Vehicle-mounted solar power generation system

Abstract

This technology provides the ability to calculate the location where the solar power generation output of a solar power system is maximized over the entire parking period. [Solution] The vehicle-mounted solar power generation system comprises a vehicle equipped with a solar power generation device, a sensor that detects the surrounding environment of multiple candidate locations where the vehicle can be parked, an acquisition unit that acquires parking time information, parking location information, environmental information including surrounding information, parking timing information, solar radiation information, and performance information, and a calculation unit that uses the information acquired by the acquisition unit to calculate the amount of power generated at each point in time during the parking period for each of the multiple candidate locations, calculates the total amount of power generated by the solar power generation device for each of the multiple candidate locations, and calculates the candidate location with the maximum total power generated among the multiple candidate locations as the parking location for the vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an in-vehicle solar power generation system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a technique for predicting changes in future solar radiation conditions when a vehicle equipped with a solar power generation device is stopped at a predetermined position is known (Patent Document 1). In this technique, using an imaging image output from an imaging device that images the periphery of the vehicle, the size and position of obstacles existing around the position where the vehicle is stopped are detected, and based on the size and position of the obstacles and the future position of the sun, the shadow that the obstacles will create in the future at the position where the vehicle is stopped is predicted. Then, based on the predicted shadow, changes in the future solar radiation conditions of the vehicle are predicted. Thereby, it is predicted at which position to stop the vehicle for better solar radiation conditions.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The solar radiation state of a vehicle may change during parking. However, in the conventional technology, since the parking time is not considered, there may be cases where the location where the power generation amount of the solar power generation device is maximized over the entire parking time cannot be calculated.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The present disclosure can be realized in the following forms.

[0006] (1) According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an on-board solar power generation system is provided. The on-board solar power generation system includes a vehicle equipped with a solar power generation device that receives sunlight and generates electricity, a sensor that detects the surrounding environment at each of a plurality of candidate locations where the vehicle can be parked, (a) parking time information indicating the scheduled start time and scheduled end time of parking the vehicle, (b) parking location information indicating the location of the plurality of candidate locations, (c) environmental information indicating the surrounding environment, which includes surrounding information generated using sensor information output from the sensor, (d) parking time information indicating the time of year when the vehicle will be parked, and (e) the position of the sun for each location, time, and time. The system includes: an acquisition unit that acquires (f) solar radiation information indicating the location and performance information indicating the power generation capacity of the solar power generation device; and a calculation unit that uses the information acquired by the acquisition unit to calculate the amount of power generated at each point in time during the parking period from the scheduled start time to the scheduled end time for parking, calculates the total amount of power generated by the solar power generation device for each of the multiple candidate locations by accumulating the amount of power generated at each point in time during the parking period for each of the multiple candidate locations, and calculates the candidate location with the maximum total power generated among the multiple candidate locations as the parking location for the vehicle. According to this configuration, the on-board solar power generation system can calculate the parking location in which the amount of power generated by the solar power generation device is maximized over the entire parking period, taking into account the parking time of the vehicle. This makes it possible to maximize the amount of power generated by the solar power generation device even if the solar radiation conditions of the vehicle change while parked. (2) In the above configuration, the vehicle is capable of driving by unmanned operation, the sensor further detects the surrounding environment of each of the new candidate locations and the parking location at predetermined time intervals after the vehicle has been parked in the parking location, the acquisition unit newly acquires parking location information indicating the location of the new candidate locations, the acquisition unit newly acquires the surrounding information generated using the sensor information at a later time each time the sensor information is output from the sensor, the calculation unit uses the information newly acquired by the acquisition unit to calculate the amount of power generated at each time after the later time for the parking location and the new candidate locations, and calculates the total amount of power generated at each time after the later time for the parking location and the new candidate locations by accumulating the amount of power generated at each time after the later time for the parking location and the new candidate locations, and if the total amount of power generated at a later time is greater than that of the parking location If a specific candidate location exists, the system calculates a new parking location for the vehicle from among the specific candidate locations by executing one of the first, second, or third processes. The first process calculates the candidate location from among the specific candidate locations that has the maximum total power generation amount from a later point in time onward as the new parking location. The second process calculates the amount of power consumed when moving from the parking location to the specific candidate location, and calculates the candidate location from among the specific candidate locations that has the maximum remaining power amount obtained by subtracting the amount of power consumed from the total power generation amount from a later point in time onward as the new parking location. The third process calculates the candidate location from among the specific candidate locations that is closest in distance to the parking location as the new parking location. The on-board solar power generation system may further include a control unit that moves the vehicle to the new parking location by driving the vehicle toward the new parking location in an unmanned manner. In this configuration, the on-board solar power system can move the vehicle to a new parking spot using autonomous driving, based on the total amount of electricity generated after the vehicle has been parked. Therefore, the on-board solar power system can more reliably maximize the amount of electricity generated by the solar power system. (3) In the above configuration, the vehicle is a first vehicle, and the on-board solar power generation system comprises two or more vehicles, including at least the first vehicle, from among the first vehicle and a second vehicle which is a vehicle that can be driven unmanned without the solar power generation device installed, and the new multiple candidate locations include a location where the second vehicle is parked, and the control unit may move the two or more vehicles to park the first vehicle in the new parking location. According to this configuration, the on-board solar power generation system can park the first vehicle in the new parking location by moving the two or more vehicles to park the first vehicle in the new parking location. Therefore, the on-board solar power generation system can more reliably maximize the amount of power generated by the solar power generation device. (4) The above configuration may further include a notification unit that notifies the user of the new parking location by transmitting vehicle movement information indicating the new parking location to a terminal held by the user. In this configuration, the on-board solar power generation system can notify the user of the new parking location of the vehicle by transmitting vehicle movement information to a terminal held by the user. This improves the convenience of the on-board solar power generation system. (5) In the above configuration, the acquisition unit may further acquire at least one of the following: environmental information including weather information indicating the weather at the candidate location; first installation information indicating the installation angle of the solar power generation device on the vehicle; and second installation information indicating at least one of the number of solar power generation devices installed on the vehicle and the installation area. According to this configuration, the on-board solar power generation system can calculate the amount of power generated by the solar power generation device more accurately. Therefore, the on-board solar power generation system can more reliably maximize the amount of power generated by the solar power generation device. This disclosure can be implemented in various forms other than the above-described in-vehicle solar power generation system. For example, it can be implemented in the form of a method for manufacturing an in-vehicle solar power generation system, a method for controlling an in-vehicle solar power generation system, a computer program for implementing the control method, a non-temporary recording medium on which the computer program is stored, etc. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] A block diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle-mounted solar power generation system in the first embodiment. [Figure 2] A flowchart illustrating the control method in the first embodiment. [Figure 3] A block diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle-mounted solar power generation system in the second embodiment. [Figure 4] A flowchart illustrating the control method in the second embodiment. [Figure 5] A block diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle-mounted solar power generation system in the third embodiment. [Figure 6] A flowchart illustrating the control method in the third embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] A. First Embodiment: Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the on-board solar power generation system 1 in the first embodiment. The on-board solar power generation system 1 is a system for maximizing the amount of power generated by the solar power generation device 110 mounted on the vehicle 100 over the entire parking time when the vehicle 100 is parked. The on-board solar power generation system 1 comprises one or more vehicles 100 equipped with solar power generation devices 110 that generate power by receiving sunlight, a control device 200 that controls the on-board solar power generation system 1, and one or more sensors 300.

