Charge / discharge management device and charge / discharge management system

Abstract

To charge the vehicle efficiently. [Solution] In the charge / discharge management device 70, the reservation management unit 80 manages the recommended discharge time slots by updating them when a user reserves a time slot for charging the vehicle from among the recommended discharge time slots recommended by the facility charge / discharge device 41 of the charge / discharge facility. The charge / discharge management unit 90 devises a charge / discharge plan P100 so that at the departure time at the end of the stay time at the owned facility, the vehicle's battery level approaches the departure charge amount based on the required charge amount for the vehicle when traveling from the owned facility to the charge / discharge facility by vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a charge-discharge management device and a charge-discharge management system.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-75351 discloses an electric vehicle and a charging management system that manages the power transmitted and received between a first facility and a second facility where the electric vehicle travels back and forth. The charging management system includes an information acquisition unit and an information notification unit.

[0003] The information acquisition unit acquires charging information regarding charging of a storage battery by a charging device provided in the first facility to charge the drive storage battery of the electric vehicle. The information notification unit is communicably connected to a presentation device used by a user of the second facility, which is the destination of the electric vehicle. Based on the charging information, the information notification unit generates information regarding the amount of priority power that can be used using the storage battery at the second facility as priority information, and notifies the presentation device of the priority information. By this, it is possible to manage the power transmitted and received among the electric vehicle, the first facility, and the second facility.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, the inventor of the present application considers that in a charge-discharge facility having a charge-discharge device outside, it is preferable to charge the vehicle efficiently and supply a larger amount of charge to the vehicle when charging the vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The charge / discharge management device disclosed herein comprises a reservation management unit and a charge / discharge management unit. The reservation management unit comprises a time slot acquisition unit, a user notification unit, a reservation acquisition unit, and an update unit. The time slot acquisition unit acquires the recommended discharge time slot, which is the time slot during which the facility charge / discharge device of the charge / discharge facility recommends discharging. The user notification unit notifies users who use vehicles powered by secondary batteries of the recommended discharge time slot. The reservation acquisition unit acquires a reservation time slot from the recommended discharge time slot to use the facility charge / discharge device from the user notified by the user notification unit. The update unit updates the recommended discharge time slot so that other users cannot make a reservation to use the facility charge / discharge device during the reserved time slot. The charge / discharge management device comprises a first plan acquisition unit, a second plan acquisition unit, a third plan acquisition unit, and a plan planning unit. The first plan acquisition unit acquires the current battery charge level, which is the current charge level of the secondary battery in the vehicle. The second planning and acquisition unit acquires the stay time, which is the time period during which the user stays at the facility owned by the user. The third planning and acquisition unit acquires the required charge amount, which is the amount of charge required for the vehicle traveling from the owned location, which is the location of the facility, to the facility location, which is the location of the charging and discharging facility. The planning unit formulates a charging and discharging plan for charging and discharging the vehicle using the charging and discharging device owned by the facility, such that by the departure time at the end of the stay time, the remaining battery charge of the secondary battery in the vehicle approaches the departure charge amount set based on the required charge amount, from the current battery charge amount.

[0007] According to the charge / discharge management device disclosed herein, users reserve a time slot for charging their vehicle from among the recommended discharge time slots that the facility's charge / discharge device actively wants to discharge. This allows for efficient charging of the vehicle during the recommended discharge time slot. Furthermore, for users who have reserved a time slot, a charge / discharge plan is formulated so that the vehicle's battery level approaches the departure charge amount based on the amount of charge required for the vehicle traveling from the facility to the charge / discharge facility. Therefore, by having the facility's charge / discharge device charge and discharge the vehicle according to the charge / discharge plan, the vehicle's battery level can be brought close to the departure charge amount at the time of departure. Thus, while the vehicle is traveling from the facility to the charge / discharge facility, a larger amount of charge can be supplied to the vehicle at the charge / discharge facility. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a charge / discharge management system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a block diagram of the charge / discharge management system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of a recommended discharge time. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating the procedure for managing vehicle charging reservations during recommended discharge times. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure for deciding whether or not to notify the recommended discharge time. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the procedure for canceling a vehicle charging reservation. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing other steps to cancel a vehicle charging reservation. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the procedure for planning a charge and discharge schedule. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a charge-discharge management system equipped with the charge-discharge management device disclosed herein will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiment described herein is, of course, not intended to particularly limit the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described herein. Furthermore, components and parts that perform the same function will be appropriately denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted as appropriate.

[0010] Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the charge / discharge management system 100 according to this embodiment. The charge / discharge management system 100 according to this embodiment is a system that manages the charging and discharging of a vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the vehicle 10 is a vehicle used by a user. The user referred to here is a customer of the management company that manages the charge / discharge management system 100, and is a user registered with the charge / discharge management system 100. The vehicle 10 is a vehicle that uses a secondary battery 11 as its power source. The secondary battery 11 is a battery that can be repeatedly charged and discharged by the movement of a charge carrier between a pair of electrodes (e.g., a positive electrode and a negative electrode) via an electrolyte, for example. As the secondary battery 11, for example, a lithium-ion secondary battery or a nickel-metal hydride battery may be used. In this embodiment, the secondary battery 11 is a lithium-ion secondary battery. The vehicle 10 is an electric vehicle that uses electricity as its power source, such as an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or a plug-in hybrid vehicle. The vehicle 10 may be a four-wheeled vehicle or a two-wheeled vehicle. Note that the charging and discharging of the vehicle 10 referred to here is the charging and discharging of the secondary battery 11 mounted on the vehicle 10.

[0011] In this embodiment, the charge / discharge management system 100 is implemented, for example, by a client-server system. However, the charge / discharge management system 100 may also be implemented by cloud computing. As shown in Figure 1, the charge / discharge management system 100 includes a user-owned charge / discharge unit 20 installed in a user-owned facility 5, a facility charge / discharge unit 40 installed in a charge / discharge facility 6, a user terminal 60, and a charge / discharge management device 70.

[0012] Owned facility 5 is a facility capable of charging and discharging vehicles 10. Owned facility 5 is a small-scale facility. Owned facility 5 is, for example, a residence owned by the user. The term "residence" here is not particularly limited to whether the user lives there or not; for example, it could be a residence (in other words, a building) for the user to live in, or it could be a rental property. However, owned facility 5 is not limited to a residence as long as it is owned by the user. Owned facility 5 could be, for example, an office run by the user. Owned facility 5 is primarily intended for charging and discharging vehicles 10 used by the user. In the example in Figure 1, there is one owned facility 5, but there may be multiple. That is, the number of owned facilities 5 managed by the charge / discharge management system 100 may be one or multiple.

[0013] The owned charge / discharge unit 20 is installed in the owned facility 5. As shown in Figure 1, the owned charge / discharge unit 20 comprises an owned charge / discharge device 21, an owned energy storage device 22, an owned renewable energy power generation device 24, and an owned controller 23.

[0014] The owned charge / discharge device 21 is installed in the owned facility 5. For example, the owned charge / discharge device 21 is installed in the parking lot of the owned facility 5. The owned charge / discharge device 21 charges and discharges the vehicle 10 (more specifically, the secondary battery 11 mounted on the vehicle 10). For example, the owned charge / discharge device 21 has a connection plug (not shown) that connects to the vehicle 10. By connecting this connection plug to the vehicle 10, the owned charge / discharge device 21 can charge and discharge the vehicle 10 connected to the connection plug. The number of owned charge / discharge devices 21 installed in one owned facility 5 is not particularly limited. Here, the number of owned charge / discharge devices 21 installed in one owned facility 5 is one, but there may be multiple.

[0015] The owned energy storage device 22 is a device for storing electricity. The electricity stored in the owned energy storage device 22 may be, for example, electricity supplied by a power company, i.e., electricity purchased from the commercial grid, or it may be renewable energy electricity, which is electricity generated from renewable energy sources. In this embodiment, the electricity stored in the owned energy storage device 22 includes both purchased electricity and renewable energy electricity. Renewable energy electricity is electricity generated by the owned renewable energy power generation device 24, which generates electricity using renewable energy. Examples of renewable energy sources include solar power, wind power, hydropower, geothermal power, solar thermal energy, heat present in the atmosphere or in nature, and biomass.

