Charging Station Guide

Abstract

To prevent driver confusion and ensure safe driving, drivers will be informed in advance of service areas (SAs) and parking areas (PAs) where charging facilities are unavailable when using smart interchanges (ICs). [Solution] The charging facility guidance device of this invention identifies the smart interchange that an EV will pass through as a transit smart interchange when an EV enters the main line via a smart interchange and / or exits the main line via a smart interchange at a service area (SA) or parking area (PA) where a smart interchange is located. When the initial guidance route includes a transit smart interchange, the device determines whether the charging facility at the transit SA or PA where the transit smart interchange is located is unavailable based on the availability information stored in the charging facility availability information storage unit. When it is determined that the charging facility at the transit SA or PA is unavailable, the device generates guidance indicating that the charging facility at the transit SA or PA is unavailable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an improvement in a method for guiding charging facilities for EVs (electric vehicles).

Background Art

[0002] Among the problems in the operation of EVs, insufficient charging during driving is cited. For example, when caught in traffic on a highway in winter, there is a risk that the power consumption required for driving cannot be covered by the charging amount. Therefore, widely, charging facilities for EVs are installed in highway service areas (SA) and parking areas (PA) (hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as SAPA). Many EV drivers understand that they can use the charging facilities when they arrive at SAPA. Refer to Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 as documents related to the present invention.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Generally, an EV driver who stops at SAPA can use the charging facilities installed there. However, when a smart IC is installed together at SAPA, there may be a case where no charging facilities are installed on the wire for using the smart IC (that is, the road from the main line to the smart IC or the road from the smart IC to the main line). For example, when exiting from the smart interchange adjacent to the Toyota Kamigo Service Area (outbound) shown in Figure 1A, there are no charging facilities along the route from the main highway to the smart interchange. While charging facilities can be used once entering the service area, once you enter the service area, you cannot exit from the smart interchange. When entering the main highway from the smart interchange adjacent to Hamamatsu SA (downbound) as shown in Figure 1B, there are no charging facilities on the route from the smart interchange to the main highway, and it is not possible to enter the service area after passing through the smart interchange. Drivers who have been following a guided route that includes passing through such smart interchanges may assume they will be able to use charging facilities upon arriving at a service area (SAPA). However, upon arriving at the SAPA and realizing that charging facilities are unavailable, the fear of running out of power may cross their minds, potentially causing confusion. Furthermore, there is a risk that panicked drivers may deviate from the smart interchange's lanes and drive in a direction that disregards the road's direction of travel within the service area. Therefore, the purpose of this invention is to prevent drivers from running out of power and avoid confusion, thereby ensuring safe driving, by informing drivers in advance that charging facilities are unavailable at service areas (SAPA) when using smart interchanges. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The first aspect of this invention is defined as follows: A charging equipment guidance method that utilizes a charging equipment guidance device comprising a charging equipment availability information storage unit, a route setting unit, a smart IC identification unit, a guidance identification unit, and a guidance generation unit, The charging equipment availability information storage unit stores information on whether or not EV charging equipment at a service area (SAPA) with an adjacent smart interchange is available when an EV enters the main line via the smart interchange and / or exits the main line via the smart interchange. The route setting unit is instructed to set an initial guidance route from the current location to the destination. The smart IC identification unit is instructed to detect whether the initial guidance route passes through the smart IC, and to identify the smart IC that passes through as the passing smart IC. When the initial guidance route includes the via smart IC, the guidance identification unit is instructed to determine, based on the availability information of the charging equipment availability information storage unit, whether or not the charging equipment at the via service area (SAPA) where the via smart IC is located is unavailable. When the guidance generation unit determines that the charging facilities at the aforementioned transit SAPA are unavailable, it generates guidance indicating that the charging facilities at the aforementioned transit SAPA are unavailable. Instructions for guiding users to charging facilities.

