Information processing method and information processing system

Abstract

In this information processing method, a computer acquires the charging state and the degradation state of a battery, determines the upper limit of the charging state of the battery on the basis of the degradation state, determines a charging plan for the battery on the basis of the determined upper limit of the charging state and the charging state, and outputs the determined charging plan.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing method and an information processing system. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a technique for determining a charging time period for a battery depending on the type of the battery in order to suppress deterioration of the battery mounted in a vehicle shared in a car sharing system (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5679920 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Conventional techniques have only limited ability to prevent battery deterioration.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing method and an information processing system that can suppress battery degradation more effectively than ever before. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An information processing method according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a computer acquiring a state of charge and a state of deterioration of a battery, determining an upper limit of the state of charge of the battery based on the state of deterioration, determining a charging plan for the battery based on the determined upper limit of the state of charge and the state of charge, and outputting the determined charging plan.

[0007] An information processing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit that acquires a charging state and a degradation state of a battery, a first determination unit that determines an upper limit of the charging state of the battery based on the degradation state, a second determination unit that determines a charging plan for the battery based on the determined upper limit of the charging state and the charging state, and an output unit that outputs the determined charging plan. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to an information processing method and an information processing system according to an aspect of the present disclosure, battery degradation can be suppressed more effectively than in the past. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the charging plan determination server according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a battery usage schedule. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a reservation status of a charging station. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is a data configuration diagram of a first correspondence table according to the embodiment. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a data configuration diagram of the second correspondence table according to the embodiment. [Figure 6A] FIG. 6A is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a charging plan according to the embodiment. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a schematic diagram showing an example of a charging plan according to the embodiment. [Figure 6C] FIG. 6C is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a charging plan according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram of the charging plan determination process according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the operation performed by the charging plan determination server according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] (Findings that have led to one aspect of the present disclosure) As described above, in the conventional technology, the charging time period of the battery is determined according to the type of the battery. This makes it possible to suppress battery deterioration to a certain extent. However, the effect is limited. For this reason, the inventor has conducted extensive research into a method for determining a charging plan that can suppress battery deterioration more effectively than before. The inventor has found that by determining a charging plan taking into consideration not only the static state of the battery, such as the type of the battery, but also the dynamic state of the battery, such as the charging state and deterioration state of the battery, it is possible to suppress battery deterioration more effectively than before. As a result, the inventor has come up with the following information processing method and information processing system.

[0011] An information processing method according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a computer acquiring a state of charge and a state of deterioration of a battery, determining an upper limit of the state of charge of the battery based on the state of deterioration, determining a charging plan for the battery based on the determined upper limit of the state of charge and the state of charge, and outputting the determined charging plan.

[0012] According to the above information processing method, a battery charging plan is output that is determined taking into consideration dynamic battery conditions such as the charging state and deterioration state of the battery, which are not considered in conventional techniques. Therefore, according to the above information processing method, battery deterioration can be suppressed more effectively than in the past.

[0013] Furthermore, the battery may be used with a planned schedule, a lower limit of the state of charge of the battery may be determined based on the deterioration state, and the charging plan may be determined based on the lower limit and the planned schedule. If the state of charge of the battery becomes too low, the degree of deterioration of the battery increases. In contrast, according to the present configuration, the charging plan is determined based on the planned schedule of use of the battery and the lower limit of the state of charge of the battery, so that it is possible to prevent the state of charge of the battery from falling below the lower limit after use of the battery, which would accelerate deterioration.

[0014] Furthermore, the location of the vehicle mounting the battery and the locations of a plurality of charging stations may be acquired, and the charging plan including information indicating charging locations may be determined based on the location of the vehicle and the locations of the plurality of charging stations. This allows the charging station to be determined according to the current state of charge and the distance from the current location of the vehicle mounting the battery to the charging station, thereby preventing the battery from running out of power before reaching the charging station or the state of charge becoming too low before reaching the charging station, which accelerates deterioration.

[0015] Furthermore, the location of the vehicle mounting the battery and the location of a charging station may be acquired, and the charging plan including information indicating a charging time may be determined based on the location of the vehicle and the location of the charging station. This allows charging to be performed before the battery runs out of power or before the charging state becomes too low, since the charging time is determined according to the current charging state and the distance to the charging station.

[0016] Furthermore, the charging plan including information indicating charging locations may be determined based on the travel route of the vehicle equipped with the battery and the locations of multiple charging stations, and the distance from the travel route to each of the multiple charging stations. This allows the charging station to be determined based on the current charging state and the distance from the travel route to the charging station, making it possible to prevent the battery from running out of power before reaching the charging station or the charging state becoming too low before reaching the charging station, which promotes deterioration.

[0017] The charging plan may also include information indicating an upper limit of the state of charge, whereby a user or a charger control system can know the upper limit of the state of charge of the battery and control the charger so that the state of charge does not exceed the upper limit.

[0018] The charging plan may also include information indicating a charging time, which allows a user or a charger control system to charge the battery without exceeding the upper limit of the charging state without referring to the charging state of the battery.

[0019] Furthermore, the reservation status of the charging station may be obtained from a reservation server, the charging plan may be determined based on the reservation status, and the determined charging plan may be output to the reservation server as a reservation request. This makes it possible to automatically reserve a charger with a charging plan that suppresses battery deterioration.

