Information processing device and information processing method

Abstract

To clearly display information regarding whether charging of a vehicle can be performed at a charging facility.SOLUTION: A control unit of an information processing device searches, among one or more facilities present on a planned travel route of a user vehicle, for charging facilities which have charging equipment and / or to which a charging vehicle for charging the user vehicle is dispatched. The control unit of the information processing device outputs display information for displaying charging facility information indicating whether charging of the user vehicle is possible at the searched charging facilities on a schematic diagram in which information about one or more facilities is arranged in order of proximity to the current position of the user vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device and an information processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a navigation system. The navigation system acquires the remaining battery capacity and the charging characteristics of the battery. The navigation system also acquires the locations of charging spots and the attributes of the charging spots. The navigation system then suggests to the driver a route that includes the selected charging spot based on the remaining battery capacity, the charging characteristics of the battery, the locations of the charging spots, and the attributes of the charging spots. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-63766 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure aims to easily display information about whether or not a vehicle can be charged at a charging facility. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] An information processing device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes: Searching for a charging facility that has charging equipment and / or a charging vehicle that will be dispatched to charge the user vehicle, among one or more facilities that exist on a planned driving route of the user vehicle; outputting display information for displaying charging facility information regarding whether or not the user vehicle can be charged at the searched charging facility on a schematic map that displays information about the one or more facilities in order of proximity to the current location of the user vehicle; and The controller is configured to:

[0006] An information processing method according to a second aspect of the present disclosure includes: A computer-implemented information processing method, comprising: Searching for a charging facility that has charging equipment and / or a charging vehicle that will be dispatched to charge the user vehicle, among one or more facilities that exist on a planned driving route of the user vehicle; outputting display information for displaying charging facility information regarding whether or not the user vehicle can be charged at the searched charging facility on a schematic map that displays information about the one or more facilities in order of proximity to the current location of the user vehicle; and Includes: [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, information regarding whether or not a vehicle can be charged at a charging facility can be displayed in an easy-to-read manner. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a navigation system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of the in-vehicle device. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the server in this embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a table configuration of facility information held in the facility information database. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a table configuration of the dispatch information held in the dispatch information database. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the process executed by the control unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] When a user wants to charge a user vehicle, the user visits a facility where the user vehicle can be charged (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a "charging facility"). At this time, if charging equipment is installed at the charging facility, the user vehicle can be charged at the charging facility. Also, when a vehicle that will charge the user vehicle (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a "charging vehicle") is dispatched to the charging facility, the user vehicle can be charged at the charging facility.

[0010] In this case, the user can understand information about the charging facility (including the location of the charging facility and whether charging is possible at the charging facility) by looking at the information about the charging facility displayed on the navigation system.

[0011] Here, it is assumed that the locations of charging facilities are superimposed on a map displayed by a navigation system. It is also assumed that the availability of charging at the charging facilities is superimposed on the map along with the locations of the charging facilities. In this case, the map may display information other than information about the charging facilities. Furthermore, as the distance to the charging facility changes with the movement of the user vehicle, the positional relationship on the map between the user vehicle and the charging facility may change. Furthermore, the display range of the map may change with the movement of the user vehicle, or the display of the map may rotate with a change in the direction of the user vehicle. When information about the charging facilities is superimposed on the map in this way, the visibility of the information about the charging facilities may be reduced due to changes in the positional relationship with the charging facility and the display status of the map. The information processing device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure solves such a problem.

[0012] A control unit of an information processing device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure searches for charging facilities that have charging equipment and / or that dispatch charging vehicles to charge the user vehicle, among one or more facilities that exist on a planned driving route of the user vehicle.The control unit of the information processing device then outputs display information for displaying, on a schematic map, charging facility information regarding whether the searched charging facilities are capable of charging the user vehicle.Here, the schematic map is a diagram that displays information about one or more facilities in order of proximity to the current location of the user vehicle.

[0013] As described above, the information processing device outputs display information for displaying charging facility information on a schematic map. By viewing the schematic map, the user can ascertain information about one or more facilities located on the planned driving route, in order of proximity to the current location of the user vehicle. At this time, the user can also ascertain charging facility information on the schematic map. Therefore, the user can ascertain whether or not the user vehicle can be charged at each of the facilities that can be visited in order of proximity to the current location of the user vehicle. This improves the visibility of charging facility information regarding the availability of charging at charging facilities compared to when the availability of charging at charging facilities is displayed by superimposing it on a map. In this way, information regarding the availability of charging at charging facilities can be displayed in an easy-to-read manner.

