Charging control device and charging control program

Abstract

To provide a technique for warning a user against mischief by a third party without outputting an unnecessary alarm to the user and causing trouble.SOLUTION: A charging control device checks a connection status of a charging cable that connects an external power source and a vehicle, and when the charging cable is disconnected, if a specific condition indicating that the disconnection was initiated by the user is not met within a predetermined time before or after the disconnection, outputs an alarm, and if the specific condition is met, prohibits the output of the alarm.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a charge control device and a charge control program. [Background technology]

[0002] When a user attempts to charge a vehicle capable of external charging (such as a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHV) or an electric vehicle (EV)), the vehicle is connected to an external power source via a charging cable. If the user leaves the vehicle in this state, a third party may unplug the charging cable, preventing charging. For example, when charging a vehicle at home, this is often done at night when electricity rates are lower. When the user returns home, the user sets the charging time on the timer in the charging control device, connects the charging cable to a home outlet, and then leaves the vehicle in this state. In this case, if a third party intervenes, such as by unplugging the charging cable or stealing the cable, the timer may not charge, resulting in a vehicle with a shorter driving distance the next day.

[0003] Patent Document 1 proposes a device that sets the time to start charging a vehicle as a scheduled charging start time, and if the charging plug is removed before this scheduled charging start time, notifies the user that the plug is not connected. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-170181 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Even if charging is scheduled to start at a set time, the user may disconnect the charging cable before the set time for some reason, such as when they need to use the vehicle suddenly or when they need to use the outlet for another purpose. In this case, the device of Patent Document 1 still notifies the user, which can be inconvenient for the user.

[0006] The technology of the present disclosure aims to provide a warning against tampering by a third party without causing inconvenience to the user by outputting unnecessary alarms. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, the charging control device of the present disclosure includes: Check the connection status of the charging cable that connects the external power source to the vehicle. When the connection of the charging cable is disconnected, within a predetermined time before or after the disconnection, If the specific condition indicating that the release was initiated by the user is not met, an alarm is output. If the specific condition is met, output of the warning is prohibited. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the technology of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a technology that can warn a user of tampering by a third party without causing annoyance to the user by outputting unnecessary alarms. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a charging system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the charge control device. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a flow of a charge control method executed by the control unit of the charge control device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] First Embodiment Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are examples, and the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments.

[0011] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a charging system 100. The charging system 100 includes a power supply facility 10 that supplies power to a vehicle 20, a charging unit 30 provided in the vehicle 20, and a charging cable 40 that connects the power supply facility 10 and the vehicle 20.

[0012] <Vehicle> The vehicle 20 is typically an electric vehicle (EV), but the type is not limited as long as it is configured to include a battery 34 that can receive a supply of electric power and charge the battery 34 for running. For example, the vehicle 20 may be a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHV) or a plug-in fuel cell vehicle (PFCV). good.

[0013] The charging unit 30 includes, for example, a connector 31, power wiring 32, a converter 33, a battery 34, a charging control device 35, a first sensor 36, and a second sensor 37. The connector 31 is embedded in the outer panel of the vehicle 20 and is positioned so that an insertion port into which a plug 41 of the charging cable 40 is inserted is exposed to the outside. In other words, the connector 31 is configured so that a user can insert and remove the plug 41 outside the vehicle 20.

[0014] The battery 34 supplies electric power for running to an in-wheel motor provided in the vehicle 20, thereby causing the vehicle 20 to run. The converter 33 converts the electric power supplied via the power wiring 32 into a state that can be input to the battery 34. For example, the converter 33 may be an AC / DC converter that converts AC power into DC power when supplied. In this case, the converter 33 converts the voltage or current of the power to be supplied to the battery 34 into a predetermined value suitable for charging the battery 34. Furthermore, the converter 33 may also convert DC power when supplied to the battery 34 into a voltage or current suitable for charging the battery 34.

[0015] The charge control device 35 controls the converter 33 to start and stop power conversion, that is, start and stop power supply (charging) to the battery 34.

