Charge control system, charge control device, charge control method, and charge control program

Abstract

To provide a charging control system for efficiently charging a plurality of electric vehicles without exceeding a set upper limit value of current while minimizing available surplus power.SOLUTION: When receiving the periodic connection from each charger 200, the charge control device 300 compares the value of the current that is already being used with the upper limit value indicated by the set current information to specify the available current remaining value. The charging control device 300 determines the value of the charging current of the charger 200 so as to increase the value of the charging current of the charger 200 when the specified remaining power value is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold, and to decrease the value of the charging current of the charger 200 when the remaining power value is smaller than the threshold. The charging control device 300 transmits the determined value of the charging current to the charger 200, and controls the charging of the electric vehicle by the charger 200.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a charge control system, a charge control device, a charge control method, and a charge control program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the introduction of electric vehicles has been promoted in order to realize a low-carbon society. Accordingly, devices and services for charging electric vehicles have also been provided. Furthermore, in recent years, technology for efficiently charging multiple electric vehicles has also been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-154651 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, a control master unit transmits differential information indicating the available current to each of multiple control slave units, and each control slave unit increases or decreases the charging current of each charger based on the received differential information and the current reference value of each charger controlled by that control slave unit. In this case, each control slave unit changes the charging current of the multiple chargers it controls based on the differential information transmitted from the control master unit, without considering changes in charging current implemented by the other control slave units. As a result, each control slave unit changes the charging current of the charger it controls without considering the total charging current, including the charging current of the chargers controlled by the other control slave units. Therefore, even if the change in charging current is the minimum current setting, the total charging current of the multiple chargers controlled by each of the multiple control slave units may exceed the maximum usable current, which could cause problems. Furthermore, if the total charging current exceeds the maximum usable current, the control master unit transmits differential information indicating this to each control slave unit, and each control slave unit reduces the charging current of each charger based on the differential information. Therefore, the total charging current may be significantly reduced below the maximum value, resulting in a problem of a large excess capacity.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a charging control system, a charging control device, a charging control method, and a charging control program for efficiently charging each electric vehicle without exceeding a set upper limit of current when charging multiple electric vehicles, and while minimizing available excess power. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The charging control system includes a charging control device that manages the charging current of a charger for an electric vehicle and one or more chargers. Each charger includes a connection unit that periodically connects to the charging control device via a network at predetermined time intervals and a charging unit that performs charging based on a charging current value instructed by the charging control device when connected to the charging control device by the connection unit. The charging control device includes a setting information acquisition unit, a determination unit, a decision unit, and a charging control unit. The setting information acquisition unit acquires set current information that is an upper limit value of the available charging current. When accepting a periodic connection from each charger, the determination unit determines a remaining current value of the available current by comparing the value of the current already being used with the upper limit value indicated by the set current information. If the remaining current value determined by the determination unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the determination unit determines a value of the charging current of the charger so as to increase the value of the charging current of the charger, and if the remaining current value is less than the threshold, the determination unit determines a value of the charging current of the charger so as to decrease the value of the charging current of the charger. The charging control unit transmits the charging current value determined by the determination unit to the charger and controls charging of the electric vehicle by the charger.

[0007] The charging control device can accept connections from multiple electric vehicle chargers and manages the charging current of each charger. The charging control device has a setting information acquisition unit, an identification unit, a determination unit, and a charging control unit. The setting information acquisition unit acquires set current information that is an upper limit value of the available charging current. When accepting periodic connections from each charger, the identification unit identifies a remaining capacity value of the available current by comparing the value of the current already being used with the upper limit value indicated by the set current information. If the remaining capacity value identified by the identification unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the determination unit determines a value of the charging current of the charger so as to increase the value of the charging current of the charger, and if the remaining capacity value is less than the threshold, to decrease the value of the charging current of the charger. The charging control unit transmits the value of the charging current determined by the determination unit to the charger and controls charging of the electric vehicle by the charger.

[0008] The charging control method is executed by a charging control device that can accept connections from multiple electric vehicle chargers and manages the charging current of each charger. The charging control method includes a setting information acquisition step, a specification step, a determination step, and a charging control step. The setting information acquisition step acquires set current information that is an upper limit value of the available charging current. The specification step, when accepting periodic connections from each charger, specifies a remaining capacity value of the available current by comparing the value of the current already being used with the upper limit value indicated by the set current information. The determination step determines a value of the charging current of the charger so that if the remaining capacity value specified in the specification step is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the value of the charging current of the charger is increased, and if the remaining capacity value is less than the threshold, the value of the charging current of the charger is decreased. The charging control step transmits the value of the charging current determined in the determination step to the charger to control charging of the electric vehicle by the charger.

[0009] The charge control program is configured to cause the information processing device to function as the charge control device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The charging control device acquires set current information, which is the upper limit of the available charging current. When the charging control device receives periodic connections from each charger, it identifies the available current reserve by comparing the value of the current already being used with the upper limit indicated by the set current information. If the identified available current reserve is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the charging control device determines the value of the charging current of the charger so as to increase the value of the charging current of the charger, and if the available current reserve is less than the threshold, to decrease the value of the charging current of the charger. The charging control device transmits the determined value of the charging current to the charger and controls the charging of the electric vehicle by the charger. This allows each electric vehicle to be efficiently charged when charging multiple electric vehicles without exceeding the set upper limit of the current and while minimizing the available power reserve. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a charger. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information processing device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an external server. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a user terminal. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control unit of the information processing device. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a process executed by the charging control system. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating how charging by a plurality of chargers is controlled by a charging control system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted. Furthermore, the dimensional proportions in the drawings may be exaggerated for the sake of convenience and may differ from the actual proportions.

