Charging control device

Abstract

To provide a charging control device capable of manual charging with a power instruction value other than 0 kW, even if communication disruption or the like occurs.SOLUTION: The charging control device includes a control unit that controls a first charging unit that corresponds to charging based on a charging schedule paring a date and time of charging to a vehicle and a power instruction value, and a second charging unit that does not correspond to charging based on the charging schedule. The control unit is configured to: acquire the charging schedule from a user of the vehicle and output the charging schedule to the first charging unit; and when the power instruction value specified at the end of the charging schedule is 0 kW, output a charging stop instruction and output the specified power instruction value to a second charger at the date and time specified in the charging schedule, and when the power instruction value specified in the charging schedule is 0 kW, output the charging stop instruction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a charge control device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for a charging control device in which each user selects an arbitrary charging pattern from a plurality of charging patterns, in which, when a charging instruction is received from another vehicle while a vehicle is being charged, charging of the vehicle being charged becomes excessive and the charging is stopped. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5582824 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, if a communication interruption occurs when the charging power instruction value for a vehicle is 0 kW, the power instruction value cannot be changed to anything other than 0 kW until communication is restored, making it difficult to manually charge at a power instruction value other than 0 kW.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a charging control device that enables manual charging at a power instruction value other than 0 kW even in the event of a communication interruption or the like. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The charging control device according to the present disclosure includes a control unit that controls a first charger that supports charging based on a charging schedule in which a date and time of charging a vehicle is paired with a power instruction value, and a second charger that does not support charging based on the charging schedule, and the control unit acquires the charging schedule from a user of the vehicle, outputs the charging schedule to the first charger, and outputs a charging stop instruction if the power instruction value specified at the end of the charging schedule is 0 kW, and outputs a specified power instruction value to the second charger at the date and time specified in the charging schedule, and outputs a charging stop instruction if the power instruction value specified in the charging schedule is 0 kW. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, by outputting a charging stop instruction when the power instruction value specified in the charging schedule is 0 kW, manual charging at a power instruction value other than 0 kW becomes possible even if a communication interruption or the like occurs. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a charge control system including a charge control device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the flow of a charge control method executed by the charge control device according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A charging control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the components in the following embodiments include those that are easily replaceable by those skilled in the art, or those that are substantially the same.

[0010] (Charging control system) A charge control system including a charge control device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the charge control system includes a charge control device 1, a first charger 2, and a second charger 3. The charge control device 1, the first charger 2, and the second charger 3 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via a network N. This network N is configured, for example, by an internet network, a mobile phone network, or the like.

[0011] The charging control device 1 controls a first charger 2 and a second charger 3 that charge a vehicle. The vehicle is, for example, an electric vehicle such as a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) or a battery electric vehicle (BEV). The charging control device 1 is realized by, for example, a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or a personal computer. The charging control device 1 also includes a control unit 11 and a communication unit 12.

[0012] The control unit 11 is realized by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory (main storage unit) such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), etc. The control unit 11 also functions as a schedule acquisition unit 111 and a charging instruction unit 112 by executing various programs.

[0013] The schedule acquisition unit 111 acquires a charging schedule for the vehicle from, for example, the user of the vehicle. This "charging schedule" refers to data in which the date and time (time) of charging the vehicle and the power instruction value (power command value) are paired (see FIG. 2). Note that the schedule acquisition unit 111 may acquire the charging schedule from the user of the vehicle (via the network N) as described above, or may acquire the charging schedule for the vehicle from a business or the like that manages the operation of multiple vehicles. For example, when a charging schedule is acquired from a business or the like, the entry and exit times of the vehicle, the power to be charged to the vehicle, etc. are determined in advance, and the charging schedule is created based on these.

[0014] The charging instruction unit 112 instructs the first charger 2 and the second charger 3 to charge the vehicle. The charging instruction unit 112 outputs (transmits) the charging schedule acquired by the schedule acquisition unit 111 to the first charger 2. That is, the charging instruction unit 112 outputs the charging schedule as is to the first charger 2 that supports charging based on the charging schedule (hereinafter referred to as "scheduled charging").

[0015] Furthermore, when the specified power instruction value at the end of the charging schedule is 0 kW, charging instruction unit 112 outputs a charging stop instruction (charging stop command) to first charger 2. That is, when the specified power instruction value at the end of the charging schedule is 0 kW, charging instruction unit 112 outputs to first charger 2 an instruction to stop charging at the end of the schedule, along with the charging schedule.

[0016] The charging instruction unit 112 does not simply output the charging schedule acquired by the schedule acquisition unit 111 to the second charger 3, but outputs a specified power instruction value at the date and time specified in the charging schedule. In other words, the charging instruction unit 112 outputs a power instruction value each time according to the date and time described in the charging schedule to the second charger 3 that does not support scheduled charging.