[0006] According to the charging facility guidance method in the first phase as defined above, when the guidance route set by the route setting unit includes a smart interchange, the guidance identification unit determines whether or not the charging facilities at the service area (SAPA) that includes the smart interchange are available for use. Generally, it is assumed that the charging facilities are available at SAPA, but when the guidance identification unit determines that the charging facilities are unavailable at the SAPA, the guidance generation unit generates guidance to that effect and informs the driver of this fact via image or voice. This allows drivers to know in advance that charging is not possible at service areas (SAPA) adjacent to smart interchanges (ICs) when using them. Therefore, if necessary, drivers can charge at a service area (SAPA) before a designated SAPA while traveling on the expressway, or use charging facilities installed on ordinary roads before entering the expressway, instead of planning to charge at a designated SAPA.

[0007] The second aspect of this invention, the method for guiding charging equipment, is defined as follows: In the first phase, in the prescribed method for guiding charging equipment, The system is further equipped with a navigable distance calculation unit and a detour route setting unit. The navigable distance calculation unit is instructed to calculate the navigable distance from the current position when operating along the initial guidance route. The detour route setting unit is instructed to set a detour route that deviates from the initial guided route and passes through a charging facility located within the navigable range when no charging facility is located within the navigable range on the initial guided route. The guidance identification unit is instructed to identify that the charging facilities at the service area (SAPA) where the smart interchange is located are unavailable. The guidance generation unit is instructed to generate guidance indicating that the charging facilities at the aforementioned service area are unavailable.

[0008] According to the second phase charging facility guidance method defined in this way, assuming that charging facilities are unavailable at the service areas (SAPA) along which smart interchanges are located, the navigable distance calculation unit and the detour route setting unit generate a detour guidance route that passes through available charging facilities and present it to the driver. At this time as well, the driver is informed that the charging facilities at the SAPA along the way are unavailable, preventing them from mistakenly believing that charging is possible at those locations.

[0009] The third aspect of this invention, the method for guiding charging equipment, is defined as follows: That is, In the first phase, in the prescribed method for guiding charging equipment, A current location identification unit is further provided. The current location identification unit is instructed to determine the distance from the current location of the EV to the via smart interchange. The guidance generation unit generates guidance indicating that the charging facilities at the transit service area (SAPA) are unavailable when the distance falls within a predetermined distance.

[0010] According to the third-phase charging equipment guidance method defined in this way, When approaching a designated service area (SAPA) within a specified distance, the availability of charging facilities at that SAPA is determined, and if the charging facilities at that SAPA are unavailable, this is communicated to the driver. This ensures that the driver receives the necessary information at the right time.

[0011] The fourth aspect of this invention, the method for guiding charging equipment, is defined as follows: That is, In the charging facility guidance method defined in the second scenario, when the bypass guidance route does not include the transit smart IC, the current position specifying unit is made to specify whether the current position of the EV is near the guidance sign of the transit smart IC, when the current position of the EV is near the guidance sign of the transit smart IC, the guidance generation unit is made to output guidance indicating that the charging facility of the transit SAPA is unavailable.

[0012] According to the charging facility guidance method of the fourth scenario defined in this way, although the initial guidance route included the transit smart IC, in many cases, the driver remembers to use this transit smart IC. Here, when the bypass guidance route does not include this transit smart IC, the bypass guidance route may guide near the transit smart IC and the driver may be able to visually recognize the guidance sign of the transit smart IC. In this case, in order to surely prevent entry into the transit smart IC based on the driver's initial memory, when the current position of the EV becomes near the guidance sign of the transit smart IC, guidance indicating that the charging facility of the transit SAPA is unavailable is output. Thereby, erroneous entry into the smart IC can be surely prevented.

[0013] The charging facility guidance method of the fifth scenario of this invention is defined as follows. That is, in the charging facility guidance method defined in the first scenario, a charging facility availability information creation unit is further provided, when, according to the reservation status of the charging facility for the EV in the SAPA, the time required until the charging facility can be used exceeds a predetermined time, the charging facility availability information creation unit outputs unavailable information to the charging facility availability information storage unit, and the charging facility availability information storage unit stores the unavailable information created by the charging facility availability information creation unit.

