Charging system of electric vehicle, charging device, electric power accommodation system, electric power charge settlement system, and electric vehicle

Abstract

To propose a charging system of an electric vehicle, a charging device, an electric power accommodation system, an electric power charge settlement system, and an electric vehicle capable of promoting maintenance of charging infrastructure by streamlining, etc. of electric power charge settlement.MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM: When an arbitrary EV is charged in a parking space of a private residence or the like, settlement is implemented so that electricity rate is accounted to the private residence while subtracting the charging rate, and electricity rate is accounted to the EV owner while adding the charging rate. The charging power is measured while specifying the EV in the parking space with an ETC electromagnetic wave or a number plate image. EV specific information is recorded. In an adaptable time zone, the private residence or the like is opened to a car-navigation system of a system subscriber. A system non-subscriber EV or an EV not charging are rejected from the parking space. Private generation power is sold by using the charging power settlement. In a disaster power outage, assistance power supply is implemented from an arbitrary EV to private residences or the like under a public compensation regime.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a charging system for an electric vehicle such as an electric vehicle (EV), a charging device, and an electric vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] The development of charging infrastructure is essential for the spread of electric vehicles such as electric cars. Specifically, it is necessary to install charging stations on road networks so that driving is not hindered. As a means to this end, efforts are being made to install charging stations in various facilities where electric cars stop, such as car dealerships, convenience stores, and parking lots. Furthermore, requests to install charging systems in parking lots in ordinary homes are also being considered. In addition, in order to promote the installation of charging stations and charging systems, for example, consideration is being given to covering the costs. (Patent Document 1)

[0003] On the other hand, when charging electric vehicles in parking lots or charging spaces in apartment complexes, studies are being conducted to keep electricity costs as low as possible while also being able to flexibly respond to users' urgent charging needs (Patent Document 2).

[0004] However, there are still issues that need to be considered regarding promoting the installation of charging stations and charging systems, as well as rationalizing electricity rates. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-121148 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2012-132636 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In view of the above, the problem that the present invention aims to solve is to propose a charging system, charging device, power interchange system, power fee settlement system, and electric vehicle for an electric vehicle that can promote the installation of charging systems by streamlining electricity fee settlement, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a charging system for electric vehicles, which is characterized by comprising a building having a power consumption unit, a parking space attached to the building, a charging device that charges an electric vehicle in the parking space, and a power supply unit that supplies power to the building and the charging device, and a power interchange system that settles the power fee for the power supply unit minus the power fee required for charging the electric vehicle when an electric vehicle is parked in the parking space and charged by the charging device, and charges the manager of the electric vehicle for the power fee required for charging the electric vehicle. As a result, even if an electric vehicle on the power demand side is parked and charged in a parking space attached to a building, it can be charged the same as if it was charged at home, and the building on the power supply side is not substantially charged for the amount of the charge even if another person's electric vehicle is charged. Therefore, an electric vehicle that is subscribed to the power interchange system can be charged in a parking space of another home that is subscribed to the power interchange system even when it is away from home.

[0008] According to a specific feature of the present invention, the building is a private residence, the parking space is a parking space for the private electric vehicle, the power consumption unit is an electrical facility in the private residence, and the arbitrary electric vehicle is an electric vehicle belonging to another person with respect to the private residence. According to another specific feature, the building is a business facility for general consumers, the parking space is a parking space for an electric vehicle belonging to a customer of the business facility, the power consumption unit is an electrical facility in the business facility, and the arbitrary electric vehicle is an electric vehicle belonging to the customer. Thus, according to the present invention, a charging device for a private electric vehicle in a private residence can be used as a charging infrastructure for an arbitrary electric vehicle without the trouble of settling an electricity bill. Furthermore, the present invention can be used not only for private residences, but also for parking lots for business facilities for general consumers as a charging infrastructure for an arbitrary electric vehicle without the trouble of settling an electricity bill.

[0009] According to another specific feature of the present invention, the power interchange system includes a power supply system and a charging management system, the charging management system identifies the arbitrary electric vehicle and receives a report of charging power and reports it to the power supply system, the power supply system charges the power supply unit by deducting the power fee for the charging power to the identified electric vehicle from the power fee, and charges the manager of the identified electric vehicle by adding the power fee for the charging power to the identified electric vehicle to the power supply unit. According to still another specific feature, the power interchange system includes a charging management system, the charging management system identifies the arbitrary electric vehicle and receives a report of charging power, and settles the power fee related to power interchange between the manager of the building who is the power supplier and the manager of the identified electric vehicle who is the power demander for the power fee for the charging power to the identified electric vehicle.

[0010] According to another specific feature of the present invention, the charging device acquires information about the electric vehicle based on an image of the license plate or radio waves from an ETC on-board unit, and reports the information to the charging management system. This makes it possible to identify the electric vehicle for the purpose of settling an electricity bill, for example. According to a more specific feature, the charging device records the acquired information about the electric vehicle. This makes it possible to know the identity of an electric vehicle that is parked and charged in a parking space of a private residence, for example, and to use the charging device as a charging infrastructure for an electric vehicle without the trouble of setting aside an electricity bill and after taking measures to prevent crime.

[0011] According to another specific feature of the present invention, both the manager of the building, which is the power supply side, and the manager of the electric vehicle, which is the power demand side, are registered with the power interchange system. This allows smooth interchange of power, for example. According to a further specific feature of the present invention, when the charging device cannot confirm that the manager of the electric vehicle parked in the parking space is registered with the power interchange system, the charging device prohibits charging of the electric vehicle. This makes it possible to avoid troubles such as electricity theft, even though the electric vehicle is the target. According to a further specific feature of the present invention, when the charging device cannot confirm that the manager of the electric vehicle parked in the parking space is registered with the power interchange system, the charging device takes measures to make the electric vehicle leave the parking space. This makes it possible to prevent illegal parking disguised as power supply. According to another specific feature of the present invention, when the power interchange system cannot confirm that the manager of the electric vehicle parked in the parking space is registered with the power interchange system based on information from the charging device, it reports to the police. This also makes it possible to prevent illegal parking disguised as power supply.

[0012] According to another specific feature of the present invention, the charging device takes measures to make any electric vehicle leave the parking space when the electric vehicle has been parked in the parking space for a predetermined time or more without charging, thereby preventing a vehicle from staying in the parking space for a long time under the pretext of charging and depriving other vehicles of a charging opportunity.

[0013] According to another specific feature of the present invention, the charging device sets a time period during which charging is permitted for the arbitrary electric vehicle and notifies the power interchange system, and the power interchange system publishes the location information of the parking space where charging is permitted to the car navigation system of the arbitrary electric vehicle. This allows a vehicle that urgently needs to be charged to know the nearest charging spot. According to a further specific feature of the present invention, the power interchange system notifies the police based on the information of the charging device when the arbitrary electric vehicle is parked in the parking space outside the time period during which charging is permitted. This solves the problem of a building manager's parking space being occupied by another person's vehicle despite the manager's own need for the space.

[0014] According to another specific feature of the present invention, when the building manager's own electric vehicle is parked in the parking space, the charging device can receive power from the storage battery of the vehicle to the power consumption unit of the building, and when the optional electric vehicle is parked in the parking space, the charging device cannot receive power from the storage battery of the optional vehicle to the power consumption unit of the building in principle. This makes it possible to prevent a disruption in power supply caused by receiving power from the storage battery of an optional electric vehicle when using the storage battery of the vehicle as an auxiliary power source for the building. According to a further specific feature of the present invention, the charging device can receive power from the storage battery of the optional electric vehicle parked in the parking space to the power consumption unit of the building only in an emergency such as a disaster. This makes it possible for the building manager to receive support for power supply, prioritizing avoidance of power supply disruptions in an emergency such as a power outage caused by a disaster. According to a further specific feature of the present invention, the power interchange system enables the manager of any electric vehicle parked in the parking space and supplying power to the power consuming unit of the building in an emergency such as a disaster to receive public compensation for the power fee required for supplying power. This allows any vehicle to provide support without hesitation in an emergency such as a disaster, and to receive appropriate compensation after providing support.

[0015] According to another specific feature of the present invention, there is provided a private power generation system capable of supplying power for consumption by the power consumption unit and for charging the electric vehicle by the charging device, and even when power is supplied from the private power generation system for charging the electric vehicle by the charging device, the power interchange system settles the power fee to the power supply unit minus the power fee required for charging the optional electric vehicle, and settles the power fee required for charging the optional electric vehicle to the manager of the optional electric vehicle. This enables power settlement in the same way as if the power provided by the private power generation system out of the amount of power supplied to the optional vehicle was ultimately sold by the manager of the building to a power company.