[0014] Specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the hardware configuration, module configuration, functional configuration, etc. described in each embodiment are not intended to limit the technical scope of the disclosure to those configurations.

[0015] <Embodiment> (System Overview) A navigation system 1 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the navigation system 1. The navigation system 1 includes an in-vehicle device 100 and a server 200. In the navigation system 1, the in-vehicle device 100 and the server 200 are connected to each other via a network N1. The network N1 may be, for example, a WAN (Wide Area Network), which is a global public communication network such as the Internet, or a telephone communication network such as a mobile phone.

[0016] (In-vehicle device) The in-vehicle device 100 is a car navigation system mounted on the vehicle 10. Here, the vehicle 10 is an electric vehicle. A user of the vehicle 10 inputs a destination to the in-vehicle device 100. The in-vehicle device 100 transmits destination information indicating the current position and destination of the vehicle 10 to the server 200 via the network N1. The in-vehicle device 100 then receives a planned driving route from the current position (starting point) of the vehicle 10 to the destination from the server 200 via the network N1. The in-vehicle device 100 displays the planned driving route of the vehicle 10 on a map superimposed on the display.

[0017] In this embodiment, a case will be described where the vehicle 10 is traveling on a highway. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the display screen of the on-vehicle device 100. As shown in Fig. 2, the on-vehicle device 100 displays a map of the planned travel route of the vehicle 10 on the left side of the screen.

[0018] 2, facility A, facility B, and facility C are located on the planned driving route of vehicle 10 in descending order of proximity to the current location of vehicle 10. Each facility (facility A, facility B, and facility C) is a rest facility such as a service area or a parking area located on a highway. The location of each facility is displayed on a map displayed by in-vehicle device 100 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a "display map"). The user of vehicle 10 can ascertain the location of each facility by looking at the map showing the planned driving route of vehicle 10 displayed on the display map.

[0019] In addition, the scale of the displayed map is displayed at the bottom left of the displayed map. Furthermore, a compass symbol is displayed at the top left of the displayed map. Furthermore, an icon indicating the current location is displayed below the displayed map. In this embodiment, the icon indicating the current location always faces upward. In other words, when the orientation of the vehicle 10 changes, the displayed map rotates so that the icon indicating the current location faces upward. By displaying the displayed map in this manner, the user of the vehicle 10 can know whether the next curve is on the left or right. Furthermore, when it is necessary to change the display range, etc. of the displayed map as the vehicle 10 moves, the in-vehicle device 100 may change the display magnification of the displayed map.

[0020] Here, there may be a case where the vehicle 10 needs to be charged while traveling to a destination. In this case, the user of the vehicle 10 intends to travel to a facility that has charging equipment and / or to which charging vehicles are dispatched (hereinafter, may be referred to as a "charging facility"). Here, the charging equipment is equipment (a charger) for charging the vehicle. Also, the charging vehicle is a vehicle that charges the vehicle and is temporarily dispatched to the facility depending on the number of users of the facility, etc. In this case, the user of the vehicle 10 intends to understand the location of the charging facility by looking at the display screen of the in-vehicle device 100. Therefore, location information of the charging facility is useful to the user of the vehicle 10.

[0021] In addition, it takes time to charge an electric vehicle, so other vehicles may not be able to use the charging service. Therefore, even if a user of the vehicle 10 attempts to charge the vehicle 10, the user may not be able to charge the vehicle 10 immediately. Therefore, information about whether charging is possible at a charging facility is also useful to the user of the vehicle 10.

[0022] Therefore, the on-board device 100 displays information on the locations of charging facilities and whether charging is possible at the charging facilities on the display screen. At this time, it is assumed that the on-board device 100 displays the locations of the charging facilities by superimposing them on the display map. It is also assumed that the on-board device 100 displays whether charging is possible at the charging facilities by superimposing them on the display map together with the locations of the charging facilities.

[0023] Here, it is assumed that facility B and facility C are charging facilities. In the example shown in Fig. 2, for example, it is assumed that information indicating that charging facilities are provided and whether charging is possible at facility B is displayed below the display of "facility B" on the displayed map. Also, in the example shown in Fig. 2, it is assumed that information indicating that charging facilities are provided and that charging vehicles are being dispatched, as well as information indicating whether charging is possible at facility C, is displayed below the display of "facility C" on the displayed map.

