Charge amount grasping system

Abstract

To grasp the amount of charge of an EV measured in an ordinary household distinguishing from power consumed by other apparatuses in the household.SOLUTION: A charge amount grasping system includes: acquisition means that acquires, from a charging apparatus that is connected to wiring in a household and charges an electric vehicle, charge amount information that is information on charging of the electric vehicle distinguished from power consumed by other apparatuses in the household; and output means that outputs the acquired charge amount information and / or information obtained from the charge amount information via a network.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for determining a charge amount of an electric vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses that in order to provide a credit card payment system for charging fees that can be automatically settled when charging of an electric vehicle is completed, the charging fee is calculated in a charging terminal device and the charging fee is sent to a payment server together with a credit card number via a payment relay server. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-137634 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] For example, there is a work style in which an employee does not come to the office but instead drives a company car directly from home to their destination, and then drives the company car home after work without returning to the office. In this work style, the employee may charge the company EV at home. In principle, the cost of charging the car should be borne by the company. However, few ordinary households have EV stands that use EV charging equipment to measure the amount of charge in an EV, making it impossible to accurately calculate the electricity charges for EV charging in an ordinary household. An object of the present invention is to distinguish the amount of charge of an EV measured in an ordinary home from the amount of power consumed by other devices in the home. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The invention described in claim 1 is a charge amount grasping system including: an acquisition means for acquiring charge amount information, which is information relating to the charging of an electric vehicle that is distinguished from the power consumed by other devices in the home, from a charging device that is connected to wiring in the home and charges the electric vehicle; and an output means for outputting the acquired charge amount information and / or information obtained from the charge amount information via a network. The invention of claim 2 is the charge amount grasping system of claim 1, characterized in that the information obtained from the charge amount information is information relating to a charge fee. The invention described in claim 3 is the charging amount grasping system described in claim 1, characterized in that the information obtained from the charging amount information is CO2 information, which is information on CO2 emitted by the electricity associated with charging the electric vehicle. The invention described in claim 4 is the charging amount grasping system described in claim 1, characterized in that the output means outputs the charging amount information and / or information obtained from the charging amount information to a customer terminal that manages the user of the electric vehicle. The invention described in claim 5 is the charging amount grasping system described in claim 4, characterized in that the acquisition means acquires the charging amount information together with information that distinguishes the charging device from others and / or information that distinguishes the user from others, and the output means outputs the charging amount information and / or information obtained from the charging amount information to the customer's terminal based on the acquired information that distinguishes the charging device from others and / or information that distinguishes the user from others. The invention described in claim 6 is the charge amount grasping system described in claim 1, characterized in that the charging device includes a plug to be inserted into an outlet for taking electricity from wiring in the home, an outlet for inserting a plug connected to a charging cable for charging the electric vehicle, and a control unit that controls charging of the electric vehicle based on information related to the current value in the home, and the acquisition means acquires the charge amount information via the control unit of the charging device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to distinguish the amount of charge of an EV measured in an ordinary home from the amount of power consumed by other devices in the home. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a charge amount grasping system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating an external structure of a charging device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a charging device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating a specific example of control processing by a control unit in the present embodiment. [Figure 5] 4 is a flowchart of a control process of a control unit in the present embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of an external server according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart of information processing of an external server according to the present embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the charge amount determination system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Generally, companies that use electric vehicles as company cars may lend electric vehicles to employees, who may use the electric vehicle to travel to their destination directly from their homes without coming to the office, and then use the electric vehicle to return home after work without returning to the office. In this case, if the employee's home does not have charging equipment for the electric vehicle, the employee will have to stop at a charging station for the electric vehicle during working hours to charge (route charging), which can result in reduced work and sales efficiency. To solve this problem, companies attempting to install charging equipment for electric vehicles at employee homes typically require electrical installation work, which incurs construction costs for the company. Furthermore, when the charging equipment is no longer needed due to a transfer or other reason, restoration (removal) work is required, which incurs construction costs for the company. Furthermore, installing charging equipment for electric vehicles typically requires an increase in the contracted electricity capacity by the amount of the electric vehicle's charging current, which increases the basic electricity rate paid by employees to the power company. Furthermore, when charging company vehicles at employee homes, for example, it is necessary to distinguish between the electricity consumed by other devices used at the employee's home and the electricity consumed for charging the company's electric vehicle. However, this does not allow for the measurement of the electricity charges for charging the company's electric vehicle alone, making it difficult to accurately reimburse expenses. In response to these issues, this embodiment does not require any special construction work or an increase in the electricity contract capacity, and enables accurate settlement of the charging fee for an electric vehicle.

