EV charging system

Abstract

To provide an EV charging system that can know the charging schedule of a charging unit to be used and adjust the number of simultaneous charging by time period.SOLUTION: An EV charging system includes multiple charging units 1 for charging EVs, a slave unit 2 and a master unit 3 to control each charging unit 1, a user terminal, a cloud server, etc., and supplies power to each charging unit 1 from a common grid L1, a dedicated grid L2, and an external dedicated grid L3, and can transmits and receives information between the slave unit 2 and the master unit 3, and transmit and receive information between the master unit 3 and the user terminal and the cloud server using the Internet line. The cloud server considers the average power used by other power receiving facilities R for each date and time period throughout the year, determines the maximum capacity that can be supplied, and creates a charging schedule, and causes the user terminal to display how the maximum capacity changes.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an EV charging system in which a plurality of charging units for charging an electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "EV") are provided in a common area of a building.

Background Art

[0002] With the spread of EVs, the number of parking facilities equipped with a plurality of charging units has been increasing in commercial facilities and apartment houses. In particular, in apartment houses such as condominiums, it is expected that the need to be able to charge a plurality of EVs at once will increase in the future. And Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-188031) includes an operation unit (8) for a user to input a desired charging time for an electric vehicle, etc., an interface unit (71), a data storage unit (72), a program memory (73), and a CPU (74). It is provided with a home gateway (7), and the home gateway (7) and a distribution board (20), a vehicle charger (2), etc. can communicate with each other via a LAN (25). The CPU (74) formulates a charging plan for the on-vehicle battery (1), or the power for charging consumed by the entire plurality of subscriber houses is within the allowable value of the supply capacity in an apartment house or a regional unit. It is described that it is suppressed (see particularly paragraphs 0020, 0023 to 0027, 0036, 0058 and FIGS. 2 and 3).

[0003] Also, Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-057448) has a charging station (35) for any of a plurality of power management aggregates (2) to charge an electric vehicle (36), and a central storage battery (32) during a time period when surplus power is high. It describes that charging is performed by storing electricity in the battery and charging the electric vehicle (36), that the number of electric vehicles (36) that can be charged simultaneously is displayed on a reservation monitor, and that a consumer (21) can make a reservation to use the charging station (35) by looking at the reservation monitor. (See particularly paragraphs 0033, 0042 and FIG. 1).

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 3 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-073065) describes that as the popularity of electric vehicles increases, chargers are incrementally added, the contract capacity can be changed as needed, and parking facilities in apartment buildings and the like are economically operated (see particularly the abstract, paragraphs 0020, 0021, and FIG. 3). Patent Document 4 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-018104) describes that in response to notifications from the smartphones (13) of each user, a charging command to the corresponding charger (32) is transmitted to the charge control device (30), charge control for each charger is executed to satisfy the power supply constraint conditions of the workplace, and automatic charging is performed using the personal charging mechanism in the smartphone (13) (see particularly paragraphs 0029, 0034, 0050, 0057, and FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0005] However, in the energy management system of Patent Document 1, as described in paragraph 0054, in the case where the total of the reserved amounts exceeds the power upper limit after receiving charging reservations from a plurality of users, the charging plan is adjusted retrospectively. Therefore, the user does not know whether charging will be performed as reserved at the time of reservation, and it is necessary to check before and after the charging start time. In addition, in the power lending control system of Patent Document 2, the number of electric vehicles (36) that can be charged simultaneously is displayed on the reservation monitor, and the consumer (21) can make a reservation to use the charging station (35) by looking at the reservation monitor. However, for this purpose, a central storage battery (32) having a considerable capacity is required, and there is a problem that the cost of the entire system becomes high. And the electric vehicle charging system of Patent Document 3 controls the operation of each charger so that the total power consumption does not exceed the contract capacity, and the capacity does not fluctuate. Furthermore, in the charge control device of Patent Document 4, charge control is executed based on the power supply constraint conditions. However, as can be seen from the descriptions in paragraphs 0011 and 0051 and the like, the power supply constraint conditions change moment by moment. Similar to the energy management system of Patent Document 1, there is a problem that the user who uses the charger (32) does not know whether charging will be performed as scheduled.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Document

