Method, server, and program

Abstract

To improve a technology for providing electricity during a disaster using a vehicle capable of feeding power.SOLUTION: A method to be executed by a server 20 includes: acquiring a lower limit value of an amount of electricity to be supplied to a disaster assistance site which requires power supply; acquiring a value of the amount of electricity that each of a plurality of vehicles 10 can supply; specifying vehicles 10 on which the disaster assistance site has been set as a destination of a route guidance, out of the vehicles 10; acquiring the maximum number of vehicles 10 that can park in the disaster assistance site; and outputting first information which indicates the maximum number of vehicles Nmax, the lower limit value Wmin, the number of vehicles 10 specified N1, and the total amount of electricity W1 which can be supplied by N1 vehicles 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method, a server, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a technology for providing power support during a disaster using a vehicle capable of supplying power is known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for supplying power to a plurality of evacuation facilities using a plurality of power supply vehicles during a power shortage caused by a disaster. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-112806 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] There is a need for improved technology to provide power support during disasters using vehicles capable of supplying electricity.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to improve the technology for providing power support during disasters using vehicles capable of supplying power. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method comprises: A method executed by a server, comprising: Obtaining a lower limit of the amount of electricity to be supplied to a disaster support location requiring electric power support; Obtaining a value of an amount of power that each of the plurality of vehicles can supply; Identifying each vehicle among the plurality of vehicles that has the disaster support location set as a destination for route guidance; Obtaining the maximum number of vehicles that can be parked at said disaster support location; and The method includes outputting first information indicating Nmax, Wmin, N1, and W1, where Nmax is the upper limit number, Wmin is the lower limit number, N1 is the number of the identified vehicles, and W1 is the total amount of electricity that can be supplied by the N1 vehicles.

[0007] The server according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: A server including a control unit, The control unit is Obtain a lower limit of the amount of electricity to be supplied to a disaster support location requiring electric power support; Obtaining a value of an amount of power that each of the plurality of vehicles can supply; Identifying each vehicle among the plurality of vehicles that has the disaster support location set as a destination for route guidance; Obtaining an upper limit of the number of vehicles that can be parked at the disaster support location; The upper limit number is Nmax, the lower limit value is Wmin, the number of the identified vehicles is N1, and the total amount of electricity that can be supplied by the N1 vehicles is W1, and first information indicating Nmax, Wmin, N1, and W1 is output.

[0008] A program according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: On the computer, Obtaining a lower limit of the amount of electricity to be supplied to a disaster support location requiring electric power support; Obtaining a value of an amount of power that each of the plurality of vehicles can supply; Identifying each vehicle among the plurality of vehicles that has the disaster support location set as a destination for route guidance; Obtaining the maximum number of vehicles that can be parked at said disaster support location; and The control unit executes the process of outputting first information indicating Nmax, Wmin, N1, and W1, where Nmax is the upper limit number, Wmin is the lower limit number, N1 is the number of the identified vehicles, and W1 is the total amount of electricity that can be supplied by the N1 vehicles. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a technology for providing power support during a disaster using a vehicle capable of supplying power is improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a server. [Figure 4] 13 is a flowchart showing the operation of the server. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of information acquired by a server. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a time series of times t1 to t8. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described.

[0012] (Overview of the embodiment) An overview of a system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The system 1 includes a plurality of vehicles 10 and a server 20. The vehicles 10 and the server 20 are communicatively connected to a network 30 including, for example, a mobile communication network and the Internet.

[0013] The vehicle 10 is, for example, an automobile, but is not limited thereto and may be any vehicle. The vehicle 10 may be used, for example, as a general passenger car, a shared car, a public transportation vehicle, a disaster support vehicle, or the like, but the manner of use of the vehicle 10 is not limited thereto and may be any. The vehicle 10 may be driven by a driver. The vehicle 10 may be capable of automated driving, for example, levels 1 to 5, defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). The user of the vehicle 10 is, for example, the owner, lessee, driver, crew member, or passenger of the vehicle 10, but is not limited thereto.

[0014] In this embodiment, the vehicle 10 has a function of supplying household power from a secondary battery mounted on the vehicle 10 (hereinafter, also referred to as a "power supply function"). In Japan, for example, household power is AC power with a voltage of 100V and a frequency of 50Hz or 60Hz. However, the voltage and frequency of household power are not limited to these. Alternatively, household power may be DC power. As described below, the vehicle 10 can move to a disaster support location that requires power support and supply power. A disaster support location that requires power support is, for example, an evacuation site during a disaster, but is not limited to this, and may be any location to which power should be supplied during a disaster.