[0009] <Explanation of the charging amount monitoring system> 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a charge amount tracking system 1 according to the present embodiment. The charge amount tracking system 1 is used in home A and includes a charging device 100 that has a plug and an outlet and is used to charge an electric vehicle 500. The charge amount tracking system 1 also includes an outdoor outlet 200 connected to the charging device 100, which is an example of an electric vehicle charging device, a distribution board 300, a measuring instrument 400, and a charging cable 600 that connects the electric vehicle 500 and the charging device 100. The charge amount tracking system 1 also includes an external server 700, for example, of a power company, that acquires information from the charging device 100 via a network 900 such as the Internet, and a customer terminal 800 that is connected to the external server 700 via the network 900.

[0010] This charging equipment 100 is a charging device provided by, for example, an electric power company that provides electric power to home A. Charging equipment 100 has a plug (described later) that is inserted into outdoor outlet 200 to take electricity from wiring within home A, and an outlet (described later) into which a plug (described later) on the side of a charging cable connected to charging cable 600 for charging electric vehicle 500 is inserted.

[0011] The charging equipment 100 constantly or at times as needed acquires charging amount information, which is information related to charging of the electric vehicle 500. The charging amount information is, for example, information related to the charging time of the electric vehicle 500 or charging power of the electric vehicle 500, and is information that is distinguished from power consumed by other devices in the home A. The acquired charging amount information is output to the external server 700 via the network 900.

[0012] At this time, identification information is output to external server 700 along with this charge amount information. The identification information includes information that distinguishes charging equipment 100 from others and information that distinguishes the user of electric vehicle 500 from others. An example of the information that distinguishes charging equipment 100 from others is the terminal number of charging equipment 100. An example of the information that distinguishes the user of electric vehicle 500 from others is the user's name or ID. Note that both the information that distinguishes charging equipment 100 from others and the information that distinguishes the user of electric vehicle 500 from others may be output, or only one of them may be output. Note that the information that distinguishes charging equipment 100 from others may be referred to as "charging equipment information" in this embodiment, and the information that distinguishes the user of electric vehicle 500 from others may be referred to as "user information" in this embodiment.

[0013] Furthermore, the charging device 100 acquires information on control parameters from the external server 700 via the network 900. Examples of the control parameters include a charging current value that is a current required to charge the electric vehicle 500, a contract current value contracted between the electric power company and household A, and a margin used to calculate a target current value (described later).

[0014] Note that charging device 100 and outdoor outlet 200 are configured with a rated voltage of 125 V and a rated current of 15 A, for example, to receive the single-phase 100 V voltage that is the voltage used in home A. However, charging device 100 and outdoor outlet 200 may also be configured with a rated voltage of 250 V and a rated current of 20 A to receive the single-phase 200 V voltage.

[0015] The distribution board 300 is installed inside home A and is equipment that distributes power within home A. The distribution board 300 has a main breaker 310 that is electrically connected to the power grid via a service line (not shown). The distribution board 300 also has an earth leakage breaker 320 that is electrically connected to the main breaker 310 via a voltage line R, a voltage line T, and a neutral line N. The distribution board 300 also has branch breakers 330 that are electrically connected to the earth leakage breaker 320 via a voltage line R, a voltage line T, and a neutral line N.

[0016] The power grid is a commercial AC power grid managed by an electric power company. Furthermore, the voltage line R, voltage line T, and neutral line N are a so-called single-phase three-wire power line that distributes electricity using a combination of voltage lines and neutral lines.

[0017] The earth leakage breaker 320 is a device that detects an earth leakage and cuts off the current flow from the main breaker 310 to the branch breaker 330 via the voltage line R, the voltage line T, and the neutral line N.

[0018] The branch breaker 330 has an upper branch breaker 331 electrically connected to the earth leakage breaker 320 via a voltage line R and a neutral line N. It also has a lower branch breaker 332 electrically connected to the earth leakage breaker 320 via a voltage line T and a neutral line N.

