Information processing device

Abstract

To inhibit the residual amount of a charged battery from being insufficient while a vehicle travels.SOLUTION: An information storage device is provided with a control part configured so as to execute: acquiring information on a first distance being a travel distance requested to a vehicle; activating remote air conditioning in response to a request to activate remote air conditioning of the vehicle and a remaining charge amount of a battery of the vehicle being greater than a first remaining charge amount being a remaining charge amount of a battery that enables travel of the first distance; and deactivating remote air conditioning in response to the remaining charge amount of the battery becoming a first remaining charge amount of the battery during operation of the remote air conditioning.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Techniques for starting a remote air conditioner in consideration of the remaining battery level are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). After starting the remote air conditioner, it is known to show the temperature and the remaining battery level to the user and let the user determine whether to continue the air conditioning (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to suppress a shortage of the remaining charge of a battery during the running of a vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure includes obtaining information regarding a first distance that is a driving distance required of a vehicle, operating a remote air conditioner of the vehicle when there is a request to operate the remote air conditioner and the remaining charge of the battery of the vehicle is greater than a first remaining charge that is the remaining charge of the battery capable of traveling the first distance, and stopping the remote air conditioner when the remaining charge of the battery becomes less than or equal to the first remaining charge during the operation of the remote air conditioner, and an information processing apparatus including a control unit configured to execute the above.

[0006] The present disclosure can also be regarded as an information processing method in which a computer executes the processing of the information processing apparatus. Further, the present disclosure can also be regarded as an information processing program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method or a non-transitory storage medium storing the information processing program.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to suppress the remaining charge of the battery from becoming insufficient during the running of the vehicle.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] When the information processing apparatus, which is one aspect of the present disclosure, receives a request to operate the air conditioner of the vehicle remotely, it operates the remote air conditioner on the condition that it can secure the remaining charge of the battery that can travel the distance required by the user. Note that the remote air conditioner is, for example, an air conditioner that a user performs by remote operation from outside the vehicle, and is performed by the user transmitting a request to perform air conditioning using a user terminal from outside the vehicle.

[0010] Therefore, the control unit included in the information processing apparatus acquires information regarding a first distance that is the travel distance required for the vehicle. The first distance is, for example, the distance from the current location to the destination, and is the travel distance required by the user for the vehicle. The first distance may be a distance specified by the user, or may be, for example, the distance to the destination set in the navigation system. Further, the control unit may estimate the route of the vehicle and calculate the distance corresponding to the route as the first distance.

[0011] Then, in response to a request to operate the remote air conditioner of the vehicle and the remaining charge of the battery of the vehicle being greater than a first remaining amount that is the remaining charge of the battery capable of traveling the first distance, the control unit operates the remote air conditioner. Further, during the operation of the remote air conditioner, the control unit stops the remote air conditioner in response to the remaining charge of the battery becoming less than or equal to the first remaining amount. A request to operate the remote air conditioner of the vehicle is received by the control unit, for example, from the user's terminal. The first remaining amount is the remaining charge of the battery that has a correlation with the first distance. Note that the remaining charge of the battery may be the SOC (State Of Charge). Only when the remaining charge of the battery is greater than the first remaining amount, by operating the remote air conditioner, it is possible to suppress the remote air conditioner from operating even though the remaining charge of the battery is less than or equal to the first remaining amount. Note that the remote air conditioner may be operated in response to the remaining charge of the battery being greater than an amount obtained by adding a predetermined amount to the first remaining amount. This predetermined amount is the additional remaining charge added as the remaining charge consumed when operating the remote air conditioner. For example, the predetermined amount may be determined so that the remote air conditioner operates for a predetermined time. Further, the predetermined amount may be arbitrarily determined by the user. Also, although the remaining charge of the battery decreases when the remote air conditioner is operated, since the control unit stops the remote air conditioner when the remaining charge becomes less than or equal to the first remaining amount, it is possible to suppress the remaining charge of the battery from becoming less than the first remaining amount. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the remaining charge of the battery from becoming insufficient while the vehicle is moving. When the remaining charge of the battery is greater than the first remaining amount, by operating the remote air conditioner, it is possible to suppress the remote air conditioner from operating even though the remaining charge of the battery is less than or equal to the first remaining amount. Note that the remote air conditioner may be operated in response to the remaining charge of the battery being greater than an amount obtained by adding a predetermined amount to the first remaining amount. This predetermined amount is the additional remaining charge added as the remaining charge consumed when operating the remote air conditioner. For example, the predetermined amount may be determined so that the remote air conditioner operates for a predetermined time. Further, the predetermined amount may be arbitrarily determined by the user. Also, although the remaining charge of the battery decreases when the remote air conditioner is operated, since the control unit stops the remote air conditioner when the remaining charge becomes less than or equal to the first remaining amount, it is possible to suppress the remaining charge of the battery from becoming less than the first remaining amount. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the remaining charge of the battery from becoming insufficient while the vehicle is moving.

