Vehicle charging system and vehicle charging method

Abstract

To provide a vehicle charging system and a vehicle charging method capable of efficiently charging a battery of a plurality of vehicles.SOLUTION: A vehicle charging system 1 includes a plurality of charging devices 20 and a control unit 110 capable of controlling the charging device 20. The charging device 20 can charge a vehicle 40 equipped with a rechargeable battery 45. The control unit 110 can control charging of the vehicle 40 by each of the plurality of charging devices 20. A priority determination unit 111 of the control unit 110 executes priority determination for determining a priority of charging for each of the plurality of vehicles 40 in a chargeable state by priority determination processing. Then, the control unit 110 may perform priority vehicle charging control for preferentially charging a high-priority vehicle, which is the vehicle 40 determined to have a high priority in a priority determination, over a low-priority vehicle, which is the vehicle 40 determined to have a priority lower than that of the high-priority vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The disclosed technology relates to a vehicle charging system and a vehicle charging method that use a plurality of charging devices capable of charging a vehicle equipped with a rechargeable battery. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, charging of battery-equipped vehicles has been adjusted according to the amount of power generated. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technology that predicts the future charging amounts of multiple electric vehicles in a specified area and creates a charging schedule for the electric vehicles so as to increase the utilization rate of electricity generated by natural energy sources. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-134160 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the above-described conventional technology is intended to increase the utilization rate of natural energy power generation in a specific area, and does not take into account the convenience of individual vehicles in, for example, one or more specific parking lots or charging spots. That is, the charge amount prediction is performed on the assumption that each of a plurality of vehicles will be used in the future in a manner similar to how they were used in the past, and the predicted charge amount is used only to increase the utilization rate of natural energy power generation. Furthermore, depending on the vehicle, the future usage pattern may not necessarily be the same as in the past. For this reason, the above-described conventional technology has a problem in that it is not possible to efficiently charge individual vehicles in accordance with their usage pattern, for example.

[0005] An object of the disclosed technique is to provide a vehicle charging system and a vehicle charging method that can efficiently charge the batteries of multiple vehicles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the disclosed technology is a vehicle charging system that includes a plurality of charging devices capable of charging vehicles equipped with rechargeable batteries, a control unit that can control charging of the vehicles for each of the plurality of charging devices, and a priority determination unit that performs priority determination to determine the charging priority for each of the plurality of vehicles that are in a chargeable state and can be charged by the charging devices, and the control unit may perform priority vehicle charging control to charge high-priority vehicles, which are vehicles determined to have a high priority in the priority determination, prior to low-priority vehicles, which are vehicles determined to have a lower priority than the high-priority vehicles.

[0007] This vehicle charging system uses priority vehicle charging control to charge vehicles with a higher charging priority before vehicles with a lower charging priority, making it a vehicle charging system that can efficiently charge the batteries of multiple vehicles. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the disclosed technique, a vehicle charging system and a vehicle charging method are provided that can efficiently charge the batteries of multiple vehicles. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a vehicle charging system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a charging management device of a vehicle charging system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram showing an overview of a vehicle charging process in a vehicle charging system according to a first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an overview of vehicle reservation in the vehicle charging system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 4 is a flowchart of a charging control determination process in the vehicle charging system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart of a priority determination process in the vehicle charging system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of calculation of a margin period in the vehicle charging system according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart of a charging control determination process in the vehicle charging system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a vehicle charging system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a charging management device of a vehicle charging system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart of a charging control determination process in a vehicle charging system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart of a priority determination process in a vehicle charging system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of calculation of a margin period in a vehicle charging system according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments embodying the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, a first embodiment, which is one of the embodiments, will be described, and then a second embodiment, which is different from the first embodiment, will be described.

[0011] First Embodiment FIG. 1 shows a vehicle charging system 1 according to this embodiment. The vehicle charging system 1 has a charging function for charging a battery 45 mounted on a vehicle 40. The battery 45 is a power source for the vehicle 40. The battery 45 supplies power to each part of the vehicle 40 as the vehicle 40 is used, such as when the vehicle 40 is driven. Therefore, the remaining battery capacity of the battery 45 decreases as the vehicle 40 is used.

[0012] The vehicle charging system 1 includes a charging device 20 capable of charging a battery 45 of a vehicle 40. The charging device 20 has a charging cable 21. The charging cable 21 is a cable that electrically connects the vehicle 40 and the charging device 20. The charging cable 21 is disconnected from the vehicle 40 when the vehicle 40 is traveling. The charging device 20 can supply power to the battery 45 of the connected vehicle 40 through the charging cable 21. Note that all of the charging devices 20 in this embodiment are normal chargers.

[0013] A plurality of charging devices 20 are provided in parking lot 30. In this embodiment, two charging devices 20, charging devices 20A and 20B, are provided. Parking lot 30 is provided with two parking spaces 35, parking spaces 35A and 35B, for parking vehicles 40. Charging device 20A can charge vehicle 40 parked in parking space 35A. Charging device 20B can charge vehicle 40 parked in parking space 35B.

[0014] In this embodiment, there are two vehicles 40 to be charged: vehicle 1 40A and vehicle 2 40B. Vehicle 1 40A is parked in parking space 35A when not in use. Vehicle 2 40B is parked in parking space 35B when not in use. Therefore, charging device 20A is used to charge vehicle 1 40A. Charging device 20B is used to charge vehicle 2 40B.

[0015] When charging cable 21 is connected, vehicle 40 enters a chargeable state in which it can be charged by charging device 20. After using vehicle 40, the user parks vehicle 40 in parking space 35 and then connects charging cable 21 to vehicle 40. Charging device 20 can charge vehicle 40 during the chargeable state period in which vehicle 40 remains in the chargeable state.

[0016] The vehicle charging system 1 includes a charging management device 10, a charging power calculation device 50, and a vehicle reservation device 60. The charging management device 10 is a device that can control the charging device 20, etc. The charging power calculation device 50 is a device that can calculate an upper limit charging power, which is an upper limit value of power that can be used for charging the vehicle 40 by the charging device 20. The vehicle reservation device 60 is a device that can input a reservation for the period during which the vehicle 40 is to be used. Reservations can be made for each of the first vehicle 40A and the second vehicle 40B. The charging management device 10 and the charging power calculation device 50 are, for example, computers such as servers. The vehicle reservation device 60 is, for example, a computer or a smartphone.