[0024] At this time, the displayed map displays information about facility A, which is not a charging facility. The scale and direction symbols of the displayed map are also displayed. That is, the displayed map displays information about facility A, which is unrelated to the charging facilities (facility B and facility C), as well as information such as map symbols. Furthermore, as the distance to the charging facility decreases as vehicle 10 moves, the positional relationship on the displayed map between the current position of vehicle 10 and the charging facility changes. Furthermore, as described above, when the direction of vehicle 10 changes as vehicle 10 moves, the displayed map rotates. Furthermore, the display range of the map changes as vehicle 10 moves. That is, when information about the location of the charging facility and whether charging is possible at the charging facility is displayed superimposed on the displayed map, unnecessary information unrelated to this information may be displayed, or the display position of this information on the display screen may change as the vehicle moves. Therefore, in order to visually recognize the information about the location of the charging facility and whether charging is possible at the charging facility, it may be necessary to closely watch the displayed map.

[0025] At this time, since the user of the vehicle 10 is driving, it is difficult for him or her to focus on the displayed map. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the vehicle 10 is traveling on a highway. Therefore, the distance traveled by the vehicle 10 while the user of the vehicle 10 is looking at the screen is greater than when the vehicle 10 is traveling on an ordinary road. As a result, the distance traveled by the vehicle 10 while the user of the vehicle 10 is not concentrating on driving is greater than when the vehicle 10 is traveling on an ordinary road. Therefore, it is not suitable to display information about the locations of charging facilities and whether charging is possible at the charging facilities superimposed on the displayed map.

[0026] On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 2, the in-vehicle device 100 displays a schematic diagram of the planned driving route of the vehicle 10 on the right side of the display screen. The schematic diagram of the planned driving route of the vehicle 10 displayed by the in-vehicle device 100 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "displayed schematic diagram") is a schematic diagram that displays information about one or more facilities arranged in order of proximity to the current position of the vehicle 10. In the example shown in Fig. 2, information about three facilities is divided into blocks. Hereinafter, information about the facilities displayed on the displayed schematic diagram (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "displayed facility") may be referred to as "displayed facility information." The displayed facility information about each facility is displayed from bottom to top in order of proximity to the current position of the vehicle 10.

[0027] In the example shown in FIG. 2, the displayed facility information for "facility A," which is the facility closest to the current position of the vehicle 10, is displayed at the bottom of the display schematic diagram. Also, in the example shown in FIG. 2, the displayed facility information for "facility B," which is the facility second closest to the current position of the vehicle 10, is displayed at the second bottom of the display schematic diagram. Also, in the example shown in FIG. 2, the displayed facility information for "facility C," which is the facility third closest to the current position of the vehicle 10, is displayed at the bottom of the display schematic diagram. The facility information is displayed at the top of the diagram.

[0028] The displayed facility information displayed on the schematic map by the in-vehicle device 100 includes information indicating the facility name, the estimated time of arrival at the facility, and the distance to the facility. In the example shown in Fig. 2, the information indicating the facility name, the estimated time of arrival at the facility, and the distance to the facility for each facility is displayed in the upper part of the displayed facility information for each facility.

[0029] Furthermore, information indicating services available at the facility is also displayed as the displayed facility information. In the example shown in Fig. 2, an icon (pictogram) indicating that a restroom is available is displayed as the displayed facility information for facility A. In addition, in the example shown in Fig. 2, icons indicating that a restroom, an information center, and a charging facility are available are displayed as the displayed facility information for facility B. In addition, in the example shown in Fig. 2, icons indicating that a restroom, a restaurant, a charging facility, and a charging vehicle are available are displayed as the displayed facility information for facility C.

[0030] Furthermore, if the facility is equipped with charging equipment, the facility information displayed on the simplified display map displays information about whether charging is possible using the charging equipment. Information about whether charging is possible using the charging equipment is displayed using an icon (an "empty" icon or a "full" icon) that indicates whether there is available charging equipment at the charging facility. Furthermore, the number of vehicles that can be charged by the charging equipment at the charging facility (number of vehicles that can be charged) is displayed as information about whether charging is possible using the charging equipment. This allows the user of vehicle 10 to understand the availability of charging equipment.

[0031] In addition to the number of chargeable vehicles, the maximum number of vehicles that can be charged by the charging equipment at the charging facility (capacity) is also displayed. The maximum number of vehicles that can be charged by the charging equipment at the charging facility (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "maximum number of charges") varies depending on the number of charging equipment installed at the facility. In this embodiment, one charging equipment is capable of charging one vehicle. Note that one charging equipment may also be capable of charging multiple vehicles. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the number of chargeable vehicles and the maximum number of charges are displayed as fractions (the numerator is the number of chargeable vehicles and the denominator is the maximum number of charges). This allows the user of vehicle 10 to understand the scale of the installation of charging equipment at the charging facility.

