Charging system

Abstract

To provide a charging system capable of simultaneously charging two or more vehicles with a simple configuration regardless of the position of a charging port of a vehicle or the type of a parking lot, and increasing the turnover rate of charging.SOLUTION: The charging system includes a charger including a charging connector, an arm mechanism capable of gripping the charging connector, and a control device that controls the charger, the arm mechanism, and a plurality of vehicles, and the control device specifies a position of the vehicle at which a time required to insert the charging connector into the charging port is minimized based on an arm trajectory indicating a trajectory when the arm mechanism grips the charging connector, a shape of the vehicle, and positions of both charging ports, causes the vehicle to automatically travel to the specified position and stop, and inserts the charging connector gripped by the arm mechanism into the charging port to start charging.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a charging system that uses an arm mechanism and a charger to charge a plurality of vehicles. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6497478 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 leaves room for improvement in terms of increasing the turnover rate of vehicle charging, regardless of the location of the vehicle's charging port or the type of parking lot.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a charging system that can charge two or more vehicles simultaneously with a simple configuration, regardless of the location of the vehicle's charging port or the type of parking lot, and that can increase the charging turnover rate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The charging system according to the present disclosure includes a charger equipped with a charging connector, an arm mechanism capable of holding the charging connector, and a control device that controls the charger, the arm mechanism, and a plurality of vehicles, and the control device identifies the position of the vehicle that minimizes the time required to insert the charging connector into the charging port based on an arm trajectory that indicates the trajectory taken by the arm mechanism when holding the charging connector, the shape of the vehicle, and the position of the vehicle's charging port, automatically drives the vehicle to the identified position and stops it, and inserts the charging connector held by the arm mechanism into the charging port to begin charging. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, two or more vehicles can be charged simultaneously with a simple configuration, regardless of the location of the vehicle's charging port or the type of parking lot, thereby increasing the charging turnover rate. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a charging system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the charging system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the charging system according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the charging system according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the overall flow of a charging method executed by the charging system according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a charging system according to an embodiment in which two vehicles are charged simultaneously using an arm mechanism. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a charging system according to an embodiment in which two vehicles are charged simultaneously using an arm mechanism. [Figure 8]FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the overall flow of the charging method executed by the charging system according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

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

[0010] (Charging system) A charging system according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. The charging system according to the embodiment is for simultaneously charging multiple vehicles using a charger installed in, for example, a parking lot. As shown in FIG. 1, the charging system according to the embodiment includes a charger 1, an arm mechanism 2, a control device 3, infrastructure equipment 4, and a vehicle 5. The charger 1, the arm mechanism 2, the control device 3, infrastructure equipment 4, and the vehicle 5 all have communication functions and are configured to be able to communicate with each other and exchange various information via a network N. This network N is configured, for example, from an internet network, a mobile phone network, or the like.

[0011] (charger) The charger (charging stand, charging post) 1 supplies power to a vehicle 5 to be charged. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the charger 1 is installed on a stand 6. The charger 1 is also connected to a control panel 7. This control panel 7 is connected to, for example, a transformer facility (cubicle) that transforms power from a power plant.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the charger 1 includes a control unit 11, a communication unit 12, a charging connector 13, and a charging cable 14.

[0013] The control unit 11 is realized by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory (main storage unit) such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), etc. Based on instructions from the control device 3, the control unit 11 supplies power to the vehicle 5 to be charged.

[0014] The communication unit 12 is configured by, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface board, a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication, etc. The communication unit 12 exchanges information with, for example, the arm mechanism 2 and the control device 3 by communication via the network N.

[0015] Charging connector (charging gun, charging plug) 13 is used to supply power to vehicle 5 to be charged. Charging connector 13 is engaged with the side surface of charger 1 when not charging. When charging of vehicle 5 begins, charging connector 13 is gripped by fixed arm mechanism 2 and inserted into charging port 53 of vehicle 5. In this state, power is supplied from charger 1 to vehicle 5 through charging connector 13. Thereafter, when charging of vehicle 5 is completed, charging connector 13 is gripped again by arm mechanism 2, removed from charging port 53 of vehicle 5, and then engaged with the side surface of charger 1.

[0016] Although FIGS. 2 to 4 show an example in which one charging connector 13 is provided for one charger 1, a plurality of charging connectors 13 may be provided for one charger 1.

[0017] Charging cable 14 is provided between charging connector 13 and charger 1 (charger main body). Charging cable 14 is configured with a length that allows charging connector 13 to be inserted into charging port 53 regardless of the position of charging port 53 on vehicle 5. For example, while FIG. 3 shows an example in which charging port 53 is located on the front left side of vehicle 5, depending on the vehicle model, charging port 53 may be located on the rear left side, front center, rear center, etc. of vehicle 5. Therefore, charging cable 14 is configured with a length that allows charging connector 13 to be inserted regardless of whether charging port 53 is located on the front left side, rear left side, front center, or rear center of vehicle 5.

