Control device, control method, and program

Abstract

To actuate a communication circuit that controls charging appropriately according to the temperature of the communication circuit.SOLUTION: A control device includes a controller that establishes communication between charging equipment and a communication circuit provided in a vehicle. The controller acquires temperature information of the communication circuit from a sensor before the communication between the charging equipment and the communication circuit is established. The controller then transmits a control value, which is a parameter that determines an output value of the communication circuit corresponding to the temperature information, to the communication circuit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] In vehicles that use electric power to drive their motors, the drive batteries are charged at charging stands (also called charging facilities) installed on the roadside. There is a technology that enables a vehicle to communicate with a charging stand by using Power Line Communication (PLC) to establish communication and realize charging. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-151222 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, if the communication circuit that performs the communication related to charging becomes too hot before starting communication with the charging station, the communication related to charging may not be performed properly. An aspect of the disclosed embodiment is to operate the communication circuit appropriately according to the temperature of the communication circuit that performs the communication related to charging. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] An embodiment of the disclosure is exemplified by a control device. The control device includes a controller that establishes communication between a charging facility and a communication circuit provided in a vehicle. The controller acquires temperature information of the communication circuit from a sensor before communication between the communication circuit and the charging facility is established. Then, the controller transmits a control value, which is a parameter that determines an output value of the communication circuit corresponding to the temperature information, to the communication circuit. Effect of the Invention

[0006] The present control device can operate the communication circuit appropriately in accordance with the temperature of the communication circuit that performs communication related to charging. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a vehicle and a charging facility according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a vehicle and a charging facility according to a comparative example. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a procedure of a communication process between an on-board control unit of a vehicle according to a comparative example and a PLC-IC. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the vehicle and the configuration of the charging facility according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram illustrating a procedure of communication processing by the on-board control unit of the vehicle according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram illustrating the process of the charging control unit of the vehicle according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a process of updating a table in a memory executed by the charging control unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a first example of the control value. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a second example of the control value. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, a control device, a charging control method, and a program according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0009] First Embodiment An on-board control unit 11 as a control device, a charging control method, and a program according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. Figure 1 illustrates a vehicle 1 according to this embodiment, and a charging facility 2 (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment, EVSE) that supplies power to a battery 19 (see Figure 2, also called a secondary battery or a storage battery) of the vehicle 1.

[0010] The vehicle 1 is called an electric vehicle, and can charge a battery 19 for driving. The vehicle 1 executes a charging process for the battery 19 between the vehicle 1 and the charging facility 2. In a procedure called Plug and Charge (PnC) of the charging process, when a plug 2B of the charging facility 2 is attached to a connection unit (also called a power receiving unit) of the vehicle 1, authentication is performed between the charging facility 2 and the vehicle 1. Then, after the authentication, the vehicle 1 is charged and billed for the charging. In such a charging process, the vehicle 1 and the charging facility 2 communicate with each other via PLC-ICs 21 and 22 (see FIG. 4).

[0011] (Comparative examples and their problems) 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a vehicle 501 and a charging facility 2 according to a comparative example. The vehicle 501 has an on-board control unit 511, a battery 519, a charging circuit 518, and a PLC-IC 512 that executes communication regarding charging with the charging facility 2 and the like. On the other hand, the charging facility 2 has an equipment control unit 21, a PLC-IC 22, and a power circuit 28.

[0012] The in-vehicle control unit 511 controls charging of the battery 519 by the charging circuit 518 in the vehicle 501. During charging, the in-vehicle control unit 511 communicates with the charging equipment 2 via the PLC-IC 512 and is involved in the supply of power from the charging equipment 2 to the charging circuit 518 and the billing process. The in-vehicle control unit 511 is connected to the PLC-IC 512 via, for example, an SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface).

[0013] The PLC-ICs 512 and 22 are integrated circuits (ICs) that connect the vehicle 501 and the charging facility 2 and communicate with each other. The PLC-ICs 512 and 22 are connected to each other via communication lines CL1, CL2, etc. The signal on the communication line CL1 is, for example, a control pilot (CPLT (Control Pilot)) signal. The CPLT signal includes, for example, Information is exchanged by the duty ratio or the peak value of a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal. In addition, the communication line CL2 exchanges messages for V2G (Vehicle to Grid) communication conforming to the ISO / IEC 15118 standard, for example, by using a high-frequency signal.

[0014] However, the connection between the PLC-ICs 512 and 22 is not limited to the connection including the communication lines CL1 and CL2. For example, the communication lines CL1 and CL2 may be a single communication line CL. In other words, when the connection between the PLC-ICs 512 and 22 is a single communication line CL for performing V2G communication, a CPLT signal and a PWM signal may be superimposed on the single communication line CL.

[0015] The charging circuit 518 receives power from the power circuit 28 of the charging facility 2 via the power line PL under the control of the on-board control unit 511, and charges a battery 519 mounted on the vehicle 501. The battery 519 is mounted on the vehicle 501, and supplies power to a driving unit such as a motor of the vehicle 501.

[0016] The charging facility 2 includes a facility control unit 21, a PLC-IC 22, and a power circuit 28. The facility control unit 21 communicates with the vehicle 501 via the PLC-IC 22 in accordance with ISO / IEC 15118 The system performs V2G (Vehicle to Grid) communication compliant with the standard and supplies power to vehicle 1. The power circuit 28 supplies electric power from, for example, a commercial power source 30 to the vehicle 1 via a power line PL.

