Charging facility proposal system

Abstract

To improve user convenience. [Solution] This charging facility suggestion system is used for electric vehicles that can be charged externally using electricity from charging facilities, and suggests a charging facility to be used for external charging. The system suggests a charging facility based on the history information of actions related to external charging performed by the user using the electric vehicle and information related to charging the electric vehicle. This improves user convenience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a charging facility proposal system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as this type of charging facility proposal system, there has been proposed a system that proposes a charging stop facility for charging based on information on charging facilities, information on the position and destination of a vehicle, information on facilities with high usage frequency of the vehicle, and information on the battery to be charged (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the above - mentioned charging facility proposal system, it is not possible to propose a charging facility that matches the preferences of users of electric vehicles. Therefore, users may not be satisfied with the proposed charging facilities, and convenience may be impaired.

[0005] The main object of the charging facility proposal system of the present disclosure is to improve user convenience.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The charging facility proposal system of the present disclosure has taken the following means to achieve the above - mentioned main object.

[0007] The charging facility proposal system of the present disclosure is a charging facility proposal system used for an electric vehicle capable of external charging that charges a battery with electric power from a charging facility and proposes a charging facility to be used for the external charging. Based on the user's history of actions related to external charging using the electric vehicle and information related to the charging of the electric vehicle, the system proposes the charging facility to be used. This is the gist of it.

[0008] The charging facility suggestion system disclosed in this document suggests a charging facility to be used based on historical information of actions related to external charging performed by the user using an electric vehicle, and information related to the charging of the electric vehicle. This makes it possible to suggest a charging facility that reflects the user's history of actions performed using an electric vehicle. As a result, user convenience can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of an electric vehicle equipped with the charging facility proposed system of the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 2] This flowchart shows an example of a processing routine executed by the main unit of the navigation device. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an electric vehicle equipped with the charging facility proposed system of this disclosure. As shown in the figure, the electric vehicle 20 includes a driving motor 32, an inverter 34, a battery 36, a vehicle-side connector 40, a navigation device 60, and an electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as "ECU") 70.

[0011] The motor 32 is connected to a drive shaft 26, the rotor of which is linked to drive wheels 22a and 22b via a differential gear 24. The inverter 34 is used to drive the motor 32 and is connected to a battery 36 via a power line 38. The motor 32 is rotationally driven by the switching control of multiple switching elements (not shown) of the inverter 34 by the ECU 70.

[0012] The battery 36 is configured as, for example, a lithium-ion secondary battery or a nickel-metal hydride secondary battery and is connected to the inverter 34 via a power line 38. A system main relay SMR is connected to the power line 38. The system main relay SMR connects and disconnects the battery 36 and the power line 38 by switching it on and off. The battery 36 is managed by the ECU 70. The system main relay SMR is controlled by the ECU 70.

[0013] The vehicle-side connector 40 is connected to the inverter 34 side of the power line 38 via the charging line 42, from the system main relay SMR. The vehicle-side connector 40 is configured to supply power from the charging facility 90 to the power line 38 when connected to the equipment-side connector 92 of the charging facility 90. A charging relay DCR is connected to the charging line 42. The charging relay DCR connects and disconnects the vehicle-side connector 40 and the power line 38 by switching it on and off. The charging relay DCR is controlled by the ECU 70.

[0014] The navigation device 60 comprises a main unit 62 having a storage medium such as a hard disk that stores map information, a CPU, ROM, RAM, input / output ports, and communication ports; a GPS antenna 64 that receives information about the vehicle's current location; and a touch panel type display 66 that displays various information such as map information, the vehicle's current location, and the planned route to the destination, and allows the user U to input various instructions. The main unit 62 stores charging service information. The charging service information includes location information of charging facilities 90, charging power information as the power that each charging facility 90 can supply to the vehicle, and fee information as information on the fees for each charging authentication service. When the user U operates the display 66 to set a destination in the navigation device 60, the main unit 62 sets a planned route from the current location to the destination based on the map information, the vehicle's current location, and the destination, and displays the set planned route on the display 66 to provide route guidance. The navigation device 60 is connected to the ECU 70 via a communication port.