[0013] <System configuration> First, a system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the system 1 is configured with multiple electric vehicles 100 (electric vehicles 100a, 100b, ..., 100x), multiple chargers 200 (chargers 200a, 200b, ..., 200x), an information processing device 300, an external server 400, and a user terminal 500. Each electric vehicle 100 and each charger 200 are connected by a dedicated charging cable. The chargers 200, the information processing device 300, the external server 400, and the user terminal 500 are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other via a network such as the Internet. Note that the connections between each component are not limited to the above example, and each component may be connected to each other by any method. The chargers 200 and the information processing device 300 configure a charging control system.

[0016] Each component will be described in detail below.

[0017] <100 Electric Vehicles> The electric vehicle 100 is any vehicle that can run using electric power charged by the charger 200. The electric vehicle 100 may be a so-called electric vehicle (EV) that can run using only electric power, or may be a so-called hybrid vehicle that can run using energy other than electric power. There are no particular limitations on the type of electric vehicle 100, and it may be any vehicle, such as a car with one, two, three, four, or five or more wheels, a motorcycle, a scooter, a kick scooter, or a skateboard.

[0018] <Charger 200> Charger 200 is a charging device for charging the battery of electric vehicle 100, and is installed at the homes, offices, various stores, parking lots, etc. of users who are consumers. Charger 200 can be controlled from a remote location via a network. Multiple chargers 200 may be installed within a single charging spot (an area where chargers 200 are installed), or may be installed within multiple different charging spots that are spaced apart.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the charger 200. As shown in FIG.

[0020] 2, the charger 200 includes a control unit 210, a storage unit 220, a communication unit 230, and a charging unit 240. The components are connected to each other via a bus so that they can communicate with each other. Alternatively, the components may be connected to the information processing device 300 directly via a network without using a bus.

[0021] The control unit 210 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and controls the above-mentioned components and executes various arithmetic processing in accordance with a program.

[0022] The storage unit 220 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores various programs and various data in advance, a RAM (Random Access Memory) that temporarily stores programs and data as a working area, and the like.

[0023] The communication unit 230 includes an interface for communicating with other terminals and devices via a network, and transmits and receives various data to and from the information processing device 300, for example.

[0024] The charging unit 240 charges the battery of the electric vehicle 100 with the current value transmitted and set from the information processing device 300 using power supplied via a household outlet (for example, 200V) or the like.

[0025] When the electric vehicle 100 is connected to the charging unit 240, the communication unit 230, as a connection unit, periodically connects to the information processing device 300 at predetermined time intervals via the network. The charger 200 connects to the information processing device 300 at a first time interval when charging is being performed by the charging unit 240, and connects to the information processing device 300 at a second time interval that is longer than the first time interval when charging is not being performed by the charging unit 240.

[0026] When charging is being performed by the charging unit 240, when the charger 200 is connected to the information processing device 300 via the communication unit 230 as described above, the charger 200 receives an instruction regarding the value of the charging current from the information processing device 300. The charging unit 240 charges the electric vehicle 100 based on the value of the charging current instructed by the information processing device 300.

[0027] <Information processing device 300> The information processing device 300 is a server provided by a business operator or the like that provides a charge control service that appropriately controls the charger 200. In this embodiment, the information processing device 300 functions as a charge control device.

[0028] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the information processing device 300. As shown in FIG.

[0029] 3, the information processing device 300 includes a control unit 310, a storage unit 320, a communication unit 330, and an operation display unit 340. The components are connected to each other via a bus so that they can communicate with each other.

[0030] The configurations of the control unit 310, storage unit 320, and communication unit 330 of the information processing device 300 are similar to the corresponding configurations of the charger 200, and therefore, redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0031] The operation display unit 340 is configured to display various information and receive input from the user, and is configured, for example, by a touch panel display. The operation display unit 340 may be configured by a combination of a liquid crystal display, a pointing device such as a mouse, a keyboard, etc.

[0032] The storage unit 320 stores programs that cause the control unit 310 to function as a setting information acquisition unit, an identification unit, a determination unit, a charge control unit, a change unit, a timing setting unit, a power amount acquisition unit, and a calculation unit. The storage unit 320 also stores various information required for the above units to execute their respective processes. For example, the storage unit 320 may store set current information, which is a value indicating the upper limit of the charging current available at a single charging spot or at multiple distant charging spots. The storage unit 320 may also store information indicating a threshold value of a remaining capacity value used to determine whether there is a margin for available current. The storage unit 320 may also store increase step information or increase rate information indicating the increase rate when increasing the charging current of the charger 200, decrease step information indicating the decrease rate when decreasing the charging current, decrease rate information indicating the decrease rate, and the like. The storage unit 320 may also store table information and the like for determining the degree of fluctuation when varying the charging current of the charger 200 according to the remaining capacity value. The storage unit 320 may also store charger upper limit information relating to the upper limit and lower limit of the charging current output by each charger 200. The functions of the information processing device 300 will be described in detail later.

[0033] <External Server 400> The external server 400 is a server that stores and provides information on the amount of power output by a power generation system that uses natural energy such as solar power generation.

[0034] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the external server 400. As shown in FIG.

[0035] 4, the external server 400 includes a control unit 410, a storage unit 420, a communication unit 430, and an operation display unit 440. The components are connected to each other via a bus so that they can communicate with each other.

[0036] The control unit 410, storage unit 420, communication unit 430, and operation display unit 440 of the external server 400 are configured similarly to the corresponding configurations of the information processing device 300, and therefore will not be described again.

[0037] <User terminal 500> The user terminal 500 is an information terminal such as a smartphone, tablet PC, or notebook PC that is used by a user who charges the electric vehicle 100 .