[0017] 3 is a diagram illustrating a procedure of communication processing between the vehicle-mounted control unit 511 of the vehicle 501 according to the comparative example and the PLC-IC 512. The vehicle-mounted control unit 511 starts up (S501) when, for example, the plug 2B of FIG. 1 is attached to the power receiving unit of the charging circuit 518 (FIG. 2) of the vehicle 501. After starting up, the vehicle-mounted control unit 511 resets the PLC-IC 512 and releases the reset (restarts the PLC-IC 512) (S503).

[0018] Then, the in-vehicle control unit 511 downloads firmware (FW) data to the PLC-IC 512 (S504). The in-vehicle control unit 511 transmits the firmware (FW) data to the PLC-IC 512 and also transmits parameters specifying the output value of the signal of the PLC-IC 512 (for example, signal amplitude, peak value, or power value, etc.) to the PLC-IC 512. However, the parameter specifying the output value of the signal of the PLC-IC 512 may be a parameter specifying a voltage value. Such a parameter is called a control value or a set value. In this case, the parameter specifying the output value of the signal of the PLC-IC 512 is determined on the assumption that the temperature of the PLC-IC 512 or the environmental temperature around the PLC-IC 512 is at normal temperature. That is, in the comparative example of FIG. 3, the parameter specifying the output value of the signal of the PLC-IC 512 adopts a reference value at normal temperature. The reference value at normal temperature is an empirical value, an experimental value, etc. that is assumed to be appropriate when the temperature of the PLC-IC 512 or the environmental temperature around the PLC-IC 512 is at normal temperature.

[0019] As described above, in accordance with S504, the in-vehicle control unit 511 completes the download of firmware (FW) data and the transmission of various parameters to the PLC-IC 512. Then, the equipment control unit 21 of the charging equipment 2 starts processing using the downloaded firmware (FW) data and executes processing according to the transmitted parameters. Then, the in-vehicle control unit 511 starts V2G communication such as SLAC (Signal Level Attenuation Characterization) processing with the charging equipment 2 via the PLC-IC 512 (S509 At this time, as described in FIG. 2, the PLC-IC 512 transmits and receives information by CPLT signals (PWM signals) and messages by high-frequency signals between the charging equipment 2 and the PLC-IC 512 via the communication lines CL1, CL2, etc.

[0020] However, the output value of the transmission signal of the PLC-IC 512 changes depending on the temperature. When the temperature of the PLC-IC 512 or the environmental temperature around the PLC-IC 512 deviates from the normal temperature and becomes high or low, an error in the output value of the transmission signal may occur compared to the transmission output value at normal temperature. If the error in the output value of the transmission signal is within an allowable range, there is little problem. However, when the difference between the temperature of the PLC-IC 512 or the environmental temperature around the PLC-IC 512 and the normal temperature exceeds a limit, this difference may exceed the temperature limit of the manufacturer's reference specification specified for the PLC-IC 512. For example, the error in the output value of the transmission signal of the PLC-IC 512 may exceed the limit. Therefore, in order for the vehicle 501 to properly execute processing between the vehicle 501 and the charging equipment 2, it is required that the components mounted on the vehicle 1, such as the PLC-IC 512, meet the reference specification specified by the manufacturer. In other words, it is desired to respond to the usage environment and usage conditions, such as matching the entire vehicle 501. In each of the first to third embodiments, the temperatures (room temperature, low temperature, high temperature) are exemplified as follows. High temperature is, for example, a temperature of 85 degrees Celsius or higher. On the other hand, low temperature is, for example, a temperature of -30 degrees Celsius or lower. Furthermore, room temperature is, for example, a temperature in the range of 15 degrees Celsius to 25 degrees Celsius.

[0021] (Configuration of the embodiment) Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a vehicle 1 and the configuration of a charging facility 2 according to this embodiment. The vehicle 1 has an on-board control unit 11, a battery 19, a charging circuit 18, and a PLC-IC 12 that executes communication related to charging with the charging facility 2 and the like. On the other hand, similar to Fig. 2, the charging facility 2 has an equipment control unit 21, a PLC-IC 22, and a power circuit 28.

[0022] The vehicle 1 of this embodiment differs from the vehicle 501 of the comparative example in that the vehicle 1 has a temperature sensor 16 and an A / D converter 17 (Analog / Digital converter). The temperature sensor 16 measures the temperature of the PLC-IC 12 or the environmental temperature around the PLC-IC 12. The temperature of the PLC-IC 12 is, for example, the temperature of the outer wall of the package of the PLC-IC 12. The temperature of the environmental temperature around the PLC-IC 12 is, for example, the temperature of the space surrounding the PLC-IC 12. The temperature of the space surrounding the PLC-IC 12 is, for example, the temperature on the same board as the board on which the PLC-IC 12 is mounted, or the temperature of the space above the board. Also, the temperature of the space surrounding the PLC-IC 12 is, for example, the temperature inside a case (housing) in which the PLC-IC 12 is accommodated. In each embodiment of this embodiment, the PLC-IC 12 is exemplified as the communication circuit. Furthermore, in each embodiment of this embodiment, examples of the temperature information of the communication circuit include the temperature of the PLC-IC 12 or the environmental temperature around the PLC-IC 12. However, the temperature information of the communication circuit is not limited to the examples given in these embodiments.

[0023] However, in this embodiment, the vehicle 1 is not limited to one including the temperature sensor 16. For example, the vehicle control unit 11 acquires temperature information from another control microcomputer, an ECU (Electric Control Unit), etc. mounted on the same board as the board on which the PLC-IC 12 is mounted. This is also fine.