[0016] In this embodiment, the owned renewable energy power generation device 24 is connected to the owned energy storage device 22. The owned renewable energy power generation device 24 is a device that generates renewable energy. In this embodiment, the owned renewable energy power generation device 24 is, for example, a photovoltaic power generation device that has solar panels and uses sunlight as an energy source. The owned renewable energy power generation device 24 is, for example, a device installed in the owned facility 5, or a device owned by the user.

[0017] The owned energy storage device 22 is connected to the owned charge / discharge device 21. The power stored in the owned energy storage device 22 is supplied to the owned charge / discharge device 21. The owned charge / discharge device 21 can charge the vehicle 10 using the power stored in the owned energy storage device 22. Also, the power discharged toward the owned charge / discharge device 21 is supplied to the owned energy storage device 22. The owned charge / discharge device 21 can supply the power discharged from the vehicle 10 to the owned energy storage device 22.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the ownership controller 23 manages the ownership charging / discharging device 21 of the same owned facility 5. For example, the ownership controller 23 can manage and control the connection or disconnection of the vehicle 10 to the ownership charging / discharging device 21, the charging / discharging timing between the ownership charging / discharging device 21 and the vehicle 10, and the charging / discharging speed. Further, the ownership controller 23 manages the ownership power storage device 22 (such as the power storage amount of the ownership power storage device 22) of the same owned facility 5. The ownership controller 23 is electrically connected to the ownership charging / discharging device 21 and the ownership power storage device 22. Note that the configuration of the ownership controller 23 is not particularly limited. The ownership controller 23 is, for example, a microcomputer. The ownership controller 23 includes, for example, an I / F, a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The ownership controller 23 may be composed of a single computer or a plurality of computers. Further, the ownership controller 23 may be realized by, for example, a personal computer.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the charging / discharging facility 6 is a facility capable of charging / discharging the vehicle 10. The charging / discharging facility 6 is a larger-scale facility compared to the owned facility 5. Different from the owned facility 5, the charging / discharging facility 6 is a facility capable of charging / discharging the vehicle 10 used by an unspecified number of people. The charging / discharging facility 6 is, for example, a commercial facility. The commercial facility includes a shopping mall, a supermarket, a drug store, etc. However, the charging / discharging facility 6 is not limited to commercial facilities as long as it can charge / discharge the vehicle 10. The charging / discharging facility 6 may be, for example, a public facility such as a government office or a community center, a medical facility such as a hospital, or a business office such as a company. If the charging / discharging facility 6 is a business office, it may charge / discharge the vehicle 10 owned by the business office or the vehicle 10 used by the employees of the business office. In an example of FIG. 1, the number of charging / discharging facilities 6 is one, but it may be plural. That is, the number of charging / discharging facilities 6 managed by the charging / discharging management system 100 may be one or plural.

[0020] The facility charging and discharging unit 40 is provided in the charging and discharging facility 6. As shown in FIG. 1, the facility charging and discharging unit 40 includes a facility charging and discharging device 41, a facility energy storage device 42, a facility renewable energy power generation device 44, and a facility controller 43.

[0021] The facility charging and discharging device 41 is provided in the charging and discharging facility 6. The facility charging and discharging device 41 is installed, for example, in the parking lot of the charging and discharging facility 6. The facility charging and discharging device 41 charges and discharges the vehicle 10 (specifically, the secondary battery 11 mounted on the vehicle 10). Here, the facility charging and discharging device 41 and the owned charging and discharging device 21 are only different in the facilities where they are installed, and their basic configurations are the same. The facility charging and discharging device 41 has a connection plug (not shown) connected to the vehicle 10. The facility charging and discharging device 41 can charge and discharge the vehicle 10 connected to the connection plug. The number of facility charging and discharging devices 41 provided in one charging and discharging facility 6 is not particularly limited. For example, from the perspective that it is preferable for the charging and discharging facility 6 to be able to charge and discharge many vehicles 10, the number of facility charging and discharging devices 41 provided in one charging and discharging facility 6 is preferably plural.

[0022] The facility energy storage device 42 is a device for storing electric power. For example, the facility energy storage device 42 is only different in the facility where it is installed from the owned energy storage device 22, and has the same configuration as the owned energy storage device 22. The electric power stored in the facility energy storage device 42 may be the purchased power from a commercial system such as an electric power company, or may be renewable energy power. In this embodiment, the electric power stored in the facility energy storage device 42 includes both purchased power and renewable energy power.

[0023] The facility renewable energy power generation device 44 is a device for generating renewable energy power. In this embodiment, the facility renewable energy power generation device 44 is a solar power generation device using sunlight as an energy source, similar to the owned renewable energy power generation device 24, and has, for example, solar panels. The facility renewable energy power generation device 44 is a device installed in the charging and discharging facility 6. The facility renewable energy power generation device 44 is connected to the facility energy storage device 42.

[0024] The facility's energy storage device 42 is connected to the facility's charging / discharging device 41. The power stored in the facility's energy storage device 42 is supplied to the facility's charging / discharging device 41. The facility's charging / discharging device 41 can charge the vehicle 10 using the power stored in the facility's energy storage device 42. In addition, the power discharged toward the facility's charging / discharging device 41 is supplied to the facility's energy storage device 42. The facility's charging / discharging device 41 can supply the power discharged from the vehicle 10 to the facility's energy storage device 42.

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, the facility controller 43 manages the facility charge / discharge device 41 and the facility energy storage device 42 of the same charge / discharge facility 6. For example, the facility controller 43 can manage and control whether or not a vehicle 10 is connected to the facility charge / discharge device 41, the timing and speed of charging and discharging between the facility charge / discharge device 41 and the vehicle 10, etc. The facility controller 43 can also manage the amount of energy stored in the facility energy storage device 42, etc. The facility controller 43 is electrically connected to the facility charge / discharge device 41 and the facility energy storage device 42. The configuration of the facility controller 43 is not particularly limited. The facility controller 43 is, for example, a microcomputer, similar to the owner controller 23. The facility controller 43 includes, for example, an I / F, a CPU, ROM, and RAM. The facility controller 43 may consist of a single computer or multiple computers. The facility controller 43 may also be implemented by, for example, a personal computer.

[0026] In this embodiment, the charge / discharge management system 100 manages the charging and discharging of the owned charge / discharge device 21 and the charge / discharge of the facility charge / discharge device 41.

[0027] The user terminal 60 shown in Figure 1 is a terminal used by a user of the vehicle 10. In other words, the user terminal 60 is a terminal used by a user who owns the facility 5. The number of user terminals 60 is not particularly limited. In the example in Figure 1, there is one user terminal 60, but it could be, for example, the number of users registered in the charge / discharge management system 100, or more than the number of such users. The user terminal 60 is, for example, a smartphone, tablet, or desktop or laptop personal computer used by the user. However, the user terminal 60 may also be, for example, a car navigation system installed in the vehicle 10.

[0028] Figure 2 is a block diagram of the charge / discharge management system 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the user terminal 60 includes a screen 61, input means 62 that the user operates and inputs, such as a touch panel, keyboard, or mouse, and a terminal controller 63. The terminal controller 63 is communicated with the screen 61 and the input means 62.

[0029] The charge / discharge management device 70 shown in Figure 1 is a device that manages the charging and discharging of the vehicle 10. The charge / discharge management device 70 also manages the charging and discharging of the owned charge / discharge device 21 at the owning facility 5, and the charge / discharge of the facility charge / discharge device 41 at the charging / discharge facility 6. For example, if the charge / discharge management system 100 is implemented by a client-server system, the charge / discharge management device 70 functions as a server. The charge / discharge management device 70 is implemented, for example, by a microcomputer included in the server. The charge / discharge management device 70 includes, for example, an interface, a CPU, ROM, and RAM. The charge / discharge management device 70 may consist of a single computer (e.g., a single server) or multiple computers (e.g., multiple servers).

[0030] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the charge / discharge management device 70 is connected to communicate with the owned charge / discharge devices 21 and owned controllers 23 of each owning facility 5, the facility charge / discharge devices 41 and facility controllers 43 of each charge / discharge facility 6, and the user terminal 60 (specifically, the terminal controller 63). Here, the charge / discharge management device 70 may also be connected to the owned charge / discharge devices 21 and owned controllers 23 of each owning facility 5, the facility charge / discharge devices 41 and facility controllers 43 of each charge / discharge facility 6, and the user terminal 60 via the Internet. Furthermore, although not shown in the figures, the charge / discharge management device 70 may also be connected to communicate with the owned energy storage devices 22 and the facility energy storage devices 42.

