Vehicle charging system

Abstract

To easily avoid troubles relating to the connection between a charging connector and a vehicle.SOLUTION: In a vehicle charging system including a charging connector and a charging control unit, charging start conditions can be set such that charging of a vehicle is not started unless at least one of schedule conditions and power conditions is met, and when the charging connector is connected to the vehicle before the charging start conditions are met, control can be performed to determine whether or not the charging connector is properly connected to the vehicle even in a situation where the charging start conditions are not met, and when it is determined that the charging connector is not properly connected to the vehicle in a situation where the charging start conditions are not met, control can be performed to output a notification to that effect, and when it is determined that the charging connector is properly connected to the vehicle in a situation where the charging start conditions are not met, control can be performed to enter a standby state to wait for the charging start conditions to be met.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle charging system. [Background technology]

[0002] Charging devices used to charge batteries mounted on vehicles such as four-wheeled vehicles, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, and cargo handling vehicles are known. As can be understood from the description in Patent Document 1, a charging connector is typically detached when the charging device is used and then returned to the charging device after use. Furthermore, charging typically begins immediately when the charging connector is connected to the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-89249

[0004] Charging devices may be installed at locations where vehicles stop by, or at locations where vehicles are parked for long periods of time. In the latter case, charging using a charging device may not be required urgently. In such cases, charging using late-night power, for example, may result in efficient energy use. It may also reduce costs for users. However, if a driver or other person has to physically connect a charging connector to a vehicle during a time when such a connection is possible, it is time-consuming and makes the vehicle less accessible. Even if a driver or other person physically connects a charging connector to a vehicle, if the driver or other person does not know whether the connection was made properly, the opportunity to correct the connection is missed. In such cases, the charging connector may not be properly connected when charging is due to start, and charging may not begin even if the specified conditions are met. This can result in a problem where the vehicle cannot be used as planned. Specifically, even if a truck or taxi driver thinks he or she has connected the charging connector to the vehicle after finishing work for the day, if the above-mentioned problem occurs, the vehicle may be unavailable the next morning, causing a delay in business operations. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The inventors of the present invention have conducted extensive research into this issue and have attempted to solve it. The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to make it easier to avoid problems related to the connection between the charging connector and the vehicle when charging does not start immediately after connecting the charging connector to the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, a vehicle charging system is provided which includes a charging connector connected to a vehicle and a charging control unit which controls charging of the vehicle, wherein the charging control unit is capable of setting a charging start condition so that charging of the vehicle will not start if at least one of a schedule condition and a power condition is not met, and when the charging connector is connected to the vehicle before the charging start condition is met, the charging control unit is capable of controlling the system to determine whether the charging connector is properly connected to the vehicle even in a situation where the charging start condition is not met, and when it is determined that the charging connector is not properly connected to the vehicle in a situation where the charging start condition is not met, the charging control unit is capable of controlling the system to output an indication to that effect, and when it is determined that the charging connector is properly connected to the vehicle in a situation where the charging start condition is not met, the vehicle charging system is capable of controlling the system to enter a standby state in which it waits for the charging start condition to be met.

[0007] Furthermore, it is preferable that a charging start condition can be set so that charging of the vehicle will not start if the conditions of the schedule are not met, and the determination unit can determine the connection state between the charging connector and the vehicle before the time set to start charging of the vehicle arrives, and if it is determined that the charging connector is properly connected to the vehicle when the charging start condition is not met, the determination unit can be controlled to start charging of the vehicle when the time set in the charging start condition arrives thereafter.

[0008] Furthermore, it is preferable that a charging start condition can be set so that charging of the vehicle will not start if the power condition is not met, and the determination unit can determine the connection state between the charging connector and the vehicle while the amount of power used within the facility is above a predetermined value, and if it is determined that the charging connector is properly connected to the vehicle when the charging start condition is not met, the determination unit can be controlled to start charging of the vehicle when the amount of power used within the facility subsequently falls below the predetermined value.

[0009] Furthermore, it is preferable that a charging start condition can be set so that charging of the vehicle will not start if the power condition is not met, and the determination unit can determine the connection state between the charging connector and the vehicle while the amount of power being charged to other vehicles in the area is above a predetermined value, and if it is determined that the charging connector is properly connected to the vehicle when the charging start condition is not met, the determination unit can be controlled to start charging of the vehicle when the amount of power being charged to other vehicles in the area subsequently falls below a predetermined value.