[0038] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the user terminal 500. As shown in FIG.

[0039] 5, user terminal 500 includes a control unit 510, a storage unit 520, a communication unit 530, and an operation display unit 540. The components are connected to each other via a bus so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0040] The configurations of the control unit 510, storage unit 520, communication unit 530, and operation display unit 540 of the user terminal 500 are the same as the corresponding configurations of the information processing device 300, and therefore redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0041] <Functions of information processing device 300> FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control unit of the information processing device.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 6, the information processing device 300 functions as a setting information acquisition unit 311, an identification unit 312, a determination unit 313, a charging control unit 314, a change unit 315, a timing setting unit 316, an energy acquisition unit 317, and a calculation unit 318 by the CPU of the control unit 310 reading a program stored in the memory unit 320 and executing processing.

[0043] The setting information acquisition unit 311 acquires setting current information, which is a value indicating the upper limit of the available charging current.

[0044] When the determination unit 312 receives a periodic connection from each charger 200, it determines the available current reserve value by comparing the value of the current already being used by each charger 200 connected to the information processing device 300 with the upper limit value indicated by the set current information.

[0045] The determination unit 313 determines the value of the charging current of the charger 200 so that if the remaining capacity value identified by the identification unit 312 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the value of the charging current of the charger 200 is increased, and if the remaining capacity value is smaller than the threshold, the value of the charging current of the charger 200 is decreased.

[0046] The charging control unit 314 transmits the value of the charging current determined by the determination unit 313 to the charger 200 in question, and controls the charging of the electric vehicle 100 by the charger 200 in question.

[0047] The setting information acquisition unit 311 may acquire increase step information indicating an increase amount when increasing the charging current of the charger 200, and decrease step information indicating a decrease amount when decreasing the charging current of the charger 200. In this case, the determination unit 313 may acquire the value of the charging current instructed to the charger 200, and, if the remaining capacity value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, may add the increase amount indicated by the increase step information to the value of the charging current instructed to the charger 200 to determine the value of the charging current of the charger 200. Alternatively, if the remaining capacity value is smaller than the threshold, the determination unit 313 may subtract the decrease amount indicated by the decrease step information from the value of the charging current instructed to the charger 200 to determine the value of the charging current of the charger 200.

[0048] Furthermore, setting information acquisition unit 311 may acquire increase rate information indicating an increase rate when increasing the charging current of charger 200 and decrease rate information indicating a decrease rate when decreasing the charging current of charger 200. In this case, determination unit 313 may acquire the value of the charging current instructed to charger 200, and if the remaining capacity value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, determine the value of the charging current of charger 200 by applying the increase rate indicated by the increase rate information to the value of the charging current instructed to charger 200 to increase it. Furthermore, if the remaining capacity value is smaller than the threshold, determination unit 313 may determine the value of the charging current of charger 200 by applying the decrease rate indicated by the decrease rate information to the value of the charging current instructed to charger 200 to decrease it.

[0049] The change unit 315 determines the degree of fluctuation when fluctuating the charging current of the charger 200, depending on the remaining capacity value. In this case, the determination unit 313 may acquire the value of the charging current instructed to the charger 200, and if the remaining capacity value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, increase the value of the charging current instructed to the charger 200 based on the degree of fluctuation determined by the change unit 315 to determine the value of the charging current of the charger 200. Alternatively, if the remaining capacity value is smaller than the threshold, decrease the value of the charging current instructed to the charger 200 based on the degree of fluctuation determined by the change unit 315 to determine the value of the charging current of the charger 200.

[0050] The setting information acquisition unit 311 may further acquire charger upper limit value information relating to the upper limit value of the charging current output by each charger 200. In this case, the determination unit 313 may determine the value of the charging current of each charger 200 by further taking the charger upper limit value information into consideration.

[0051] The timing setting unit 316 sets the connection timing for each of the chargers 200 so that the connection timings for the chargers 200 to the information processing device 300 are different from each other.

[0052] The power amount acquisition unit 317 acquires information about the amount of power output by the power generation system using natural energy.

[0053] The calculation unit 318 calculates the upper limit of the charging current that can be used for charging, based on the amount of power acquired by the power amount acquisition unit 317. In this case, the setting information acquisition unit 311 can acquire setting current information based on the upper limit calculated by the calculation unit 318.

[0054] <System processing flow> Fig. 7 is a sequence chart showing the procedure of the process executed by the charging control system. The process executed by each component shown in Fig. 7 is stored as a program in the storage unit of each component, and is executed by the CPU of the control unit controlling each component.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 7, each charger 200 (200a, 200b, ..., 200x) determines whether a predetermined time interval previously stored in the storage unit 220 has elapsed (step S201). When charging is being performed by the charging unit 240 of the charger 200, the charger 200 uses a first time interval as the predetermined time interval. When charging is not being performed by the charging unit 240 of the charger 200, the charger 200 uses a second time interval that is longer than the first time interval as the predetermined time interval. For example, the first time interval is a relatively short time of about several tens of seconds, and the second time interval is a relatively long time of about several minutes. In this embodiment, the first time interval is 30 seconds, and the second time interval is 5 minutes.

[0056] If the predetermined time interval has not elapsed (step S201: NO), the charger 200 waits until the predetermined time interval has elapsed.

[0057] If the predetermined time interval has elapsed (step S201: YES), the charger 200 acquires charging information including various information related to charging by the charger 200, and transmits the information to the information processing device 300 (step S202).