[0016] According to another feature of the present invention, there is provided a charging device for an electric vehicle, which is connected to a commercial power source in a parking space where any electric vehicle can be parked, for supplying power to the any electric vehicle, and which is characterized by comprising an information acquisition unit that acquires information about the any electric vehicle, a measurement unit for measuring charging power to the any electric vehicle, and a communication unit that reports the information about the any electric vehicle acquired by the information acquisition unit and the charging power to the any electric vehicle measured by the measurement unit to a power interchange system that settles the power fee for the commercial power source and the power fee for charging the any electric vehicle. As a result, even if any electric vehicle is parked in the parking space and charged from the commercial power source, the vehicle can be identified and the power fee required for charging can be properly settled by the power interchange system.

[0017] According to a specific feature of the present invention, the power interchange system includes a charging management system, which identifies the arbitrary electric vehicle based on information about the electric vehicle from the communication unit, receives a report of the charging power and reports it to a manager of the commercial power source, and the manager of the commercial power source charges the commercial power source by deducting the power fee for the charging power to the identified electric vehicle from the power fee for the commercial power source, and charges the specified electric vehicle by adding the power fee for the charging power to the specified electric vehicle to the power supply unit of the manager of the specified electric vehicle. According to another specific feature of the present invention, the power interchange system includes a charging management system, which identifies the arbitrary electric vehicle based on information about the electric vehicle from the communication unit, receives a report of the charging power, and settles the power fee for the charging power to the specified electric vehicle between the manager of the charging device, which is the power supply side, and the manager of the specified electric vehicle, which is the power demand side, for the power fee for the charging power to the specified electric vehicle. In any of the above cases, the power fee settlement between the charging device side and the vehicle side that has performed charging is performed correctly.

[0018] According to another specific feature of the present invention, the information acquisition unit acquires information about the arbitrary electric vehicle based on an image of a license plate or radio waves from an ETC on-board unit, and reports the information to the charging management system. This makes it possible to identify the arbitrary electric vehicle for the purpose of settling an electricity bill. According to a more specific feature, the charging device records the acquired information about the electric vehicle. This makes it possible to grasp the identity of an arbitrary electric vehicle that is parked and charged in a parking space of a private residence, for example, and to utilize the vehicle as a charging infrastructure for an arbitrary electric vehicle without the trouble of setting aside an electricity bill and after taking measures to prevent crime.

[0019] According to another specific feature of the present invention, both the manager of the charging device, which is the power supply side, and the manager of the arbitrary electric vehicle, which is the power demand side, are members of the power interchange system. Therefore, an electric vehicle that is a member of the power interchange system can be charged in a parking space of a charging device that is a member of the power interchange system, even when the electric vehicle is away from home. According to a further specific feature of the present invention, when it is not possible to confirm that the manager of the arbitrary electric vehicle parked in the parking space is a member of the power interchange system, charging of the arbitrary electric vehicle is prohibited. This makes it possible to avoid troubles such as electricity theft, even though the system is aimed at an arbitrary electric vehicle. According to a further specific feature of the present invention, when it is not possible to confirm that the manager of the arbitrary electric vehicle parked in the parking space is a member of the power interchange system, a means is provided for causing the arbitrary electric vehicle to leave the parking space. This makes it possible to prevent illegal parking under the guise of power supply.

[0020] According to another specific feature of the present invention, there is provided a means for causing any electric vehicle to leave the parking space when the electric vehicle has been parked in the parking space for a predetermined time or more without being charged, thereby preventing a vehicle from staying in the parking space for a long time under the pretext of charging and depriving other vehicles of the opportunity to charge.

[0021] According to another specific feature of the present invention, the charging device sets a time period during which charging is permitted for the arbitrary electric vehicle and notifies the power interchange system, and the power interchange system publishes location information of the parking space where charging is possible to a car navigation system of the arbitrary electric vehicle, thereby enabling a vehicle that urgently needs charging to know the nearest charging spot.

[0022] According to another specific feature of the present invention, when the electric vehicle is parked in the parking space, the charging device can be supplied with power by discharging the battery of the electric vehicle, and when the optional electric vehicle is parked in the parking space, the charging device cannot be supplied with power by discharging the battery of the optional electric vehicle in principle. This makes it possible to prevent confusion in billing, etc., caused by receiving power from the battery of an optional electric vehicle when using the vehicle's battery as an auxiliary power source for the charging device. According to a further specific feature of the present invention, only in an emergency such as a disaster, the charging device can be supplied with power by discharging the battery of the optional electric vehicle parked in the parking space. This makes it possible for the charging device to receive support for power supply in an emergency such as a power outage caused by a disaster, with priority given to avoiding confusion in billing, etc. According to a further specific feature of the present invention, the power interchange system makes it possible for the manager of the optional electric vehicle parked in the parking space and supplying power to the power consumption unit of the building in an emergency such as a disaster to receive public compensation for the power fee required for power supply. This allows any vehicle to provide assistance without hesitation in the event of a disaster or other emergency, and also allows the vehicle to receive appropriate compensation after providing assistance.

[0023] According to another specific feature of the present invention, the charging device can be powered by a private power generation system, and the power interchange system settles the electricity fee for the commercial power source and the electricity fee required for charging the arbitrary electric vehicle, even when the charging device supplies power to charge the electric vehicle based on the power supply from the private power generation system. This makes it possible to settle the payment for the power supply from the private power generation system when charging the arbitrary vehicle.

[0024] According to another feature of the present invention, there is provided a power interchange system for electric vehicles, which is characterized in that when an electric vehicle is charged from a charging device installed in a parking space attached to a building, information on the electric vehicle and a report of the charging power are received from the charging device, and the power fee for the manager of the building is deducted from the power fee for charging the electric vehicle, while the power fee for charging the electric vehicle is charged to the manager of the electric vehicle. As a result, even if an electric vehicle on the power demand side is parked and charged in a parking space attached to a building, it can be charged the same as if it was charged at home, and the building on the power supply side is not substantially charged for charging someone else's electric vehicle. Therefore, an electric vehicle that is subscribed to the power interchange system can be charged in a parking space of another home that is subscribed to the power interchange system, even when it is away from home.

[0025] According to another specific feature of the present invention, the power interchange system includes a power supply system and a charging management system, and the charging management system identifies the arbitrary electric vehicle based on information from the charging device and reports the arbitrary electric vehicle together with the charging power to the power supply system, and the power supply system charges the building manager an electricity fee by deducting an electricity fee for the charging power to the identified electric vehicle from the electricity fee, while charging the power supply unit of the manager of the identified electric vehicle an electricity fee by adding an electricity fee for the charging power to the identified electric vehicle to the electricity fee. According to another specific feature, the power interchange system includes a charging management system, and the charging management system identifies the arbitrary electric vehicle based on information from the charging device and settles the electricity fee related to the power interchange between the building manager as the power supplier and the manager of the identified electric vehicle as the power demander for the electricity fee for the charging power to the identified electric vehicle based on the reported charging power.

[0026] According to another specific feature of the present invention, both the manager of the building, which is the power supply side, and the manager of the optional electric vehicle, which is the power demand side, are members of the power interchange system. This allows for smooth interchange of power, for example. According to a further specific feature of the present invention, the charging device is notified that it cannot be confirmed that the manager of the optional electric vehicle parked in the parking space is a member of the power interchange system, and the charging device is prohibited from charging the optional electric vehicle parked in the parking space. This makes it possible to avoid troubles such as electricity theft, even though the optional electric vehicle is the target. According to a further specific feature of the present invention, the charging device is notified that it cannot be confirmed that the manager of the optional electric vehicle parked in the parking space is a member of the power interchange system, and the charging device is caused to take measures to remove the optional electric vehicle from the parking space. This makes it possible to prevent illegal parking disguised as power supply. According to another specific feature of the present invention, when it cannot be confirmed that the manager of the optional electric vehicle parked in the parking space is a member of the power interchange system based on the information of the charging device, a report is made to the police. This also makes it possible to prevent illegal parking disguised as power supply.