[0010] In addition, it is preferable that the configuration be such that a determination of whether the charging connector is properly connected to the vehicle can be started when at least one of the following conditions is met: the charging connector is connected to the vehicle; a predetermined set time has elapsed; the user operates an operation button; or the user operates an operation panel.

[0011] Preferably, the control unit is configured to be controllable so that after it is determined that the charging connector is properly connected to the vehicle, it is determined again whether or not the charging connector is properly connected to the vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] The present invention can facilitate avoiding problems relating to the connection between the charging connector and the vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 10 is an example of a flow diagram in which a determination of connection between a charging connector and a vehicle is performed only once. [Figure 2] This is a different flow diagram from FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an environment in which a vehicle is charged using a vehicle charging system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] An embodiment of the invention is described below. As can be seen from FIGS. 1 to 4 , a vehicle charging system according to this embodiment includes a charging connector connected to a vehicle 9 and a charging control unit that controls charging of the vehicle 9. The charging control unit of this vehicle charging system can set charging start conditions so that charging of the vehicle 9 does not start unless at least one of a schedule condition and a power condition is met. Furthermore, if the charging connector is connected to the vehicle 9 before the charging start conditions are met, the charging control unit can be controlled to determine whether the charging connector is properly connected to the vehicle 9 even when the charging start conditions are not met. Furthermore, if it is determined that the charging connector is not properly connected to the vehicle 9 when the charging start conditions are not met, the charging control unit can be controlled to output a message to notify the user of this. Furthermore, if it is determined that the charging connector is properly connected to the vehicle 9 when the charging start conditions are not met, the charging control unit can be controlled to enter a standby state in which the charging start conditions are met (see FIG. 1 ). This makes it easier to avoid problems related to the connection between the charging connector and the vehicle 9.

[0015] The vehicle charging system is conceivably used to charge multiple vehicles 9, such as trucks, taxis, and commercial vehicles, parked within a business premises, but may also be used in detached houses, condominiums, apartments, etc. It may also be used in cases where the entity performing the charging has no direct relationship with the entity managing the vehicle charging system, such as in hourly parking lots. In this way, the vehicle charging system of the present invention can be used in a variety of situations.

[0016] In the vehicle charging system of the present invention, like conventional systems, charging begins after the charging connector is connected to the vehicle 9, but by setting predetermined conditions in the charging control unit, charging does not begin until the predetermined conditions are met, and charging is controlled to begin after the predetermined conditions are met.

[0017] The vehicle charging system of the embodiment controls the current to flow from the vehicle charging device 1 toward the vehicle 9 for a very short time until a predetermined condition is satisfied. After such control is performed, a result indicating whether or not current is applied is output, and a determination is made as to whether or not the connection between the charging connector and the vehicle 9 is normal. More specifically, if current is applied, it is determined that the connection is normal, but if current is not applied, it is determined that there is an abnormality in the connection between the charging connector and the vehicle 9. Furthermore, in the embodiment, the current applied from the vehicle charging device 1 toward the vehicle 9 is controlled by a charging control unit, and the determination as to whether or not current is applied is made by a determination unit.

[0018] The determination regarding the connection between the charging connector and the vehicle 9 may be made until a predetermined condition is satisfied. For example, the determination may be made immediately after the charging connector is connected to the vehicle 9, immediately before the predetermined condition is satisfied, or at a preset time. Alternatively, the determination regarding the connection between the charging connector and the vehicle 9 may be made by a user or the like taking some kind of action until the predetermined condition is satisfied. For example, the determination regarding the connection between the charging connector and the vehicle 9 may be made by operating an operation button or an operation panel.

[0019] As can be understood from these descriptions, it is preferable to be able to start determining whether the charging connector is properly connected to the vehicle 9 when at least one of the following conditions is met: the charging connector is connected to the vehicle 9; a predetermined set time has elapsed; the user operates an operation button; or the user operates an operation panel.

[0020] Furthermore, if this determination is made multiple times until a predetermined condition is satisfied, it becomes possible to obtain a more reliable result (see FIG. 2). In particular, if it is determined again after it has been determined that the charging connector and vehicle 9 are properly connected, even if the charging connector becomes disconnected from vehicle 9 for some reason, this can be detected before charging begins.

[0021] Therefore, it is preferable to have a controllable configuration so that after it is determined that the charging connector is properly connected to the vehicle 9, it is determined again whether the charging connector is properly connected to the vehicle 9.