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] The first problem of the present invention is to solve the above problems so that a user who uses a charging unit for charging an EV can surely grasp the charging schedule of the charging unit to be used at the start of use. Further, the second problem of the present invention is to enable adjustment of the number of simultaneous chargings according to the chargeable capacity for each time zone and the number of users or the number of charging units to be used. Furthermore, the third problem of the present invention is to enable a user to make a reservation for using a charging unit in advance and to surely grasp the charging schedule of the charging unit to be used at the time of the reservation, and the fourth problem is to enable easy expansion of the charging capacity even when the charging capacity becomes insufficient with an increase in the number of users or charging units.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] The invention according to claim 1 is an EV charging system having a plurality of charging units supplied with power from a distribution network, The power distribution system that supplies power from the power distribution network consists of a common system that branches from an existing transformer and distributes power to other power receiving facilities and the plurality of charging units, and a dedicated system that branches from the existing transformer and distributes power only to the plurality of charging units. Slave units installed in each of the plurality of charging units, A master unit capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from the slave units, A user terminal operable by a user who can use the EV charging system, And a server capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from the master unit and the user terminal. The user terminal Has a charging unit designating means for designating any one of the plurality of charging units, A power supply command input means for inputting power supply command information for instructing the start or stop of power supply to the charging unit designated by the charging unit designating means, A charging unit designation information transmitting means for transmitting the charging unit designation information designated by the charging unit designating means to the server, And has a power supply command information transmitting means for transmitting the power supply command information input by the power supply command input means to the server. The server has a charging unit control information transmitting means for transmitting charging unit control information to the master unit based on the charging unit designation information transmitted from the charging unit designation information transmitting means and the power supply command information transmitted from the power supply command information transmitting means. The master unit has a power supply instruction information transmitting means for transmitting power supply instruction information for instructing the start or stop of power supply to the slave unit corresponding to the designated charging unit based on the charging unit control information transmitted from the server. The slave unit Has a power supply control means for controlling the start and stop of power supply from the corresponding charging unit to the EV based on the power supply instruction information transmitted from the power supply instruction information transmitting means, And has a power supply control information transmitting means for transmitting power supply control information indicating the current status of the corresponding charging unit to the master unit every predetermined time. The master device has a power supply control information transfer means for transferring the power supply control information transmitted from the power supply control information transmission means of all the slave devices to the server. The server Based on the power supply control information transferred from the power supply control information transfer means, utilization information transmission means for transmitting utilization information including the current status of the corresponding charging unit and the amount of power used to the user terminal. Time-series maximum capacity determination means for determining in advance the maximum capacity that can be supplied to the plurality of charging units from the common system and the dedicated system for each date range and each time range. Based on the maximum capacity for each date range and each time range determined by the time-series maximum capacity determination means and the power supply control information transferred from the power supply control information transfer means, capacity information transmission means for transmitting time-range-by-time-range chargeable capacity information regarding the chargeable capacity for each time range from the current time to a specific time later to the user terminal. The user terminal Utilization information display means for displaying the current status of the corresponding charging unit and the amount of power used based on the utilization information transmitted from the utilization information transmission means. Characterized by having chargeable capacity display means for displaying the chargeable capacity for each time range from the current time to a specific time later based on the time-range-by-time-range chargeable capacity information transmitted from the capacity information transmission means.

[0009] The invention according to claim 2 is the EV charging system according to claim 1, wherein The user terminal Current amount input means capable of inputting a desired current amount for charging, Current amount information transmission means for transmitting the current amount information input by the current amount input means to the server, The charging unit control information transmission means transmits charging unit control information to the master device based on the charging unit designation information, the power supply command information, and the current amount information transmitted from the current amount information transmission means. The power supply instruction information is information for instructing power supply start, current amount, or power supply stop. The energization control means controls the start of energization from the corresponding charging unit to the EV, the current amount, and the stop of energization. The energization control information is information indicating the current status and current amount in the corresponding charging unit. The usage information display means is characterized by displaying the current status, current amount, and amount of power used of the corresponding charging unit.