[0058] For example, when each charger 200 is powered on and begins to be used, it connects to the information processing device 300 and starts counting the predetermined time interval from that timing. Therefore, each charger 200 basically connects to the information processing device 300 at a different timing. When multiple chargers 200 connect to the information processing device 300 at the same timing, the information processing device 300 uses a queue to accept connections from each charger 200 and sequentially executes the required processing. Here, the information processing device 300 may set the connection timing of each charger 200 so that the multiple chargers 200 connect to the information processing device 300 at different timings. After connecting to the information processing device 300 at the set connection timing, the multiple chargers 200 connect to the information processing device 300 at predetermined time intervals, and therefore will continue to connect to the information processing device 300 at different timings thereafter.

[0059] The charging information includes identification information for identifying the charger 200, status information indicating the status of the charger 200 (charging in progress, standby, etc.), and information indicating the value of the charging current set in the charger 200 in response to an instruction from the information processing device 300. The charging information may also include information indicating the value of the effective current from the charger 200, information indicating the power, etc.

[0060] The information processing device 300 acquires the charging information transmitted from the charger 200 (step S301).

[0061] The information processing device 300 identifies the available current margin (step S302). Specifically, the information processing device 300 acquires the value of the current currently being used based on the charging information of the target charger 200 acquired in the processing of step S301 and information on the charging currents set for the other chargers 200 stored in the storage unit 320. The information processing device 300 identifies the available current margin by comparing the value of the current currently being used with a value indicating the upper limit of the available charging current stored in the storage unit 320 as set current information.

[0062] The information processing device 300 determines the charging current of the target charger 200 based on the identified remaining capacity value (step S303). For example, if the remaining capacity value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the information processing device 300 increases the value of the charging current of the target charger 200, and if the remaining capacity value is smaller than the predetermined threshold, the information processing device 300 decreases the value of the charging current of the target charger 200.

[0063] For example, the information processing device 300 may receive, by input from a user via the user terminal 500, increase step information indicating an increase amount when increasing the charging current of the charger 200 and decrease step information indicating a decrease amount when decreasing the charging current of the charger 200, and store these information in advance in the storage unit 320. In this case, when the remaining capacity value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the information processing device 300 may add the increase amount indicated by the increase step information to the value of the charging current instructed to the charger 200 to determine the value of the charging current of the charger 200. Furthermore, when the remaining capacity value is smaller than the predetermined threshold, the information processing device 300 may subtract the decrease amount indicated by the decrease step information from the value of the charging current instructed to the charger 200 to determine the value of the charging current of the charger 200.

[0064] Alternatively, the information processing device 300 may receive, by input from a user via the user terminal 500, increase rate information indicating an increase rate when increasing the charging current of the charger 200 and a decrease rate indicating a decrease rate when decreasing the charging current of the charger 200, and store these information in advance in the storage unit 320. In this case, when the remaining capacity value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the information processing device 300 may apply the increase rate indicated by the increase rate information to the value of the charging current instructed to the charger 200, thereby increasing the value, and determine the value of the charging current of the charger 200. Furthermore, when the remaining capacity value is smaller than the predetermined threshold, the information processing device 300 may apply the decrease rate indicated by the decrease rate information to the value of the charging current instructed to the charger 200, thereby decreasing the value, and determine the value of the charging current of the charger 200.

[0065] Alternatively, the information processing device 300 may vary the degree of variation when varying the charging current of the charger 200 depending on the remaining capacity value. For example, the information processing device 300 may vary the degree of variation of the charging current depending on the remaining capacity value by pre-storing table information in which the increase width, decrease width, increase rate, and decrease rate vary depending on the remaining capacity value. Furthermore, the information processing device 300 may vary the degree of variation of the charging current depending on the remaining capacity value by storing a calculation formula or rule that varies the degree of variation of the charging current depending on the remaining capacity value. Furthermore, the information processing device 300 may vary the degree of variation of the charging current depending on the remaining capacity value by using a trained model that has been machine-learned using a large amount of training data. In this case, when the remaining capacity value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the information processing device 300 may increase the value of the charging current instructed to the charger 200 based on the degree of variation to determine the value of the charging current of the charger 200. Furthermore, when the remaining capacity value is smaller than a predetermined threshold, the information processing device 300 may reduce the value of the charging current instructed to the charger 200 based on the degree of fluctuation, and determine the value of the charging current of the charger 200. Note that, in the above example, the information processing device 300 changes the degree of fluctuation of the charging current after determining whether the remaining capacity value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, but the information processing device 300 may change the degree of fluctuation of the charging current according to the remaining capacity value without comparing it with a threshold.

[0066] The information processing device 300 stores charger upper limit value information relating to the upper limit value of the charging current output by the charger 200. This allows the information processing device 300 to determine the charging current of the charger 200, taking into consideration the upper limit value of the charging current output by the charger 200.

[0067] The information processing device 300 transmits the value of the charging current determined in the process of step S303 to the target charger 200 as charging current information, thereby instructing the target charger 200 on the value of the charging current.

[0068] The target charger 200 charges the electric vehicle 100 based on the value of the charging current instructed by the information processing device 300 (step S203). It takes approximately one second for each charger 200 to receive the instruction on the charging current after transmitting the charging information to the information processing device 300.

[0069] <Processing example> For example, an example of system operation will be described using a case where, at a certain charging spot, the value indicating the upper limit of the available charging current is set to 70 A, and three chargers 200, chargers 200a to 200c, are connected to the information processing device 300. The upper limit of the charging current output by each charger 200 is set to 32 A, and the lower limit is set to 6 A. Also, it is assumed that 4 A is set as the upward step information, 6 A as the downward step information, and 3 A as the threshold for the remaining capacity value. The following describes a case where chargers 200a and 200b are connected to the information processing device 300 first and charging begins, and then charger 200c is connected.

