Vehicle information management system

Abstract

To prevent multiple vehicles from concentrating at a specific charging point.SOLUTION: In a vehicle information management system which proposes a charging plan for a battery 20 mounted on a vehicle 10 which travels by driving a motor 81 with electric power charged in the battery 20, a center server 100 includes: a proposal section which enumerates multiple combinations of charging points enabling multiple vehicles 10 to reach respective target SOC by the time the multiple vehicles arrive at respective destinations; a calculation section which selects one of the combinations of charging points enumerated by the proposal section and calculates a required charging demand at each charging point assuming that the multiple vehicles 10 charge at the charging points included in the selected combination; and a search section which searches for an optimal charging route composed of a combination of charging points such that, based on the required charging demand at each charging point calculated by the calculation section, the charging demand at each charging point in each time period does not exceed the electric power supply capacity limit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle information management system.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 describes that "when the remaining battery level of a vehicle is low, a route with a non-contact power supply device having a high power supply capacity and a recommended speed are notified, and when the remaining battery level is high, a route with a non-contact power supply device having a low power supply capacity is recommended."

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above Patent Document 1, when a plurality of vehicles select the recommended charging route, there is a possibility that the plurality of vehicles will concentrate at a specific power supply point. Further, in the above Patent Document 1, even if a charging route with a low power supply capacity is recommended when the remaining battery level is high, as a psychology of the driver of the vehicle, it is conceivable to select a charging route with a high power supply capacity in preparation for power failure. As a result, a plurality of vehicles may concentrate at a specific power supply point, causing an excessive power supply load at the power supply point, and there is a risk of power failure without receiving power supply as planned.

[0005] In view of such circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle information management system capable of avoiding a plurality of vehicles from concentrating at a specific power supply point.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention provides a vehicle information management system including an on-board terminal mounted on a vehicle that runs by driving a motor with power stored in a battery, and a control device that transmits a charging plan for power supply to the on-board terminal, wherein the vehicle is equipped with a cable-connected power supply system that supplies power to the battery from a contact-type charging station via a charging cable, and a contactless power supply system that contactlessly supplies power transmitted from a contactless power supply device to the battery, and the control device includes: a proposal unit that lists multiple combinations of power supply points that can supply power to multiple vehicles so that each vehicle reaches its target SOC by the time the multiple vehicles arrive at their destinations; a calculation unit that selects one of the multiple combinations of power supply points listed by the proposal unit, and calculates a required charge amount for each power supply point when the multiple vehicles are powered using the selected combination of power supply points; and a search unit that searches for an optimal solution charging route consisting of a combination of power supply points such that the required charge amount for each power supply point in each time period does not exceed a power supply capacity limit, based on the required charge amount for each power supply point calculated by the calculation unit.

[0007] According to the above configuration, it is possible to propose an optimal charging route that can avoid multiple vehicles concentrating at a specific power supply point (such as a power supply station with a contact-type charging stand or a road where a non-contact power supply device is installed). [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the vehicle information management system of the present invention, it is possible to prevent a plurality of vehicles from concentrating at a specific power supply point. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

[0010] The vehicle information management system shown in FIG. 1 includes an on-board terminal 30 of a vehicle 10, a center server 100, a contact-type charging stand 200, a charging infrastructure information server 300, a non-contact type power supply device 400, a communication network 500, and the like.

[0011] The vehicle 10 is an electrically powered vehicle (e.g., a BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle) that runs by driving a motor 81 with power stored in a battery 20, and for long-distance driving, it is essential to charge the battery 20 using an external power source (a charging stand 200 or a non-contact power supply device 400).

[0012] The vehicle 10 includes a PCU 80, a motor 81, and a motor ECU 82. The PCU 80 converts DC power output from the battery 20 into three-phase AC power. The motor 81 is driven by the three-phase AC power output from the PCU 80 to rotate the wheels W. The motor ECU 82 is a motor control unit that controls the output of the PCU 80 in response to the driving operation of the driver (or user) of the vehicle 10.

[0013] The in-vehicle terminal 30 is an in-vehicle information and communication terminal device associated with the vehicle 10, and although not described in detail, it is equipped with a control device consisting of a microcomputer, a memory device that stores information such as map information, facility information, and various vehicle characteristics, a vehicle position detection unit consisting of a GPS unit that detects the current position coordinates of the vehicle based on radio waves from a GPS satellite and a gyro sensor that detects the direction of travel of the vehicle 10, a touch panel display device using an LCD or organic EL, etc., a speaker that emits sound, and a wireless communication unit that communicates with the outside via a wireless base station 510.