[0015] The server 20 is one or more computers that can communicate with each other. The server 20 is capable of communicating with each vehicle 10 via a network 30.

[0016] First, an overview of this embodiment will be described, and details will be described later. The server 20 acquires a lower limit value of the amount of power to be supplied to a disaster support location requiring power support. The server 20 acquires a value of the amount of power that each of the multiple vehicles 10 can supply. The server 20 identifies each vehicle 10 among the multiple vehicles 10 that has set the disaster support location as a destination for route guidance. The server 20 acquires an upper limit number of vehicles 10 that can be parked at the disaster support location. The server 20 then outputs first information indicating Nmax, Wmin, N1, and W1, where Nmax is the upper limit number, Wmin is the lower limit value of the amount of power to be supplied, N1 is the number of the identified vehicles 10, and W1 is the total amount of power that the N1 vehicles 10 can supply.

[0017] According to the present embodiment, the technology for providing power support during a disaster using a vehicle 10 capable of supplying power is improved in that, for example, the possibility of the occurrence of inconveniences described below is reduced.

[0018] For example, consider a situation in which the number N1 of vehicles 10 that set a disaster support location as a destination of route guidance to provide power support exceeds the upper limit number Nmax of vehicles that can be parked at the disaster support location. In such a situation, a number of vehicles 10 that cannot be parked at the disaster support location are concentrated, and inconveniences such as, for example, congestion occurring near the disaster support location and making it impossible to implement smooth power support may occur. In response to this, according to the present embodiment, the driver of each vehicle 10 may recognize that the number N1 of vehicles 10 that set the disaster support location as a destination exceeds the upper limit number Nmax based on the output first information. The driver who recognizes that the number N1 exceeds the upper limit number Nmax may decide to cancel, postpone, or postpone the movement to the disaster support location so as not to hinder smooth power support. Therefore, the possibility of a large number of vehicles 10 concentrating at one disaster support location is reduced, and therefore the possibility of inconveniences such as, for example, congestion occurring near the disaster support location and making it impossible to implement smooth power support is reduced.

[0019] Also, for example, consider a situation in which the total amount of power W1 that can be supplied by N1 vehicles 10 that have set a disaster support location as the destination of route guidance to provide power support exceeds the lower limit value Wmin of the amount of power to be supplied to the disaster support location. In such a situation, even though the N1 vehicles 10 can provide sufficient power support to the disaster support location, a greater number of vehicles 10 than necessary may concentrate at the disaster support location, and an inconvenience such as an inability to provide efficient power support to the entire disaster area may occur. In response to this, according to the present embodiment, the driver of each vehicle 10 may recognize, based on the output first information, that the total amount of power W1 that can be supplied by N1 vehicles 10 that have set a disaster support location as the destination of route guidance exceeds the lower limit value Wmin of the amount of power to be supplied to the disaster support location. The driver who recognizes that the total amount of power W1 exceeds the lower limit value Wmin may decide, for example, to move to another disaster support location in the disaster area. Therefore, the possibility of an inconvenience such as an inability to provide efficient power support to the entire disaster area due to a greater number of vehicles 10 than necessary concentrating at one disaster support location is reduced.

[0020] Next, each component of the system 1 will be described in detail.

[0021] (Vehicle configuration) As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 10 includes a communication unit 11, a positioning unit 12, an output unit 13, an input unit 14, a storage unit 15, and a control unit 16.

[0022] The communication unit 11 includes one or more communication interfaces that connect to the network 30. The communication interfaces correspond to mobile communication standards such as, but are not limited to, 4G (4th Generation) or 5G (5th Generation).

[0023] The positioning unit 12 includes one or more devices that acquire position information of the vehicle 10. Specifically, the positioning unit 12 includes, for example, a receiver compatible with GPS, but is not limited thereto, and may include a receiver compatible with any satellite positioning system.

[0024] The output unit 13 includes one or more output devices that output information to notify the user. The output devices are, for example, but not limited to, a display that outputs information as a video or a speaker that outputs information as a sound. The display may be a panel display that outputs a video as a real image, or a head-up display that displays a video as a virtual image.

[0025] The input unit 14 includes one or more input devices that detect user input, such as, but not limited to, physical keys, capacitive keys, a touch screen that is integrated with the display of the output unit 13, a microphone that accepts voice input, or a camera.