[0070] <Example of early stage processing> First, the use of charger 200a and charger 200b begins sequentially. As charger 200a and charger 200b sequentially connect to information processing device 300, the charging current of each charger 200a and charger 200b is set to 6 A, which is the lower limit. Thereafter, when charger 200a and charger 200b connect to information processing device 300 at predetermined time intervals, the remaining capacity value is sufficiently greater than the threshold, and an increase in the charging current is instructed based on the increase step information. As a result, the charging current of each charger 200a and charger 200b increases to 32 A, which is the upper limit for charger 200. At this point, the current value used at the charging spot is 64 A. Note that by varying the degree of fluctuation depending on the remaining capacity value, for example, when the remaining capacity value is large, the degree of increase in the charging current can be increased, thereby enabling efficient charging.

[0071] At this stage, when the charger 200c starts to be used and is connected to the information processing device 300, the remaining capacity is 6 A, which is the upper limit of 70 A minus the 64 A currently in use, and the charging current of the charger 200c is set to the lower limit of 6 A. At this point, the value of the current being used at the charging spot is 70 A.

[0072] <Example of processing in the first cycle after three chargers are connected> Next, when charger 200a connects to information processing device 300 after a predetermined time interval has elapsed, the value of the current used at the charging spot is 70 A, and the remaining capacity value is 0 A. Therefore, because the remaining capacity value is smaller than the threshold value of 3 A, information processing device 300 reduces the charging current of charger 200a by 6 A based on the descending step information, and determines it to be 26 A. At this point, the value of the current used at the charging spot is 64 A.

[0073] Next, when charger 200b connects to information processing device 300 after a predetermined time interval has elapsed, the value of the current used at the charging spot is 64 A, and the remaining capacity is 6 A. Therefore, because the remaining capacity is equal to or greater than the threshold value of 3 A, information processing device 300 increases the charging current of charger 200b by 4 A based on the increase step information. However, because the charging current of charger 200b is already at 32 A, which is the upper limit of charger 200, information processing device 300 determines the charging current of charger 200b to be 32 A, taking into account the charger upper limit value information. At this point, the value of the current used at the charging spot is 64 A.

[0074] Next, when charger 200c connects to information processing device 300 after a predetermined time interval has elapsed, the value of the current used at the charging spot is 64 A, and the remaining capacity is 6 A. Therefore, because the remaining capacity is equal to or greater than the threshold value of 3 A, information processing device 300 increases the charging current of charger 200c by 4 A based on the increase step information. Therefore, information processing device 300 determines the charging current of charger 200c to be 10 A. At this point, the value of the current used at the charging spot is 68 A.

[0075] <Example of processing for the second round after three chargers are connected> Next, when charger 200a connects to information processing device 300 after a predetermined time interval has elapsed, the value of the current used at the charging spot is 68 A, and the remaining capacity is 2 A. Therefore, because the remaining capacity is smaller than the threshold value of 3 A, information processing device 300 reduces the charging current of charger 200a by 6 A based on the descending step information, and determines it to be 20 A. At this point, the value of the current used at the charging spot is 62 A.

[0076] Next, when charger 200b connects to information processing device 300 after a predetermined time interval has elapsed, the value of the current used at the charging spot is 62 A, and the remaining capacity is 8 A. Therefore, because the remaining capacity is equal to or greater than the threshold value of 3 A, information processing device 300 increases the charging current of charger 200b by 4 A based on the increase step information. However, because the charging current of charger 200b is already at 32 A, which is the upper limit of charger 200, information processing device 300 determines the charging current of charger 200b to be 32 A, taking into account the charger upper limit value information. At this point, the value of the current used at the charging spot is 62 A.

[0077] Next, when charger 200c connects to information processing device 300 after a predetermined time interval has elapsed, the value of the current used at the charging spot is 62 A, and the remaining capacity is 8 A. Therefore, because the remaining capacity is equal to or greater than the threshold value of 3 A, information processing device 300 increases the charging current of charger 200c by 4 A based on the increase step information. Therefore, information processing device 300 determines the charging current of charger 200c to be 14 A. At this point, the value of the current used at the charging spot is 66 A.

[0078] <Example of processing in the third cycle after three chargers are connected> Next, when charger 200a connects to information processing device 300 after a predetermined time interval has elapsed, the value of the current used at the charging spot is 66 A, and the remaining capacity is 4 A. Therefore, because the remaining capacity is equal to or greater than the threshold value of 3 A, information processing device 300 increases the charging current of charger 200a by 4 A based on the increase step information, setting it to 24 A. At this point, the value of the current used at the charging spot is 70 A.

[0079] Next, when charger 200b connects to information processing device 300 after a predetermined time interval has elapsed, the value of the current used at the charging spot is 70 A, and the remaining capacity value is 0 A. Therefore, because the remaining capacity value is smaller than the threshold value of 3 A, information processing device 300 reduces the charging current of charger 200b by 6 A based on the descending step information, and determines it to be 26 A. At this point, the value of the current used at the charging spot is 64 A.

[0080] Next, when charger 200c connects to information processing device 300 after a predetermined time interval has elapsed, the value of the current used at the charging spot is 64 A, and the remaining capacity is 6 A. Therefore, because the remaining capacity is equal to or greater than the threshold value of 3 A, information processing device 300 increases the charging current of charger 200c by 4 A based on the increase step information, and determines the charging current of charger 200c to be 18 A. At this point, the value of the current used at the charging spot is 68 A.

[0081] Thereafter, the same process is repeated, whereby the charging current of each charger 200 is autonomously adjusted within the upper limit of the charging current that can be used for charging, and multiple electric vehicles 100 can be efficiently charged using multiple chargers 200.

[0082] <Example> FIG. 8 is a diagram showing how charging by a plurality of chargers is controlled by the charging control system.