[0017] The charging power upper limit calculated by the charging power calculation device 50 can be calculated, for example, based on contract power, which is the maximum amount of power that the contractor can use based on the contract with the power supplier, and other-use power that the contractor uses for purposes other than charging the vehicle 40 using the charging device 20. The charging power calculation device 50 of this embodiment calculates the charging power upper limit during the chargeable state period. Specifically, the charging power calculation device 50 of this embodiment calculates the charging power upper limit during the chargeable state period by subtracting the maximum value estimated for other-use power during the chargeable state period from the contract power. In this embodiment, the charging power upper limit is a constant value during the chargeable state period.

[0018] The end timing of the current chargeable state period can be determined based on a schedule for how long the current chargeable state is expected to continue. The end timing of the current chargeable state period can be set, for example, 24 hours after the end timing of the previous chargeable state period, or can be set in advance to the same time for all days. For example, the end timing of the current chargeable state period can be determined based on the start timing of the reservation period for the first vehicle 40 after the start of the current chargeable state period. For example, the end timing of the current chargeable state period can be determined by combining the above examples. That is, the end timing of the current chargeable state period can be set, for example, to the earliest timing of the above examples.

[0019] The charging management device 10 is connected to the charging device 20, the charging power calculation device 50, and the vehicle reservation device 60 via a network 5 such as the Internet. The charging management device 10, the charging device 20, the charging power calculation device 50, and the vehicle reservation device 60 may be connected to the network 5 either by wire or wirelessly.

[0020] The vehicle reservation device 60 can transmit and receive information to and from the charging management device 10, for example, by accessing a web page provided by the charging management device 10 using a browser. Furthermore, for example, the vehicle reservation device 60 may transmit and receive information to and from the charging management device 10 using a function of a predetermined application program installed in advance.

[0021] 2 shows the configuration of the charge management device 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the charge management device 10 has a control unit 110, an operation IF 120, a communication IF 130, and a storage unit 140. The control unit 110 executes various processes in accordance with a program read from the storage unit 140 and based on an operation by an operator. The operation IF 120 can accept an operation input by the operator of the charge management device 10 and send the input information to the control unit 110.

[0022] The communication IF 130 includes hardware for communicating with an external device such as the charging device 20 via the network 5. The communication standard of the communication IF 130 is, for example, Ethernet (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The charging management device 10 may be provided with a plurality of communication IFs 130 compatible with a plurality of communication standards.

[0023] The storage unit 140 is a memory that stores various programs including an operating system (OS) and various data. A buffer included in the control unit 110 is also an example of a memory. Information about each charging device 20 and each vehicle 40 is registered in the storage unit 140. In the vehicle charging system 1 of this embodiment, as information about the charging device 20, for example, different identification information is registered for each of two charging devices 20A and 20B. Furthermore, as information about the vehicle 40, for example, different identification information is registered for each of two vehicles 40A and 40B. Furthermore, the storage unit 140 also stores information about users who can reserve vehicles 40. An example of the storage unit 140 is not limited to a ROM, RAM, HDD, etc. built into the charging management device 10, but may also be a storage medium that is readable and writable by the control unit 110.

[0024] The control unit 110 can control charging of the vehicle 40 by the charging device 20. The control unit 110 can control charging of the vehicle 40 by each of the multiple charging devices 20A and 20B. That is, the control unit 110 can charge the first vehicle 40A by the charging device 20A while preventing charging of the second vehicle 40B by the charging device 20B. Furthermore, the control unit 110 in this embodiment has a priority determination unit 111, a charge control determination unit 112, and a charge schedule creation unit 113.

[0025] The priority determination unit 111 performs a priority determination process to determine the charging priority for each of the multiple vehicles 40. That is, the priority determination unit 111 can determine, for example, through the priority determination process, that the first vehicle 40A has a higher charging priority than the second vehicle 40B. In this case, the first vehicle 40A is a high-priority vehicle with a relatively high charging priority, and the second vehicle 40B is a low-priority vehicle with a lower charging priority than the high-priority vehicle.

[0026] The charge control determination unit 112 performs a charge control determination process to determine the type of charge control. In this embodiment, the types of charge control include priority vehicle charge control, in which high priority vehicles are charged prior to low priority vehicles, and simultaneous charge control, in which all vehicles 40 are charged simultaneously. In this embodiment, priority vehicle charge control does not charge low priority vehicles while high priority vehicles are being charged, and starts charging low priority vehicles after charging of the high priority vehicles is completed.

[0027] The charging schedule creation unit 113 performs a charging schedule creation process to create a charging schedule for each of the multiple vehicles 40. The charging schedule creation unit 113 of this embodiment creates a charging schedule for the current chargeable state period. The charging schedule creation process is performed before starting charging of the vehicles 40. The control unit 110 charges the first vehicle 40A and the second vehicle 40B based on the charging schedule created by the charging schedule creation unit 113.

[0028] The storage unit 140 stores various databases related to the control of the charging device 20. Specifically, the storage unit 140 stores a vehicle reservation DB 141 and a charging schedule DB 142.

[0029] The vehicle reservation DB 141 is a file in which reservation information relating to reservations of the vehicle 40 is registered. In the vehicle reservation DB 141 of this embodiment, reservation information is registered for each of the first vehicle 40A and the second vehicle 40B. The reservation information of this embodiment includes information on the reservation period for using the vehicle 40.

[0030] In this embodiment, a user registered in the vehicle charging system 1 can make a reservation for a vehicle 40 using the vehicle reservation device 60. Specifically, for example, a user who wants to reserve vehicle No. 1 40A can make the reservation by inputting the reservation date and time for vehicle No. 1 40A through the vehicle reservation device 60.

[0031] The charging schedule DB 142 is a file that stores charging schedules created by the charging schedule creation unit 113. The charging schedule DB 142 of this embodiment stores charging schedules for the first vehicle 40A and the second vehicle 40B. That is, the charging schedule defines periods during which power is supplied by the charging device 20A and the charging device 20B to each of the first vehicle 40A and the second vehicle 40B. The charging schedules for each vehicle 40 stored in the charging schedule DB 142 are updated whenever a new charging schedule is created.

[0032] Next, the operation of the vehicle charging system 1 will be described. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the flow of processing during a chargeable state period. As shown in Fig. 3, at the start of a chargeable state period, the charging management device 10 first requests the charging power calculation device 50 to acquire the upper limit charging power for the current chargeable state period (P11). Having received the request to acquire the upper limit charging power, the charging power calculation device 50 notifies the charging management device 10 of the upper limit charging power for the current chargeable state period (P12).

[0033] Next, the charge management device 10 determines the charge control for the current chargeable state period based on the upper limit charging power for the chargeable state period (P13). In this embodiment, a charge schedule is created. Then, based on the determined charge control, the charge management device 10 issues a charge start instruction (P14) to each charger 20 to start charging the vehicle 40 and a charge end instruction (P16) to end charging the vehicle 40 during the chargeable state period.