[0032] Furthermore, when a charging vehicle has been dispatched to a facility, information on whether charging by a charging vehicle is possible is displayed in each facility information display on the simplified display map. Information on whether charging by a charging vehicle is possible is displayed by an icon (an "empty" icon or a "full" icon) indicating whether there are any available charging vehicles at the charging facility. Furthermore, as information on whether charging by a charging vehicle is possible, the number of vehicles that can be charged by a charging vehicle at the charging facility (number of vehicles that can be charged) is displayed. Furthermore, together with the number of vehicles that can be charged, the maximum number of vehicles that can be charged by a charging vehicle at the charging facility (maximum number of charges) is displayed. The number of vehicles that can be charged by a charging vehicle at a charging facility changes depending on the number of charging vehicles dispatched to the facility. In this embodiment, one charging vehicle is capable of charging one vehicle. Note that one charging vehicle may also be capable of charging multiple vehicles.

[0033] By displaying the display facility information for each facility on the display schematic map in this way, the user of the vehicle 10 can understand the order in which the facilities can be visited by traveling along the planned driving route. In other words, if the user of the vehicle 10 is planning to visit facility C, he or she can understand that he or she should visit the facility that is on the planned driving route after passing facilities A and B. Also, by displaying information about charging facilities and charging vehicles on the display schematic map, the user of the vehicle 10 can understand at a glance which facilities are charging facilities. At that time, the user of the vehicle 10 can also check whether charging is possible at the charging facilities. Also, by displaying the number of vehicles that can be charged, the user of the vehicle 10 can know the number of available charging facilities and vehicles that can be charged.

[0034] In addition, there may be cases where other vehicles are using all of the charging facilities or charging vehicles. In this case, it can be assumed that a larger number of charging facilities or charging vehicles means that a larger number of other vehicles have less time left to charge than when the number of charging facilities or charging vehicles is small. Therefore, it can be assumed that the larger the number of charging facilities or charging vehicles, the shorter the time until an available charging facility becomes available. Therefore, by displaying the maximum number of charges, the user of vehicle 10 can make plans to visit charging facilities with a larger maximum number of charges than charging facilities with a smaller maximum number of charges.

[0035] Furthermore, on the display schematic map, information about whether charging is possible at the charging facility is displayed in an easy-to-see manner using icons. Furthermore, the position where each piece of facility information is displayed on the display schematic map does not change until the vehicle 10 passes the facility closest to its current location. Therefore, the display position of the information about each facility is less likely to change compared to when information about the location of the charging facility and whether charging is possible at the charging facility is displayed on a display map. Therefore, it is less likely that information about the location of the charging facility and whether charging is possible at the charging facility will be overlooked.

[0036] (server) The server 200 is a server device that manages vehicle travel. The server 200 receives destination information from the in-vehicle device 100 via the network N1. The server 200 generates a planned driving route for the vehicle 10 in accordance with the destination information, and transmits route information including the planned driving route to the in-vehicle device 100. This allows the in-vehicle device 100 to display the planned driving route on a display map.

[0037] The server 200 also searches for display facilities. The server 200 also searches for display facilities where charging equipment is installed. The server 200 also searches for display facilities to which charging vehicles are dispatched. That is, the server 200 identifies charging facilities from the searched display facilities. Then, the server 200 generates display information for the on-vehicle device 100 to display a display schematic map according to the search results, and transmits the display information to the on-vehicle device 100 via the network N1. This enables the on-vehicle device 100 to display the display schematic map. The method by which the server 200 generates the display information will be described in detail later.

[0038] The server 200 includes a computer having a processor 210, a main memory 220, an auxiliary memory 230, and a communication interface (communication I / F) 240. The processor 210 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) or a digital signal processor (DSP). The main memory 220 is, for example, a random access memory (RAM). The auxiliary memory 230 is, for example, a read-only memory (ROM). The auxiliary memory 230 is, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a disc recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a DVD disc, or a Blu-ray disc. The auxiliary memory 230 may also be a removable medium (portable storage medium). Examples of removable media include a USB memory or an SD card. The communication I / F 240 is, for example, a local area network (LAN) interface board or a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication.

[0039] In the server 200, an operating system (OS), various programs, various information tables, etc. are stored in the auxiliary storage unit 230. In addition, in the server 200, the processor 210 loads the programs stored in the auxiliary storage unit 230 into the main storage unit 220 and executes them, thereby realizing various functions as described below. However, some or all of the functions of the server 200 may be realized by a hardware circuit such as an ASIC or an FPGA. The server 200 does not necessarily have to be realized by a single physical configuration, but may be configured by a plurality of computers that cooperate with each other. Like the server 200, the in-vehicle device 100 also includes a computer.

