Point reward system

Abstract

This system provides a point reward system that awards points to electric vehicle users regardless of the attributes of the charger administrator who provides electricity derived from renewable energy. [Solution] The point awarding system includes: estimation means for estimating the charging location of an electric vehicle based on the location of the electric vehicle and a charger map showing the locations of multiple chargers; calculation means for calculating the amount of charge from any of the chargers connected to the electric vehicle among the multiple chargers based on the charging information of the electric vehicle; awarding means for awarding a first point to the electric vehicle user according to the amount of charge if the installation location and attributes of any of the chargers are registered; determination means for determining whether any of the chargers is a renewable energy charger that supplies electricity derived from renewable energy based on the comparison result of the charging location and the installation location and the attributes; and adding means for adding a second point according to the use of electricity to the first point if any of the chargers is a renewable energy charger.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a point awarding system.

Background Art

[0002] It is known that environmental value trading using environmental certificates contributes to countermeasures against global warming. An environmental certificate is a certificate embodying the environmental value of not emitting carbon dioxide during power generation using renewable energy such as sunlight and wind power. As environmental certificates, for example, carbon offset certificates such as green power certificates, J-credits, and non-fossil certificates are known. Through environmental value trading using environmental certificates, even those who have difficulty directly engaging in environmental activities can contribute to countermeasures against global warming (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Environmental certificates are issued by power generation companies that generate green power using renewable energy such as sunlight and wind power. Environmental certificates may be purchased and used by power companies. By using environmental certificates, even if a power company does not generate green power itself, the power company can provide the power it offers as green power.

[0005] Therefore, if power companies install chargers in various facilities such as commercial and public buildings, they can, as charger managers, provide the electricity they supply as green electricity. In addition, some power companies may obtain information on the amount of electricity charged to electric vehicles from the chargers and, based on this information, award points that can be used for various commercial services to electric vehicle users as a reward for using green electricity.

[0006] However, it can be difficult for power companies to award points to users. For example, if a power generator installs a charger that provides green electricity, the power generator is the manager of this charger and is therefore excluded from the power company's scope of management. Similarly, electric vehicle users may install home chargers that provide green electricity in their homes. In this case, the electric vehicle user is the manager of the home charger and is therefore excluded from the power company's scope of management. In such cases, even if electric vehicles are charged with green electricity from chargers installed by power generators or home chargers, it is difficult for power companies to award points to users.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a point-granting system that awards points to electric vehicle users regardless of the attributes of the charger manager who provides electricity derived from renewable energy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The point awarding system according to the present invention includes: estimation means for estimating a second position representing the charging location of an electric vehicle based on a first position representing the location of an electric vehicle and a charger map showing the locations of a plurality of chargers; calculation means for calculating the amount of charge from any of the chargers connected to the electric vehicle among the plurality of chargers based on the charging information of the electric vehicle; awarding means for awarding a first point to the user of the electric vehicle according to the amount of charge, when a third position representing the location where any of the chargers is installed and the attributes of any of the chargers are registered; determination means for determining whether any of the chargers is a specific charger that supplies electricity derived from renewable energy, based on a comparison result between the second position and the third position and the attributes; and adding means for adding a second point to the first point according to the use of the electricity, when any of the chargers is the specific charger. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, points can be awarded to electric vehicle users regardless of the attributes of the charger manager who provides electricity derived from renewable energy. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is an example of a points reward system. [Figure 2] (a) is an example of a block diagram of an electric vehicle. (b) is an example of a block diagram of a vehicle management server. (c) is an example of a block diagram of a charger management server. [Figure 3] (a) is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the vehicle management server. (b) is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the charger management server. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the point awarding system ST is a computer system including a group of management servers SVs. The group of management servers SVs is located in a data center DC that provides cloud services. The group of management servers SVs includes at least a vehicle management server 10 and a charger management server 20. The group of management servers SVs may or may not include an application software (simply referred to as "app" in Figure 1) management server 30.

[0013] The ST point reward system awards users of electric vehicles 50 monetary points, which can be used for commercial services, as a reward for using green electricity derived from renewable energy (hereinafter simply referred to as "renewable energy"). Users of electric vehicles 50 may be individuals or corporations. Renewable energy refers to energy that exists in nature, such as solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal resources. Thus, renewable energy differs from fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas.