[0031] Incidentally, in the charging and discharging facility 6, it is preferable that the facility charging and discharging device 41 is used more frequently. Also, as mentioned above, the facility charging and discharging device 41 charges the vehicle 10 using purchased electricity or renewable energy stored in the facility energy storage device 42. On the charging and discharging facility 6 side, renewable energy is cheaper to obtain than purchased electricity, so it is desirable to charge the vehicle 10 using renewable energy rather than purchased electricity. However, the amount of renewable energy is not constant and varies depending on the day and time of day. For example, if the renewable energy is solar power generated by a solar power generation device, which is an example of a facility renewable energy generation device 44, more solar power can be obtained on sunny days, but it is difficult to obtain a large amount of solar power on rainy days. For example, when the amount of renewable energy is large, it is preferable that the facility charging and discharging device 41 discharges more, as it is desired that the renewable energy be consumed using the facility charging and discharging device 41. On the other hand, when the amount of renewable energy is small, purchased electricity will be used more, so it is preferable that the facility charging and discharging device 41 discharges less.

[0032] Thus, on the charging and discharging facility 6 side, there are time periods when it is desirable to increase the discharge amount of the facility charging and discharging device 41, and time periods when it is desirable to decrease the discharge amount of the facility charging and discharging device 41. Here, discharge of the facility charging and discharging device 41 means that the power stored in the facility energy storage device 42 is consumed, and from the perspective of the vehicle 10, this can be considered charging the vehicle 10. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the recommended discharge time period T1. In this embodiment, the time period when it is desirable to increase the discharge amount of the facility charging and discharging device 41 at the charging and discharging facility 6 is called the recommended discharge time period T1 (see Figure 3). In this embodiment, the recommended discharge time period T1 is the time period when it is desirable to charge the vehicle 10 with energy-saving power using the facility energy storage device 42. For example, energy-saving power can be sold to the power company. However, there may be times when the power company stops purchasing power if the amount of stored power becomes large. The recommended discharge time period T1 may include times when it is not possible to sell energy-saving power to the power company.

[0033] In this embodiment, in order to efficiently charge the vehicle 10 during the recommended discharge time period T1, the user reserves a time slot within the recommended discharge time period T1 for charging the vehicle 10 in advance. Here, the time slot that the user reserves for charging within the recommended discharge time period T1 is called the reserved time slot T2. By filling more of the recommended discharge time period T1 with reserved time slot T2, power can be consumed efficiently during the recommended discharge time period T1. Note that in Figure 3, the reserved time slot T2 is indicated by an "x".

[0034] In this embodiment, the charge / discharge management system 100 manages the reservation of charging the vehicle 10 during the recommended discharge time period T1. To this end, as shown in Figure 2, the charge / discharge management device 70 includes a storage unit 71 and a reservation management unit 80. The reservation management unit 80 may be implemented by software, for example, or by hardware. Furthermore, the reservation management unit 80 may be implemented by one or more processors, or by circuits.

[0035] The reservation management unit 80 is configured or programmed to manage reservations for charging the vehicle 10 during the recommended discharge time period T1. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the reservation management unit 80 includes a time period acquisition unit 81, a user notification unit 83, a user information acquisition unit 84a, a facility information acquisition unit 84b, a distance calculation unit 84c, a distance determination unit 84d, a reservation acquisition unit 85, an update unit 86, a cancellation information acquisition unit 87a, a cancellation determination unit 87b, a cancellation control unit 88, a machine learning unit 89a, and a model generation unit 89b. The facility controller 43 includes a time period creation unit 51 and a time period transmission unit 52.

[0036] Next, the procedure for managing the reservation of charging for vehicle 10 during the recommended discharge time period T1 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 4.

[0037] First, in step S101 of Figure 4, the time zone acquisition unit 81 of Figure 2 acquires the recommended discharge time zone T1. Here, the time zone acquisition unit 81 acquires the recommended discharge time zone T1, which is the time zone recommended for discharge by the facility charge / discharge device 41 of the charge / discharge facility 6. The recommended discharge time zone T1 is different for each charge / discharge facility 6. Therefore, the time zone acquisition unit 81 acquires the recommended discharge time zone T1 for each charge / discharge facility 6. Note that the source from which the time zone acquisition unit 81 acquires the recommended discharge time zone T1 is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the recommended discharge time zone T1 is created by the facility controller 43 of the charge / discharge facility 6. Therefore, the time zone acquisition unit 81 acquires the recommended discharge time zone T1 from the facility controller 43.

[0038] In the facility controller 43, the time zone creation unit 51 in Figure 2 creates the recommended discharge time zone T1 for the charging and discharging facility 6. As shown in Figure 3, the recommended discharge time zone T1 is divided by a reference interval NT1 for each day. The reference interval NT1 here is the time slot that a user can reserve. The specific time of the reference interval NT1 is not particularly limited. Here, the reference interval NT1 is 30 minutes. Here, the recommended discharge time zone T1 may be created according to the amount of renewable energy that can be generated for each reference interval NT1, for example. In this embodiment, the time zone creation unit 51 creates the recommended discharge time zone T1 by setting the time period in which the amount of renewable energy within the reference interval NT1 is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference amount as the recommended discharge time zone T1.

[0039] In order to create the recommended discharge time period T1, it may be necessary to estimate the amount of renewable energy for each reference interval NT1. In this embodiment, the renewable energy is solar power. The amount of solar power may change depending on the weather. Therefore, the time period creation unit 51 estimates the amount of renewable energy based on weather information (for example, weather information including hourly sunshine intensity) provided by a weather information provider. For example, the amount of renewable energy for the time period corresponding to sunny weather information is estimated to be greater than a predetermined reference amount. The amount of renewable energy for the time period corresponding to rainy weather information is estimated to be less than the reference amount. The amount of renewable energy for the time period corresponding to cloudy weather information is estimated to be the reference amount. The time period creation unit 51 creates the recommended discharge time period T1 based on the estimated hourly renewable energy amount as described above.

[0040] In this embodiment, the recommended discharge time zone T1 created by the time zone creation unit 51 is transmitted by the time zone transmission unit 52 (see Figure 2) of the facility controller 43. The time zone transmission unit 52 transmits the recommended discharge time zone T1 to the charge / discharge management device 70. The time zone acquisition unit 81 acquires the recommended discharge time zone T1 transmitted by the time zone transmission unit 52. The recommended discharge time zone T1 acquired by the time zone acquisition unit 81 is stored in the storage unit 71 shown in Figure 2.

[0041] After the recommended discharge time period T1 is obtained in this manner, step S103 in Figure 4 is executed. In step S103, the user notification unit 83 in Figure 2 notifies the user using the vehicle 10 of the recommended discharge time period T1. The recipient to whom the user notification unit 83 notifies of the recommended discharge time period T1 is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the user notification unit 83 notifies the user by transmitting the recommended discharge time period T1 to the user terminal 60. The terminal controller 63 of the user terminal 60 receives the recommended discharge time period T1 transmitted from the user notification unit 83.

[0042] As described above, a recommended discharge time period T1 may exist for each charging / discharging facility 6. Some users may have a charging / discharging facility 6 that is far from their owning facility 5. Also, some users may have a charging / discharging facility 6 that is far from the current location of the vehicle 10 they are using. Therefore, users of an owning facility 5 that is far from a charging / discharging facility 6, or users of a vehicle 10 that is far from a charging / discharging facility 6, will not be notified of the recommended discharge time period T1 for that charging / discharging facility 6. The procedure for deciding whether or not to notify about the recommended discharge time period T1 will be explained below, following the flowchart in Figure 5.

[0043] First, in step S201 of Figure 5, the user information acquisition unit 84a in Figure 2 acquires user information U1. User information U1 is information about the user who owns the owned facility 5. Here, user information U1 includes user location P1. User location P1 is location information about the user, and is information that has been registered in advance by the user. User location P1 is, for example, the current location of the vehicle 10 used by the user. For example, the vehicle 10 is equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS). Therefore, the user location P1, which is the current location of the vehicle 10, is uniquely identified by GPS. However, user location P1 is not limited to the current location of the vehicle 10. For example, user location P1 may be the location of the owned facility 5 (i.e., the address of the owned facility 5). In this embodiment, user information U1, including user location P1, is stored in the user terminal 60. Therefore, the user information acquisition unit 84a acquires user information U1 from the user terminal 60. The storage location of user information U1, including user location P1, is not particularly limited and may be, for example, the owned controller 23 of the owned facility 5. In this case, the user information acquisition unit 84a acquires user information U1 from the owned controller 23. Alternatively, user information U1 may be acquired from the vehicle 10.