[0026] The storage unit 15 includes one or more memories. The memories are, for example, but not limited to, semiconductor memories, magnetic memories, or optical memories. Each memory included in the storage unit 15 may function, for example, as a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 15 stores any information used in the operation of the vehicle 10. For example, the storage unit 15 may store a system program, an application program, embedded software, and the like. The information stored in the storage unit 15 may be updatable, for example, with information acquired from the network 30 via the communication unit 11.

[0027] The control unit 16 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The processor is, for example, but is not limited to, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. The programmable circuit is, for example, but is not limited to, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). The dedicated circuit is, for example, but is not limited to, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The control unit 16 controls the operation of the entire vehicle 10.

[0028] (Server configuration) As shown in FIG. 3, the server 20 includes a communication unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a control unit .

[0029] The communication unit 21 includes one or more communication interfaces that connect to the network 30. The communication interface corresponds to, for example, a mobile communication standard, a wired LAN (Local Area Network) standard, or a wireless LAN standard, but is not limited to these, and may correspond to any communication standard.

[0030] The storage unit 22 includes one or more memories. Each memory included in the storage unit 22 may function as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 22 stores any information used in the operation of the server 20. For example, the storage unit 22 may store a system program, an application program, a database, map information, and the like. The information stored in the storage unit 22 may be updatable with information acquired from the network 30 via the communication unit 21, for example.

[0031] The control unit 23 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The control unit 23 controls the operation of the server 20 as a whole.

[0032] (Server operation flow) The flow of operations of the server 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. The operations may be executed periodically during a disaster, or may be executed for each disaster support location included in the disaster area.

[0033] Step S100: The control unit 23 of the server 20 acquires a lower limit value Wmin of the amount of power to be supplied to a disaster support location requiring power support.

[0034] Specifically, the control unit 23 acquires information on the disaster support location from an external server via the communication unit 21 and the network 30. Alternatively, the control unit 23 may acquire the information input by an operator. The control unit 23 acquires the lower limit value Wmin based on the acquired information.

[0035] Here, the information on the disaster support location may include any information on the disaster support location. For example, the information on the disaster support location may include information indicating the number of people evacuated to the disaster support location. In such a case, the control unit 23 estimates the lower limit value Wmin based on the number of people evacuated. Typically, the control unit 23 estimates the lower limit value Wmin so that the greater the number of people evacuated, the greater the lower limit value Wmin. Also, for example, the information on the disaster support location may include information indicating the remaining power of an emergency power source such as a storage battery provided at the disaster support location. In such a case, the control unit 23 estimates the lower limit value Wmin based on the remaining power of the emergency power source. Typically, the control unit 23 estimates the lower limit value Wmin so that the smaller the remaining power of the emergency power source, the greater the lower limit value Wmin.

[0036] Alternatively, the information on the disaster support location may include information indicating the amount of power requested for support from the disaster support location. In such a case, the control unit 23 acquires the value of the requested amount of power as the lower limit value Wmin. However, the acquisition of the lower limit value Wmin is not limited to the above example, and any method can be adopted.

[0037] Step S101: The control unit 23 acquires the value of the amount of power that each of the multiple vehicles 10 can supply.

[0038] The amount of power that vehicle 10 can supply is the amount of power that vehicle 10 can supply to a power receiving device by the power supply function described above. Any method can be used to acquire the value of the amount of power that vehicle 10 can supply. For example, control unit 23 may receive information indicating the remaining amount of power in a secondary battery mounted on vehicle 10 from each vehicle 10 via communication unit 21 and network 30. Control unit 23 may acquire the value of the remaining amount of power in the secondary battery of vehicle 10 as the value of the amount of power that vehicle 10 can supply.

[0039] Alternatively, the control unit 23 may receive information indicating the remaining power of the secondary battery mounted on the vehicle 10, and the position information and fuel efficiency information of the vehicle 10 from each vehicle 10 via the communication unit 21 and the network 30. The control unit 23 may estimate the amount of power required for the vehicle 10 to travel between the current position and the disaster support location, based on the position information and fuel efficiency information of the vehicle 10, and the position information of the disaster support location. The control unit 23 may acquire a value obtained by subtracting the estimated amount of power from the remaining power of the secondary battery mounted on the vehicle 10, as the value of the amount of power that the vehicle 10 can supply.

[0040] Step S102: The control unit 23 identifies, among the multiple vehicles 10, each vehicle 10 that has set the disaster support location as a destination for route guidance.