[0016] The first sensor 36 detects the connection state of the charging cable 40. For example, the first sensor 36 may detect an electrical change that occurs in the connector 31 when the power supply equipment 10 and the vehicle 20 are connected and disconnected by the charging cable 40. In this case, the electrical change that occurs in the connector 31 may be, for example, a change in electrical resistance or capacitance between terminals of the connector 31. The first sensor 36 may also be a switch that switches ON / OFF depending on whether the plug 41 of the charging cable 40 is connected to the connector 31 or disconnected from the connector 31. The first sensor 36 may also be a switch that is provided in the outlet 11 of the power supply equipment 10 and switches ON / OFF depending on whether the plug 42 of the charging cable 40 is connected to the outlet 11 or disconnected from the outlet 11. In this case, a signal line may be included in the charging cable 40 or the power wiring 32, and the ON / OFF state (detection result) of the switch may be transmitted to the charging control device 35 via the signal line. Alternatively, the detection result of the first sensor 36 provided in the outlet 11 may be transmitted to the charging control device 35 via a wireless line.

[0017] The second sensor 37 is a sensor that detects the user's status. The second sensor 37 detects the user's status, such as whether the user is near the vehicle 20 or whether the user has performed a specific operation on the vehicle 20. For example, the second sensor 37 detects that the user is near the vehicle 20 when it is able to connect to the smart key of the vehicle 20 via short-range wireless communication, and detects that the user is not near the vehicle 20 when it is unable to connect to the smart key. The second sensor 37 also detects that an operation that an authorized user is capable of performing on the vehicle 20. In this case, the operations that an authorized user is capable of performing on the vehicle 20 include, for example, locking the doors, unlocking the doors, opening the doors, closing the doors, opening the windows, closing the windows, operating the air conditioner, putting the vehicle into a driving state, turning on the ignition power, turning on the accessory power, etc. These operations cannot be performed without the key to the vehicle 20, and are therefore detected as operations performed by an authorized user. The second sensor 37 is, for example, a switch for performing these operations, or an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that monitors the state of the switch.

[0018] <Power equipment> The power supply equipment 10 supplies power for charging the battery 34 of the vehicle 20. The power supply equipment 10 of this embodiment is installed in a user's home or the like and is a commercial power supply that supplies AC power of 100 V to 240 V. The power supply equipment 10 has an outlet 11 into which a plug 41 of a charging cable 40 is inserted.

[0019] <Charging control device> FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the charging control device 35. The charging control device 35 is a computer (information processing device) having a control unit 352, a memory (storage device) 353, an input / output IF (interface) 354, and a communication IF 355, all of which are interconnected by a connection bus 351. The control unit 352 processes input information and outputs the processing results, thereby controlling the entire device. The control unit 352 is also called a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro-processing unit). The control unit 352 is not limited to a single processor, and may have a multiprocessor configuration. Alternatively, the control unit 352 may have a multi-core configuration having multiple cores in a single chip connected via a single socket.

[0020] The memory 353 may be a main storage device or an auxiliary storage device. The main storage device is used, for example, as a working area for the control unit 352, a storage area for temporarily storing information processed by the control unit 352, and a buffer area for communication data. In other words, the main storage device is a storage medium for the control unit 352 to cache programs and data or to use as a working area. The main storage device includes, for example, a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), and a flash memory. The auxiliary storage device is a storage medium for storing programs executed by the control unit 352, data used in information processing, operation setting information, and the like. The auxiliary storage device includes, for example, a hard-disk drive (HDD), a solid-state drive (SSD), an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), a flash memory, a USB memory, and a memory. It is a non-volatile storage medium such as a card.

[0021] The input / output IF 354 is an interface for inputting and outputting data between the charge control device 35 and peripheral devices connected thereto. The input / output IF 354 inputs and outputs data between devices such as a disk drive that reads data from a storage medium such as a CD or DVD, an operation unit, a display device, a microphone, a photographing device, and a sensor. The operation unit is an input unit, such as a mouse, keyboard, or touch panel, that inputs information to the control unit 352 through user operation. For example, the operation unit inputs information such as the start and end of charging and the time to start charging through user operation. The display device is an output unit that displays and outputs information such as charging information and inquiry information (described below) to the user. The touch panel is arranged so as to overlap the display area of ​​the display device, and detects touch operations on icons and the like displayed on the display device and inputs the information to the charge control device 35. Furthermore, the input / output IF 354 acquires the detection results from the first sensor 36 and the second sensor 37 and inputs them to the control unit 352 .