[0020] In addition, the determination of the upper limit of the state of charge may be based on a degree of deterioration progression corresponding to the degree of the deterioration state. The degree of deterioration progression varies depending on the degree of the deterioration state of the battery. In contrast, according to the present configuration, it is possible to determine an upper limit of the state of charge that can suppress the deterioration progression of the battery.

[0021] Furthermore, obtaining an allowable degree of deterioration and determining the upper limit of the state of charge may be determining the upper limit of the state of charge based on the degree of deterioration according to the degree of the deterioration state and the allowable degree of deterioration, thereby making it possible to control the balance between suppression of the deterioration of the battery and usability of the battery.

[0022] The upper limit of the state of charge may be determined based on the deterioration state and at least one of the amount of current in charging the battery, the amount of current in discharging the battery, the temperature, and the state of charge. This allows the upper limit of the state of charge to be determined based on a parameter related to the deterioration progress of the battery, and the accuracy of the upper limit can be improved. As a result, it is possible to achieve both suppression of battery deterioration and efficient use of the battery.

[0023] An information processing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit that acquires a charging state and a degradation state of a battery, a first determination unit that determines an upper limit of the charging state of the battery based on the degradation state, a second determination unit that determines a charging plan for the battery based on the determined upper limit of the charging state and the charging state, and an output unit that outputs the determined charging plan.

[0024] The information processing system outputs a battery charging plan that is determined by taking into consideration dynamic battery conditions such as the state of charge and deterioration of the battery, which are not taken into consideration in conventional technology. Therefore, the information processing system can suppress battery deterioration more effectively than in the past.

[0025] Hereinafter, specific examples of an information processing method and an information processing system according to one aspect of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Each of the embodiments shown here shows one specific example of the present disclosure. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, components, arrangement and connection form of the components, steps (processes) and order of steps shown in the following embodiments are examples and do not limit the present disclosure. Among the components in the following embodiments, components not described in the independent claims are components that can be added arbitrarily. Also, each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily illustrated strictly.

[0026] In addition, a comprehensive or specific aspect of the present disclosure may be realized by a system, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, or may be realized by any combination of a system, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a recording medium.

[0027] (Embodiment 1) [1. Information processing system configuration] An information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described. The information processing system determines a charging plan for a battery mounted on a vehicle based on the state of charge and the state of degradation of the battery.

[0028] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an information processing system 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0029] 1, the information processing system 1 includes a charging plan determination server 100, a reservation server 200, a network 300A, a network 300B, vehicles 400A to 400C, and charging stations 500A to 500C. Hereinafter, the vehicles 400A to 400C will also be referred to simply as vehicles 400, and the charging stations 500A to 500C will also be referred to simply as charging stations 500.

[0030] The vehicle 400 is equipped with a battery and runs using the power of the battery. The vehicle 400 acquires the state of charge and the state of deterioration of the battery. The state of charge of the battery may specifically be, for example, the current charging rate when a full charge is taken as 100%. The state of deterioration of the battery may specifically be, for example, the current deterioration rate when a state in which the battery is deteriorated to the point where new charging is not possible is taken as 100%. The vehicle 400 may acquire, for example, an accumulated mileage of the battery mounted thereon, and estimate the state of deterioration of the battery from the acquired accumulated mileage. The vehicle 400 may also acquire the amount of current when the battery mounted thereon is charged, and estimate the state of deterioration of the battery from the acquired amount of current when charging. The vehicle 400 may also acquire the amount of current when the battery mounted thereon is discharged (when the vehicle 400 is running), and estimate the state of deterioration of the battery from the acquired amount of current when discharging. The vehicle 400 may also estimate the state of deterioration from the time elapsed since the battery was manufactured or since charging was completed. The vehicle 400 may estimate the deterioration state of the battery from a combination of these. Alternatively, the vehicle 400 may be equipped with, for example, a deterioration state measurement device capable of measuring the deterioration state of the battery, and may acquire the deterioration state of the battery using the equipped deterioration state measurement device. The vehicle 400 includes an input device that accepts an operation from a user who uses the vehicle 400, and an output device that outputs information to the user. The input device may be, for example, a touchpad, a keyboard, etc. The output device may be, for example, a display, a speaker, etc. Here, the vehicle 400 includes a touchpad as an input device, and a display as an output device. The user can input the usage schedule of the battery installed in the vehicle 400 and the travel route of the vehicle 400 using the input device. The usage schedule of the battery is a factor that affects the consumption speed of the battery (in other words, the power consumption per unit time), such as a planned or expected travel route, travel distance, load, speed, acceleration, etc. For example, the usage schedule of the battery may be a travel schedule of the vehicle 400. The vehicle 400 acquires the position of the vehicle itself. The vehicle 400 may acquire the position of the vehicle by using, for example, a GPS.The vehicle 400 is communicably connected to the charging plan determination server 100 via a network 300A.

[0031] The charging station 500 is a charging station that charges a battery mounted on the vehicle 400. The charging station 500 may be capable of charging the battery by, for example, a plurality of charging types (also referred to as charging modes, for example, a normal charging method, a quick charging method, etc.). The charging station 500 includes an input device that accepts operations from a manager of the charging station 500, and an output device that outputs information to the manager. The input device may be, for example, a touchpad, a keyboard, etc. The output device may be, for example, a display, a speaker, etc. Here, the charging station 500 includes a touchpad as an input device and a display as an output device. The manager can input a reservation for use of the charging station 500 and a privilege to be provided to a user who uses the charging station 500 using the input device. The privilege may be, for example, a 5% discount from a normal fee for a user who uses the charging station 500 during a specified time period (for example, an off-season). The privilege may also be a gift for a user who uses the charging station 500 after making a reservation in advance. In addition, the privilege may be a 20% discount off the normal fee for a user who uses normal charging without using quick charging. The charging station 500 is connected to the reservation server 200 via the network 300B so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0032] The reservation server 200 is communicatively connected to a plurality of charging stations 500 via a network 300B, and acquires and manages the reservation status, benefits, and location of each charging station 500 from each charging station 500. The reservation server 200 is further communicatively connected to the charging plan determination server 100.