[0018] Depending on the model of vehicle 5, the charging port 53 may be located on the front right side or the rear right side of vehicle 5. In this case, for example, in FIG. 3, the vehicles 5 in the left and right charging spaces Sp1 are parked in opposite front-to-rear directions, and charging is performed with each charging port 53 facing toward the charger 1. For example, the vehicle 5 on the right side of FIG. 3 is parked in the charging space Sp1 with the front of the vehicle facing downward and the rear of the vehicle facing upward. Similarly, the vehicle 5 on the left side is parked with the front of the vehicle facing upward and the rear of the vehicle facing downward.

[0019] (Arm mechanism 2) The arm mechanism (automatic charging robot) 2 is used to grip the charging connector 13 when charging the vehicle 5 from the charger 1. The arm mechanism 2 can grip multiple charging connectors 13 and move each charging connector 13 within a predetermined range. The arm mechanism 2 is installed and fixed to a stand 6.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the arm mechanism 2 includes a control unit 21, a communication unit 22, and a camera 23.

[0021] Control unit 21 is realized by a processor such as a CPU, and a memory (main storage unit) such as a RAM, a ROM, etc. Based on instructions from control device 3, control unit 21 grasps charging connector 13 and inserts charging connector 13 into charging port 53 and removes charging connector 13 from charging port 53.

[0022] Furthermore, when inserting the gripped charging connector 13 into charging port 53, control unit 21 identifies the position of charging port 53 and the distance to charging port 53 (the distance between charging connector 13 and charging port 53) from an image captured by, for example, camera 23 installed at the tip of arm mechanism 2. The shape of charging port 53 of vehicle 5 is standardized. Therefore, the position of charging port 53 can be identified by performing pattern matching based on the image of charging port 53 captured by camera 23. Furthermore, the distance from charging connector 13 gripped by arm mechanism 2 to charging port 53 can be identified by using a 3D (three-dimensional) camera as camera 23 to acquire information in the depth direction.

[0023] The method for detecting the position of charging port 53 is not limited to the above-described pattern matching, and the position of charging port 53 may be detected by, for example, performing UWB (Ultra-Wide Band) communication with vehicle 5 and acquiring the coordinates of charging port 53. Alternatively, the position of charging port 53 may be detected by attaching a QR code (registered trademark) near charging port 53 on vehicle 5 and reading the QR code (registered trademark) with camera 23 installed at the tip of arm mechanism 2.

[0024] The communication unit 22 is configured by, for example, a LAN interface board, a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication, etc. The communication unit 22 exchanges information with, for example, the charger 1 and the control device 3 by communication via the network N.

[0025] Camera 23 is for capturing an image of charging port 53. Camera 23 is provided at the tip of arm mechanism 2 (arm mechanism main body). Furthermore, it is preferable to use a 3D camera as camera 23, which is capable of acquiring information in the depth direction.

[0026] (Control device 3) The control device 3 controls the charger 1, the arm mechanism 2, and the multiple vehicles 5. The control device 3 performs, for example, charging control of the charger 1, control of the operation of the arm mechanism 2, control of the infrastructure equipment 4, and driving control (movement control) of the vehicles 5. The control device 3 is realized, for example, by a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or a personal computer, or a server located on the cloud. Note that the control device 3 may be configured with separate hardware depending on the objects to be controlled (charger 1, arm mechanism 2, infrastructure equipment 4, vehicles 5). Furthermore, the function of the control device 3 to control charging of the charger 1 may be performed by a control panel 7.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 1, the control device 3 includes a control unit 31 and a communication unit 32.

[0028] The control unit 31 is realized by a processor such as a CPU, and a memory (main storage unit) such as a RAM, a ROM, etc. Specific processing contents of the control unit 31 will be described below.

[0029] The control unit 31 controls the traveling of the vehicle 5 based on information (such as the position information of the vehicle 5) acquired from the infrastructure facility 4. The control unit 31 also remotely controls the vehicle 5 to move the vehicle 5 within a predetermined range (the operating range of the arm mechanism 2).

[0030] For example, the control unit 31 accepts a charging reservation for the vehicle 5 from a user (e.g., a driver) of the vehicle 5. This charging reservation may be accepted based on information input into an information terminal (e.g., a smartphone connected to the network N) carried by the user, or may be accepted based on information input into an in-vehicle terminal (e.g., a car navigation system connected to the network N) by the user.

[0031] As the vehicle 5's turn to be charged approaches, the control unit 31 uses the location information of the vehicle 5 acquired from the infrastructure 4, etc., to automatically drive the vehicle 5 from the parking space where the vehicle 5 is parked to the waiting space Sp2, and then automatically parks the vehicle 5, as shown in Fig. 5. By moving the vehicle 5 to be charged to the waiting space Sp2 in advance and leaving it waiting, the time required to switch vehicles 5 to be charged can be minimized, and the availability of the charger 1 can be improved.