[0009] The sensor 300 detects the surrounding environment at each of several candidate locations where the vehicle 100 can be parked, and outputs sensor information as a result of the detection. In this embodiment, the sensor 300 is an internal sensor 160 mounted on the vehicle 100. The internal sensor 160 is, for example, a camera, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), or millimeter-wave radar.

[0010] Vehicle 100 drives its various parts using electricity generated by a solar power generation device 110. In this embodiment, vehicle 100 is an electric vehicle comprising a solar power generation device 110, a main battery 120 for storing electricity generated by the solar power generation device 110, and a drive motor 130 driven using the electricity stored in the main battery 120. Vehicle 100 may also be an electric vehicle, gasoline vehicle, hybrid vehicle, or fuel cell vehicle comprising a solar power generation device 110, an auxiliary battery for storing electricity generated by the solar power generation device 110, and an auxiliary device driven using the electricity stored in the auxiliary battery. Vehicle 100 further comprises a vehicle control device 140 for controlling various parts of vehicle 100, an actuator group 150 including one or more actuators driven by the drive motor 130 under the control of the vehicle control device 140, and an internal sensor 160. The actuator group 150 includes actuators for a drive system to accelerate the vehicle 100, actuators for a steering system to change the direction of travel of the vehicle 100, and actuators for a braking system to decelerate the vehicle 100.

[0011] In this embodiment, the functions of the control device 200 are realized by the vehicle control device 140. The vehicle control device 140 comprises a processor 141, a memory 142, an input / output interface 143, and a bus 144. The processor 141, memory 142, and input / output interface 143 can communicate bidirectionally via the bus 144. The input / output interface 143 is connected to the driving motor 130, actuator group 150, internal sensor 160, etc. The processor 141 functions as a vehicle control unit 145, an acquisition unit 146, a calculation unit 147, and a notification unit 148 by executing the program PG1 stored in the memory 142.

[0012] The vehicle control unit 145 drives the vehicle 100 by controlling the actuator group 150. In this embodiment, the vehicle control unit 145 drives the vehicle 100 under manned operation by controlling the actuator group 150 in accordance with the amount of operation performed by the user on control devices (not shown), such as the accelerator pedal, brake pedal, and steering wheel.

[0013] The acquisition unit 146 acquires various types of information. Specifically, the acquisition unit 146 acquires parking time information, parking location information, environmental information, parking timing information, solar radiation information, and performance information.

[0014] Parking time information is information indicating the scheduled start time and scheduled end time of parking for vehicle 100. The acquisition unit 146 acquires parking time information by, for example, receiving user input via an input device (not shown) mounted on vehicle 100. The acquisition unit 146 may also acquire parking time information by predicting the parking time using past driving history DH stored in memory 142. In this case, the acquisition unit 146 acquires vehicle position information indicating the vehicle 100's own position and, by referring to past driving history DH stored in memory 142, acquires past parking times near the location specified by the acquired vehicle position information. Then, the acquisition unit 146 acquires a first current time and identifies the time from the first current time to a time equal to the past parking time as the parking time from the scheduled start time to the scheduled end time, thereby acquiring parking time information. The first current time is, for example, the time when the system receives an instruction from the user to start calculating the parking location.