[0014] The electric vehicle 50 is an electric vehicle that is equipped with a battery but not an engine, and is capable of being driven by a motor using the electricity stored in the battery. For example, the electric vehicle 50 includes plug-in EVs (Electric Vehicles). The electric vehicle 50 may also be a hybrid vehicle that is equipped with an engine in addition to the motor. The electric vehicle 50 may also be a fuel cell vehicle that is equipped with a hydrogen fuel cell in place of or in addition to the battery.

[0015] Some electric vehicles 50 may be equipped with solar panels 51. The solar panels 51 are mounted, for example, on the roof of the electric vehicle 50. The solar panels 51 are sometimes called PV (Photo Voltaic) roof panels. If an electric vehicle 50 is equipped with solar panels 51, it can use electricity generated from solar power, which converts solar energy into electrical energy, for propulsion. However, an electric vehicle 50 is not required to be equipped with solar panels 51.

[0016] The vehicle management server 10, the charger management server 20, and the application management server 30 are connected to each other by a communication network NW1 such as a LAN (Local Area Network). Also, the vehicle management server 10 is connected to the communication network NW2, and the charger management server 20 is connected to the communication network NW3. Examples of the communication networks NW2 and NW3 include the Internet.

[0017] A mobile base station BS is connected to the communication network NW2. If an electric vehicle 50 is included within the wireless communication range of the mobile base station BS, the mobile base station BS can communicate with the electric vehicle 50 via wireless communication WL. More specifically, the mobile base station BS can communicate with the in-vehicle communication device 52 via wireless communication WL through the antenna ATN of the electric vehicle 50.

[0018] Thereby, the vehicle management server 10 can communicate with the electric vehicle 50 via the communication network NW2, the mobile base station BS, and the wireless communication WL. For the wireless communication WL, a communication standard for wide-area wireless communication such as LTE (Long Term Evolution) is used.

[0019] Terminal devices 61, 71, and 81 are connected to the communication network NW3. The terminal devices 61, 71, and 也 81 may be stationary terminals such as a PC (Personal Computer), or may be mobile terminals such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal.

[0020] The terminal device 61 is installed at the electric power company management facility 60 together with the charger 62. The electric power company management facility 60 is a facility where an electric power company that has purchased an environmental certificate 64 has installed the charger 62. Therefore, the administrator of the charger 62 is the electric power company. The electric power company management facility 60 may be a commercial facility such as a drugstore or a shopping mall, or may be a public facility such as a prefectural office or a city hall.

[0021] The environmental certificate 64 may be a green power certificate, a J-credit, or a non-fossil certificate. As a result, even if the power company itself does not generate green power, the power company can provide the power provided by the charger 62 to the electric vehicle 50 as green power. Therefore, the electric vehicle 50 connected to the charger 62 via the charging cable can be charged based on green power from the charger 62.

[0022] The terminal device 71 is installed in the power generation business operator management facility 70 together with the charger 72. The power generation business operator management facility 70 is a facility where a power generation business operator that generates green power and issues the environmental certificate 64 has installed the charger 72. For this reason, the manager of the charger 72 is the power generation business operator. The power generation business operator can provide green power from the charger 72 to the electric vehicle 50 without purchasing the environmental certificate 64. Therefore, the electric vehicle 50 connected to the charger 72 via the charging cable can be charged based on green power from the charger 72. The power generation business operator management facility 70 may be a commercial facility or a public facility.

[0023] The terminal device 81 is installed by the user's residence 80 together with the charger 82. The user's residence 80 is, for example, the home where the user of the electric vehicle 50 lives. For this reason, the manager of the charger 82 is the user. Although not shown, for example, when a solar panel is installed on the roof of the user's residence 80, the green power generated by the solar panel of the user's residence 80 can be provided from the charger 82 to the electric vehicle 50. In this case, the user may not purchase the environmental certificate 64 from the power generation business operator. As a result, the electric vehicle 50 connected to the charger 82 via the charging cable can be charged based on green power from the charger 82.

[0024] Here, the terminal device 61 transmits location information representing the installation location of the charger 62 and attribute information representing the attributes of the charger 62. The location information includes, for example, the latitude and longitude where the charger 62 is installed. The attribute information includes an identifier that identifies whether the charger 62 is a renewable energy charger that provides green power, or a non-renewable energy charger excluding renewable energy chargers. A renewable energy charger is an example of a specific charger. Based on an operation from a representative of the power company, the terminal device 61 transmits the location information and attribute information to the charger management server 20 in advance. Alternatively, the charger 62 may transmit the location information and attribute information instead of the terminal device 61.