[0014] Since there are a limited number of charging facilities installed in the SAPA on the highway, congestion may occur while waiting for charging. Therefore, as in the charging facility guidance method of this fifth aspect, the reservation status of the charging facilities in the SAPA is obtained, and when a significant waiting time until charging occurs, the driver is guided to consider that the charging facilities in the SAPA are unavailable. That is, when using the smart IC, physically, even if the charging facilities of the SAPA installed therewith can be used, if the waiting time for charging is long, it is the same meaning as being unable to actually charge. Therefore, in such a case, guidance indicating the unavailability of the charging facilities is to be generated.

[0015] The charging facility guidance method of the sixth aspect of this invention is defined as follows. That is, In the charging facility guidance method defined in the first to fifth aspects, the charging facility availability information storage unit is caused to store the reason why the charging facilities of the transit SAPA are unavailable, the guidance generation unit is caused to refer to the stored content of the charging facility availability information storage unit and generate a statement that the charging facilities of the transit SAPA are unavailable along with the reason therefor, Among drivers, there may be those who believe that charging is always possible at the SAPA. For such drivers, simply guiding them that the charging facilities at the transit SAPA are unavailable may not be able to dispel their belief. Therefore, by also guiding the reason, the fact that the charging facilities at the transit SAPA are unavailable can be more surely conveyed.

[0016] The seventh aspect of this invention is defined as follows and has the same effect as the invention of the first aspect. That is, It includes a charging facility availability information storage unit, a route setting unit, a smart IC identification unit, a guidance identification unit, and a guidance generation unit, the charging facility availability information storage unit is caused to store the availability information as to whether the EV charging facilities in the SAPA where the smart IC is installed are available when the EV enters the main line via the smart IC and / or when the EV exits the main line via the smart IC, The route setting unit is instructed to set an initial guidance route from the current location to the destination. The smart IC identification unit is instructed to detect whether the initial guidance route passes through the smart IC, and to identify the smart IC that passes through as the passing smart IC. When the initial guidance route includes the via smart IC, the guidance identification unit is instructed to determine, based on the availability information of the charging equipment availability information storage unit, whether or not the charging equipment at the via service area (SAPA) where the via smart IC is located is unavailable. When the guidance generation unit determines that the charging facilities at the aforementioned transit SAPA are unavailable, it generates guidance indicating that the charging facilities at the aforementioned transit SAPA are unavailable. Charging equipment guidance device.

[0017] The eighth aspect of this invention is defined as follows, and it has the same effect as the first aspect of the invention. That is, A computer program for a computer used in a charging facility guidance device that includes a charging facility availability information storage unit, a route setting unit, a smart IC identification unit, a guidance identification unit, and a guidance generation unit, The charging equipment availability information storage unit stores information on whether or not EV charging equipment at a service area (SAPA) with an adjacent smart interchange is available when an EV enters the main line via the smart interchange and / or exits the main line via the smart interchange. The route setting unit is instructed to set an initial guidance route from the current location to the destination. The smart IC identification unit is instructed to detect whether the initial guidance route passes through the smart IC, and to identify the smart IC that passes through as the passing smart IC. When the initial guidance route includes the via smart IC, the guidance identification unit is instructed to determine, based on the availability information of the charging equipment availability information storage unit, whether or not the charging equipment at the via service area (SAPA) where the via smart IC is located is unavailable. When the guidance generation unit determines that the charging facilities at the aforementioned transit SAPA are unavailable, it generates guidance indicating that the charging facilities at the aforementioned transit SAPA are unavailable. A computer program. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] Figure 1A shows an example of a service area (SAPA) where there are no charging facilities on the route exiting the highway via a smart interchange, and Figure 1B shows an example where there are no charging facilities on the route entering the highway via a smart interchange. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a charging equipment guidance device according to an embodiment of this invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the charging equipment guidance device shown in Figure 2. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a charging equipment guidance device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the charging equipment guidance device shown in Figure 4. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a charging equipment guidance device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the charging equipment guidance device shown in Figure 6. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a charging equipment guidance device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the charging equipment guidance device shown in Figure 8. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a computer applied to the charging equipment guidance device of the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of this invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 2 shows a charging equipment guidance device 1 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "guidance device") according to an embodiment of this invention. This guidance device 1 comprises a navigation device 10, a charging facility availability information storage unit 20, a charging facility availability information creation unit 23, a smart IC identification unit 30, a guidance identification unit 40, and a guidance generation unit 50.