[0019] The upper branch breaker 331 and the lower branch breaker 332 are electrically connected via wiring within the home to the equipment and outlets in each room within home A. For example, the outdoor outlet 200 is electrically connected to the upper branch breaker 331 via branch circuit L1, which is wiring within the home.

[0020] The measuring instruments 400 are provided on the voltage lines R and T of the distribution board 300 and are devices that measure the value of the current supplied to the home A. The measuring instruments 400 acquire the current value, which is the current value of the current being supplied to the equipment and outlets in each room in the home A. For example, the measuring instrument 400 on the voltage line R acquires the current value of the current being supplied to each equipment via the upper branch breaker 331. The measuring instrument 400 on the voltage line T acquires the current value of the current being supplied to each equipment via the lower branch breaker 332. The current current values ​​acquired by the measuring instruments 400 on the voltage lines R and T are output to the charging device 100 via wireless communication (Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc.) constantly or as needed. The measuring instruments 400 on the voltage lines R and T may output the current current values ​​via power line communication using the branch circuit L1 as a communication circuit.

[0021] Note that the measuring instrument 400 on the voltage line R and the measuring instrument 400 on the voltage line T may add up the current value acquired by the measuring instrument 400 on the voltage line R and the current value acquired by the measuring instrument 400 on the voltage line T and output the sum as the current current value in home A. For example, the current current value acquired by the measuring instrument 400 on the voltage line R may be acquired by the measuring instrument 400 on the voltage line T, and the sum of the current current value acquired by the measuring instrument 400 on the voltage line R and the current current value acquired by the measuring instrument 400 on the voltage line T may be output as the current current value in home A.

[0022] Furthermore, it is not necessary to provide a plurality of measuring instruments 400, and one measuring instrument 400 may be provided on the voltage line R and the voltage line T.

[0023] In this embodiment, for example, a smart meter equipped with a communication function may be adopted as a watt-hour meter (not shown) that calculates the amount of electricity used in home A, thereby substituting the function of measuring instrument 400.

[0024] Electric vehicle 500 is a vehicle that runs using a rechargeable battery (not shown). Electric vehicle 500 has a charging port 510 into which charging cable 600 is inserted. The charging cable 600 has a plug 610 on the charging cable side for insertion into a socket (described later) of the charging device 100. Electrically powered vehicle 500 can be charged by connecting charging port 510 and charging equipment 100 via charging cable 600. In the present embodiment, for example, electrically powered vehicle 500 is charged with a voltage of 100 V, a current of 12 A, and a power of 1.2 kW.

[0025] External server 700 is a server device that manages information about charger 100. This external server 700 is, for example, a server device used by an electric power company that provides electric power to electric vehicle 500. External server 700 outputs information about control parameters to charger 100 via network 900.

[0026] Furthermore, the external server 700 acquires the charging amount information together with the identification information from the charger 100 via the network 900. Note that only one of the charger information and the user information may be acquired as the identification information. Alternatively, the charger information may be acquired from the charger 100, and the user information may be acquired from a user-side terminal (not shown).

[0027] Furthermore, the external server 700 acquires parameters, for example, from a power company terminal (not shown). Examples of the parameters include values ​​for calculating a charging fee for the electric vehicle 500. Examples of the parameters include values ​​for calculating CO2 information, which is information on CO2 emitted by electricity used to charge the electric vehicle 500. Examples of values ​​for calculating a charging fee for the electric vehicle 500 include the charging power of the electric vehicle 500 and the charging fee per kWh. Examples of values ​​for calculating the CO2 information include the charging power of the electric vehicle 500 and the amount of CO2 emitted per kWh.

[0028] Then, the external server 700 calculates the charging power of the electric vehicle 500 using the charging time of the electric vehicle 500 and the charging power of the electric vehicle 500. For example, if the charging time for one month is 100 hours and the charging power of the electric vehicle 500 is 1.2 kW, the charging power is calculated as 120 kWh. Note that the charging power may be obtained from the charging equipment 100.

[0029] Furthermore, the external server 700 calculates the charging fee for the electric vehicle 500 using the charging power and the charging fee per kWh. For example, if the charging power of the electric vehicle 500 is 120 kWh and the charging fee per kWh is 31 yen, the charging fee for the electric vehicle 500 is calculated as 3,720 yen. The charging fee for the electric vehicle 500 is an example of information obtained from the charging amount information.