[0044] Next, in step S203 of Figure 5, the facility information acquisition unit 84b of Figure 2 acquires facility information U2 of the charging and discharging facility 6. Facility information U2 is information relating to the charging and discharging facility 6. Here, facility information U2 includes facility location P2. Facility location P2 is the location of the charging and discharging facility 6 (i.e., the address of the charging and discharging facility 6). In other words, facility location P2 is the location of the facility charging and discharging device 41 of the charging and discharging facility 6. In this embodiment, facility information U2, including facility location P2, is stored in the facility controller 43. Therefore, the facility information acquisition unit 84b acquires facility information U2 from the facility controller 43. However, the storage location of facility information U2 is not limited to the facility controller 43. Facility information U2 may be stored in advance in, for example, the storage unit 71. In this case, the facility information acquisition unit 84b acquires facility information U2 stored in the storage unit 71.

[0045] As described above, after acquiring user information U1 and facility information U2, in step S205 of Figure 5, the distance calculation unit 84c in Figure 2 calculates the predicted distance D1. The predicted distance D1 is the distance from the user's location P1 to the facility location P2. The predicted distance D1 may be, for example, the distance that the vehicle 10 travels from the user's location P1 to the facility location P2. The predicted distance D1 may be the straight-line distance from the user's location P1 to the facility location P2, or it may be the shortest distance along the road. Next, in step S207 of Figure 5, the distance determination unit 84d in Figure 2 determines whether the predicted distance D1 is less than or equal to a predetermined determination distance ND1. This determination distance ND1 is stored in the storage unit 71 beforehand. If the distance determination unit 84d determines that the predicted distance D1 is longer than the determination distance ND1, it is determined that the charging / discharging facility 6 is far away. In this case, the process proceeds to step S209 of Figure 5. In step S209, it is decided not to notify the corresponding user of the recommended discharge time period T1 for the charging / discharging facility 6.

[0046] On the other hand, if the distance determination unit 84d determines in step S207 that the predicted distance D1 is less than or equal to the determination distance ND1, it is determined that the charging / discharging facility 6 is close. In this case, the process proceeds to step S211 in Figure 5. In step S211, the user notification unit 83 notifies the corresponding user of the recommended discharge time period T1 for the charging / discharging facility 6.

[0047] Furthermore, each charging / discharging facility 6 has a pre-set charging price per unit of charge when charging the vehicle 10 during the recommended discharge time period T1. Therefore, the user notification unit 83 may notify the user of the charging price along with the recommended discharge time period T1. In addition, the charging / discharging management device 70 may have information on the amount of renewable energy used per hour at each owned facility 5, as well as the unit price of electricity purchased by the owned facility 5, acquired in advance. In this case, the charging / discharging management device 70 can estimate the charging cost to be paid when charging the vehicle 10 at the owned facility 5 (for example, the amount of electricity purchased during charging × the unit price of electricity purchased) and the charging cost to be paid when charging the vehicle 10 at the charging / discharging facility 6 (for example, the amount of charge × the charging price). Therefore, if the charging cost at the charging / discharging facility 6 is lower than that at the owned facility 5, the user notification unit 83 may notify the user that charging the vehicle 10 at the charging / discharging facility 6 will be cheaper, along with the recommended discharge time period T1. This can encourage users to make reservations.

[0048] Thus, after notifying the user of the recommended discharge time zone T1 in step S103 of Figure 4, step S105 of Figure 4 is executed. In step S105, the reservation acquisition unit 85 in Figure 2 acquires the reserved time zone T2. The reserved time zone T2 is a time zone selected by the user from among the recommended discharge time zones T1 notified by the user notification unit 83, and is the time zone for charging the vehicle 10 at the charging / discharging facility 6. In this embodiment, the user terminal 60 receives the recommended discharge time zone T1 (see Figure 3) of the charging / discharging facility 6 that the user can reserve. The user selects a time zone for charging the vehicle 10 from among the recommended discharge time zones T1 of the charging / discharging facility 6 that have been notified, as the reserved time zone T2. Then, the user, for example, operates the input means 62 of the user terminal 60 to transmit the reserved time zone T2 from the user terminal 60 to the charging / discharging management device 70. The reservation acquisition unit 85 acquires the reserved time zone T2 by receiving the reserved time zone T2 transmitted from the user terminal 60.

[0049] Next, in step S107 of Figure 4, the update unit 86 in Figure 2 updates the recommended discharge time period T1. Here, the update unit 86 updates the recommended discharge time period T1 so that other users cannot reserve charging during the reserved time period T2 acquired by the reservation acquisition unit 85. The method for updating the recommended discharge time period T1 is not particularly limited. For example, the update unit 86 may update the recommended discharge time period T1 by deleting the reserved time period T2 from the recommended discharge time period T1. For example, the update unit 86 may update the recommended discharge time period T1 by marking the reserved time period T2 with a predetermined marker so that other users cannot reserve it during the recommended discharge time period T1. The recommended discharge time period T1 updated by the update unit 86 is stored in the storage unit 71.

[0050] Furthermore, after the recommended discharge time zone T1 has been updated in this manner, if the user notification unit 83 notifies the user of the recommended discharge time zone T1, the updated recommended discharge time zone T1 will be notified to the user by the update unit 86. In this manner, the reservation management unit 80 of the charge / discharge management device 70 can manage the recommended discharge time zone T1 for each charge / discharge facility 6.

[0051] However, even if a user reserves a charging time during the recommended discharge time period T1 as described above, it is possible that the vehicle 10 used by the user may not arrive at the charging / discharging facility 6 by the reserved time period T2. In this case, there is a high possibility that the vehicle 10 will not be charged at the charging / discharging facility 6 during the reserved time period T2. Therefore, in this embodiment, the reservation management unit 80 of the charging / discharging management device 70 has a function to cancel the reserved time period T2, that is, to cancel the user's reservation to charge the vehicle 10. The procedure for canceling the reservation to charge the vehicle 10 will be explained below with reference to the flowchart in Figure 6.

[0052] In step S301, the cancellation information acquisition unit 87a in Figure 2 acquires user information U1. Here, user information U1 is acquired for users who made a charging reservation for the reservation time period T2 at a prior time t11, which is a predetermined prior time before the start time of the reservation time period T2. As described above, user information U1 includes user position P1, which is the current position of the vehicle 10. It is preferable that the user position P1 acquired by the cancellation information acquisition unit 87a is the current position of the vehicle 10. Here, user information U1 includes the current SOC 12 of the vehicle 10. Current SOC 12 is the current SOC (State of Charge) of the secondary battery 11 installed in the vehicle 10. SOC is an index that shows the battery capacity when the fully charged state of the secondary battery 11 is 100% and the completely discharged state is 0%. In this specification, SOC may be replaced with battery charge. As described above, user information U1 may be stored in the user terminal 60, the owner controller 23, or the vehicle 10. Here, the cancellation information acquisition unit 87a acquires the user location P1 and the current SOC 12 as user information U1 from at least one of the user terminal 60, the owner controller 23, and the vehicle 10.

[0053] Next, in step S303 of Figure 6, the cancellation determination unit 87b of Figure 2 determines whether or not to cancel the reserved time slot T2. Canceling the reserved time slot T2 means making the reserved time slot T2 available for reservation by other users. Here, the cancellation determination unit 87b determines whether or not to cancel the reserved time slot T2 based on the user's position P1 and the current SOC 12. The cancellation determination unit 87b determines whether or not the current SOC 12 is greater than a predetermined determination SOC 13. The determination SOC 13 is a numerical value that serves as a criterion for determining whether or not the vehicle 10's SOC is large and the secondary battery 11 is sufficiently charged. The determination SOC 13 is stored in advance in the storage unit 71.

[0054] Furthermore, the cancellation determination unit 87b determines whether the predicted distance D1 from the user position P1 to the facility position P2, acquired by the cancellation information acquisition unit 87a, is longer than a predetermined cancellation determination distance ND2. Here, the facility position P2 is included in the facility information U2 as described above. The facility information U2 has already been acquired by the facility information acquisition unit 84b in Figure 2. The predicted distance D1 is calculated by the distance calculation unit 84c in Figure 2. The cancellation determination distance ND2 is a numerical value that serves as a criterion for determining whether the distance from the vehicle 10's current location to the charging / discharging facility 6 is long and whether the vehicle 10 is likely to travel to the charging / discharging facility 6. The cancellation determination distance ND2 is stored in advance in the storage unit 71.