[0020] The navigation device 10 can use a general-purpose system, and based on the driver's operation, the route generation unit 11 generates a route to the destination according to predetermined rules. The initially generated route is stored in the initial guidance route storage unit 13. If the initial guidance route is updated based on information such as traffic congestion, the updated route is stored in the initial guidance route storage unit 13 as the new initial guidance route. The charging equipment availability information storage unit 20 stores information on whether the charging equipment for EVs at service areas (SAPA) with a smart interchange is available when an EV enters the main line via the smart interchange and / or exits the main line via the smart interchange.

[0021] The reason storage unit 21 stores the reason why the charging equipment is unavailable. For example, the following reasons can be given: "There are no charging facilities between the smart interchange and the main road, and you cannot access charging facilities at service areas or parking areas from the smart interchange." "There are no charging facilities between the main road and the smart interchange, and once you enter a service area (SAPA), you cannot exit from the smart interchange." "Using the charging facilities at service areas takes a considerable amount of time."

[0022] The charging equipment availability information creation unit 23 obtains reservation information for charging equipment installed at service areas (SAPA) and, if it takes a considerable amount of time (for example, more than one hour) to use the charging equipment, creates information indicating that the charging equipment at that SAPA is unavailable and sends it to the charging equipment availability information storage unit 20. Furthermore, this includes service areas (SAPA) where charging facilities can be physically used even when using a smart interchange. In other words, it includes cases where it is possible to enter a SAPA from the main road, use its charging facilities, and then exit via the adjacent smart interchange, or where it is possible to enter from a smart interchange, use the charging facilities at the SAPA, and then re-enter the main road.

[0023] When the initial guidance route stored in the initial guidance route storage unit 13 includes the use of a smart interchange adjacent to a service area or parking area, the smart interchange identification unit 30 sends that smart interchange to the guidance identification unit 40 as a transit smart interchange. The guidance identification unit 40 determines whether the charging facilities at the adjacent service area / parking area (SAPA) are available when using this via smart IC, by referring to the availability information stored in the charging facility availability information storage unit 20.

[0024] The guidance generation unit 50 generates guidance to the driver that the charging facilities at the adjacent service area / parking area are unavailable when using a smart interchange, and informs the driver accordingly. This guidance can be displayed as text on the navigation system's display or as voice guidance. It is preferable to provide guidance not only on the unavailability but also on the reason for the unavailability. For example, as shown in Figure 1A, when exiting the main line using a smart interchange, the message would be: "There are no charging facilities between the main line and the smart interchange, and once you enter a service area (SAPA), you cannot exit from the smart interchange." Similarly, as shown in Figure 1B, when entering the main line using a smart interchange, the message would be: "There are no charging facilities between the smart interchange and the main line, and you cannot access the charging facilities at a SAPA from the smart interchange." Furthermore, if there is a long waiting time for charging facilities, the message would be: "Using the charging facilities at a SAPA will take a considerable amount of time."

[0025] The operation of the guidance device 1 shown in Figure 2 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 3. In step S1, the initial guidance route is set using the function of the route generation unit 11 of the navigation device 10 and saved in the initial guidance route storage unit 13. In step S2, the charging equipment availability information creation unit 23 obtains reservation information at least at service areas (SAPA) along the initial guidance route, and if a significant waiting time is required, it sends information that the equipment is unavailable to the charging equipment availability information storage unit 20. This charging equipment availability information creation unit 23 can be operated at a predetermined time (for example, 30 minutes before) before the scheduled arrival time at the target SAPA on the initial guidance route. The charging equipment availability information storage unit 20 has in advance stored information regarding smart interchanges where the charging equipment at the adjacent service area / parking area cannot be used.