[0025] Since terminal devices 71 and 81 are basically the same as terminal device 61, a detailed explanation will be omitted. For example, terminal device 81 transmits installation location information and attribute information to the charger management server 20 in advance based on operations from the user of the electric vehicle 50. In this case, the attribute information may include an image of the warranty certificate for charger 82, instead of an identifier that identifies whether charger 82 is a renewable energy charger or a non-renewable energy charger.

[0026] Next, with reference to Figures 2(a) to (c), the vehicle management server 10, the charger management server 20, and the electric vehicle 50 will be described in detail. As an example, the case in which the electric vehicle 50 is equipped with a solar panel 51 will be described, but the case in which the electric vehicle 50 is not equipped with a solar panel 51 is basically the same.

[0027] First, the electric vehicle 50 will be described with reference to Figure 2(a). The electric vehicle 50 is equipped with an in-vehicle communication device 52 to which an antenna ATN is connected, a navigation device 53, and a GPS (Global Positioning System) 54. The navigation device 53 includes a car navigation system that electronically provides route guidance from the current location to the destination when the electric vehicle 50 is stopped or in motion. The GPS 54 determines the position of the electric vehicle 50 (specifically, its current position) and outputs GPS information, including the determined position and the date and time of determination, to the navigation device 53.

[0028] Furthermore, the electric vehicle 50 is equipped with a charging ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 55. The charging ECU 55 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), input / output I / F (interface), and NVM (Non-Volatile Memory) 55A. The NVM 55A stores vehicle information for the electric vehicle 50. The vehicle information includes the vehicle number of the electric vehicle 50, vehicle location information including the vehicle's position and positioning date and time, and charging information regarding the electric vehicle 50's charging status.

[0029] The vehicle identification number is sometimes called the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). The charging ECU 55 can generate vehicle location information by indirectly obtaining GPS information from the navigation device 53 via the in-vehicle communication device 52. The charging information includes the charging start date and time, the State of Charge (SOC) at the start of charging, the charging end date and time, and the SOC at the end of charging. In this way, the charging ECU 55 holds and manages vehicle information including the vehicle identification number, vehicle location information, and charging information.

[0030] When the electric vehicle 50 starts charging, the in-vehicle communication device 52 acquires vehicle information from the charging ECU 55 and transmits the vehicle number, vehicle location information, and charging information included in the vehicle information to the vehicle management server 10 individually via the antenna ATN. Alternatively, the in-vehicle communication device 52 may transmit the vehicle information as a whole without transmitting the vehicle number, vehicle location information, and charging information individually.

[0031] Furthermore, the electric vehicle 50 includes a battery 56, a PCU (Power Control Unit) 57, and an MG (Motor Generator) 58. The battery 56 is, for example, a secondary battery such as a lithium-ion battery or a nickel-metal hydride battery. The battery 56 stores power supplied from, for example, a charger 82, based on the charge control of the charging ECU 55. The battery 56 can also store power generated by the solar panel 51. When the electric vehicle 50 is running, the battery 56 supplies power to the MG 58 through the PCU 57.

[0032] The PCU 57 is a drive unit that drives the MG 58 and includes power conversion devices such as a converter and inverter. The PCU 57 converts the DC power supplied from the battery 56 into AC power to drive the MG 58. The MG 58 is driven by the PCU 57 to generate rotational driving force, and the driving force generated by the MG 58 is transmitted to the drive wheels of the electric vehicle 50 through a power transmission gear (not shown). As a result, the electric vehicle 50 moves.

[0033] Next, the vehicle management server 10 will be described with reference to Figure 2(b). Since the hardware configuration of the vehicle management server 10 is basically the same as that of the charging ECU 55, a detailed explanation will be omitted. Therefore, the CPU of the vehicle management server 10 stores programs stored in ROM or NVM in RAM. The CPU executes the stored programs to realize various functions described later, and also performs a series of processes described later. The programs should conform to the flowchart described later. The charger management server 20, described later, is similar to the vehicle management server 10.

[0034] The vehicle management server 10 includes a charging location estimation unit 11, a charging amount calculation unit 12, and an information communication unit 13. The charging location estimation unit 11 is an example of an estimation means. The charging amount calculation unit 12 is an example of a calculation means.