[0083] The upper and lower tables each show the results of charging when six chargers 200 are connected to the information processing device 300 at a certain charging spot (garage or parking lot), and electric vehicles 100 are connected to each charger 200 in turn. The time when each electric vehicle 100 arrives at the charging spot and connects to the charger 200, and the time when each electric vehicle 100 disconnects from the charger 200 to leave the charging spot, differ depending on the usage status of each electric vehicle 100. The amount of charging energy required by each electric vehicle 100 also differs depending on the usage status of each electric vehicle 100.

[0084] The top table is an example where the upper limit of the available charging current is set to 200 A, and the bottom table is an example where the upper limit of the available charging current is set to 100 A. The table on the left shows the amount of charging energy required for each charger 200, the connection and disconnection times of the electric vehicle 100, the connection time that the electric vehicle 100 is connected, the charging time that the electric vehicle 100 is being charged, and the ratio of the charging time to the connection time. The graph on the right shows the connection time of the electric vehicle 100 for each charger 200, the time that the electric vehicle 100 is being charged (dark gray), the time that the electric vehicle 100 is connected but not being charged (light gray), and the disconnection time of the electric vehicle 100.

[0085] When the upper limit is 200 A, charging of all six vehicles is completed sooner than when the upper limit is 100 A. However, the percentage of time during which the electric vehicles 100 are connected to the charger 200 but are not being charged increases. In fact, the charging time percentage is 24% when the upper limit is 200 A, while it is 35% when the upper limit is 100 A. In other words, by setting the upper limit to 100 A, the time during which each electric vehicle 100 is connected to the charger 200 is effectively utilized, thereby mitigating peaks in power usage and achieving efficient power usage. Furthermore, even if the upper limit of the set current is further reduced from 100 A to 70 A or 50 A, for example, the available charging time can be effectively utilized and each electric vehicle can be efficiently charged simply by connecting each electric vehicle 100 to the charger 200 in sequence.

[0086] In the above example, the upper limit of the charging current that can be used for charging has been described as being stored in advance in the storage unit 320 as set current information, but this is not limiting. For example, the information processing device 300 may access the external server 400 to obtain information on the amount of power output by a power generation system that uses natural energy such as solar power generation, and calculate the upper limit of the charging current that can be used for charging based on the obtained amount of power. In this case, the information processing device 300 can obtain and use the calculated upper limit as set current information.

[0087] As described above, the charging control system of this embodiment includes an information processing device 300 that manages the charging current of the chargers 200 for the electric vehicle 100, and one or more chargers 200. Each charger 200 periodically connects to the information processing device 300 via a network at predetermined time intervals and performs charging based on the charging current value instructed by the information processing device 300 when connected to the information processing device 300. The information processing device 300 acquires set current information, which is the upper limit of the available charging current. When the information processing device 300 receives a periodic connection from each charger 200, it identifies the available current margin by comparing the current value already being used with the upper limit indicated by the set current information. If the identified margin is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the information processing device 300 increases the charging current value of the charger 200. If the margin is less than the threshold, the information processing device 300 determines the charging current value of the charger 200 so as to decrease the charging current value of the charger 200. The information processing device 300 transmits the determined charging current value to the charger 200 and controls the charging of the electric vehicle 100 by the charger 200. This allows each electric vehicle to be charged efficiently when charging multiple electric vehicles without exceeding the set upper limit of the current and while minimizing the available excess power.

[0088] According to the charging control system of this embodiment, by simply connecting multiple chargers 200 to the information processing device 300 and setting an upper limit for the available current, each charger 200 periodically connects to the information processing device 300, obtains a charging current according to the available power, and performs charging. Therefore, the charging current of each charger 200 is autonomously adjusted within the range of the upper limit for the available charging current, and multiple electric vehicles 100 can be efficiently charged by the multiple chargers 200.

[0089] Furthermore, the peak power usage can be reduced, which can ease the tightness of the power supply.

[0090] In the past, for example, if a user installed multiple chargers 200 at a charging spot, it was necessary to significantly increase the contracted amperage with the power supplier to match peak power usage. With the charging control system of this embodiment, it is possible to set an upper current limit and efficiently adjust the charging current of multiple chargers 200 within the range of available power, thereby performing charging. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently perform charging of multiple electric vehicles 100 without significantly increasing the contracted amperage.

[0091] The information processing device 300 also acquires increase step information indicating the increase amount when increasing the charging current of the charger 200, and decrease step information indicating the decrease amount when decreasing the charging current of the charger 200. The information processing device 300 acquires the value of the charging current instructed to the charger 200, and if the remaining capacity value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, adds the increase amount indicated by the increase step information to the value of the charging current instructed to the charger 200. If the remaining capacity value is smaller than the threshold, the information processing device 300 subtracts the decrease amount indicated by the decrease step information from the value of the charging current instructed to the charger 200. This makes it possible to appropriately adjust the increase or decrease in the charging current of each charger 200 by any increase or decrease amount.

[0092] The information processing device 300 also acquires increase rate information indicating the increase rate when increasing the charging current of the charger 200 and decrease rate information indicating the decrease rate when decreasing the charging current of the charger 200. The information processing device 300 acquires the value of the charging current instructed to each charger 200, and if the remaining capacity value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, applies the increase rate indicated by the increase rate information to the value of the charging current instructed to that charger 200 to increase it. If the remaining capacity value is smaller than the threshold, the information processing device 300 applies the decrease rate indicated by the decrease rate information to the value of the charging current instructed to that charger 200 to decrease it. This makes it possible to appropriately adjust the increase or decrease of the charging current of each charger 200 using any increase or decrease rate.