[0012] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The hardware configuration, module configuration, functional configuration, etc. described in the following embodiments are not intended to limit the technical scope of the disclosure only to those, unless otherwise specified.

[0013] <First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of a system 1 according to an embodiment. The system 1 is a system capable of remotely operating an air conditioner (hereinafter referred to as an air conditioner) of a vehicle 10 according to a request transmitted from a user terminal 20 to a server 30. In the example of FIG. 1, the system 1 includes a vehicle 10, a user terminal 20, and a server 30. A plurality of vehicles 10 and user terminals 20 may exist respectively. Also, the server 30 may be composed of a plurality of servers. The vehicle 10, the user terminal 20, and the server 30 are interconnected by a network N1. Note that the network N1 is, for example, a worldwide public communication network such as the Internet, and a WAN (Wide Area Network) or other communication network may be adopted. Further, the network N1 may include a telephone communication network such as a mobile phone, and a wireless communication network such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0014] The server 30 can be configured as a computer having a processor (CPU, GPU, etc.), a main storage device (RAM, ROM, etc.), and an auxiliary storage device (EPROM, hard disk drive, removable media, etc.). The auxiliary storage device stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc., and by executing the programs stored therein, various functions (software modules) that meet predetermined purposes, as described later, can be realized. However, some or all of the modules may be realized as hardware modules by a hardware circuit such as an ASIC or an FPGA.

[0015] The server 30 has a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, and a communication module 33. The control unit 31 is an arithmetic unit that realizes various functions of the server 30 by executing a predetermined program. The control unit 31 can be realized by a hardware processor such as a CPU, for example. Further, the control unit 31 may be configured to include a RAM, a ROM, a cache memory, and the like. Details of the control unit 31 will be described later.

[0016] The storage unit 32 is a means for storing information and is composed of a storage medium such as a RAM, a magnetic disk, or a flash memory. In the storage unit 32, a program executed by the control unit 31, data used by the program, and the like are stored. Further, a database (vehicle information DB321 and map information DB322) is constructed in the storage unit 32. Information collected from each vehicle 10 is stored in the vehicle information DB321.

[0017] Here, FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the table configuration of the vehicle information DB 321 according to the embodiment. The vehicle information DB 321 has fields for vehicle ID, user ID, position, route, remaining charge amount, and charging status. In the vehicle ID field, information (vehicle ID) that can identify vehicle 10 is stored. In the user ID field, information (user ID) that can identify the user or the user terminal 20 is stored. In the position field, position information transmitted from vehicle 10 is stored. In the route field, information regarding the route transmitted from vehicle 10 is stored. Note that the information regarding the route includes information regarding the destination. Also, the information regarding the route may be information regarding the route predicted by the control unit 31 of the server 30 based on the route of vehicle 10 up to the current time and the past driving history. AI may be used for this prediction. Also, the information regarding the route may be generated by the control unit 31 of the server 30. In this case, the control unit 31 may generate a route according to the destination input by the user to the user terminal 20. Also, the information regarding the route may be generated by the control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 as will be described later. Then, the information regarding the route may be transmitted from the user terminal 20 to the server 30. In the remaining charge amount field, information regarding the remaining charge amount of the battery 16 transmitted from vehicle 10 is stored. In the charging status field, information that can determine whether the battery 16 is being charged from an external power source is stored. Information that can determine whether the battery 16 is being charged from an external power source is transmitted from vehicle 10 to the server 30. Note that when the user performs user registration via application software (hereinafter simply referred to as an app) capable of executing remote air conditioning from the user terminal 20, the control unit 31 associates the vehicle ID with the user ID.

[0018] The map information DB 322 stores map data including feature positions and map information including POI (Point of Interest) information such as characters and photos indicating the characteristics of each point on the map data. Note that the map information DB322 may be provided from another system connected to the network N1, for example, a GIS (Geographic Information System).