[0033] The charging plan determination server 100 is communicatively connected to a plurality of vehicles 400 via a network 300A, and determines, from each vehicle 400, a charging plan for a battery mounted in the vehicle 400. The charging plan determination server 100 is further communicatively connected to a reservation server 200.

[0034] The charging plan determination server 100 and the reservation server 200 may be realized by, for example, a computer including a processor and a memory. In this case, each component of the charging plan determination server 100 and the reservation server 200 may be realized by, for example, a processor executing one or more programs stored in a memory. Also, the charging plan determination server 100 and the reservation server 200 may be realized by, for example, a plurality of computers each including a processor and a memory and capable of communicating with each other operating in cooperation with each other. In this case, each component of the charging plan determination server 100 and the reservation server 200 may be realized by, for example, any one or more processors executing one or more programs stored in any one or more memories. Here, it is assumed that the charging plan determination server 100 and the reservation server 200 are realized by a computer including a processor and a memory.

[0035] The functions of the charging plan determination server and the reservation server may be realized by a single server.

[0036] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the charging plan determination server 100. As shown in FIG.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 2, the charging plan determination server 100 is configured to include a status acquisition unit 11, a usage schedule acquisition unit 12, a position acquisition unit 13, a charging station information acquisition unit 14, a status update confirmation unit 20, an upper and lower limit determination unit 30, a charging plan determination unit 40, an output unit 51, and a reservation request unit 52.

[0038] The state acquisition unit 11 acquires the charge state and degradation state of the battery mounted on each vehicle 400 from each vehicle 400. Then, the acquired charge state and degradation state of the battery are stored in association with information identifying the vehicle 400 from which the information is acquired. For example, each vehicle 400 may periodically transmit the charge state and degradation state of the battery to the charging plan determination server 100, and the state acquisition unit 11 may acquire the charge state and degradation state of the battery by receiving the charge state and degradation state of the battery periodically transmitted from each vehicle 400. Also, for example, the state acquisition unit 11 may acquire the charge state and degradation state of the battery by transmitting a transmission request for the charge state and degradation state of the battery to each vehicle 400 and receiving the charge state and degradation state of the battery transmitted from each vehicle 400 in response to the transmission request. The state acquisition unit 11 may further acquire other information related to the state of the battery from each vehicle 400. Other information may be, for example, the cumulative distance traveled by the installed battery, the amount of current when the installed battery is charged, the amount of current when the installed battery is discharged, the temperature of the installed battery, and the like.

[0039] The usage schedule acquisition unit 12 acquires, from each vehicle 400, a usage schedule of the battery mounted on the vehicle 400. Then, the acquired usage schedule of the battery is stored in association with information identifying the vehicle 400 from which the usage schedule is acquired. FIG. 3 shows an example of the usage schedule of the battery acquired by the usage schedule acquisition unit 12. For example, when a usage schedule of the battery is input from a user who uses the vehicle 400, each vehicle 400 may transmit the input usage schedule of the battery to the charging plan determination server 100, and the usage schedule acquisition unit 12 may acquire the usage schedule of the battery by receiving the usage schedule of the battery transmitted from each vehicle 400. Also, for example, the state acquisition unit 11 may transmit a transmission request for the usage schedule of the battery to each vehicle 400, and acquire the usage schedule of the battery by receiving the usage schedule of the battery transmitted from each vehicle 400 in response to the transmission request. The usage schedule acquisition unit 12 may not acquire the usage schedule of the battery from a vehicle 400 to which a usage schedule of the battery has not been input.

[0040] The position acquisition unit 13 acquires the position of the vehicle 400 from each vehicle 400. Then, the acquired position of the vehicle 400 is stored in association with information identifying the vehicle 400 from which the position is acquired. For example, each vehicle 400 may periodically transmit the position of the vehicle 400 to the charging plan determination server 100, and the position acquisition unit 13 may acquire the state of charge and the deterioration state of the battery by receiving the position of the vehicle 400 periodically transmitted from each vehicle 400. Also, for example, the position acquisition unit 13 may acquire the position of the vehicle 400 by transmitting a transmission request for the position of the vehicle 400 to each vehicle 400 and receiving the position of the vehicle 400 transmitted from each vehicle 400 in response to the transmission request. The state acquisition unit 11 may further acquire a travel route from each vehicle 400. In this case, the state acquisition unit 11 may not acquire a travel route from a vehicle 400 for which a travel route has not been input.