[0015] The ECU70 is configured as a microprocessor centered around a CPU (not shown), and in addition to the CPU, it includes a ROM for storing processing programs, RAM for temporarily storing data, a relatively large-capacity storage device for storing data, input / output ports, and communication ports. Signals from various sensors are input to the ECU70 via the input ports. Examples of signals input to the ECU70 include the battery temperature Tfc from the temperature sensor 36a, which detects the temperature of the battery 36. Other examples include the ignition signal from the ignition switch 80, the accelerator opening Acc from the accelerator pedal position sensor 84, which detects the amount the accelerator pedal 83 is pressed, and the vehicle speed V from the vehicle speed sensor 88. Various control signals are output from the ECU70 via the output ports. Examples of signals output from the ECU70 include control signals to the inverter 34, the system main relay SMR, and the charging relay DCR. As described above, the ECU70 is connected to the navigation device 60 via a communication port.

[0016] The ECU 70 is configured to communicate wirelessly with a mobile terminal 96 and a management server 98. The mobile terminal 96 is configured as a portable computer such as a smartphone or tablet. The mobile terminal 96 is carried by user U, who is an occupant of the electric vehicle 20, and exchanges various information with the electric vehicle 20 via wireless or wired communication. The mobile terminal 96 stores user information. User information includes the current time Tnow and user U's schedule for the next day. The management server 98 is installed in an information management center outside the vehicle. The management server 98 manages the driving status of multiple electric vehicles and the availability information of multiple charging facilities 90.

[0017] In the electric vehicle 20 of this embodiment, the vehicle-side connector 40 and the equipment-side connector 92 are connected while the vehicle is stopped. When the charging facility 90 issues an instruction to start external power supply, the charging relay DCR and the system main relay SMR are turned on to perform external charging, which charges the battery 36 via the equipment-side connector 92, vehicle-side connector 40, charging line 42, and power line 38 using power from the charging facility 90.

[0018] In the electric vehicle 20 of this embodiment, the ECU 70 stores in a storage device historical information of actions related to external charging performed by user U using the electric vehicle 20 each time external charging is performed. The action history information includes information on the most frequently used charging facility calculated from the location information of the charging facility 90 where external charging was performed, information on the charging authentication network used by user U during past external charging, the manufacturer of the charger of the charging facility 90 most frequently used by user U during past external charging, information on the charging output as power supplied from the charging facility 90 during past external charging, and information on the price range that user U paid for external charging during past external charging. The ECU 70 calculates the remaining capacity (SOC) of the battery 36 based on the current flowing through the battery 36. The ECU 70 measures the continuous operating time (Tc) as the time from when the ignition switch 80 is turned on until when it is turned off, for each trip from when the ignition switch 80 is turned on until it is turned off.

[0019] Next, the operation of the electric vehicle 20 of the embodiment thus configured, particularly the operation when proposing a charging facility 90 to be used for external charging to the user U, will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing routine executed by the main body of the navigation device. This routine is executed when the navigation device 60 sets a planned route.

[0020] When this routine is executed, the main body 62 of the navigation device 60 executes a process of acquiring the set planned route, the vacancy information of each charging facility 90 located in the area (for example, the prefecture containing the planned route) including the planned route input from the management server 98, the action history information and vehicle information input from the ECU 70, and the user information input from the mobile terminal 96 (S100). The vehicle information includes the remaining capacity SOC of the battery 36 and the continuous operation time Tc.

[0021] Subsequently, the main body 62 of the navigation device 60 sets a recommended stand ST1 that the user U frequently uses (S110). Based on the action history information, vehicle information, and user information input in S100, the main body 62 sets, as the recommended stand ST1, the charging facility 90 with the highest usage frequency among at least one charging facility 90 within a radius Lref1 centered on the current position. The radius Lref1 is longer when the remaining capacity SOC included in the vehicle information is high than when it is low, and is shorter when the current time Tnow included in the user information is a late time (for example, at night) of the day than when it is an early time (for example, early morning), and is shorter when the departure time of the next day included in the user information is an early time (for example, early morning) of the day than when it is a late time (for example, at night). The charging facility 90 with the highest usage frequency is set based on the action history information.

[0022] Next, the main body 62 of the navigation device 60 sets a quick charging stand ST2 that can quickly charge the battery 36 (S120). Based on the charging service information and the vacancy information of each charging facility 90 input in S100, the main body 62 sets, as the quick charging stand ST2, a charging facility 90 within a radius Lref2 centered on the current position that has a large charging output and is vacant. The radius Lref2 may be the same length as the radius Lref1 or may be different.