[0019] The communication module 33 is a communication interface for connecting the server 30 to the network N1. The communication module 33 may be configured to include, for example, a network interface board, a wireless communication interface for wireless communication, etc. The server 30 can perform data communication with the vehicle 10 and the user terminal 20 via the communication module 33.

[0020] The vehicle 10 is a battery electric vehicle (BEV) equipped with an electric motor. The vehicle 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication module 13, a position information sensor 14, a touch panel 15, a battery 16, an air conditioner 17, and an outside air temperature sensor 18. These components are interconnected by a CAN bus, which is a vehicle-mounted network bus. Note that these components may be components such as a DCM (Data Communication Module), a head unit, a navigation system, an air conditioning system, and a driving system.

[0021] The control unit 11 can be realized by a hardware processor such as a CPU, for example. Also, the control unit 11 may be configured to include a RAM, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a cache memory, etc. The storage unit 12 is a means for storing information and is composed of a storage medium such as a RAM, a magnetic disk, or a flash memory. Programs executed by the control unit 11, data used by the programs, etc. are stored in the storage unit 12.

[0022] The communication module 13 is a communication means for connecting the vehicle 10 to the network N1. In this embodiment, the vehicle 10 can communicate with other devices (for example, the server 30) via the network N1 by using mobile communication services such as 3G, LTE, 5G, 6G, etc. The position information sensor 14 acquires the position information (for example, latitude and longitude) of the vehicle 10 at a predetermined cycle. The position information sensor 14 is, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver unit, a wireless communication unit, etc. The touch panel 15 is a device that receives input from the user and presents information to the user, and is configured to include, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), or an EL (Electroluminescence) panel, etc., a touch panel display. The battery 16 is a secondary battery that supplies power to the electric motor driving the vehicle 10 and the air conditioner 17. The battery 16 is charged by an external power source. The air conditioner 17 is a device that operates by the power supplied from the battery 16 to adjust the temperature inside the vehicle 10. The outside air temperature sensor 18 is a sensor that detects the temperature outside the vehicle 10.

[0023] The control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 acquires, at predetermined time intervals, the position information acquired by the position information sensor 14, the route and destination set in the navigation system, the remaining charge of the battery 16, information capable of determining whether the battery 16 is being charged, etc., associates them with the vehicle ID, and transmits them to the server 30. In addition, when the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 receives a command to operate the remote air conditioner from the server 30, it operates the air conditioner 17. In addition, when the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 receives a command to stop the operation of the remote air conditioner from the server 30, it stops the operation of the air conditioner 17. In addition, the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 generates a route according to the destination input by the user via the touch panel 15.

[0024] The user terminal 20 is a terminal used by the user of the vehicle 10, and is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a wearable terminal, or a PC (Personal Computer), etc. The user The terminal 20 has an app installed that can remotely operate the air conditioner of the vehicle 10. The user terminal 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a communication module 23, and a touch panel 24. These have the same configuration as the control unit 11, the storage unit 12, the communication module 13, and the touch panel 15 of the vehicle 10.

[0025] Also, the control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 activates this app in response to the user tapping the icon of the app corresponding to the remote air conditioner displayed on the touch panel 24. Further, when the user makes an input to operate the remote air conditioner via the touch panel 24, the control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 generates a request to operate the remote air conditioner and transmits it to the server 30. Also, when the control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 receives an input to operate the remote air conditioner, it may display a screen for the user to input the destination of the vehicle 10. And the control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 may transmit information about the destination of the vehicle 10 input by the user to the touch panel 24 to the server 30. This information about the destination is an example of the information about the first distance. This information about the destination may be included in the request to operate the remote air conditioner transmitted to the server 30. Also, as another example, the control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 may generate a route of the vehicle 10 according to the destination input via the touch panel 24 and transmit information about the generated route to the server 30 。

[0026] Furthermore, as another example, the control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 may generate a route of the vehicle 10 according to the destination input to the touch panel 24, and further calculate the distance of the generated route. The distance of the route calculated at this time corresponds to the first distance. Then, the control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 may transmit the calculated first distance to the server 30. Also, as another example, the user can input the required driving distance via the touch panel 24. That is, the user can also specify the first distance. When receiving the specification of the first distance, the control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 may display a screen for the user to input the first distance. Then, the control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 may transmit the information regarding the first distance input by the user to the touch panel 24 to the server 30.