[0022] The determination result by the determination unit is preferably output from an output unit provided in the vehicle charging device 1. The output resulting from the determination result may be sound or light, or may be output to notify application software or the like for managing each vehicle charging device 1 so that even a user located far away can recognize it.

[0023] The vehicle charging system of the present invention includes at least a charging connector connected to a vehicle 9 and a charging control unit that controls charging to the vehicle 9, and the charging connector may be provided in a vehicle charging device 1 that is installed in a parking lot or the like. The charging control unit may be provided in the vehicle charging device 1, or may be provided in a location different from the vehicle charging device 1 (for example, a cloud server, etc.).

[0024] When the charging control unit is provided in the vehicle charging device 1, an example of controlling the charging of the vehicle 9 is to turn the contact unit on / off by operating the vehicle charging device 1, setting predetermined conditions, or notifying the judgment result from the judgment unit.

[0025] If the charging control unit is located in a location different from the vehicle charging device 1, an example would be to notify the contact unit of the vehicle charging device 1 of operations on the application or settings of specified conditions, and control charging to the vehicle 9 by turning the contact unit on / off.

[0026] The determination unit, like the charging control unit, may be provided in the vehicle charging device 1 or may be provided in a location different from the vehicle charging device 1. Furthermore, the determination unit may be configured to be integrated with the charging control unit, or may be configured to be separate from the charging control unit.

[0027] Here, the charging start condition will be explained. When schedule control is performed, a charging start time and an end time may be set. In this case, the charging start time is included in the charging start condition. For example, charging starts when the set start time arrives while the charging connector is connected to the vehicle 9. In this embodiment, it is possible to determine whether the charging connector and the vehicle 9 have been connected at least once after the end time and before the start time of the previous charging. Note that it is also conceivable that the charging connector will be connected to the vehicle 9 after the charging start time. In this case, charging can be started as usual immediately after it is confirmed that the connection between the charging connector and the vehicle 9 is appropriate.

[0028] As can be understood from these descriptions, it is preferable that the charging start conditions can be set so that charging of the vehicle 9 will not start if the schedule conditions are not met, the determination unit can determine the connection state between the charging connector and the vehicle 9 before the time set to start charging of the vehicle 9 arrives, and if it is determined that the charging connector is properly connected to the vehicle 9 when the charging start conditions are not met, the configuration can be controlled so that charging of the vehicle 9 will start when the time set in the charging start conditions arrives thereafter.

[0029] It is also conceivable to adjust the charging start conditions in relation to the power to be managed. For example, it is conceivable to adjust the charging start conditions in relation to the power used by equipment used for purposes other than charging the vehicle 9. Furthermore, it is conceivable to perform control to adjust the charging start conditions in relation to the amount of power used by equipment used for purposes other than charging the vehicle 9 within the area where the vehicle charging device 1 is installed.

[0030] More specifically, it is conceivable to set a charging start condition so that charging starts when the amount of power used by other facilities in the area falls below a predetermined amount. In this case, after the charging connector and vehicle 9 are connected, the connection state between the charging connector and vehicle 9 may be determined while the amount of power used by other facilities in the area is above a predetermined amount, and charging may start when the amount of power falls below the predetermined amount.

[0031] As can be understood from these descriptions, it is preferable that the charging start conditions can be set so that charging of the vehicle 9 will not start if the power conditions are not met, and the determination unit can determine the connection state between the charging connector and the vehicle 9 while the amount of electricity used within the facility is above a predetermined value, and if it is determined that the charging connector is properly connected to the vehicle 9 when the charging start conditions are not met, the configuration can be controlled to start charging of the vehicle 9 when the amount of electricity used within the facility subsequently falls below a predetermined value.

[0032] It is also possible to adjust the amount of charge for the vehicle 9 in relation to other vehicles 9 in the area where the vehicle charging device 1 is installed. For example, charging may be started when the amount of charge for one or more vehicles 9 connected to the vehicle charging device 1 falls below a predetermined amount.

[0033] More specifically, after the charging connector and vehicle 9 are connected, charging of this vehicle 9 is not performed while the charge amount charged to other vehicles 9 in the area exceeds a predetermined amount, but the connection status between the charging connector and vehicle 9 is determined, and if the charge amount falls below the predetermined amount, charging of this vehicle 9 is started.