[0030] Furthermore, the external server 700 calculates CO2 information for the electrically powered vehicle 500 using the charging power and the amount of CO2 emissions per kWh. For example, if the charging power of the electrically powered vehicle 500 is 120 kWh and the amount of CO2 emissions per kWh is 0.5 kg-CO2, the CO2 information is calculated as 60 kg-CO2. The CO2 information is an example of information obtained from the charging amount information.

[0031] Furthermore, the external server 700 outputs the identification information, the charging amount information, the charging fee, and the CO2 information to the customer terminal 800 via the network 900. The customer terminal 800 is a customer terminal that manages users who use the electric vehicle 500. For example, the customer is a company organization, and the users are employees of that company. Note that only one of the charging equipment information and the user information may be output as the identification information. Also, only one of the charging amount information, the charging fee, and the CO2 information may be output. Note that the charging fee is reimbursed by the customer terminal 800 to the employee who is the user of the electric vehicle 500 as a customer expense.

[0032] <External configuration of charging device 100> 2 is a diagram illustrating the external structure of charging equipment 100 in this embodiment. Charging equipment 100 has plug 110 that is inserted into outdoor outlet 200 (see FIG. 1), and outlet 120 into which plug 610 (see FIG. 1) of a charging cable connected to electric vehicle 500 is inserted. Plug 110 has a ground pin 111 that is inserted into a ground terminal (not shown) of outdoor outlet 200, and is connected to the main body of charging equipment 100 via cable 112. In addition, outlet 120 has a ground terminal 121 into which a ground pin (not shown) of plug 610 of the charging cable is inserted. 2, the cable 112 is used, but the plug 110 may be provided directly on the main body of the charger 100 without the cable 112. In this case, the plug 110 of the charger 100 can be inserted into the outdoor outlet 200 without the cable 112.

[0033] <Functional configuration of the charging device 100> FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the charging equipment 100 in this embodiment. The charging equipment 100 has a plug 110, an outlet 120, and a relay 130. This relay 130 switches between energizing and cutting off current from the plug 110 to the outlet 120 via a current path L2 in response to an instruction from a control unit 140. The charging equipment 100 also has a control unit 140 that controls charging of the electric vehicle 500 (see FIG. 1), and a communication unit 150 that communicates with the outside via a communication interface. The functions of the control unit 140 are realized by the CPU executing a program stored in the ROM using a storage area of ​​the RAM. The charging equipment 100 also has a memory (not shown) that stores various information.

[0034] The control unit 140 includes a target current value calculation unit 141 that calculates a target current value, which is a value that takes into account a margin of error for the contract current value under contract between the electric power company and household A; a reserve current value calculation unit 142 that calculates a reserve current value from the difference between the target current value and the current current value in household A; a relay control unit 143 that compares the target current value with the reserve current value and controls the relay 130; a charge amount information acquisition unit 144 that acquires charge amount information when current is flowing through the current path L2 of the charging device 100; and an error flag acquisition unit 145 that acquires an error that occurs due to the control processing of the control unit 140 as an error flag.

[0035] The target current value calculation unit 141 calculates the target current value by multiplying the contract current value by the margin. Note that this margin may be changed depending on the temperature of the day, for example, by lowering the margin on a midsummer day.

[0036] The reserve current value calculation unit 142 calculates the reserve current value from the difference between the current current value and the target current value in home A. Note that the reserve current value may be calculated from the difference between the current current value and the target current value acquired by the measuring instrument 400 (see FIG. 1) on the voltage line R (see FIG. 1), or the reserve current value may be calculated as the difference between the current current value and the target current value acquired by the measuring instrument 400 on the voltage line T (see FIG. 1).

[0037] The relay control unit 143 controls to charge the electric vehicle 500 when the charging current value, which is the current required to charge the electric vehicle 500, is smaller than the remaining current value, and controls not to charge the electric vehicle 500 when the charging amount current value is larger than the remaining current value. In other words, when the remaining current value is larger than the charging current value, the relay control unit 143 controls the relay 130 to conduct current path L2, and when the remaining current value is smaller than the charging current value, the relay control unit 143 controls the relay 130 to interrupt the current path L2.