[0024] In this embodiment, there is no limitation on the type of temperature sensor 16. The temperature sensor 16 may be of a contact type, such as a thermocouple, a thermistor, a platinum resistance temperature detector, or a bimetal. The temperature sensor 16 may be of a non-contact type. For example, the temperature sensor 16 may be an infrared sensor. The A / D converter 17 converts the detection value of the temperature sensor 16 into digital data and transmits it to the on-board control unit 11.

[0025] FIG. 4 illustrates detailed configurations of the in-vehicle control unit 11 and the PLC-IC 12. The in-vehicle control unit 11 is also called a control microcomputer or ECU. The in-vehicle control unit 11 has a CPU 111, a memory 112, an SPI communication unit 113, and an input / output unit 114. The CPU 111 is also called a processor. The CPU 111 executes processing related to PnC and controls charging to the battery 19 by a computer program executablely deployed in the memory 112. The CPU 111 and the memory 112 can be said to be an example of a controller. However, the in-vehicle control unit 11 can also be said to be an example of a controller. The memory 112 is a volatile RAM (Random Access Memory), a rewritable ROM, or the like. The rewritable ROM is, for example, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), a flash memory, or the like.

[0026] The SPI communication unit 113 is a circuit that executes SPI communication with the PLC-IC 12. However, the communication between the in-vehicle control unit 11 and the PLC-IC 12 is not limited to SPI communication. That is, the in-vehicle control unit 11 may use any of a variety of communication methods, including I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit), CAN (Controller Interface), and the like. The device may also have circuits that execute other communication procedures, such as CAN FD (with Flexible Data Rate), LIN (Local Interconnect Network), FlexRay, and MOST (Media Oriented Systems Transport).

[0027] The input / output unit 114 is a circuit that serves as an interface between the CPU 111 and a circuit external to the in-vehicle control unit 11. For example, the input / output unit 114 converts a detection value from the A / D converter 17 into a CP The input / output unit 114 also transmits a control signal from the CPU 111 to the charging circuit 18 and the like.

[0028] The PLC-IC 12 has a CPU 121, a memory 122, an SPI communication unit 123, and a PLC communication unit 124. The configurations and processes of the CPU 121, the memory 122, and the SPI communication unit 123 are similar to those of the CPU 111, the memory 112, and the SPI communication unit 113. However, the CPU 121 executes PLC communication with the charging equipment 2 via the PLC communication unit 124 by a computer program (the above-mentioned firmware (FW)) deployed in an executable manner in the memory 122. Also, like the in-vehicle control unit 11, the PLC-IC 12 may have a circuit that executes another communication procedure instead of the SPI communication unit 123 and communicate with the in-vehicle control unit 11.

[0029] The PLC communication unit 124 is connected to the PLC-IC 22 of the charging equipment 2 via communication lines CL1 and CL2. The PLC communication unit 124 transmits and receives a CPLT signal (PWM signal) to and from the PLC-IC 22 via the communication line CL1. The PLC communication unit 124 also transmits and receives messages by high-frequency signals to and from the PLC-IC 22 via the communication line CL2. However, as described in FIG. 2, the communication lines CL1 and CL2 may be one communication line CL, and a signal in which the CPLT signal and the high-frequency signal are superimposed may be transmitted and received between the PLC-IC 12 and the PLC-IC 22.

[0030] The in-vehicle control unit 11 downloads firmware (FW) to the memory 122 of the PLC-IC 12 by SPI communication. The in-vehicle control unit 11 also downloads parameters that define the operation of the PLC communication unit 124 to the memory 122 by SPI communication. The parameters that define the operation of the PLC communication unit 124 define, for example, the output value of the signal of the PLC communication unit 124, such as the signal amplitude, peak value, or power value. The CPU 121 of the PLC-IC 12 adjusts the output value of the signal of the PLC communication unit 124 according to the parameters specified by the in-vehicle control unit 11.

[0031] This parameter may be a setting value that specifies the output value of the signal of the PLC communication unit 124. Also, this parameter may be a value that corrects the output value of the signal of the PLC communication unit 124. When the output value of the signal of the PLC communication unit 124 is specified, the CPU 121 of the PLC-IC 12 controls the output value of the signal of the PLC communication unit 124 to the specified value. Also, when the correction value of the signal of the PLC communication unit 124 is specified, the CPU 121 of the PLC-IC 12 may correct the output value of the signal of the PLC communication unit 124 to the specified correction value. Here, the correction means, for example, adjusting the current output value with a correction value (increment value or decrement value). Hereinafter, the setting value that specifies the output value of the signal of the PLC communication unit 124 or the correction value that corrects the output value is collectively called a parameter that determines the output value of the PLC-IC 12, and is also called a control value. As already mentioned, in each embodiment of this embodiment, the PLC-IC 12 is exemplified as a communication circuit. Therefore, this control value, which is a parameter that determines the output value of the PLC-IC 12, can be said to be an example of a control value that is a parameter that determines the output value of the communication circuit.

[0032] (Processing flow of the embodiment) FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram illustrating the procedure of communication processing by the on-board control unit 11 of the vehicle 1 according to this embodiment. For example, when the plug 2B in FIG. 1 is attached to the power receiving unit of the charging circuit 18 of the vehicle 1, the on-board control unit 11 is started (S1). After starting up, the on-board control unit 11 starts temperature detection by the temperature sensor 16 (S2). Temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 16 is notified to the CPU 111 from the A / D converter 17 and the input / output unit 114 at a set cycle. This cycle can be set for the vehicle 1 by the manufacturer, by a maintenance technician, or by the user. When the temperature information is notified to the input / output unit 114, the CPU 111 may acquire the notified temperature information, for example, while executing the processing of FIG. 5. However, in S Through the process of 2, the CPU 111 may start an input / output process that executes processing in parallel with the process that executes the processing of FIG. 5, and may obtain the notified temperature information in parallel with the processing of FIG.