[0034] When the charging start instruction (P14) is input, charging device 20 starts supplying power to vehicle 40 (P15). When the charging end instruction (P16) is input, charging device 20 ends supplying power to vehicle 40 (P17).

[0035] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the flow of processing when reserving vehicle 40. When reserving vehicle 40, the user can input the start of reservation of vehicle 40 using vehicle reservation device 60. When the user inputs the start of reservation, vehicle reservation device 60 requests, as shown in Fig. 4, from charge management device 10 to acquire the reservation available date and time, which is the period during which reservations are available (P21). The reservation available date and time is a date and time that is later than the current date and time.

[0036] The charging management device 10 checks the reservation status already registered in the vehicle reservation DB 141 for the vehicle 40 for which acquisition of the reservation available date and time has been requested (P22). Furthermore, in response to checking the reservation status in the vehicle reservation DB 141, the charging management device 10 notifies the vehicle reservation device 60 of the reservation available date and time for the vehicle 40 (P23). The user checks the notified reservation available date and time and inputs reservation details including the reservation period using the vehicle reservation device 60. The vehicle reservation device 60 transmits the input reservation details to the charging management device 10 (P24). The charging management device 10 newly registers the received reservation details in the vehicle reservation DB 141 (P25). Then, the charging management device 10 notifies the vehicle reservation device 60 that the reservation has been completed (P26).

[0037] Next, the procedure when the control unit 110 of the charge management device 10 determines the charge control will be described with reference to Fig. 5 to Fig. 9. When determining the charge control, the control unit 110 of the charge management device 10 of this embodiment executes the charge control determination process (P13) shown in Fig. 5. In the charge control determination process (P13), the control unit 110 executes a priority determination process (S101), a charge control determination process (S102), and a charge schedule creation process (P103).

[0038] [Priority Determination Process] In the priority determination process (S101), the priority determination unit 111 of the control unit 110 first calculates the previous discharge amount (S111) as shown in FIG. 6. The previous discharge amount is the discharge amount of the battery 45 of the vehicle 40 during the previous use period. The previous discharge amount is calculated for each of multiple vehicles 40. The previous use period is the period from the end of the previous chargeable state period to the start of the current chargeable state period. In this embodiment, the priority determination unit 111 calculates the previous discharge amount based on the reservation period during the previous use period.

[0039] The amount of discharge of the battery 45 tends to increase as the driving period during which the vehicle 40 is actually driving becomes longer. Furthermore, a vehicle 40 with a longer reservation period tends to have a longer driving period than a vehicle 40 with a shorter reservation period. Therefore, the reservation period can be used as a discharge amount index value that indicates the amount of discharge of the battery 45. In other words, the reservation period for the previous use period is the previous discharge amount index value that indicates the amount of discharge of the battery 45 for the previous use period. The value of the reservation period for the previous use period can be input by the user and stored in the vehicle reservation DB 141. If there are multiple reservations for the previous use period, the reservation periods for those multiple reservations can be combined to determine the reservation period for the previous use period.

[0040] Specifically, the previous discharge amount can be calculated based on, for example, the average discharge amount per unit driving distance of the vehicle 40, the average speed of the vehicle 40, the reservation period of the previous use period, which is the previous discharge amount index value, and the like. The actual driving period may be estimated as, for example, a predetermined percentage of the reservation period, and the previous discharge amount may be calculated. Also, for example, the average speed of the vehicle 40 during the reservation period may be set to be slower than the average speed during the actual driving period, and the previous discharge amount may be calculated. For the driving period, average speed, and the like, statistical values ​​based on the past driving records of the vehicle 40 may be used.

[0041] Following the calculation of the previous discharge amount (S111), the priority determination unit 111 calculates the next discharge amount (S112). In the calculation of the next discharge amount, the next discharge amount, which is the discharge amount of the battery 45 of the vehicle 40 in the next use period, is calculated. The next discharge amount is calculated for each of the multiple vehicles 40. The next use period is the period after the current chargeable state period ends.

[0042] The end timing of the next use period can be predetermined based on, for example, date and time. In this embodiment, the end timing of the next use period is set to the start timing of the next chargeable state period. The start timing of the next chargeable state period can be set, for example, to 24 hours after the start timing of the current chargeable state period, or can be set to the same time for all days. For example, the start timing of the next chargeable state period may be set to the end timing of the reservation period after the end of the current chargeable state period. For example, the start timing of the next chargeable state period may be determined by combining the above-mentioned examples. That is, the start timing of the next chargeable state period can be set to, for example, the latest timing among the above-mentioned examples.

[0043] Furthermore, the priority determination unit 111 of this embodiment calculates the next discharge amount based on the reservation period of the next usage period. As with the previous usage period, the reservation period of the next usage period is also a next discharge amount index value that indicates the discharge amount of the battery 45 in the next usage period. As with the previous discharge amount, the next discharge amount can also be calculated based on the reservation period of the next usage period, which is the next discharge amount index value.

[0044] In this embodiment, the sum of the previous discharge amount and the next discharge amount is determined as the ideal charge amount. This is because it is believed that for a vehicle 40 in which the battery 45 has been charged by the previous discharge amount and the next discharge amount, it is possible to sufficiently prevent the remaining battery capacity from running short during the next use period. The ideal charge amount is the charge amount that is preferably charged to the battery 45 of the vehicle 40 during the chargeable state period. The ideal charge amount according to this embodiment is calculated by calculating the previous discharge amount (S111) and the next discharge amount (S112).

[0045] After calculating the next discharge amount (S112), the priority determination unit 111 calculates the charging period (S113). The charging period calculated in this embodiment is the period required for charging the combined amount of the previous discharge amount and the next discharge amount, which are determined as the ideal charging amount. In other words, the charging period in this embodiment is the combined period of the previous charging period, which is the period for charging the amount of the previous discharge amount, and the next charging period, which is the period for charging the amount of the next discharge amount.

[0046] The previous charging period can be calculated based on the previous discharge amount and the amount of charge per unit time to the battery 45 by the charging device 20. The next charging period can be calculated based on the next discharge amount and the amount of charge per unit time to the battery 45 by the charging device 20. The charging period is calculated for each of the multiple vehicles 40.

[0047] Following calculation of the charging period (S113), the priority determination unit 111 calculates a margin period (S114). In this embodiment, the margin period is the period until the start of the next use period, assuming that the combined amount of the previous discharge amount and the next discharge amount is charged during the current chargeable state period. The margin period can be calculated by subtracting the charging period from the current chargeable state period. The margin period is calculated for each of the multiple vehicles 40.