[0093] The information processing device 300 also determines the degree of fluctuation when varying the charging current of the charger 200 according to the remaining capacity value. The information processing device 300 acquires the value of the charging current instructed to each charger 200, and if the remaining capacity value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, increases the value of the charging current instructed to that charger 200 based on the determined degree of fluctuation. If the remaining capacity value is smaller than the threshold, the information processing device 300 decreases the value of the charging current instructed to that charger 200 based on the determined degree of fluctuation. This allows the degree of fluctuation to vary depending on the remaining capacity value. For example, if the remaining capacity value is large, the degree of increase in the charging current can be increased to minimize the available power reserve, thereby enabling efficient charging. If the remaining capacity value is small, the degree of increase in the charging current can be reduced to finely adjust the charging current of each charger 200, enabling efficient charging.

[0094] Furthermore, the information processing device 300 acquires charger upper limit value information relating to the upper limit value of the charging current output by each charger 200, and determines the value of the charging current by further considering the charger upper limit value information. This allows charging to be performed taking into consideration the upper limit value of the current that the charger 200 can output, thereby avoiding placing an excessive load on the charger 200, maximizing the performance of the charger 200, and performing charging efficiently and safely.

[0095] Furthermore, the charger 200 connects to the information processing device 300 at a first time interval when charging is being performed by the charging unit 240, and connects to the information processing device 300 at a second time interval that is longer than the first time interval when charging is not being performed by the charging unit 240. As a result, while the charger 200 is charging, the charger 200 is connected to the information processing device 300 at relatively short time intervals, making it possible to adjust the charging current and efficiently perform charging using a plurality of chargers 200. Furthermore, while the charger 200 is not charging, the charger 200 is connected to the information processing device 300 at relatively long time intervals, making it possible to reduce wasted processing resources and power consumption.

[0096] Furthermore, the information processing device 300 sets the timing at which the chargers 200 connect to the information processing device 300 to be different from each other. As a result, the chargers 200 connect to the information processing device 300 in sequence and charge with a charging current determined based on the available power value at that time, thereby enabling each electric vehicle 100 to be charged efficiently.

[0097] The information processing device 300 also acquires information regarding the amount of power output by the power generation system using natural energy. Based on the acquired amount of power, the information processing device 300 calculates an upper limit of the charging current that can be used for charging, and acquires set current information based on the calculated upper limit. This makes it possible to set an upper limit of the usable charging current based on the amount of power output, even when charging using a power generation system whose output power varies depending on the situation, such as solar power generation. Therefore, even when charging multiple electric vehicles using a power generation system using natural energy, each electric vehicle can be efficiently charged without exceeding the upper limit of the usable current and while minimizing the available excess power.

[0098] Multiple chargers 200 may be installed within a single charging spot. One charging spot may be, for example, a garage for public transportation such as a bus or taxi, a garage for various businesses that use multiple vehicles, or a parking lot for a store or residence. Simply by connecting multiple chargers 200 installed at the charging spot to information processing device 300 and setting an upper limit for the usable current, multiple electric vehicles can be efficiently charged without exceeding the set upper limit for the current and while minimizing the available power surplus.

[0099] Furthermore, the multiple chargers 200 may be installed in multiple different, distant charging spots. As a result, regardless of the locations where the chargers 200 are installed, when charging is performed using the multiple chargers 200, charging can be performed efficiently without exceeding a set upper limit of current and while minimizing the available excess power. For example, a virtual power plant (VPP) may supply a predetermined amount of power to multiple different, distant charging spots. Even in such a case, when charging is performed using the multiple chargers 200 installed in multiple different, distant charging spots, charging can be performed efficiently without exceeding a set upper limit of current and while minimizing the available excess power.

[0100] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and each modified example, but can be modified in various ways within the scope of the claims.

[0101] For example, the information processing device 300 can execute an appropriate combination of the processes described separately in the above-described embodiment and each of the modifications.

[0102] Furthermore, each of the components of the electric vehicle 100, charger 200, information processing device 300, external server 400, and user terminal 500 included in system 1 may include components other than those described above, or may not include some of the components described above.

[0103] Furthermore, the functions of each component may be realized by other components. For example, some of the functions described as being possessed by the information processing device 300 may be executed by other components such as the electric vehicle 100, the charger 200, the external server 400, or the user terminal 500.

[0104] Furthermore, the electric vehicle 100, the charger 200, the information processing device 300, the external server 400, and the user terminal 500 may each be configured by a plurality of devices, or may each be configured by a single device.

[0105] Furthermore, the processing in the system according to the above-described embodiment may include steps other than those in the sequence chart above, or may not include some of the steps described above. The order of the steps is not limited to that of the above-described embodiment. Furthermore, each step may be combined with other steps and executed as a single step, may be included in other steps and executed, or may be divided into multiple steps and executed.

[0106] In addition, some steps may be omitted from the sequence chart described above, and other steps may be added. Furthermore, some of the steps may be executed simultaneously, or one step may be divided into multiple steps and executed.

[0107] The means and methods for performing various processes in the systems according to the above-described embodiments can be realized by either dedicated hardware circuits or a programmed computer. The programs may be provided, for example, on a computer-readable recording medium such as a flexible disk or CD-ROM, or online via a network such as the Internet. In this case, the programs recorded on the computer-readable recording medium are typically transferred to and stored in a storage unit such as a hard disk. The programs may also be provided as standalone application software or may be incorporated into the software of the device as a function of the system. [Explanation of symbols]

[0108] 1 system, 100(100a, 100b, …, 100x) electric vehicles, 200(200a, 200b,…, 200x) charger, 210 control section, 220 storage section, 230 Communications Department, 240 live parts, 300 information processing device, 310 control section, 311 setting information acquisition unit, 312 Specific Department; 313 Decision Section, 314 charging control unit, 315 Changes Division, 316 timing setting unit, 317 Electric energy acquisition section, 318 Calculation Unit, 320 storage section, 330 Communications Department, 340 Operation display section, 400 External Server, 410 control section, 420 storage section, 430 Communications Department, 440 Operation display section, 500 user terminals, 510 control section, 520 storage section, 530 Communications Department, 540 Operation display section.