[0033] Next, the in-vehicle control unit 11 executes reset and reset release of the PLC-IC 12 (S3). Then, the in-vehicle control unit 511 downloads firmware (FW) data to the PLC-IC 512 (S4). That is, the in-vehicle control unit 11 transmits firmware (FW) data to the PLC-IC 12. The process of S4 can be said to be an example of a process for executing the firmware (FW) of the PLC-IC 12. Therefore, it can be said that the in-vehicle control unit 11 executes a process for executing the firmware (FW) of the PLC-IC 12 before the communication between the PLC-IC 12 and the charging equipment 2 is established. Also, it can be said that the in-vehicle control unit 11 measures temperature information (started in S2) before the process of S4 for executing the firmware (FW) of the PLC-IC 12.

[0034] Further, the in-vehicle control unit 11 transmits firmware (FW) data and writes parameters specifying a control value (e.g., signal amplitude, peak value, voltage value, or power value) of the signal of the PLC-IC 12 to the memory 122 of the PLC-IC 12 (S4). In this case, the in-vehicle control unit 11 refers to a table or the like in the memory 112 based on the temperature information notified from the temperature sensor 16, and determines the parameters specifying the output value of the signal of the PLC-IC 12. However, the in-vehicle control unit 11 may determine the parameters specifying the output value of the signal of the PLC-IC 12 by a function stored in the memory 112 based on the notified temperature information. That is, the in-vehicle control unit 11 determines the control value of the signal of the PLC-IC 12 according to the detected temperature information of the PLC-IC 12, and writes it to the memory 122 of the PLC-IC 12.

[0035] In addition, the in-vehicle control unit 11 can also transmit a control value for the output of PLC-IC 12 to PLC-IC 12 while performing processing (S4) to have PLC-IC 12 execute the firmware (FW) of PLC-IC 12.

[0036] In this way, according to S4, the in-vehicle control unit 511 completes the download of firmware (FW) data and the setting of various parameters including the control value of the output of the PLC-IC 12 to the PLC-IC 12. Then, the in-vehicle control unit 11 stops acquiring temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 16 and transmitted from the A / D converter 17 and the input / output unit 114 (S8). Then, the in-vehicle control unit 11 starts V2G communication with the charging equipment 2 including SLAC processing via the PLC-IC 12 (S9).

[0037] (Effects of the first embodiment) As described above, the in-vehicle control unit 11 (CPU 111) as an example of a controller executes the process of S2 before the communication between the PLC-IC 12 as an example of a communication circuit and the charging equipment 2 is established. As a result, the in-vehicle control unit 11 acquires the temperature of the PLC-IC 12 or temperature information of the environment including the PLC-IC 12 from the temperature sensor 16 before the communication between the PLC-IC 12 and the charging equipment 2 is established (S2). Then, the in-vehicle control unit 11 determines a control value of the output of the PLC-IC 12 corresponding to the temperature information, and transmits the determined control value to the PLC-IC 12 (S4). Therefore, the in-vehicle control unit 11 of this embodiment can control the output of the PLC-IC 12 to an appropriate target value, for example, within the temperature limit range of the reference specification specified by the manufacturer, according to the temperature information of the PLC-IC 12 or the temperature information of the environment including the PLC-IC 12.

[0038] The memory 112 stores the temperature information value and the control value for controlling the output of the PLC-IC 12 at the temperature specified by the temperature information in association with each other. The temperature information value and the control value may be associated with each other in a table. The temperature information value and the control value may be associated with each other in an empirical formula. The control value may be, for example, a parameter for controlling the output of the PLC-IC 12 to an appropriate target value.

[0039] In this embodiment, the in-vehicle control unit 11 can be said to include a memory 112 in which a control value of the output of the PLC-IC 12 corresponding to the temperature information is stored. Therefore, the in-vehicle control unit 11 can control the PLC-IC 12 according to the control value of the output of the PLC-IC 12 corresponding to the temperature information stored in the memory 112. Since the control value of the output is stored in the memory 112, the manufacturer or user of the in-vehicle control unit 11 can set a desired value according to the situation as the control value of the output.

[0040] Furthermore, the control value stored in the memory 112 may be a correction value. The in-vehicle control unit 11 may correct the output of the PLC-IC 12 corresponding to the temperature information based on the correction value stored in the memory 112. Then, the in-vehicle control unit 11 may transmit to the PLC-IC 12 a setting value for making the output of the PLC-IC 12 the corrected output. In other words, the in-vehicle control unit 11 corrects the output of the PLC-IC 12 corresponding to the temperature information based on the correction value and determines the output, so that the in-vehicle control unit 11 can centrally process the vehicle 1 including the PLC-IC 12.

[0041] However, the in-vehicle control unit 11 may transmit the correction value stored in the memory 112 to the PLC-IC 12 and cause the PLC-IC 12 to correct the output. The PLC-IC 12 corrects the output of the PLC-IC 12 corresponding to the temperature information based on the transmitted correction value, thereby enabling distributed processing by the in-vehicle control unit 11 and the PLC-IC 12.