[0041] The charging station information acquisition unit 14 acquires the reservation status, the privilege, and the location of each charging station 500 from the reservation server 200. Then, the acquired reservation status, the privilege, and the location are stored. FIG. 4 shows an example of the reservation status acquired by the charging station information acquisition unit 14. For example, the charging station information acquisition unit 14 may acquire the reservation status, the privilege, and the location of each charging station 500 by transmitting a transmission request for the reservation status, the privilege, and the location of each charging station 500 to the reservation server 200 and receiving the reservation status, the privilege, and the location of each charging station 500 transmitted from the reservation server 200 in response to the transmission request. Also, for example, the reservation server 200 may periodically transmit the reservation status, the privilege, and the location of each charging station 500 to the charging plan determination server 100, and the charging station information acquisition unit 14 may acquire the reservation status, the privilege, and the location of each charging station 500 by receiving the reservation status, the privilege, and the location of each charging station 500 transmitted from the reservation server 200 periodically.

[0042] When the status acquisition unit 11 acquires new information on the deterioration state of the battery mounted on each vehicle 400 from the vehicle 400, the status update confirmation unit 20 checks whether the newly acquired deterioration state of the battery has been updated from the previously acquired deterioration state of the battery. Here, "updated" means that the newly acquired deterioration state of the battery has changed by a predetermined amount or more from the previously acquired deterioration state of the battery.

[0043] When the state update checking unit 20 checks that the deterioration state of the battery for one vehicle 400 (hereinafter referred to as "specific vehicle 400") has been updated, the upper and lower limit determining unit 30 determines an upper limit of the state of charge of the battery mounted on the specific vehicle 400 based on the deterioration state of the battery. More specifically, the upper and lower limit determining unit 30 stores a first correspondence table indicating a correspondence relationship between the state of charge of the battery (i.e., the remaining capacity of the battery), the deterioration state of the battery (i.e., the accumulated deterioration amount of the battery), and the deterioration amount (i.e., the amount of deterioration newly caused in the battery by newly charging the battery, in other words, the degree of deterioration progress) for each type of battery, and determines an upper limit of the state of charge of the battery based on the updated deterioration state of the battery, the stored first correspondence table, and a predetermined allowable deterioration amount.

[0044] FIG. 5A is a data configuration diagram of the first correspondence table stored in the upper / lower limit determining unit 30. As shown in FIG.

[0045] The upper and lower limit determination unit 30 refers to the first correspondence table, and identifies one of the deterioration amounts (here, a1, a2, a3, b1, b2, b3, etc.) associated with the updated battery deterioration state (here, the accumulated deterioration amount) that does not exceed a predetermined allowable deterioration amount, and determines the charging state associated with the identified deterioration amount as the upper limit of the charging state of the battery.

[0046] The first correspondence table is created using data acquired by conducting experiments in advance, for example. The table for determining the upper limit of the state of charge may be determined based on a variable factor. For example, the degradation state, i.e., the accumulated degradation amount, is input, and a table corresponding to the input accumulated degradation amount is determined based on a basic table showing the relationship between the accumulated degradation amount and the upper limit of the state of charge. In addition to the accumulated degradation amount, the variable factors include the amount of current flowing during charging, the amount of current flowing during discharging, the temperature of the battery, and the state of charge. When the variable factor is the state of charge, the table may be determined taking into account changes in the state of charge. Instead of the process of determining the upper limit of the state of charge using a correction amount, which will be described later with reference to FIG. 5B, a table determination process based on the variable factor may be performed.

[0047] When the state acquisition unit 11 acquires other information related to the state of the battery together with the updated deterioration state for the specific vehicle 400, the upper / lower limit determination unit 30 may determine the upper limit of the state of charge of the battery by using the acquired other information. In this case, the upper / lower limit determination unit 30 stores a second correspondence table indicating the correspondence relationship between the state of charge, the deterioration state of the battery, the deterioration amount, and the correction amount of the deterioration amount based on the other information for each type of battery, and determines the upper limit of the state of charge of the battery based on the updated deterioration state of the battery, the other information, the stored second correspondence table, and a predetermined allowable deterioration amount.

[0048] FIG. 5B is a data configuration diagram of the second correspondence table stored in the upper / lower limit determining unit 30. As shown in FIG.

[0049] If the other information is, for example, the amount of current when the battery is charged, the correction amount (here, Δe1, Δe2, Δe3, Δf1, Δf2, Δf3, etc.) becomes a positive value that increases as the amount of current increases, and if the other information is, for example, the amount of current when the battery is discharged, the correction amount becomes a positive value that increases as the amount of current increases. On the other hand, if the other information is the temperature of the battery, the correction amount can be a positive or negative value depending on the temperature.

[0050] The upper and lower limit determination unit 30 refers to the second correspondence table, and identifies one of the sums of the deterioration amount and the correction amount that does not exceed a predetermined allowable deterioration amount from among the sums of the deterioration amount and the correction amount associated with the updated deterioration state of the battery, and determines the charging state associated with the identified sum of the deterioration amount and the correction amount as the upper limit of the charging state of the battery.

[0051] The second correspondence table is created, for example, using data acquired by conducting experiments in advance.

[0052] The upper and lower limit determination unit 30 may further determine a lower limit of the battery's state of charge for the specific vehicle 400 based on the updated deterioration state of the battery. More specifically, the upper and lower limit determination unit 30 may store a third correspondence table in which the deterioration state of the battery and the lower limit of the battery's state of charge correspond to each other for each type of battery, and determine the lower limit of the battery's state of charge based on the updated deterioration state of the battery and the stored third correspondence table.

[0053] Furthermore, when the usage plan acquisition unit 12 acquires from the specific vehicle 400 the usage plan of the battery installed in the specific vehicle 400, the upper and lower limit determination unit 30 may infer the battery charge state after the scheduled use of the battery from the updated battery deterioration state and the battery use plan, and determine a lower limit of the battery charge state at the time of charging so that the inferred battery charge state after the scheduled use of the battery does not fall below the lower limit of the battery charge state.