[0041] Specifically, the control unit 23 receives information indicating the destination of the route guidance from each vehicle 10 via the communication unit 21 and the network 30. The control unit 23 identifies each vehicle 10 that has set the disaster support location as the destination of the route guidance. Here, for example, a vehicle 10 that is heading or about to head to the disaster support location to provide disaster support is highly likely to have set the disaster support location as the destination of the route guidance. For example, a vehicle 10 of an individual or group that voluntarily provides disaster support through volunteer activities, and a vehicle 10 of a group that provides disaster support in response to a rescue request may set the disaster support location as the destination of the route guidance. Therefore, each vehicle 10 that is highly likely to be heading or about to head to the disaster support location to provide disaster support may be identified by the control unit 23.

[0042] Here, the control unit 23 may further acquire, for each identified vehicle 10, a time when the vehicle 10 is predicted to arrive at the disaster support location (hereinafter also referred to as "predicted arrival time") and a time when the vehicle 10 is predicted to end the power supply at the disaster support location (hereinafter also referred to as "predicted end time"). Any method may be adopted to acquire the predicted arrival time and predicted end time of the vehicle 10. For example, the control unit 23 may receive information indicating the arrival time in the route guidance from each vehicle 10 via the communication unit 21 and the network 30, and acquire the arrival time as the predicted arrival time. In addition, the control unit 23 may estimate, for example, a time required for the vehicle 10 to finish supplying the amount of power that the vehicle 10 can supply (hereinafter also referred to as "supply time") based on the amount of power that the vehicle 10 can supply. In one example, the control unit 23 may determine the amount of power supply per unit time in advance, and acquire a value obtained by dividing the amount of power supply that the vehicle 10 can supply by the amount of power supply per unit time as the supply time. Then, the control unit 23 may acquire the time when that amount of time has elapsed from the predicted arrival time as the predicted end time.

[0043] Hereinafter, the number of vehicles 10 identified in step S102 (ie, vehicles 10 that have set the disaster support location as their destination) is set to N1, and the total amount of power that the N1 vehicles 10 can supply is set to W1.

[0044] Step S103: The control unit 23 acquires the upper limit number Nmax of the vehicles 10 that can be parked at the disaster support site.

[0045] Specifically, the control unit 23 acquires information indicating the area of ​​the disaster support location based on, for example, map information stored in the storage unit 22. The area of ​​the disaster support location may be, for example, the area of ​​the entire disaster support location, or may be the area of ​​a space available as a parking lot in the disaster support location (for example, a space in the disaster support location where no buildings exist). The control unit 23 acquires the upper limit number Nmax based on the area of ​​the disaster support location.

[0046] For example, the control unit 23 may obtain a value obtained by dividing the area of ​​the disaster support location by a predetermined unit area (for example, the area of ​​a space required for parking one vehicle 10) as the upper limit number Nmax. Alternatively, the control unit 23 may obtain the vehicle type or size of the vehicle 10 and the predicted arrival time at the disaster support location from each vehicle 10 identified in step S102 via the communication unit 21 and the network 30. The control unit 23 may estimate the maximum number of vehicles that can be parked at the disaster support location in order from the vehicle 10 with the earliest predicted arrival time as the upper limit number Nmax based on the vehicle type or size of each vehicle 10 and the area of ​​the disaster support location. Specifically, the control unit 23 determines in advance the area required for parking the vehicle 10 for each vehicle type or size. The control unit 23 may calculate the total area required for parking one or more vehicles 10 in order from the vehicle 10 with the earliest predicted arrival time. The control unit 23 may estimate the number of vehicles 10 when the calculated total area is maximum within a range not exceeding the area of ​​the disaster support location as the upper limit number Nmax.

[0047] Step S104: The control unit 23 outputs first information indicating the upper limit number Nmax of vehicles that can be parked at the disaster support location, the lower limit Wmin of the amount of electricity to be supplied to the disaster support location, the number N1 of vehicles 10 identified in step S102, and the total amount of electricity W1 that can be supplied by the N1 vehicles 10.

[0048] The output first information can be notified to the users of each of the plurality of vehicles 10. Specifically, the control unit 23 may output the first information to each of the plurality of vehicles 10 via the communication unit 21 and the network 30. Alternatively, the control unit 23 may output the first information to the terminal devices, email addresses, or user accounts used by the users of each of the plurality of vehicles 10. Alternatively, the control unit 23 may output the first information by publishing it so that the users of each of the plurality of vehicles 10 can view it via the network 30. As described above, based on the output first information, the driver of each vehicle 10 can confirm whether the number N1 of vehicles 10 with the disaster support location set as the destination exceeds the upper limit number Nmax, and whether the total power amount W1 that can be supplied by the N1 vehicles 10 with the disaster support location set as the route guidance destination exceeds the lower limit value Wmin of the power amount to be supplied to the disaster support location, and so on.