[0017] Furthermore, when the specified power value specified in the charging schedule is 0 kW, the charging instruction unit 112 outputs a charging stop instruction to the second charger 3. That is, when the specified power value to be output to the second charger 3 is 0 kW, the charging instruction unit 112 outputs an instruction to the second charger 3 to stop charging.

[0018] The communication unit 12 is configured by, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface board, a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication, etc. The communication unit 12 exchanges information with the first charger 2 and the second charger 3 through communication via the network N.

[0019] The first charger 2 is a device for charging a vehicle, and is installed, for example, at a charging station, a business, etc. The first charger 2 is a charging facility that supports scheduled charging. The first charger 2 also reads the charging schedule obtained from the charging instruction unit 112, and changes the charging power to the vehicle so that it reaches a specified power instruction value at the date and time specified in the charging schedule.

[0020] The second charger 3 is a device for charging the vehicle, and is installed, for example, at a charging station, a business, etc. The second charger 3 is a charging facility that does not support scheduled charging. The second charger 3 also changes the charging power to the vehicle so that it matches the power instruction value acquired from the charging instruction unit 112.

[0021] (Charging control method) The flow of the charge control method executed by the charge control device according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Note that Fig. 2 shows an example in which the time series progresses from left to right.

[0022] First, the schedule acquisition unit 111 acquires a charging schedule from the user of the vehicle (see A in FIG. 2). The charging schedule illustrated in FIG. 2 has four schedules, No. 1 to 4. No. 1 is a schedule for charging "50 kW (power command value)" at "1:00", and No. 2 is a schedule for charging "0 kW (power command value)" at "2:00". No. 3 is a schedule for charging "30 kW (power command value)" at "3:00", and No. 4 is a schedule for charging "0 kW (power command value)" at "4:00".

[0023] Next, the charging instruction unit 112 outputs the charging schedule to the first charger 2 (see B in FIG. 2). That is, the charging instruction unit 112 outputs a plurality of charging schedules to the first charger 2 all at once.

[0024] In the charging schedule illustrated in Fig. 2, the specified power value at the end of the charging schedule is 0 kW (see No. 4). Therefore, the charging instruction unit 112 outputs a charging stop instruction to the first charger 2 along with the charging schedule. By performing the above processing, the vehicle first starts charging at "50 kW", then changes the power to "0 kW", then changes the power to "30 kW", and finally stops charging based on the charging stop instruction (see C in Fig. 2).

[0025] Furthermore, the charging instruction unit 112 sequentially outputs the specified power instruction values ​​at the dates and times specified in the charging schedule to the second charger 3 (see D, E, F, and G in FIG. 2). That is, the charging instruction unit 112 outputs the charging schedules to the second charger 3 one by one.

[0026] In the charging schedule illustrated in FIG. 2, the second and last specified power instruction values ​​in the charging schedule are 0 kW (see Nos. 2 and 4). Therefore, when the charging instruction unit 112 outputs the schedules Nos. 2 and 4 to the second charger 3, it also outputs a charging stop instruction. By performing the above processing, the vehicle first starts charging at 50 kW, then stops charging based on the charging stop instruction, then starts charging at 30 kW, and finally stops charging based on the charging stop instruction (see H in FIG. 2). In this way, the second charger 3, which does not support scheduled charging, can perform charging control similar to that of the first charger 2, which supports scheduled charging.

[0027] According to the charge control device of the embodiment described above, by outputting a charge stop instruction when the power instruction value specified in the charge schedule is 0 kW, manual charging at a power instruction value other than 0 kW becomes possible even in the event of a communication interruption or the like.

[0028] In other words, with previous charging control devices, if communication between a charger that has specified a power instruction value of 0 kW and the charging control device is interrupted, the charging power cannot be changed from 0 kW until communication is restored, making it virtually impossible to charge the vehicle.

[0029] On the other hand, in the charge control device according to the embodiment, when the power instruction value in the charging schedule is 0 kW, the charge stop instruction is output to stop charging without sending the 0 kW power instruction value to the first charger 2 and the second charger 3. This makes it possible to perform manual charging, for example, at a power instruction value before the 0 kW power instruction value in the charging schedule (for example, "30 kW" in charging schedule No. 3 in FIG. 2 ) even in the unlikely event that communication is interrupted.

[0030] Further advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Thus, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] 1. Charging control device 11 Control section 111 Schedule Acquisition Department 112 Charging instruction section 2 First charger 3 Second charger

Claims

[Claim 1] a control unit that controls a first charger that supports charging based on a charging schedule in which a date and time of charging to a vehicle is paired with an electric power indication value, and a second charger that does not support charging based on the charging schedule, The control unit obtaining the charging schedule from a user of the vehicle; outputting the charging schedule to the first charger, and outputting a charging stop instruction when a power instruction value specified at the end of the charging schedule is 0 kW; outputting a designated power instruction value to the second charger at a date and time designated in the charging schedule, and outputting a charging stop instruction when the power instruction value designated in the charging schedule is 0 kW; Charging control device.

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