[0032] Subsequently, when it is the vehicle 5's turn to be charged, the control unit 31 uses the position information of the vehicle 5 obtained from the infrastructure 4, etc., to automatically drive the vehicle 5 from the waiting space Sp2 to the charging space Sp1, and then automatically parks the vehicle 5. Then, the control unit 31 causes the arm mechanism 2 to grasp the charging connector 13, inserts the charging connector 13 into the charging port 53, and starts charging using the charger 1.

[0033] Next, when charging of vehicle 5 is completed, control unit 31 causes arm mechanism 2 to grip charging connector 13 again and removes charging connector 13 from charging port 53. Next, using the position information of vehicle 5 acquired from infrastructure equipment 4, control unit 31 causes vehicle 5 to automatically drive from charging space Sp1 to waiting space Sp2, and then automatically parks vehicle 5.

[0034] When parking the vehicle 5 in the charging space Sp1, the control unit 31 parks the vehicle 5 so that the charging port 53 faces the charger 1. For example, when charging a vehicle 5 whose charging port 53 is located on the front left side, as shown in Fig. 3, the vehicle 5 is parked in the charging space Sp1 to the right of the charger 1 with the front of the vehicle facing upward on the paper and the rear of the vehicle facing downward on the paper so that the charging port 53 is on the left side. Conversely, the vehicle 5 is parked in the charging space Sp1 to the left of the charger 1 with the front of the vehicle facing downward on the paper so that the charging port 53 is on the right side.

[0035] Depending on the model of vehicle 5, charging port 53 may be located on the front right side or rear right side of vehicle 5, opposite to that shown in Figure 3. In this case, for example, in the example of two vehicles 5 shown in Figure 3, vehicle 5 is parked in charging space Sp1 on the right side of charger 1 with the front of the vehicle facing downward on the paper and the rear of the vehicle facing upward on the paper so that charging port 53 is on the left side. Conversely, vehicle 5 is parked in charging space Sp1 on the left side of charger 1 with the front of the vehicle facing upward on the paper so that charging port 53 is on the right side.

[0036] The control unit 31 charges two or more vehicles 5 simultaneously by operating the charging connectors 13 with one arm mechanism 2. In this case, as shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 31 moves the first vehicle 5 (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle A") to a predetermined position (charging space Sp1 on the right side of the page). Next, the control unit 31 causes the arm mechanism 2 to grip the charging connector 13A of the first charger 1 (the charger 1 on the upper side of the page). Next, the control unit 31 inserts the charging connector 13A gripped by the arm mechanism 2 into the charging port 53 of vehicle A, and starts charging vehicle A.

[0037] Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 31 moves the second vehicle 5 (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle B") to a predetermined position (charging space Sp1 on the left side of the page). Next, the control unit 31 causes the arm mechanism 2 to grip the charging connector 13B of the second charger 1 (the charger 1 on the lower side of the page). Next, while vehicle A is being charged, the control unit 31 inserts the charging connector 13B gripped by the arm mechanism 2 into the charging port 53 of vehicle B, and starts charging vehicle B.

[0038] In this way, in the charging system according to this embodiment, two or more charging connectors 13A, 13B can be operated by one arm mechanism 2, and two or more vehicles 5 can be simultaneously charged. As a result, the charging turnover rate can be increased.

[0039] 6 and 7, before vehicle A stops at a predetermined position (charging space Sp1 on the right side of the paper), the control unit 31 may have the arm mechanism 2 grip the charging connector 13A of the first charger 1 (charger 1 on the upper side of the paper) and wait in advance. Similarly, before vehicle B stops at a predetermined position (charging space Sp1 on the left side of the paper), the control unit 31 may have the arm mechanism 2 grip the charging connector 13B of the second charger 1 (charger 1 on the lower side of the paper) and wait in advance.

[0040] 6 and 7, the "predetermined position" refers to charging space Sp1. In the examples of FIGS. 6 and 7, when charging only one vehicle 5, control unit 31 may return arm mechanism 2 to a predetermined standby position and keep arm mechanism 2 on standby after inserting charging connector 13A (or charging connector 13B) into charging port 53. Alternatively, control unit 31 may return arm mechanism 2 to a predetermined standby position and keep arm mechanism 2 on standby after removing charging connector 13A (or charging connector 13B) from charging port 53. In addition, control unit 31 may return arm mechanism 2 to a predetermined standby position and keep arm mechanism 2 on standby, for example, when there is no vehicle 5 waiting to be charged next or when there is no vehicle 5 that has already completed charging.

[0041] Additionally, while the first vehicle 5 (vehicle A) is being charged, the control unit 31 may move the second vehicle 5 (vehicle B) to a range where the charging connector 13B of the second charger 1 can be inserted using the arm mechanism 2. This allows the second vehicle 5 to be charged quickly.

