the communication unit 11. The reservation unit 133 may make a reservation for charging of the vehicle at the charging facility when a predetermined instruction is received from the driver of the vehicle V who has viewed the driving plan.

[0060] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a screen for the driver to reserve charging equipment. Fig. 5(a) shows the screen displayed on the vehicle terminal 2 at 11:50. In Fig. 5(a), the quick charging scheduled to start at 10:00 has ended, as indicated by a dashed line. In the charging plan shown in Fig. 5(a), charging is scheduled to start at 12:30, but if it looks like the vehicle V will be able to arrive at the location of the charging equipment earlier than planned, it is assumed that the driver will want to start charging earlier.

[0061] When the driver presses the “Book Now” button, the screen changes to that shown in FIG. 5(b), and when the “Book Now” button is pressed again, the vehicle terminal 2 transmits reservation request data to the information processing device 1.

[0062] When the reservation unit 133 receives reservation request data via the communication unit 11, it reserves a charging facility that is available for reservation among the charging facilities that are located closest to the current position of the vehicle V at the time when the reservation request data is received. When the reservation is completed, the reservation unit 133 transmits reservation completion data including the name of the facility where the charging facility is installed and the reservation time to the vehicle terminal 2. The reservation unit 133 may calculate the scheduled time when the vehicle V will arrive at the charging facility based on the distance from the current position of the vehicle V to the charging facility, and set the calculated time as the reservation time.

[0063] When the vehicle terminal 2 receives the reservation completion data, it displays a screen indicating that the reservation has been established, as shown in Fig. 5(c). When a button "Head to charging location" is pressed on the screen of Fig. 5(c), the vehicle terminal 2 may display a route from the current position of the vehicle V to the charging location.

[0064] The reservation unit 133 may change the content of the reservation when the vehicle cannot arrive at the reserved charging facility at the reserved time due to an update of the driving plan. For example, when the charging facility has been reserved for the scheduled charging date and time indicated in the driving plan before the update, the reservation unit 133 changes the date and time of the reservation to the scheduled charging date and time indicated in the updated driving plan.

[0065] The vehicle allocation management unit 134 determines a vehicle V to be allocated when it receives vehicle allocation request data from the user terminal 3. Specifically, the vehicle allocation management unit 134 transmits a vehicle allocation request to the vehicle V based on a vehicle allocation request from a user (i.e., a user using the user terminal 3) who wishes to board the vehicle V. More specifically, when the vehicle allocation management unit 134 receives vehicle allocation request data from the user terminal 3 via the communication unit 11, it transmits the vehicle allocation request data to the vehicle terminal 2 of the vehicle V that can board the user in the desired boarding section from the desired boarding date and time indicated by the vehicle allocation request data.

[0066] If vehicle V is dispatched when the desired ride date and time is close to or overlaps with the scheduled charging date and time of vehicle V, vehicle V may not be able to charge as planned, which may cause a disruption to driving. Therefore, the vehicle dispatch management unit 134 transmits dispatch request data to vehicle V on the condition that the driving period of vehicle V in the desired ride section does not overlap with the scheduled charging date and time.

[0067] As an example, the vehicle dispatch management unit 134 transmits the dispatch request data to the vehicle V on the condition that the desired ride section indicated by the dispatch request data is between the current position of the vehicle V and the charging facility where the vehicle V is scheduled to be charged, indicated by the travel plan. The vehicle dispatch management unit 134 may transmit the dispatch request data to the vehicle V on the condition that the direction from the boarding position to the disembarking position matches the direction from the current position to the planned charging position.

[0068] Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the vehicle dispatch management unit 134. Fig. 6(a) shows a case where the desired boarding section is between the current position of the vehicle V and the planned charging position, and the direction from the boarding position to the disembarking position is the same as the direction from the current position to the planned charging position. In such a case, even if the vehicle V picks up the user in the desired boarding section, it is considered that there is no significant effect on the time required to arrive at the planned charging position from the current position, so the vehicle dispatch management unit 134 transmits dispatch request data to the vehicle V.