[0049] Step S105: The control unit 23 determines whether the number N1 of vehicles 10 identified in step S102 is greater than the upper limit number Nmax of vehicles 10 that can park at the disaster support location (that is, whether Nmax < N1). If it is determined that Nmax < N1 (step S105-Yes), the process proceeds to step S106. On the other hand, if it is determined that N1 ≦ Nmax (step S105-No), the process proceeds to step S110.

[0050] Step S106: If it is determined in step S105 that Nmax < N1 (step S105-Yes), the control unit 23 identifies each of the Nmax vehicles 10 as the first vehicle 10 in ascending order of the predicted arrival time at the disaster support location among the N1 vehicles 10 identified in step S102, and identifies each of the remaining N1 - Nmax vehicles 10 as the second vehicle 10.

[0051] A specific description will be given using the examples shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. As shown in Fig. 5, in this example, the lower limit Wmin = 100, the number of vehicles 10 identified in step S102 N1 = 4, and the upper limit Nmax = 2. Fig. 5 also shows the type or size, available amount of power, predicted arrival time, and predicted end time of each of the N1 vehicles 10a to 10d (here, four vehicles). For example, the type or size of the vehicle 10a is "medium-sized", the available amount of power is "40", the predicted arrival time is "t1", and the predicted end time is "t6". The times t1 to t8 are arranged in order from earliest to latest as shown in Fig. 6.

[0052] In this example, the control unit 23 identifies Nmax (here, two) vehicles 10a, 10b of the N1 (here, four) vehicles 10a to 10d as the first vehicles 10a, 10b in order of the earliest predicted time of arrival at the disaster support location, and identifies the remaining N1-Nmax (here, two) vehicles 10c, 10d as the second vehicles 10c, 10d.

[0053] Step S107: The control unit 23 outputs second information for requesting at least one second vehicle 10 to cancel or postpone the movement to the disaster support location.

[0054] The output second information may be notified to the user of at least one second vehicle 10. Specifically, the control unit 23 may output the second information to at least one second vehicle 10 via the communication unit 21 and the network 30. Alternatively, the control unit 23 may output the second information to a terminal device, email address, or user account used by the user of the at least one second vehicle 10. Alternatively, the control unit 23 may output the second information by making it public so that the user of the at least one second vehicle 10 can view it via the network 30.

[0055] The second information may include, for example, identification information of the second vehicle 10 (for example, a vehicle number) and a message requesting the second vehicle 10 to cancel or postpone the trip to the disaster support location. However, the content of the second information is not limited to this example and may be determined arbitrarily. By outputting the second information, the driver of the second vehicle 10 heading to or about to head to the disaster support location may be made aware that there is a possibility that parking will not be possible even if the driver arrives at the disaster support location. The driver who recognizes that there is a possibility that parking will not be possible at the disaster support location may decide to cancel or postpone the trip to the disaster support location so as not to hinder smooth power support.

[0056] In addition, when a plurality of second vehicles 10 are identified in step S106 (i.e., when 2≦N1-Nmax), the control unit 23 may output, as the second information, information requesting all identified second vehicles 10 (for example, the second vehicles 10c and 10d in FIG. 6) to stop or postpone moving to the disaster support location. Alternatively, the control unit 23 may identify one first vehicle 10 having the earliest predicted end time among the Nmax first vehicles 10. In the specific example shown in FIG. 6, the first vehicle 10b having the earliest predicted end time is identified among the two first vehicles 10a and 10b. The control unit 23 may identify each second vehicle 10 having a predicted arrival time at the disaster support location earlier than the predicted end time of the one first vehicle 10 among the N1-Nmax second vehicles 10. 6, of the two second vehicles 10c and 10d, the second vehicle 10c is identified as having a predicted arrival time at the disaster site earlier than the predicted end time t4 of the first vehicle 10b. Then, the control unit 23 may output, as the second information, information requesting each of the identified second vehicles 10 to cancel or postpone the movement to the disaster support site.

[0057] Step S108: The control unit 23 determines whether the total power amount W1a that can be supplied by each vehicle 10 among the N1 vehicles 10 identified in step S102 and for which a request to cancel or postpone the movement to the disaster support location has not been made is less than the lower limit value Wmin of the power amount to be supplied to the disaster support location (that is, whether W1a < Wmin). If it is determined that W1a < Wmin (step S108-Yes), the process proceeds to step S109. On the other hand, if it is determined that Wmin ≤ W1a (step S108-No), the process ends.

