Charge management device

Abstract

To shorten a time until starting to charge an electric vehicle after connecting a charging stand with the electric vehicle.SOLUTION: A charge management device is used for a charging system to perform external charging for charging an electric vehicle using power fed from a charging stand. The charge management device executes first authentication of whether or not user information of a user is associated with charging inhibition information, when the user desires the external charging; the external charging starts when it is determined that no user information is associated with the charging inhibition information by the first authentication; executes second authentication in regard to accounting information about the user in parallel with the external charging; continues the external charging when authentication in regard to the accounting information is taken by the second authentication; and ends the external charging while associating the user information with the charging inhibition information when no authentication in regard to the accounting information is taken by the second authentication.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a charging management device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a charging stand network system configured by communicably connecting a plurality of charging stands for charging an electric vehicle and a management device for managing the plurality of charging stands, a vehicle-side communication device mounted on the electric vehicle and the management device are communicably configured via a communication device (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Here, the management device includes an authentication server and a service server. The authentication server authenticates a user who charges an electric vehicle and permits the provision of services to the user when the authentication is successful. The service server provides services to users for whom service provision is permitted by the authentication server. In this system, an authentication screen is displayed on the vehicle-side communication device, and user authentication (input of a username and password or new registration of a user) is performed on this authentication screen.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When charging of the electric vehicle is started using the power from the charging stand after authentication regarding the user's charging information is completed after the charging stand and the electric vehicle are connected, the time until the start of charging of the electric vehicle becomes long. The main object of the charging management device of the present disclosure is to shorten the time from when the charging stand and the electric vehicle are connected until the start of charging of the electric vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The charging management device of the present disclosure adopts the following means to achieve the above main object. The charging management device of the present disclosure is a charging management device used in a charging system that performs external charging for charging an electric vehicle using power from a charging stand. When a user desires the external charging, the charging management device executes a first authentication as to whether the user information of the user is associated with charging prohibition information. When it is determined by the first authentication that the user information is not associated with the charging prohibition information, the external charging is started. In parallel with the external charging, a second authentication regarding the charging information of the user is executed. When the authentication regarding the charging information is obtained by the second authentication, the external charging is continued. When the authentication regarding the charging information cannot be obtained by the second authentication, the user information is associated with the charging prohibition information and the external charging is terminated. This is the gist.

[0006] In the charging management device of the present disclosure, when a user desires external charging, a first authentication is executed as to whether the user information of the user is associated with charging prohibition information. When it is determined by the first authentication that the user information is not associated with the charging prohibition information, the external charging is started. In parallel with the external charging, a second authentication regarding the charging information of the user is executed. When the authentication regarding the charging information is obtained by the second authentication, the external charging is continued. When the authentication regarding the charging information cannot be obtained by the second authentication, the user information is associated with the charging prohibition information and the external charging is terminated. Thereby, compared with starting the external charging after waiting for the authentication regarding the charging information to be obtained by the second authentication, the time until the start of the external charging can be shortened. And when the authentication regarding the charging information is obtained by the second authentication, the external charging can be continued, and when the authentication regarding the charging information cannot be obtained, it is possible to avoid continuing the external charging. When it is determined by the first authentication that the user information is associated with the charging prohibition information, it is not necessary to start the external charging.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Embodiments for implementing the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a charging system 10 including a charging management device according to an embodiment. The charging system 10 according to the embodiment includes a charging stand 20, a server 30, and an electric vehicle 40. Examples of the electric vehicle 40 include an electric vehicle equipped with a motor and a battery for running, a hybrid vehicle further equipped with an engine in addition to the same configuration as an electric vehicle, and a fuel cell vehicle further equipped with a fuel cell in addition to the same configuration as an electric vehicle. In the embodiment, the charging stand 20 corresponds to the charging management device.

[0009] The charging stand 20 is arranged in service areas, parking areas, shopping malls, convenience stores, etc. on highways. The charging stand 20 is configured to be connectable to the electric vehicle 40 via the charging cable 28 and to be able to supply power to the electric vehicle 40, that is, to be externally chargeable to charge the battery of the electric vehicle 40. In addition to a power supply unit (not shown) for supplying power to the electric vehicle 40, the charging stand 20 is equipped with a microcomputer. The charging stand 20 functions as a functional block in which hardware and application software function integrally, and includes a charging management unit 21 for managing external charging and an authentication unit 22 for performing a first authentication as to whether the user information of the user is associated with the first authentication information (charging prohibition information) and a second authentication for the charging information of the user. The charging stand 20 stores the first authentication information used for the first authentication. Examples of user information include certificate information (such as information on a my number card, driver's license, insurance certificate, etc.), biometric information (such as information on face authentication and fingerprint authentication), and the like. Examples of the first authentication information include user information (fraudulent user information) of users who have committed fraud or are suspected of fraud in external charging during a past predetermined period. The charging stand 20 can communicate with the server 30 and the electric vehicle 40 by wire or wirelessly.