[0027] According to another specific feature of the present invention, information on the time period during which charging is permitted for the electric vehicle is received from the charging device, and location information of the parking space where charging is permitted is made public to the car navigation system of the electric vehicle. This allows a vehicle that urgently needs to be charged to know the nearest charging spot. According to a further specific feature of the present invention, when the electric vehicle is parked in the parking space outside of the time period during which charging is permitted, a report is made to the police based on the information from the charging device. This can solve the problem of another person's vehicle occupying one's parking space when necessary.

[0028] According to another specific feature of the present invention, in an emergency such as a disaster, the manager of any electric vehicle parked in the parking space and supplying power to the building is allowed to receive public compensation for the electricity fee required for power supply. This allows any vehicle to provide power supply support to a building in a power outage without hesitation in an emergency such as a disaster, and to receive appropriate compensation after providing the support.

[0029] According to another specific feature of the present invention, the building has a private power generation system, and even if the optional electric vehicle is charged from the private power generation system, the power fee for the building is deducted from the power fee for charging the optional electric vehicle, and the power fee for charging the optional electric vehicle is charged to the manager of the optional electric vehicle. This makes it possible to settle the power as if the power provided by the private power generation system out of the power supply to the optional vehicle was ultimately sold to the power company by the manager of the building.

[0030] According to another feature of the present invention, there is provided a power interchange system for electric vehicles, which includes a charging device provided in a parking space attached to a private residence, and a charging management system that settles power charges between the manager of the private residence on the power supply side and the manager of the optional electric vehicle on the power demand side, and the charging management system publishes position information of the private residence where the optional electric vehicle can be charged to a car navigation system mounted on the optional electric vehicle. This allows a vehicle that needs to be charged urgently to know the nearest charging spot. According to a specific feature of the present invention, the position information of the private residence is published to the car navigation system on the condition that both the manager of the private residence on the power supply side and the manager of the optional electric vehicle on the power demand side are registered in the power interchange system. This makes it possible to prevent parking of electric vehicles that are not registered in the power interchange system. According to another specific feature of the present invention, the position information of the private residence is published to the car navigation system only during the time period when charging is permitted at the private residence. This makes it possible to prevent parking of other people's vehicles despite the building manager's own need.

[0031] According to another feature of the present invention, there is provided an electric vehicle that can be charged by a charging device provided in a parking space attached to a private residence, that is a member of a charging management system that settles the electricity fee with the manager of the private residence on the power supply side, and that has a car navigation system that publishes the location information of the private residence that is a member of the charging management system and allows charging of any electric vehicle. This allows the vehicle to know the nearest charging spot when charging is urgently required. According to a specific feature of the present invention, the vehicle has an ETC on-board unit that provides information about the electric vehicle to the private residence for the settlement of the electricity fee when the vehicle is parked in the parking space attached to the private residence. This makes it easy to identify the vehicle, which is necessary for the settlement of the charging fee.

[0032] According to another feature of the present invention, there is provided an electricity fee settlement system, characterized in that when an electric vehicle is charged from a charging device installed in a parking space attached to a building, based on the identification of the electric vehicle and information on the charging power, the electricity fee for the power supply to the manager of the building is deducted from the electricity fee for the charging power to the identified electric vehicle and charged, while the electricity fee for the power supply to the manager of the identified electric vehicle and the manager of the building is added to the electricity fee for the power supply to the manager of the identified electric vehicle. This allows the electricity fee settlement between the charging device side and the vehicle side that has been charged to be properly performed. Effect of the Invention

[0033] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a charging system, a charging device, an electricity interchange system, an electricity fee settlement system, and an electric vehicle for an electric vehicle, which can promote the installation of charging systems by streamlining electricity fee settlement, etc. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0034] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an overall charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a photograph in lieu of a drawing of a block diagram showing details of the electric power company, the charging management company, and the A household in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of a charging control unit in the charging unit of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing details of step S14 in FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart showing details of step S2 in FIG. 3. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing details of step S18 in FIG. 3. [Figure 7] 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of an EV control unit 74 in vehicle A 22 of FIG. [Figure 8]2 is a flowchart showing the operation of a management control unit 32 in the charging management company 4 of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS EXAMPLES

[0035] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the entire charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The system includes a power supply system (hereinafter, referred to as the "power company" as a representative) 2 that serves as a commercial power source, a charging management system (hereinafter, referred to as the "charging management company" as a representative) 4 that cooperates with the power supply system to exchange power and settle power charges, and the Internet 6 that connects them via a communication network 5. Area A 8 is a certain area that includes household A 10, household B 12, etc., and is organized by a branch 15 of a power transmission network 14 by the power company 2. Similarly, area B 16 is a certain area that includes household C 18, household D 20, etc. The system includes many other areas, but for simplicity, the system will be described using area A 8 and area B 16 as representatives. In addition, area A 8 includes many other homes, but for simplicity, the system will be described using household A 10 and household B 12 as representatives. Similarly, area B 16 will be described using household C 18 and household D 20 as representatives.

[0036] Household A 10, household B 12, household C 18, and household D 20 are supplied with electricity by a branch 15 of the power grid 14 corresponding to each of their respective zones, and household A 10 has an electric vehicle (such as an electric car, the same applies below) 22 parked in its parking space. The parking space of household B 12 in zone A 8 is currently vacant, and household B electric vehicle 24 that left household B 12 is currently charging in the parking space of household C in zone B 16 at its destination. Furthermore, household C electric vehicle 26 that left household C 18 is currently charging in the parking space of nearby household D in zone B 16. Household D 20 does not currently own a vehicle, but has a fully equipped parking space where it can be charged.

[0037] Household A 10, household B 12, household C 18, and household D 20 are each members of an electric power interchange system managed by an electric power company 2 and a charging management company 4 that cooperates with the electric power company, and the electric vehicles owned by each household can be freely parked and charged in vacant parking spaces of other households that are members of the electric power interchange system as described above. The households do not share any information other than their membership in the electric power interchange system, and each household's privacy is protected. In addition, the settlement of the charges for electricity lent by other households is also managed by the electric power company 2 and the charging management company 4 that cooperates with the electric power company 2. For this purpose, each household is connected to the electric power company 2 and the charging management company 4 by the Internet 6 via a communication network 28. Details of the interchange of electric power and the settlement of electric power charges will be described later.

[0038] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing details of the electric power company 2, the charging management company 4, and the A household 10 in FIG. 1, and also shows a communication network 5, the Internet 6, a power transmission network 14, a branch 15, the C household 18, and the B electric vehicle 24 for the purpose of explaining the entire system. For simplicity, the A area 8 to which the A household 10 belongs and the B area 16 to which the C household 18 belongs are omitted from the illustration. As is clear from FIG. 2, the electric power company 2 has a billing control unit 30 that controls billing for the electricity it supplies. The function of this control unit will be described later. The charging management company 4 has a management control unit 32 that manages the interchange of electricity and the settlement of electricity charges. The function of this control unit will also be described later.

[0039] In FIG. 2, a house 34 of the A household 10 is supplied with power from a branch 15 of the power grid 14 via a smart meter 36. The smart meter 36 is connected to the power company 2 and the charging management company 4 by the Internet 6 via the communication network 28, and reports the power usage (meter reading result) of the A household 10 to the power company 2 by communication. The power usage by the A household includes the charging power of the A electric vehicle 22, as well as the charging power when an electric vehicle of another household, such as the B electric vehicle 24, is parked at the A household 10 and receives power. The smart meter 36 is linked to a home energy management system 40 (hereinafter referred to as "HEMS 40") by short-range wireless communication 38. The link between the two may be by wired communication or power line communication. Although not shown in the figure, the HEMS 40 is also linked to a distribution board 42 by short-range wireless communication, wired communication, or power line communication. In addition, the HEMS 40 is connected to the electric power company 2 and the charging management company 4 via the Internet 6 via a communication network 28 .

[0040] The distribution board 42 is connected to the smart meter 36 via the service line 41, and supplies power from the power company 2 to the electrical equipment (such as lighting, air conditioning, and various home appliances, but for simplicity, home appliance 44 is shown as a representative) in the A household 10 via the household wiring. The house 34 is also provided with a private power generation system (hereinafter, a solar system 46 will be described as a representative, but a wind power generation system, etc., is also possible), which is connected to the distribution board 42 via the household wiring. The solar system 46 has a power storage unit and a DC-AC conversion unit, and supplies AC output to the distribution board 42 via the household wiring to supply solar power generation to the electrical equipment in the A household 10, and sells surplus power to the power company 2 via the smart meter 36. The solar power generated by the solar system 46 is also used to charge electric vehicles. Furthermore, the solar system 46 is connected to the HEMS 40 via short-range wireless communication 38, wired communication, or power line communication for management of the solar system 46.