[0038] The charge amount information acquisition unit 144 acquires, for example, the charging time of the electric vehicle 500 as the charge amount information. Note that, as the charge amount information, the charging power of the electric vehicle 500 may be acquired together with the charging time of the electric vehicle 500. Also, the charging power of the electric vehicle 500 may be acquired as the charge amount information.

[0039] The error flag acquisition unit 145 acquires, as an error flag, an error that has occurred due to the control processing of the control unit 140, which will be described with reference to Fig. 5. An example of an error flag that has occurred due to the control processing of the control unit 140 is a communication error with the measuring instrument 400.

[0040] The communication unit 150 has a charge amount information output unit 151 that outputs charge amount information to the external server 700 (see FIG. 1) via the network 900 (see FIG. 1). It also has a current current value information acquisition unit 152 that acquires the current current value in home A from the meter 400 via wireless communication. It also has a control information acquisition unit 153 that acquires control parameters and control logic from the external server 700 via the network 900. It also has an error flag output unit 154 that outputs an error flag to the external server 700 via the network 900.

[0041] The charge amount information output unit 151 outputs the charge amount information acquired by the charge amount information acquisition unit 144 to the external server 700 constantly or at timings as needed. For example, the charge amount information is the charging time of the electric vehicle 500 from 5:00 PM of the previous day to 5:00 PM of the current day, and is output once a day. As described above, the charge amount information is output together with the identification information.

[0042] The current current value information acquisition unit 152 acquires the current current value from the measuring instrument 400 on the voltage line R and the measuring instrument 400 on the voltage line T. As described above, the current current value acquired may be the current current value within home A. The current current value acquired from the measuring instrument 400 on the voltage line R and the current current value acquired from the measuring instrument 400 on the voltage line T may be summed to obtain the current current value within home A.

[0043] The control information acquisition unit 153 acquires the control parameters and the control logic from the external server 700. The control logic is a program that realizes the control process of the control unit 140 shown in FIG. 5. The control parameters are, for example, the margin, as described above. The control parameters and the control logic may be stored in advance in a memory provided in the charging equipment 100, instead of being acquired from the external server 700. The error flag output unit 154 outputs the error flag acquired by the error flag acquisition unit 145 to the external server 700 .

[0044] <Control Processing of the Control Unit 140> FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of the control processing of the control unit 140 in this embodiment. The vertical axis of FIG. 4 represents the current value in home A. The horizontal axis of FIG. 4 represents time. FIG. 4 also shows the contracted current value in home A and the target current value in home A. The target current value is a value that takes into account a margin for the contracted current value, and in this case is the value obtained by multiplying the contracted current value by the margin. In FIG. 4, the contracted current value is 40 A, the margin is 95%, and the target current value is 38 A.

[0045] Furthermore, examples of the reserve current value are a1, which is a time point when the reserve current value is large, and a2, which is a time point when the reserve current value is small. The reserve current value is the difference between the target current value and the current current value in household A. The reserve current value at time a1 is 33 A, which is the difference between the target current value 38 A and the current current value 5 A in household A. Furthermore, the reserve current value at time a2 is 6 A, which is the difference between the target current value 38 A and the current current value 32 A in household A. Furthermore, as a guideline for charging control of the electric vehicle 500, 26 A, which is the difference between the target current value (38 A) and the charging current value (12 A), is exemplified.

[0046] In the example shown in Fig. 4, the reserve current value is greater than the charging current value between midnight and 5pm. For example, at 12pm, the reserve current value a1 is 33A, which is greater than the charging current value of 12A for the electric vehicle 500. Therefore, during the time period between midnight and 5pm, the control unit 140 performs control so that the electric vehicle 500 is charged.

[0047] Next, between 17:00 and 20:00, the reserve current value is smaller than the charging current value. For example, at 19:00, the reserve current value a2 is 6 A, which is smaller than the charging current value of 12 A of the electric vehicle 500. In other words, the control unit 140 controls the electric vehicle 500 not to charge during the time period between 17:00 and 20:00. Then, the surplus current value is greater than the charging current value between 8 PM and midnight. That is, in the time period between 8 PM and midnight, the control unit 140 controls the charging of the electric vehicle 500 to be performed again.