[0034] As can be understood from these descriptions, it is preferable that the charging start conditions can be set so that charging of the vehicle 9 will not begin if the power conditions are not met, and the determination unit can determine the connection state between the charging connector and the vehicle 9 while the amount of power being charged to other vehicles 9 in the area exceeds a predetermined value, and if it is determined that the charging connector is properly connected to the vehicle 9 when the charging start conditions are not met, the determination unit can be controlled to start charging the vehicle 9 when the amount of power being charged to other vehicles 9 in the area subsequently falls below a predetermined value.

[0035] Regarding the area, in the case of a small facility such as a small business office, one facility can be considered as one area, for example. The control can be performed by determining whether the amount of power used by the equipment installed in such an area or the amount of charge to the vehicle 9 charged in the area falls below a predetermined value.

[0036] On the other hand, in the case of a large facility such as a large business office, multiple areas may be set up within the facility, and the amount of electricity used by the equipment installed in each area may be monitored to determine whether the charging start conditions are met, or the amount of charge to the vehicle 9 being charged in each area may be monitored to determine whether the charging start conditions are met.

[0037] As can be seen from Fig. 3, it is preferable to use such a vehicle charging system when the vehicle charging device 1 is installed in a truck parking lot (collection point) or the like. In this case, it is also preferable to fix the vehicle charging device 1 above the floor surface. This is because if the vehicle charging device 1 is fixed to the floor surface, it may interfere with collection operations and the like.

[0038] Furthermore, it is preferable that vehicle charging device 1 be configured with an output unit that outputs information that charging has started or that an abnormality has occurred. Furthermore, if vehicle charging device 1 is fixed above the floor, it may be difficult to visually check the output content, so it is preferable that the output unit be able to output information using light or sound.

[0039] Although the present invention has been described above by taking the embodiments as examples, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be embodied in various forms. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1. Vehicle charging equipment 9 vehicles

Claims

1. A vehicle charging system including a charging connector connected to a vehicle and a charging control unit that controls charging of the vehicle, The charging control unit A charging start condition can be set so that charging of the vehicle is not started when at least one of a schedule condition and a power condition is not satisfied, When the charging connector is connected to the vehicle before the charging start condition is satisfied, the control can be performed to determine whether the charging connector is properly connected to the vehicle even in a situation where the charging start condition is not satisfied, When it is determined that the charging connector is not properly connected to the vehicle in a situation where the charging start condition is not satisfied, it is possible to control to output a signal to notify the driver of the fact, When it is determined that the charging connector is properly connected to the vehicle in a situation where the charging start condition is not satisfied, the vehicle charging system can be controlled to enter a standby state in which the charging start condition is waited for.

2. A charging start condition can be set so that charging of the vehicle is not started if the schedule condition is not met, the determination unit is capable of determining a connection state between the charging connector and the vehicle before a time set to start charging the vehicle arrives; 2. The vehicle charging system according to claim 1, wherein, when it is determined that the charging connector is properly connected to the vehicle in a situation where the charging start condition is not satisfied, control is performed so that charging of the vehicle starts when a time set in the charging start condition is reached thereafter.

3. A charging start condition can be set so that charging of the vehicle is not started if the power condition is not met, the determination unit is capable of determining a connection state between the charging connector and the vehicle while an amount of power used within the facility exceeds a predetermined value; 2. The vehicle charging system according to claim 1, wherein, when it is determined that the charging connector is properly connected to the vehicle in a situation where the charging start condition is not satisfied, control is performed so that charging of the vehicle starts when an amount of electric power used within the facility thereafter falls below a predetermined value.

4. A charging start condition can be set so that charging of the vehicle is not started if the power condition is not met, the determination unit is capable of determining a connection state between the charging connector and the vehicle while an amount of power charged to the other vehicle within the area exceeds a predetermined value; 2. The vehicle charging system according to claim 1, wherein, when it is determined that the charging connector is properly connected to the vehicle in a situation where the charging start condition is not satisfied, control is performed so that charging of the vehicle is started when an amount of electric power subsequently charged to other vehicles within the area falls below a predetermined value.

5. 2. The vehicle charging system according to claim 1, wherein the determination of whether the charging connector is properly connected to the vehicle can be started when at least one of the following conditions is satisfied: the charging connector is connected to the vehicle; a predetermined set time has elapsed; a user operates an operation button; or a user operates an operation panel.

6. 2. The vehicle charging system according to claim 1, wherein the system is controllable so as to determine again whether the charging connector is properly connected to the vehicle after it has been determined that the charging connector is properly connected to the vehicle.

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