[0055] In this embodiment, when the cancellation determination unit 87b determines that the current SOC 12 is less than or equal to the determined SOC 13, it is estimated that the SOC of the secondary battery 11 mounted on the vehicle 10 is low and that the vehicle 10 may be charged. Also, when the cancellation determination unit 87b determines that the predicted distance D1 is less than or equal to the cancellation determination distance ND2, it is estimated that the vehicle 10 is close to the charging / discharging facility 6 and may arrive at the charging / discharging facility 6 by the reserved time slot T2. Therefore, in step S303 of Figure 6, when the cancellation determination unit 87b determines that the current SOC 12 is less than or equal to the determined SOC 13, or that the predicted distance D1 is less than or equal to the cancellation determination distance ND2, it is determined not to cancel the reserved time slot T2. In this case, the process proceeds to step S305 of Figure 6. In step S305, it is determined not to cancel the reserved time slot T2.

[0056] On the other hand, in step S303, if the cancellation determination unit 87b determines that the current SOC12 is greater than the determined SOC13, it is estimated that the secondary battery 11 mounted on the vehicle 10 is charged, and therefore the possibility of the vehicle 10 being charged at this time is low. Also, if the cancellation determination unit 87b determines that the predicted distance D1 is longer than the cancellation determination distance ND2, it is estimated that the vehicle 10 is far from the charging / discharging facility 6 and the possibility of it arriving at the charging / discharging facility 6 by the reserved time slot T2 is low. Therefore, in step S303, if the cancellation determination unit 87b determines that the current SOC12 is greater than the determined SOC13 and the predicted distance D1 is longer than the cancellation determination distance ND2, it is determined to cancel the reserved time slot T2. In this case, the process then proceeds to step S307 in Figure 6.

[0057] In step S307, the cancellation control unit 88 in Figure 6 cancels the reserved time slot T2 in the recommended discharge time slot T1. The cancellation control unit 88 updates the recommended discharge time slot T1 so that charging can be reserved for the corresponding reserved time slot T2. The recommended discharge time slot T1 for which the reserved time slot T2 has been canceled by the cancellation control unit 88 is stored in the storage unit 71. After the recommended discharge time slot T1 has been updated in this way, if the user notification unit 83 in Figure 2 notifies the recommended discharge time slot T1, the recommended discharge time slot T1 will be the one for which the reservation for the reserved time slot T2 has been canceled by the cancellation control unit 88.

[0058] It is also possible to decide whether or not to cancel the reserved time slot T2 by other methods. Below, other procedures for canceling the reservation to charge vehicle 10 will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 7. In this embodiment, for example, the decision on whether or not to cancel the reserved time slot T2 may be made based on the arrival probability R1. Here, the arrival probability R1 is the probability that the user will drive vehicle 10 and arrive at facility location P2 by the reserved time slot T2.

[0059] First, in step S401 in Figure 7, the cancellation information acquisition unit 87a in Figure 2 acquires user information U1, including the user's location P1, at a prior time t11, which is a predetermined prior time before the start time of the reservation time period T2. Preferably, the user's location P1 acquired in step S401 is the current location of the vehicle 10. The cancellation information acquisition unit 87a acquires the user's location P1 as user information U1 from at least one of the user terminal 60, the owner controller 23, and the vehicle 10.

[0060] Next, in step S403 of Figure 7, the machine learning unit 89a in Figure 2 outputs the arrival probability R1. In this embodiment, the machine learning unit 89a outputs the arrival probability R1 by machine learning. The machine learning used here is supervised machine learning. In order to output the arrival probability R1, the model generation unit 89b creates a learning model MD1 (see Figure 2). Here, as shown in Figure 2, the storage unit 71 stores the training data DT1. The training data DT1 is data collected in the past, which includes the user location P1 of users who have made a reservation to charge at the charging / discharging facility 6, and whether or not the user at user location P1 arrived at the charging / discharging facility 6 by the reservation time T2. The arrival probability R1 here is the proportion of arrivals at user location P1 to the total of arrivals and non-arrivals.

[0061] In this embodiment, the model generation unit 89b takes data in the training data DT1 that associates user position P1 with arrival status as input, and outputs the arrival probability R1 estimated from the data of user position P1 and arrival status, and creates a learning model MD1 by machine learning on supervised data. The learning model MD1 generated by the model generation unit 89b is stored in the storage unit 71. When deciding whether or not to cancel the reservation time slot T2, the machine learning unit 89a uses the learning model MD1 to output the arrival probability R1 estimated from the user position P1 obtained by the cancellation information acquisition unit 87a. That is, the machine learning unit 89a inputs the user position P1 obtained by the cancellation information acquisition unit 87a into the learning model MD1 and outputs the arrival probability R1.

[0062] Next, in step S405 of Figure 7, the cancellation determination unit 87b in Figure 2 determines whether the arrival probability R1 is less than a predetermined determination probability NR1. Here, if the cancellation determination unit 87b determines that the arrival probability R1 is equal to or greater than the determination probability NR1, it estimates that there is a high probability that the user will arrive at the reserved charging / discharging facility 6 by the reserved time slot T2. In this case, the process proceeds to step S407 of Figure 7. In step S407, it is decided not to cancel the reserved time slot T2.

[0063] On the other hand, in step S405, if the cancellation determination unit 87b determines that the arrival probability R1 is less than the determination probability NR1, it estimates that the probability of the user arriving at the reserved charging / discharging facility 6 by the reserved time slot T2 is low. In this case, the process proceeds to step S409 in Figure 7. In step S409, the cancellation control unit 88 cancels the reserved time slot T2 in the recommended discharge time slot T1. This makes it possible to reserve charging for the canceled reserved time slot T2.

[0064] Incidentally, if a user who owns facility 5 reserves a charge during the recommended discharge time period T1, they will drive vehicle 10 so that it arrives at the charge / discharge facility 6 by the reserved time period T2. Charging vehicle 10 during the recommended discharge time period T1 results in a lower charge cost per unit of charge. Therefore, it is preferable for the user to charge vehicle 10 with a larger amount of charge using the facility charge / discharge device 41 at the reserved charge / discharge facility 6.

[0065] Therefore, in this embodiment, the charge / discharge management device 70 manages the battery level of the vehicle 10 so that a larger amount of charge is charged when the vehicle 10 is charged at the charge / discharge facility 6 during the reserved time period T2. The battery level of the vehicle 10 referred to here is the battery level of the secondary battery 11 installed in the vehicle 10. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the charge / discharge management device 70 includes a charge / discharge management unit 90. The charge / discharge management unit 90 may be implemented by software, for example, or by hardware. Furthermore, the charge / discharge management unit 90 may be implemented by one or more processors, or by circuits.

[0066] The charge / discharge management unit 90 is configured or programmed to manage the charging and discharging of the vehicle 10 at the owning facility 5 so that a larger amount of charge can be charged to the vehicle 10 when the vehicle 10 is charged at the charging / discharging facility 6 during the reserved time period T2. Here, the charge / discharge management unit 90 devises a charge / discharge plan P100 (see Figure 2), which is a plan for charging and discharging the vehicle 10 at the owning facility 5 (e.g., the owned charging / discharging device 21), and transmits it to the owning controller 23. The owning controller 23 controls the charging and discharging of the owned charging / discharging device 21 to which the vehicle 10 is connected, in accordance with the charge / discharge plan P100. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the charge / discharge management unit 90 comprises a first plan acquisition unit 91, a second plan acquisition unit 92, a third plan acquisition unit 93, a fourth plan acquisition unit 94, a calculation unit 95, a plan planning unit 96, and a plan transmission unit 97.

[0067] Next, the procedure for formulating the charge / discharge plan P100 will be explained according to the flowchart in Figure 8. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the user is staying at the owned facility 5 before the reserved time slot T2. Here, the time during which the user is staying at the owned facility 5 is called the stay time slot T3. The end time of the stay time slot T3 is called the departure time. Here, during the stay time slot T3, the vehicle 10 used by the user is connected to the owned charge / discharge device 21 and is in a state where it can be charged and discharged.