[0048] 5 is a flowchart of the control process of control unit 140 in this embodiment. When power is supplied from home A, charging device 100 is turned on (step 501). At this point, current path L2 (see FIG. 3) is interrupted. Then, it is determined whether or not control logic and control parameters are present (step 502). If control logic and control parameters are present (YES in step 502), it is determined whether or not communication with measuring instrument 400 is present (step 503). If control logic and control parameters are not present (NO in step 502), an error flag is output and control process of control unit 140 ends.

[0049] If there is communication with the meter 400 (YES in step 503), it is determined whether the current current value acquired from the meter 400 is greater than a predetermined value X (step 504). The predetermined value X is, for example, the value of the standby current in home A. If there is no communication with the meter 400 (NO in step 503), an error flag is acquired and the control process of the control unit 140 is terminated.

[0050] If the current current value is greater than the predetermined value X (YES in step 504), a target current value is calculated from the control parameters (step 505). The calculation of the target current value has been described with reference to Fig. 4. If the current current value is smaller than the predetermined value X (NO in step 504), an error flag is acquired, and the control process of the control unit 140 is terminated.

[0051] Next, the current value of the current in home A is obtained as the current value from meter 400 (step 506), a reserve current value is calculated from the current value of home A (step 507), and it is determined whether this reserve current value is greater than the charging current value (step 508). If the reserve current value is greater than the charging current value (YES in step 508), power is turned ON (step 509), and the relay is controlled so that current path L2 is energized. If the reserve current value is smaller than the charging current value (NO in step 508), power is turned OFF (step 510), and the relay is controlled to keep current path L2 interrupted.

[0052] Then, after turning on (step 509) and turning off (step 510), the charge amount information and an error flag are transmitted to the external server 700 (step 511). Then, the processing from step 506 to step 511 is repeated. Note that step 511 does not have to be performed every time, and for example, when a predetermined time has elapsed, the charge amount information acquired up until the predetermined time has elapsed may be added up and output to the external server 700. Note that the charge amount information is output together with the identification information as described above.

[0053] <Functional Configuration of External Server 700> Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the external server 700 in this embodiment. The external server 700 has a calculation unit 710 that calculates the charging fee and CO2 information, an identification information association unit 720 that associates the identification information with, for example, a customer, and a communication unit 730 that communicates with the outside via a communication interface. The functions of the calculation unit 710 are realized by a CPU executing a program stored in a ROM using a storage area in a RAM. The external server 700 also has a memory (not shown) that stores various types of information.

[0054] The calculation unit 710 has a charging power calculation unit 711 that calculates charging power for the electrically powered vehicle 500 (see FIG. 1). The calculation unit 710 also has a charging fee calculation unit 712 that calculates the charging fee for the electrically powered vehicle 500 using a value for calculating a charging fee for the electrically powered vehicle 500 and the charging power. The calculation unit 710 also has a CO2 information calculation unit 713 that calculates CO2 information using a value for calculating CO2 information and the charging power.

[0055] The identification information association unit 720 associates the identification information with the association information. The association information is, for example, information in which charging equipment information, user information, and information on the customer to which the user belongs are linked. For example, when charging equipment information, which is identification information obtained from the charging equipment 100 (see FIG. 1), is acquired, the user information and information on the customer to which the user belongs are identified. Also, for example, when user information, which is identification information obtained from the charging equipment 100, is acquired, the charging equipment information and information on the customer to which the user belongs are identified. Note that information on the customer to which the user belongs may be referred to as customer information.

[0056] The communication unit 730 has a charging fee output unit 731, a CO2 information output unit 732, a charging amount information acquisition unit 733, a charging amount information output unit 734, a parameter acquisition unit 735, a control information acquisition unit 736, and a control information output unit 737.

[0057] The charging fee output unit 731 outputs the charging fee calculated by the calculation unit 710 to the customer terminal 800 (see FIG. 1) via the network 900 (see FIG. 1). At this time, the charging fee output unit 731 specifies an output destination based on the information specified by the identification information correspondence unit 720, and outputs the charging fee to each individual customer terminal 800 as an individual charging fee. For example, when the identification information correspondence unit 720 specifies user information and customer information, the charging fee is output to each individual customer terminal 800 based on the user information and customer information. At this time, the user information and customer information may be output together with the charging fee.