[0042] Furthermore, when charging of the first vehicle 5 (vehicle A) is completed, control unit 31 moves arm mechanism 2 to the position of charging port 53 of first vehicle 5, unlocks charging connector 13A, and then causes arm mechanism 2 to remove charging connector 13A from charging port 53 of first vehicle 5. Furthermore, when charging of the second vehicle 5 (vehicle B) is completed, control unit 31 moves arm mechanism 2 to the position of charging port 53 of the second vehicle 5, unlocks charging connector 13B, and then causes arm mechanism 2 to remove charging connector 13B from charging port 53 of the second vehicle 5.

[0043] In this way, in the charging system according to the embodiment, the charging connectors 13A, 13B are held by the arm mechanism 2 in advance and wait before the vehicle 5 arrives at the charging space Sp1, thereby further increasing the charging turnover rate.

[0044] In addition, in the examples of Figures 6 and 7, the control unit 31 may determine whether to immediately remove the charging connectors 13A, 13B from the vehicle A currently being charged, depending on whether the following vehicle B is nearby (whether charging can be performed immediately for vehicle B).

[0045] In this case, when charging of vehicle A is completed and vehicle B is parked in a predetermined position (charging space Sp1 on the left side of the paper), control unit 31 uses arm mechanism 2 to insert charging connector 13B of second charger 1 (charger 1 on the lower side of the paper) into charging port 53 of vehicle B to start charging. Then, control unit 31 then removes charging connector 13A of first charger 1 (charger 1 on the upper side of the paper) from charging port 53 of vehicle A. In other words, when charging of vehicle A is completed and vehicle B is parked in charging space Sp1 and can be charged immediately, control unit 31 prioritizes inserting charging connector 13B into vehicle B over removing charging connector 13A from vehicle A.

[0046] On the other hand, when charging of vehicle A is completed but vehicle B is not parked in a predetermined position (charging space Sp1 on the left side of the drawing), control unit 31 uses arm mechanism 2 to remove charging connector 13A of the first charger 1 (charger 1 on the upper side of the drawing) from charging port 53 of vehicle A. Then, after vehicle B has stopped in the predetermined position, control unit 31 inserts charging connector 13B of the second charger 1 (charger 1 on the lower side of the drawing) into charging port 53 of vehicle B to start charging. In other words, when charging of vehicle A is completed but vehicle B is not parked in charging space Sp1 and cannot be charged immediately, control unit 31 prioritizes removing charging connector 13A from vehicle A over inserting charging connector 13B into vehicle B.

[0047] As described above, in the charging system according to the embodiment, when a single arm mechanism 2 operates multiple charging connectors 13A, 13B, it is determined whether to remove charging connector 13A, 13B from vehicle 5 first or insert another charging connector 13A, 13B into another vehicle 5 depending on the level of charging congestion. For example, when charging is congested, if insertion of charging connector 13A, 13B is ready first, priority is given to insertion into another vehicle 5 even if removal is completed later. On the other hand, when charging is not congested, priority is given to removal of charging connector 13A, 13B before insertion into another vehicle 5 begins.

[0048] In this way, in the charging system according to the embodiment, the charging turnover rate can be further increased by efficiently inserting the charging connectors 13A, 13B into the multiple vehicles 5 and removing the charging connectors 13A, 13B from the multiple vehicles 5.

[0049] Furthermore, in the charging system according to the embodiment, the parking position of the vehicle 5 in the charging space Sp1 may be optimized based on various conditions. In this case, the control device 3 identifies the position of the vehicle 5 within the charging space Sp1 at which the time required to insert the charging connector 13 into the charging port 53 (hereinafter referred to as the "connector insertion time") is minimized, for example, based on the arm trajectory, the shape of the vehicle 5, and the position of the charging port 53 of the vehicle 5. Next, the control device 3 automatically drives the vehicle 5 to the identified position within the charging space Sp1 and stops the vehicle 5, and then inserts the charging connector 13 held by the arm mechanism 2 into the charging port 53 to start charging.

[0050] Here, the "arm trajectory" refers to the trajectory of the arm mechanism 2 when gripping the charging connector 13, for example, as shown in A in Fig. 5. Since the arm trajectory is known, the control device 3 stores information about the arm trajectory in advance. In addition, the arm trajectory is a trajectory that includes, for example, all of the following trajectories (1) to (3). (1) The trajectory of the movement of the arm mechanism 2 when it goes to grab the charging connector 13 that is engaged on the side of the charger 1 before charging the vehicle 5. (2) After (1), the trajectory of the movement of the arm mechanism 2 when inserting the gripped charging connector 13 into the charging port 53 (3) The trajectory of the movement of the arm mechanism 2 when the charging connector 13 is removed from the charging port 53 after charging the vehicle 5.