Claims

1. a charging control device that manages the charging current of the electric vehicle charger; one or more of the chargers; Each of the chargers is a connection unit that periodically connects to the charge control device via a network at predetermined time intervals; a charging unit that performs charging based on a value of a charging current instructed by the charging control device when the charging unit is connected to the charging control device by the connection unit, The charging control device a setting information acquisition unit that acquires setting current information that is an upper limit value of a usable charging current; an identification unit that identifies a current margin value that can be used by comparing a current value that is already being used with the upper limit value indicated by the set current information when a periodic connection is received from each of the chargers; a determination unit that determines a value of a charging current of the charger so as to increase a value of the charging current of the charger when the remaining capacity value identified by the identification unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, and to decrease the value of the charging current of the charger when the remaining capacity value is smaller than the threshold; a charging control unit that transmits the value of the charging current determined by the determination unit to the charger and controls charging of the electric vehicle by the charger; A charging control system having:

2. the setting information acquisition unit further acquires increasing step information indicating an increasing amount when increasing the charging current of the charger, and decreasing step information indicating a decreasing amount when decreasing the charging current of the charger; 2. The charging control system of claim 1, wherein the determination unit acquires the value of the charging current instructed to the charger, and if the remaining capacity value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, adds the increase amount indicated by the increase step information to the value of the charging current instructed to the charger, and if the remaining capacity value is smaller than the threshold, subtracts the decrease amount indicated by the decrease step information from the value of the charging current instructed to the charger to determine the value of the charging current of the charger.

3. the setting information acquisition unit further acquires increase rate information indicating an increase rate when increasing a charging current of the charger, and decrease rate information indicating a decrease rate when decreasing a charging current of the charger; 2. The charging control system of claim 1, wherein the determination unit acquires the value of the charging current instructed to each of the chargers, and if the remaining capacity value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, applies the increase rate indicated by the increase rate information to the value of the charging current instructed to that charger to increase it, and if the remaining capacity value is smaller than the threshold, applies the decrease rate indicated by the decrease rate information to the value of the charging current instructed to that charger to decrease it, thereby determining the value of the charging current of that charger.

4. a change unit that determines a degree of change when changing the charging current of the charger according to the remaining capacity value; 2. The charging control system of claim 1, wherein the determination unit acquires the value of the charging current instructed to each of the chargers, and if the remaining capacity value is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold, increases the value of the charging current instructed to the charger based on the degree of fluctuation determined by the change unit, and if the remaining capacity value is smaller than the threshold, decreases the value of the charging current instructed to the charger based on the degree of fluctuation determined by the change unit to determine the value of the charging current of the charger.

5. the setting information acquisition unit further acquires charger upper limit value information relating to an upper limit value of a charging current output by each of the chargers; 5. The charging control system according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines the value of the charging current by further taking into consideration the charger upper limit value information.

6. A charging control system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the connection unit of the charger connects to the charging control device at a first time interval when charging is being performed by the charging unit, and connects to the charging control device at a second time interval longer than the first time interval when charging is not being performed by the charging unit.

7. 5. The charging control system according to claim 1, further comprising a timing setting unit that sets the timings at which the plurality of chargers connect to the charging control device to be different from one another.

8. an electric energy acquisition unit that acquires information about the amount of electric energy output by a power generation system that uses natural energy; a calculation unit that calculates an upper limit of a charging current that can be used for charging based on the amount of power acquired by the power amount acquisition unit, 5. The charging control system according to claim 1, wherein the setting information acquisition unit acquires the setting current information based on the upper limit value calculated by the calculation unit.

9. 5. The charging control system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the chargers are installed within one charging spot.

10. 5. The charging control system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of chargers are installed in a plurality of different charging spots spaced apart from each other.

11. A charging control device that can accept connections from a plurality of electric vehicle chargers and manages the charging current of each charger, a setting information acquisition unit that acquires setting current information that is an upper limit value of a usable charging current; an identification unit that identifies a current margin value that can be used by comparing a value of a current that is already being used with the upper limit value indicated by the set current information when a connection is accepted from each of the chargers at predetermined intervals; a determination unit that determines a value of a charging current of the charger so as to increase a value of the charging current of the charger when the remaining capacity value identified by the identification unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, and to decrease the value of the charging current of the charger when the remaining capacity value is smaller than the threshold; a charging control unit that transmits the value of the charging current determined by the determination unit to the charger and controls charging of the electric vehicle by the charger; A charging control device having the same.

12. A charging control method executed by a charging control device that can accept connections from a plurality of electric vehicle chargers and manages the charging current of each charger, comprising: a setting information acquisition step of acquiring setting current information that is an upper limit value of a usable charging current; a specifying step of specifying a current margin value that can be used by comparing a value of a current that is already being used with the upper limit value indicated by the set current information when a connection is accepted from each of the chargers at predetermined intervals; a determining step of determining a value of a charging current of the charger so that, when the remaining capacity value specified in the specifying step is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, a value of a charging current of the charger is increased, and, when the remaining capacity value is smaller than the threshold, the value of the charging current of the charger is decreased; a charge control step of transmitting the value of the charging current determined in the determination step to the charger and controlling charging of the electric vehicle by the charger; A charge control method including:

13. A charge control program for causing an information processing device to function as the charge control device according to claim 11.

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