[0015] Parking location information is information indicating the location of multiple candidate locations. For example, the location of a candidate location is represented by its latitude and longitude. The acquisition unit 146 acquires parking location information by, for example, receiving user input via an input device (not shown) mounted on the vehicle 100. The acquisition unit 146 may also acquire parking location information by using sensor information to identify a place where the vehicle 100 can be parked. The acquisition unit 146 may also acquire parking location information using information indicating the operating status of a lock plate pre-installed at the parking location.

[0016] The environmental information is information indicating the surrounding environment at each of a plurality of candidate locations. The environmental information includes peripheral information generated using sensor information. The peripheral information includes information regarding obstacles existing around the candidate location. The obstacles are, for example, buildings such as houses and buildings, fixed objects such as fences and flags, movable objects such as road cones and signboards, installed objects such as shoring curtains and tents stretched at a construction site, natural objects such as trees and leaves, and other vehicles 100. The acquisition unit 146 acquires, as peripheral information, the size of an obstacle such as height and width, the shape of the obstacle, the position of the obstacle, and the distance from the vehicle 100 to the obstacle, by analyzing, for example, a captured image output from a camera as an internal sensor 160. Note that the acquisition unit 146 may acquire at least a part of the information regarding the obstacle based on existing information such as the map information MI stored in advance in the memory 142.

[0017] The parking time information is information indicating the time in the year when the vehicle 100 is parked. The parking time information is, for example, information indicating the date when the vehicle 100 is parked. The parking time information may be information indicating the calendar month when the vehicle 100 is parked, or may be information indicating seasons such as spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

[0018] The solar radiation information is information indicating the position of the sun for each location, time period, and time. The solar radiation information is, for example, a dataset associating the latitude and longitude of each location on the earth, the time period, the time, and the position of the sun.

[0019] The performance information is information indicating the power generation capacity of the solar power generation device 110. The performance information indicates the maximum output of the solar power generation device 110, that is, the performance of the solar power generation device 110.

[0020] The calculation unit 147 uses the information acquired by the acquisition unit 146 to calculate the amount of power generated by the solar power generation device 110 at each point in time during the parking period from the scheduled start time to the scheduled end time for parking, for each of the multiple candidate locations. In other words, the calculation unit 147 calculates the amount of power generated by the solar power generation device 110 at arbitrary time intervals. The amount of power generated by the solar power generation device 110 can be calculated, for example, by multiplying the power generation capacity of the solar power generation device 110, which is specified by the performance information, by the amount of solar radiation. The amount of solar radiation can be calculated, for example, by specifying the relative position of the sun at the candidate location and the shadows formed at the candidate location due to sunlight being blocked by obstacles. The relative position of the sun can be specified, for example, by acquiring the position of the sun associated with the latitude and longitude of the candidate location specified by the parking location information, the parking time specified by the parking time information, and any time during the parking period specified by the parking time information, using the solar radiation information. The shadows formed at candidate locations can be identified, for example, from the relationship between the size and location of obstacles identified by surrounding information included in the environmental information and the relative position of the sun at any given time during the parking period. The calculation unit 147 then calculates the total power generation of the solar power generation device 110 for each of the multiple candidate locations by accumulating the amount of power generated by the solar power generation device 110 at each point in time during the parking period. The calculation unit 147 then determines the candidate location with the highest total power generation of the solar power generation device 110 from among the multiple candidate locations as the parking location for the vehicle 100.

[0021] The notification unit 148 notifies the user of various information. In this embodiment, the notification unit 148 notifies the user of a parking location calculated by the calculation unit 147 as a parking location that can maximize the power generation of the solar power generation device 110.

[0022] Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the control method for the vehicle-mounted solar power generation system 1 in the first embodiment. The flow shown in Figure 2 is initiated, for example, when the system receives an instruction from the user to start calculating the optimal parking location to maximize the power generation of the solar power generation device 110.

[0023] First, the acquisition process in step S110 is executed. The acquisition process is a process of acquiring various information in order to calculate the parking location of the vehicle 100. In step S111, the acquisition unit 146 acquires parking time information. In step S112, the acquisition unit 146 acquires parking location information. In step S113, the acquisition unit 146 acquires environmental information, including surrounding information. In step S114, the acquisition unit 146 acquires parking timing information. In step S115, the acquisition unit 146 acquires solar radiation information. In step S116, the acquisition unit 146 acquires performance information. Note that any of the steps from step S111 to step S116 may be executed in any order, and multiple steps may be executed simultaneously.

[0024] Following the acquisition process, the calculation process in step S120 is executed. The calculation process is the process of calculating the parking location for the vehicle 100. In step S121, the calculation unit 147 uses the information acquired by the acquisition unit 146 to calculate the amount of power generated by the solar power generation device 110 at each point in time during the parking period for each of the multiple candidate locations. In step S122, the calculation unit 147 calculates the total amount of power generated by the solar power generation device 110 for each of the multiple candidate locations by accumulating the amount of power generated at each point in time during the parking period for each of the multiple candidate locations. In step S123, the calculation unit 147 calculates the candidate location with the largest total power generated among the multiple candidate locations as the parking location for the vehicle 100.