[0051] Furthermore, the "shape of the vehicle 5" refers to, for example, the body type of the vehicle 5, and includes classifications such as sedan, minivan, one-box wagon, and light vehicle. Information regarding the shape of the vehicle 5 is included in the reservation information acquired by the control device 3 when accepting a reservation for charging.

[0052] As described above, the "position of charging port 53" may be the front left side, rear left side, front right side, rear right side, front center, rear center, etc. of vehicle 5. Information regarding the position of charging port 53 is included in the reservation information acquired by control device 3 when accepting a reservation for charging.

[0053] The "connector insertion time" is, for example, the total time of the following (1) and (2). (1) The time from when the vehicle 5 stops in the charging space Sp1 until the arm mechanism 2 grabs the charging connector 13 attached to the side of the charger 1. (2) The time from gripping the charging connector 13 to inserting it into the charging port 53 and locking the charging connector 13

[0054] The connector insertion time varies depending on the shape of vehicle 5 and the position of charging port 53. For example, consider a case where charging port 53 is provided in the same position (e.g., the center of the front) on a large minivan and a small minicar, and the two vehicles are to be charged at the same position in charging space Sp1. In this case, the distance from arm mechanism 2 to charging port 53 of the minivan is longer than the distance from arm mechanism 2 to charging port 53 of the minicar. Therefore, the time required for arm mechanism 2 to grip charging connector 13 and charge the minivan is longer than the time required for arm mechanism 2 to grip charging connector 13 and charge the minicar.

[0055] Therefore, the control device 3 identifies the position of the vehicle 5 that minimizes the connector insertion time based on the arm trajectory, the shape of the vehicle 5, and the position of the charging port 53 of the vehicle 5, and stops the vehicle 5 at that position. In this way, in the charging system according to the embodiment, by stopping the vehicle 5 so that the charging port 53 is as close as possible to the arm mechanism 2, it is possible to charge the vehicle quickly regardless of the shape of the vehicle 5 or the position of the charging port 53.

[0056] Instead of the position of vehicle 5 where the connector insertion time is shortest, control device 3 may identify the position of vehicle 5 where the distance from the position where charging connector 13 is gripped to charging port 53 is shortest, and stop vehicle 5 at that position. In this case, control device 3 identifies the position of vehicle 5 where the distance from the position where charging connector 13 is gripped to charging port 53 is shortest based on, for example, the arm trajectory, the shape of vehicle 5, the position of charging port 53 of vehicle 5, and the position where charging connector 13 is gripped. The "position where charging connector 13 is gripped" refers to, for example, the position where charging connector 13 is locked on the side surface of charger 1.

[0057] In addition, the control device 3 may determine the movement timing of the vehicle 5 in each space (parking space, waiting space Sp2, charging space Sp1) based on the arm trajectory, the shape of the vehicle 5, and the position of the charging port 53 of the vehicle 5, and move the vehicle 5 at the determined movement timing.

[0058] In this way, in the charging system according to the embodiment, the stopping position and movement timing of the vehicle 5 in the charging space Sp1 are optimized, and the arm mechanism 2 holds the charging connector 13 while keeping it close to the vehicle 5 but not in contact with it. This minimizes the connector insertion time and shortens the charging time per vehicle, thereby increasing the charging turnover rate. Furthermore, the time it takes to switch vehicles 5 in the charging space Sp1 can be minimized, shortening the waiting time for users to charge, thereby improving profitability when developing the charging of vehicles 5 as a business.

[0059] Furthermore, regardless of the shape of the vehicle 5, to prevent interference between the vehicle 5 and the arm trajectory, it is necessary to ensure a large space occupied by the cradle 6 on which the charger 1 is installed. Therefore, in the charging system according to the embodiment, the occupied space can be minimized by operating the arm mechanism 2 in consideration of the shape of the vehicle 5. Also, by synchronizing the operation of the arm mechanism 2 with the timing of the vehicle 5 stopping, the charging time per vehicle can be shortened. Furthermore, since the required reach of the arm mechanism 2 can be minimized, the arm mechanism 2 can be made smaller and the width of the cradle 6 can be minimized.

[0060] Furthermore, in the charging system according to the embodiment, in addition to optimizing the parking positions of the vehicles 5 as described above, the charging order of the vehicles 5 in the charging space Sp1 may also be optimized. In this case, the control device 3 accepts charging reservations for each of the vehicles 5 from users of multiple vehicles 5. Next, when charging each of the vehicles 5 consecutively, the control device 3 determines the charging order for each of the vehicles 5 that minimizes the operation time of the arm mechanism 2 (hereinafter referred to as "arm operation time") based on the arm trajectory, the shape of each of the vehicles 5, and the position of the charging port 53 of each of the vehicles 5. Next, based on the determined charging order, the control device 3 automatically drives each of the vehicles 5 sequentially to the identified position (the position of the vehicle 5 that minimizes the connector insertion time) and stops the vehicles 5.