[0014] The center server 100 has as its main components a microcomputer equipped with a processor such as a CPU or FPGA, memory such as RAM or ROM, and storage devices such as an EPROM or HDD, and functions as a navigation server installed in a vehicle information center.

[0015] Contact-type charging stand 200 is installed on a road along which vehicle 10 travels, or at a roadside rest facility or public facility.

[0016] The charging infrastructure information server 300 is provided in a charging infrastructure center, and includes a microcomputer as a main part.

[0017] A plurality of non-contact power supply devices 400 are provided consecutively in a predetermined area of a road that is a travel path of the vehicle 10. The area is also called a non-contact power supply lane.

[0018] The communication network 500 is the Internet or the like that connects the in-vehicle terminal 30, the center server 100, the charging infrastructure information server 300, and the contactless power supply device 400 so that they can communicate with each other. A wireless base station 510 is connected to the communication network 500, and the in-vehicle terminal 30 is connected to the communication network 500 via this wireless base station 510.

[0019] The vehicle 10 also has two power supply systems: a cable-connected power supply system and a contactless power supply system. The cable-connected power supply system supplies power to the battery 20 from a charging stand 200 via a charging cable 110, and includes a power inlet 50, a charger 51, a charging ECU 52, etc. The power inlet 50 is a connection port for a connection plug 111 of the charging cable 110. The charger 51 converts the power supplied to the power inlet 50 into power for charging the battery 20, and charges the battery 20. The charging ECU 52 is a charge control device that controls charging of the battery 20 by the charger 51.

[0020] The non-contact type power feeding system receives power transmitted from a non-contact type power feeding device 400 in a non-contact manner and feeds the power to the battery 20, and includes a non-contact type power receiving device 60.

[0021] The contactless power receiving device 60 is supplied with power in a contactless manner from a contactless power supply device 400 installed on the road. The output of the charger 51, which is the output of the cable-connected power supply system, and the output of the contactless power receiving device 60 are each connected to the input terminal of a changeover switch 70, and either one of the outputs is selectively connected to the charging path to the battery 20.

[0022] The battery 20 is provided with an SOC detector 71. The SOC detector 71 detects the SOC, which is a value that serves as an index of the amount of electrical energy that can be output from the battery 20 (also referred to as the remaining battery capacity), and outputs a signal representing the SOC to the CAN communication line 72 at a predetermined cycle.

[0023] When charging the battery 20, the remaining battery power detected by the SOC detector 71 is obtained via the CAN communication line 72, and the charger 51 is operated to charge the battery 20 until the remaining battery power reaches a target value set by the driver (e.g., fully charged). The charging ECU 52 switches the selection state of the changeover switch 70 when the connection plug 111 of the charging cable 110 is attached to the power receiving port 50 so that the cable-connected power feeding system is electrically connected to the battery 20. The charging ECU 52 switches the selection state of the changeover switch 70 when the connection plug 111 of the charging cable 110 is not attached to the power receiving port 50 so that the contactless power feeding system is electrically connected to the battery 20. The power receiving port 50 is provided with a detection switch 53 for detecting whether the connection plug 111 is connected. The charging ECU 52 receives a detection signal from the detection switch 53 to determine whether the connection plug 111 is connected or not, and controls the changeover switch 70 to switch.

[0024] The non-contact power supply device 400 includes an AC power supply 401 , a high frequency converter 402 , an electromagnetic induction coil 403 , a primary resonance coil 404 , a variable capacitor 405 , a communication device 406 , a power supply ECU 407 which is a power supply control device, and an external communication device 408 .