[0027] The control unit 31 of the server 30 receives from the vehicle 10 the position information acquired by the position information sensor 14, the route and destination set in the navigation system, the remaining charge of the battery 16, information capable of determining whether the battery 16 is being charged, and the like. When receiving these information from the vehicle 10, the control unit 31 stores them in the vehicle information DB 321. Also, the control unit 31 of the server 30 can transmit a command to activate the remote air conditioner to the vehicle 10. Note that the control unit 31 may receive the route, destination, or the first distance from the user terminal 20 and store them in the vehicle information DB 321.

[0028] In addition, the control unit 31 of the server 30 receives a request from the user terminal 20 to activate the remote air conditioner of the vehicle 10. The user activates an application for activating the remote air conditioner on the user terminal 20 and makes a predetermined input for activating the remote air conditioner. Then, the control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 transmits a request to activate the remote air conditioner to the server 30. Also, when the control unit 31 of the server 30 receives a request to activate the remote air conditioner from the user terminal 20, it determines whether the remaining charge of the battery 16 of the vehicle 10 is more than a first remaining amount, which is the remaining charge of the battery 16 that can travel the distance to the destination. The distance to the destination is the travel distance required for the vehicle 10 and corresponds to the first distance. The first distance is, for example, the distance to the destination set in the navigation system of the vehicle 10. Note that the first distance may be calculated by the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 and transmitted to the server 30, or may be calculated by the control unit 31 of the server 30 based on information regarding the route and destination. For example, the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 transmits information regarding the route and destination set in the navigation system to the server 30 at regular intervals. The control unit 31 of the server 30 that has received the information regarding the route and destination calculates the first distance based on the information stored in the map information DB 322. Further, the control unit 31 calculates the remaining charge of the battery 16 required to travel the first distance. For example, a formula for calculating the remaining charge of the battery 16 required to travel the first distance from the first distance may be stored in the storage unit 32. Then, the control unit 31 may obtain the remaining charge of the battery 16 required to travel the first distance by substituting the first distance into the formula.

[0029] When the driving distance of the vehicle 10 is equal to or greater than the driving distance to the destination of the vehicle 10, the vehicle 10 may reach the destination before the remaining charge of the battery 16 runs out. Therefore, in this case, the control unit 31 of the server 30 operates the remote air conditioning. On the other hand, when the driving distance of the vehicle 10 is shorter than the driving distance to the destination of the vehicle 10, the remaining charge of the battery 16 may run out before the vehicle 10 reaches the destination. Therefore, in this case, the control unit 31 of the server 30 does not operate the remote air conditioning. Furthermore, when the driving distance of the vehicle 10 becomes shorter than the driving distance to the destination of the vehicle 10 while the remote air conditioning is operating, the control unit 31 of the server 30 stops the remote air conditioning.

[0030] When the battery 16 is being charged using an external power source, the battery is consumed by the air conditioner 17. Since the power to be used can be supplied from an external power, the control unit 31 may operate the remote air conditioning regardless of whether the remaining charge amount of the battery 16 is greater than the first remaining amount.

[0031] Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing a process in the server 30 according to the embodiment. The flowchart shown in Fig. 3 is executed at predetermined time intervals in the server 30. Note that the following description will be given on the assumption that necessary information is stored in the vehicle information DB 321 and the map information DB 322.

[0032] In step S101, the control unit 31 determines whether it has received a request to operate the remote air conditioner from the user terminal 20. If the control unit 31 makes an affirmative determination in step S101, the process proceeds to step S102, and if it makes a negative determination, this routine ends. In step S102, the control unit 31 acquires the current location and route of the vehicle 10 from the vehicle information DB321. Note that the route also includes information regarding the destination. In step S103, the control unit 31 calculates a first remaining amount. The control unit 31 calculates the first remaining amount while referring to the map information DB322 based on the current location of the vehicle 10, the destination of the vehicle 10, and the route of the vehicle 10. As another example, the control unit 31 can also acquire the first remaining amount from the vehicle 10 or the user terminal 20.

[0033] In step S104, the control unit 31 calculates a first remaining quantity. The first remaining quantity is calculated by substituting the first distance calculated in step S103 into the calculation formula stored in the storage unit 32. In step S105, the control unit 31 acquires the remaining charge amount. The control unit 31 acquires the latest remaining charge amount of the battery 16 by referring to the vehicle information DB321. In step S106, the control unit 31 determines whether the remaining charge amount acquired in step S105 is greater than the first remaining quantity calculated in step S104. If the control unit 31 makes an affirmative determination in step S106, the process proceeds to step S108, and if it makes a negative determination, the process proceeds to step S107.