[0069] 6(b) shows a case where the desired boarding section is between the current position of the vehicle V and the planned charging position, but the direction from the boarding position to the disembarking position does not match the direction from the current position to the planned charging position. In such a case, the vehicle V picking up the user in the desired boarding section significantly affects the time required for the vehicle V to arrive at the planned charging position, so the vehicle dispatch management unit 134 does not transmit distribution request data to the vehicle V. However, if the vehicle dispatch management unit 134 determines that the vehicle V will arrive at the planned charging position by the scheduled charging date and time even if the vehicle V picks up the user in such a desired boarding section, the vehicle dispatch management unit 134 may transmit the vehicle dispatch request data to the vehicle V.

[0070] 6(c) shows a case where the desired boarding section is not between the current position of the vehicle V and the planned charging position. In such a case, if the vehicle V picks up the user in the desired boarding section, it is considered that this will have a significant effect on the time required to arrive at the planned charging position from the current position. Therefore, the vehicle dispatch management unit 134 does not transmit the dispatch request data to the vehicle V.

[0071] In this way, even if the desired ride section indicated in the ride request is between the current position of the vehicle V and the charging facility where the vehicle V is scheduled to charge as indicated in the travel plan, if the travel of the vehicle V through the desired ride section will result in a travel time from the current position to the charging facility being longer than a predetermined time, the vehicle dispatch management unit 134 may not transmit the dispatch request data to the vehicle V. The predetermined time is, for example, 10% of the time required from the current position to the charging facility.

[0072] The predetermined time may be the difference between the scheduled time when the vehicle V is scheduled to arrive at the scheduled charging position and the scheduled charging date and time. In other words, when it is expected that the vehicle V will be delayed beyond a certain margin of time for the time when the vehicle V should arrive at the scheduled charging position by picking up the user in the desired boarding section, the vehicle dispatch management unit 134 does not transmit the dispatch request data to the vehicle V. By operating in this manner, the vehicle dispatch management unit 134 can prevent the vehicle V from being late for the scheduled charging date and time.

[0073] However, there are cases where the driver wants to prioritize picking up passengers over arriving at the scheduled charging location by the scheduled charging date and time. In this case, when the vehicle dispatch management unit 134 receives a notification from the vehicle terminal 2 based on the driver's operation that the driver wishes to accept a vehicle dispatch, the vehicle dispatch management unit 134 may transmit vehicle dispatch request data to the vehicle terminal 2 even if the desired boarding section indicated by the dispatch request data is not between the current location of the vehicle V and the charging facility where the vehicle V is scheduled to be charged, as indicated by the travel plan.

[0074] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the vehicle terminal 2 when the scheduled charging date and time is approaching. As shown in FIG. 7(a), the vehicle terminal 2 displays a screen indicating that the scheduled charging date and time is approaching. When the driver presses a button "Head to charging location" on this screen, the vehicle terminal 2 displays a map showing a route from the current location to the scheduled charging location, as shown in FIG. 7(b). On this screen, the vehicle terminal 2 displays a "Resume vehicle dispatch reception" button for setting the resumption of vehicle dispatch reception. When the driver presses the "Resume vehicle dispatch reception" button, the vehicle terminal 2 transmits vehicle dispatch request notification data to the information processing device 1. When the vehicle dispatch management unit 134 receives the vehicle dispatch request notification data, it transmits vehicle dispatch request data to the vehicle terminal 2 even if the scheduled charging date and time is approaching.

[0075] [Processing flow in information processing device 1] Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing by the information processing device 1 to create a driving plan. The flowchart shown in Fig. 8 starts from the point in time when the information processing device 1 receives an instruction to create a driving plan from an external device. The information processing device 1 may start the processing of the flowchart shown in Fig. 8 from a predetermined time before the vehicle V starts traveling, regardless of an instruction from the external device. Furthermore, the information processing device 1 may repeat the processing of the flowchart shown in Fig. 8 after the vehicle V starts traveling.

[0076] The acquisition unit 131 selects a vehicle V for which a driving plan is to be created, and acquires remaining power data of the selected vehicle V (S11). Next, the plan creation unit 132 refers to the remaining power data stored in the storage unit 12, and identifies the distance that the vehicle V can travel based on the remaining power data (S12). The plan creation unit 132 also refers to the dispatch schedule data stored in the storage unit 12 in association with the vehicle V, to identify the planned travel section and the time at which the vehicle V should travel along the planned travel section (S13).