[0048] Fig. 7 shows an example of calculating the margin period. Fig. 7 shows X day and Y day, which is the day after X day. The start timing of the current chargeable state period is 6 PM on X day. The end timing of the current chargeable state period is 8 AM on Y day. Furthermore, Fig. 7 shows the reservation period, previous charging period, next charging period, and margin period stored in vehicle reservation DB 141 with different hatching.

[0049] FIG. 7 shows reservation periods A10 and A11 on day X and reservation periods A50 and A51 on day Y for car 1 40A. The current chargeable state period extends from the end of the last reservation period A11 on day X to the start of the first reservation period A50 on day Y. FIG. 7 also shows the previous charging period A20 required to charge the amount of the previous discharge associated with reservation periods A10 and A11 on day X, and the next charging period A30 required to charge the amount of the next discharge associated with reservation periods A50 and A51 on day Y. As shown in FIG. 7, the margin period A40 in the current chargeable state period for car 1 40A is 6 hours, calculated by subtracting the previous charging period A20 and the next charging period A30, which are the charging periods, from the current chargeable state period.

[0050] Furthermore, Figure 7 shows reservation periods B10 and B11 on day X and reservation periods B50 and B51 on day Y for car 2 40B. Figure 7 also shows the previous charging period B20 required to charge the amount of the previous discharge associated with reservation periods B10 and B11 on day X, and the next charging period B30 required to charge the amount of the next discharge associated with reservation periods B50 and B51 on day Y. As shown in Figure 7, the margin period B40 in the current chargeable state period for car 2 40B is 8 hours, which is the current chargeable state period minus the charging periods, that is, the previous charging period B20 and the next charging period B30.

[0051] As shown in Figure 7, on both day X and day Y, the usage period of car No. 1 40A is longer than that of car No. 2 40B. In other words, during the current chargeable state period, both the previous charging period and the next charging period of battery 45 of car No. 1 40A are longer than those of car No. 2 40B. For this reason, in the example of Figure 7, margin period A40 of car No. 1 40A is shorter than margin period B40 of car No. 2 40B.

[0052] Following the calculation of the margin period (S114), the priority determination unit 111 determines the priority (S115) and ends this process. In determining the priority, a priority is determined for each of the multiple vehicles 40. In this embodiment, the priority is determined for the multiple vehicles 40 in ascending order of margin period. That is, a vehicle 40 with a short margin period is determined as a high-priority vehicle having a higher priority for charging than a vehicle 40 with a long margin period. On the other hand, a vehicle 40 with a long margin period is determined as a low-priority vehicle having a lower priority for charging than a high-priority vehicle. That is, the priority determination unit 111 is more likely to determine a vehicle 40 with a shorter margin period as a high-priority vehicle.

[0053] In the example of Figure 7, car 1 40A, which has the shortest margin period, is determined to have the highest priority for charging, and car 2 40B, which has the next shortest margin period after car 1 40A, is determined to have the next highest priority for charging. In other words, in the example of Figure 7, car 1 40A, which has a shorter margin period than car 2 40B, is determined to be the high-priority vehicle. On the other hand, car 1 40A, which has a shorter margin period than car 2 40B, is determined to be the high-priority vehicle.

[0054] Furthermore, charging priorities may be set in advance for multiple vehicles 40 when the margin periods are the same. In this embodiment, when the margin periods of the first vehicle 40A and the second vehicle 40B are the same, the charging priority of the first vehicle 40A is set higher than that of the second vehicle 40B. Note that, when the margin periods are the same, the charging priority may also be set so that, for example, a vehicle 40 with a longer next charging period is given a higher priority than a vehicle 40 with a shorter next charging period.

[0055] [Charging Control Determination Process] In the charging control determination process (S102), the charging control determination unit 112 of the control unit 110 first determines whether the charging upper limit power is less than the total charging power (S121) as shown in Fig. 8. The total charging power is the power required when all vehicles 40 parked in the parking lot 30 are charged simultaneously. In other words, the total charging power is the power required when multiple vehicles 40 that are in a chargeable state are charged simultaneously by the charging device 20.

[0056] If the upper limit charging power is less than the total charging power (YES in S121), it is then determined whether the upper limit charging power is equal to or greater than the minimum charging power (S122). The minimum charging power is predetermined as the minimum power required to charge the vehicle 40. In this embodiment, the minimum charging power is the power required when charging one vehicle 40 using the charging device 20.

[0057] If the charging upper limit power is equal to or greater than the minimum charging power (YES in S122), it is determined that priority vehicle charging control will be performed (S123), and this process ends. Priority vehicle charging control is control in which some vehicles 40 with higher priority among multiple vehicles 40 that are in a chargeable state are charged preferentially over other vehicles 40 with lower priority. In other words, priority vehicle charging control is control in which high-priority vehicles, which are vehicles 40 determined to have a higher priority in the priority determination process (S101), are charged preferentially over low-priority vehicles, which are vehicles 40 determined to have a lower priority than the high-priority vehicles.

[0058] In this embodiment, the priority vehicle charging control starts charging a high-priority vehicle but does not start charging a low-priority vehicle. Charging of a low-priority vehicle starts after charging of the high-priority vehicle is completed. Charging of a vehicle 40 that has started can be terminated, for example, when the battery 45 of that vehicle 40 is fully charged. Also, charging of a vehicle 40 that has started can be terminated based on the elapsed time since charging started.

[0059] On the other hand, if the charging upper limit power is not less than the total charging power (NO in S121), that is, if the charging upper limit power is equal to or greater than the total charging power, it is decided to perform simultaneous charging control (S124), and this process ends. Simultaneous charging control is control in which charging is performed simultaneously by the charging device 20 for all of the multiple vehicles 40 that are in a chargeable state. Therefore, in simultaneous charging control, charging is started simultaneously for all of the multiple vehicles 40 that are in a chargeable state.

[0060] Furthermore, if the upper limit power for charging is not equal to or greater than the minimum charging power (NO in S122), that is, if the upper limit power for charging is less than the minimum charging power, it is determined that charging limit control will be performed (S125), and this process ends. Charging limit control limits charging of the vehicles 40 compared to other simultaneous charging control and priority vehicle charging control. Charging limit control in this embodiment is control that does not charge any of the vehicles 40.

[0061] [Charging Schedule Creation Process] In the charging schedule creation process (S103), the charging schedule creation unit 113 of the control unit 110 creates a charging schedule based on the results of the priority determination process (S101) and the charging control determination process (S102). The charging schedule defines the timing for starting charging for each of the multiple vehicles 40 during a chargeable state period. The created charging schedule is stored in the charging schedule DB 142. Then, during the chargeable state period, the control unit 110 performs charging in accordance with the created charging schedule.