[0040] (Functional configuration) Next, the functional configurations of the in-vehicle device 100 and the server 200, which constitute the navigation system 1 according to this embodiment, will be described with reference to Fig. 3 to Fig. 5. Fig. 3 is a block diagram schematically showing an example of the functional configuration of the server 200 according to this embodiment.

[0041] (server) Server 200 is configured to include a control unit 201, a communication unit 202, a facility information database 203 (facility information DB203), and a dispatch information database 204 (dispatch information DB204). Control unit 201 has a function of performing arithmetic processing for controlling server 200. Control unit 201 can be realized by processor 210 in server 200. Communication unit 202 has a function of connecting server 200 to network N1. Communication unit 202 can be realized by communication I / F 240 in server 200.

[0042] The facility information DB 203 has a function of storing facility information. The facility information is information about facilities located on expressways. The facility information DB 203 can be realized by the auxiliary storage unit 230 in the server 200. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a table configuration of facility information stored in the facility information DB 203.

[0043] 4, the facility information has a facility ID field, a location field, an equipment ID field, a category field, and a chargeable time field. The facility ID field stores an identifier (facility ID) for identifying the facility. The location field stores information indicating the location of the facility with the corresponding facility ID. The equipment ID field stores an identifier for identifying equipment installed in the facility with the corresponding facility ID.

[0044] The genre field stores information indicating the genre to which the facility with the corresponding facility ID belongs. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the genre field stores information indicating "toilet," "restaurant," "information center," and "charging facility." Note that, as shown in FIG. 4, if multiple charging facilities are provided, information indicating "charging facility" is stored in multiple genre fields. The chargeable time field stores information indicating, if the charging facility is currently charging a vehicle, the time when the charging facility will again be able to charge the vehicle (the time when vehicle charging will finish). If the charging facility is not currently charging a vehicle and is currently able to charge, the chargeable time field stores the information "-----."

[0045] The control unit 201 can grasp the facilities that exist on the expressway by acquiring the facility information stored in the facility information DB 203. Furthermore, the control unit 201 can grasp the equipment provided at each facility by acquiring the facility information. Furthermore, the control unit 201 can grasp the time when charging is possible at the charging facility by acquiring the dispatch information.

[0046] The dispatch information DB 204 has a function of storing dispatch information. The dispatch information is information about charging vehicles that are dispatched to facilities on expressways. The dispatch information DB 204 can be realized by the auxiliary storage unit 230 in the server 200. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a table configuration of dispatch information stored in the dispatch information DB 204. As shown in FIG. 5, the dispatch information DB 204 stores information about charging vehicles. It has an ID field, a facility ID field, a provision period field, and a charging available time field.

[0047] The charging vehicle ID field stores an identifier (charging vehicle ID) for identifying the charging vehicle. The facility ID field stores the facility ID of the facility to which the charging vehicle with the corresponding charging vehicle ID is dispatched. The provision period field stores information indicating the period (provision period) during which the charging vehicle with the corresponding charging vehicle ID provides charging to vehicles at the facility with the corresponding facility ID. The provision period is determined, for example, by the period (time period) during which the charging vehicle is dispatched. The chargeable time field stores information indicating the time when the charging vehicle will be able to charge the vehicle again (time when vehicle charging will end) if the charging vehicle is charging the vehicle. If the charging vehicle is not charging the vehicle and is currently able to charge, the chargeable time field stores the information "-----".

[0048] The control unit 201 can grasp the facility to which the charging vehicle is dispatched by acquiring the dispatch information stored in the dispatch information DB 204. Furthermore, by acquiring the dispatch information, the control unit 201 can grasp the period during which the charging vehicle is available and the time when charging is possible.

[0049] The control unit 201 searches for facilities (display facilities) that exist on the planned driving route of the vehicle 10. Specifically, the control unit 201 refers to the position of each facility in the facility information held in the facility information DB 203 and the planned driving route of the vehicle 10, and identifies the facilities on the planned driving route of the vehicle 10 as display facilities.

[0050] The control unit 201 also searches for charging facilities. Specifically, the control unit 201 refers to facility information stored in the facility information DB 203, and identifies, as a charging facility, a facility having a facility ID in which information "charging facility" is stored in the corresponding genre field, among the displayed facilities. The control unit 201 also refers to dispatch information stored in the dispatch information DB 204, and identifies, as a charging facility, a displayed facility to which a charging vehicle is dispatched.