[0042] As described above, the PLC-IC 12 establishes communication with the charging facility 2 by executing firmware (FW), which is a computer program. In this embodiment, the in-vehicle control unit 11 performs processing for executing the firmware (FW) of the PLC-IC 12 before communication between the PLC-IC 12 and the charging facility 2 is established. Therefore, in this embodiment, the in-vehicle control unit 11 can adjust various characteristics including the output of the PLC-IC 12 before communication between the PLC-IC 12 and the charging facility 2 is established. As a result, the in-vehicle control unit 11 can stably execute communication between the PLC-IC 12 and the charging facility 2.

[0043] Then, before processing for causing the PLC-IC 12 to execute the firmware (FW), the in-vehicle control unit 11 measures temperature information of the PLC-IC 12 or temperature information of the environment including the PLC-IC 12. As a result, the in-vehicle control unit 11 can reliably obtain the temperature information before communication between the PLC-IC 12 and the charging equipment 2 is established.

[0044] As described above, the in-vehicle control unit 11 can transmit the output control value of the PLC-IC 12 to the PLC-IC 12 while performing processing for causing the PLC-IC 12 to execute the firmware (FW). The in-vehicle control unit 11 can transmit the output control value to the PLC-IC 12 in parallel with processing for causing the PLC-IC 12 to execute the firmware (FW) at a certain preparation stage.

[0045] <Second embodiment> With reference to FIG. 6, the in-vehicle control unit 11 as a control device according to the second embodiment, the charging control method, and the program are described. In the above-mentioned first embodiment, the in-vehicle control unit 11 started detecting temperature information before starting to download firmware (FW), and determined a control value for the output of the PLC-IC 12 corresponding to the temperature information. Then, the in-vehicle control unit 11 transmitted the determined output control value to the PLC-IC 12 (S4 in FIG. 5 above). In this embodiment, a process is further exemplified in which, before starting communication such as SLAC processing, the in-vehicle control unit 11 determines whether or not it is necessary to transmit the control value for the output of the PLC-IC 12 corresponding to the temperature information, and retransmits the control value for the output of the PLC-IC 12 as necessary. In this embodiment, the in-vehicle control unit 11 determines whether or not it is necessary to transmit the control value for the output of the PLC-IC 12 corresponding to the temperature information. The processes other than the transmission process are similar to those in the first embodiment. Therefore, the configurations of the vehicle 1 and the charging facility 2 in the first embodiment are applied to the present embodiment as they are. Also, the processes other than the process of retransmitting the control value of the output of the PLC-IC 12 are executed as they are in the present embodiment.

[0046] Fig. 6 is a sequence diagram illustrating the process of the in-vehicle control unit 11 as the control device according to the second embodiment. In Fig. 6, the process from S1 to S4 is similar to that in the first embodiment, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

[0047] That is, also in this embodiment, the in-vehicle control unit 11 determines a control value for the output of the PLC-IC 12 corresponding to the temperature information, and transmits the determined control value for the output to the PLC-IC 12 (S4). During the process of S4, the in-vehicle control unit 11 stores in the memory 112 the temperature information at the time when the control value for the output of the PLC-IC 12 was determined.

[0048] Then, before starting V2G communication with the charging equipment 2 including SLAC processing by the PLC-IC 12, the in-vehicle control unit 11 determines whether the latest temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 16 has changed beyond a reference value with respect to the temperature information at the time of execution of the processing of S4 (S5). Here, the temperature information at the time of execution of the processing of S4 is the temperature information stored in the memory 112 when the control value of the output of the PLC-IC 12 was determined.

[0049] However, instead of determining whether the temperature information has changed beyond the reference value, the in-vehicle control unit 11 may determine whether the control value of the output of the PLC-IC 12 has changed beyond the reference value. That is, the in-vehicle control unit 11 may refer to the control value of the output of the PLC-IC 12 corresponding to the latest temperature information from a table or the like stored in the memory 112 based on the latest temperature information. However, as described in the first embodiment, the in-vehicle control unit 11 may obtain the control value of the output of the PLC-IC 12 corresponding to the latest temperature information by a function based on the latest temperature information. Then, the in-vehicle control unit 11 may determine whether the control value of the output of the PLC-IC 12 corresponding to the latest temperature information has changed beyond the reference value from the value already transmitted to the PLC-IC 12 in the process of S4.

[0050] Then, when it is determined in S5 that the latest temperature information has changed beyond the reference value (YES in S5), the in-vehicle control unit 11 returns the process to S3. As a result, the in-vehicle control unit 11 resets and releases the reset of the PLC-IC 12 again (S3). Furthermore, the in-vehicle control unit 11 again transmits firmware (FW) data and determines a control value for the output of the signal of the PLC-IC 12 corresponding to the latest temperature information. Then, the in-vehicle control unit 11 again writes a parameter specifying the control value for the output of the signal of the PLC-IC 12 corresponding to the latest temperature information to the memory 122 of the PLC-IC 12 (S4).

[0051] As described above, in this embodiment, the in-vehicle control unit 11 performs processing to cause the PLC-IC 12 to execute the firmware (FW), and then acquires a new temperature from the temperature sensor 16 before starting communication such as SLAC processing. Then, if the acquired new temperature deviates from the reference condition, the in-vehicle control unit 11 re-determines the control value of the output of the PLC-IC 12 corresponding to the new temperature. Then, the in-vehicle control unit 11 transmits the determined control value of the output of the PLC-IC 12 to the PLC-IC 12 again. Therefore, even if the temperature of the PLC-IC 12 or the environmental temperature around the PLC-IC 12 fluctuates, the output of the PLC-IC 12 can be controlled to an appropriate value.