[0022] The communication IF 355 is an interface (communication module) that communicates with other devices via a communication line (network), and is also referred to as a CCU (Communication Control Unit). The communication IF 355 of this embodiment may include a wired IF that performs wired communication and a wireless IF that performs wireless communication. The wired IF communicates with other devices via a CAN, for example. The wireless IF transmits and receives data to and from other devices via short-range wireless communication, for example. The wireless IF of this embodiment employs a Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication line, but is not limited thereto, and may also use a communication line specified in IEEE 802.11, for example.

[0023] In the charge control device 35, the control unit 352 executes an application program (charge control program) to realize the functions described below. That is, the control unit 352 realizes the required functions by software. However, some or all of the functions may be realized by a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), F The control unit 352 may be realized by hardware such as a dedicated large-scale integration (LSI) such as a field-programmable gate array (PGA), a logic circuit, or other digital circuit. Furthermore, at least a portion of the hardware may include an analog circuit. The control unit 352 may be configured such that one processor functions as multiple processing units, or may be configured to include multiple processors that function as one processing unit.

[0024] The charging control device 35 has a function of checking the connection state of the charging cable 40 that connects the external power source and the vehicle 20, based on the detection result of the first sensor 36. Specifically, the connection state is checked to see whether the plug 42 of the charging cable 40 is connected to the outlet 11 of the power supply equipment 10, and whether the plug 41 of the charging cable 40 is connected to the connector 31 of the vehicle 20.

[0025] The charging control device 35 also has a function of outputting an alarm depending on the connection state of the charging cable 40. For example, when the charging cable 40 changes from a state in which the charging cable 40 is connected to the vehicle 20 via an external power source to a state in which the charging cable 40 is disconnected, the charging control device 35 outputs an alarm to the user. Based on the detection result of the second sensor 37, the charging control device 35 outputs an alarm if a specific condition indicating that the disconnection was initiated by the user is not met within a predetermined time period before or after the disconnection, and prohibits the output of an alarm if the specific condition is met within the predetermined time period.

[0026] In this way, the charging control device 35 of this embodiment determines whether a specific condition is met within a predetermined time after detecting disconnection of the charging cable 40, and then outputs an alarm, but a preliminary alarm may also be output when detecting disconnection of the charging cable 40. Note that the preliminary alarm may be, for example, turning on or flashing a light in the vehicle 20, or outputting an alarm sound.

[0027] <Control method> Next, a description will be given of a charge control method executed by the control unit 352 of the charge control device 35 based on a charge control program.

[0028] When charging, the user inserts plug 41 of charging cable 40 into connector 31 of vehicle 20, and plugs 42 of charging cable 40 into outlet 11 of power supply equipment 10, thereby connecting power supply equipment 10 and the vehicle. In addition, when the user sets charging control device 35 to start charging immediately or at a specified time (charging start time), the charging control device 3. If the charging setting has been made in advance, the charging control device 35 may start the processing of FIG. 3 when the charging cable 40 is connected. In this case, the charging control device 35 may start the processing of FIG. 3 when the SOC (State Of Charge) of the battery 34 is If the difference is less than a predetermined value (e.g., 30%), the process of FIG. 3 is started, and if the difference is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the charging control device 35 repeatedly executes the process of FIG. 3 until charging is completed or the charging cable 40 is disconnected and charging is stopped.

[0029] In step S10, the control unit 352 determines whether the charging start time has arrived. If the charging start time has arrived or if the charging start time has not been specified (charging is to start immediately), the control unit 352 makes an affirmative determination and proceeds to step S20; otherwise, the control unit 352 makes a negative determination and proceeds to step S50.

[0030] In step S20, the control unit 352 determines whether charging has already started. That is, while repeatedly executing the process shown in FIG. 3, if charging has already started, the control unit 352 makes a positive determination and proceeds to step S40, and if charging has not started, the control unit 352 makes a negative determination and proceeds to step S30.