[0041] The house 34 is further provided with a home appliance control unit 48, which is connected to necessary parts such as the home appliances 44, the smart meter 36, and the HEMS 40 by a LAN cable 50, and controls the entire house 34 by communicating with these parts. The connection from the home appliance control unit 48 to the home appliances 44, the smart meter 36, the HEMS 40, etc. can also be made by short-range wireless communication 38 or power line communication. The home appliance control unit 48 also cooperates with the HEMS 40 to control the distribution board 42 so that when someone else's electric vehicle is charged during solar power generation by the solar system 46, the power supplied from the solar system 46 is given priority over the power supplied from the power company 2 for charging the electric vehicle. As described later, this control results in the power supplied from the solar system 46 being sold to the power company 2.

[0042] The charging unit 52 is a unit that charges the electric vehicle and manages the charging, and has an AC-DC converter 56 connected to the distribution board 42 by the household wiring 54. The AC-DC converter 56 converts AC power from the distribution board 42 into DC power and outputs it from the charging connector 58 via a DC cable 57. On the other hand, the AC-DC converter 56 can receive DC power that flows back from the charging connector 58 due to the discharge of the storage battery of the electric vehicle as needed, convert it into AC power, and supply it to the distribution board 42. This allows the A household 10 to obtain the necessary power even during a power outage. Such exchange of power through the AC-DC converter 56 is measured by a power meter 59. The AC-DC converter 56 has a switch function and a breaker function inside, and can be disconnected from the distribution board 42 as needed by the control of the charging control unit 78 described later. The charging unit 52 has a storage battery 53, which accumulates surplus power in the A household 10 and supplies power to the A household 10 as needed. In addition, this storage battery 53 ensures that the operation of the charging unit 52 continues even in the event of a power outage caused by a disaster or the like, which will be described later.

[0043] FIG. 1 illustrates an example in which a third party's electric vehicle B 24 is parked and charging in the C household 18. In this way, in the present invention, it is possible to connect a third party's electric vehicle to the charging connector 58 of the A household 10 and charge it. However, in principle, a third party's electric vehicle is only charged through the charging connector 58, and the A household 10 does not receive power supply from a third party's electric vehicle through the charging connector 58. As an exception, power supply from a third party's electric vehicle can be received only in an emergency such as a disaster, and in that case, a third party who cooperates in providing power to the A household 10 can receive official compensation for power charges based on an application from the charging management company 4. Details will be described later. When power line communication is being performed in the house 34, the AC-DC conversion unit 56 has a function of blocking signals, so that a third party cannot intrude into wired communication in the A household through the charging connector 58.

[0044] An A electric vehicle 22 having an EV connector 62 is parked in the parking space 60 of the A household 10, and the storage battery 66 can be charged by connecting the EV connector 62 to the charging connector 58 with a charging cable 64. An EV drive unit 68 drives the A electric vehicle 22 with the power of the storage battery 66. The A electric vehicle 22 is also equipped with an ETC vehicle-mounted device 70 for an electronic toll collection system (hereinafter referred to as "ETC"), and can wirelessly communicate with antennas at toll booths and the like. The A electric vehicle 22 is further provided with a V control unit 74, which is connected to the EV drive unit 68, the EV connector 62, the ETC vehicle-mounted device 70, and the like with in-vehicle wiring 72 to control the entire A electric vehicle 22. The A electric vehicle 22 also has a normal license plate 76.

[0045] The charging unit 52 is provided with a charging control unit 78, which receives information on the meter reading result of the charging meter 59. The charging unit 52 is further provided with an ETC ID recognition unit 80, which recognizes the ETC ID identifying the A electric vehicle 22 by wireless communication with the ETC on-board unit 70 of the A electric vehicle 22 parked in the parking space 60 and reports it to the charging control unit 78. In addition, the number plate optical reading unit 82 of the charging control unit 78 optically reads the vehicle registration number identifying the A electric vehicle 22 by imaging the number plate 76 of the A electric vehicle 22 parked in the parking space 60 and reports it to the charging control unit 78. In this way, both the ETC ID recognition unit 80 and the number plate optical reading unit 82 have the function of identifying the electric vehicle parked in the parking space 60 of the A household 10. Therefore, to identify the electric vehicle, only one of the ETC ID recognition unit 80 or the number plate optical reading unit 82 is sufficient, but in the embodiment, both are used in combination for cross-checking.

[0046] As described above, when it is identified by either or both of the ETC ID recognition unit 80 and the license plate optical reading unit 82 that the vehicle parked in the parking space 60 is the A electric vehicle 22, the charging control unit 78 permits charging through the charging connector 58. In this case, the smart meter 36 reports the power consumption by the house 34 as well as the power consumption by charging the A electric vehicle 22 to the power company 2 via the Internet 6, and the power company 2 charges the A household 10 the reported power fee. Note that, if the charging of the A electric vehicle 22 is covered by power generation by the solar system 46, there is no power consumption via the smart meter 36, so there is no charge for charging. Incidentally, even if the power consumption by the home appliances 44, etc. in the house 34 is covered by discharging the storage battery 66, there is no power consumption via the smart meter 36, so there is no charge for that amount.

[0047] Next, a case will be described where it has been identified by either or both of the ETC ID recognition unit 80 and the license plate optical reading unit 82 that the electric vehicle parked in the parking space 60 is owned by someone else. This corresponds to a case where, for example, electric vehicle B 24 is parked and being charged at home C 18 shown in Fig. 2. Although not shown in Fig. 2, it is assumed that home C 18 has the same configuration as home A 10, and electric vehicle B 24 has the same configuration as electric vehicle A.

[0048] To avoid confusion, the story will be returned to the A household 10, and a case will be described in which the B electric vehicle 24 parks in the parking space 60 and receives charging. (In the following description, the configuration of the A electric vehicle 22 in FIG. 2 will be replaced with the B electric vehicle 24.) In this case, since either the ETC / ID recognition unit 80 or the license plate optical reading unit 82, or both, identify that the B electric vehicle 24 is parked in the parking space 60, the communication unit 84 of the charging control unit 78 reports this to the charging management company 4 via the Internet 6. The charging management company 4 that receives the report checks whether the B electric vehicle 24 is registered with the power interchange system, and when registration is confirmed, reports this to the communication unit 84 of the charging control unit 78 via the Internet 6. In response to this report, the charging control unit 78 permits charging of the B electric vehicle 24 from the charging connector 58.

[0049] The power meter 59 measures the amount of power supplied from the distribution board 42 to the charging connector 58 via the AC-DC conversion unit 56, and reports the amount to the charging control unit 78. The communication unit 84 of the charging control unit 78 reports the measured amount of power supply to the B electric vehicle 24 to the charging management company 4 via the Internet 6. The charging management company 4, which has received the report, reports the amount of power supply to the B electric vehicle 24 to the electric power company 2 via the Internet 6.

[0050] In the above, the power consumption of the A household reported to the electric power company by the smart meter 36 includes not only the power consumption by the A household itself but also the power consumption due to charging the B electric vehicle 24. However, since the amount of power supplied to the B electric vehicle 24 is reported to the electric power company 2 by the charging management company 4 as described above, the electric power company charges the A household 10 an electricity fee that is the amount of power supplied to the B electric vehicle 24 minus the amount of power supplied to the B electric vehicle 24 from the power consumption of the A household reported by the smart meter 36. On the other hand, the electric power company charges the B household 12 (see FIG. 1), which owns the B electric vehicle 24, by adding the power consumption due to charging the B electric vehicle 24 to the power consumption by the B household itself. As a result, even if the B electric vehicle 24 is charged at the A household 10, the electric power company can charge the B household 12 in the same way as if the B household 12 had charged the B electric vehicle 24, and the A household 10 does not actually receive a charge for the amount even if it charges another person's electric vehicle. Therefore, an electric vehicle that is a member of the power interchange system can be charged in a parking space of another household that is a member of the power interchange system even when the electric vehicle is not at home and is away from home.