[0058] Step S109: If it is determined in step S108 that W1a < Wmin (step S108-Yes), the control unit 23 outputs third information for requesting the movement to and power supply to the disaster support location to at least one vehicle 10 among the plurality of vehicles 10 for which the disaster support location has not been set as the destination of route guidance. Thereafter, the process ends.

[0059] The output third information can be notified to the user of at least one vehicle 10 among the plurality of vehicles 10 for which the disaster support location has not been set as the destination of route guidance. Specifically, the control unit 23 may output the third information to the at least one vehicle 10 via the communication unit 21 and the network 30. Alternatively, the control unit 23 may output the third information to the terminal device, email address, or user account used by the user of the at least one vehicle 10. Alternatively, the control unit 23 may output the third information by making it publicly available so that the user of the at least one vehicle 10 can view it via the network 30.

[0060] The third information may include, for example, the identification information (e.g., vehicle number) of the at least one vehicle 10, the location information of the disaster support location, and a message requesting the movement of the at least one vehicle 10 to the disaster support location and power supply. However, the content of the third information is not limited to this example and may be arbitrarily determined. By outputting the third information, the driver of the at least one vehicle 10 can be made aware that there may be insufficient power supply to the disaster support location. A driver who recognizes that there may be insufficient power supply to the disaster support location can decide on the movement to and power supply to the disaster support location.

[0061] Step S110: When it is determined in step S105 that N1 ≤ Nmax (step S105 - No), the control unit 23 determines whether the total power amount W1 that can be supplied by the N1 vehicles 10 specified in step S102 is less than the lower limit value Wmin of the power amount to be supplied to the disaster support location (that is, whether W1 < Wmin). When it is determined that W1 < Wmin (step S110 - Yes), the process proceeds to step S111. On the other hand, when it is determined that Wmin ≤ W1 (step S110 - No), the process ends.

[0062] Step S111: When it is determined in step S110 that W1 < Wmin (step S110 - Yes), the control unit 23 outputs third information requesting the movement to and power supply to the disaster support location to at least one vehicle 10 among the plurality of vehicles 10 for which the disaster support location is not set as the destination of route guidance. Then, the process ends.

[0063] As described above, the server 20 according to the present embodiment acquires a lower limit value of the amount of power to be supplied to a disaster support location requiring power support. The server 20 acquires a value of the amount of power that each of the multiple vehicles 10 can supply. The server 20 identifies each vehicle 10 among the multiple vehicles 10 that has set the disaster support location as a destination for route guidance. The server 20 acquires an upper limit number of vehicles 10 that can be parked at the disaster support location. The server 20 then outputs first information indicating Nmax, Wmin, N1, and W1, where Nmax is the upper limit number, Wmin is the lower limit value of the amount of power to be supplied, N1 is the number of the identified vehicles 10, and W1 is the total amount of power that the N1 vehicles 10 can supply.

[0064] With this configuration, as described above, the technology for providing power support during a disaster using vehicles 10 capable of supplying power is improved in that it reduces the possibility of inconveniences such as traffic congestion occurring near a disaster support location, making it difficult to provide smooth power support, or a greater number of vehicles 10 than necessary concentrating at one disaster support location, making it difficult to provide efficient power support to the entire disaster-stricken area.

[0065] Although the present disclosure has been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art may make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component or step can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent, and multiple components or steps can be combined or divided into one.

[0066] For example, some or all of the operations performed by the server 20 in the above-described embodiment may be executed by the vehicle 10. Furthermore, the operations performed by the server 20 may be distributed and executed by a plurality of computers that are capable of communicating with each other.

[0067] Also, for example, an embodiment is possible in which a general-purpose computer functions as the server 20 according to the above-described embodiment. Specifically, a program describing the processing contents for realizing each function of the server 20 according to the above-described embodiment is stored in the memory of a computer, and the program is read and executed by a processor of the computer. Therefore, the present disclosure can also be realized as a program executable by a processor, or a non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores the program. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1 System Cars 10, 10a-10d 11 Communications Department 12 Positioning unit 13 Output section 14 Input section 15 Storage section 16 Control section 20 Servers 21 Communications Department 22 Memory section 23 Control Unit 30 Network