[0051] Furthermore, the control unit 201 refers to the departure time of the vehicle 10 and the planned travel route of the vehicle 10, and calculates the time when the vehicle 10 is expected to arrive at the charging facility (hereinafter, may be referred to as "estimated arrival time"). Here, the departure time of the vehicle 10 is specified, for example, by the transmission time of the route information.

[0052] Furthermore, if the charging facility is a facility equipped with charging equipment, the control unit 201 refers to the facility information stored in the facility information DB 203 and identifies the number of chargeable vehicles and the maximum number of charges that can be made by the charging equipment at the charging facility. Specifically, the control unit 201 acquires the number of times that "----" is stored in the chargeable time field corresponding to the category field in which "charging equipment" is stored in the facility information. The control unit 201 also acquires the number of charging equipment whose chargeable time arrives before the estimated arrival time of the vehicle 10. The control unit 201 then acquires the sum of these numbers as the number of chargeable vehicles. The control unit 201 also refers to the facility information and acquires the number in the category field for the charging facility in which "charging equipment" is stored as the maximum number of charges that can be made by the charging equipment at the charging facility.

[0053] Furthermore, if the charging facility is a facility to which charging vehicles are dispatched, the control unit 201 refers to the dispatch information stored in the dispatch information DB 204, and identifies the number of chargeable vehicles and the maximum number of charging vehicles at the charging facility. Specifically, the control unit 201 determines the number of chargeable vehicles as the sum of the number of vehicles in the dispatch information where "----" is stored in the chargeable time field and the number of vehicles whose chargeable time arrives before the expected arrival time of the vehicle 10. Furthermore, the control unit 201 refers to the dispatch information, and determines the number of vehicles to be dispatched to the charging facility based on the number of vehicles that can be charged and the maximum number of vehicles that can be charged at the charging facility. The maximum number of charging vehicles in the area is obtained.

[0054] Then, the control unit 201 generates charging facility information according to the acquired number of chargeable vehicles and maximum number of charges. Here, if the charging facility is a facility equipped with charging equipment, the charging facility information includes information on whether charging is possible using the charging equipment. Furthermore, if the charging facility is a facility to which charging vehicles are dispatched, the charging facility information includes information on whether charging is possible using charging vehicles. Furthermore, if the charging facility is a facility equipped with charging equipment and to which charging vehicles are dispatched, the charging facility information includes information on whether charging is possible using the charging equipment and charging vehicles. Specifically, the charging facility information is information indicating whether charging is possible using charging equipment and / or charging vehicles, the number of chargeable vehicles that can be charged using charging equipment and / or charging vehicles, and the maximum number of charges that can be made using charging equipment and / or charging vehicles.

[0055] At this time, the control unit 201 determines that the charging facility or the vehicle can be charged if the number of chargeable vehicles at the charging facility or the vehicle is 1 or more. Also, the control unit 201 determines that the charging facility or the vehicle cannot be charged if the number of chargeable vehicles at the charging facility or the vehicle is 0.

[0056] Here, there may be cases where the time when the vehicle 10 arrives at the charging facility to which a charging vehicle is dispatched falls outside the provision period of the charging vehicle. In such a case, even if the vehicle 10 visits the charging facility, it cannot be charged by the charging vehicle. Therefore, when the estimated time of arrival at the charging facility to which a charging vehicle is dispatched is included in the provision period, the control unit 201 generates charging facility information for the charging facility as a charging facility to which a charging vehicle is dispatched. Furthermore, when the estimated time of arrival at the charging facility to which a charging vehicle is dispatched is not included in the provision period, the control unit 201 does not generate charging facility information for the charging facility as a charging facility to which a charging vehicle is dispatched. In other words, when the estimated time of arrival at the charging facility to which a charging vehicle is dispatched is not included in the provision period, the control unit 201 excludes the charging facility from targets for generating charging facility information for the charging facility to which a charging vehicle is dispatched.

[0057] In some cases, multiple charging vehicles are dispatched to a charging facility. In this case, the control unit 201 acquires the provision period of each of the multiple charging vehicles dispatched to the charging facility, and determines the charging vehicles to be excluded from the generation of charging facility information according to the provision period of each charging vehicle and the estimated arrival time of the vehicle 10.