[0025] Following the calculation process, the location notification process in step S130 is executed. The location notification process is a process of notifying the user of various information. In step S131, the notification unit 148 generates a maximum power generation map that visually shows the total power generation for each candidate location. In step S132, the notification unit 148 displays the maximum power generation map on a display device (not shown) mounted on the vehicle 100. In this way, the notification unit 148 notifies the user of the calculated parking location.

[0026] According to the first embodiment described above, the on-board solar power generation system 1 can calculate the parking location that maximizes the power generation of the solar power generation device 110 over the entire parking time, taking into account the parking time of the vehicle 100. This makes it possible to maximize the power generation of the solar power generation device 110 even if the sunlight conditions for the vehicle 100 change while it is parked.

[0027] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment described above, the on-board solar power generation system 1 can calculate the amount of solar radiation at a candidate location using surrounding information generated using sensor information. In this configuration, even when there are unexpected obstacles around the candidate location that cannot be determined from the map information MI, such as when a large truck is parked next to the candidate location and casts a shadow on it, the amount of solar radiation at the candidate location can be calculated more accurately. Therefore, the on-board solar power generation system 1 can more reliably maximize the amount of power generated by the solar power generation device 110.

[0028] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment described above, the on-board solar power generation system 1 can acquire surrounding information generated using sensor information output from an internal sensor 160 mounted on the vehicle 100. In other words, the on-board solar power generation system 1 can acquire surrounding information without synchronizing the vehicle 100 with an external sensor located outside the vehicle 100 that corresponds to the vehicle 100's own position. Therefore, the on-board solar power generation system 1 can reduce the processing load required to acquire surrounding information.

[0029] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment described above, the on-board solar power generation system 1 can acquire surrounding information without having to install a sensor 300 outside the vehicle 100 to detect the surrounding environment of the candidate location. As a result, the on-board solar power generation system 1 can be used even in places where external sensors are not installed, such as on public roads. Thus, the versatility of the on-board solar power generation system 1 can be improved.

[0030] B. Second Embodiment: Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the on-board solar power generation system 1a in the second embodiment. The on-board solar power generation system 1a comprises one or more vehicles 100a, a control device 200a, and one or more sensors 300a. After a vehicle 100a is parked in a parking space, the surrounding environment of the parking space may change, causing the amount of sunlight at the parking space to decrease more than expected. Therefore, the on-board solar power generation system 1a of this embodiment maximizes the amount of power generated by the solar power generation device 110 by moving the vehicle 100a to a new parking space according to the total amount of power generated after the vehicle 100a has been parked in the parking space. Components identical to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0031] In this embodiment, after the vehicle 100a has been parked in the parking space, the sensor 300a further detects the surrounding environment of multiple new candidate locations and the current parking location at predetermined time intervals. In this embodiment as well, the sensor 300a that detects the surrounding environment is the internal sensor 160a mounted on the vehicle 100a.

[0032] In this embodiment, vehicle 100a is capable of unmanned operation. Unmanned operation is achieved by automatic or manual remote control using a device located outside vehicle 100a, or by autonomous control of vehicle 100a. In this specification, "remote control" includes "fully remote control," in which all operations of vehicle 100a are completely determined from outside vehicle 100a, and "partial remote control," in which some operations of vehicle 100a are determined from outside vehicle 100a. "Autonomous control" includes "fully autonomous control," in which vehicle 100a autonomously controls its own operations without receiving any information from a device outside vehicle 100a, and "partial autonomous control," in which vehicle 100a autonomously controls its own operations using information received from a device outside vehicle 100a. In this embodiment, an example is given of when vehicle 100a is driven by autonomous control.

[0033] Vehicle 100a is further equipped with a communication device 170 for communicating wirelessly with external devices such as a terminal 900 owned by the user. In this embodiment as well, the functions of the control device 200a are realized by the vehicle control device 140a. The processor 141a of the vehicle control device 140a functions as the vehicle control unit 145a, the acquisition unit 146a, the calculation unit 147a, and the notification unit 148a by executing the program PG1 stored in the memory 142a.

[0034] The acquisition unit 146a acquires various information at the time after the vehicle 100a has been parked in the parking space. Specifically, the acquisition unit 146a acquires a second current time. The second current time is, for example, the time after the vehicle 100a has been parked in the parking space and the time when the calculation of a new parking space begins. The acquisition unit 146a acquires parking location information indicating multiple new candidate locations. Each time sensor information is output, the acquisition unit 146a acquires surrounding information generated using the sensor information at the time after the vehicle 100a has been parked in the parking space.

