Charging system

Abstract

This system provides a charging system that allows for monitoring the timing of vehicle charging completion and vehicle movement, while keeping infrastructure investment low. [Solution] A charging system 10 for charging a battery mounted on a vehicle S, comprising a charging cable 12 equipped with a charging connector 20 that is inserted into and removed from a charging inlet of the vehicle S, a charging device 11 that supplies power to the vehicle S's battery through the charging cable 12, and a management server 13 that controls the charging device 11, wherein the charging connector 20 has an extraction detection unit that detects when it is removed from the inlet, and the management server 13 determines that the charging connector 20 has been removed from the inlet based on the detection signal from the extraction detection unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a charging system.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an externally chargeable vehicle including an inlet configured to be connectable to an external charging connector and a cable lock mechanism for making the engagement between the charging connector and the inlet non-removable.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, after charging the vehicle is completed, it is desirable to notify the user to move the vehicle from the parking space for charging. However, since the charging ECU of the vehicle enters a sleep state several tens of seconds after charging is completed, communication with the charging system is interrupted, and it has been difficult to determine whether the charging connector has been removed from the inlet of the vehicle and the vehicle has moved. For this reason, it has been impossible to announce to the user of the vehicle left in the parking space for charging after charging is completed to prompt the vehicle to move. Therefore, there has been a problem that external devices such as a camera or an infrared sensor for monitoring the parking space for charging have to be installed, resulting in increased infrastructure investment.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a charging system capable of grasping the completion timing of charging the vehicle and the moving timing of the vehicle while suppressing infrastructure investment.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the charging system of the present invention is A charging system for charging a battery installed in a vehicle, A charging cable equipped with a charging connector that is inserted into and removed from the charging inlet of the aforementioned vehicle, A charging device that supplies power to the vehicle's battery through the aforementioned charging cable, A control unit that controls the charging device, Equipped with, The charging connector has an unplugging detection unit that detects when it is unplugged from the inlet, The control unit determines, based on the detection signal from the disconnection detection unit, that the charging connector has been disconnected from the inlet.

[0007] This charging system can detect when the charging connector is removed from the vehicle's inlet, allowing it to determine when charging is complete and when the vehicle should be moved. This enables the system to notify the user if a vehicle parked in a charging space has been left unattended after charging is complete. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a charging system that can determine the timing of vehicle charging completion and vehicle movement while keeping infrastructure investment low. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the charging system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the charging connector. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating the charging operation in the charging system according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a typical charging operation in a charging system. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the charging system 10 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the charging system 10 according to this embodiment is a system for charging a battery (not shown) mounted on a vehicle S. The vehicle S equipped with the battery is a vehicle that can be driven by the driving force of a drive motor, and is, for example, an electric vehicle (BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle) or a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV: Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle). The vehicle S is equipped with a charging inlet (not shown), and power can be supplied to the battery from this inlet.

[0011] The charging system 10 includes a charging device 11. This charging device 11 has a charging cable 12, which supplies power to the vehicle S's battery. The charging system 10 also includes a management server (control unit) 13. This management server 13 communicates with and cooperates with the charging device 11 to manage the charging system 10. This management server 13 is also capable of communicating with a mobile device such as a smartphone owned by the user.

[0012] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the charging connector 20. As shown in Figure 2, the charging cable 12 is equipped with a charging connector 20 at its end. The charging connector 20 has a handle portion 21 that can be grasped by the user and a connecting portion 22 that is inserted into and removed from the inlet of the vehicle S. The user grasps the handle portion 21 of the charging connector 20 and inserts and removes the connecting portion 22 from the inlet of the vehicle S.

[0013] This charging connector 20 has a locking mechanism (not shown). The locking mechanism locks the connector 22 into the inlet of the vehicle S when the connector 22 is inserted into the inlet of the vehicle S, preventing the connector 22 from being removed while the vehicle S is being charged.

[0014] In addition, the charging connector 20 has a lock release switch 23. This lock release switch 23 is, for example, a mechanical switch that is necessarily provided in the charging connector 20 as a standard of a charging system for charging the battery of the vehicle S. When it is pressed by the user after charging is completed, the lock of the connection portion 22 to the inlet by the lock mechanism is released. Thus, after the charging is completed, the charging connector 20 can be removed from the inlet of the vehicle S by the user pressing the lock release switch 23.

[0015] The lock release switch 23 of the charging connector 20 has a removal detection unit. This removal detection unit detects that the lock release switch 23 has been pressed and the lock by the lock mechanism on the inlet of the connection portion 22 has been released, and transmits the detection signal. The detection signal from this removal detection unit is transmitted from the charging device 11 to the management server 13.

