Information processing device

Abstract

Extends battery life. [Solution] In a vehicle comprising a communication device that communicates with the outside of the vehicle when predetermined conditions are met, a first battery that supplies power to the communication device, a second battery that supplies power to the communication device when the power supply from the first battery to the communication device is stopped, and a control unit, the control unit determines the capacity to charge the second battery according to the timing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] A technique of providing a dedicated secondary battery in preparation for an emergency notification is known (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] An object of this disclosure is to extend the life of a battery.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] One aspect of this disclosure is an information processing apparatus for a vehicle, including a communication device that communicates with the outside of the vehicle in response to a predetermined condition being satisfied, a first battery that supplies power to the communication device, a second battery that supplies power to the communication device when the supply of power from the first battery to the communication device is stopped, and a control unit, wherein the control unit determines the capacity to charge the second battery according to the time.

[0006] Another aspect of this disclosure is an information processing method in which a computer executes the processing in the above information processing apparatus, a program for causing a computer to execute this information processing method, or a storage medium that stores this program non-temporarily.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to this disclosure, the life of a battery can be extended. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of the system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This document describes the hardware and functional configurations of the vehicle, user terminal, and server. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart of the charging control in the in-vehicle device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of the time course of the temperature of the second battery over one year. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart of the charging control in the in-vehicle device according to the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] A communication device is known that allows the driver to communicate with an external operator in the event of an emergency in a vehicle. This communication device operates by being powered by the vehicle's main battery, the first battery. However, if the vehicle collides with an obstacle, for example, the wire harness between the first battery and the emergency communication device may be severed, or the first battery may be damaged. Therefore, it is conceivable to install a spare battery (hereinafter also referred to as the second battery). This second battery is generally smaller than the first battery.

[0010] The second battery is configured to allow communication with an external operator in the event of an emergency. Therefore, it is desirable that the driver be able to talk to an external operator for, for example, 10 minutes, or be on standby for, for example, 1 hour. For this reason, the second battery needs to be charged with a certain capacity.

[0011] Here, when charging the second battery, if it is fully charged, for example, the degradation of the second battery will progress. On the other hand, it is possible to suppress the degradation of the second battery by limiting the capacity when charging it to a certain extent. For example, if the capacity is maintained to allow for talk time only necessary to report the occurrence of an accident to the operator, then it will be possible to talk to the operator when an accident occurs.

[0012] Furthermore, the second battery installed in the vehicle is required to operate at temperatures ranging from, for example, -40°C to +90°C. When the temperature of the second battery decreases, its capacity decreases, or its output decreases. Therefore, considering low temperatures, it becomes necessary to increase the size of the second battery. Also, since high temperatures accelerate the degradation of the second battery, considering this degradation also necessitates increasing its size.

[0013] On the other hand, the second battery needs to be miniaturized for installation in a vehicle. Furthermore, considering serviceability, a longer lifespan for the second battery is desirable. In other words, it is desirable to suppress the degradation of the second battery and to miniaturize it.

[0014] In contrast, an information processing device, which is one aspect of the present disclosure, is an information processing device for a vehicle comprising: a communication device that communicates with the outside of the vehicle when predetermined conditions are met; a first battery that supplies power to the communication device; a second battery that supplies power to the communication device when the power supply from the first battery to the communication device is stopped; and a control unit, wherein the control unit determines the capacity to charge the second battery according to the timing.

[0015] The communication device enables communication with the outside of the vehicle when predetermined conditions are met. These predetermined conditions include, for example, the occurrence of an emergency event, the vehicle being subjected to a predetermined impact, or the pressing of a call button located in the vehicle. Communication with the outside of the vehicle includes calls with an operator outside the vehicle. The first battery is, for example, the vehicle's main battery and has a larger rechargeable capacity than the second battery. The second battery is, for example, a backup battery. The second battery is configured so that the communication device can communicate with the outside of the vehicle even if the power supply from the first battery to the communication device is interrupted. The first and second batteries supply power to the communication device via separate paths.