[0026] In step S3, the smart IC identification unit 30 determines whether or not the initial guidance route includes the use of a smart IC. If the initial guided route includes the use of a smart interchange (Step S3:Y), proceed to Step S4. In step S4, the guidance identification unit 40 refers to the charging equipment availability information storage unit 20 and determines whether the charging equipment at the adjacent service area / parking area is available when using the via smart IC extracted in step S3. When the charging facility is unavailable (step S4:N), the guidance generation unit 50 generates guidance to that effect and reads the reason from the reason storage unit 21. This information is displayed on the vehicle's navigation system display or announced by voice.

[0027] Figure 4 shows another embodiment of the charging equipment guidance device 2. Note that elements identical to those in Figure 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted. In this guidance device 2, the navigation device 10 is equipped with a detour guidance route storage unit 14, a navigable distance calculation unit 15, and a charging equipment location storage unit 16. The navigable distance calculation unit 15 calculates the navigable distance if the EV travels from its current location along the initial route. The charging equipment location storage unit 16 stores the locations of charging equipment for EVs.

[0028] The route generation unit 11 refers to the charging equipment location storage unit 16 and, if there are no charging facilities on the initial guided route navigable from the current position obtained by the navigable distance calculation unit 15, generates a detour guided route and stores it in the detour guided route storage unit 14. The distance of this detour route must be within the navigable range and must include charging facilities. Detour guidance routes can be set arbitrarily. For example, an EV traveling on the main road can bypass the smart interchange included in the initial guidance route and enter the next service area (SAPA) to use its charging facilities.

[0029] For EVs attempting to enter the main line from a general road via a smart interchange, the charging facilities at the service area (SAPA) cannot be used if the vehicle passes through the smart interchange. Therefore, a detour route can be set up that includes charging facilities located on nearby general roads, or the vehicle can bypass the smart interchange and enter the main line from the next interchange to use the charging facilities at a nearby SAPA. Furthermore, regarding smart interchanges, it may be possible to use the charging facilities at the adjacent SAPA when using the smart interchange on the opposite lane, in which case it is also possible to deliberately use the smart interchange on the opposite lane.

[0030] Figure 5 shows a flowchart illustrating the operation of the guidance device 2 in Figure 4. Steps that represent the same operation as those in the flowchart of Figure 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their explanations are omitted. In step S4, if a smart interchange is used and the charging facilities at the adjacent service area / parking area are unavailable, in step S11, the navigable distance calculation unit 15 is instructed to calculate the navigable distance. This navigable distance is the distance the EV can travel from its current position on the initial guidance route. This identifies the navigable area on the initial guidance route. In step S13, the route generation unit 11 refers to the charging equipment location storage unit 16 to determine whether or not a charging facility exists in the navigable area on the initial guided route.

[0031] In step S13, if no charging facilities are present in the navigable area, the route generation unit 11 sets a detour route (step S15). The distance of this detour route is calculated from the EV's charge amount and the road traffic load, and the detour route includes charging facilities other than those passed through service areas and parking areas. Furthermore, if it is not possible to include charging facilities in the detour route, it is preferable to inform the driver of this and instruct them to stop the EV and contact vehicle service. Furthermore, in Step 5, it will be reiterated that the charging facilities at the service area (SAPA) adjacent to the smart interchange included in the initial guided route are unavailable.

[0032] Figure 6 shows another charging equipment guidance device 3 of the present invention. Elements identical to those in Figure 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted. In this guidance device 3, the navigation device 10 is equipped with a current location identification unit 17 and a guidance sign location storage unit 18, and the guidance generation unit 50 is equipped with a guidance sign location confirmation unit 51. The current location identification unit 17 is a function generally attached to the navigation device 10, and for example, the current location of the EV is determined by satellite positioning signals and map matching functions. The guide sign location storage unit 18 stores the location of guide signs indicating the presence of smart interchanges.