[0035] The calculation unit 147a uses the newly acquired information from the acquisition unit 146a to calculate the amount of power generated at each point in time after the vehicle 100a is parked in the parking space, for the current parking space and for several new candidate locations. Specifically, the calculation unit 147a acquires the position of the sun associated with the location of the new candidate location identified by the new parking location information, the parking time identified by the previously acquired parking time information, and any time between the second current time and the scheduled end time of parking. Then, the calculation unit 147a identifies the shadows formed at the new candidate locations based on the relationship between the size and location of obstacles identified by the new surrounding information and the relative position of the sun at any time between the second current time and the scheduled end time of parking. As a result, the calculation unit 147a calculates the amount of power generated at each point in time after the vehicle 100a is parked in the parking space. The calculation unit 147a then accumulates the amount of power generated at each point in time after the vehicle 100a is parked in the parking space for the current parking space and for several new candidate locations. As a result, the calculation unit 147a calculates the total amount of power generated from the time after the vehicle 100a is parked in the parking space for the current parking space and for several new candidate locations. If there is a specific candidate location where the total amount of power generated from the time after the vehicle 100a is parked in the parking space is greater than that of the current parking space, the calculation unit 147a executes one of the first, second, or third processes. As a result, the calculation unit 147a calculates a new parking space from among the specific candidate locations. In the first process, the calculation unit 147a calculates the candidate location with the maximum total amount of power generated from the time after the vehicle 100a is parked in the parking space as the new parking space. In the second process, the calculation unit 147a calculates the amount of power consumed when moving from the current parking space to the specific candidate location. In the second process, the calculation unit 147a calculates the amount of power consumed from among the specific candidate locations where the remaining power amount (total power generated from the time after the vehicle 100a is parked in the parking space minus the amount of power consumed) is the maximum as the new parking space. In the third process, the calculation unit 147a calculates the candidate location that is closest in distance from the current parking location among the specified candidate locations as the new parking location.

[0036] The vehicle control unit 145a moves the vehicle 100a to a new parking space by autonomously controlling the vehicle 100a. The vehicle control unit 145a, for example, acquires vehicle position information and generates a driving control signal to drive the vehicle 100a from the location identified by the vehicle position information toward the new parking space. The driving control signal includes, for example, the acceleration and steering angle of the vehicle 100a as parameters. The vehicle control unit 145a operates the actuator group 150 using the generated driving control signal. As a result, the vehicle control unit 145a moves the vehicle 100a to a new parking space by autonomously controlling the vehicle 100a.

[0037] The notification unit 148a notifies the user of a new parking location by transmitting vehicle movement information to a terminal 900 such as a mobile phone owned by the user. The vehicle movement information is information indicating the new parking location.

[0038] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the control method for the vehicle-mounted solar power generation system 1a in the second embodiment. The flow shown in Figure 4 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined time interval, for example, after the vehicle 100a has been parked in a parking space.

[0039] First, the additional acquisition step S210 is performed. The additional acquisition step is a process of acquiring various information at the time after the vehicle 100a has been parked in the parking space. In step S211, the acquisition unit 146a acquires second time information. In step S212, the acquisition unit 146a acquires new parking location information. In step S213, the acquisition unit 146a acquires new environmental information. Note that any of the steps from step S211 to step S213 may be executed in any order, and multiple steps may be executed simultaneously.

[0040] Following the additional acquisition process, the recalculation process in step S220 is executed. The recalculation process is a process for calculating new parking locations that can further increase the amount of power generated during parking time. In step S221, the calculation unit 147a uses the newly acquired information by the acquisition unit 146a to calculate the amount of power generated at each point in time after the vehicle 100a is parked in the parking location for the current parking location and for several new candidate locations. In step S222, the calculation unit 147a accumulates the amount of power generated at each point in time after the vehicle 100a is parked in the parking location for the current parking location and for several new candidate locations. As a result, the calculation unit 147a calculates the total amount of power generated after the vehicle 100a is parked in the parking location for the current parking location and for several new candidate locations. If there is a specific candidate location where the total amount of power generated after the vehicle 100a is parked in the parking location is greater than that of the current parking location (step S223: Yes), the calculation unit 147a executes step S224. In step S224, the calculation unit 147a calculates a new parking location by executing one of the first, second, or third processes. If no specific candidate location exists (step S223: No), this flow terminates.

[0041] Following the recalculation process, the control process in step S230 is executed. The control process is to move vehicle 100a to a new parking location using the unmanned operation of vehicle 100a. In step S231, the vehicle control unit 145a acquires vehicle position information and generates a driving control signal to drive vehicle 100a from the location identified by the vehicle position information toward the new parking location. In step S232, the vehicle control unit 145a controls the operation of the actuator group 150 using the generated driving control signal, thereby driving vehicle 100a autonomously and moving vehicle 100a to the new parking location.

[0042] Following the control process, the destination notification process in step S240 is executed. The destination notification process is the process of notifying the user of a new parking location. In step S241, the notification unit 148a generates vehicle movement information. In step S242, the notification unit 148a transmits the vehicle movement information to the terminal 900 held by the user.

[0043] According to the second embodiment described above, the on-board solar power generation system 1a can move the vehicle 100a to a new parking location by utilizing unmanned driving, depending on the total amount of power generated after the vehicle 100a has been parked in a parking location. Therefore, the on-board solar power generation system 1a can more reliably maximize the amount of power generated by the solar power generation device 110.

[0044] Furthermore, according to the second embodiment described above, the on-board solar power generation system 1a can calculate a candidate location as a new parking spot that maximizes the total power generated after the vehicle 100a has been parked in the parking spot by executing the first process. In this way, for example, when the amount of power consumed is small, such as when moving a vehicle 100a parked on the road in the forward and backward directions, the on-board solar power generation system 1a can calculate a new parking spot without calculating the amount of power consumed. This reduces the processing load required for calculating a new parking spot for the on-board solar power generation system 1a.