[0058] Then, the control unit 201 outputs display information to the in-vehicle device 100 according to the charging facility information. The display information includes information for causing the in-vehicle device 100 to display an icon indicating that charging facility is provided, when charging facility is provided at the charging facility. At this time, the display information includes information for causing the in-vehicle device 100 to display an "empty" icon, when available charging facility is available. Furthermore, the display information includes information for causing the in-vehicle device 100 to display a "full" icon, when available charging facility is not available. Furthermore, the display information includes information for displaying the number of available vehicles and the maximum number of charges that can be provided at charging facility in the charging facility.

[0059] Furthermore, the display information includes information for, when a charging vehicle is dispatched to a charging facility, displaying an icon indicating that the charging vehicle has been dispatched on the in-vehicle device 100. At this time, the display information includes information for displaying an icon of "empty" or "full" on the in-vehicle device 100 depending on whether charging is possible. Furthermore, the display information includes information for displaying the number of vehicles that can be charged and the maximum number of vehicles that can be charged at the charging facility.

[0060] Furthermore, if the estimated arrival time of the vehicle 10 at the charging facility to which the vehicle is dispatched is not included in the provision period, the charging facility information is not generated as the charging facility to which the vehicle is dispatched, as described above. Therefore, in the case of a charging facility where the estimated arrival time of the vehicle 10 is not included in the provision period of the vehicle, The display information does not include information for displaying an icon to which a charging vehicle is dispatched.

[0061] (flowchart) Next, the processing executed by the control unit 201 in the server 200 in the navigation system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a flowchart of the processing executed by the control unit 201. The processing shown in Fig. 6 is processing for outputting display information to the in-vehicle device 100. Execution of the processing shown in Fig. 6 starts when the control unit 201 generates a planned driving route for the vehicle 10.

[0062] 6, first, in S101, the planned driving route of the vehicle 10 and the facility information held in the facility information DB 203 are referenced, and display facilities are determined. Next, in S102, it is determined whether or not a charging facility is included in the display facilities. If a negative determination is made in S102, no charging facility exists on the planned driving route of the vehicle 10. Therefore, in S108, display information that does not include information about the charging facility is generated, and output (transmitted) to the in-vehicle device 100. At this time, the control unit 201 references the facility information, and outputs display information that includes information for displaying icons for services available at the display facilities other than charging equipment and charging services by charging vehicles.

[0063] If a positive determination is made in S102, a determination is made in S103 as to whether or not a charging vehicle is dispatched to the charging facility. Specifically, the control unit 201 refers to the dispatch information held in the dispatch information DB 204, and determines whether or not the facility ID of the charging facility is stored in the facility ID field. If a positive determination is made in S103, a charging vehicle is dispatched to the charging facility. Therefore, in S104, the dispatch information is referred to, and the provision period of the charging vehicle at the charging facility is acquired.

[0064] Next, in S105, an estimated arrival time of the vehicle 10 at the charging facility is acquired. Next, in S106, the number of chargeable vehicles and the maximum number of charges of the charging facility and / or the charging vehicle are acquired. Next, in S107, charging facility information is generated according to the number of chargeable vehicles and the maximum number of charges acquired in S106.

[0065] Next, in S107, display information is generated according to the charging facility information and output (transmitted) to the in-vehicle device 100. At this time, the control unit 201 outputs display information including information for displaying icons for services other than the charging services available at the displayed facility. Then, the processing shown in Fig. 6 ends. Note that if there are multiple charging facilities, the control unit 201 generates charging facility information for each charging facility and outputs the display information for that to the in-vehicle device 100.

[0066] As described above, the navigation system 1 outputs display information for displaying charging facility information (display facility information) on the display schematic map. By looking at the display schematic map displayed on the in-vehicle device 100, the user of the vehicle 10 can ascertain the charging facility information in order of proximity to the current location of the vehicle. Therefore, the user of the vehicle 10 can ascertain whether or not the vehicle 10 can be charged at each of the facilities that can be visited in order of proximity to the current location of the vehicle 10. This improves the visibility of the information regarding whether or not charging is possible at the charging facility compared to when the information regarding whether or not charging is possible at the charging facility is displayed by superimposing it on the display map. In this way, the information regarding whether or not charging is possible at the charging facility can be displayed in an easy-to-read manner.

[0067] (Variation 1) In this embodiment, the display information is output when the vehicle 10 is traveling on a highway. However, the vehicle 10 does not necessarily have to be traveling on a highway. In this case, the vehicle 10 travels on an open road.

[0068] In this modification, server 200 acquires facility information stored in facility information DB 203. In this modification, the facility information is information about multiple facilities within a specified area. In this modification, the facility information includes information indicating the location of a charging station within the specified area and the time when charging is possible using the charging equipment at the charging station. Here, a charging station is a facility where charging equipment is installed. Note that the facility information may also include information about facilities that belong to a category other than charging stations, such as eating and drinking establishments, public facilities, commercial facilities, or accommodation facilities.