[0023] Furthermore, the main body 62 of the navigation device 60 sets an inexpensive stand ST3 that can charge the battery 36 at a low cost (S130). Based on the information of the charging authentication network used by the user U during past external charging included in the user information, the fee information included in the charging service information, and the vacancy information of each charging facility 90 input in S100, the main body 62 sets, as the inexpensive stand ST3, a charging facility 90 within a radius Lref2 centered on the current position that is within the charging authentication network used by the user U during past external charging and has the lowest fee information included in the charging service information and is vacant.

[0024] Then, the main body 62 of the navigation device 60 sets a quick arrival stand ST4 that can reach the destination most quickly when stopping by at the charging facility 90 (S140). Based on the planned driving route and the position information of each charging facility 90, the quick arrival stand ST4 sets, as the quick arrival stand ST4, the charging facility 90 that is closest in distance on the planned driving route.

[0025] Once the recommended stand ST1, rapid charging stand ST2, inexpensive stand ST3, and quick-reach stand ST4 are set, the main unit 62 of the navigation device 60 displays the recommended stand ST1, rapid charging stand ST2, inexpensive stand ST3, and quick-reach stand ST4 on the display 66 as charging facilities to be used for external charging (S150), and then terminates this routine. Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the display. The recommended stand ST1, rapid charging stand ST2, inexpensive stand ST3, and quick-reach stand ST4 are displayed side by side on the display 66. Through this display, the main unit 62 of the navigation device 60 can suggest to the user U frequently used charging facilities 90, charging facilities 90 that can quickly charge the battery 36, charging facilities 90 that can charge the battery 36 inexpensively, and charging facilities 90 that can reach the destination the fastest. This allows for the suggestion of multiple types of charging facilities 90 that are expected to match the user U's preferences, thereby improving the convenience for the user U.

[0026] According to the electric vehicle 20 equipped with the charging facility proposal system of this embodiment described above, the convenience of user U can be improved by proposing a charging facility 90 to be used based on the history information of actions related to external charging performed by user U using the electric vehicle 20 and charging service information as information related to charging the electric vehicle 20.

[0027] In the above-described embodiment, the processing routine illustrated in Figure 2 is executed in the main body 62 of the navigation device 60, but some or all of the processing routine illustrated in Figure 2 may be executed in the mobile terminal 96.

[0028] In the above-described embodiment, the proposed charging facility 90 was displayed on the display 66, but it may also be displayed on the mobile terminal 96 instead of the display 66, or together with the display 66.

[0029] In the embodiment described above, the ECU 70 stores the history of actions, but at least one of the mobile terminal 96 and the main body 62 of the navigation device 60 may store the history of actions instead of or together with the ECU 70.

[0030] In the above-described embodiment, the mobile terminal 96 stores user information, but at least one of the ECU 70 and the main body 62 of the navigation device 60 may store user information instead of or together with the mobile terminal 96.

[0031] In the above-described embodiment, the main unit 62 of the navigation device 60 stores the charging service information, but at least one of the ECU 70 and the mobile terminal 96 may store the charging service information instead of or together with the main unit 62.

[0032] The correspondence between the main elements of the embodiment and the main elements of the invention described in the section on means for solving the problem will be explained. In the embodiment, the main body 62 of the navigation device 60 corresponds to the "charging facility suggestion system".

[0033] Furthermore, the correspondence between the main elements of the embodiment and the main elements of the invention described in the section on means for solving the problem is merely an example to specifically explain the form in which the embodiment implements the invention described in the section on means for solving the problem, and does not limit the elements of the invention described in the section on means for solving the problem. In other words, the interpretation of the invention described in the section on means for solving the problem should be based on the description in that section, and the embodiment is merely one specific example of the invention described in the section on means for solving the problem.

[0034] Although the embodiments for implementing this disclosure have been described above, this disclosure is not limited in any way to these embodiments, and it is of course possible to implement it in various forms without departing from the gist of this disclosure. [Industrial applicability]

[0035] This disclosure can be used in industries such as manufacturing for charging facility proposal systems. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0036] 60 navigation units, 62 main units, 66 displays, 70 ECUs, 96 mobile devices.

Claims

[Claim 1] A charging facility proposal system for use in electric vehicles that are capable of external charging, where the battery is charged using electricity from a charging facility, and which proposes a charging facility to be used for said external charging, Based on the user's history of actions related to external charging using the electric vehicle and information related to the charging of the electric vehicle, the system proposes the charging facility to be used. Charging facility proposal system.

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