[0054] When the upper and lower limit determination unit 30 determines an upper limit of the charging state of the battery installed in the specific vehicle 400, the charging plan determination unit 40 determines a battery charging plan indicating charging contents that suppress deterioration of the battery based on the determined upper limit of the charging state and the charging state of the specific vehicle 400 acquired by the status acquisition unit 11.

[0055] When the upper and lower limit determination unit 30 determines a lower limit of the state of charge of the battery installed in the specific vehicle 400 and the usage schedule acquisition unit 12 acquires the usage schedule of the battery installed in the specific vehicle 400, the charging plan determination unit 40 may determine a charging plan for the battery based on the lower limit of the state of charge of the battery and the usage schedule of the battery.

[0056] When the position acquisition unit 13 acquires the position of the specific vehicle 400 and the charging station information acquisition unit 14 acquires the positions of a plurality of charging stations 500, the charging plan determination unit 40 may determine a battery charging plan including information indicating a charging location based on the positions of the specific vehicle 400 and the positions of the plurality of charging stations 500. In this case, the charging plan determination unit 40 may determine, for example, a predetermined number of charging stations 500 that are closest to the position of the specific vehicle 400 or in descending order of proximity as charging locations. The charging plan determination unit 40 may also determine a predetermined number of charging stations 500 that are cheapest in charge or in descending order of price as charging locations. The charging plan determination unit 40 may also determine the charging stations 500 as charging locations by combining these multiple factors.

[0057] When the position acquisition unit 13 acquires the travel route of the specific vehicle 400 and the charging station information acquisition unit 14 acquires the positions of a plurality of charging stations 500, the charging plan determination unit 40 may determine a battery charging plan including information indicating charging locations based on the travel route of the specific vehicle 400 and the positions of the plurality of charging stations 500. In this case, the charging plan determination unit 40 may determine, for example, a predetermined number of charging stations 500 that are closest to the travel route of the specific vehicle 400 or in order of closestness as charging locations.

[0058] When the position acquisition unit 13 acquires the position of the specific vehicle 400 and the charging station information acquisition unit 14 acquires the position of one charging station 500, the charging plan determination unit 40 may determine a charging plan for the battery including information indicating a charging time based on the position of the specific vehicle 400 and the position of the one charging station 500. Here, the charging time may be any one of a charging start time, a charging end time, and / or a time required for charging, or a combination of these. In this case, the charging plan determination unit 40 may, for example, determine the charging start time by estimating a travel time from the position of the specific vehicle 400 to the position of the one charging station 500, or may determine the time required for charging or the charging end time from the charging capacity of the one charging station 500.

[0059] When the charging station information acquisition unit 14 has acquired special offers from a plurality of charging stations 500, the charging plan determination unit 40 may determine a battery charging plan including information indicating charging locations based on the special offers. In this case, the charging plan determination unit 40 may determine, as charging locations, a predetermined number of charging stations 500 that provide the greatest benefit to a user who uses a specific vehicle 400 based on the special offers, or in descending order of the benefit.

[0060] When the charging station information acquisition unit 14 acquires reservation statuses of a plurality of charging stations 500, the charging plan determination unit 40 may determine a charging plan for the battery including information indicating a charging location based on the reservation statuses as well. In this case, the charging plan determination unit 40 may determine a charging plan such that charging is not performed during a reservation time period indicated in the reservation status at a plurality of charging stations 500, or may determine a charging plan such that the operation rate of a specific charging station 500 does not become too high or too low based on the operation rate of each charging station 500 estimated from the reservation status.

[0061] When the charging plan determination unit 40 determines a charging plan based on the reservation status as well, the reservation request unit 52 transmits (i.e., outputs) the determined charging plan as a reservation request to the reservation server 200. When the reservation request unit 52 transmits a reservation request to the reservation server 200 and a response to the reservation request is transmitted from the reservation server 200, the reservation request unit 52 receives the response.

[0062] When the charging plan determination unit 40 determines a charging plan for the specific vehicle 400, the output unit 51 transmits (ie, outputs) the determined charging plan to the specific vehicle 400.

[0063] 6A, 6B, and 6C are schematic diagrams showing examples of charging plans output by output unit 51. FIG.

[0064] The charging plan illustrated in FIG. 6A is an example of a charging plan that includes multiple recommended proposals, each of which includes a charging station name (charging location), a charging start time (charging time), a charging end time (charging time), a charging type (charging mode), an upper limit of the charging state, a cost, and a benefit.

[0065] The charging plan illustrated in FIG. 6B is an example of a charging plan that is output from the output unit 51 when the reservation request unit 52 transmits the charging plan as a reservation request to the reservation server 200 and receives a positive response returned from the reservation server 200.

[0066] The charging plan illustrated in FIG. 6C is an example of a charging plan that includes only an upper limit of the state of charge.

[0067] For example, the output unit 51 may transmit a charging plan consisting only of an upper limit of the charging state (for example, the charging plan exemplified in FIG. 6C ) to a vehicle 400 pre-registered in the charging plan determination server 100, and transmit a charging plan including other information in addition to the upper limit of the charging state (for example, the charging plan exemplified in FIG. 6A ) to other vehicles 400.