[0052] In FIG. 6, if it is determined in S5 that the latest temperature information has changed beyond the reference value (YES in S5), the in-vehicle control unit 11 returns the process to S3. However, the process of the in-vehicle control unit 11 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 6. For example, if it is determined in S5 that the latest temperature information has changed beyond the reference value (YES in S5), When the temperature changes from the temperature at which the vehicle is driven, the vehicle control unit 11 may notify the PLC-IC 12 of a control value for the output of the PLC-IC 12 that corresponds to the new temperature. The vehicle control unit 11 may then change the output of the PLC-IC 12 to correspond to the new temperature while maintaining the firmware (FW) of the PLC-IC 12. In this manner, the vehicle control unit 11 can control the output of the PLC-IC 12 to be within an appropriate range by processing that does not involve a reset.

[0053] <Third embodiment> With reference to FIG. 7, the in-vehicle control unit 11 as a control device according to the third embodiment, the charging control method, and the program are described. In the above-mentioned first embodiment, the in-vehicle control unit 11 started detecting temperature information before starting downloading firmware (FW), and determined the control value of the output of the PLC-IC 12 corresponding to the temperature information. Then, the in-vehicle control unit 11 transmitted the determined control value of the output to the PLC-IC 12. In the second embodiment, further, before starting communication such as SLAC processing, the in-vehicle control unit 11 determined whether or not it was necessary to transmit again the control value of the output of the PLC-IC 12 corresponding to the temperature information. Then, the in-vehicle control unit 11 transmitted again the control value of the output of the PLC-IC 12 as necessary.

[0054] In this embodiment, the in-vehicle control unit 11 may update a control value of the output of the PLC-IC 12 corresponding to the temperature information stored in the memory 112. The process of this embodiment is a process executed offline separately from the process of Fig. 5 of the first embodiment or the process of Fig. 6 of the second embodiment. Therefore, the process of the first embodiment or the second embodiment can be implemented in direct combination with the process of this embodiment.

[0055] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a process of updating the table on the memory 112 executed by the in-vehicle control unit 11. Here, the table on the memory 112 is set with a control value of the output of the PLC-IC 12 corresponding to the temperature information. In addition, as a premise of the process of this embodiment, when the in-vehicle control unit 11 executes the process of FIG. 5 of the first embodiment or FIG. 6 of the second embodiment, the process contents are stored in the memory 112 or a non-volatile storage device as a past record (log). The information stored as the log is the detected temperature information, the control value of the output of the PLC-IC 12 determined corresponding to the temperature information, the output target value, and the actual measurement value of the output of the PLC-IC 12 corresponding to the transmitted control value. That is, the actual measurement value of the output of the PLC-IC 12 is the output value of the PLC-IC 12 that operates according to the transmitted control value when the in-vehicle control unit 11 transmits the control value of the output of the PLC-IC 12 to the PLC-IC 12.

[0056] In this process, the in-vehicle control unit 11 reads out records of past processes from the memory 112 or a non-volatile storage device (S101). Here, the records of past processes include temperature information detected during the latest specified period, a control value to the PLC-IC 12, an output target value of the PLC-IC 12, and an actual output value. If the output target value is a fixed value, it does not need to be included in the records of past processes. Here, the latest specified period is, for example, a period corresponding to the period in which the process of FIG. 7 is periodically executed. For example, if the process of FIG. 7 is executed every time regular maintenance is performed on the vehicle 1, it is the period from the previous maintenance to the current maintenance.

[0057] Next, the in-vehicle control unit 11 calculates a difference between the output target value and the actual output value of the PLC-IC 12 (S102). Then, the in-vehicle control unit 11 judges whether or not the control value for the PLC-IC 12 set in the table on the memory 112 is appropriate (S103). Then, if the control value for the PLC-IC set in the table is not appropriate (NO in S103), the in-vehicle control unit 11 updates the corresponding entry in the table (S104). Here, an example of the process of S104 is illustrated below.

[0058] (1) When the actual output value is smaller than the output target value, the in-vehicle control unit 11 uses the control value in the table The output is increased by an adjustment value, and an updated candidate value is calculated. The adjustment value is, for example, a value determined empirically or experimentally.

[0059] (2) If the actual output value is greater than the target output value, the in-vehicle control unit 11 changes the control value in the table by an adjustment value in the direction in which the output decreases, and calculates an updated candidate value.

[0060] (3) The in-vehicle control unit 11 executes the above processes (1) and (2) for the set of temperature information, control value for the PLC-IC 12, output target value, and actual output value included in the record of the past process read out in S101.

[0061] (4) When two or more candidate values ​​are obtained for the same temperature information as a result of the process in (3) above, the in-vehicle control unit 11 calculates an appropriate value from the obtained two or more candidate values. For example, the in-vehicle control unit 11 may determine the appropriate value from two or more updated candidate values ​​by statistical calculation. For example, the in-vehicle control unit 11 may determine the appropriate value from the average value, median, mode, etc. of two or more updated candidate values. On the other hand, when only one candidate value is obtained for the same temperature information as a result of the process in (3) above, the in-vehicle control unit 11 may determine that candidate value as the appropriate value.

[0062] (5) Then, the in-vehicle control unit 11 updates the control value in the entry of the temperature information for which the appropriate value has been obtained among the entries of the table in the memory 112 as a result of the process of the above (4). Note that if the control value set in the table for the PLC-IC 12 is appropriate (S1 If the answer is YES in step 03, the in-vehicle control unit 11 ends the process shown in FIG. The control value for is appropriate when the difference between the actual output value and the output target value is within a reference value indicating an allowable limit. The reference value indicating an allowable limit can be determined, for example, from the required specifications for the vehicle 1, the required specifications for the on-board control unit 11, specification values ​​in the circuit design, limit values ​​determined experimentally or empirically, and the like.