[0016] The second battery may supply power to the communication device even if the predetermined conditions are not met, or it may supply power to the communication device only if the predetermined conditions are met. The second battery's capacity decreases due to discharge even when it is not supplying power to the communication device. Therefore, the control unit executes a control to charge the second battery. In this way, the control unit restores the capacity of the second battery. The control unit then determines the capacity to charge the second battery according to the timing. The capacity to charge the second battery may be the capacity of the second battery after charging. This capacity may also be the State of Charge (SOC). Furthermore, the capacity of the second battery after charging may be, for example, the capacity that allows for a desired amount of talk time with an operator, plus a margin. As another example, the capacity of the second battery after charging may be, for example, the capacity that allows for a desired amount of standby time, plus a margin. This talk time or standby time may be a value determined by law. The time period may be a date, month, or season. As yet another example, the time period may refer to each of the periods when a year is divided into multiple periods according to temperature. It is permissible. When charging the second battery, it may be charged from the first battery or from the generator installed in the vehicle.

[0017] Here, when comparing the high-temperature and low-temperature conditions of the second battery, the capacity required to obtain the same talk time is greater in the low-temperature condition. Therefore, it is also conceivable to determine the charging capacity of the second battery assuming the low-temperature condition of the second battery. However, in the high-temperature condition of the second battery, it will be charged more than necessary, and degradation will progress. Therefore, by not charging the second battery more than necessary, the progress of degradation of the second battery can be suppressed.

[0018] Then, by determining the charging capacity of the second battery according to the time, an appropriate capacity according to the time can be determined. For example, the control unit may reduce the charging capacity of the second battery during a high-temperature period compared to a low-temperature period. Thereby, while ensuring the capacity required for communication by the communication device, it is possible to suppress the progress of degradation of the second battery. Note that the control unit or the second battery may be included in the communication device.

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described based on the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments. Also, the following embodiments can be combined as much as possible.

[0020] <First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system 1 according to an embodiment. The system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a vehicle 10 and an operator terminal 30. The vehicle 10 is a connected car having a communication function with an external network. The vehicle 10 includes an in-vehicle device 100, a first battery 200, and an outside air temperature sensor 210. The first battery 200 is the main battery of the vehicle 10 and is a battery that supplies power to various devices of the vehicle 10. The first battery 200 is, for example, a lithium-ion battery or a lead battery, but is not limited thereto. The outside air temperature sensor 210 is a sensor that detects the outside air temperature of the vehicle 10. The operator terminal 30 is a terminal used by an operator who communicates with the driver of the vehicle 10.

[0021] The in-vehicle device 100 is a device that performs wireless communication with an external network. The in-vehicle device 100 is, for example, a DCM (Data Communication Module), a head unit, mounted on the vehicle 10. Alternatively, it may be a computer such as a navigation system. The in-vehicle device 100 can communicate with an operator terminal 30 connected to a network. The in-vehicle device 100 is composed of a control unit 110, a storage unit 120, an input / output unit 130, a communication unit 140, a second battery 150, and a battery temperature sensor 160. Note that the in-vehicle device 100 is an example of a communication device.

[0022] The control unit 110 is an arithmetic unit that controls the in-vehicle device 100. The control unit 110 can be implemented by an arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU. The control unit 110 may also include RAM, ROM, cache memory, etc.

[0023] The storage unit 120 comprises a main memory and an auxiliary storage device. The main memory is the memory where programs executed by the control unit 110 and data used by said control programs are stored. The auxiliary storage device is the device where programs executed by the control unit 110 and data used by said control programs are stored.

[0024] Furthermore, the memory unit 120 stores capacity information 121. The capacity information 121 is information regarding the capacity to be charged to the second battery 150. The capacity information 121 includes the time and the second battery The information includes details that relate to the charging capacity of the Ri150.