[0035] The charging location estimation unit 11 acquires vehicle location information transmitted from the in-vehicle communication device 52. More specifically, the information and communication unit 13 receives the vehicle location information transmitted from the in-vehicle communication device 52, and the charging location estimation unit 11 acquires the vehicle location information from the information and communication unit 13. Once the charging location estimation unit 11 acquires the vehicle location information, it estimates the location of one of the chargers 62, 72, or 82 that supply power to the electric vehicle 50 as the charging location of the electric vehicle 50, based on the latest vehicle location included in the vehicle location information. More specifically, the charging location estimation unit 11 estimates the charging location of the electric vehicle 50 based on the latest vehicle location and a charger map, which is map information showing the locations of multiple chargers, including chargers 62, 72, and 82.

[0036] The charger map may be stored in the vehicle management server 10, or it may be stored in a management server other than the vehicle management server 10. Furthermore, the charging location estimation unit 11 may estimate the charging location of the electric vehicle 50 by further utilizing at least one of the parking time the electric vehicle 50 stays within the facility and the output type of the charger. The charging location estimation unit 11 can calculate the parking time based on multiple positioning dates and times where the vehicle position does not change. In addition, the charging location estimation unit 11 can estimate whether the electric vehicle 50 is connected to a fast charger or a standard charger based on the charging speed of the charge amount, which will be described later. Since standard chargers are often installed in the user's home 80 as home chargers, this allows for accurate estimation of whether the electric vehicle 50 is connected to a fast charger or a standard charger.

[0037] The charge amount calculation unit 12 acquires charging information and vehicle number transmitted from the in-vehicle communication device 52. More specifically, the information and communication unit 13 receives the charging information and vehicle number transmitted from the in-vehicle communication device 52, and the charge amount calculation unit 12 acquires the charging information and vehicle number from the information and communication unit 13. Once the charge amount calculation unit 12 acquires the charging information, it calculates the charge amount of the electric vehicle 50 based on the difference between the SOC at the start of charging and the SOC at the end of charging, which is included in the charging information.

[0038] Furthermore, when the charge amount calculation unit 12 obtains the vehicle number, it determines whether or not a solar panel 51 is installed on the electric vehicle 50 based on the vehicle number. More specifically, the charge amount calculation unit 12 determines whether or not a solar panel 51 is installed based on the vehicle number and PV installation information. PV installation information is information that pre-associates the vehicle number with the presence or absence of a solar panel 51. PV installation information may be stored in the vehicle management server 10, or it may be stored in a management server other than the vehicle management server 10. For example, if the PV installation information is stored in the vehicle management server 10, the charge amount calculation unit 12 can determine whether or not a solar panel 51 is installed based on the vehicle number and PV installation information.

[0039] When the charging location is estimated, the charging amount is calculated, and it is determined whether or not the solar panel 51 is installed, the information and communication unit 13 notifies the charger management server 20 of the basic point information, including the charging location, charging amount, and whether or not the solar panel 51 is installed.

[0040] Next, the charger management server 20 will be described with reference to Figure 2(c). The charger management server 20 includes a point awarding unit 21, a charger determination unit 22, a point addition unit 23, and an information communication unit 24. The point awarding unit 21 is an example of an awarding means. The charger determination unit 22 is an example of a determination means. The point addition unit 23 is an example of an addition means.

[0041] The point awarding unit 21 awards charging points corresponding to the amount of charge described above to the user of the electric vehicle 50, provided that the installation location information and attribute information described above have been registered in advance. The charging points are an example of a first point. More specifically, when the information communication unit 24 receives the installation location information and attribute information transmitted from terminal devices 61, 71, and 81, the point awarding unit 21 associates the installation location information and attribute information and registers them in a predetermined storage unit set in advance for each source. The predetermined storage unit may be, for example, an NVM provided by the charger management server 20, or an NVM provided by a management server different from the charger management server 20.

[0042] When the point awarding unit 21 registers the installation location information and attribute information, it obtains the charge amount included in the point basic information from the information communication unit 24 and calculates charging points according to the charge amount. For example, the point awarding unit 21 calculates charging points based on the charge amount and a predetermined calculation formula that calculates charging points by multiplying the charge amount by a specified coefficient. The predetermined calculation formula calculates more charging points the greater the charge amount. Once the point awarding unit 21 has calculated the charging points, it awards the charging points to the user of the electric vehicle 50. User information regarding the user of the electric vehicle 50 is managed by the application management server 30. Therefore, the point awarding unit 21 awards the charging points to the user information managed by the application management server 30.