[0062] When it is determined in the charge control determination process (S102) that priority vehicle charge control is to be performed, the charge schedule is created so that charging starts in order from the vehicle 40 with the highest priority among the multiple vehicles 40 that are in a chargeable state. Specifically, when the priority is determined according to the example in Fig. 7, in this embodiment, charging of vehicle 1 40A starts first, and after charging of vehicle 1 40A is completed, charging of vehicle 2 40B starts next.

[0063] When priority vehicle charging control is performed, vehicles 40 that discharged a large amount of electricity in the previous use period or vehicles 40 that are expected to discharge a large amount of electricity in the next use period are charged preferentially. This prevents the remaining battery capacity of the battery 45 of the vehicle 40 from running out in the next use period. Furthermore, in this embodiment, priority vehicle charging control prevents the combined power of the power used to charge the vehicle 40 and the power used for purposes other than charging the vehicle 40 by the charging device 20 from exceeding the contracted power. In other words, the vehicle charging system 1 can reliably charge vehicles 40 in order of priority while reducing the power used to charge the vehicle 40. In other words, charging can be performed efficiently.

[0064] When simultaneous charging control is determined to be performed in the charging control determination process (S102), the charging schedule is created so that charging by the charging device 20 is started simultaneously for all of the plurality of vehicles 40 that are in a chargeable state, regardless of the charging priority. Therefore, when simultaneous charging control is performed, charging can be started early for the plurality of vehicles 40. In this embodiment, if there is a surplus of power used for purposes other than charging the vehicles 40 by the charging device 20 compared to the contracted power, all of the plurality of vehicles 40 can be charged early. In other words, the vehicle charging system 1 can start charging any of the vehicles 40 early when there is no need to reduce the power used to charge the vehicles 40.

[0065] If it is determined in the charge control determination process (S102) that charge limit control is to be performed, the charge schedule is created assuming that charging by the charging device 20 will not be started for any of the multiple vehicles 40. In other words, if there is not enough power available to charge the vehicles 40, the vehicle charging system 1 can prioritize the use of power for other purposes without charging the vehicles 40.

[0066] Note that when the control unit 110 terminates charging of the vehicle 40 based on full charge, it is not necessary to actually perform charging according to the charging schedule. For example, if the vehicle 40 reaches full charge earlier than the end timing of the charging period specified in the charging schedule, charging of the fully charged vehicle 40 can be terminated immediately. Also, for example, in the prioritized vehicle charging control, if charging of a high-priority vehicle is terminated when the vehicle 40 is fully charged, charging of a low-priority vehicle can be started when charging of the high-priority vehicle is completed, before the start of charging specified in the charging schedule. For example, the control unit 110 can determine that the vehicle 40 is fully charged if charging is stopped for a predetermined period of time after inputting a charging start instruction to the charging device 20 to which the vehicle 40 is connected via the charging cable 21 and before inputting a charging end instruction.

[0067] As described above in detail, the vehicle charging system 1 according to this embodiment includes a plurality of charging devices 20 and a control unit 110 capable of controlling the charging devices 20. The charging devices 20 are capable of charging the vehicles 40 equipped with rechargeable batteries 45. The control unit 110 is capable of controlling the charging of the vehicles 40 for each of the plurality of charging devices 20. The control unit 110 also includes a priority determination unit 111. The priority determination unit 111 performs a priority determination process (S101) to determine the charging priority of each of the plurality of chargeable vehicles 40. The control unit 110 may then perform priority vehicle charging control to charge high-priority vehicles, which are vehicles 40 determined to have a high priority in the priority determination, prior to low-priority vehicles, which are vehicles 40 determined to have a lower priority than the high-priority vehicles. This priority vehicle charging control allows vehicles 40 with a high charging priority to be charged prior to vehicles 40 with a low priority. Thus, a vehicle charging system 1 is realized that can efficiently charge the batteries 45 of the plurality of vehicles 40, starting with the vehicles 40 with the highest priority.

[0068] Furthermore, the priority determination unit 111 of this embodiment calculates the ideal charge amount for charging the battery 45 for each vehicle 40 in a chargeable state. Then, the priority determination unit 111 determines a vehicle 40 with a shorter margin period, calculated by subtracting the charging period for charging the battery 45 with the calculated ideal charge amount from the current chargeable state period, as a higher priority vehicle. Therefore, vehicles 40 can be charged in order starting with the vehicle with the shortest margin period. In other words, by determining the priority based on the margin period, charging can be performed more efficiently according to the convenience of each vehicle 40.

[0069] Furthermore, the priority determination unit 111 of this embodiment calculates the ideal charge amount for each vehicle 40 that is in a chargeable state based on a previous discharge amount index value that indicates the discharge amount in the previous usage period and a next discharge amount index value that indicates the discharge amount in the next usage period. Therefore, the priority determination unit 111 can accurately calculate the margin period. Therefore, multiple vehicles 40 can be accurately and efficiently charged.

[0070] Furthermore, the priority determination unit 111 of this embodiment uses the reservation period of the vehicle 40 in the previous usage period as the previous discharge amount index value. Also, the reservation period of the vehicle 40 in the next usage period is used as the next discharge amount index value. The discharge amount of the battery 45 of the vehicle 40 tends to increase with the driving time. Also, the longer the reservation period, the longer the driving time of the vehicle 40 tends to be. Therefore, charging of multiple vehicles 40 can be performed efficiently based on the reservation period information.

[0071] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control unit 110 performs simultaneous charging control when the upper limit charging power is equal to or greater than the total charging power during the chargeable state period. Simultaneous charging control is control for simultaneously charging multiple vehicles 40 that are in a chargeable state. On the other hand, when the upper limit charging power is less than the total charging power during the chargeable state period, priority vehicle charging control may be performed. That is, when sufficient power can be secured for charging the vehicles 40, simultaneous charging control is performed. This allows all vehicles 40 to be charged quickly. On the other hand, when not much power can be secured for charging the vehicles 40, priority vehicle charging control is performed. This allows the vehicles 40 to be charged efficiently while reducing the power used for charging the vehicles 40 when not much power can be secured for charging the vehicles 40.

[0072] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment different from the above embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the charge amount of each vehicle during the chargeable state period is calculated based on multiple pieces of location information acquired for each vehicle. In this embodiment, differences from the above embodiment will be described. Parts not described can be the same as the above embodiment.