[0031] In step S30, control unit 352 starts charging.

[0032] In step S40, control unit 352 determines whether charging has been completed, and if the determination is affirmative, ends the processing of FIG. 3, and if the determination is negative, proceeds to step S50.

[0033] In step S50, control unit 352 acquires the connection state of charging cable 40 from first sensor 36. Then, in step S60, control unit 352 determines whether or not the connection of charging cable 40 has been released. If the determination is negative, control unit 352 ends the processing in FIG. 3, and if the determination is positive, control unit 352 proceeds to step S70.

[0034] In step S70, the control unit 352 determines whether a specific condition indicating that the disconnection was initiated by the user is met within a predetermined time period before the disconnection. This specific condition is a condition indicating that the user is present in the vicinity of the vehicle, for example, a condition indicating that an operation that an authorized user can perform has been performed on the vehicle 20. This specific condition may also be that a key for the vehicle 20 is present in the vicinity, for example, that communication with the key for the vehicle 20 is possible via short-range wireless communication. If the determination in step S70 is affirmative, the control unit 352 proceeds to step S110, and if the determination is negative, the control unit 352 proceeds to step S80.

[0035] In step S80, control unit 352 outputs a preliminary alarm from vehicle 20. By issuing a preliminary alarm immediately when charging cable 40 is disconnected in this manner, control unit 352 warns third parties that it is monitoring the situation, and prevents theft of charging cable 40.

[0036] In step S90, the control unit 352 determines whether a specific condition indicating that the disconnection was initiated by the user is met within a predetermined time after the disconnection. If the determination in step S90 is negative, the control unit 352 proceeds to step S100 and outputs a warning to the communication terminal used by the user. For example, if the communication terminal used by the user is a smartphone or a tablet PC (personal computer), the control unit 352 issues a warning by push notification. The control unit 352 may transmit a warning message to the user's communication terminal. Furthermore, the control unit 352 may cause the communication terminal used by the user to start an application and output a warning sound or a warning message. If the user's communication terminal is used to receive emails, the control unit 352 may transmit the warning message by email. On the other hand, if the determination in step S90 is positive, the control unit 352 proceeds to step S110 and prohibits the output of a warning.

[0037] <Effects of the embodiment> As described above, the charging control device 35 of this embodiment checks the connection status of the charging cable 40 connecting the external power supply equipment 10 and the vehicle 20, and when the charging cable 40 is disconnected, if a specific condition is not met within a predetermined time before or after the disconnection, outputs an alarm, and if the specific condition is met, prohibits the output of an alarm. As a result, the charging control device 35 of this embodiment outputs an alarm if a third party disconnects the charging cable 40, but does not output an alarm if the user disconnects the cable themselves. Therefore, the charging control device 35 can warn the user of tampering by a third party without annoying the user with unnecessary alarms.

[0038] In the present embodiment, the specific condition is a condition indicating that a user is present near the vehicle 20. As a result, when the user is present near the vehicle 20 and it is estimated that the disconnection was initiated by the user, the charging control device 35 of the present embodiment prohibits the output of an alarm, thereby preventing the user from being annoyed.

[0039] In the present embodiment, the condition indicating that a user is present near the vehicle 20 is a condition indicating that an operation that an authorized user can perform has been performed on the vehicle 20. In this manner, when an authorized user is performing an operation on the vehicle 20 and it is presumed that the disconnection was initiated by the user, the charging control device 35 of the present embodiment can prevent the user from being annoyed by prohibiting the output of an alarm.

[0040] In this embodiment, the operations that an authorized user can perform include at least one of the following operations on the vehicle 20: locking the doors, unlocking the doors, opening the doors, closing the doors, opening the windows, closing the windows, putting the vehicle in a runnable state, turning on the ignition power, and turning on the accessory power. When an operation that cannot be performed by a third party is performed on the vehicle 20 and it is presumed that the disconnection was initiated by the user, the charging control device 35 of this embodiment can prevent the user from being inconvenienced by prohibiting the output of an alarm.