[0068] [2. Operation of information processing system] The information processing system 1 having the above configuration performs a charging plan determination process for determining a charging plan for the vehicle 400.

[0069] Hereinafter, an example of the charging plan determination process performed by the information processing system 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0070] FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram of the charging plan determination process.

[0071] FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the operation performed by the charging plan determination server 100 in the charging plan determination process.

[0072] The vehicle 400 acquires the state of charge and degradation state of the mounted battery, and transmits the acquired state of charge and degradation state of the battery to the charging plan determination server 100 (step S10). At this time, if the vehicle 400 has acquired other information related to the state of the mounted battery, the vehicle 400 may transmit the other information related to the state of the battery to the charging plan determination server 100 in addition to transmitting the state of charge and degradation state of the battery.

[0073] When the vehicle 400 transmits the state of charge and the state of deterioration of the battery, the state acquisition unit 11 receives and acquires the transmitted state of charge and the state of deterioration of the battery (step S10a). At this time, if the vehicle 400 transmits other information related to the state of the battery, the state acquisition unit 11 receives and acquires the transmitted other information related to the state of the battery.

[0074] The vehicle 400 further transmits a usage plan of the battery installed therein, which is input by the user who uses the vehicle 400, to the charging plan determination server 100 (step S20). If a usage plan of the battery has not been input, the vehicle 400 does not need to transmit the usage plan of the battery.

[0075] When the battery usage schedule is transmitted from the vehicle 400, the usage schedule acquisition unit 12 receives and acquires the transmitted battery usage schedule (step S20a).

[0076] When the charge state and deterioration state of the battery are acquired, the state update checking unit 20 checks whether the newly acquired deterioration state of the battery has been updated from the previously acquired deterioration state of the battery (step S30).

[0077] In the process of step S30, when it is confirmed that the deterioration state of the battery has been updated (step S30: Yes), the upper / lower limit determination unit 30 determines the upper limit of the battery's state of charge based on the deterioration state of the battery (step S40). At this time, when the state acquisition unit 11 receives other information related to the battery state from the vehicle 400, the upper / lower limit determination unit 30 may determine the upper limit of the battery's state of charge based on the other information related to the battery state.

[0078] When the upper limit of the battery's state of charge is determined, the upper / lower limit determining unit 30 checks whether or not a usage schedule for the battery has been acquired by the usage schedule acquiring unit 12 (step S45).

[0079] If it is confirmed in the processing of step S45 that the battery usage plan has been acquired (step S45: Yes), the upper / lower limit determination unit 30 determines the lower limit of the battery's charge state based on the battery's deterioration state and the battery usage plan (step S50).

[0080] When the processing of step S50 is completed, when it is confirmed in the processing of step S30 that the battery deterioration state has not been updated (step S30: No), or when it is confirmed in the processing of step S45 that the battery usage plan has not been acquired (step S45: No), charging station information acquisition unit 14 sends a request to reservation server 200 to send the reservation status of each charging station 500 (step S60).Note that even if the battery usage plan has not been acquired by usage plan acquisition unit 12 (i.e., step S45: No), upper and lower limit determination unit 30 may determine a lower limit of the battery's charge state based on the battery deterioration state (step S50).

[0081] When the request to transmit the reservation status is transmitted to the reservation server 200, the reservation server 200 receives the request to transmit the reservation status. Then, the reservation server 200 transmits the reservation status of each charging station 500 as a response to the request to transmit the reservation status (step S65). At this time, the reservation server 200 may transmit the privilege and the location of each charging station 500 in addition to the reservation status of each charging station 500.

[0082] When the reservation status of each charging station 500 is transmitted from the reservation server 200, the charging station information acquisition unit 14 acquires the reservation status by receiving the transmitted reservation status of each charging station 500. At this time, when the privilege and the position of each charging station 500 are transmitted from the reservation server 200, the charging station information acquisition unit 14 acquires the privilege and the position of each charging station 500 by receiving the transmitted privilege and the position of each charging station 500.

[0083] When the reservation status of each charging station 500 is acquired, the charging plan determination unit 40 determines a charging plan for the battery based on the upper limit of the charging state of the battery determined by the upper / lower limit determination unit 30, the charging state of the battery acquired by the state acquisition unit 11, and the reservation status of each charging station 500 acquired by the charging station information acquisition unit 14 (step S70). At this time, when the position and / or the travel route of the vehicle 400 is acquired by the position acquisition unit 13, or / and when the privilege and / or the position of each charging station 500 is acquired by the charging station information acquisition unit 14, the charging plan determination unit 40 may also determine the charging plan for the battery based on the position of the vehicle 400, the travel route of the vehicle 400, the privilege of each charging station 500, or / and the position of each charging station 500. In addition, the charging plan determination unit 40 may determine the battery charging plan based on the upper limit of the battery charging state determined by the upper and lower limit determination unit 30 and the battery charging state acquired by the status acquisition unit 11, regardless of whether the reservation status of each charging station 500 has been acquired or not, and not based on the reservation status of each charging station 500 (step S70).

[0084] When the battery charging plan is determined, the reservation request unit 52 checks whether the target vehicle 400 is a vehicle with a reservation option (step S75). Here, a vehicle with a reservation option refers to a vehicle that is registered in advance in the charging plan determination server 100 as a vehicle for which, when a battery charging plan is determined, the determined battery charging plan is output to the reservation server 200 as a reservation request.