[0073] FIG. 9 shows a vehicle charging system 2 according to this embodiment. A vehicle 42 according to this embodiment is provided with a position information acquisition device 46. The position information acquisition device 46 can acquire and store position information of the vehicle 42. Therefore, the position information acquisition device 46 according to this embodiment includes, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver. A position information acquisition device 46 is provided in each of the first car 42A and the second car 42B. The position information acquisition device 46 in the first car 42A can store position information of the first car 42A. The position information acquisition device 46 in the second car 42B can store position information of the second car 42B.

[0074] The charging management device 12 of this embodiment can also be connected to a location information acquisition device 46 provided in the vehicle 42 via the network 5. This allows the charging management device 12 to acquire location information of each vehicle 42. In this embodiment, the location information acquisition device 46 of the vehicle 42 is connected to the network 5 wirelessly.

[0075] 10 shows the configuration of the charging management device 12 of the vehicle charging system 2. As shown in FIG.

[0076] The mileage calculation unit 211 calculates the previous mileage, which is the mileage during the previous usage period, for each of the multiple vehicles 42. The mileage calculation unit 211 calculates the previous mileage of the first vehicle 42A and the previous mileage of the second vehicle 42B.

[0077] The mileage calculation unit 211 of this embodiment calculates the previous mileage of the vehicle 42 based on multiple pieces of position information acquired multiple times during the previous use period by the position information acquisition device 46 of the vehicle 42. In this embodiment, the timing for calculating the previous mileage by the mileage calculation unit 211 is when the vehicle 42, which had left the parking lot 30 while traveling, returns to the parking lot 30 and the chargeable state period of the vehicle 42 begins.

[0078] The SOC calculation unit 212 calculates the SOC (State Of Charge) of the battery 45 installed in each of the multiple vehicles 42. The SOC is a value calculated based on the ratio of the remaining battery capacity to the battery capacity of the battery 45 in a fully charged state. Therefore, the SOC value is a remaining battery capacity index value that indicates the remaining battery capacity of the battery 45 of each vehicle 42. The SOC calculation unit 212 calculates the SOC of the first vehicle 42A and the SOC of the second vehicle 42B.

[0079] The SOC calculation unit 212 in this embodiment calculates the SOC based on the travel distance of the vehicle 42 calculated by the travel distance calculation unit 211 and the charging of the vehicle 42 by the charging device 20. That is, the SOC calculation unit 212 calculates the decreased SOC based on the travel distance of the vehicle 42. Therefore, the calculated SOC value is calculated based on multiple pieces of location information acquired for each vehicle 42 during the previous use period. Furthermore, the SOC calculation unit 212 calculates the increased SOC based on the charging of the vehicle 42 by the charging device 20. This allows the SOC calculation unit 212 to estimate the current SOC of the vehicle 42.

[0080] The storage unit 240 of the charge management device 12 of this embodiment stores a position information DB 241 and an SOC DB 242.

[0081] The position information DB 241 is a file that stores multiple pieces of position information from the previous use period that was acquired by the position information acquisition device 46 of the vehicle 42. In this embodiment, the position information of each of the first vehicle 42A and the second vehicle 42B is stored in the position information DB 241. In this embodiment, the position information stored in the position information DB is updated by collectively acquiring multiple pieces of position information from the previous use period from the position information acquisition device 46 of the vehicle 42 in response to the start of the chargeable state period.

[0082] The SOCDB 242 is a file that stores the SOC of the battery 45 mounted on the vehicle 42, calculated by the SOC calculation unit 212. In this embodiment, the SOCDB 242 stores the SOC for each battery 45 of the first vehicle 42A and the second vehicle 42B. The SOC value of each vehicle 42 stored in the SOCDB 242 is updated by calculating the SOC for that vehicle 42. Note that the SOCDB 242 may store multiple SOCs calculated for each vehicle 42 over a certain period of time.

[0083] Next, a procedure when the control unit 210 of the charge management device 12 determines the charge control will be described. When determining the charge control, the control unit 210 of the charge management device 12 of this embodiment also executes the charge control determination process (P13) shown in FIG. 11 . In the charge control determination process (P13), the control unit 210 of this embodiment executes the SOC calculation process (S201), the priority determination process (S202), the charge control determination process (S102), and the charge schedule creation process (P103). Of these, in this embodiment, the SOC calculation process (S201) and the priority determination process (S202) are different from the charge control determination process (P13) of the above embodiment. The charge control determination process (S102) and the charge schedule creation process (P103) can be performed in the same way as in the above embodiment.

[0084] [SOC Calculation Process] In the SOC calculation process (S201), the SOC calculation unit 212 of the control unit 210 calculates the SOC for each of the multiple vehicles 42. That is, the latest SOC is calculated for each of the multiple vehicles 42. As a result, the SOC of each vehicle 42 in the SOCDB 242 is updated to the latest value at the beginning of the chargeable state period.

[0085] [Priority Determination Process] In the priority determination process (S202) of this embodiment, the priority determination unit 111 of the control unit 210 first calculates the ideal charge amount (S211) as shown in Fig. 12. To this end, the priority determination unit 111 refers to the SOC DB 242 and acquires the SOC for each of the multiple vehicles 42.

[0086] In this embodiment, the ideal charge amount is defined as the difference between the battery capacity in a fully charged state and the remaining battery capacity determined from the SOC at the beginning of the chargeable state period. As described above, the SOC is a value calculated based on the ratio of the remaining battery capacity to the battery capacity in a fully charged state of the battery 45. The battery capacity in a fully charged state is a known value. Therefore, the ideal charge amount for the battery 45 of each vehicle 42 can be calculated based on the SOC. Furthermore, the ideal charge amount calculated based on the SOC is a value calculated based on the remaining battery capacity index value. Then, for a vehicle 42 in which the battery 45 is charged by the amount equal to the difference between the battery capacity in a fully charged state and the remaining battery capacity, it is possible to sufficiently prevent the remaining battery capacity from becoming insufficient in the next use period.

[0087] After calculating the ideal charge amount (S211), the priority determination unit 111 calculates the charging period (S212). The charging period calculated in this embodiment is a period for charging the battery 45 by the ideal charge amount calculated from the SOC. The charging period can be calculated based on the ideal charge amount calculated from the SOC and the amount of charge per unit time to the battery 45 by the charging device 20.

[0088] After calculating the charging period (S212), the priority determination unit 111 calculates the margin period (S114) and determines the priority (S115), and then ends this process. The calculation of the margin period (S114) and the determination of the priority (S115) can be performed in the same manner as in the above embodiment.