[0045] Furthermore, according to the second embodiment described above, the on-board solar power generation system 1a can calculate a new parking location from among candidate locations that have a larger total power generation amount than the current parking location, and which has the largest remaining power. In this way, for example, when the amount of power consumed affects the total power generation amount, such as when moving to a location far from the current location of the vehicle 100a, the new parking location can be calculated taking into account the amount of power consumed. As a result, the on-board solar power generation system 1a can more reliably maximize the power generation amount of the solar power generation device 110.

[0046] Furthermore, according to the second embodiment described above, the on-board solar power generation system 1a can calculate a new parking location from among candidate locations that have a larger total power generation capacity than the current parking location, and that is closest to the current parking location, by performing the third process. In this way, the on-board solar power generation system 1a can move the vehicle 100a to a new parking location that can increase the power generation capacity of the solar power generation device 110 while keeping power consumption down.

[0047] Furthermore, according to the second embodiment described above, the on-board solar power generation system 1a can notify the user of the new parking location of the vehicle 100 by transmitting vehicle movement information to the terminal 900 held by the user. This improves the convenience of the on-board solar power generation system 1a. However, in cases where there is no specific user, such as when the vehicle 100a is parked in a factory yard, it is not necessary to notify the user of the new parking location.

[0048] C. Third Embodiment: Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle-mounted solar power generation system 1b in the third embodiment. The vehicle-mounted solar power generation system 1b comprises two or more vehicles 100b, 100c, including at least the first vehicle 100b, a control device 200b, and one or more sensors 300b. The first vehicle 100b is a vehicle that can be driven unmanned and is equipped with a solar power generation device 110. The second vehicle 100c is a vehicle that can be driven unmanned and is not equipped with a solar power generation device 110. In some cases, the second vehicle 100c may already be parked in a location where the power generation amount of the solar power generation device 110 can be maximized. Therefore, the vehicle-mounted solar power generation system 1b in this embodiment maximizes the power generation amount of the solar power generation device 110 by coordinating the movement of the two or more vehicles 100b, 100c. Components identical to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0049] In this embodiment, sensor 300b is an external sensor 400. The external sensor 400 is a sensor that detects vehicles 100b and 100c from outside the vehicles 100b and 100c. The external sensor 400 is equipped with a communication device (not shown) and can communicate with other devices via wired or wireless communication. Examples of the external sensor 400 include a camera, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), and millimeter-wave radar.

[0050] In this embodiment, the functions of the control device 200b are realized by the server 500. The server 500 comprises a processor 501, a memory 502, an input / output interface 503, and a bus 504. The processor 501, memory 502, and input / output interface 503 can communicate bidirectionally via the bus 504. The input / output interface 503 is connected to a communication device 505 for communicating with the outside world. The communication device 505 can communicate with vehicles 100b and 100c via wireless communication, and can communicate with external sensors 400 via wired or wireless communication. The processor 501 functions as an acquisition unit 511, a calculation unit 512, and a remote control unit 513 by executing a program PG2 stored in the memory 502.

[0051] The acquisition unit 511 acquires various information at the time after the first vehicle 100b has been parked in the parking space. Specifically, the acquisition unit 511 acquires the second current time. The acquisition unit 511 newly acquires parking location information indicating a new set of candidate locations, including the location where the second vehicle 100c is parked. Each time sensor information is output from the external sensor 400, the acquisition unit 511 newly acquires surrounding information generated using the sensor information at the time after the first vehicle 100b has been parked in the parking space.

[0052] The calculation unit 512 uses the newly acquired information from the acquisition unit 511 to calculate the amount of power generated at each point in time after the first vehicle 100b is parked in the parking space, for the current parking space and for several new candidate locations. The calculation unit 512 then sums the amount of power generated at each point in time after the first vehicle 100b is parked in the parking space, for the current parking space and for several new candidate locations. As a result, the calculation unit 512 calculates the total amount of power generated at each point in time after the first vehicle 100b is parked in the parking space, for the current parking space and for several new candidate locations. If there is a specific candidate location where the total amount of power generated at each point in time after the first vehicle 100b is parked in the parking space is greater than that of the current parking space, the calculation unit 512 executes one of the first, second, or third processes. As a result, the calculation unit 512 calculates a new parking space from among the specific candidate locations.

[0053] The remote control unit 513 remotely controls vehicles 100b and 100c to move toward a new parking location, thereby parking the first vehicle 100b in a new parking location that maximizes the power generation of the solar power generation device 110. The remote control unit 513, for example, acquires vehicle location information and generates a driving control signal to move vehicles 100b and 100c toward the new parking location from the location identified by the vehicle location information. The remote control unit 513 then transmits the generated driving control signal to vehicles 100b and 100c. As a result, the remote control unit 513 remotely controls vehicles 100b and 100c to move toward the new parking location.

[0054] The first vehicle 100b includes a solar power generation device 110, a main battery 120, a driving motor 130, a vehicle control device 140b, an actuator group 150, and a communication device 170. The processor 141b of the vehicle control device 140b functions as a vehicle control unit 145b by executing a program PG1 stored in memory 142b. The vehicle control unit 145b controls the actuator group 150 using a driving control signal received from the server 500, thereby driving the first vehicle 100b under the remote control of the server 500. As a result, the vehicle control unit 145b parks the first vehicle 100b in a new parking space.