[0025] Figure 2 shows the relationship between the trends in minimum temperature, average temperature, and maximum temperature over a year and the first and second periods. The trends in minimum temperature, average temperature, and maximum temperature over a year correspond to the temperatures in each region or country, for example. The first period is the period when the temperature is higher than the second period. In Figure 2, the first period is defined as the period when the minimum temperature is higher than a predetermined temperature (e.g., 15°C), and the second period is defined as the period when the minimum temperature is below the predetermined temperature. The predetermined temperature may be set to divide the year equally into two periods, or to suppress the progression of deterioration of the second battery 150, or it may be set arbitrarily. The control unit 110, for example, obtains the current date and determines whether this date falls under the first or second period based on Figure 2. Information regarding the relationship between the date and the first and second periods is included in the capacity information 121. Furthermore, the control unit 110 determines the capacity to charge the second battery 150 based on the information representing the relationship between the period included in the capacity information 121 and the capacity to charge the second battery 150.

[0026] As another example, the storage unit 120 may store the capacity to be charged to the second battery 150 corresponding to the first period and the second period, respectively. In this case, the capacity to be charged to the second battery 150 will be less in the first period than in the second period. However, this is not limited to this; for example, the year may be divided into multiple periods, and the capacity to be charged to the second battery 150 may be determined according to, for example, the average temperature of each period. In this case, the capacity to be charged to the second battery 150 will be less in periods with higher average temperatures.

[0027] The input / output unit 130 is a means of receiving input operations performed by the user and presenting information to the user. Specifically, the input / output unit 130 includes a device for inputting, such as a microphone, and a device for outputting, such as a speaker. The input / output unit 130 is configured to acquire the user's speech and output the operator's speech transmitted from the operator terminal 30.

[0028] The communication unit 140 is a communication means for connecting the in-vehicle device 100 to a network. The communication unit 140 can, for example, use mobile communication services (e.g., telephone communication networks such as 6G (6th Generation), 5G (5th Generation), 4G (4th Generation), 3G (3rd Generation), LTE (Long Term Evolution)), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark). This is a circuit for communicating with other devices (such as an operator terminal 30) via a network using a wireless communication network (such as a registered trademark).

[0029] The second battery 150 is a battery that supplies power to the on-board device 100. Normally, the first battery 200 supplies power to the on-board device 100. The first battery 200 can also charge the second battery 150 by supplying power to it. The second battery 150 is, for example, a lithium-ion battery, but is not limited to this. The battery temperature sensor 160 is a sensor that detects the temperature of the second battery 150.

[0030] If the first battery 200 fails or the wire harness from the first battery 200 to the on-board device 100 breaks, and power cannot be supplied from the first battery 200 to the on-board device 100, power will be supplied to the on-board device 100 from the second battery 150. For example, if the vehicle 10 collides with an obstacle and the first battery 200 is damaged, power will be supplied from the second battery 150 to the on-board device 100, allowing the user of the vehicle 10 to communicate with the operator via the communication unit 140. The capacity, output, and degradation of this second battery 150 will change depending on the temperature.

[0031] Therefore, by limiting the capacity of the second battery 150 to some extent, the second battery 150 One possible approach is to suppress degradation. If the degradation of the second battery 150 can be suppressed, it will be possible to miniaturize the second battery 150.

[0032] Therefore, the control unit 110 charges the second battery 150 in such a way that it keeps the capacity of the second battery 150 to the minimum necessary. Here, at low temperatures, the capacity of the second battery 150 decreases, so it is necessary to charge the second battery 150 with a relatively large amount of capacity. However, at high temperatures, it is not necessary to charge the second battery 150 with as much capacity as at low temperatures. By keeping the charge capacity of the second battery 150 relatively small at high temperatures, the deterioration of the second battery 150 can be suppressed. However, if the charge capacity of the second battery 150 is determined solely based on the temperature at the time of charging, it may become susceptible to the effects of temperature fluctuations, and it may become impossible to determine an appropriate capacity.

[0033] Therefore, the control unit 110 determines the capacity to charge the second battery 150 according to the time period. In the first time period shown in Figure 2, the control unit 110 determines the capacity to charge the second battery 150 so that its capacity is less than in the second time period. Then, using the determined capacity as the target value, the control unit 110 charges the second battery 150 from the first battery 200. As shown in Figure 2, the capacity to charge the second battery 150 is determined based on the lowest temperature of the same day in the past. However, since the temperature can fluctuate from year to year, the capacity to charge the second battery 150 may also be determined by further considering, for example, the actual outside temperature. For example, the capacity to charge the second battery 150 may be corrected so that the lower the actual lowest outside temperature is compared to the lowest temperature of the same day in the past stored in the memory unit 120, the greater the capacity to charge the second battery 150. The outside temperature at this time is detected by the outside temperature sensor 210.