[0010] The server 30 is, for example, a server managed by a credit card company or the like and is equipped with a computer. The server 30 stores the second authentication information used for the second authentication. Examples of the second authentication information include information on a credit card and the like.

[0011] Next, the operation of the charging system 10 configured in this way will be described. In particular, a series of processes when performing external charging will be described. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a processing routine executed by the cooperation of the charging management unit 21 and the authentication unit 22 of the charging stand 20. This routine is executed when the charging stand 20 and the electric vehicle 40 are connected via the charging cable 28 and the user gives an instruction to start external charging. Note that the instruction to start external charging is given, for example, when the user presses a charging start button provided on the charging stand 20.

[0012] When the processing routine in FIG. 2 is executed, the authentication unit 22 performs a first authentication (step S100) and determines whether the first authentication is OK or NG (step S110). As described above, the first authentication is an authentication as to whether the user information of the user is associated with the first authentication information (charging prohibition information). That is, it is an authentication as to whether the user information matches the unauthorized user information. When the user information is not associated with the first authentication information, the authentication unit 22 determines that the first authentication is OK (the user information has been authenticated), and when the user information is associated with the first authentication information, the authentication unit 22 determines that the first authentication is NG (the user information has not been authenticated).

[0013] When it is determined in step S110 by the authentication unit 22 that the first authentication is OK, the charging management unit 21 starts external charging (charging the battery of the electric vehicle 40 using the power from the charging stand 20) (step S120). In parallel with this, the authentication unit 22 performs a second authentication (step S130) and determines whether the second authentication is OK or NG (step S140). As described above, the second authentication is an authentication regarding the user's billing information. The second authentication is performed, for example, in the following flow involving communication between the charging stand 20 (authentication unit 22), a mobile terminal (such as a smartphone or tablet terminal), and the server 30. First, the user installs a billing authentication application on the mobile terminal. Subsequently, the user launches the billing authentication application, reads a QR code (registered trademark) having information about the charging stand 20 using the camera of the mobile terminal, inputs the information of the credit card as billing information, and causes the input billing information to be transmitted to the server 30 of the credit card company. The server 30 collates the user's billing information with the second authentication information and transmits the collation result to the charging stand 20. Based on the collation result from the server 30, the authentication unit 22 of the charging stand 20 determines that the second authentication is OK (the authentication regarding the billing information is successful) when the user's billing information is OK, and determines that the second authentication is NG (the authentication regarding the billing information fails) when the user's billing information is NG.

[0014] When it is determined in step S140 by the authentication unit 22 that the second authentication is OK, the charging management unit 21 continues the external charging. Then, when the termination condition of the external charging, for example, the condition that the battery of the electric vehicle 40 has reached full charge, is satisfied (step S150), the external charging is terminated (step S160), and this routine ends. That is, in the embodiment, when the first authentication is OK, the external charging is started, the second authentication is executed in parallel with the external charging, when the second authentication is OK, the external charging is continued, and then when the termination condition of the external charging is satisfied, the external charging is terminated. Thus, compared with the case where the external charging is started after the second authentication becomes OK, the time until the external charging is started can be shortened. As a result, when the available time of the charging stand 20 is determined (for example, 30 minutes, etc.), the battery of the electric vehicle 40 can be charged more sufficiently. Also, when the available time of the charging stand 20 is not determined, the time until the external charging is terminated can be shortened.

[0015] When it is determined in step S150 by the authentication unit 22 that the second authentication is NG, the authentication unit 22 registers, that is, associates, the user information of the user with the first authentication information (step S170), and the charging management unit 21 terminates the external charging (step S180), and this routine ends. In this case, before the termination condition of the external charging is satisfied, the external charging is forcibly terminated. Thus, it is possible to avoid continuing the external charging when the second authentication (authentication about the billing information) fails.

[0016] When it is determined in step S110 by the authentication unit 22 that the first authentication fails, this routine ends without starting external charging. As described above, for a certain user, when it is determined by the authentication unit 22 that the second authentication fails during past external charging, the user information of that user is registered as the first authentication information. Therefore, when that user desires external charging this time, the user information is associated with the first authentication information, and it is determined by the authentication unit 22 that the first authentication fails, and external charging is prohibited. Thereby, external charging can be prohibited for a user who has committed fraud in external charging during a past predetermined period or a user suspected of such fraud.