[0069] The server 200 refers to the facility information and identifies charging stations present on the planned driving route of the vehicle 10 as display facilities. At this time, the server 200 also identifies facilities belonging to a category other than charging stations as display facilities. At this time, the server 200 may limit the number of facilities belonging to a category other than charging stations that are identified as display facilities to a predetermined number. The server 200 also identifies charging stations as charging facilities among the display facilities. The server 200 refers to the dispatch information and identifies facilities to which charging vehicles are dispatched as charging facilities among the display facilities. The facilities to which charging vehicles are dispatched may be charging stations or may be facilities in a category other than charging stations. In this way, the server 200 identifies charging facilities. The server 200 then generates charging facility information about the charging facilities and outputs the display information to the on-board device 100. This also makes it possible to clearly display information about whether or not charging to a vehicle is possible at charging facilities on public roads.

[0070] (Variation 2) In this embodiment, the server 200 generates display information and outputs it to the in-vehicle device 100. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the in-vehicle device 100 generates the display information. Specifically, the in-vehicle device 100 accesses the server 200 via the network N1, and identifies a charging facility by referring to the facility information stored in the facility information DB 203 and the dispatch information stored in the dispatch information DB 204. At this time, the in-vehicle device 100 also acquires the facility information and the charging available time in the dispatch information, and the provision period in the dispatch information, from the server 200. The in-vehicle device 100 also acquires the estimated time of arrival at the charging facility from the route information.

[0071] Then, the on-vehicle device 100 generates charging facility information according to the facility information and the available charging time in the dispatch information, the provision period in the dispatch information, and the estimated time of arrival at the charging facility, and outputs display information to the user (display of a display schematic diagram).In this way, it is possible to easily display information about whether or not charging to the vehicle is possible at the charging facility.

[0072] <Other embodiments> The above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the present disclosure may be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the processes and means described in the present disclosure may be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

[0073] Furthermore, a process described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by multiple devices. Alternatively, a process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by a single device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) by which each function is realized can be flexibly changed.

[0074] 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 having one or more processors in the computer read and execute the program. The program may be provided to the computer by a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the computer's system bus or via a network. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium includes any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions, such as a magnetic disk (such as a floppy disk or a hard disk drive (HDD)), an optical disk (such as a CD-ROM, DVD disk, or Blu-ray disk), a read-only memory (ROM), a random-access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, or an optical card. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1. Navigation system 10. Vehicle 100...In-vehicle equipment 200 Server 201 Control section 202··Communications Department 203 Facility Information DB 204··Dispatch Information DB

Claims

1. Searching for a charging facility that has charging equipment and / or a charging vehicle that will charge the user vehicle, from among one or more facilities that exist on a planned driving route of the user vehicle; outputting display information for displaying charging facility information regarding whether or not the user vehicle can be charged at the searched charging facility on a schematic map that displays information about the one or more facilities in order of proximity to the current location of the user vehicle; and a controller configured to execute Information processing device.

2. The control unit When the charging facility is a facility to which the charging vehicle is dispatched, acquiring a provision period during which the charging vehicle provides charging; acquiring an estimated arrival time of the user vehicle at the charging facility to which the charging vehicle is dispatched; and further configured to perform When the estimated arrival time is included in the provision period, the charging facility is included in the charging facility information as a facility to which the charging vehicle is dispatched; If the estimated arrival time is not included in the provision period, the charging facility is not included in the charging facility information as a facility to which the charging vehicle is dispatched. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. outputting the display information includes, when there is no charging equipment or no charging vehicle capable of charging the user vehicle in the charging facility, outputting the display information to display an icon on the schematic diagram indicating that there is no charging equipment or no charging vehicle capable of charging the user vehicle.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1.

4. outputting the display information includes outputting the display information that displays, on the schematic diagram, the number of vehicles that can be charged by the charging facility or the charging vehicle, and the maximum number of vehicles that can be charged by the charging facility or the charging vehicle.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1.

5. A computer-implemented information processing method, comprising: Searching for a charging facility that has charging equipment and / or a charging vehicle that will charge the user vehicle, from among one or more facilities that exist on a planned driving route of the user vehicle; outputting display information for displaying charging facility information regarding whether or not the user vehicle can be charged at the searched charging facility on a schematic map that displays information about the one or more facilities in order of proximity to the current location of the user vehicle; and Including, Information processing methods.

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