[0034] The series of processes performed by the in-vehicle device 100 can be executed by hardware, but they can also be executed by software.

[0035] The operator terminal 30 is a small computer such as a smartphone, mobile phone, tablet, personal information terminal, wearable computer (smartwatch, etc.), or personal computer (PC). The operator terminal 30 is configured to allow the operator to communicate with the user of the vehicle 10.

[0036] Next, the charging control in the in-vehicle device 100 will be described. Figure 3 is a flowchart of the charging control in the in-vehicle device 100 according to the first embodiment. The process shown in Figure 3 is executed in the in-vehicle device 100 at predetermined time intervals.

[0037] In step S101, the control unit 110 determines whether the capacity of the second battery 150 is less than or equal to a predetermined value. The predetermined value is the capacity required for charging the second battery 150, which is stored in the storage unit 120 beforehand. If the control unit 110 determines that the capacity is less than or equal to a predetermined value in step S101, it proceeds to step S102; if it determines that the capacity is less than or equal to a predetermined value, it terminates this routine.

[0038] In step S102, the control unit 110 obtains the current date. The date may be obtained, for example, based on a clock built into the in-vehicle device 100, from a GPS system used in the navigation system, or from an external server that provides the date via the communication unit 140. After completing the processing in step S102, the control unit 110 executes the processing in step S103.

[0039] In step S103, the control unit 110 determines the capacity to charge the second battery 150 according to the date obtained in step S102. At this time, the control unit 110 During periods of high temperature, the amount of charge to be placed in the second battery 150 is reduced compared to periods of low temperature. The control unit 110 refers to the capacity information 121 and obtains the amount of charge to be placed in the second battery 150 according to the date. In this case, the amount of charge according to the date is stored in the storage unit 120. Alternatively, the control unit 110 may determine whether it is the first period or the second period from the date and obtain the amount of charge according to the determined first or second period. In this case, the relationship between the date and the first or second period is stored in the storage unit 120. Furthermore, the amounts of charge according to the first and second periods are stored in the storage unit 120. After completing the processing in step S103, the control unit 110 executes the processing in step S104. In step S104, the control unit 110 charges the second battery 150 based on the amount of charge to be placed in the second battery 150 determined in step S103. When the capacity of the second battery 150 reaches the capacity determined in step S103, the control unit 110 terminates this routine.

[0040] In this embodiment, the capacity to be charged to the second battery 150 is determined according to the date, but this is not limited to this, and for example, the capacity to be charged to the second battery 150 may be determined according to the season. For example, the capacity to be charged to the second battery 150 may be determined according to spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Also, for example, the capacity to be charged to the second battery 150 may differ for each month. Furthermore, for example, the capacity to be charged to the second battery 150 may be corrected according to the average value of past actual outside temperatures (for example, the average value of outside temperatures over the past month). Also, for example, the capacity to be charged to the second battery 150 may be corrected according to the location of the vehicle 10 (for example, country or latitude). For example, multiple relationships between the date and the capacity to be charged to the second battery 150 according to the location of the vehicle 10 may be stored in the storage unit 120, and the relationship between the date to be used and the capacity to be charged to the second battery 150 may be determined according to the location of the vehicle 10.

[0041] As described above, according to this embodiment, the capacity to be charged to the second battery 150 is changed according to the time period, so it is possible to determine the appropriate capacity to be charged to the second battery 150 for that time period. This makes it possible to suppress the progression of deterioration of the second battery 150. Furthermore, because the deterioration of the second battery 150 can be suppressed, it becomes possible to miniaturize the second battery 150.