[0033] When the navigation device 10 detects the location of a guide sign for a smart interchange, it sends a signal to the guide sign location confirmation unit 51 when the current position of the EV, which is traveling along the detour route, is near the location of the guide sign for the smart interchange to be passed through. Upon receiving this signal, the guidance sign location confirmation unit 51 generates guidance again indicating that the charging facilities at the service area (SAPA) adjacent to the via smart interchange are unavailable. Although the via Smart IC was included in the initial guided route, it has been excluded from the detour guided route because the charging facilities at the adjacent via Service Area / Parking Area are not available.

[0034] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the guidance device 3 in Figure 6. Note that steps identical to those in the flowchart of Figure 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their explanations are omitted. In step S25, the navigation device 10 refers to the contents of its current position identification unit 17 and the guide sign position storage unit 18, and when the current position of the EV navigating the detour guidance route approaches the location of a guide sign that directs to a via smart interchange, or more specifically, when the guide sign comes into view, it sends a signal to the guide sign position confirmation unit 51, and the confirmation unit 51 generates guidance again indicating that the charging facilities at the via service area / parking area are unavailable.

[0035] Figure 8 shows a charging equipment guidance device 4 of another embodiment. Note that elements identical to those in Figure 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted. In this guidance device 4, as shown in the flowchart in Figure 9, when the EV approaches a predetermined distance from a smart interchange where charging facilities are unavailable (step S30:N), guidance is generated indicating that charging facilities are unavailable.

[0036] Figure 10 shows the hardware configuration of the guidance device according to the embodiment. The arithmetic unit 300 comprises a CPU 301, ROM 303, and RAM 305, and controls the entire system. It also controls the calculation functions of the navigation device 10, the charging equipment availability information creation unit 23, the smart IC identification unit 30, the guidance identification unit 40, and the guidance generation unit 50. ROM 303 is a non-volatile memory that stores control programs for controlling the arithmetic unit 300. RAM 305 provides a working area to the CPU 301. The control programs for controlling the arithmetic unit 300 are not limited to ROM 303; they may also be stored in RAM 305 or the first storage device 440. Various data are output via the output device 420. Various data are input via the input device 430.

[0037] The first storage device 440 functions as an initial guidance route storage unit 13, a detour guidance route storage unit 14, a charging equipment location storage unit 16, and a guidance sign location storage unit 18. The second storage device 450 functions as a storage unit 20 for information on whether the charging equipment is available. The first storage device 440 and the second storage device 450 preferably utilize a portion of the memory device of the server system, such as hard memory or flash memory. A portion of the RAM in the arithmetic unit can be used as a buffer memory, which is a temporary storage area for data. External communication networks are connected via communication interface 360. The various components that make up the computer are connected by a system bus 370.

[0038] This invention is not limited in any way to the embodiments and examples described above. Various modifications that do not depart from the scope of the claims and are easily conceivable by those skilled in the art are also included in this invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0039] 1, 2, 3, 4 Charging equipment guidance device 13. Initial Guidance Route Storage Section 14. Detour Guidance Route Preservation Section 15 Navigable distance calculation section 16 Charging equipment location storage section 17 Current position identification part 18 Guide sign location storage unit 20 Charging equipment availability information storage section 23. Department for Creating Information on Availability of Charging Facilities 30 Smart IC Specific Section 40 Information Specific Department 50 Guidance generation unit

Claims

1. A charging equipment guidance method that utilizes a charging equipment guidance device comprising a charging equipment availability information storage unit, a route setting unit, a smart IC identification unit, a guidance identification unit, and a guidance generation unit, The charging equipment availability information storage unit stores information indicating whether the EV charging equipment at a service area (SAPA) with an adjacent smart interchange is available when an EV enters the main line via the smart interchange and / or exits the main line via the smart interchange. The route setting unit is instructed to set an initial guidance route from the current location to the destination. The smart IC identification unit is instructed to detect whether the initial guidance route passes through the smart IC, and to identify the smart IC that passes through as the passing smart IC. When the initial guidance route includes the via smart IC, the guidance identification unit is instructed to determine, based on the availability information of the charging equipment availability information storage unit, whether or not the charging equipment at the via SAPA adjacent to the via smart IC is unavailable. When the guidance generation unit determines that the charging facilities at the via-SAPA are unavailable, it generates guidance indicating that the charging facilities at the via-SAPA are unavailable. Instructions for guiding users to charging facilities.