[0043] The charger determination unit 22 determines whether a charger is a renewable energy charger based on the comparison result between the charging location and the installation location and its attributes. More specifically, the charger determination unit 22 obtains the charging location included in the point basic information from the information and communication unit 24. The charger determination unit 22 also obtains the installation locations of chargers 62, 72, and 82 included in the installation location information from the predetermined storage unit mentioned above.

[0044] When the charger determination unit 22 obtains the charging location and the installation location, it compares the charging location and the installation location to identify the installation location closest to the charging location. Once the charger determination unit 22 has identified the installation location, it identifies one of the chargers 62, 72, or 82 located at the identified installation location. Once the charger determination unit 22 has identified one of the chargers 62, 72, or 82, it checks the attributes of the identified charger 62, 72, or 82 to determine whether or not the identified charger 62, 72, or 82 is a renewable energy charger.

[0045] The point addition unit 23 adds renewable energy points to the charging points according to the use of green electricity when any of the chargers 62, 72, or 82 connected to the electric vehicle 50 is a renewable energy charger. Renewable energy points are an example of second-party points. For example, the point addition unit 23 adds several percent to more than ten percent of the charging points as renewable energy points. In this case, the point granting unit 21 assigns the charging points with the added renewable energy points to the user information managed by the application management server 30.

[0046] The point addition unit 23 obtains from the information and communication unit 24 whether or not the solar panel 51 is installed, which is included in the basic point information. Based on whether or not the solar panel 51 is installed, the point addition unit 23 determines that the electric vehicle 50 has a solar panel 51 installed, and adds the pre-specified PV points to the renewable energy points. In this case, the point granting unit 21 adds the renewable energy points and PV points to the charging points and grants them to the user information managed by the application management server 30.

[0047] Next, the operation of the vehicle management server 10 will be explained with reference to Figure 3(a).

[0048] The charging location estimation unit 11 acquires the vehicle location information described above (step S1). After the charging location estimation unit 11 acquires the vehicle location information, the charging amount calculation unit 12 then acquires the charging information described above (step S2), and then acquires the vehicle number described above (step S3). Note that the order of processing in steps S1 to S3 may differ. For example, the charging amount calculation unit 12 may acquire the vehicle number after acquiring the charging information, and the charging location estimation unit 11 may acquire the vehicle location information after the charging amount calculation unit 12 has acquired the vehicle number. Also, the processing in steps S1 to S3 may be executed in parallel.

[0049] When the charge amount calculation unit 12 obtains the vehicle number, the charge location estimation unit 11 estimates the charging location of the electric vehicle 50 (step S4). As described above, the charge location estimation unit 11 estimates the charging location of the electric vehicle 50 based on the latest vehicle location included in the vehicle location information and the charger map. Once the charge location estimation unit 11 estimates the charging location, the charge amount calculation unit 12 calculates the charge amount (step S5). As described above, the charge amount calculation unit 12 calculates the charge amount of the electric vehicle 50 based on the difference between the SOC at the start of charging and the SOC at the end of charging included in the charging information.

[0050] When the charge amount calculation unit 12 calculates the charge amount, it determines whether or not the solar panel 51 is installed (step S6). As described above, the charge amount calculation unit 12 determines whether or not the solar panel 51 is installed based on the vehicle number and PV installation information. When the charge amount calculation unit 12 determines whether or not the solar panel 51 is installed, the information communication unit 13 notifies the charger management server 20 of the basic point information including the charging location, charge amount, and whether or not the solar panel 51 is installed (step S7), and terminates the process.

[0051] Next, the operation of the charger management server 20 will be explained with reference to Figure 3(b).

[0052] First, the point awarding unit 21 determines whether or not it has received information (step S11). More specifically, the point awarding unit 21 determines whether or not it has received installation location information and attribute information transmitted from each of the terminal devices 61, 71, and 81. If it has not received information (step S11: NO), it terminates the process. On the other hand, if it has received information (step S11: YES), the point awarding unit 21 registers the information (step S12). That is, as described above, the point awarding unit 21 registers the installation location information and attribute information in a predetermined storage unit.