[0016] Next, the charging operation in the charging system according to the present embodiment will be described along the flowchart shown in FIG. 3.

[0017] The user inserts the connection portion 22 of the charging connector 20 into the inlet of the vehicle S, and the charging cable 12 of the charging device 11 is connected to the vehicle S. In this state, when the charging device 11 operates, charging is started, and power is supplied from the charging device 11 of the charging system 10 to the battery of the vehicle S (step S1).

[0018] When the charging of the battery by the charging system 10 starts, the charging ECU mounted on the vehicle S is activated (step S11). Then, the charging device 11 of the charging system 10 and the charging ECU start communication.

[0019] Thereafter, the charging of the battery of the vehicle S by the charging system 10 is completed (step S2).

[0020] Then, several tens of seconds after charging is completed by the charging system 10 (step S2), the charging ECU of vehicle S stops (step S12). As a result, communication between the management server 13 of the charging system 10 and the charging ECU of vehicle S is interrupted. Note that the timing of the stopping of the charging ECU of vehicle S varies depending on the vehicle type of vehicle S.

[0021] The management server 13 of the charging system 10 enters a monitoring mode (step S3) to monitor whether the lock release switch 23 of the charging connector 20 is pressed, after the vehicle S is fully charged (step S2). The management server 13 of the charging system 10 then continues this monitoring mode (step S3) until a certain period of time has elapsed (step S4).

[0022] During this monitoring mode for a set period of time, if the user presses the unlock switch 23 of the charging connector 20 (step S3: Yes), a detection signal is sent from the removal detection unit of the unlock switch 23, and this detection signal is sent to the management server 13. As a result, the management server 13 determines that the user has removed the charging connector 20 from the inlet of the vehicle S, and terminates control in the monitoring mode and charging operation.

[0023] In response to this, if the user does not press the unlock switch 23 of the charging connector 20 (Step S3: No), and the monitoring mode continues for a certain period of time (Step S4: Yes), the management server 13 determines that even after charging is complete, the charging connector 20 has not been removed from the vehicle S's inlet and the vehicle S is left unattended in the charging parking space. It then sends a signal to the user's mobile terminal to that effect and informs the user to move the vehicle S, which has finished charging, from the parking space (Step S5).

[0024] Subsequently, when the user presses the unlock switch 23 of the charging connector 20 (step S6: Yes), a detection signal is transmitted from the unlock switch 23, and this detection signal is sent to the management server 13. As a result, the management server 13 determines that the user has removed the charging connector 20 from the inlet of the vehicle S, and terminates control in monitoring mode and charging operation.

[0025] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing a typical charging operation in a charging system. In a typical charging operation, charging of the vehicle S's battery begins from the charging device 11 (step S21), and then, when the vehicle S's battery is fully charged (step S22), the vehicle S's charging ECU stops several tens of seconds after charging is complete (step S12), causing communication between the charging device 11 and the charging ECU to be interrupted. Therefore, it becomes difficult to determine whether the charging connector 20 has been removed from the vehicle S's inlet and the vehicle S has been moved. As a result, it was not possible to make an announcement urging the user of a vehicle S left in a charging parking space after charging is complete to move the vehicle S.

[0026] In contrast, the charging system 10 according to this embodiment can detect when the charging connector 20 has been removed from the vehicle S's inlet, and can determine the timing of the completion of charging to the vehicle S and the timing of the vehicle S's movement. This allows the system to reduce the burden of infrastructure investment that would otherwise be incurred by installing external devices such as cameras or infrared sensors to monitor the charging parking space, while also informing the user that the vehicle S parked in the charging parking space has been left unattended after charging is complete.

[0027] In the above embodiment, the charging system 10 may measure the time the vehicle S is left idle after charging is complete at the management server 13, and send information to the user's mobile terminal to announce that an excess charge or the like has been incurred based on that idle time. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0028] 10 Charging Systems 11 Charging device 12 charging cables 13. Management Server (Control Unit) 20 Charging Connectors 23. Unlock switch (removal detection unit) S Vehicle

Claims

[Claim 1] A charging system for charging a battery installed in a vehicle, A charging cable equipped with a charging connector that is inserted into and removed from the charging inlet of the aforementioned vehicle, A charging device that supplies power to the vehicle's battery through the aforementioned charging cable, A control unit that controls the charging device, Equipped with, The charging connector has an unplugging detection unit that detects when it is unplugged from the inlet, The control unit determines, based on the detection signal from the disconnection detection unit, that the charging connector has been disconnected from the inlet. Charging system.

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