Claims

1. A method executed by a server, comprising: Obtaining a lower limit of the amount of electricity to be supplied to a disaster support location requiring electric power support; Obtaining a value of an amount of power that each of the plurality of vehicles can supply; Identifying each vehicle among the plurality of vehicles that has the disaster support location set as a destination for route guidance; Obtaining a maximum number of vehicles that may be parked at said disaster support location; outputting first information indicating Nmax, Wmin, N1, and W1 to each of the plurality of vehicles, or to a terminal device, email address, or user account used by each user of the plurality of vehicles, or via a network so that the first information can be viewed by the users of the plurality of vehicles, where Nmax is the upper limit number, Wmin is the lower limit number, N1 is the number of the identified vehicles, and W1 is the total amount of power that can be supplied by the N1 vehicles; If Nmax<N1, among the N1 vehicles that have the disaster support location set as a destination of route guidance, identify the Nmax vehicles in order of the earliest predicted arrival time at the disaster support location as first vehicles, and identify the remaining N1-Nmax vehicles as second vehicles; and outputting second information requesting the at least one second vehicle to cancel or postpone the movement to the disaster support location to the at least one second vehicle, to a terminal device, email address, or user account used by a user of the at least one second vehicle, or via a network so that the second information can be viewed by the user of the at least one second vehicle; A method comprising:

2. 2. The method of claim 1 , The method further includes identifying one first vehicle among the Nmax first vehicles, the one having the earliest predicted end time at which power supply to the disaster support location will end; The method, wherein the second information is information requesting each of the N1-Nmax second vehicles whose predicted arrival time at the disaster support location is earlier than the predicted end time of the one first vehicle to cancel or postpone movement to the disaster support location.

3. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The method further includes outputting third information requesting at least one vehicle among the plurality of vehicles that does not have the disaster support location set as a route guidance destination to move to the disaster support location and supply power to the disaster support location, to at least one vehicle that does not have the disaster support location set as a route guidance destination, or to a terminal device, email address, or user account used by a user of the at least one vehicle, or via a network, so that the third information can be viewed by the user of the at least one vehicle, where W1a is a total amount of power that can be supplied by each vehicle among the N1 vehicles that have the disaster support location set as a route guidance destination and are not requested to cancel or postpone movement to the disaster support location, if W1a < Wmin.

4. 4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: The method further includes, when N1≦Nmax and W1<Wmin, outputting third information requesting at least one vehicle among the plurality of vehicles that does not have the disaster support location set as a route guidance destination to travel to and supply power to the disaster support location to at least one vehicle that does not have the disaster support location set as a route guidance destination, to a terminal device, email address, or user account used by a user of the at least one vehicle, or via a network so that the third information is viewable by the user of the at least one vehicle.

5. 5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: Obtaining information indicating an area of ​​the disaster support location; and The method further includes determining a maximum number of vehicles that can be parked at the disaster assistance location based on an area of ​​the disaster assistance location.

6. 6. The method of claim 5, The method further includes acquiring a type or size of the N1 vehicles that have the disaster support location set as a destination of route guidance; The method includes determining an upper limit on the number of vehicles that can be parked at the disaster support location, in order of vehicles with the earliest predicted arrival time, based on the area of ​​the disaster support location and the types or sizes of the N1 vehicles.

7. A server including a control unit, The control unit is Obtain a lower limit of the amount of electricity to be supplied to a disaster support location requiring electric power support; Obtaining a value of an amount of power that each of the plurality of vehicles can supply; Identifying each vehicle among the plurality of vehicles that has the disaster support location set as a destination for route guidance; Obtaining an upper limit of the number of vehicles that can be parked at the disaster support location; outputting first information indicating Nmax, Wmin, N1, and W1 to each of the plurality of vehicles, or to a terminal device, email address, or user account used by each user of the plurality of vehicles, or via a network so that the first information can be viewed by the users of the plurality of vehicles, where Nmax is the upper limit number, Wmin is the lower limit number, N1 is the number of the identified vehicles, and W1 is the total amount of power that can be supplied by the N1 vehicles; If Nmax<N1, among the N1 vehicles that have the disaster support location set as a destination of route guidance, identify the Nmax vehicles in order of the earliest predicted arrival time at the disaster support location as first vehicles, and identify the remaining N1-Nmax vehicles as second vehicles; A server that outputs second information requesting at least one second vehicle to cancel or postpone movement to the disaster support location to the at least one second vehicle, or to a terminal device, email address, or user account used by a user of the at least one second vehicle, or via a network so that the user of the at least one second vehicle can view it.

8. 8. The server according to claim 7, The control unit identifies one first vehicle among the Nmax first vehicles that has an earliest predicted end time at which power supply to the disaster support location will end, The second information is information requesting each of the N1-Nmax second vehicles whose predicted arrival time at the disaster support location is earlier than the predicted end time of the one first vehicle to cancel or postpone movement to the disaster support location, the server.