[0055] The second vehicle 100c is equipped with a vehicle control device 140c, an actuator group 150, and a communication device 170. The processor 141c of the vehicle control device 140c functions as a vehicle control unit 145c by executing a program PG1 stored in memory 142c. The vehicle control unit 145c controls the actuator group 150 using a driving control signal received from the server 500, thereby driving the second vehicle 100c under the remote control of the server 500. As a result, the vehicle control unit 145c parks the second vehicle 100c in a new parking space.

[0056] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the control method for the vehicle-mounted solar power generation system 1b in the third embodiment. The flow shown in Figure 6 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined time interval, for example, after the first vehicle 100b has been parked in the parking area.

[0057] First, the additional acquisition process in step S310 is performed. In step S311, the acquisition unit 511 acquires second time information. In step S312, the acquisition unit 511 acquires new parking location information. In step S313, the acquisition unit 511 acquires new environmental information. Note that any of the steps from step S311 to step S313 may be executed in any order, and multiple steps may be executed simultaneously.

[0058] Following the additional acquisition process, the recalculation process in step S320 is executed. In step S321, the calculation unit 512 uses the newly acquired information by the acquisition unit 511 to calculate the amount of power generated at each point in time after the first vehicle 100b is parked in the parking space, for the current parking space and for several new candidate locations. In step S322, the calculation unit 512 accumulates the amount of power generated at each point in time after the first vehicle 100b is parked in the parking space, for the current parking space and for several new candidate locations. As a result, the calculation unit 512 calculates the total amount of power generated after the first vehicle 100b is parked in the parking space, for the current parking space and for several new candidate locations. If there is a specific candidate location where the total amount of power generated after the first vehicle 100b is parked in the parking space is greater than that of the current parking space (step S323: Yes), the calculation unit 512 executes step S324. In step S324, the calculation unit 512 calculates a new parking location by executing one of the first, second, or third processes. If no specific candidate location exists (step S323: No), this flow terminates.

[0059] Following the recalculation process, the control process of step S330 is executed. If the second vehicle 100c is parked in the new parking space for the first vehicle 100b (step S331: Yes), in step S332, the remote control unit 513 generates a driving control signal to move the second vehicle 100c to another location. In step 333, the remote control unit 513 transmits the generated driving control signal to the second vehicle 100c. If the second vehicle 100c is not parked in the new parking space for the first vehicle 100b (step S331: No), and if step S333 is completed, in step S334, the remote control unit 513 generates a driving control signal to drive the first vehicle 100b toward a new parking space. In step S335, the remote control unit 513 transmits the generated driving control signal to the first vehicle 100b.

[0060] According to the third embodiment described above, the on-board solar power generation system 1b can park the first vehicle 100b in a new parking space by moving two or more vehicles 100b and 100c respectively. Therefore, the on-board solar power generation system 1b can more reliably maximize the amount of power generated by the solar power generation device 110.

[0061] Furthermore, according to the third embodiment described above, the on-board solar power generation system 1b can acquire surrounding information generated using sensor information output from an external sensor 400 located outside the vehicles 100b and 100c. Therefore, the on-board solar power generation system 1b can operate the vehicles 100b and 100c autonomously even if the vehicles 100b and 100c are not equipped with an internal sensor 160a. Thus, the versatility of the on-board solar power generation system 1b can be improved.

[0062] Furthermore, the on-board solar power generation system 1b may operate autonomously through communication between two or more vehicles 100b and 100c, without remote control by the server 500. Also, if the on-board solar power generation system 1b is equipped with two or more first vehicles 100b, the on-board solar power generation system 1b may increase the power generation of a specific first vehicle 100b by prioritizing the movement of one of the two or more first vehicles 100b. The on-board solar power generation system 1b may increase the power generation of all two or more first vehicles 100b by moving the vehicles 100b and 100c.

[0063] D. Other embodiments: (D1) The acquisition units 146, 146a, 511 may further acquire environmental information including weather information. The weather information indicates the weather at candidate locations where vehicles 100, 100a to 100c can be parked. The calculation units 147, 147a, 512 may further calculate the amount of solar radiation at the candidate locations using the weather information. In this configuration, the on-board solar power generation systems 1, 1a, 1b can calculate the amount of solar radiation at the candidate locations more accurately. Therefore, the on-board solar power generation systems 1, 1a, 1b can more reliably maximize the amount of power generated by the solar power generation device 110.

[0064] (D2) The acquisition units 146, 146a, and 511 may further acquire first installation information. The first installation information is information indicating the installation angle of the solar power generation device 110 on the vehicle 100, 100a to 100c. The calculation units 147, 147a, and 512 may further calculate the amount of power generated by the solar power generation device 110 using the first installation information. In this configuration, the on-board solar power generation systems 1, 1a, and 1b can calculate the amount of power generated by the solar power generation device 110 more accurately. Therefore, the on-board solar power generation systems 1, 1a, and 1b can more reliably maximize the amount of power generated by the solar power generation device 110.

[0065] (D3) The acquisition units 146, 146a, 511 may further acquire second installation information. The second installation information is information indicating at least one of the number of solar power generation devices 110 installed in vehicles 100, 100a to 100c and the installation area. The calculation units 147, 147a, 512 may further calculate the amount of power generated by the solar power generation devices 110 using the second installation information. In this configuration, the on-board solar power generation systems 1, 1a, 1b can calculate the amount of power generated by the solar power generation devices 110 more accurately. Therefore, the on-board solar power generation systems 1, 1a, 1b can more reliably maximize the amount of power generated by the solar power generation devices 110.