[0034] In step S107, the control unit 31 determines whether the battery 16 of the vehicle 10 is being charged. The control unit 31 determines whether the battery 16 of the vehicle 10 is being charged by referring to the latest charge status field of the vehicle information DB321. If the control unit 31 makes an affirmative determination in step S107, the process proceeds to step S108, and if it makes a negative determination, the process proceeds to step S109. Note that the process of step S107 can also be omitted. In that case, when the control unit 31 makes a negative determination in step S106, the process proceeds to step S109.

[0035] In step S108, the control unit 31 transmits a remote air conditioning operation command to the vehicle 10, which is a command to operate the remote air conditioning. The control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 that receives the remote air conditioning operation command operates the remote air conditioning. Meanwhile, in step S109, the control unit 31 transmits an operation impossible notification to the user terminal 20, which is a notification that the remote air conditioning cannot be operated. This notification may include a command to display a screen corresponding to the remote air conditioning operation impossible notification on the touch panel 24 of the user terminal 20. The control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 that receives the remote air conditioning operation impossible notification causes the touch panel 24 to display a screen corresponding to the remote air conditioning operation impossible notification.

[0036] Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing executed by the server 30 during operation of the remote air conditioning according to the embodiment. The flowchart shown in Fig. 4 is executed at predetermined time intervals by the server 30. Note that the following description will be given on the assumption that necessary information is stored in the vehicle information DB 321 and the map information DB 322.

[0037] In step S201, the control unit 31 determines whether or not the remote air conditioning is in operation. The control unit 31 may determine that the remote air conditioning is operating if, after transmitting the remote air conditioning operation command to the vehicle 10 in step S108, the control unit 31 has not received a notification from the vehicle 10 that the operation of the remote air conditioning has been stopped. For example, if the vehicle 10 runs while the remote air conditioning is operating, the remote air conditioning is stopped. In this case, the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 transmits a notification that the remote air conditioning has been stopped to the server 30. As another example, information that can determine whether the remote air conditioning is operating or not may be transmitted from the vehicle 10 to the server 30 at predetermined time intervals. If the control unit 31 makes a positive determination in step S201, the process proceeds to step S202, and if a negative determination is made, this routine ends. In step S202, the control unit 31 acquires the remaining charge. The control unit 31 acquires the latest remaining charge of the battery 16 by referring to the vehicle information DB 321.

[0038] In step S203, the control unit 31 determines whether the remaining charge amount acquired in step S202 is greater than the first remaining amount calculated in step S104 of the routine shown in FIG. 3. The first remaining amount calculated in step S104 is stored in the storage unit 32. If the control unit 31 makes an affirmative determination in step S203, this routine ends. In this case, the remote air conditioner continues to operate. On the other hand, if the control unit 31 makes a negative determination in step S203, the process proceeds to step S204.

[0039] In step S204, the control unit 31 determines whether the battery 16 of the vehicle 10 is being charged. If the control unit 31 makes an affirmative determination in step S204, this routine ends. If it makes a negative determination, the process proceeds to step S205. Note that the process of step S204 can also be omitted. In that case, when the control unit 31 makes a negative determination in step S203, the process proceeds to step S205.

[0040] In step S205, the control unit 31 transmits a remote air conditioner stop command, which is a command to stop the operation of the remote air conditioner, to the vehicle 10. The control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 that has received the remote air conditioner stop command stops the remote air conditioner. Next, in step S206, the control unit 31 transmits an operation stop notification, which is a notification that the operation of the remote air conditioner has been stopped, to the user terminal 20. This notification may include a command to cause a screen corresponding to the operation stop notification to be displayed on the touch panel 24 of the user terminal 20. The control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 that has received the operation stop notification causes a screen corresponding to the operation stop notification to be displayed on the touch panel 24.

[0041] As described above, according to the present embodiment, in order to operate the remote air conditioner while ensuring the remaining charge amount of the battery 16 required until the vehicle 10 reaches the destination, it is possible to suppress the remaining charge amount of the battery 16 from becoming insufficient before the vehicle 10 reaches the destination.

