Vehicle power supply device

Abstract

To provide a vehicle power supply device that, when foreign substances are accumulated on the road due to a volcanic disaster or a flood disaster, can preferentially supply power to an electric vehicle that can travel on the road on which the foreign substances are accumulated.SOLUTION: A vehicle power supply device comprises a processor, and the processor registers the tire types of electric vehicles in advance, and when a disaster occurs due to which foreign substances may be accumulated on the road, preferentially supplies power to an electric vehicle of a tire type allowing travel on the road.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle power supply device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for allowing EV vehicles, such as emergency vehicles, to have priority in using EV charging facilities when a disaster occurs. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-008339 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] There has been a demand for technology that can supply power preferentially to electric vehicles that can drive on roads covered with foreign debris, even in the event of such damage as a volcanic disaster or flood.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a vehicle power supply device that can supply power preferentially to electric vehicles that can travel on roads where foreign matter has accumulated, even if foreign matter has accumulated on the road due to a volcanic disaster, flood, or the like. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle power supply device according to the present disclosure includes a processor that pre-registers the tire type of an electric vehicle, and in the event of a disaster that may cause foreign objects to accumulate on a road, prioritizes power supply to electric vehicles with the tire type that can run on the road. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, when foreign objects accumulate on a road due to a volcanic disaster, flood, or the like, power can be supplied preferentially to electric vehicles that can travel on the road. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall configuration of a vehicle power supply system including a vehicle power supply device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the details of each component of the vehicle power supply system according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of a vehicle power supplying method executed by the vehicle power supplying device according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] A vehicle power supply device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that components in the following embodiments include those that are easily replaceable by a person skilled in the art, or those that are substantially the same.

[0010] (Vehicle power supply system) A vehicle power supplying system including a vehicle power supplying device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The vehicle power supplying system 1 has a vehicle power supplying device 10 and an electrically powered vehicle 20, as shown in Figure 1.

[0011] Both the vehicle power supply device 10 and the electric vehicle 20 have a communication function and are configured to be able to communicate with each other through a network NW. This network NW is configured, for example, by the Internet, a mobile phone network, or the like.

[0012] (Vehicle power supply device) The vehicle power supply device 10 is for supplying power to an electric vehicle 20 (for example, an EV vehicle or a plug-in hybrid vehicle). The vehicle power supply device 10 is realized by a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or a personal computer. The vehicle power supply device 10 is provided in, for example, a power supply station, a vehicle management center, an automobile dealer, or the like that is capable of supplying power to the electric vehicle 20.

[0013] 2, the vehicle power supply device 10 includes a control unit 11, a communication unit 12, and a storage unit 13. Specifically, the control unit 11 includes a processor including a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a graphics processing unit (GPU), etc., and a memory (main storage unit) including a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), etc.

[0014] The control unit 11 loads the programs stored in the memory unit 13 into a working area of ​​the main memory unit, executes them, and realizes functions that meet a predetermined purpose by controlling each component unit through the execution of the programs. The control unit 11 functions as a tire type registration unit 111 and a vehicle power supply unit 112 through the execution of the programs stored in the memory unit 13.

[0015] The tire type registration unit 111 registers in advance in the storage unit 13 the tire type of the electric vehicle 20 managed by the vehicle power supply device 10. This "tire type" refers to the type of tire, and examples thereof include normal tires, studless tires, snow tires, all-season tires, etc. In addition to the classification according to the type of tire as described above, the tire type may be classified according to the presence or absence of chains, the magnitude of rolling resistance, the magnitude of grip force (friction force), etc.

[0016] Here, the tire type registration unit 111 may register the vehicle type of the electric vehicle 20 in advance in the storage unit 13 instead of or in addition to the tire type of the electric vehicle 20. This "vehicle type" refers to the drive system of the electric vehicle 20, such as 2WD, 4WD, etc. The tire type registration unit 111 acquires information related to the tire type and vehicle type, for example, via the network NW.

[0017] The vehicle power supply unit 112 supplies power to the electric vehicle 20, for example, based on a power supply request from the electric vehicle 20. When a disaster occurs that may cause foreign objects to accumulate on a road (hereinafter referred to as a "specific disaster"), the vehicle power supply unit 112 prioritizes power supply to a tire-type electric vehicle 20 that can run on the road over power supply to other electric vehicles 20. Here, examples of "specific disasters" include volcanic disasters, floods (heavy rain), landslides, heavy snowfall, and typhoons. Information on the occurrence of a specific disaster, the location of the occurrence, and the like can be acquired, for example, from a server of an organization or company that provides disaster information.

[0018] For example, if the specific disaster is a volcanic disaster, the vehicle power supply unit 112 preferentially supplies power to tire-type electric vehicles 20 that can run on roads covered with volcanic ash. If the specific disaster is a flood, the vehicle power supply unit 112 preferentially supplies power to tire-type electric vehicles 20 that can run on roads that are flooded. If the specific disaster is a landslide, the vehicle power supply unit 112 preferentially supplies power to tire-type electric vehicles 20 that can run on roads that are flooded.

[0019] In this way, when a specific disaster occurs, power is supplied preferentially to electric vehicles 20 that can run on roads on which foreign objects have accumulated due to the disaster, allowing the runnable electric vehicles 20 to run as quickly as possible. At the same time, when a specific disaster occurs, power supply is postponed to electric vehicles 20 that cannot run on roads on which foreign objects have accumulated, thereby avoiding the waste of electricity that tends to run out during disasters.