[0053] When the point awarding unit 21 registers the information, the information communication unit 24 waits until it receives notification of basic point information from the vehicle management server 10 (step S13: NO). When it receives notification of basic point information (step S13: YES), the point awarding unit 21 calculates the charging points (step S14). More specifically, the point awarding unit 21 calculates the charging points based on the amount of charge included in the basic point information.

[0054] Once the charging points are calculated, the point awarding unit 21 awards the charging points to the user of the electric vehicle 50 (step S15). As described above, user information regarding the user of the electric vehicle 50 is managed by the application management server 30, so the point awarding unit 21 awards the charging points to the user information managed by the application management server 30.

[0055] When the point awarding unit 21 awards charging points, the charger determination unit 22 determines the attribute of the charger (step S16). That is, the charger determination unit 22 determines whether any of the chargers 62, 72, or 82 connected to the electric vehicle 50 is a renewable energy charger. If, as a result of determining the attribute of the charger, any of the chargers 62, 72, or 82 connected to the electric vehicle 50 is a renewable energy charger (step S17: YES), the point addition unit 23 adds renewable energy points to the charging points (step S18) and terminates the process. On the other hand, if any of the chargers 62, 72, or 82 connected to the electric vehicle 50 is not a renewable energy charger (step S17: NO), the point addition unit 23 skips the process in step S18 and terminates the process.

[0056] As a result, the user information managed by the app management server 30 is assigned charging points, for example, with renewable energy points added. The app management server 30 manages various apps used in commercial services in association with user information. For example, if a user of an electric vehicle 50 requests to check their charging points from their mobile device, the app management server 30 notifies the mobile device of the charging points. This allows the user to check their charging points. Furthermore, when charging points are used at a store offering commercial services, the app management server 30 deducts the amount of charging points equivalent to the commercial service. In this way, charging points are utilized in various commercial services.

[0057] As described above, the point awarding system comprises a vehicle management server 10 and a charger management server 20. The vehicle management server 10 includes a charging location estimation unit 11 and a charging amount calculation unit 12. The charging location estimation unit 11 estimates the charging location of the electric vehicle 50 based on the electric vehicle 50's location and the charger map. The charging amount calculation unit 12 calculates the amount of charge from one of the chargers 62, 72, or 82 connected to the electric vehicle 50, based on the charging information held by the electric vehicle 50.

[0058] Meanwhile, the charger management server 20 includes a point awarding unit 21, a charger determination unit 22, and a point addition unit 23. The point awarding unit 21 awards charging points to the user of the electric vehicle 50 according to the amount of charging, if the installation location of any of the chargers 62, 72, or 82 connected to the electric vehicle 50 and the attributes of any of the chargers 62, 72, or 82 are registered. The charger determination unit 22 determines whether any of the chargers 62, 72, or 82 is a renewable energy charger that supplies electricity derived from renewable energy, based on the comparison result of the charging location and the installation location and the attributes. The point addition unit 23 adds renewable energy points to the charging points according to the use of electricity derived from renewable energy, if any of the chargers 62, 72, or 82 is a renewable energy charger. As a result, the point awarding system ST can award points to the user of the electric vehicle 50 regardless of the attributes of the administrator of the charger that provides electricity derived from renewable energy.

[0059] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention as described in the claims. For example, the charger management server 20 may calculate driving points corresponding to the amount of charge consumed and notify the application management server 30 of the driving points. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0060] 10. Vehicle Management Server 11 Charging position estimation part 12 Charge amount calculation section 20 Charger Management Server 21. Point Award Section 22 Charger determination section 23 Points added section 50 Electric Vehicles 62,72,82 charger 64 Environmental Certificate

Claims

[Claim 1] An estimation means for estimating a second position representing the charging location of the electric vehicle based on a first position representing the location of the electric vehicle and a charger map showing the locations of multiple chargers, A calculation means that calculates the amount of charge from any of the multiple chargers connected to the electric vehicle based on the charging information of the electric vehicle, A granting means that grants a first point corresponding to the charge amount to the user of the electric vehicle when a third position representing the location where any of the aforementioned chargers is installed and the attributes of any of the aforementioned chargers are registered, A determination means for determining whether any of the chargers is a specific charger that supplies power derived from renewable energy, based on the comparison result of the second position and the third position and the attribute, If any of the aforementioned chargers is the specific charger, an adding means for adding a second point corresponding to the power usage to the first point, A point-awarding system equipped with the following features.

Images