[0025] The AC power supply 401 is, for example, a utility power supply supplied from an electric power company. The high-frequency conversion device 402 converts the power supplied from the AC power supply 401 into power of a predetermined frequency and outputs the converted power to the electromagnetic induction coil 403. The electromagnetic induction coil 403 is disposed coaxially with the primary resonance coil 404 and can be magnetically coupled to the primary resonance coil 404 by electromagnetic induction, and outputs the high-frequency power supplied from the high-frequency conversion device 402 to the primary resonance coil 404 by electromagnetic induction. The primary resonance coil 404 is an LC resonance coil and is configured to be able to transmit power to the vehicle 10 by resonating with the secondary resonance coil 61 of the non-contact power receiving device 60 mounted on the vehicle 10 via an electromagnetic field. The variable capacitor 405 is provided to change the capacitance of the resonance system formed by the primary resonance coil 404 and the secondary resonance coil 61 of the non-contact power receiving device 60. The communication device 406 is provided to receive the position of the power supply destination vehicle 10, specifically, the position of the secondary resonance coil 61 of the non-contact power receiving device 60 mounted on the vehicle 10, and the detected value of the speed of the vehicle 10. The communication device 406 receives the detected values of the position and speed of the vehicle 10 wirelessly transmitted from the communication device 66 provided in the non-contact power receiving device 60. When power is supplied from the non-contact power supply device 400 to the vehicle 10, the power supply ECU 407 changes the capacitance of the resonance system formed by the primary resonance coil 404 and the secondary resonance coil 61 of the non-contact power receiving device 60 according to the detected values of the position and speed of the vehicle 10 received by the communication device 406. When the distance between the primary resonance coil 404 and the secondary resonance coil 61 of the non-contact power receiving device 60 changes, the capacitance between the primary resonance coil 404 and the secondary resonance coil 61 changes, so that the resonance frequency of the resonance system changes. The power supply ECU 407 controls the variable capacitor 405 according to the detected values of the position and speed of the vehicle 10 so that the resonance frequency of the resonance system approaches the frequency of the high-frequency power generated by the high-frequency conversion device 402, and adjusts the capacitance of the resonance system. The power supply ECU 407 adjusts so that the capacitance of the variable capacitor 405 becomes smaller as the vehicle speed is higher, and adjusts so that the capacitance of the variable capacitor 405 becomes smaller as the vehicle 10 moves away from the non-contact power supply device 400, that is, as the distance between the primary resonance coil 404 and the secondary resonance coil 61 becomes larger.

[0026] In addition, the external communication device 408 transmits information indicating the operating status of the non-contact power feeding device 400, etc., to the charging infrastructure information server 300 via the communication line network 500 at a predetermined cycle. In this case, the external communication device 408 adds an identification ID for identifying the non-contact power feeding device 400 and transmits the operating status information (information indicating whether power feeding is possible).

[0027] In addition, the non-contact power receiving device 60 includes a secondary resonance coil 61, an electromagnetic induction coil 62, a rectifier 63, a DC / DC converter 64, a charging ECU 65 which is a charging control device, and a communicator 66.

[0028] The secondary resonance coil 61 is an LC resonance coil and is configured to be able to receive power from the non-contact power feeding device 400 by resonating with the primary resonance coil 404 of the non-contact power feeding device 400 via an electromagnetic field. The electromagnetic induction coil 62 is disposed coaxially with the secondary resonance coil 61 and can be magnetically coupled to the secondary resonance coil 61 by electromagnetic induction, and extracts the power received by the secondary resonance coil 61 by electromagnetic induction and outputs it to the rectifier 63. The rectifier 63 rectifies the AC power output from the electromagnetic induction coil 62 and outputs the rectified power to the DC / DC converter 64. The DC / DC converter 64 converts the power rectified by the rectifier 63 to the charging voltage level of the battery 20 and outputs it to the battery 20. The charging ECU 65 charges the battery 20 by driving the DC / DC converter 64 when receiving power from the non-contact power feeding device 400. In addition, the charging ECU 65 acquires information indicating the vehicle speed and the position of the own vehicle from the CAN communication line 72 and outputs the acquired information indicating the vehicle speed and the position of the own vehicle to the communicator 66. The communicator 66 wirelessly transmits the information indicating the vehicle speed and the position of the own vehicle to the external communication device 408 of the non-contact power feeding device 400.

[0029] The vehicle 10 is provided with a vehicle ECU (not shown), which is a plurality of electronic control units for controlling the vehicle state. Each vehicle ECU including the charging ECUs 52 and 65 and the motor ECU 82, and the SOC detector 71 are connected to the CAN communication line 72 and transmit various vehicle information (for example, travel distance information, SOC information, vehicle diagnosis information, and various request information, etc.) to the CAN communication line 72. Therefore, the vehicle ECU of each vehicle 10 is configured to be able to share vehicle information via the CAN communication line 72. Also, the in-vehicle terminal 30 is connected to the CAN communication line 72 and transmits the vehicle information transmitted to the CAN communication line 72 according to a predetermined procedure to the center server 100.

[0030] Based on the vehicle information transmitted from the in-vehicle terminal 30 and the external information acquired from the outside, the center server 100 transmits service information beneficial to the driver to the in-vehicle terminal 30.

[0031] And the in-vehicle terminal 30 and the center server 100 have a function of setting a recommended route from the departure place to the destination and a function of presenting the recommended route to the driver. The configurations related to these functions will be described below.