2. The system is further equipped with a navigable distance calculation unit and a detour route setting unit. The navigable distance calculation unit is instructed to calculate the navigable distance from the current position when operating along the initial guidance route. The detour route setting unit is instructed to set a detour route that deviates from the initial guided route and passes through a charging facility located within the navigable distance if no charging facility is located within the navigable distance on the initial guided route. The guidance identification unit is instructed to identify that the charging facilities at the via-service area (SAPA) adjacent to the via-smart IC are unavailable. The guidance generation unit is instructed to generate guidance indicating that the charging facilities at the via SAPA are unavailable. The method according to claim 1.

3. A current location identification unit is further provided. The current location identification unit is instructed to determine the distance from the current location of the EV to the via smart interchange. The method according to claim 1, wherein the guidance generation unit generates guidance indicating that the charging facilities of the transit SAPA are unavailable when the distance falls within a predetermined distance.

4. When the aforementioned detour guidance route does not include the aforementioned smart interchange, The current location identification unit is instructed to determine whether the current location of the EV is near the guide sign for the via smart interchange. The method according to claim 2, wherein the guidance generation unit is instructed to output guidance indicating that the charging facilities at the via SAPA are unavailable when the current location of the EV is near the guidance sign for the via smart IC.

5. A unit for generating information on the availability of charging facilities is also provided. The charging equipment availability information creation unit outputs information indicating unavailability to the charging equipment availability information storage unit if the time required to make the charging equipment available exceeds a predetermined time, according to the reservation status of the EV charging equipment at the service area. The charging equipment availability information storage unit stores the unavailable information created by the charging equipment availability information creation unit. The method according to claim 1.

6. The charging equipment availability information storage unit stores the reason why the charging equipment at the via SAPA is unavailable. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the guidance generation unit is made to refer to the contents stored in the charging equipment availability information storage unit, and generates a statement that the charging equipment at the transit SAPA is unavailable, along with the reason for this.

7. It includes a charging facility availability information storage unit, a route setting unit, a smart IC identification unit, a guidance identification unit, and a guidance generation unit. The charging equipment availability information storage unit stores information indicating whether the EV charging equipment at a service area (SAPA) with an adjacent smart interchange is available when an EV enters the main line via the smart interchange and / or exits the main line via the smart interchange. The route setting unit is instructed to set an initial guidance route from the current location to the destination. The smart IC identification unit is instructed to detect whether the initial guidance route passes through the smart IC, and to identify the smart IC that passes through as the passing smart IC. When the initial guidance route includes the via smart IC, the guidance identification unit is instructed to determine, based on the availability information of the charging equipment availability information storage unit, whether or not the charging equipment at the via SAPA adjacent to the via smart IC is unavailable. When the guidance generation unit determines that the charging facilities at the via-SAPA are unavailable, it generates guidance indicating that the charging facilities at the via-SAPA are unavailable. Charging equipment guidance device.

8. A computer program for a computer used in a charging facility guidance device that includes a charging facility availability information storage unit, a route setting unit, a smart IC identification unit, a guidance identification unit, and a guidance generation unit, The charging equipment availability information storage unit stores information indicating whether the EV charging equipment at a service area (SAPA) with an adjacent smart interchange is available when an EV enters the main line via the smart interchange and / or exits the main line via the smart interchange. The route setting unit is instructed to set an initial guidance route from the current location to the destination. The smart IC identification unit is instructed to detect whether the initial guidance route passes through the smart IC, and to identify the smart IC that passes through as the passing smart IC. When the initial guidance route includes the via smart IC, the guidance identification unit is instructed to determine, based on the availability information of the charging equipment availability information storage unit, whether or not the charging equipment at the via SAPA adjacent to the via smart IC is unavailable. When the guidance generation unit determines that the charging facilities at the via-SAPA are unavailable, it generates guidance indicating that the charging facilities at the via-SAPA are unavailable. A computer program.

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