[0063] As described above, according to this embodiment, the in-vehicle control unit 11 can update the control value of the output of the PLC-IC 12 corresponding to the temperature information in accordance with the actual value of the output of the PLC-IC 12. Therefore, the in-vehicle control unit 11 can appropriately update the table that holds the control value of the output of the PLC-IC 12 corresponding to the temperature information in the memory 112 or the non-volatile memory at the appropriate time, for example, at the time of maintenance of the vehicle 1.

[0064] In addition, even if the in-vehicle control unit 11 associates the temperature information value and the control value with a function based on an empirical formula or the like instead of a table, the process is the same as that of FIG. 7. That is, the in-vehicle control unit 11 executes the processes from S101 to S104 on a set of the temperature information, the control value to the PLC-IC, the output target value, and the actual output value included in the record of the past process read out in S101, and corrects the control value as in FIG. 7. Then, the in-vehicle control unit 11 derives the empirical formula from the relationship between the newly obtained temperature information value and the control value. More specifically, the in-vehicle control unit 11 adjusts, for example, the coefficients of the polynomial that defines the function based on the relationship between the newly obtained temperature information value and the control value according to the least squares method or the like.

[0065] <Example of control value> Here, control values ​​are exemplified when the in-vehicle control unit 11 and the charging control method of the first to third embodiments are applied to a PLC-IC 12. This PLC-IC 12 has a characteristic that, for example, its output value decreases at low and high temperatures compared to its output value at room temperature. However, the application of this in-vehicle control unit 11 and charging control method is not limited to those that have a characteristic that their output value decreases at low and high temperatures. For example, this in-vehicle control unit 11 and charging control method may be applied to a PLC-IC 12 that has a characteristic that its output value increases at low temperatures compared to room temperature. Also, this in-vehicle control unit 11 and charging control method may be applied to a PLC-IC 12 that has a characteristic that its output value increases at high temperatures compared to room temperature. In short, the present in-vehicle control unit 11 and the charging control method may be applied to a PLC-IC 12 having a temperature characteristic. In other words, it is sufficient if the in-vehicle control unit 11 and the charging control method are capable of correcting the control value to be larger in a region where the output value decreases according to the temperature characteristic of a circuit such as the PLC-IC 12. As already mentioned, the output value is, for example, a signal amplitude, a peak value, a voltage value, or a power value. Similarly to the comparative example and the first embodiment, the ranges of normal temperature, low temperature, and high temperature are 15° C. to 25° C., -30° C. or less, and 85° C. or more, respectively. However, examples of the output value, normal temperature, low temperature, and high temperature are not limited to these. FIG. 8 illustrates a first example of control values. The solid lines in FIG. 8 indicate control values ​​corresponding to temperature. The control value has a constant value (C1) for temperatures above minus 30 degrees Celsius and below 85 degrees Celsius. When the temperature is in the low temperature range below minus 30 degrees Celsius, a different control value (C2) is used as shown in FIG. 8. Similarly, when the temperature is in the high temperature range above 85 degrees Celsius, a different control value (C3) is used as shown in FIG. 8. 9 illustrates a second example of the control value. In the second example, the in-vehicle control unit 11 and the charging control method use a constant value (C1) as the control value between room temperature (15 degrees Celsius to 25 degrees Celsius), and use a value obtained by linear interpolation as the control value between low temperature and room temperature. Similarly, the in-vehicle control unit 11 and the charging control method use a value obtained by linear interpolation as the control value between room temperature and high temperature. <Computer-readable recording medium> A program for causing a computer or other machine or device (hereinafter, referred to as a computer, etc.) to realize any of the above functions can be recorded on a recording medium readable by the computer, etc. Then, the computer, etc. can provide the function by reading and executing the program from the recording medium.

[0066] Here, a computer-readable recording medium refers to a recording medium that stores information such as data and programs electrically, magnetically, optically, mechanically, or chemically and can be read by a computer. Among such recording media, those that can be removed from a computer include, for example, flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, CD-R / Ws, DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), Blu-ray discs, DATs (Digital Audio Tapes), 8mm tapes, and memory cards such as flash memories. In addition, examples of recording media that are fixed to a computer include hard disks and ROMs (read-only memories). Furthermore, SSDs (Solid State Drives) are recording media that can be removed from a computer. It can be used as a removable recording medium or as a recording medium fixed to a computer or the like.

[0067] (others) Furthermore, this embodiment includes the following aspects (hereinafter, referred to as supplementary notes).