[0068] Here, as shown in Figure 1, the location of the owned facility 5 is referred to as the owned location P3. The amount of charge consumed by the secondary battery 11 mounted on the vehicle 10 when the vehicle 10 travels from the owned location P3 to the facility location P2 is referred to as the required charge amount V1. Here, the charge / discharge management unit 90 devises a charge / discharge plan P100 so that at the departure time, the remaining battery charge of the vehicle 10 approaches the departure charge amount V2, which takes into account the required charge amount V1.

[0069] First, in step S501 of Figure 8, the first planning and acquisition unit 91 of Figure 2 acquires the current battery level V10. The current battery level V10 is the current battery level of the secondary battery 11 installed in the vehicle 10. For example, the vehicle 10 stores the current battery level V10. For example, the first planning and acquisition unit 91 acquires the current battery level V10 from the vehicle 10. Alternatively, the current battery level V10 may be stored in the user terminal 60. In this case, the first planning and acquisition unit 91 may acquire the current battery level V10 from the user terminal 60. Furthermore, the current battery level V10 may be an estimated value. For example, the storage unit 71 of the charge / discharge management device 70 stores past driving data of the vehicle 10, and the current battery level V10 may be estimated based on the driving data of the vehicle 10. The first planning and acquisition unit 91 may acquire the current battery level V10 estimated based on the driving data.

[0070] Next, in step S503 of Figure 8, the second planning and acquisition unit 92 of Figure 2 acquires the stay time T3, which is the time period during which the user stays at the owned facility 5. The stay time T3 is information that is entered by the user using the user terminal 60, for example, and is stored in the user terminal 60. Therefore, the second planning and acquisition unit 92 acquires the stay time T3 from the user terminal 60. The stay time T3 may also be an estimated value. For example, the storage unit 71 of the charge / discharge management device 70 stores the past stay time T3 for each user. Based on the past stay time T3, the time periods during which the user is most likely to stay at the owned facility 5 on each day of the week can be estimated. Therefore, the stay time T3 may be estimated based on the past stay time T3. In this case, the second planning and acquisition unit 92 may acquire the stay time T3 estimated based on the past stay time T3.

[0071] Next, in step S505 of Figure 8, the third planning and acquisition unit 93 of Figure 2 acquires the required charge amount V1. As described above, the required charge amount V1 is the amount of charge required for the vehicle 10 to travel from its ownership location P3 to the facility location P2 of the charging and discharging facility 6, which has a reserved time slot T2. Here, the unit consumption amount, which is the amount of electricity consumed per unit distance when the vehicle 10 travels, is set in advance. Therefore, the distance between ownership facilities, which is the distance from ownership location P3 to facility location P2, is calculated, and the required charge amount V1 is estimated based on the distance between ownership facilities and the unit consumption amount, for example, by multiplying the distance between ownership facilities by the unit consumption amount. The third planning and acquisition unit 93 acquires the required charge amount V1 estimated from the distance between ownership facilities and the unit consumption amount.

[0072] Next, in step S507 of Figure 8, the fourth planning and acquisition unit 94 of Figure 2 acquires the amount of renewable energy V20 at predetermined intervals in the owned facility 5. The amount of renewable energy V20 is the amount of renewable energy generated by the owned renewable energy power generation device 24. In this embodiment, the amount of renewable energy V20 may be the amount of solar power generation. Therefore, the amount of renewable energy V20 can be estimated by the weather. Thus, the amount of renewable energy V20 may be estimated at predetermined intervals based on weather information provided by a weather information provider, for example. The fourth planning and acquisition unit 94 acquires the amount of renewable energy V20 at predetermined intervals estimated based on the weather information.

[0073] Next, in step S509 of Figure 8, the calculation unit 95 of Figure 2 calculates the departure charge amount V2. The departure charge amount V2 is the remaining battery charge of the vehicle 10 when it departs for the charging and discharging facility 6 for which a reservation time slot T2 has been made. The departure charge amount V2 is set based on the required charge amount V1. For example, the calculation unit 95 sets the departure charge amount V2 to the required charge amount V1 plus a margin amount. In this embodiment, the departure charge amount V2 is greater than the required charge amount V1.

[0074] Next, in step S511 of Figure 8, the planning unit 96 of Figure 2 formulates a charge / discharge plan P100. Here, the planning unit 96 formulates a charge / discharge plan P100 for the vehicle 10 so that the battery level of the vehicle 10 connected to the owned charge / discharge device 21 approaches the departure charge amount V2 at the departure time, which is the end of the stay period T3. Here, "the current battery level V10 approaches the departure charge amount V2" means that the battery level of the vehicle 10 at the departure time is close to the departure charge amount V2, while being equal to or greater than the departure charge amount V2. Therefore, the battery level of the vehicle 10 at the departure time may be the same as the departure charge amount V2, or it may be slightly more than the departure charge amount V2 (for example, it may be a charge amount of departure charge amount V2 + α). The charge / discharge plan P100 includes plans for discharge and charge.

[0075] Here, the planning unit 96 can formulate a charge / discharge plan P100 considering the amount of renewable energy V20 at predetermined intervals. As mentioned above, renewable energy is cheaper than purchased electricity, so it is preferable that the amount of renewable energy V20 can be used to cover the electricity consumed at the owned facility 5. In addition, the electricity discharged from the vehicle 10 can also be consumed at the owned facility 5. Therefore, the planning unit 96 may formulate a charge / discharge plan P100 for the vehicle 10 while optimizing the consumption of electricity at the owned facility 5 so that the consumption of renewable energy V20 is maximized, in other words, the consumption of purchased electricity is minimized. For example, during times when the amount of renewable energy V20 is relatively low and the probability of using purchased electricity is high, the charge / discharge plan P100 may be formulated so that the vehicle 10 is discharged and the electricity discharged from the vehicle 10 is consumed at the owned facility 5. Thus, the method for optimizing the charge / discharge plan P100 so that the consumption of purchased electricity at owned facility 5 is minimized is not particularly limited, but for example, linear programming methods such as mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) or nonlinear programming methods may be used as such optimization methods.

[0076] After the charging and discharging plan P100 is formulated by the planning unit 96 in this manner, the process proceeds to step S513 in Figure 8. In step S513, the planning transmission unit 97 in Figure 2 transmits the charging and discharging plan P100 to the owner controller 23.

[0077] The owner controller 23 receives the charge / discharge plan P100. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the owner controller 23 includes a charge / discharge control unit 31. After the owner controller 23 receives the charge / discharge plan P100, the charge / discharge control unit 31 of the owner controller 23 controls the charging and discharging of the owner charge / discharge device 21 based on the charge / discharge plan P100, thereby controlling the charging and discharging of the vehicle 10 connected to the owner charge / discharge device 21. For example, the charge / discharge plan P100 is in a format that can be analyzed by the owner controller 23. In accordance with the charge / discharge plan P100, the charge / discharge control unit 31 controls the owner charge / discharge device 21 to discharge power from the vehicle 10 during the time period to discharge the vehicle 10, and to charge power to the vehicle 10 during the time period to charge the vehicle 10. In this way, by charging and discharging the vehicle 10 in accordance with the charge / discharge plan P100, the battery level of the vehicle 10 can be brought close to the departure charge amount V2 at the departure time at the end of the stay period T3.

[0078] When the stay time T3 has passed and it is time to depart, the user drives vehicle 10 to the reserved charging / discharging facility 6. At this time, the battery charge of vehicle 10 is consumed. Upon arriving at the charging / discharging facility 6, vehicle 10 is connected to the facility's charging / discharging device 41. When the reserved time T2 has passed, charging of vehicle 10 from the facility's charging / discharging device 41 begins. When the reserved time T2 has passed, charging of vehicle 10 is completed.

[0079] As described above, in this embodiment, the charge / discharge management system 100 comprises a charge / discharge management device 70, a owned charge / discharge device 21, an owned controller 23 that controls the owned charge / discharge device 21, a facility charge / discharge device 41, and a facility controller 43 that controls the facility charge / discharge device 41, as shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, the charge / discharge management device 70 comprises a reservation management unit 80 and a charge / discharge management unit 90. The reservation management unit 80 comprises a time zone acquisition unit 81, a user notification unit 83, a reservation acquisition unit 85, and an update unit 86. In step S101 of Figure 4, the time zone acquisition unit 81 acquires the recommended discharge time zone T1, which is the time zone during which the facility charge / discharge device 41 owned by the charge / discharge facility 6 recommends discharging. In step S103 of Figure 4, the user notification unit 83 notifies the user using the vehicle 10 powered by the secondary battery 11 of the recommended discharge time zone T1. In step S105 of Figure 4, the reservation acquisition unit 85 obtains a reservation time slot T2 for using the facility charge / discharge device 41 from the recommended discharge time slot T1, based on a user notified by the user notification unit 83. In step S107 of Figure 4, the update unit 86 updates the recommended discharge time slot T1 so that other users cannot reserve the use of the facility charge / discharge device 41 during the reservation time slot T2. This allows the user to reserve in advance the reservation time slot T2 for charging the vehicle 10 from the recommended discharge time slot T1, where the facility charge / discharge device 41 is actively intended to discharge. Therefore, the vehicle 10 can be efficiently charged during the recommended discharge time slot T1.