[0058] The CO2 information output unit 732 outputs the CO2 information calculated by the calculation unit 710 to the customer terminal 800 via the network 900. The CO2 information output unit 732 specifies an output destination based on the information specified by the identification information correspondence unit 720, and outputs the information as individual CO2 information to the customer terminal 800. For example, when user information and customer information are specified by the identification information correspondence unit 720, the CO2 information is output to the individual customer terminal 800 from the user information and customer information. At this time, the user information and customer information may also be output together with the CO2 information.

[0059] The charging amount information acquisition unit 733 acquires the charging amount information from the charger 100 via the network 900. At this time, the charging amount information is acquired together with the identification information. The charging amount information output unit 734 outputs the charging amount information to the customer side terminal 800 via the network 900. At this time, the charging amount information is output together with the identification information.

[0060] The parameter acquisition unit 735 acquires parameters from a power company terminal (not shown) via the network 900. As described above, the parameters are values ​​for calculating the charging fee and CO2 information, and examples of the parameters include the charging power of the electric vehicle 500 and the charging fee per kWh.

[0061] The control information acquisition unit 736 acquires control parameters from a power company terminal (not shown) via the network 900. The control parameters are, for example, the margins described above. The control information output unit 737 outputs the control parameters to the charging equipment 100.

[0062] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of information processing by the external server 700 in this embodiment. The external server 700 acquires identification information along with charging amount information from the charging equipment 100 (step 701). The external server 700 calculates charging power based on the charging power of the electric vehicle 500 and the charging time of the electric vehicle 500 (step 702). As described above, the charging power may be acquired from the charging equipment 100. Then, the external server 700 calculates a charging fee and CO2 information based on the charging power and parameters (step 703). The calculation method has been described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 6. Next, the external server 700 associates the identification information with the correspondence information (step 704). Then, the external server 700 specifies an output destination based on the association result (step 705) and outputs the charging amount information, the charging fee, and the CO2 information to each individual customer terminal 800 (step 706). As described above, only one of the charging amount information, the charging fee, and the CO2 information may be output.

[0063] As described above, in the present embodiment, by connecting charging device 100 to outdoor outlet 200 and charging electric vehicle 500 using 100V, which is a common voltage used in home A, it is possible to charge electric vehicle 500 without constructing new charging equipment. Furthermore, because charging control by control unit 140 prevents electric vehicle 500 from being charged if there is no remaining current value, there is no need to change the contract current value in home A when charging electric vehicle 500. Furthermore, as described above, the charging fee for electric vehicle 500 is provided to the customer at a rate that is separate from the rate for power consumed by other devices in home A. In this way, in the present embodiment, it is possible to improve convenience for the user when charging electric vehicle 500 using a power source for home A.

[0064] In this embodiment, the control unit 140 performs control processing based on the current current value in home A, which is the sum of the current current value acquired by the measuring instrument 400 on the voltage line R and the current current value acquired by the measuring instrument 400 on the voltage line T. However, the control unit 140 may perform control processing based on the current current value acquired by the measuring instrument 400 on the voltage line R, or may perform control processing based on the current current value acquired by the measuring instrument 400 on the voltage line T.

[0065] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the external server 700 managed by the electric power company processes information, but the information may be processed by a server managed by a customer company that owns the customer-side terminal 800. For example, the server of the customer company may acquire identification information together with the charging amount information from the external server 700, and the server of the customer company may calculate an individual charging fee and CO2 information based on the charging amount information. Also, the server of the customer company may acquire the charging amount information from the charging device 100.

[0066] <Modification> 8 is a diagram illustrating a charge amount determination system 2 which is a modified example of the above-described charge amount determination system 1. The charge amount determination system 2 illustrates a case where charging control of the electric vehicle 500 is performed in accordance with instructions from an external server 700. Note that the same functions as those in the above-described embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted here.

[0067] The charging amount monitoring system 2 includes a charging equipment 101 for charging an electric vehicle 500. The charging equipment 101 includes a wireless communication device 10 that controls a relay 130 based on information related to charging control, and a measuring instrument 20 on the charging equipment side that measures charging amount information of the electric vehicle 500. The charge amount monitoring system 2 also includes a wireless communication device 30 on the distribution board side that outputs a current current value to an external server 700. The system 2 also includes a router 40 that communicates with the external server 700, the wireless communication device 10, and the wireless communication device 30 on the distribution board side.