[0068] (Appendix 1) A control device including a controller that establishes communication between a charging facility and a communication circuit provided in a vehicle, The controller: A control device that acquires temperature information of the communication circuit from a sensor provided in the vehicle before communication between the communication circuit and the charging facility is established, and transmits to the communication circuit a control value that is a parameter for determining an output value of the communication circuit corresponding to the temperature information. (1) (Appendix 2) The control device according to claim 1, wherein the controller includes a memory that stores a control value, which is a parameter that determines an output value of the communication circuit corresponding to the temperature information. (Appendix 3) the control value is a setting value of an output of the communication circuit corresponding to the temperature information, The controller sets a parameter that determines an output value of the communication circuit corresponding to the temperature information. The control device according to claim 2, wherein the control value is data and is read from the memory and transmitted to the communication circuit. (3) (Appendix 4) the control value is a correction value that corrects an output value of the communication circuit corresponding to the temperature information, The control device according to claim 2, wherein the controller reads from the memory a control value for an output value of the communication circuit corresponding to the temperature information, corrects the output value of the communication circuit corresponding to the temperature information based on the control value, and transmits the corrected setting value of the output value of the communication circuit to the communication circuit. (4) (Appendix 5) the control value is a correction value that corrects an output value of the communication circuit corresponding to the temperature information, the controller reads from the memory a control value for an output value of the communication circuit corresponding to the temperature information and transmits the control value to the communication circuit; The control device according to claim 2, wherein the communication circuit corrects an output value of the communication circuit based on the transmitted control value. (Appendix 6) The communication circuit establishes communication with the charging equipment by executing a program, The control device according to any one of appendices 1 to 5, wherein the controller performs a process for causing the communication circuit to execute the program before communication between the communication circuit and the charging facility is established. (6) (Appendix 7) The control device according to claim 6, wherein the controller measures the temperature information before executing the process for causing the communication circuit to execute the program. (Appendix 8) The control device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the controller transmits to the communication circuit a control value, which is a parameter that determines an output value of the communication circuit, when the process for causing the communication circuit to execute the program is being performed. (Appendix 9) The control device according to any one of appendices 6 to 8, wherein the controller acquires new temperature information from the sensor after performing the process for causing the communication circuit to execute the program, and when the acquired new temperature information deviates from a reference condition, transmits to the communication circuit a control value that is a parameter for determining an output value of the communication circuit corresponding to the acquired new temperature information. (8) (Appendix 10) The control device described in Appendix 9, wherein the controller again performs the process to cause the communication circuit to execute the program and transmits a control value to the communication circuit, the control value being a parameter that determines an output value of the communication circuit. (Appendix 11) A control method executed by a controller that establishes communication between a charging facility and a communication circuit provided in a vehicle, comprising: Before communication between the communication circuit and the charging facility is established, temperature information of the communication circuit is obtained from a sensor provided in the vehicle, and a control value, which is a parameter for determining an output value of the communication circuit corresponding to the temperature information, is transmitted to the communication circuit. Charging control method. (9) (Appendix 12) A program for controlling a computer to establish communication between a charging facility and a communication circuit provided in a vehicle, Before communication between the communication circuit and the charging facility is established, temperature information of the communication circuit is obtained from a sensor provided in the vehicle, and an output value of the communication circuit corresponding to the temperature information is determined. and transmitting a control value, which is a parameter, to the communication circuit. Program. (10) [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 1 vehicle 2 Charging equipment 3 User Device 11 Vehicle control unit 12, 22 PLC-IC 16 Temperature Sensor 17 A / D Converter 18 Charging circuit 19 Battery 21 Equipment Control Section 24 Display 28 Power circuit 111, 121 CPU 112, 122 Memory 113, 123 SPI communication section 114 Input / output section 124 PLC communication unit

Claims

1. A control device including a controller that establishes communication between a charging facility and a communication circuit provided in a vehicle, The controller: Before communication between the communication circuit and the charging facility is established, temperature information of the communication circuit is obtained from a sensor provided in the vehicle, and a control value, which is a parameter for determining an output value of the communication circuit corresponding to the temperature information, is transmitted to the communication circuit. Control device.

2. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a memory in which a control value, which is a parameter that determines an output value of the communication circuit corresponding to the temperature information, is stored.

3. the control value is a setting value of an output of the communication circuit corresponding to the temperature information, The control device according to claim 2 , wherein the controller reads from the memory a control value, which is a parameter for determining an output value of the communication circuit corresponding to the temperature information, and transmits the control value to the communication circuit.

4. the control value is a correction value that corrects an output value of the communication circuit corresponding to the temperature information, 3. The control device according to claim 2, wherein the controller reads from the memory a control value for the output value of the communication circuit corresponding to the temperature information, corrects the output value of the communication circuit corresponding to the temperature information based on the control value, and transmits the corrected setting value of the output value of the communication circuit to the communication circuit.

5. the control value is a correction value that corrects an output value of the communication circuit corresponding to the temperature information, the controller reads from the memory a control value for an output value of the communication circuit corresponding to the temperature information and transmits the control value to the communication circuit; The control device according to claim 2 , wherein the communication circuit corrects an output value of the communication circuit based on the transmitted control value.

6. The communication circuit establishes communication with the charging equipment by executing a program, The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller performs a process for causing the communication circuit to execute the program before communication between the communication circuit and the charging facility is established.

7. 7. The control device according to claim 6, wherein the controller transmits to the communication circuit a control value which is a parameter that determines an output value of the communication circuit when performing the process for causing the communication circuit to execute the program.

8. The control device according to claim 6, wherein the controller acquires new temperature information from the sensor after performing the process to cause the communication circuit to execute the program, and when the acquired new temperature information deviates from a reference condition, transmits a control value to the communication circuit, which is a parameter that determines an output value of the communication circuit corresponding to the acquired new temperature information.

9. A control method executed by a controller that establishes communication between a charging facility and a communication circuit provided in a vehicle, comprising: Before communication between the communication circuit and the charging facility is established, temperature information of the communication circuit is obtained from a sensor provided in the vehicle, and an output value of the communication circuit corresponding to the temperature information is determined. A control value, which is a parameter to be set, is transmitted to the communication circuit. Control methods.

10. A program for controlling a computer to establish communication between a charging facility and a communication circuit provided in a vehicle, and executing, before communication between the communication circuit and the charging facility is established, acquiring temperature information of the communication circuit from a sensor provided in the vehicle, and transmitting to the communication circuit a control value that is a parameter for determining an output value of the communication circuit corresponding to the temperature information. program.

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