[0051] Note that, when the power consumption of the house A household 10 as detected by the smart meter 36 is less than the sum of the total power consumption in the house 34 as detected by the HEMS 40 and the power supply to the B electric vehicle 24 as detected by the power meter 59 while the B electric vehicle 24 is being charged, the difference in power is supplied from the solar system 46. In this case as well, the power company charges the A household 10 an electricity fee that is calculated by subtracting the amount of power supplied to the B electric vehicle 24 from the power consumption of the A household reported by the smart meter 36, and charges the B household 12, which owns the B electric vehicle 24, by adding the power consumption due to charging the B electric vehicle 24 to the power consumption of the B household itself. This means that the power provided by the solar system 46 out of the amount of power supplied to the B electric vehicle 24 has been sold by the A household 10 to the power company 2.

[0052] In the power interchange system of the present invention, even system subscribers may find themselves in a situation where strangers charge their vehicles in their home's parking space, so for crime prevention reasons, specific information about the strangers' electric vehicles obtained by either or both of the ETC / ID recognition unit 80 and the license plate optical reading unit 82, and information about the charging date and time, are recorded in memory unit 79 of charging control unit 78, and can be viewed and understood by household A 10. In the power interchange system of the present invention, owners of electric vehicles from other households also charge their vehicles in other households' parking spaces, knowing that such recording will be made when they become system subscribers.

[0053] The parking space 60 of the A household 10 is provided with a parking display warning unit 86 controlled by the charging control unit 78 at a position that is easily visible from the road and the parking space for the following purposes. The first purpose is to deal with a case where, even when the parking space 60 is vacant, the A electric vehicle 22 is planned to return in a short time, and it would be inconvenient if another person's electric vehicle occupies the parking space 60 for charging. For this purpose, the charging control unit 78 can set in the memory unit 79 a time period during which charging by other people is possible using the manual operation unit 88, and the parking display warning unit 86 displays "charging possible" if it is a charging possible time period when the parking space is vacant, and displays "parking prohibited" during other time periods.

[0054] The charging control unit 78 sets the charging time periods for each household, and the charging management company 4 receives the report from the communication unit 84 via the Internet 6. The charging management company 4 then publishes the households that have been set as "charging possible" in accordance with this report as map data for the car navigation system 90 installed in the electric vehicles. This publication is limited to the car navigation system 90 of electric vehicles that are members of the power interchange system. This allows electric vehicles that are members of the power interchange system and are running on the road to know the nearest households where charging is possible as needed.

[0055] When the parking display warning unit 86 finds that another person's electric vehicle is parked in the parking space 60 despite the "no parking" display, the parking display warning unit 86 also makes an audio announcement requesting the vehicle to leave. On the other hand, when another person's electric vehicle is parked in the parking space 60 despite the "no parking" display, the charging management company 4 also reports the fact to the police based on information from the charging unit 52.

[0056] The second purpose of providing the parking display warning unit 86 is to prevent attempts of electricity theft or parking under the guise of charging by electric vehicles that are not members of the power interchange system. Specifically, when the charging management company 4 finds out that the electric vehicle parked in the parking space 60 is not a member of the power interchange system based on checking the report from the ETC / ID recognition unit 80 or the license plate optical reading unit 82, it notifies the charging control unit 78. In response to this notification, the charging control unit 78 prohibits charging of the B electric vehicle 24 from the charging connector 58 and displays "Parking violation!" on the parking display warning unit 86. Furthermore, the parking display warning unit 86 also makes an audio announcement requesting the vehicle to leave. Meanwhile, when the charging management company 4 finds out that the vehicle parked in the parking space 60 is not a member of the power interchange system, it also notifies the police in parallel with the above.

[0057] The third purpose of providing the parking display warning unit 86 is to prevent an electric vehicle owned by another person from remaining in the parking space 60 for an unnecessarily long period of time. Even if it is confirmed by a report from the charging management company 4 that the electric vehicle parked in the parking space 60 is a member of the power interchange system, it is necessary to prevent unauthorized borrowing of the parking space of another household simply as a parking space, such as when the vehicle does not start charging immediately after parking or does not leave even after charging is completed. For this reason, when an electric vehicle owned by another person remains in the parking space 60 for a predetermined time or longer before charging starts or after charging is completed, a display of "unauthorized parking" is displayed and a warning announcement is made by voice to request the vehicle to start charging immediately or to leave immediately after charging is completed. Furthermore, if the electric vehicle does not start charging or does not leave within a predetermined time after this warning announcement, the charging control unit 78 reports this to the charging management company, and the charging management company 4 also reports this to the police based on the report. In relation to the above-mentioned purposes, the parking display warning unit 86 is provided with a camera 87 facing inside the parking space, which detects the presence or absence of an electric vehicle and, if necessary, captures an image of the electric vehicle for recording.

[0058] The various features of the present invention are not limited to the above embodiment, and can be widely applied to other implementations. For example, in the above embodiment, the power exchange settlement is performed by the power company 4, but instead, the charging management company 4 may perform the settlement process of the power exchange between the households that are subscribed to the power exchange system by debiting or transferring the money to the registered bank account of each household.

[0059] Furthermore, the present invention can be implemented not only in the interchange of electric vehicle charging power between ordinary households, but also in the settlement of charges for electric vehicle charging in the parking lots of general consumer business facilities (restaurants, supermarkets, etc.). This allows general consumer business facilities to cooperate in the development of electric vehicle charging infrastructure while expanding their customer base, and allows them to entrust the settlement of charges for charging power provided to customers and the sale of electricity generated by solar systems to the charging management company.

[0060] Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the charging control unit 78 in the charging unit 52 in Fig. 2. When the operation starts, in step S2, a process for setting a flexible time period is performed to enable charging of other people's electric vehicles. This process is necessary to enable charging of other people's electric vehicles without interfering with charging of one's own electric vehicle, and the details of this process will be described later. Next, the process proceeds to step S4, where charging from the charging connector 58 is prohibited.

[0061] The process then proceeds to step S6 to detect whether or not there is a car parked in the parking space 60. If a car is detected parked in step S6, the process proceeds to step S8 to check whether or not an ETC ID was detected by the ETC ID identification unit 80. If no detection is detected, the process proceeds to step S10 to check whether or not a license plate was detected by the license plate optical reading unit 82, and if a license plate was detected, the process proceeds to step S12. If an ETC ID is detected in step S8, the process also proceeds to step S12.

[0062] In step S12, it is checked whether the vehicle has been identified based on the results of ETC ID detection or license plate detection. In this case, vehicle identification means identifying the user's electric vehicle or another person's electric vehicle that is subscribed to the power interchange system. If the vehicle has been identified, the process proceeds to charging management processing in step S14. Details will be described later. On the other hand, if the vehicle has not been identified, normal power interchange management cannot be performed, so the process proceeds to step S16 to check whether an emergency exists. Also, if it is determined in step S10 that the license plate cannot be detected, the process proceeds to step S16. If it is determined in step S16 that an emergency exists, the process proceeds to emergency power receiving processing in step S18. This processing is for enabling the A household 10 to receive power from any electric vehicle parked in the parking space 60 in an emergency such as a disaster, and details will be described later.

[0063] If it is confirmed in step S16 that the vehicle is not in an emergency state, the process proceeds to step S20, where the charging management company 4 is notified that the vehicle is parked, and the parking display warning unit 86 starts displaying a no parking warning. If the no parking warning is already being displayed, the display is continued. Then, the process proceeds to step S22, where it is checked whether the vehicle is still parked. If the vehicle is detected to be parked, the process proceeds to step S24, where it is checked whether a first predetermined time has elapsed. This first predetermined time is set, for example, to 5 minutes after the vehicle is detected to be parked in step S6. If the first predetermined time has not been detected to have elapsed in step S24, the process returns to step S22, and steps S22 and S24 are repeated until the first predetermined time has elapsed. On the other hand, if the first predetermined time has been detected to have elapsed in step S24, the process proceeds to step S26, where an illegal parking announcement is made, and the process proceeds to step S28, where an image of the parked vehicle captured by the camera 87 is recorded, and the process proceeds to step S30.