[0032] The in-vehicle terminal 30 performs processes of transmitting information of the own vehicle (for example, current position information, SOC information, electricity cost information, and vehicle diagnosis information, etc.) and various request commands to the center server 100 together with the vehicle ID (an ID for identifying the vehicle 10 or the in-vehicle terminal 30), guiding the vehicle 10 to the destination set by the driver based on the map information stored in the storage device and the position of the own vehicle detected by the vehicle position detection unit, acquiring the travel route information (recommended route information) transmitted from the center server 100 and detailed information related to the travel route information (recommended route information), and providing the travel route information (recommended route information) and the detailed information related to the travel route information (recommended route information) to the driver using the display device or the speaker, etc.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 1, the center server 100 includes a communication control unit 101, a vehicle information management unit 102, a map information management unit 103, a charging infrastructure information management unit 104, and an information creation and provision unit 105. The communication control unit 101 is connected to the communication line network 500 to perform communication control. The vehicle information management unit 102 stores and manages vehicle information together with driver information. The map information management unit 103 stores and manages road map information. The charging infrastructure information management unit 104 stores and manages information related to the infrastructure of charging facilities. The information creation and provision unit 105 creates and provides information beneficial to the driver.

[0034] The charging infrastructure information server 300 collects the latest operating status from specific power supply points (power supply stations equipped with charging stands 200 or non-contact power supply lanes equipped with non-contact power supply devices 400 on roads), and creates charging infrastructure information representing the operating status for each power supply point. As a result, in the charging infrastructure center equipped with the charging infrastructure information server 300, it is possible to grasp which non-contact power supply devices 400 are operating within the jurisdiction area. Then, the charging infrastructure information server 300 transmits the created charging infrastructure information to the center server 100 in real time via the communication line network 500.

[0035] In the center server 100, the charging infrastructure information management unit 104 stores and updates the latest charging infrastructure information transmitted from the charging infrastructure information server 300. The charging infrastructure information management unit 104 of the center server 100 stores the positions of each power supply point on the map in association with the map information stored in the map information management unit 103. In addition, the charging infrastructure information management unit 104 also stores the power supply capacity information for each non-contact power supply device 400. This power supply capacity information is set to the amount of electric power that can be supplied to the vehicle 10 when the vehicle 10 passes through the non-contact power supply lane at a preset vehicle speed.

[0036] In this embodiment, if the center server 100 is configured to recommend to multiple vehicles 10 a charging route that effectively utilizes the power supply capacity of each area to the destination in accordance with the charging state of the multiple vehicles 10, taking into account the charging infrastructure environment such as the charging state of the multiple vehicles 10 and the presence or absence of power supply points to the destination, when multiple vehicles 10 travel along the recommended charging route, there is a risk that they will concentrate at a specific power supply point (a power supply station equipped with a contact-type charging stand 200 or a contactless power supply lane on a road), and will not be able to receive power as planned, causing the vehicles to run out of power, the center server 100 has the function of proposing a charging route that makes it possible to avoid multiple vehicles 10 concentrating at the specific power supply point.

[0037] The functions of the center server 100 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0038] In step S1, multiple combinations of power supply points and power supply amounts at the points are listed to achieve a target SOC (e.g., 20%) at the destination based on the current SOC (e.g., 60%). This step S1 corresponds to the proposal section in the claims.

[0039] [Table 1] For example, Table 1 lists all possible combinations of charging stations 200 and contactless power supply lanes that multiple vehicles 1, 2, 3, ... will use to reach their destination. Specifically, Ptn1-2 in Table 1 represents "a route in which vehicle 10 charges with power supply amount 1A1 in power supply lane A1 and power supply amount 1C1 in power supply lane C1 to reach the destination." Other Ptn1-1, Ptn1-3, ..., Ptn2-1, ..., Ptn3-1, ... in Table 1 also represent power supply modes in the same way as above.

[0040] In step S2, one predetermined combination is selected from each vehicle 10. Here, it is possible to select, for example, based on the degree of match with the optimal solution (low cost function).

[0041] After that, in step S3, a charging plan time chart regarding the scheduled charging time and the scheduled charging duration is created for each vehicle 10 according to the combination selected by each vehicle 10.

[0042] For example, in Table 1, in the case of Ptn1-2 and Ptn2-1, the charging plan time chart is as shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b). Here, when looking at each vehicle 10, if there is a time period in which the scheduled charging time and the scheduled charging duration overlap at the power supply point and there are restrictions on simultaneous power supply on the charging supply side, the charging plan time chart is corrected as shown in FIGS. 3(c) and 3(d).

[0043] In step S4, the charging plan time charts of each vehicle 10 are totaled according to the selected combination, and the charging demand (also referred to as the required power amount) is calculated for each power supply point. This step S4 corresponds to the calculation unit in the claims.