9. 9. The server according to claim 7 or 8, The control unit outputs third information, which requests at least one vehicle among the multiple vehicles that does not have the disaster support location set as a route guidance destination to move to the disaster support location and supply power, to at least one vehicle that does not have the disaster support location set as a route guidance destination, or to a terminal device, email address, or user account used by a user of the at least one vehicle, or via a network, so that the third information can be viewed by the user of the at least one vehicle, when W1a < Wmin is a total amount of power that can be supplied by each vehicle among the N1 vehicles that have the disaster support location set as a route guidance destination.

10. A server according to any one of claims 7 to 9, When N1≦Nmax and W1<Wmin, the control unit outputs third information requesting at least one vehicle among the multiple vehicles that does not have the disaster support location set as a destination for route guidance to travel to and supply power to the disaster support location to the at least one vehicle that does not have the disaster support location set as a destination for route guidance, to a terminal device, email address, or user account used by a user of the at least one vehicle, or to a server via a network so that the third information can be viewed by the user of the at least one vehicle.

11. A server according to any one of claims 7 to 10, The control unit is Acquire information indicating an area of ​​the disaster support location; A server determines an upper limit of the number of vehicles that can be parked at the disaster support location based on an area of ​​the disaster support location.

12. 12. The server of claim 11, The control unit is Acquire the type or size of the N1 vehicles that have the disaster support location set as a destination for route guidance; A server that determines an upper limit number of vehicles that can be parked at the disaster support location in order of vehicles with the earliest predicted arrival time, based on the area of ​​the disaster support location and the types or sizes of the N1 vehicles.

13. On the computer, Obtaining a lower limit of the amount of electricity to be supplied to a disaster support location requiring electric power support; Obtaining a value of an amount of power that each of the plurality of vehicles can supply; Identifying each vehicle among the plurality of vehicles that has the disaster support location set as a destination for route guidance; Obtaining a maximum number of vehicles that may be parked at said disaster support location; outputting first information indicating Nmax, Wmin, N1, and W1 to each of the plurality of vehicles, or to a terminal device, email address, or user account used by each user of the plurality of vehicles, or via a network so that the first information can be viewed by the users of the plurality of vehicles, where Nmax is the upper limit number, Wmin is the lower limit number, N1 is the number of the identified vehicles, and W1 is the total amount of power that can be supplied by the N1 vehicles; If Nmax<N1, among the N1 vehicles that have the disaster support location set as a destination of route guidance, identify the Nmax vehicles in order of the earliest predicted arrival time at the disaster support location as first vehicles, and identify the remaining N1-Nmax vehicles as second vehicles; and outputting second information requesting the at least one second vehicle to cancel or postpone the movement to the disaster support location to the at least one second vehicle, to a terminal device, email address, or user account used by a user of the at least one second vehicle, or via a network so that the second information can be viewed by the user of the at least one second vehicle; A program to execute.

14. The program according to claim 13, The computer further executes identifying one first vehicle among the Nmax first vehicles that has the earliest predicted end time at which power supply to the disaster support location will end, The second information is information that requests each of the N1-Nmax second vehicles whose predicted arrival time at the disaster support location is earlier than the predicted end time of the one first vehicle to cancel or postpone movement to the disaster support location.

15. 15. The program according to claim 13 or 14, The program further causes the computer to execute the following: where W1a is a total amount of electricity that can be supplied by each of the N1 vehicles that have set the disaster support location as a route guidance destination and are not requested to cancel or postpone movement to the disaster support location, and if W1a is < Wmin, output third information requesting at least one vehicle among the plurality of vehicles that does not have the disaster support location set as a route guidance destination to move to the disaster support location and supply power to the at least one vehicle that does not have the disaster support location set as a route guidance destination, or to a terminal device, email address, or user account used by a user of the at least one vehicle, or via a network so that the third information is viewable by the user of the at least one vehicle.

16. 16. The program according to claim 13, The program further causes the computer to output third information, requesting at least one vehicle among the plurality of vehicles that has not set the disaster support location as a destination for route guidance to travel to and supply power to the disaster support location, to at least one vehicle that has not set the disaster support location as a destination for route guidance, to a terminal device, email address, or user account used by a user of the at least one vehicle, or via a network so that the third information can be viewed by the user of the at least one vehicle.

17. 17. The program according to any one of claims 13 to 16, The computer includes: Obtaining information indicating an area of ​​the disaster support location; and The program further causes the program to determine an upper limit on the number of vehicles that can be parked at the disaster support location based on an area of ​​the disaster support location.

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