[0068] The wireless communication device 10 acquires charge amount information of the electric vehicle 500 from the measuring instrument 20 on the charging equipment side. The acquired charge amount information is output to the router 40 by wireless communication.

[0069] The wireless communication device 10 acquires information related to charging control from the external server 700 via the router 40. The information related to charging control includes information instructing to charge the electric vehicle 500. The information related to charging control also includes information instructing not to charge the electric vehicle 500.

[0070] The wireless communication device 10 then controls the relay 130 based on the acquired information related to charging control. For example, when the wireless communication device 10 acquires information instructing the electric vehicle 500 to be charged, the wireless communication device 10 controls the relay 130 to energize the current path L2. Furthermore, when the wireless communication device 10 acquires information instructing the electric vehicle 500 not to be charged, the wireless communication device 10 controls the relay 130 to interrupt the current path L2.

[0071] The wireless communication device 30 on the distribution board side acquires the current current value of the home A from the meter 400. The acquired current current value is output to the router 40 by wireless communication.

[0072] The router 40 acquires charging amount information from the wireless communication device 10 via wireless communication. The router 40 also outputs the charging amount information to the external server 700 via the network 900. The router 40 also acquires a current current value from the wireless communication device 30 on the distribution board side via wireless communication. The router 40 also outputs the current current value to the external server 700 via the network 900. The router 40 also acquires information related to charging control from the external server 700 via the network 900. The router 40 also outputs information related to charging control to the wireless communication device 10 via wireless communication.

[0073] In the charge amount monitoring system 2, the external server 700 acquires charge amount information and a current current value from the router 40 via the network 900. In the charge amount grasping system 2, the external server 700 calculates the target current value, the reserve current value, and the charging current value from the control parameters and the current current value. The calculation method is the same as the method described for the control unit 140 in FIG. The external server 700 then compares the difference between the remaining current value and the charging current value and outputs information related to charging control. For example, if the remaining current value is greater than the charging current value, the external server 700 outputs information to the wireless communication device 10 instructing the wireless communication device 10 to charge the electric vehicle 500. Also, for example, if the remaining current value is smaller than the charging current value, the external server 700 outputs information to the wireless communication device 10 instructing the wireless communication device 10 not to charge the electric vehicle 500.

[0074] In this way, according to the modification, the configuration of the charger 101 can be simplified by using the router 40 in the home A to communicate with the external server 700. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 100...charging equipment, 400...measuring instrument, 500...electric vehicle, 700...external server, 800...customer terminal

Claims

1. an acquisition means for acquiring, from a charging device that is connected to wiring in the home and charges the electric vehicle, charge amount information that is information regarding the charging of the electric vehicle and that is distinguished from power consumed by other devices in the home; an output means for outputting the acquired charge amount information and / or information obtained from the charge amount information via a network; A charging level tracking system including:

2. 2. The charging amount grasping system according to claim 1, wherein the information obtained from the charging amount information is information relating to a charging fee.

3. 2. The charge amount grasping system according to claim 1, wherein the information obtained from the charge amount information is CO2 information that is information on CO2 emitted by electricity accompanying charging of the electric vehicle.

4. the output means outputs the charge amount information and / or information obtained from the charge amount information to a terminal of a customer who manages a user of the electric vehicle; 2. The system for determining a charge amount according to claim 1, wherein:

5. the acquisition means acquires the charging amount information together with information that distinguishes the charging device from others and / or information that distinguishes the user from others; the output means outputs the charging amount information and / or information obtained from the charging amount information to the customer's terminal based on the acquired information distinguishing the charging device from others and / or information distinguishing the user from others; 5. The system for determining a charge amount according to claim 4, wherein:

6. the charging device includes: a plug to be inserted into an outlet for taking electricity from wiring in the home; an outlet into which a plug connected to a charging cable for charging the electric vehicle is inserted; and a control unit that controls charging of the electric vehicle based on information related to a current value in the home; the acquiring means acquires the charge amount information via the control unit of the charging device; 2. The system for determining a charge amount according to claim 1, wherein:

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