[0044] In step S5, as shown in FIG. 3(e), under the constraint condition of "constraint condition: the charging demand at each time at each power supply point does not exceed the power supply capacity limit", the charging route of the optimal solution by the multi-objective optimization algorithm of the following indicators is searched. This step S5 corresponds to the search unit in the claims.

[0045] ·(Scheduled arrival time - shortest scheduled arrival time) × αi ·Charging fee × βi ·SOC when arriving at the destination × γi Note that α, β, and γ are weighting factors, i is the driver, and α, β, and γ are set according to the requirements of driver i of vehicle 10.

[0046] For example, in step S4 as the procedure in the case of considering Ptn1-2 and Ptn2-1, a graph of "charging demand at point A1 at each time" is calculated as shown in FIG. 3(e). By searching for the charging plan time chart under the constraint condition that this does not exceed the power supply capacity limit, power shortage is avoided.

[0047] Also, in order to obtain the same amount of charge, from the perspective of power transmission efficiency, it is more efficient to use the contact-type charging stand 200 than the non-contact power supply device 400, and the charging time is shorter, so the cost tends to be lower. However, if there is a concentration on the charging stand 200, the amount of power that can be supplied per unit time from one charging stand 200 to individual vehicles decreases, and the arrival time further extends due to the extended charging time. Therefore, among the demands of each driver such as "the arrival time may be extended with priority given to the charging fee" or "the arrival time should not be extended even if the charging fee increases", it is included in the index of the evaluation function for optimization so that the charging route can be searched, and weighting can be set for each driver i.

[0048] In step S6, it is determined whether or not the search for the optimal charging route has converged. Here, if a negative (NO) determination is made, steps S2 to S5 are repeatedly executed, but if an affirmative (YES) determination is made, the process proceeds to step S7.

[0049] In step S7, the obtained result (optimal charging route) is notified to the driver as the recommended route (or recommended charging route). For example, it is possible to use a charging stand advance reservation system or the like in the recommended route during the search for the recommended route. In this case, the driver of the vehicle 10 can wipe out the fear of running out of power and easily travel along the recommended route.

[0050] As described above, according to the embodiment to which the present invention is applied, it is possible to propose a charging route that avoids a plurality of vehicles 10 from concentrating on a specific power supply point (a power supply station equipped with a contact-type charging stand 200 or a non-contact power supply lane on a road). As a result, when searching for the charging route for each of the plurality of vehicles 10, the intention of the driver such as prioritizing the arrival time or charging can be set, so that it is possible to avoid a situation where a plurality of vehicles 10 concentrate on a specific power supply point and the power supply load at the power supply point becomes excessive. As a result, it is possible to avoid a situation where a plurality of vehicles 10 cannot receive power supply as planned and run out of power.

[0051] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately modified within the scope of the claims and within the scope equivalent to the scope. For example, in FIG. 2, an embodiment in which step S6 is eliminated, step S7 is set as a new step S6, and the process of this step S6 is "notify the driver of the searched charging route" is also included in the present invention.

Industrial Applicability

[0052] The present invention can be suitably used for a vehicle information management system.

Explanation of Signs

[0053] 10… Vehicle, 20… Battery, 30… In-vehicle terminal, 60… Non-contact power receiving device, 71… SOC detector, 72… CAN communication line, 81… Motor, 100… Center server, 101… Communication control unit, 102… Vehicle information management unit, 103… Map information management unit, 104… Charging infrastructure information management unit, 105… Information creation and provision unit, 110… Charging cable, 200… Charging stand, 300… Charging infrastructure information server, 400… Non-contact power supply device.

Claims

【Claim 1】 A vehicle information management system including an in-vehicle terminal mounted on a vehicle that drives a motor with electric power charged in a battery and a control device that transmits a charging plan regarding power supply to the battery to the in-vehicle terminal, wherein the vehicle includes a cable connection type power supply system that supplies power to the battery via a charging cable from a contact type charging stand and a non-contact type power supply system that supplies power to the battery in a non-contact manner with the power transmitted from a non-contact power supply device, the control device includes a proposal unit that enumerates a plurality of combinations of power supply points that can supply power so that a plurality of vehicles reach their respective destinations with respective target SOCs, a calculation unit that selects one of the plurality of combinations of power supply points enumerated by the proposal unit and calculates the charging requirement for each power supply point required when a plurality of vehicles are supplied with power with the selected combination of power supply points, and a search unit that searches for an optimal charging route consisting of a combination of power supply points such that the charging requirement for each power supply point in each time zone does not exceed the power supply capacity limit based on the charging requirement for each power supply point calculated by the calculation unit.

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