[0042] <Second Embodiment> If the temperature is such that the user uses the remote air conditioner, the air conditioner 17 is likely to be used even during subsequent driving of the vehicle 10. In this case, depending on the usage situation of the air conditioner 17, the degree of decrease in the remaining charge of the battery 16 increases, so the distance that the vehicle 10 can travel may decrease. Therefore, the control unit 31 may correct the first remaining amount according to the outside air temperature. For example, in the case of a temperature at which cooling is used, the higher the outside air temperature, the larger the first remaining amount may be. Also, in the case of a temperature at which heating is used, the lower the outside air temperature, the larger the first remaining amount may be. That is, the more the air conditioner 17 is used, the more remaining charge is required to travel the first distance, so the control unit 31 may perform correction so that the first remaining amount becomes larger. The outside air temperature is detected by the outside air temperature sensor 18 of the vehicle 10 and transmitted to the server 30 by the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 at predetermined time intervals. Then, in step S104 shown in FIG. 3, when the control unit 31 calculates the first remaining amount, it performs correction according to the outside air temperature. For example, the relationship between the outside air temperature and the correction coefficient of the first remaining amount may be stored in the storage unit 32 in advance. In this way, the remaining charge of the battery 16 can be ensured more reliably.

[0043] <Other Embodiments> The above embodiments are merely examples, and the present disclosure can be appropriately modified and implemented without departing from the gist thereof. The processes and means described in the present disclosure can be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradiction occurs. Also, the process described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by a plurality of devices. Alternatively, the process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by one device. In a computer system, how each function is realized by what hardware configuration (server configuration) can be flexibly changed.

[0044] In the above-described embodiment, the control unit 31 of the server 30 executes the routines shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. As another example, the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 may execute the routines shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In this case, in step S101, the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 determines whether or not it has received a request to activate the remote air conditioner from the server 30. Also, in step S108, the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 activates the remote air conditioner. Further, in step S109, the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 transmits a non-operable notification to the user terminal 20 via the server 30. Also, in step S205, the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 stops the remote air conditioner. Further, in step S206, the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 transmits an operation stop notification to the user terminal 20 via the server 30.

[0045] Further, the control unit 31 of the server 30 may transmit a command to the vehicle 10 to stop the remote air conditioner when the remaining charge amount becomes equal to or less than the first remaining amount. In this case, the process of step S106 in FIG. 3 by the control unit 31 of the server 30 is omitted, and after the process of step S105, the control unit 31 of the server 30 executes the process of step S108. Then, the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 executes the process of step S106, and when the control unit 11 makes an affirmative determination in step S106, the remote air conditioner is activated. Then, the process shown in FIG. 4 is executed by the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10. In this case, in step S205, the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 stops the remote air conditioner, and in step S206, the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 transmits an operation stop notification to the user terminal 20 via the server 30.

[0046] The present disclosure can also be realized by supplying a computer program that implements the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer and causing one or more processors included in the computer to read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer by a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the system bus of the computer, or may be provided to the computer via a network. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium includes, for example, any type of disk such as a magnetic disk (e.g., a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (e.g., a CD-ROM, a DVD disk, a Blu-ray disk, etc.), a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, an optical card, and any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions.

Explanation of Signs

[0047] 1 System 10 Vehicle 16 Battery 17 Air conditioner 20 User terminal 30 Server 31 Control unit 32 Storage unit

Claims

1. Obtaining information regarding a first distance that is the driving distance required for the vehicle; When there is a request to activate the remote air conditioner of the vehicle and the remaining charge of the battery of the vehicle is greater than a first remaining charge that is the remaining charge of the battery capable of traveling the first distance, activating the remote air conditioner; During operation of the remote air conditioner, stopping the remote air conditioner in response to the remaining charge of the battery becoming less than or equal to the first remaining charge; An information processing apparatus comprising a control unit configured to execute the above.

2. The control unit obtains information regarding the first distance from a terminal of a user of the vehicle. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The control unit: Obtains information regarding a route to a destination of the vehicle as the information regarding the first distance; Calculates the remaining charge of the battery required when the vehicle travels the route as the first remaining charge. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

4. During charging of the battery, the control unit activates the remote air conditioner regardless of whether the remaining charge of the battery is greater than the first remaining charge. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

5. The information processing apparatus further includes a storage unit that stores a relationship between the temperature outside the vehicle and a correction coefficient of the first remaining charge. The control unit: Obtains the temperature outside the vehicle; Corrects the first remaining charge according to the relationship between the temperature outside the vehicle and the correction coefficient of the first remaining charge. And is further configured to execute the above. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

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