[0077] Next, the plan creation unit 132 determines whether or not the vehicle V needs to be charged before traveling the planned traveling section, based on the travelable distance identified in S12 and the details of the planned traveling section identified in S13 (S14). Specifically, the plan creation unit 132 calculates a distance that is predicted to travel from when the vehicle V starts traveling to when it starts traveling the planned traveling section, based on, for example, the past traveling history of the vehicle V. The plan creation unit 132 determines whether or not the vehicle V needs to be charged before traveling the planned traveling section, based on whether or not the travelable distance after subtracting the calculated distance from the travelable distance identified in S12 is longer than the distance of the planned traveling section.

[0078] If the plan creation unit 132 determines that the travelable distance is shorter than the distance of the planned driving section or the distance of the planned driving section plus a predetermined margin and the vehicle V will not be able to travel the planned driving section, it sets the planned charging date and time before the planned driving section (S15).If the plan creation unit 132 determines that the travelable distance is equal to or greater than the distance of the planned driving section or the distance of the planned driving section plus a predetermined margin and the vehicle V will be able to travel the planned driving section, it sets the planned charging date and time after the planned driving section (S16).

[0079] Next, the reservation unit 133 determines whether the probability that the driver will charge on the scheduled charging date and time is equal to or higher than a threshold (S17). For example, the reservation unit 133 calculates the probability to be higher the shorter the possible driving distance at the time when the vehicle starts traveling along the scheduled driving section. As an example, the reservation unit 133 sets the probability to 100% if the possible driving distance at the time when the vehicle starts traveling along the scheduled driving section is zero, and sets the probability to 70% if the possible driving distance at the time when the vehicle starts traveling along the scheduled driving section is the same as the distance of the scheduled driving section.

[0080] When the reservation unit 133 determines that the accuracy is equal to or higher than a threshold (e.g., equal to or higher than 70%) (YES in S17), it reserves a charging facility within a predetermined range from a location where the vehicle V is predicted to be before starting to travel in the planned travel section (S18). When the reservation unit 133 determines that the accuracy is lower than the threshold (NO in S17), it does not reserve a charging facility.

[0081] The control unit 13 determines whether or not it is necessary to create a driving plan for the other vehicle V (S19). If it is necessary to create a driving plan for the other vehicle V (YES in S19), the control unit 13 repeats the processes from S11 to S19. If it is not necessary to create a driving plan for the other vehicle V (NO in S19), the control unit 13 ends the process of creating a driving plan.

[0082] 9 is a flowchart showing a process flow when the information processing device 1 acquires vehicle dispatch request data. When the vehicle dispatch management unit 134 acquires the vehicle dispatch request data (S21), it selects one vehicle V from a plurality of vehicles V registered in advance (S22). The vehicle dispatch management unit 134 refers to a driving plan stored in the storage unit 12 in association with the vehicle V, and determines whether or not the vehicle V is scheduled to be charged within a first predetermined time before the desired boarding time indicated by the vehicle dispatch request data and within a second predetermined time after the desired boarding time (S23).

[0083] The first predetermined time is the sum of the time required for charging and the time required to travel from the charging location to the desired boarding location, e.g., 60 minutes. The second predetermined time is the sum of the time required for riding from the desired boarding location to the desired disembarking location and the time required to travel from the desired disembarking location to the location of the charging facility.

[0084] When the vehicle dispatch management unit 134 determines that the vehicle V is scheduled to charge (YES in S23), it determines whether or not the desired boarding section indicated by the dispatch request data is on the way of the vehicle V moving to the charging facility (S24). When the boarding section is on the way of the vehicle V moving to the charging facility (YES in S24), the vehicle dispatch management unit 134 determines whether or not the vehicle V will arrive in time for the reserved time of the charging facility even if it picks up a passenger in the boarding section (S25). When the vehicle dispatch management unit 134 determines that the vehicle V will arrive in time for the reserved time, it transmits dispatch request data to the vehicle V (S26). When the vehicle dispatch management unit 134 receives dispatch acceptance data from the vehicle V (YES in S27), it ends the dispatch process.

[0085] If the vehicle allocation management unit 134 determines in S23 that there is no charging schedule (NO in S23), it transmits vehicle allocation request data to the vehicle V. If the vehicle allocation management unit 134 determines NO in S24, S25, and S27, it returns to S22, selects another vehicle V, and repeats the processes from S23 to S27.