[0089] Figure 13 shows an example of calculating the margin period according to this embodiment. In Figure 13, the reservation period, charging period, and margin period are each indicated by different hatching. As shown in Figure 13, margin period A70 in the current chargeable state period for car 1 42A is 6 hours, which is obtained by subtracting charging period A60 from the current chargeable state period. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 13, margin period B70 in the current chargeable state period for car 2 42B is 8 hours, which is obtained by subtracting charging period B60 from the current chargeable state period.

[0090] 13, the usage period on X days is longer for car 1 42A than for car 2 42B. And, during the current chargeable state period, battery 45 of car 1 42A, which was heavily discharged during the previous usage period, has a longer charging period than car 2 42B. For this reason, in the example of FIG. 13, margin period A70 of car 1 42A is shorter than margin period B70 of car 2 42B.

[0091] As described above in detail, the vehicle charging system 2 according to this embodiment includes the SOC calculation unit 212. The SOC calculation unit 212 calculates the SOC of the battery 45 for each vehicle 42. Specifically, the SOC calculation unit 212 calculates the SOC of each vehicle 42 based on multiple pieces of location information acquired for each vehicle 42 during the previous usage period. The priority determination unit 111 according to this embodiment then calculates the ideal charge amount for each vehicle 42 that is in a chargeable state based on the SOC. The ideal charge amount calculated in this embodiment is calculated based on the actual location information of the vehicle 42. Therefore, the ideal charge amount tends to be calculated more accurately than in the above embodiment, in which the ideal charge amount is calculated based on a reservation period. Therefore, the vehicle charging system 2 according to this embodiment can charge multiple vehicles 42 efficiently and more accurately.

[0092] The above-described embodiments are merely examples and do not limit the present disclosure in any way. Therefore, the present disclosure can be naturally improved and modified in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0093] For example, the number of charging devices provided in the parking lot and the number of vehicles that can be charged by the charging devices described in the above embodiment are merely examples and may be different. That is, the number of charging devices and the number of vehicles may be three or more. Furthermore, for example, in priority vehicle charging control when there are a large number of vehicles to be charged, charging may be controlled for each vehicle group consisting of multiple vehicles determined to have similar charging priorities. Specifically, for example, multiple vehicles with higher charging priorities may be defined as a high-priority vehicle group, and multiple vehicles with lower charging priorities than the high-priority vehicle group may be defined as a low-priority vehicle group. Then, in priority vehicle charging control, for example, charging of the high-priority vehicle group may be started before charging of the low-priority vehicle group, and charging of the low-priority vehicle group may be started after charging of the high-priority vehicle group is completed. This allows priority vehicle charging control to be simplified even when there are a large number of vehicles to be subject to charging control.

[0094] In the first embodiment, the previous discharge amount index value and the next discharge amount index value are both based on the reservation period of the vehicle. However, for example, the previous discharge amount index value may be based on the distance traveled by the vehicle during the previous usage period, or the amount of decrease in the battery's SOC during the previous usage period. In addition, if a destination can be registered as vehicle reservation information, the previous discharge amount index value and the next discharge amount index value may be based on the straight-line distance from the charging device to the destination, or a travel distance determined by estimating the vehicle's driving route.

[0095] In the above embodiment, for example, the margin period is calculated by subtracting the charging period during which the battery is charged to the ideal charge amount from the current chargeable state period, and priority determination is performed based on the length of the margin period. However, for example, the priority determination may be performed only based on the charging period during which the battery is charged to the ideal charge amount. Specifically, for example, if the current chargeable state period is the same for all vehicles, the priority determination may be performed so that the longer the charging period during which the battery is charged to the ideal charge amount, the higher the priority, and the same results as when the margin period is calculated can be obtained. Similarly, for example, the priority determination may be performed so that the higher the ideal charge amount, the higher the priority of the vehicle.

[0096] For example, in the above embodiment, the priority determination was described as determining a vehicle as having a higher priority if the margin period, calculated by subtracting the charging period for charging the vehicle's battery with the calculated ideal charge amount from the current chargeable state period, is shorter. However, in the priority determination, for example, even if a vehicle has a short margin period, if the vehicle is not scheduled to be used in the next use period, the priority may be set low. In other words, the priority determination may be such that the shorter the margin period, calculated by subtracting the charging period for charging the battery with the calculated ideal charge amount from the current chargeable state period, the more likely the vehicle is to be determined as having a higher priority.

[0097] In the above embodiment, the charging control, such as priority vehicle charging control and simultaneous charging control, is performed continuously from the beginning to the end of the current chargeable state period. In other words, in the above embodiment, for example, when priority vehicle charging control is performed, priority vehicle charging control is continued throughout the current chargeable state period. However, for example, the charging control may be different for each of the divided periods obtained by dividing the current chargeable state period into a plurality of periods. Specifically, the current chargeable state period may be divided into a first half and a second half, and the charging control determination process may be performed for each of the first and second half periods. For example, priority vehicle charging control may be performed during the first half period, when the upper limit charging power is not very high, and simultaneous charging control may be performed during the second half period, when the upper limit charging power is sufficient. This allows for more efficient charging of multiple vehicles when the upper limit charging power is not constant during the chargeable state period.

[0098] In the above embodiment, the timing for calculating the previous mileage by the mileage calculation unit has been described as the start of the chargeable state period of the vehicle. However, for example, if the mileage calculation unit is able to acquire location information from a location information acquisition device of the vehicle multiple times at regular intervals during the previous use period, the mileage calculation unit may calculate the previous mileage in response to the acquisition of the vehicle's location information.

[0099] Also, for example, in the above embodiment, the timing for acquiring the charging upper limit power has been described as after the start of the chargeable state period. However, the timing for acquiring the charging upper limit power may be, for example, before the start of the chargeable state period. In other words, the timing for acquiring the charging upper limit power may be before the charging control is determined. Also, for example, in the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the charging priority is determined and then the charging control is determined. However, for example, when simultaneous charging control is performed, the charging priority of each vehicle is irrelevant. Therefore, for example, the priority determination may be performed when priority vehicle charging control is performed and not performed when simultaneous charging control is performed.

[0100] For example, in the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the charging management device and the charging devices directly transmit and receive information via a network. However, for example, a server that comprehensively manages multiple charging devices may be provided, and information may be transmitted between the charging devices and the charging management device via the server. For example, in the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the charging management device calculates the previous mileage. However, for example, a server that can communicate with the vehicle and comprehensively manages information from the vehicle may be provided, and the server may calculate the previous mileage. In other words, the hardware configurations, the database configurations that store each piece of information, and the like that have been specifically described in the above embodiment are merely examples, and any configuration that can realize each process may be used.

[0101] Furthermore, for example, the system disclosed in the above embodiment can be realized in various aspects, such as a method for executing the processing, etc. That is, the above embodiment describes a vehicle charging method realized by the vehicle charging system.