[0085] In the process of step S75, if the target vehicle 400 is a vehicle with a reservation option (step S75: Yes), the reservation request unit 52 outputs the battery charging plan determined by the charging plan determination unit 40 as a reservation request by transmitting it to the reservation server 200 (step S80). Note that the reservation request unit 52 may transmit the battery charging plan determined by the charging plan determination unit 40 as a reservation request to the reservation server 200 (step S80), regardless of whether the target vehicle 400 is a vehicle with a reservation option or not.

[0086] In the process of step S75, if the target vehicle 400 is not a vehicle with a reservation option (step S75: No) or if the process of step S80 is completed, the output unit 51 outputs the charging plan determined by the charging plan determination unit 40 by transmitting it to the vehicle 400 (step S90). Then, the vehicle 400 receives the transmitted charging plan and outputs the received charging plan using the output device.

[0087] When the process of step S90 ends, the information processing system 1 ends the charging plan determination process.

[0088] [3. Consideration] According to the information processing system 1 having the above configuration, a battery charging plan is output that is determined taking into consideration dynamic states of the battery, such as the charging state and degradation state of the battery, which are not considered in the conventional technology. Therefore, according to the information processing system 1, it is possible to suppress battery degradation more effectively than before.

[0089] (supplement) Although the information processing system according to one aspect of the present disclosure has been described above based on the embodiment, the present disclosure is not limited to the present embodiment. As long as it does not deviate from the gist of the present disclosure, various modifications conceived by a person skilled in the art to the present embodiment and forms constructed by combining components in different embodiments may also be included within the scope of one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0090] (1) In the embodiment, the information processing system 1 is an example of a configuration in which the vehicle 400 acquires the deterioration state of the battery mounted thereon, and the status acquisition unit 11 receives the deterioration state of the battery transmitted from the vehicle 400, thereby acquiring the deterioration state of the battery. However, as long as the status acquisition unit 11 can acquire the deterioration state of the battery mounted on the vehicle 400, the information processing system 1 does not necessarily need to be limited to the above-mentioned example configuration. For example, the information processing system 1 may be configured in such a way that the vehicle 400 acquires information from which the deterioration state of the battery can be estimated (for example, the accumulated mileage by the mounted battery, the amount of current when the mounted battery is charged, the amount of current when the mounted battery is discharged, etc.) and transmits it to the charging plan determination server 100, and the status acquisition unit 11 receives the information from which the deterioration state of the battery can be estimated transmitted from the vehicle 400, and estimates the deterioration state of the battery from the received information from which the deterioration state of the battery can be estimated, thereby acquiring the deterioration state of the battery mounted on the vehicle 400.

[0091] (2) In the embodiment, the information processing system 1 is an example of a configuration in which the upper / lower limit determination unit 30 determines an upper limit of the battery's state of charge so as not to exceed a predetermined allowable deterioration amount. In contrast, the information processing system 1 may be another example of a configuration in which the upper / lower limit determination unit 30 determines an upper limit of the battery's state of charge so as to exceed a predetermined allowable deterioration amount only when it is known from the battery usage plan acquired by the usage plan acquisition unit 12 that the vehicle 400 equipped with the battery is scheduled to travel a long distance.

[0092] (3) In the embodiment, the information processing system 1 is a system configured to determine a charging plan for a battery mounted on the vehicle 400. However, the information processing system according to the present disclosure may be a system configured to determine a charging plan for a battery mounted on a device other than the battery mounted on the vehicle 400. For example, the information processing system according to the present disclosure may be a system configured to determine a charging plan for a battery mounted on a mobile device such as a smartphone.

[0093] (4) In the embodiment, the information processing system 1 has been described as determining a charging plan for the battery. However, the information processing system 1 may also determine a replacement plan for the battery. Specifically, the information processing system 1 acquires a planned use of the battery, determines a lower limit of the charge state of the battery based on the deterioration state of the battery, and determines a battery replacement plan based on the determined lower limit, the charge state, and the planned use of the battery. For example, the information processing system 1 searches for a battery that is charged to such an extent that the charge state after use estimated from the planned use of the battery does not fall below the lower limit, and determines a plan to replace the searched battery with the installed battery. This can reduce the time required for charging the battery.

[0094] The information processing system 1 may also determine an upper limit of the charge state of the battery based on the deterioration state of the battery, and determine a battery replacement plan based on the determined upper limit, the charge state, and the planned use of the battery. For example, the information processing system 1 searches for a battery that is charged to such an extent that the charge state during use estimated from the planned use of the battery does not exceed the upper limit, and determines a plan to replace the searched battery with the installed battery. An example of a case in which the charge state during use becomes high is charging by regenerative braking. If the planned use of the battery is to be used in a vehicle that is scheduled to travel on a route with many downhill slopes, the charge state of the battery may exceed the upper limit. In such a case, it is possible to suppress deterioration of the battery due to charging by regenerative braking.

[0095] (5) Some or all of the components of the information processing system 1 may be composed of one system LSI (Large Scale Integration). The system LSI is an ultra-multifunctional LSI manufactured by integrating multiple components on a single chip, and specifically, is a computer system including a microprocessor, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. A computer program is stored in the ROM. The system LSI achieves its functions by the microprocessor operating in accordance with the computer program.

[0096] Here, we refer to it as a system LSI, but it may also be called an IC, LSI, super LSI, or ultra LSI depending on the level of integration. Also, the method of integration is not limited to LSI, but may be realized by a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. It is also possible to use an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) that can be programmed after the LSI is manufactured, or a reconfigurable processor that can reconfigure the connections and settings of the circuit cells inside the LSI.