[0064] In step S30, it is checked whether parking is continuing, and if parking is detected, the process proceeds to step S32, where it is checked whether a second predetermined time has elapsed. This second predetermined time is set, for example, to 30 minutes after parking is detected in step S6. If the elapse of the second predetermined time is not detected in step S32, the process returns to step S30, and steps S30 and S32 are repeated until the elapse of the second predetermined time is detected. On the other hand, if the elapse of the second predetermined time is detected in step S32, the process proceeds to step S34, where illegal parking is reported to the police via the charging management company 4, and the process proceeds to step S36. On the other hand, if it is confirmed in step S22 or step S30 that someone else's vehicle has left and is not parked, the process proceeds directly to step S36. If parking is not detected in step S6, the process proceeds directly to step S36. In step S36, the charging management company 4 is notified that the parking space 60 is available, and the process returns to step S2. Steps S2 to S36 are repeated to deal with various cases. In addition, since the availability status of the parking space 60 is shared with and made public by the charging management company 4 as described above, electric vehicles that are subscribed to the power interchange system and are traveling on the road can find out, as necessary, the nearest household that can be charged and the availability status of the parking space 60 therein.

[0065] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the details of the charging management process in step S14 in FIG. 3. When the flow starts, the flow proceeds to step S41, where the charging management company 4 is notified that the vehicle is parked, and the flow proceeds to step S42. In step S42, a check is made to see whether the vehicle identified in step S12 is the A electric vehicle 22. If the result of this check is that the vehicle is the A electric vehicle, the flow proceeds to step S44, where a check is made to see whether the charging connector is connected. If there is no connection, the flow returns to step S2. There is no connection when the A electric vehicle 22 has returned to the parking space 60 but does not need to be charged, or when the vehicle has not yet started charging. In this case, the flow repeats a process from step S2 to step S12, then to step 42, and then from step S44 to step S2, so that the connection of the charging connector can be detected at any time in step 44.

[0066] If connection of the charging connector is detected in step S44, the process proceeds to step S46, where charging from charging connector 58 is enabled and charging begins. Then, the process proceeds to step S48, where a check is made to see whether the connection to the charging connector has been released. This check is repeated until the connection is released. If it is detected in step S48 that charging has been completed and the connection has been released, the flow returns to step S2. The above is a case in which the electric vehicle A 22 is parked in the parking space 60, and the process does not proceed to step S16 or later in FIG. 3, and no power interchange is performed.

[0067] On the other hand, when it is detected in step S42 that the vehicle identified in step S12 is not the A electric vehicle 22, the process proceeds to step S50, where it is checked whether the identified vehicle is a vehicle that has joined the power interchange system. This check is performed by inquiring about the identified vehicle to the charging management company 4. Then, when it is not confirmed in step S50 that the vehicle is a vehicle that has joined the power interchange system, the process proceeds to step S16 in Fig. 3, where a process is started to remove the vehicle unless there is an emergency.

[0068] On the other hand, if it is confirmed in step S50 that the identified vehicle is a member of the power interchange system, the process proceeds to step S52, where the relationship between the power interchangeable time period set in step S2 and the current time is checked. If it is determined in step S52 that the current time is not within the power interchangeable time period, the process proceeds to step S16 in Fig. 3, where a process is started to remove the vehicle unless there is an emergency.

[0069] On the other hand, if it is confirmed in step S52 that the current time is within the flexible time period, the process proceeds to step S54, where an announcement is made that charging should be started. This announcement is accompanied by a warning that parking will be prohibited if charging is not started within a predetermined time. Next, the process proceeds to step S56, where a check is made to see if the charging connector is connected. Then, a check is made to see if a connection to the charging connector has been made, and if no connection has been made, the process proceeds to step S56 to check if a third predetermined time has elapsed. This third predetermined time is set, for example, to 10 minutes after parking is detected in step S6. If the third predetermined time has not been detected to have elapsed in step S58, the process returns to step S54, and steps S54 to S58 are repeated until the third predetermined time is detected to have elapsed. On the other hand, if the first predetermined time has been detected to have elapsed in step S24, the process proceeds to step S16 in FIG. 3, where a process is started to remove the vehicle unless there is an emergency.

[0070] On the other hand, if connection of the charging connector is detected in step S56, the flow proceeds to step S60, where charging from the charging connector 58 is enabled and charging is started. Then, the flow proceeds to step S62, where it is checked whether the connection to the charging connector has been released. This check is repeated until the connection is released. If it is detected in step S62 that charging is completed and the connection has been released, the flow proceeds to charging management company contact processing in step S64. In this processing, the vehicle registration number of the vehicle that has joined the power interchange system and the amount of electricity that has been interchanged are notified to the charging management company. Then, the flow proceeds to step S66, where an announcement is made to the vehicle that has completed the power interchange to leave the parking space 60. Then, the flow proceeds to step S16 in FIG. 3, where a process is started to have the vehicle leave unless there is an emergency.

[0071] Fig. 5 is a flow chart showing the details of the flexible time slot setting process in step S2 in Fig. 3. When the flow starts, in step S72, it is checked whether or not the flexible time slot has been set. If it has not been set, the process proceeds to step S74, where a default automatic setting of no flexible time slot is performed, and the process proceeds to step S76. Also, if it is confirmed in step S72 that the flexible time slot has been set, the process proceeds directly to step S76.

[0072] In step S76, it is checked whether or not a regular flexible time slot setting operation has been performed. If an operation has been performed, the process proceeds to step S78, where regular flexible time slot setting is executed. This regular flexible time slot setting is automatically applied every week once the day of the week and time slot are set. On the other hand, if an operation is not detected in step S76, the process proceeds to step S80, where it is checked whether or not a temporary flexible time slot setting operation has been performed. If an operation has been performed, the process proceeds to step S82, where temporary flexible time slot setting is executed. This temporary flexible time slot setting is limited to the set day of the week and time slot. On the other hand, if an operation is not detected in step S80, the process proceeds to step S84. Also, if a setting has been performed in step S78 or step S82, the process proceeds to step S84.

[0073] In step S84, it is checked whether the above-mentioned temporary interchangeable time period has elapsed, and if it has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S86, where the temporary interchangeable time period is automatically cancelled, and the process proceeds to step S88. On the other hand, if it is not detected in step S84 that the temporary interchangeable time period has elapsed, the process proceeds directly to step S88. In step S88, the latest state of the interchangeable time period setting as described above is notified to the charging management company, and the process proceeds to step S4.

[0074] Fig. 6 is a flow chart showing details of the emergency power receiving process in step S18 in Fig. 3. When the flow starts, in step S92, it is checked whether or not the vehicle has been identified. If it is determined in step S92 that the vehicle has not been identified based on the ETC ID detection result or the license plate detection result, the flow proceeds to step S94, where it is checked whether or not the vehicle license plate number has been captured by the camera 87. If there is no captured image, the flow proceeds to step S96, where it is checked whether or not the vehicle license plate number has been manually entered.

[0075] Furthermore, if it is confirmed in step S96 that the vehicle number has been manually input, the process proceeds to step S98. Furthermore, if it is confirmed in step S92 that the vehicle has been identified, or if it is confirmed in step S94 that the vehicle number has been imaged and recorded, the process proceeds directly to step S98. On the other hand, if it is not confirmed in step S96 that the vehicle number has been manually input, the process returns to step S92, and steps S92 to S96 are repeated unless the vehicle has been identified, the vehicle number has been imaged and recorded, or the vehicle number has been manually input.

[0076] In step S96, it is checked whether or not a connection to the charging connector has been made, and if no connection has been made, step S96 is repeated. When connection to the charging connector is detected in step S98, the process proceeds to step S100, where power reception from the vehicle via the charging connector 58 is enabled and power reception is started. Then, the process proceeds to step S102, where it is checked whether or not the connection to the charging connector has been released. This check is repeated until the connection is released. When it is detected in step S102 that power reception is completed and the connection has been released, the flow enters charging management company contact processing in step S104. In this processing, the vehicle registration number of the vehicle identified in any of steps S92 to S96 and the amount of received power are contacted to the charging management company 4. Then, the flow returns to step S2. By contacting the charging management company 4, an electric vehicle that has been parked in the parking space 60 and supplied power to the A household in an emergency such as a disaster can receive public compensation for the power fee.

[0077] Fig. 7 is a flow chart showing the operation of the navigation control function of the EV control unit 74 in vehicle A 22 in Fig. 1. This function is necessary when vehicle A 22 receives power supply from someone else's home while out. When the flow starts, in step S111, communication is made with the charging management company to obtain the latest information. Next, in step S112, it is checked whether vehicle A 22 is subscribed to the power interchange system. If vehicle A 22 is not subscribed to the power interchange system, the flow proceeds to step S114 where normal navigation display is performed, and also to step S116 where normal charging spot information is displayed on the navigation, and the flow returns to step S111. Then, steps S111 to S116 are repeated unless vehicle A 22 is subscribed to the power interchange system.