[0102] The above-mentioned disclosed technology also includes the following means 1 to 7. [Means 1] a plurality of charging devices capable of charging vehicles equipped with rechargeable batteries; a control unit capable of controlling charging of the vehicle for each of the plurality of charging devices; a priority determination unit that determines a priority of charging for each of a plurality of vehicles that are in a chargeable state and can be charged by the charging device; The control unit A vehicle charging system that may perform priority vehicle charging control to charge high-priority vehicles, which are vehicles determined to have a high priority in the priority determination, before low-priority vehicles, which are vehicles determined to have a lower priority than the high-priority vehicles.

[0103] [Means 2] The vehicle charging system according to the first aspect of the present invention comprises: The priority determination unit Calculating an ideal charge amount to be charged to the battery for each vehicle in the chargeable state; In the priority determination, the shorter the margin period, calculated by subtracting the charging period for charging the battery with the calculated ideal charge amount from the chargeable state period during which the current chargeable state continues, the more likely the vehicle is to be determined as the high priority vehicle.

[0104] [Means 3] The vehicle charging system according to Means 2, The priority determination unit For each vehicle that is in the chargeable state, a previous discharge amount index value indicating the amount of discharge of the battery during a previous use period, which is the period from when the previous chargeable state ended to when the current chargeable state began; and The vehicle charging system calculates the ideal charge amount based on a next discharge amount index value that indicates the amount of discharge of the battery in the next use period, which is the period after the current chargeable state ends.

[0105] [Means 4] The vehicle charging system according to Means 3, The priority determination unit Reservation information for reserving use of the vehicle for the previous use period is used as the previous discharge amount index value, A vehicle charging system that uses reservation information that reserves the use of a vehicle for the next use period as the next discharge amount index value.

[0106] [Means 5] The vehicle charging system according to Means 2, a remaining battery capacity index value calculation unit for calculating a remaining battery capacity index value that indicates the remaining battery capacity of the battery for each vehicle; the remaining battery capacity index value calculation unit calculates the remaining battery capacity index value of each vehicle based on a plurality of pieces of position information acquired for each vehicle during a previous use period, which is a period from when the previous chargeable state ended to when the current chargeable state began; The priority determination unit The vehicle charging system calculates the ideal charge amount for each vehicle that is in the chargeable state based on a remaining battery capacity index value.

[0107] [Means 6] A vehicle charging system according to any one of means 1 to means 5, The control unit During a period in which a predetermined upper limit power for charging, which is an upper limit power that can be used for charging a vehicle, is equal to or greater than a total charging power, which is the power required when simultaneously charging the plurality of vehicles in the chargeable state, the plurality of vehicles in the chargeable state are simultaneously charged; The vehicle charging system may perform the prioritized vehicle charging control during a period in which the upper limit charging power is less than the total charging power.

[0108] [Means 7] A vehicle charging method capable of controlling charging of a vehicle equipped with a rechargeable battery by each of a plurality of charging devices, the method comprising: performing a priority determination for determining a priority of charging for each of a plurality of vehicles that are in a chargeable state and are capable of being charged by the charging device; A vehicle charging method that may perform priority vehicle charging control to charge high-priority vehicles, which are vehicles determined to have a high priority in the priority determination, prior to low-priority vehicles, which are vehicles determined to have a lower priority than the high-priority vehicles. [Explanation of symbols]

[0109] 1, 2: Vehicle charging system 20: Charging device 40, 42: Vehicle 45: Battery 110, 210: control section 111:Priority judgment section 212:SOC calculation section

Claims

1. a plurality of charging devices capable of charging vehicles equipped with rechargeable batteries; a control unit capable of controlling charging of the vehicle for each of the plurality of charging devices; a priority determination unit that determines a priority of charging for each of a plurality of vehicles that are in a chargeable state and can be charged by the charging device; The control unit A vehicle charging system that may perform priority vehicle charging control to charge high-priority vehicles, which are vehicles determined to have a high priority in the priority determination, before low-priority vehicles, which are vehicles determined to have a lower priority than the high-priority vehicles.

2. 10. The vehicle charging system of claim 1, The priority determination unit Calculating an ideal charge amount to be charged to the battery for each vehicle in the chargeable state; In the priority determination, the shorter the margin period, calculated by subtracting the charging period for charging the battery with the calculated ideal charge amount from the chargeable state period during which the current chargeable state continues, the more likely the vehicle is to be determined as the high priority vehicle.

3. 3. The vehicle charging system according to claim 2, The priority determination unit For each vehicle that is in the chargeable state, a previous discharge amount index value indicating the amount of discharge of the battery during a previous use period, which is the period from when the previous chargeable state ended to when the current chargeable state began; and The vehicle charging system calculates the ideal charge amount based on a next discharge amount index value that indicates the amount of discharge of the battery in the next use period, which is the period after the current chargeable state ends.

4. 4. The vehicle charging system according to claim 3, The priority determination unit Reservation information for reserving use of the vehicle for the previous use period is used as the previous discharge amount index value, A vehicle charging system that uses reservation information that reserves the use of a vehicle for the next use period as the next discharge amount index value.

5. 3. The vehicle charging system according to claim 2, a remaining battery capacity index value calculation unit for calculating a remaining battery capacity index value that indicates the remaining battery capacity of the battery for each vehicle; the remaining battery capacity index value calculation unit calculates the remaining battery capacity index value of each vehicle based on a plurality of pieces of position information acquired for each vehicle during a previous use period, which is a period from when the previous chargeable state ended to when the current chargeable state began; The priority determination unit The vehicle charging system calculates the ideal charge amount for each vehicle that is in the chargeable state based on a remaining battery capacity index value.

6. 6. A vehicle charging system according to claim 1, The control unit During a period in which a predetermined upper limit power for charging, which is an upper limit power that can be used for charging a vehicle, is equal to or greater than a total charging power, which is the power required when simultaneously charging the plurality of vehicles in the chargeable state, the plurality of vehicles in the chargeable state are simultaneously charged; The vehicle charging system may perform the prioritized vehicle charging control during a period in which the upper limit charging power is less than the total charging power.

7. A vehicle charging method capable of controlling charging of a vehicle equipped with a rechargeable battery by each of a plurality of charging devices, the method comprising: performing a priority determination for determining a priority of charging for each of a plurality of vehicles that are in a chargeable state and are capable of being charged by the charging device; A vehicle charging method that may perform priority vehicle charging control to charge high-priority vehicles, which are vehicles determined to have a high priority in the priority determination, prior to low-priority vehicles, which are vehicles determined to have a lower priority than the high-priority vehicles.

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