[0097] Furthermore, if a new integrated circuit technology that can replace LSI appears due to the progress of semiconductor technology or a derivative technology, it is possible to integrate the functional blocks using that technology. The application of biotechnology is also a possibility.

[0098] (6) One aspect of the present disclosure may be not only such an information processing system, but also an information processing method having steps corresponding to characteristic components included in the information processing system. Also, one aspect of the present disclosure may be a computer program that causes a computer to execute each of the characteristic steps included in the information processing method. Also, one aspect of the present disclosure may be a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium on which such a computer program is recorded. [Industrial Applicability]

[0099] The present disclosure is widely applicable to devices for determining a charging plan for a battery, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] 1. Information Processing Systems 11 Status acquisition section 12. Usage Schedule Acquisition Section 13 Position acquisition part 14 Charging station information acquisition department 20 Status Update Check Section 30 Upper and lower limit determining section 40 Charging plan determination unit 51 Output section 52 Reservation request section 100 Charging plan decision server 200 Reservation Server 400, 400A, 400B, 400C vehicles 500, 500A, 500B, 500C charging station

Claims

1. The computer Obtaining the state of charge and state of deterioration of the battery; obtaining a usage schedule for the battery indicating a departure point and a scheduled departure time, and an arrival point and a scheduled arrival time for a vehicle equipped with the battery; referring to a pre-stored first correspondence table indicating a correspondence relationship between a state of charge of a battery, a state of deterioration of the battery, and an amount of deterioration for each type of battery, identifying one of the amounts of deterioration that does not exceed a predetermined allowable amount of deterioration from among the amounts of deterioration that are associated with the states of deterioration of the battery, and determining the state of charge that is associated with the identified amount of deterioration as an upper limit of the state of charge of the battery; determining a lower limit of the state of charge of the battery based on a third correspondence table stored in advance, in which a deterioration state of the battery is associated with a lower limit of the state of charge of the battery for each type of battery, and based on the deterioration state of the battery; determining a charging plan for the battery based on the determined upper limit of the state of charge, the determined lower limit of the state of charge, the usage schedule, and the state of charge; Outputting the determined charging plan; The upper limit is determined by identifying one of the deterioration amounts exceeding the allowable deterioration amount based on the first correspondence table and the usage schedule only when the vehicle is scheduled to travel a distance equal to or greater than a predetermined distance, and determining the state of charge corresponding to the identified deterioration amount as the upper limit. Information processing methods.

2. moreover, acquiring a location of the vehicle and locations of a plurality of charging stations; The charging plan is determined based on the location of the vehicle and the locations of the charging stations, the charging plan including information indicating charging locations. The information processing method according to claim 1 .

3. moreover, Acquire the location of the vehicle and the location of a charging station; The charging plan is determined based on the location of the vehicle and the locations of the charging stations, the charging plan including information indicating a charging time.

3. The information processing method according to claim 1.

4. moreover, Acquire a travel route of the vehicle and locations of a plurality of charging stations; The charging plan including information indicating a charging location is determined based on each of the distances from the travel route to each of the plurality of charging stations. The information processing method according to claim 1 .

5. The charging plan includes information indicating an upper limit of the charging state. The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The charging plan includes information indicating a charging time.

6. The information processing method according to claim 1, 2, 4 or 5.

7. moreover, Obtain the reservation status of the charging station from the reservation server, determining the charging plan based on the reservation status; The determined charging plan is output to the reservation server as a reservation request. The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. Determining the upper limit of the state of charge means determining the upper limit of the state of charge based on the degree of deterioration progression according to the degree of the deterioration state. The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. Furthermore, the allowable degree of deterioration is obtained, Determining the upper limit of the state of charge means determining the upper limit of the state of charge based on a degree of deterioration progression according to the degree of the deterioration state and the allowable degree of deterioration progression. The information processing method according to claim 8.

10. The upper limit of the state of charge is determined based on the deterioration state and at least one of the amount of current in charging the battery, the amount of current in discharging the battery, the temperature, and the state of charge. The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. an acquisition unit that acquires a charge state and a deterioration state of a battery, and a usage schedule of the battery indicating a departure point and a scheduled departure time of a vehicle equipped with the battery, and an arrival point and a scheduled arrival time of the battery; a first determination unit that refers to a pre-stored first correspondence table indicating a correspondence relationship between a state of charge of a battery, a deterioration state of the battery, and an amount of deterioration for each type of battery, identifies one of the amounts of deterioration that do not exceed a predetermined allowable amount of deterioration from among the amounts of deterioration that are associated with the deterioration states of the battery, and determines the state of charge that is associated with the identified amount of deterioration as an upper limit of the state of charge of the battery, and determines the lower limit of the state of charge of the battery based on a pre-stored third correspondence table that associates the deterioration states of the battery with a lower limit of the state of charge of the battery for each type of battery, and the deterioration state of the battery; a second determination unit that determines a charging plan for the battery based on the determined upper limit of the state of charge, the determined lower limit of the state of charge, the usage schedule, and the state of charge; an output unit that outputs the determined charging plan, The first determination unit, based on the first correspondence table and the usage schedule, identifies one of the deterioration amounts exceeding the allowable deterioration amount only when the vehicle is scheduled to travel a predetermined distance or more, and determines the state of charge corresponding to the identified deterioration amount as the upper limit. Information processing system.

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