[0078] On the other hand, if it is confirmed in step S112 that vehicle A 22 is subscribed to the power interchange system, the process proceeds to step S118, where the presence or absence of a power interchange spot in the vicinity of the current position of vehicle A 22 is checked. If there is a power interchange spot, the process proceeds to step S120, where it is checked whether or not the power interchange spot is within a distance that vehicle A 22 can reach within the interchangeable time period. If there is a corresponding spot, the process proceeds to step S122, where it is checked whether or not the power interchange spot provides a sufficient interchangeable time period for vehicle A 22 to charge after arriving. If this is also the case, the process proceeds to step S124, where it is checked whether or not the charging spot has a parking space available. If the parking space is available, the process proceeds to step S126, where the corresponding power interchange spot is added to the normal charging spot display and displayed, and the process returns to step S111. In this way, by repeating steps S111 to S126, it is possible to respond to charging while traveling as necessary. Since step S112 is included in the above repetition, the additional display of unnecessary power interchange spots disappears when vehicle A 22 leaves the power interchange system.

[0079] Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the management control unit 32 in the charging management company 4 in Fig. 1. When the flow starts, if there is a power interchange contact from a vehicle 22 subscribed to the power interchange system in step S132, the process proceeds to step S134, where information on the power contractor of the power interchange spot, information on the power contractor who is the owner of the vehicle that has received the power interchange, and information on the amount of interchanged power are accumulated for each power interchange system subscriber. If there is no new contact in step S132, the process proceeds directly to step S136.

[0080] When there is an emergency power reception contact from a household that is subscribed to the power interchange system in step S136, the process proceeds to step S138, where information on the power contractor of the power interchange spot that received the emergency power reception, information on the power contractor who is the owner that supplied the emergency power, and information on the amount of power that was supplied in an emergency are accumulated for each power interchange system subscriber. When there is no new contact in step S136, the process proceeds directly to step S1140.

[0081] In step S149, a check is made to see if the time has come for the electric power company to settle the bill for electricity. This may be once a month, for example. If the time has come, the process proceeds to step S142, where the bill is tallied for each electric power interchange system subscriber, the electric power company is contacted, and the process proceeds to step S144. If it is determined in step S140 that the time has not come for the settlement, the process proceeds directly to step S144.

[0082] In step S144, a check is made to see if the latest status information has been received from each power interchange spot that is a member of the power interchange system. If there has been a communication, the process proceeds to step S146, where the information is compiled by driving area. Next, the process proceeds to step S148, where the latest power interchange spot information is made available to all vehicles that are a member of the system and are driving within the relevant area. The flow then returns to step 132, and steps S132 to S148 are repeated. [Industrial Applicability]

[0083] INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used in charging systems, charging devices, power interchange systems, power fee settlement systems, and electric vehicles for electric vehicles, and can promote the installation of charging systems by streamlining electricity fee settlement, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 10, 12, 18, 20 Buildings with electricity consumers 60 Parking spaces 52 Charging device 36, 42 Power supply section 46 Self-powered generating system 22, 24, 26 Electric vehicles 2, 4 Power interchange system 2. Power Supply System 30 Electricity bill settlement system 4. Charging management system 14, 15 Commercial power supply 80, 82 Information acquisition section 59 Measuring part 84 Communications Department 90 Car navigation system

Claims

1. An electric vehicle charging system comprising: a building having an electricity consumption unit, a parking space attached to the building, a charging device that charges an electric vehicle in the parking space, and a power supply unit that supplies electricity to the building and the charging device, and a power interchange system that, when an electric vehicle is parked in the parking space and charged by the charging device, settles the electricity fee to the power supply unit minus the electricity fee required for charging the electric vehicle, and settles the electricity fee required for charging the electric vehicle by charging the manager of the electric vehicle.

2. 2. The electric vehicle charging system according to claim 1, wherein the building is a private residence, the parking space is a parking space for the private electric vehicle, the power consumption unit is an electrical equipment in the private residence, and the any electric vehicle is a stranger's electric vehicle to the private residence.

3. 2. The electric vehicle charging system of claim 1, wherein the building is a business facility for general consumers, the parking space is a parking space for electric vehicles of customers of the business facility, the power consumer is electrical equipment in the business facility, and the any electric vehicle is an electric vehicle of the customer.

4. 4. The charging system for an electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the power interchange system includes a power supply system and a charging management system, the charging management system identifies the arbitrary electric vehicle and receives a report of charging power and reports it to the power supply system, and the power supply system charges the power supply unit an electricity fee minus an electricity fee for the charging power to the identified electric vehicle, while charging a manager of the identified electric vehicle an electricity fee for the power supply unit plus an electricity fee for the charging power to the identified electric vehicle.

5. 4. The electric vehicle charging system according to claim 1, wherein the electric power interchange system includes a charging management system that identifies any of the electric vehicles and receives a report of charging power, and settles the power fee for the charging power to the identified electric vehicle between a manager of the building, which is a power supplier, and a manager of the identified electric vehicle, which is a power demander, for the power interchange.

6. 5. The electric vehicle charging system according to claim 4, wherein the charging device acquires information about the arbitrary electric vehicle based on an image of a license plate or radio waves from an ETC vehicle-mounted unit, and reports the information to the charging management system.

7. 7. The charging system for an electric vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the charging device records the acquired information about the electric vehicle.

8. 4. The charging system for an electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein both a manager of the building, which is the power supplier, and a manager of any one of the electric vehicles, which is the power demander, are subscribers to the power interchange system.

9. 9. The electric vehicle charging system according to claim 8, wherein the charging device prohibits charging of any of the electric vehicles parked in the parking space when it cannot confirm that the manager of the any of the electric vehicles parked in the parking space is subscribed to the power interchange system.

10. 9. The electric vehicle charging system according to claim 8, wherein the charging device takes measures to cause any electric vehicle parked in the parking space to leave the parking space when it cannot confirm that the manager of the electric vehicle is subscribed to the power interchange system.

11. The electric vehicle charging system according to claim 8, characterized in that the power interchange system notifies the police when it cannot confirm, based on information from the charging device, that the manager of any of the electric vehicles parked in the parking space is subscribed to the power interchange system.

12. 4. The charging system for electric vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the charging device takes measures to cause any of the electric vehicles to leave the parking space when the any of the electric vehicles has been parked in the parking space for a predetermined period of time or more without being charged.

13. 4. The electric vehicle charging system according to claim 1, wherein the charging device sets a time period during which charging is permitted for the arbitrary electric vehicle and notifies the power interchange system, and the power interchange system discloses location information of the parking space where charging is possible to a car navigation system of the arbitrary electric vehicle.

14. The electric vehicle charging system according to claim 13, characterized in that the power interchange system notifies the police based on information about the charging device when any of the electric vehicles is parked in the parking space outside of a time when charging is permitted.

15. 4. The charging system for an electric vehicle as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that when an electric vehicle managed by the building manager is parked in the parking space, the charging device can receive power from the storage battery of the vehicle to the power consumption units of the building, and when any electric vehicle is parked in the parking space, the charging device cannot, in principle, receive power from the storage battery of the any vehicle to the power consumption units of the building.

16. The charging system for an electric vehicle as described in claim 15, characterized in that the charging device can receive power from a storage battery of any of the electric vehicles parked in the parking space to the power consumption unit of the building only in the event of an emergency such as a disaster.

17. The electric vehicle charging system according to claim 16, characterized in that the power interchange system enables the manager of any electric vehicle parked in the parking space and supplying power to the power consumption unit of the building in an emergency such as a disaster to receive public compensation for the electricity fees incurred for supplying power.

18. 4. The charging system for an electric vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a private power generation system capable of supplying power for consumption by the power consumption unit and for charging of the electric vehicle by the charging device, wherein even when power is supplied from the private power generation system for charging the electric vehicle by the charging device, the power interchange system settles the power fee to the power supply unit minus the power fee required for charging the arbitrary electric vehicle, while charging the manager of the arbitrary electric vehicle for the power fee required for charging the arbitrary electric vehicle.

19. A charging device for an electric vehicle connected to a commercial power source to supply power to any electric vehicle in a parking space where the electric vehicle can be parked, the charging device comprising: an information acquisition unit that acquires information about the any electric vehicle; a measurement unit for measuring the charging power to the any electric vehicle; and a communication unit that reports the information about the any electric vehicle acquired by the information acquisition unit and the charging power to the any electric vehicle measured by the measurement unit to a power interchange system that settles the electricity fee for the commercial power source and the electricity fee for charging the any electric vehicle.