[0020] Here, when the vehicle type is registered in the tire type registration unit 111 instead of the tire type of the electric vehicle 20, the vehicle power supply unit 112 may prioritize power supply to an electric vehicle 20 of a vehicle type (e.g., 4WD) that can run on a road on which foreign objects have accumulated, over power supply to an electric vehicle 20 of another vehicle type (e.g., 2WD) when a specific disaster occurs. This allows an electric vehicle 20 that can run when a specific disaster occurs to run as quickly as possible, and avoids wasting electricity that tends to run out during a disaster.

[0021] Furthermore, when the tire type registration unit 111 registers the vehicle type in addition to the tire type of the electric vehicle 20, the vehicle power supply unit 112 may prioritize power supply to an electric vehicle 20 of a tire type and vehicle type (e.g., 4WD) that can run on a road on which foreign objects have accumulated, over power supply to an electric vehicle 20 of another tire type and vehicle type (e.g., 2WD) in the event of a specific disaster. In this way, an electric vehicle 20 that can run when a specific disaster occurs can be made to run as quickly as possible, and waste of electricity that tends to run out during a disaster can be avoided.

[0022] The communication unit 12 is composed of, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface board, a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication, etc. The communication unit 12 is connected to a network NW such as the Internet, which is a public communication network. The communication unit 12 communicates with the electric vehicle 20 by connecting to the network NW.

[0023] The storage unit 13 is composed of recording media such as an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), a hard disk drive (HDD), and removable media. Examples of removable media include disk recording media such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) memory, a Compact Disc (CD), a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), and a Blu-ray (registered trademark) Disc (BD).

[0024] The storage unit 13 can store an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, various databases, etc. The storage unit 13 stores, as necessary, information on the tire type, vehicle type, etc. of the electric vehicle 20 acquired via the network NW, for example.

[0025] (Electric vehicles) The electric vehicle 20 is, for example, an EV vehicle, a plug-in hybrid vehicle, or the like. In this embodiment, the description will be given assuming that the electric vehicle 20 is an EV vehicle. The electric vehicle 20 may also be an autonomous vehicle that can run autonomously without operation by a driver.

[0026] 2, the electric vehicle 20 includes a control unit 21, a communication unit 22, a motor 23, an inverter 24, and a battery 25. The control unit 21 is an electronic control unit whose main components are a microcomputer including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, etc. The control unit 21 comprehensively controls the operations of various components mounted on the electric vehicle 20 by executing various programs.

[0027] The communication unit 22 is configured by, for example, a DCM (Data Communication Module) and communicates with the vehicle power supply device 10 by wireless communication via the network NW.

[0028] The motor 23 is a drive source of the electric vehicle 20. The inverter 24 is for driving the motor 23. The battery 25 is charged with power for driving the motor 23. The battery 25 is electrically connected to the motor 23 via the inverter 24.

[0029] In addition, if the electric vehicle 20 is an autonomous vehicle, in addition to the configuration shown in FIG. 2, it further includes a GPS information positioning unit for realizing autonomous driving, and a sensor group including a camera, a 3D-LiDAR, a millimeter wave sensor, an infrared sensor, an acceleration sensor, a GPS sensor, etc.

[0030] (Vehicle power supply method) An example of a processing procedure of a vehicle power supplying method executed by the vehicle power supplying device 10 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0031] First, the vehicle power supply unit 112 determines whether or not a specific disaster has occurred (step S1). In step S1, a positive determination is made when information about a specific disaster is acquired from, for example, a server of an organization or company that provides disaster information, and a negative determination is made when information about a specific disaster is not acquired.

[0032] In step S1, when it is determined that a specific disaster has occurred (Yes in step S1), vehicle power supply unit 112 determines whether or not there is a tire-type electric vehicle 20 that can travel on a road on which foreign matter has accumulated due to the specific disaster (step S2). Note that in step S1, when it is determined that a specific disaster has not occurred (No in step S1), vehicle power supply unit 112 returns to the determination in step S1.

[0033] If it is determined in step S2 that there is a tire-type electric vehicle 20 capable of traveling on the road (Yes in step S2), power is supplied to that electric vehicle 20 preferentially over other electric vehicles 20 (step S3), and this flow ends. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2 that there is no tire-type electric vehicle 20 capable of traveling on the road (No in step S2), this flow ends.

[0034] As described above, in the vehicle power supply device according to the embodiment, when a specific disaster occurs, power is supplied to tire-type electric vehicles 20 that can run on the road with priority over other electric vehicles 20. This allows electric vehicles 20 that can run on the road to run as quickly as possible when foreign matter accumulates on the road due to, for example, a volcanic disaster, flood damage, etc. At the same time, when foreign matter accumulates on the road due to a volcanic disaster, flood damage, etc., power supply to electric vehicles 20 that cannot run on the road can be refrained from being supplied, thereby avoiding waste of electricity.

[0035] Further advantages and modifications may readily occur to those skilled in the art. Thus, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Thus, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 1 Vehicle power supply system 10 Vehicle power supply device 11 Control section 111 Tire Type Registration Section 112 Vehicle power supply unit 12 Communications Department 13 Storage section 20 Electric Vehicles 21 Control section 22 Communications Department 23 Motor 24 Inverter 25 Battery NW Network

Claims

[Claim 1] A processor is provided. The processor, A tire type of an electric vehicle and a vehicle type indicating a drive system of the electric vehicle are registered in advance; When a disaster occurs that may cause foreign objects to accumulate on a road, priority is given to power supply to electric vehicles of tire type and vehicle type that can run on the road. Vehicle power supply device.

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