[0042] <Second Embodiment> In this embodiment, the degree of degradation of the second battery 150 (hereinafter also referred to as the degree of degradation) is estimated, and the capacity to be charged to the second battery 150 is corrected according to this degree of degradation. As the degree of degradation of the second battery 150 increases, the capacity and output of the second battery 150 decrease, so the capacity to be charged to the second battery 150 is increased to compensate for this decrease in capacity and output. The capacity to be charged to the second battery 150 before correction is, for example, the capacity to be charged to the second battery 150 described in the first embodiment.

[0043] The degradation of the second battery 150 progresses according to its temperature. Figure 4 shows an example of the time course of the temperature of the second battery 150 over one year. Since the degradation of the second battery 150 progresses faster at higher temperatures, the integral value of the temperature of the second battery 150 correlates with the degree of degradation of the second battery 150. Therefore, the correction amount for the capacity to be charged to the second battery 150 can be calculated based on the integral value of the temperature of the second battery 150 (i.e., the area below the solid line in Figure 4).

[0044] The control unit 110 detects the temperature of the second battery 150 and stores it in the storage unit 120. The control unit 110 then integrates the temperature of the second battery 150. The relationship between this integrated value and the correction amount for the capacity to be charged to the second battery 150 is stored in the storage unit 120 in advance. Then, as described in the first embodiment, the control unit 110 determines the capacity to be charged to the second battery 150, calculates the correction amount, and corrects the capacity to be charged to the second battery 150 by adding the correction amount to the capacity to be charged to the second battery 150. The temperature is detected by the battery temperature sensor 160. Alternatively, the control unit 110 may estimate the temperature of the second battery 150 from the ambient temperature.

[0045] Next, the charging control in the in-vehicle device 100 will be described. Figure 5 is a flowchart of the charging control in the in-vehicle device 100 according to the second embodiment. The process shown in Figure 5 is executed in the in-vehicle device 100 at predetermined intervals. Steps in which the same process as the routine shown in Figure 3 is executed are denoted by the same reference numerals and their explanation is omitted. The storage unit 120 is assumed to store information regarding the temperature of the second battery 150 from when it was new. For example, the control unit 110 periodically detects the temperature of the second battery 150 and stores it in the storage unit 120.

[0046] In the routine shown in Figure 5, after completing the processing in step S103, the control unit 110 proceeds to step S201. In step S201, the control unit 110 calculates a correction amount for the capacity to be charged to the second battery 150 and corrects this capacity. The control unit 110 calculates an integral value by integrating the time change in the temperature of the second battery 150 from when it was new. Furthermore, it calculates a correction amount based on this integral value. The relationship between the integral value and the correction amount is stored in the storage unit 120. Once the control unit 110 has calculated the correction amount, it corrects this capacity by adding it to the capacity to be charged to the second battery 150 determined in step S103.

[0047] As described above, according to this embodiment, the capacity to charge the second battery 150 can be further optimized in order to correct the capacity to charge the second battery 150 according to the degree of degradation of the second battery 150.

[0048] <Other Embodiments> The embodiments described above are merely examples, and this disclosure may be modified as appropriate without departing from its essence. The processes and means described in this disclosure can be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical inconsistencies arise. Furthermore, processes described as being performed by one device may be divided and executed by multiple devices. Alternatively, processes described as being performed by different devices may be executed by a single device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) by which each function is implemented can be flexibly changed. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0049] 10 vehicles 30 Operator terminals 100 Onboard equipment 110 Control Unit 120 Storage section 121 Capacity Information 130 Input / output section 140 Communications Department 150 Second Battery 200 First Battery

Claims

1. A communication device that communicates with the outside of the vehicle when certain conditions are met, A first battery that supplies power to the aforementioned communication device, When the power supply from the first battery to the communication device is stopped, a second battery supplies power to the communication device, Control unit and A vehicle information processing device equipped with, The control unit determines the capacity to be charged to the second battery according to the timing. Information processing device.

2. The control unit reduces the amount of charge applied to the second battery during periods of high temperature compared to periods of low temperature. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The system further includes a storage unit that stores the relationship between the aforementioned time and the capacity to be charged to the second battery, The control unit determines the capacity to charge the second battery according to the acquired timing and the relationship stored in the storage unit. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

4. The control unit corrects the capacity to be charged to the second battery based on the temperature changes of the second battery. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

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