[0086] [Effects of information processing device 1] As described above, the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment refers to travel distance data indicating the relationship between the remaining power of the storage battery mounted on the vehicle V and the distance the vehicle V can travel, and identifies the distance the vehicle V can travel before charging at a charging facility, thereby creating a travel plan including the location of the charging facility where the vehicle V will be charged and the scheduled date and time of charging the vehicle V. The information processing device 1 creates such a travel plan, and the driver is able to understand the travel plan, allowing the driver to charge the vehicle V at an appropriate timing. As a result, the probability that the vehicle V will be unable to travel can be reduced.

[0087] Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. For example, all or part of the device can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit. Specifically, the information processing device 1 does not have the reservation unit 133 and the vehicle allocation management unit 134, and another device has the reservation unit 133 and the vehicle allocation management unit 134, and the information processing device 1 may operate in cooperation with the other device. In addition, new embodiments resulting from any combination of multiple embodiments are also included in the embodiments of the present invention. The effect of the new embodiment resulting from the combination also has the effect of the original embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 1. Information processing device 2 Vehicle terminal 3. User terminal 4 Reservation Server 11 Communications Department 12 Storage section 13 Control section 131 Acquisition Department 132 Planning Department 133 Reservations 134 Vehicle Dispatch Management Department

Claims

1. a storage unit that stores location data indicating the location of a charging facility capable of charging a storage battery of a vehicle, and travelable distance data indicating a relationship between a remaining amount of power in the storage battery and a travelable distance of the vehicle; an acquisition unit that acquires remaining power data indicating a remaining power amount of the storage battery; a plan creation unit that creates a driving plan for the vehicle, the plan including information for identifying the charging facility at which the vehicle will be charged and a scheduled date and time for charging the vehicle, by referring to the travelable distance data and specifying a distance that the vehicle can travel with the remaining power indicated by the remaining power data acquired by the acquisition unit before being charged at the charging facility; having the plan creation unit transmits a notification regarding charging to the vehicle when a predetermined time has passed until the scheduled charging date and time, and when it determines that there is a possibility that the vehicle will not be able to arrive at a location where the charging facility is located by a date and time that is a predetermined margin time before the scheduled charging date and time, it transmits the notification at the time of the determination even if the scheduled charging date and time is earlier than the predetermined time. Information processing device.

2. the plan creation unit calculates a time required for the vehicle to travel from a current position of the vehicle to a position where the charging facility is located, and when it is determined that the calculated time is longer than a time from a current time to the scheduled charging date and time by the margin time, determines that there is a possibility that the vehicle will not be able to arrive. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The plan creation unit transmits the notification indicating a location of the charging facility and a time when charging should start.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The notification is not output as audio when the vehicle is in motion, and the content of the notification is displayed within the vehicle.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The computer executes acquiring remaining power data indicating a remaining power amount of a storage battery of the vehicle; creating a driving plan for the vehicle, the driving plan including information for identifying the charging facility at which the vehicle will be charged and a scheduled date and time for charging the vehicle, by referring to travel distance data indicating a relationship between the remaining power of the storage battery and a distance that the vehicle can travel, and specifying a distance that the vehicle can travel with the remaining power indicated by the acquired remaining power data before charging at a charging facility; sending a notification regarding charging to the vehicle when a predetermined time has passed until the scheduled charging date and time, and when it is determined that there is a possibility that the vehicle will not be able to arrive at a location where the charging facility is located by a date and time that is a predetermined margin time before the scheduled charging date and time, sending the notification at the time of the determination even if the scheduled charging date and time is earlier than the predetermined time; An information processing method comprising the steps of:

6. On the computer, acquiring remaining power data indicating a remaining power amount of a storage battery of the vehicle; creating a driving plan for the vehicle, the driving plan including information for identifying the charging facility at which the vehicle will be charged and a scheduled date and time for charging the vehicle, by referring to travel distance data indicating a relationship between the remaining power of the storage battery and a distance that the vehicle can travel, and specifying a distance that the vehicle can travel with the remaining power indicated by the acquired remaining power data before charging at a charging facility; sending a notification regarding charging to the vehicle when a predetermined time has passed until the scheduled charging date and time, and when it is determined that there is a possibility that the vehicle will not be able to arrive at a location where the charging facility is located by a date and time that is a predetermined margin time before the scheduled charging date and time, sending the notification at the time of the determination even if the scheduled charging date and time is earlier than the predetermined time; A program for executing the above.

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