[0080] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the charge / discharge management unit 90 includes a first planning and acquisition unit 91, a second planning and acquisition unit 92, a third planning and acquisition unit 93, and a planning unit 96. In step S501 of Figure 8, the first planning and acquisition unit 91 acquires the current battery charge V10, which is the current charge level of the secondary battery 11 in the vehicle 10. In step S503 of Figure 8, the second planning and acquisition unit 92 acquires the stay time T3, which is the time period during which the user will stay at the owned facility 5 owned by the user. In step S505 of Figure 8, the third planning and acquisition unit 93 acquires the required charge amount V1, which is the amount of charge required for the vehicle 10 to travel from the owned location P3, which is the location of the owned facility 5, to the facility location P2, which is the location of the charge / discharge facility 6. In step S511 of Figure 8, the planning unit 96 plans a charge / discharge plan P100 for charging and discharging the vehicle 10 using the charge / discharge device 21 owned by the owning facility 5. The plan P100 is designed so that by the departure time at the end of the stay period T3, the battery level of the secondary battery 11 in the vehicle 10 approaches the departure charge amount V2, which is set based on the required charge amount V1, from the current battery level V10. This allows the planning unit 96 to design a charge / discharge plan P100 for users who have reserved the reserved time period T2, which is designed so that the battery level of the vehicle 10 approaches the departure charge amount V2, which is based on the required charge amount V1, for the vehicle 10 traveling from the owning facility 5 to the charge / discharge facility 6. Therefore, by having the charge / discharge device 21 owned by the owning facility 5 charge and discharge the vehicle 10 according to the charge / discharge plan P100, the battery level of the vehicle 10 can be brought to near the departure charge amount V2 by the departure time. Therefore, while the vehicle 10 is driven from the owned facility 5 to the charging / discharging facility 6, a larger amount of charge can be supplied to the vehicle 10 at the charging / discharging facility 6.

[0081] In this embodiment, the planning transmission unit 97 of the charge / discharge management unit 90 transmits the charge / discharge plan P100 formulated by the planning unit 96 to the owner controller 23, as shown in step S513 of Figure 8. The charge / discharge control unit 31 of the owner controller 23 controls the owner charge / discharge device 21 in accordance with the charge / discharge plan P100, thereby controlling the charging and discharging to the vehicle 10 so that the battery level of the vehicle 10 connected to the owner charge / discharge device 21 approaches the departure charge amount V2 at the departure time. This makes it possible to supply more power to the vehicle 10 at the charge / discharge facility 6 while the vehicle 10 is running from the owner facility 5 to the charge / discharge facility 6.

[0082] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the reservation management unit 80 includes a user information acquisition unit 84a, a facility information acquisition unit 84b, a distance calculation unit 84c, and a distance determination unit 84d. In step S201 of Figure 5, the user information acquisition unit 84a acquires user information U1, which includes user location P1, which is location information of the user. In step S203 of Figure 5, the facility information acquisition unit 84b acquires facility information U2, which includes facility location P2, which is the location of the charging and discharging facility 6. In step S205 of Figure 5, the distance calculation unit 84c calculates a predicted distance D1, which is the distance from user location P1 to facility location P2. In step S207 of Figure 5, the distance determination unit 84d determines whether the predicted distance D1 is less than or equal to a predetermined determination distance ND1. When the distance determination unit 84d determines that the predicted distance D1 is less than or equal to the determination distance ND1, the user notification unit 83 notifies the user of the recommended discharge time period T1 in step S211 of Figure 5. In this way, when the predicted distance D1 is equal to the determination distance ND1, it is estimated that the user is in a location close to the charging / discharging facility 6 and is considered likely to reserve charging for the vehicle 10 at the charging / discharging facility 6. Therefore, the recommended discharge time period T1 can be notified to users who are considered likely to reserve charging.

[0083] In this embodiment, the user position P1 is the current position of the vehicle 10 being used by the user. This allows for more accurate identification of the position of the vehicle 10 to be charged.

[0084] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the reservation management unit 80 includes a cancellation information acquisition unit 87a, a cancellation determination unit 87b, and a cancellation control unit 88. As shown in step S301 of Figure 6, the cancellation information acquisition unit 87a acquires the user's position P1 and the current SOC 12, which is the current state of charge (SOC) of the secondary battery 11 of the vehicle 10, at a prior time t11 that is a predetermined prior time before the start time of the reservation time period T2. As shown in step S303 of Figure 6, the cancellation determination unit 87b determines whether the predicted distance D1 from the user's position P1 to the facility position P2 acquired by the cancellation information acquisition unit 87a is longer than a predetermined cancellation determination distance ND2, and also determines whether the current SOC 12 is greater than a predetermined determination SOC 13. The cancellation control unit 88 cancels the reserved time slot T2 in the recommended discharge time slot T1 when the cancellation determination unit 87b determines that the predicted distance D1 is longer than the cancellation determination distance ND2 and the current SOC 12 is greater than the determined SOC 13. This means that users who are far from the reserved charging / discharging facility 6 and are using a vehicle 10 that is sufficiently charged are likely not to arrive at the charging / discharging facility 6 during the reserved time slot T2. Therefore, by canceling the reservation of users who are likely not to arrive at the charging / discharging facility 6 during the reserved time slot T2, the canceled reserved time slot T2 can be reserved by other users.

[0085] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the reservation management unit 80 comprises a model generation unit 89b and a machine learning unit 89a. In step S401 of Figure 7, the cancellation information acquisition unit 87a acquires the user position P1 at the prior time t11. The model generation unit 89b takes as training data DT1 the user position P1 of users who have previously made a charging reservation with the charging / discharging facility 6, and whether or not the user at user position P1 arrived at the charging / discharging facility 6 by the reservation time T2 as input, and generates a learning model MD1 that outputs the arrival probability R1, which is the probability that the user at user position P1 will arrive at the charging / discharging facility 6 by the reservation time T2. In step S403 of Figure 7, the machine learning unit 89a inputs the user position P1 acquired by the cancellation information acquisition unit 87a into the learning model MD1 and outputs the arrival probability R1. In step S405 of Figure 7, the cancellation determination unit 87b determines whether or not the arrival probability R1 is less than a predetermined determination probability NR1. When the cancellation determination unit 87b determines that the arrival probability R1 is less than the determination probability NR1, the cancellation control unit 88 cancels the reserved time slot T2 in the recommended discharge time slot T1, as shown in step S409 of Figure 7. This means that users with a low arrival probability R1 are unlikely to arrive at the charging / discharging facility 6 during the reserved time slot T2. Therefore, by canceling the reservation of users with a low arrival probability R1, the canceled reserved time slot T2 can be reserved by other users.

[0086] As described above, this specification includes the disclosures set forth in the following sections.

[0087] Section 1: Reservation Management Department, Charge / discharge management unit, Equipped with, The aforementioned reservation management department, A time zone acquisition unit that acquires the recommended discharge time zone, which is the time period during which the facility charge / discharge equipment of the charge / discharge facility recommends discharging, A user notification unit that notifies users of the recommended discharge time period for vehicles powered by secondary batteries, A reservation acquisition unit acquires a reservation time slot for using the facility charging / discharging device from among the recommended discharge time slots, based on a user notified by the user notification unit. An update unit updates the recommended discharge time slot so that other users cannot make reservations to use the facility's charging / discharging device during the aforementioned reservation time slot. Equipped with, The aforementioned charge / discharge management unit, A first planning and acquisition unit that acquires the current battery level, which is the current remaining charge of the secondary battery in the vehicle, The second planning and acquisition unit acquires the stay time, which is the time period during which the user stays at a facility owned by the user, A third planning and acquisition unit acquires the required charge amount, which is the amount of charge required for the vehicle traveling from the ownership location, which is the location of the ownership facility, to the facility location, which is the location of the charging and discharging facility. A charging and discharging plan for charging and discharging the vehicle using the charging and discharging equipment owned by the facility, comprising a planning unit that formulates the charging and discharging plan so that by the departure time at the end of the stay period, the remaining battery charge of the secondary battery in the vehicle approaches the departure charge amount set based on the required charge amount, from the current battery charge amount, A charge / discharge management device equipped with this device.