[0017] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the process when external charging is performed. FIG. 3(a) shows the process of the embodiment, and FIG. 3(b) shows the process of the comparative example. In the comparative example, as shown in FIG. 3(b), after the user connects the charging stand 20 and the electric vehicle 40 and instructs external charging, a series of operations related to the authentication of the user's billing information (corresponding to the second authentication of the present disclosure) are performed, for example, in the following process. First, the user installs a billing authentication application on the mobile terminal. Subsequently, the user launches the billing authentication application, reads a QR code (registered trademark) having information about the charging stand 20 using the camera of the mobile terminal, inputs the information of the credit card as billing information, and causes the input billing information to be transmitted to the server 30 of the credit card company. The server 30 collates the user's billing information and the second authentication information and transmits the collation result to the charging stand 20. Based on the collation result from the server 30, when the user's billing information is OK, the charging stand 20 determines that the second authentication is OK (the authentication of the billing information is successful), and when the user's billing information is NG, the charging stand 20 determines that the second authentication is NG (the authentication of the billing information fails). Then, when the authentication of the billing information is OK, external charging is started, and when the end condition is satisfied thereafter, external charging is terminated. On the other hand, in the embodiment, after the user connects the charging stand 20 and the electric vehicle 40 and instructs external charging, the charging stand 20 performs the first authentication using the user's My Number card or the like. When the first authentication is OK, external charging is started, and in parallel with the external charging, a series of operations (described above) related to the authentication of the user's billing information are performed. When the authentication of the billing information (second authentication) is OK, external charging is continued, and when the end condition is satisfied thereafter, external charging is terminated. Therefore, in the embodiment, compared with the comparative example, the time until the start of external charging can be shortened.

[0018] In the charging management device of the present embodiment described above, when the user desires external charging, the first authentication (authentication as to whether the user information of the user is associated with the first authentication information) is executed, and when it is determined that the first authentication is OK (the user information is not associated with the first authentication information), external charging is started. Subsequently, in parallel with the external charging, the second authentication (authentication regarding the user's billing information) is executed, and when it is determined that the second authentication is OK (the authentication regarding the billing information is successful), the external charging is continued, and when it is determined that the second authentication is NG (the authentication regarding the billing information fails), the user information is registered in the first authentication information and the external charging is terminated. Thereby, compared with starting the external charging after waiting for the determination that the second authentication is OK, the time until the external charging is started can be shortened. And when the second authentication is OK, the external charging can be continued, and when the second authentication is NG, it is possible to avoid continuing the external charging.

[0019] In the above-described embodiment, when the first authentication is not completed within the first predetermined time because the user does not present the user information or the like, the charging stand 20 may determine that the first authentication is NG. Further, when the second authentication is not completed within the second predetermined time because the user does not present the billing information or the like, the charging stand 20 may determine that the second authentication is NG.

[0020] In the above-described embodiment, the charging stand 20 prohibits external charging when the first authentication is NG, but is not limited thereto. For example, when the user registers the billing information (for example, credit card information) and the billing information is OK (the authentication regarding the billing information is successful), the external charging may be started. In this case, the charging stand 20 may delete the user information of the user from the first authentication information (charging prohibition information).

[0021] In the above-described embodiment, the charging stand 20 determines whether to continue or terminate external charging based on whether the second authentication is OK or NG, but it is not limited to this. For example, when the second authentication is not completed due to communication abnormalities or the like, external charging may be permitted for a third predetermined time.

[0022] In the above-described embodiment, the second authentication is performed by the charging stand 20 in communication with the mobile terminal or the server 30, but it is not limited to this. For example, the second authentication may be performed by the charging stand 20 in communication with the electric vehicle 40 or the server 30. Further, the second authentication may be performed by the server 30 or the like in communication with the mobile terminal or the electric vehicle 40.

[0023] In the above-described embodiment, the first authentication information (charging prohibition information) is stored in the charging stand 20, but it is not limited thereto. For example, the first authentication information may be stored in a local server (not shown) connected to the same local network as the charging stand 20, or may be stored in an external server or the like.

[0024] In the above-described embodiment, the charging stand 20 corresponds to the charging management device, but it is not limited to this. For example, as the charging management device, the charging stand 20 and the server 30 may correspond.

[0025] The correspondence between the main elements of the embodiment and the main elements of the invention described in the column of means for solving the problems will be described. In the embodiment, the charging stand 20 corresponds to the "charging stand", the electric vehicle 40 corresponds to the "electric vehicle", the charging system 10 corresponds to the "charging system", and the charging stand 20 corresponds to the "charging management device".

[0026] As described above, the embodiments for carrying out the present disclosure have been described using the embodiments, but the present disclosure is not limited to such embodiments, and it goes without saying that the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

Industrial Applicability

[0027] The present disclosure can be used in the manufacturing industry of charging management devices and the like.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0028] 10 Charging system, 20 Charging stand, 21 Charging management unit, 22 Authentication unit, 30 Server, 40 Electric vehicle.

Claims

【Claim 1】 A charging management device used in a charging system that performs external charging for charging an electric vehicle using power from a charging stand, when a user desires the external charging, performs a first authentication as to whether the user information of the user is associated with charging prohibition information, when it is determined by the first authentication that the user information is not associated with the charging prohibition information, starts the external charging, in parallel with the external charging, performs a second authentication regarding the charging information of the user, when the authentication regarding the charging information is successful by the second authentication, continues the external charging, and when the authentication regarding the charging information fails by the second authentication, associates the user information with the charging prohibition information and ends the external charging, a charging management device.

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