[0061] Here, the "arm operation time" is, for example, the total time of the following (1) to (4). (1) The time from when the vehicle 5 stops in the charging space Sp1 until the arm mechanism 2 grabs the charging connector 13 attached to the side of the charger 1. (2) The time from gripping the charging connector 13 to inserting it into the charging port 53 and locking the charging connector 13 (3) The time from unlocking the charging connector 13 to removing the charging connector 13 from the charging port 53 (4) The time it takes for the removed charging connector 13 to latch onto the side of the charger 1

[0062] Furthermore, "minimizing the arm operation time" means minimizing the total operation time of the arm mechanism 2 when plugging in and unplugging the charging connector 13 to and from multiple vehicles 5. Therefore, minimizing the arm operation time is synonymous with minimizing the overall charging time for multiple vehicles 5.

[0063] In this way, in the charging system of the embodiment, by determining the charging order of the vehicles 5 so as to minimize the arm operation time, the charging time per vehicle can be shortened, thereby increasing the charging turnover rate.

[0064] In addition, when charging each vehicle 5 continuously, the control device 3 may determine the charging location for each vehicle 5 that minimizes the arm operation time based on the arm trajectory, the shape of each vehicle 5, and the position of the charging port 53 of each vehicle 5.

[0065] The communication unit 32 is configured by, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface board, a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication, etc. The communication unit 32 exchanges information with, for example, the charger 1, the arm mechanism 2, the infrastructure equipment 4, and the vehicle 5 through communication via the network N.

[0066] (Infrastructure 4) The infrastructure 4 is intended to realize, for example, automatic driving of the vehicle 5 in a parking lot and automatic parking using advanced parking (advanced parking assistance function). For example, as shown in Fig. 5, the infrastructure 4 is arranged around a charging space Sp1 for the vehicle 5, around a waiting space Sp2 for the vehicle 5, on the driving route of the vehicle 5 (on both sides of the driving route, etc.), etc.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 1, the infrastructure facility 4 includes a control unit 41, a communication unit 42, and a sensor 43.

[0068] The control unit 41 is realized by a processor such as a CPU, and a memory (main storage unit) such as a RAM, a ROM, etc. The control unit 41 transmits, for example, information about the position of the vehicle 5 detected by the sensor 43 to the control device 3.

[0069] The communication unit 42 is configured by, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface board, a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication, etc. The communication unit 42 exchanges information with, for example, the control device 3 and the vehicle 5 through communication via the network N.

[0070] The sensor 43 is configured by, for example, a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging, Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging), a camera, etc.

[0071] (Vehicle 5) The vehicle 5 is an electrically powered vehicle that can be supplied with power, such as a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) or a battery electric vehicle (BEV). The vehicle 5 may also be an autonomous vehicle that can travel autonomously without being operated by a driver. The vehicle 5 may also be equipped with an automatic parking function that automatically parks the vehicle or a parking assist function that assists with parking.

[0072] As shown in Fig. 1, vehicle 5 includes a control unit 51, a communication unit 52, and a charging port 53. Note that Fig. 1 illustrates only the components of vehicle 5 that are essential for realizing the power supply system according to the embodiment, and does not illustrate other components.

[0073] The control unit 51 is an electronic control unit (ECU) whose main components are a microcomputer including, for example, a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc. The control unit 51 comprehensively controls the operations of various components of the vehicle 5 by executing various programs.

[0074] Control unit 51 performs, for example, automatic driving and automatic parking in a parking lot based on instructions from control device 3. For example, when a user of vehicle 5 reserves charging using charger 1, the user drives vehicle 5 to a parking lot where charger 1 is installed and parks in a parking space within the parking lot. Then, when the user gets out of vehicle 5, the user opens the cover of charging port 54 (hereinafter referred to as "charging port cover") and leaves the parking space.

[0075] When the vehicle 5's turn to charge approaches, the control unit 51 automatically drives the vehicle 5 from the parking space to the waiting space Sp2 and then automatically parks it in accordance with instructions from the control device 3. Then, when the vehicle 5's turn to charge arrives, the control unit 51 automatically drives the vehicle 5 from the waiting space Sp2 to the charging space Sp1 and then automatically parks it in accordance with instructions from the control device 3. Then, the charging connector 13 held by the arm mechanism 2 is inserted into the charging port 53, and charging begins.

[0076] Next, when charging is completed, the arm mechanism 2 removes the charging connector 13 from the charging port 53. Next, in accordance with instructions from the control device 3, the control unit 51 automatically drives the vehicle 5 from the charging space Sp1 to the waiting space Sp2, and then automatically parks the vehicle 5.

[0077] The communication unit 52 is configured by, for example, a DCM (Data Communication Module), etc. The communication unit 52 exchanges information with, for example, the charger 1, the arm mechanism 2, the control device 3, and the infrastructure equipment 4 through communication via the network N.