[0088] Section 2: The aforementioned reservation management department, A user information acquisition unit that acquires user information including user location, which is location information about the user, A facility information acquisition unit that acquires facility information including the location of the charging and discharging facility, A distance calculation unit that calculates a predicted distance which is the distance from the user's location to the facility's location, A distance determination unit that determines whether the predicted distance is less than or equal to a predetermined determination distance, Equipped with, The charge / discharge management device described in item 1, wherein the user notification unit notifies the user of the recommended discharge time period when the distance determination unit determines that the predicted distance is less than or equal to the determination distance.

[0089] Section 3: The charge / discharge management device described in item 2, wherein the user position is the current position of the vehicle being used by the user.

[0090] Section 4: The aforementioned reservation management department, A cancellation information acquisition unit acquires the user's location and the current SOC, which is the current SOC of the vehicle's secondary battery, at a predetermined time before the start time of the reserved time slot. A cancellation determination unit determines whether the predicted distance from the user's location to the facility's location, obtained by the cancellation information acquisition unit, is longer than a predetermined cancellation determination distance, and whether the current SOC is greater than a predetermined determination SOC. When the cancellation determination unit determines that the predicted distance is longer than the cancellation determination distance and the current SOC is greater than the determined SOC, the cancellation control unit cancels the reserved time period in the recommended discharge time period. A charge / discharge control device as described in item 3, comprising the above.

[0091] Section 5: The aforementioned reservation management department, A cancellation information acquisition unit acquires the user's location at a predetermined time before the start time of the reserved time slot, A model generation unit generates a learning model that takes as training data the user location of a user who has previously made a charging reservation at the charging / discharging facility, and whether or not the user at the user location arrived at the charging / discharging facility by the reserved time slot, and outputs the arrival probability, which is the probability that the user at the user location will arrive at the charging / discharging facility by the reserved time slot. A machine learning unit inputs the user position obtained by the cancellation information acquisition unit into the learning model and outputs the arrival probability, A cancellation determination unit that determines whether the arrival probability is less than a predetermined determination probability, When the cancellation determination unit determines that the arrival probability is less than the determination probability, the cancellation control unit cancels the reserved time slot within the recommended discharge time slot. A charge / discharge control device as described in item 3 or 4, comprising:

[0092] Item 6: A charge / discharge control device as described in any one of items 1 through 5, The aforementioned charging and discharging device, A controller that controls the aforementioned owned charging and discharging device, Equipped with, The charge / discharge management unit includes a planning transmission unit that transmits the charge / discharge plan formulated by the planning unit to the owner controller. A charge-discharge management system comprising a charge-discharge control unit that controls the owned charge-discharge device in accordance with the charge-discharge plan, thereby controlling the charging and discharging to the vehicle so that, at the departure time, the battery level of the vehicle connected to the owned charge-discharge device approaches the departure charge amount. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0093] 5. Owned facilities 6. Charging and discharging facilities 10 vehicles 11 Secondary battery 21 Owned charging / discharging device 23 controllers owned 31 Charge / Discharge Control Unit 41 Facility charging and discharging equipment 70 Charge / discharge management device 80 Reservation Management Department 81 Time zone acquisition unit 83 User Notification Section 84a User Information Acquisition Unit 84b Facility Information Acquisition Department 84c Distance calculation part 84d Distance judgment section 85 Reservation Department 86 Update section 87a Cancellation Information Acquisition Unit 87b Cancellation determination unit 88 Cancellation Control Unit 89a Machine Learning Department 89b Model generation unit 90 Charge and discharge management department 91 First Planning and Acquisition Department 92 Second Planning and Acquisition Department 93 Third Planning and Acquisition Department 96 Planning Department 97. Planned Transmission Section 100 Charge / Discharge Management System T1 Recommended discharge time T2 Reservation Time Slot

Claims

1. Reservation Management Department, Charge / discharge management unit, Equipped with, The aforementioned reservation management department, A time zone acquisition unit that acquires the recommended discharge time zone, which is the time period during which the facility charge / discharge equipment of the charge / discharge facility recommends discharging, A user notification unit that notifies users of the recommended discharge time period for vehicles powered by secondary batteries, A reservation acquisition unit acquires a reservation time slot for using the facility charging / discharging device from among the recommended discharge time slots, based on a user notified by the user notification unit. An update unit updates the recommended discharge time slot so that other users cannot make reservations to use the facility's charging / discharging device during the aforementioned reservation time slot. Equipped with, The aforementioned charge / discharge management unit, A first planning and acquisition unit that acquires the current battery level, which is the current remaining charge of the secondary battery in the vehicle, The second planning and acquisition unit acquires the stay time, which is the time period during which the user stays at a facility owned by the user, A third planning and acquisition unit acquires the required charge amount, which is the amount of charge required for the vehicle traveling from the ownership location, which is the location of the ownership facility, to the facility location, which is the location of the charging and discharging facility. A charging and discharging plan for charging and discharging the vehicle using the charging and discharging equipment owned by the facility, comprising a planning unit that formulates the charging and discharging plan so that by the departure time at the end of the stay period, the remaining battery charge of the secondary battery in the vehicle approaches the departure charge amount set based on the required charge amount, from the current battery charge amount, A charge / discharge management device equipped with this device.

2. The aforementioned reservation management department, A user information acquisition unit that acquires user information including user location, which is location information about the user, A facility information acquisition unit that acquires facility information including the location of the charging and discharging facility, A distance calculation unit that calculates a predicted distance which is the distance from the user's location to the facility's location, A distance determination unit that determines whether the predicted distance is less than or equal to a predetermined determination distance, Equipped with, The charge / discharge management device according to claim 1, wherein the user notification unit notifies the user of the recommended discharge time period when the distance determination unit determines that the predicted distance is less than or equal to the determination distance.

3. The charge / discharge management device according to claim 2, wherein the user position is the current position of the vehicle being used by the user.

4. The aforementioned reservation management department, A cancellation information acquisition unit acquires the user's location and the current SOC, which is the current SOC of the vehicle's secondary battery, at a predetermined time before the start time of the reserved time slot. A cancellation determination unit determines whether the predicted distance from the user's location to the facility's location, obtained by the cancellation information acquisition unit, is longer than a predetermined cancellation determination distance, and whether the current SOC is greater than a predetermined determination SOC. When the cancellation determination unit determines that the predicted distance is longer than the cancellation determination distance and the current SOC is greater than the determined SOC, the cancellation control unit cancels the reserved time period in the recommended discharge time period. A charge / discharge management device according to claim 3, comprising:

5. The aforementioned reservation management department, A cancellation information acquisition unit acquires the user's location at a predetermined time before the start time of the reserved time slot, A model generation unit generates a learning model that takes as training data the user location of a user who has previously made a charging reservation at the charging / discharging facility, and whether or not the user at the user location arrived at the charging / discharging facility by the reserved time slot, and outputs the arrival probability, which is the probability that the user at the user location will arrive at the charging / discharging facility by the reserved time slot. A machine learning unit inputs the user position obtained by the cancellation information acquisition unit into the learning model and outputs the arrival probability, A cancellation determination unit that determines whether the arrival probability is less than a predetermined determination probability, When the cancellation determination unit determines that the arrival probability is less than the determination probability, the cancellation control unit cancels the reserved time slot within the recommended discharge time slot. A charge / discharge management device according to claim 3, comprising:

6. A charge / discharge control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, The aforementioned charging and discharging device, A controller that controls the aforementioned owned charging and discharging device, Equipped with, The charge / discharge management unit includes a plan transmission unit that transmits the charge / discharge plan formulated by the planning unit to the owner controller. A charge-discharge management system comprising a charge-discharge control unit that controls the owned charge-discharge device in accordance with the charge-discharge plan, thereby controlling the charging and discharging to the vehicle so that, at the departure time, the battery level of the vehicle connected to the owned charge-discharge device approaches the departure charge amount.

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