[0041] In this embodiment, the condition indicating that the user is near the vehicle 20 is detecting the presence of a key that performs short-range wireless communication. In this way, when communication with the key of the vehicle 20 can be performed by short-range wireless communication and it is estimated that the user is near the vehicle 20, the charging control device 35 of this embodiment can prevent the user from being annoyed by prohibiting the output of an alarm.

[0042] The charging control device 35 of this embodiment outputs a preliminary alarm from the vehicle 20 when the charging cable 40 is disconnected, and outputs an alarm to the communication terminal used by the user if a specific condition is not met within a predetermined time, and prohibits output of an alarm to the communication terminal if the specific condition is met within the predetermined time. In this way, the charging control device 35 of this embodiment immediately issues a preliminary alarm when the charging cable 40 is disconnected, thereby notifying third parties that it is monitoring the device and preventing theft of the charging cable 40.

[0043] In this embodiment, the preliminary warning includes turning on lights, flashing lights, or outputting a warning sound in the vehicle. By outputting the preliminary warning using lights or a warning sound in the vehicle 20, the charging control device 35 of this embodiment can warn nearby third parties without increasing the number of warning components.

[0044] <Other> The technology of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the above-described embodiments and supplementary configurations can be combined as much as possible.

[0045] <Computer-readable recording medium> A program that causes a computer or other machine or device (hereinafter referred to as a computer, etc.) to realize any of the above functions can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Then, by having the computer, etc. read and execute the program from this recording medium, the function can be provided.

[0046] Here, a computer-readable recording medium refers to a recording medium that stores information such as data and programs electrically, magnetically, optically, mechanically, or chemically and can be read by a computer. Among such recording media, those that can be removed from a computer include, for example, flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, CD-R / Ws, DVDs, Blu-ray disks, DATs, 8mm tapes, and memory cards such as flash memory. In addition, recording media fixed to a computer include hard disks and ROMs (read-only memories). Furthermore, SSDs (Solid State Drives) are also recording media that can be removed from a computer, and are also used as computer-readable media. It can also be used as a recording medium fixed to a computer. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 10:Power equipment 11: Outlet 20: Vehicle 30: Charging unit 31: Connector 32: Power wiring 33: Converter 34:Battery 35: Charging control device 36: First sensor 37: Second sensor 40: Charging cable 41: Plug 42: Plug 100: Charging system 351: Connection bus 352: Control unit 353: Memory 354: Input / output interface 355: Communication IF

Claims

1. Check the connection status of the charging cable that connects the external power source to the vehicle. When the connection of the charging cable is disconnected, within a predetermined time before or after the disconnection, If the specific condition indicating that the release was initiated by the user is not met, an alarm is output. If the specific condition is met, the output of the alarm is prohibited. Charging control device.

2. The charge control device according to claim 1 , wherein the specific condition is a condition indicating that a user is present in the vicinity of the vehicle.

3. The charge control device according to claim 2 , wherein the condition indicating that the user is present in the vicinity of the vehicle is a condition indicating that an operation that an authorized user is performing on the vehicle has been performed.

4. 4. The charging control device according to claim 3, wherein the operations that the authorized user can perform on the vehicle include at least one of locking the doors, unlocking the doors, opening the doors, closing the doors, opening the windows, closing the windows, putting the vehicle into a state where it can be driven, turning on the ignition power, and turning on the accessory power.

5. The charge control device according to claim 2 , wherein the condition indicating that the user is in the vicinity of the vehicle is that a key that performs short-range wireless communication is detected.

6. When the connection of the charging cable is disconnected, a preliminary alarm is output from the vehicle, and If the specific condition is not met within the predetermined time, the warning is output to the communication terminal used by the user; If the specific condition is met within the predetermined time, output of the warning to the communication terminal is prohibited. The charge control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The charge control device according to claim 6, wherein the preliminary warning includes turning on a light, blinking the light, or outputting a warning sound in the vehicle.

8. Check the connection status of the charging cable that connects the external power source to the vehicle. When the connection of the charging cable is disconnected, within a predetermined time before or after the disconnection, If the specific condition indicating that the release was initiated by the user is not met, an alarm is output. If the specific condition is met, the output of the alarm is prohibited. A charging control program for causing the control unit to execute the process.

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