[0078] Charging port (inlet) 53 is for receiving a supply of electric power from charger 1. When charging connector 13 of charger 1 is inserted into charging port 53, electric power from charger 1 is stored in a battery of vehicle 5 (not shown). Although charging port 53 is located on the front left side of vehicle 5 in the examples of FIGS. 2 to 4, it may also be located on the rear left side, front right side, rear right side, front center, rear center, etc. of vehicle 5.

[0079] The cradle 6 is installed, for example, in a parking lot or the like that can accumulate vehicles 5. The cradle 6 can be installed in any type of parking lot, such as a flat parking lot, a mechanical multi-story parking lot, or a self-propelled multi-story parking lot. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the cradle 6 is equipped with a charger 1, an arm mechanism 2, and a control panel 7. In this embodiment, two chargers 1 are installed on the cradle 6, and the cradle 6 is configured to be able to charge two or more vehicles 5 simultaneously.

[0080] When installing the charger 1 in a parking lot, it is installed on a rack unit basis. That is, the charger 1, arm mechanism 2, and control panel 7 are installed on the rack 6 in advance at a factory or the like, and after adjusting the operation of the arm mechanism 2 (robot teaching), aligning the charger 1 and arm mechanism 2, and completing wiring work, the rack 6 is transported to the parking lot and installed (for example, anchored). Installing on a rack unit basis in this way improves the flexibility in installing the charger 1 and arm mechanism 2 and minimizes construction costs.

[0081] (Charging method) The flow of the charging method executed by the charging system according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0082] First, the user makes a reservation for charging (step S1). This reservation for charging may be made, for example, through an information terminal carried by the user (for example, a smartphone connected to the network N) or through an in-vehicle terminal (for example, a car navigation system connected to the network N).

[0083] Next, the control device 3 acquires charging reservation information from the information terminal or the in-vehicle terminal (step S2). This reservation information includes information necessary for charging the vehicle 5 by the charger 1.

[0084] The reservation information includes, for example, information for identifying the user (e.g., a user ID, etc.), information related to the date and time the charging reservation was sent, information related to the date and time the charging is desired, etc. The reservation information also includes other information for identifying the vehicle 5 (e.g., a vehicle number, etc.), the shape (body type) of the vehicle 5, information related to the location of the charging port 53 of the vehicle 5, information related to the remaining battery level (SOC: State Of Charge) of the vehicle 5, the current location of the vehicle 5, etc. Note that "information related to the location of the charging port 53" is, for example, information related to where the charging port 53 is located among the front left side, rear left side, front right side, rear right side, front center, and rear center of the vehicle 5.

[0085] Next, the control device 3 determines the order of charging of the vehicles 5 for which reservations have been accepted (step S3). In step S3, the order of charging of the vehicles 5 is determined based on, for example, the number of other vehicles 5 for which charging reservations have been accepted at the same time or around the same time, and the time until charging is completed predicted from the remaining battery power of the other vehicles 5. Also, in step S3, the control device 3 transmits information (order information) about the determined order to the vehicles 5 (and the user's information terminal and in-vehicle terminal).

[0086] Next, the user parks vehicle 5 in a parking space in a parking lot (a parking lot where charger 1 is installed) (step S4). Next, after getting out of vehicle 5, the user opens the charging port cover (step S5) and leaves the parking space.

[0087] Next, the vehicle 5 automatically drives from the parking space to the waiting space Sp2 based on instructions from the control device 3 (step S6). Then, when the vehicle's turn for charging arrives, the vehicle 5 automatically drives from the waiting space Sp2 to the charging space Sp1 based on instructions from the control device 3 (step S7).

[0088] When vehicle 5 stops in charging space Sp1, control device 3 transmits an instruction (gripping instruction) to arm mechanism 2 to grip charging connector 13 (step S8). In response to this, arm mechanism 2 grips charging connector 13 (step S9) and moves charging connector 13 to the vicinity of charging port 53. Next, arm mechanism 2 detects the position of charging port 53, for example, by pattern matching based on an image of charging port 53 (step S10), and inserts charging connector 13 into charging port 53 (step S11).

[0089] Next, arm mechanism 2 locks charging connector 13 using a locking mechanism (not shown) or the like to prevent charging connector 13 from coming off charging port 53 (step S12), then releases its grip on charging connector 13 and returns to a predetermined standby position (step S13). An example of the "predetermined standby position" is a position where the entire arm mechanism 2 is within the range of base 6 (a position that does not extend beyond base 6), as shown in FIG. 1 . Also, in step S13, arm mechanism 2 transmits information about the current operating state of arm mechanism 2 (for example, the current position, whether charging connector 13 is locked, etc.) to control device 3.