20. 20. The charging device for an electric vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the power interchange system includes a charging management system that identifies the arbitrary electric vehicle based on information about the electric vehicle from the communication unit, receives a report of the charging power and reports it to a manager of the commercial power source, and the manager of the commercial power source charges the commercial power source by deducting an electricity fee for the charging power to the identified electric vehicle, while adding an electricity fee for the charging power to the identified electric vehicle to an electricity fee for a power supply unit of the manager of the identified electric vehicle.

21. The charging device for an electric vehicle according to claim 19, characterized in that the power interchange system includes a charging management system which identifies the arbitrary electric vehicle based on information about the electric vehicle from the communication unit, and upon receiving a report of the charging power, settles the power fee for the charging power to the identified electric vehicle between a manager of the charging device which is the power supplier and a manager of the identified electric vehicle which is the power demander, for the power fee for the power interchange.

22. 22. The charging device for an electric vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the information acquisition unit acquires information about the arbitrary electric vehicle based on an image of a license plate or radio waves from an ETC onboard unit, and reports the information to the charging management system.

23. 22. The charging device for an electric vehicle according to claim 19, further comprising a recording unit that records the acquired information about the electric vehicle.

24. 22. The charging device for an electric vehicle according to any one of claims 19 to 21, characterized in that both the manager of the charging device, which is the power supplier, and the manager of any one of the electric vehicles, which is the power demander, are subscribers to the power interchange system.

25. The charging device for an electric vehicle according to claim 24, characterized in that when it cannot be confirmed that the manager of any of the electric vehicles parked in the parking space is subscribed to the power interchange system, charging of the any of the electric vehicles is prohibited.

26. The charging device for electric vehicles according to claim 24, further comprising a means for causing any electric vehicle parked in the parking space to leave the parking space when it cannot be confirmed that the manager of the electric vehicle is subscribed to the power interchange system.

27. 22. The charging device for an electric vehicle according to claim 19, further comprising a means for causing any one of the electric vehicles to leave the parking space when the any one of the electric vehicles has been parked in the parking space for a predetermined period of time or more without being charged.

28. 22. The charging device for an electric vehicle as described in any one of claims 19 to 21, characterized in that the charging device sets a time period during which charging is permitted for the arbitrary electric vehicle and notifies the power interchange system, and the power interchange system discloses location information of the parking space where charging is possible to a car navigation system of the arbitrary electric vehicle.

29. A charging device for an electric vehicle as described in any one of claims 19 to 21, characterized in that when the electric vehicle itself is parked in the parking space, the charging device can be powered by discharging the storage battery of the electric vehicle itself, and when any electric vehicle is parked in the parking space, the charging device cannot, in principle, be powered by discharging the storage battery of any electric vehicle.

30. The charging device for an electric vehicle as described in claim 29, characterized in that the charging device can be powered by discharging the storage battery of any electric vehicle parked in the parking space only in the event of an emergency such as a disaster.

31. The charging device for an electric vehicle as described in claim 30, characterized in that the power interchange system enables the manager of any electric vehicle parked in the parking space and supplying power to the power consumption unit of the building in an emergency such as a disaster to receive public compensation for the electricity fees incurred for supplying power.

32. 22. A charging device for an electric vehicle as described in any one of claims 19 to 21, characterized in that the charging device can be powered by a private power generation system, and the power interchange system settles the electricity fee for the commercial power source and the electricity fee required to charge the any one of the electric vehicles, even when power is supplied to the charging device for charging the electric vehicle based on the power supply from the private power generation system.

33. When an electric vehicle is charged by a charging device installed in a parking space attached to a building, information about the electric vehicle and a report of the charging power are received from the charging device, and the electricity fee charged to the manager of the building is deducted from the electricity fee, while the electricity fee for charging the electric vehicle is charged to the manager of the electric vehicle.

34. 34. The power interchange system for an electric vehicle according to claim 33, further comprising a power supply system and a charging management system, wherein the charging management system identifies the arbitrary electric vehicle based on information from the charging device and reports the arbitrary electric vehicle together with the charging power to the power supply system, and the power supply system charges an electricity fee to a manager of the building minus an electricity fee for the charging power to the identified electric vehicle, while adding an electricity fee for the charging power to the identified electric vehicle to an electricity fee to a power supply unit of a manager of the identified electric vehicle.

35. 34. The power interchange system for an electric vehicle according to claim 33, further comprising a charging management system which identifies the arbitrary electric vehicle based on information from the charging device, and settles the power fee for the charging power to the identified electric vehicle based on the reported charging power between a manager of the building which is a power supplier and a manager of the identified electric vehicle which is a power demander.

36. 36. A power interchange system for electric vehicles as described in any one of claims 33 to 35, characterized in that both the manager of the building which is the power supplier and the manager of any one of the electric vehicles which is the power demander are subscribers.

37. The power interchange system for electric vehicles as described in claim 36, characterized in that the charging device is notified that it cannot be confirmed that the manager of any of the electric vehicles parked in the parking space is subscribed to the power interchange system, and the charging device is prohibited from charging the any of the parked electric vehicles.

38. The power interchange system for electric vehicles as described in claim 36, characterized in that the charging device is notified that it cannot be confirmed that the manager of any of the electric vehicles parked in the parking space is subscribed to the power interchange system, and the charging device is caused to take measures to cause the any of the electric vehicles to remove from the parking space.

39. The power interchange system for electric vehicles as described in claim 36, characterized in that when it cannot be confirmed based on information from the charging device that the manager of any of the electric vehicles parked in the parking space is subscribed to the power interchange system, a police report is made.

40. The electric vehicle power interchange system according to claim 36, characterized in that information regarding time periods during which charging is permitted for the arbitrary electric vehicle is received from the charging device, and location information of the parking space available for charging is made available to a car navigation system of the arbitrary electric vehicle.

41. The power interchange system for electric vehicles according to claim 40, characterized in that when any of the electric vehicles is parked in the parking space outside of the time when charging is permitted, a police report is made based on information about the charging device.

42. A power interchange system for electric vehicles as described in any of claims 33 to 35, which enables the manager of any electric vehicle parked in the parking space and supplying power to the building in an emergency such as a disaster to receive public compensation for the electricity costs incurred in supplying power.

43. The power interchange system for an electric vehicle according to any one of claims 33 to 35, characterized in that even if the building has a private power generation system and the optional electric vehicle is charged from the private power generation system, the power fee for the building is deducted from the power fee for charging the optional electric vehicle and the power fee for charging the optional electric vehicle is charged to the manager of the optional electric vehicle.

44. An electric power interchange system for electric vehicles, which enables charging of any electric vehicle using a charging device installed in a parking space attached to a private residence, and has a charging management system that settles electricity charges between a manager of the private residence on the power supply side and a manager of any of the electric vehicles on the power demand side, and which discloses location information of the private residences where charging of any of the electric vehicles is possible to a car navigation system installed in any of the electric vehicles.

45. The power interchange system for electric vehicles as described in claim 44, characterized in that location information of the private residence is made public to the car navigation system on the condition that both the manager of the private residence, which is the power supplier, and the manager of any of the electric vehicles, which is the power demander, are subscribers.

46. 46. ​​The power interchange system for an electric vehicle according to claim 44 or 45, wherein location information of the private residence is made available to the car navigation system only during a time period when charging is permitted at the private residence.

47. An electric vehicle that can be charged by a charging device installed in a parking space attached to a private residence, that is a member of a charging management system that settles electricity charges with the manager of the private residence who is the power supplier, and that has a car navigation system that discloses location information of the private residence that is a member of the charging management system and can charge any electric vehicle.

48. 48. The electric vehicle according to claim 47, further comprising an ETC on-board unit that provides information about the electric vehicle to the private residence for payment of the electricity fee when the electric vehicle is parked in a parking space attached to the private residence.

49. An electricity fee settlement system characterized by the following: when an electric vehicle is charged by a charging device installed in a parking space attached to a building, based on the identification of the electric vehicle and information on the charging power, the electricity fee for the supply of power to the manager of the building is charged minus the electricity fee for the charging power to the identified electric vehicle, and the electricity fee for the supply of power to the manager of the identified electric vehicle is charged plus the electricity fee for the charging power to the identified electric vehicle.

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