[0066] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various configurations without departing from its spirit. For example, the technical features of the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each form described in the summary of the invention can be replaced or combined as appropriate in order to solve some or all of the above-described problems, or to achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be deleted as appropriate. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0067] 1,1a,1b…Vehicle-mounted solar power generation system, 100,100a~100c…Vehicle, 110…Solar power generation device, 120…Main battery, 130…Driving motor, 140,140a~140c…Vehicle control device, 141,141a~141c…Processor of vehicle control device, 142,142a~142c…Memory of vehicle control device, 143…Input / output interface of vehicle control device, 144…Bus of vehicle control device, 145,145a~145c…Vehicle control unit, 146,146a,511…Acquisition unit, 147,147a,51 2...Calculation unit, 148,148a...Notification unit, 150...Actuator group, 160,160a...Internal sensors, 170...Vehicle communication device, 200,200a,200b...Control device, 300,300a,300b...Sensors, 400...External sensors, 500...Server, 501...Server processor, 502...Server memory, 503...Server input / output interface, 504...Server bus, 505...Server communication device, 513...Remote control unit, 900...Terminal, DH...Driving history, MI...Map information, PG1,PG2...Program

Claims

1. It is a vehicle-mounted solar power generation system, A vehicle equipped with a solar power generation device that generates electricity by receiving sunlight, A sensor that detects the surrounding environment at each of several candidate locations where the vehicle can be parked, An acquisition unit that acquires: (a) parking time information indicating the scheduled start time and scheduled end time of parking of the vehicle; (b) parking location information indicating the location of the plurality of candidate locations; (c) environmental information indicating the surrounding environment, which includes surrounding information generated using sensor information output from the sensor; (d) parking time information indicating the time of year when the vehicle will be parked; (e) solar radiation information indicating the position of the sun for each location, time, and time; and (f) performance information indicating the power generation capacity of the solar power generation device. An on-board solar power generation system comprising: a calculation unit that uses the information acquired by the acquisition unit to calculate the amount of power generated at each point in time during the parking period from the scheduled start time to the scheduled end time for parking for each of the multiple candidate locations, calculates the total amount of power generated by the solar power generation system for each of the multiple candidate locations by accumulating the amount of power generated at each point in time during the parking period for each of the multiple candidate locations, and calculates the candidate location with the largest total amount of power generated among the multiple candidate locations as the parking location for the vehicle.

2. The on-board solar power generation system according to claim 1, The aforementioned vehicle is capable of operating without a driver. The sensor further detects the surrounding environment of multiple new candidate locations and the parking location at predetermined time intervals after the vehicle has been parked in the parking location. The acquisition unit newly acquires parking location information indicating the locations of the new multiple candidate locations, The acquisition unit acquires new peripheral information generated using the sensor information at a later point in time each time the sensor outputs sensor information from the sensor. The calculation unit uses the newly acquired information by the acquisition unit to calculate the amount of power generated at each point in time from the aforementioned point in time onward for the parking location and the new multiple candidate locations, and calculates the total amount of power generated at each point in time from the aforementioned point in time onward for the parking location and the new multiple candidate locations by accumulating the amount of power generated at each point in time from the aforementioned point in time onward for the parking location and the new multiple candidate locations, and if there is a specific candidate location where the total amount of power generated at the aforementioned point in time onward is greater than that of the parking location, the calculation unit executes one of the first, second, or third processes to calculate a new parking location for the vehicle from among the specific candidate locations. The first process is a process of determining which of the specified candidate locations has the highest total power generation amount from the subsequent time point onward as the new parking location. The second process involves calculating the amount of power consumed when moving from the parking location to the specific candidate location, and determining the candidate location among the specific candidate locations that has the largest remaining power amount obtained by subtracting the amount of power consumed from the total power generated from the subsequent point in time onward as the new parking location. The third process is a process of calculating the new parking location from among the specified candidate locations that is closest in distance to the parking location. The on-board solar power generation system further includes a control unit that moves the vehicle to the new parking location by driving the vehicle towards the new parking location autonomously.

3. The on-board solar power generation system according to claim 2, The aforementioned vehicle is the first vehicle, The on-board solar power generation system comprises two or more vehicles, including at least the first vehicle, which are a first vehicle and a second vehicle that can be driven unmanned without the solar power generation device installed. The aforementioned new candidate locations include the location where the second vehicle is parked. The control unit moves the two or more vehicles to park the first vehicle in the new parking space, thereby enabling the vehicle-mounted solar power generation system.

4. The on-board solar power generation system according to claim 2, further, An in-vehicle solar power generation system comprising a notification unit that notifies the user of a new parking location by transmitting vehicle movement information indicating the new parking location to the user's terminal.

5. An on-board solar power generation system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The vehicle-mounted solar power generation system further acquires at least one of the following: environmental information including weather information indicating the weather at the candidate location; first installation information indicating the installation angle of the solar power generation device on the vehicle; and second installation information indicating at least one of the number of solar power generation devices installed on the vehicle and the installation area.

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