[0090] Here, the arm mechanism 2 returns to the predetermined standby position as in S13, for example, when there is no other vehicle 5 waiting to be charged next, or when there is no other vehicle 5 that has already been charged. For example, if there is another vehicle 5 waiting to be charged next, the arm mechanism 2 does not return to the predetermined standby position (without performing step S13), and directly performs the processing of step S9 and subsequent steps for the other vehicle 5. Also, for example, if there is another vehicle 5 that has already been charged next, the arm mechanism 2 does not return to the predetermined standby position (without performing step S13), and directly performs the processing of step S17 and subsequent steps for the other vehicle 5.

[0091] Next, the control device 3 transmits information (charging start instruction information) to the charger 1 instructing the charger 1 to start charging the vehicle 5 (step S14). Next, the charger 1 starts charging the vehicle 5 (step S15). Next, when charging of the vehicle 5 is completed (step S16), the charger 1 transmits information (charging completion information) to the arm mechanism 2 indicating that charging is completed.

[0092] Next, arm mechanism 2 unlocks charging connector 13 (step S17), grips charging connector 13 (step S18), and removes charging connector 13 from charging port 53 (step S19). Next, arm mechanism 2 returns the removed charging connector 13 to a predetermined position on charger 1 (for example, the side surface of charger 1) (step S20), releases its grip on charging connector 13, and returns to a predetermined standby position (step S21).

[0093] Here, the arm mechanism 2 returns to the predetermined standby position as in S21 when, for example, there is no other vehicle 5 waiting to be charged next, or there is no other vehicle 5 that has already been charged. For example, if there is another vehicle 5 waiting to be charged next, the arm mechanism 2 does not return to the predetermined standby position (without performing step S21), and directly performs the processing of step S9 and subsequent steps for the other vehicle 5. Also, for example, if there is another vehicle 5 that has already been charged next, the arm mechanism 2 does not return to the predetermined standby position (without performing step S21), and directly performs the processing of step S17 and subsequent steps for the other vehicle 5.

[0094] Next, the vehicle 5 automatically travels from the charging space Sp1 to the waiting space Sp2 based on instructions from the control device 3 (step S22). Next, the user closes the charging port 53 in the waiting space Sp2, gets into the vehicle 5 (step S23), and exits the parking lot.

[0095] Although not shown in Fig. 8, when the vehicle 5 is traveling automatically in steps S6, S7, and S22, the control device 3 and the vehicle 5 are constantly communicating with each other to achieve the automatic traveling. In this case, the control device 3 identifies the location of the vehicle 5 based on information acquired from, for example, the infrastructure facility 4, and sequentially transmits to the vehicle 5 the locations of the waiting space Sp2 and the charging space Sp1, the traveling route to the waiting space Sp2 and the charging space Sp1, and the like. In this way, the control device 3 controls the traveling of the vehicle 5 within the parking lot.

[0096] In the charging system according to the embodiment described above, a single fixed arm mechanism 2 operates multiple charging connectors 13 to simultaneously charge multiple vehicles 5. In this case, since the arm mechanism 2 itself cannot move, multiple vehicles 5 can be simultaneously charged by moving the vehicles 5 while charging is in progress with the charging connectors 13 inserted.

[0097] As described above, the charging system according to the embodiment allows two or more vehicles 5 to be charged simultaneously with a simple configuration, thereby increasing the charging turnover rate. As a result, it is possible to shorten the time users have to wait for charging, and to improve profitability when developing a business of charging vehicles 5. In the charging system according to the embodiment, charging is performed using the automatic driving and automatic parking of the vehicles 5, so there is no need for users to wait for charging, improving user convenience.

[0098] Further advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] 1 charger 11 Control section 12 Communications Department 13, 13A, 13B charging connector 14 Charging cable 2 Arm mechanism 21 Control Unit 22 Communications Department 23 Camera 3. Control device 31 Control Unit 32 Communications Department 4. Infrastructure 41 Control Unit 42 Communications Department 43 Sensors 5 vehicles 51 Control section 52 Communications Department 53 Charging port N Network Sp1 Charging Space Sp2 Waiting space

Claims

1. a charger having a charging connector; an arm mechanism capable of gripping the charging connector; a control device that controls the charger, the arm mechanism, and a plurality of vehicles; and The control device identifying a position of the vehicle that minimizes the time required to insert the charging connector into the charging port based on an arm trajectory that indicates a trajectory of the arm mechanism when gripping the charging connector, a shape of the vehicle, and a position of a charging port of the vehicle; The vehicle is automatically driven to the specified position and stopped there, and the charging connector held by the arm mechanism is inserted into the charging port to start charging. Charging system.

2. The control device Accepts charging reservations from multiple vehicles, When charging each vehicle consecutively, determining an order of charging each vehicle that minimizes the operation time of the arm mechanism based on the arm trajectory, the shape of each vehicle, and the position of the charging port of each vehicle; Based on the determined charging order, the vehicles are automatically driven to the specified locations in order and stopped. The charging system of claim 1 .

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