[0010] The invention according to claim 3 is the EV charging system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The energization command input means has date and time input means capable of inputting the date and time of start of energization and the date and time of stop of energization to the charging unit designated by the charging unit designating means. The energization command information transmission means transmits energization command information designating the date and time of start of energization and the date and time of stop of energization input by the date and time input means to the server. The charging unit control information transmission means transmits charging unit control information to the master unit at the date and time of start of energization and the date and time of stop of energization designated by the energization command information based on the charging unit designation information and the energization command information. The capacity information transmission means transmits the chargeable capacity for each date zone and each time zone to the user terminal based on the maximum capacity for each date zone and each time zone determined by the time-series maximum capacity determination means, the energization control information transferred from the energization control information transfer means, and the energization command information transmitted from the energization command information transmission means of all user terminals. The chargeable capacity display means is characterized by displaying the chargeable capacity for each date zone and each time zone based on the chargeable capacity information for each date zone and each time zone transmitted from the capacity information transmission means.

[0011] The invention according to claim 4 is the EV charging system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The power distribution system is composed of the common system, the dedicated system, and an external dedicated system that branches from an external transformer different from the existing transformer and distributes power only to the plurality of charging units.

Effect of the Invention

[0012] In the power distribution system that supplies power from the power distribution network assumed as a premise in the invention according to claim 1, since it includes a common system that branches from an existing transformer and distributes power to other power receiving facilities and a plurality of charging units, the power consumed by other power receiving facilities (such as houses and offices) varies depending on the time zone, and the power capacity for charging that can be supplied to the plurality of charging units varies. However, according to the invention according to claim 1, a server capable of transmitting and receiving information between the master unit and the user terminal has a time-series maximum capacity determination means for determining in advance the maximum capacity that can be supplied to a plurality of charging units from the common system and the dedicated system for each date zone and each time zone, and based on the maximum capacity for each date zone and each time zone and the energization control information indicating the current status of each charging unit transmitted from all slave units to the master unit and transferred from the master unit to the server, it has a capacity information transmission means for transmitting time zone-specific chargeable capacity information regarding the chargeable capacity for each time zone from the current time to a specific time later to the user terminal. Therefore, the user who uses the charging unit can surely grasp the charging schedule of the charging unit to be used at the start of use.

[0013] According to the invention according to claim 2, in addition to the effect of the invention according to claim 1, the user terminal has a current amount input means for inputting the desired current amount for charging and a current amount information transmission means for transmitting the input current amount information to the server. The server transmits charging unit control information to the master unit based on the received current amount information and the like. The master unit transmits energization instruction information for instructing the start of energization, the current amount, or the stop of energization to the slave unit corresponding to the designated charging unit based on the received charging unit control information. The slave unit controls the start of energization, the current amount, and the stop of energization from the corresponding charging unit to the EV based on the transmitted energization instruction information. Therefore, the number of simultaneous chargings can be adjusted according to the chargeable capacity for each time zone and the number of users or the number of charging units to be used.

[0014] According to the invention according to claim 3, in addition to the effects of the invention according to claim 1 or 2, the user terminal transmits power supply command information specifying the date and time of starting power supply to the charging unit and the date and time of stopping power supply to the server, and the server transmits the charging unit control information to the master unit at the date and time of starting power supply and the date and time of stopping power supply specified by the power supply command information, and transmits the chargeable capacity for each date range and each time range to the user terminal. Since the user terminal displays the chargeable capacity for each date range and each time range, the user can make a reservation for using the charging unit in advance, and can surely grasp the charging schedule of the charging unit to be used at the time of reservation.

[0015] According to the invention according to claim 4, in addition to the effects of the inventions according to claims 1 to 3, the power distribution system includes a common system, a dedicated system, and an external dedicated system that branches from an external transformer different from the existing transformer and distributes power only to a plurality of charging units. Therefore, even when the charging capacity becomes insufficient due to an increase in the number of users or charging units, the charging capacity can be easily expanded.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of examples.

Example

[0018] The conceptual diagram of the EV charging system according to Embodiment 1 is shown in FIG. 1, and the block diagram is shown in FIG. 2. The EV charging system of Embodiment 1 is supplied with power from a distribution network and has a plurality of charging units 1 for charging an EV, a slave unit 2, a master unit 3, etc. for controlling these charging units 1, and includes the following means. (1) A common system L1 that branches from the existing transformer Tr1 and distributes power to other power receiving facilities R (such as houses and offices) and a plurality of charging units 1, a dedicated system L2 that branches from the existing transformer Tr1 and distributes power only to the plurality of charging units 1, and an external dedicated system L3 that branches from an external transformer Tr2 different from the existing transformer Tr1 and distributes power only to the plurality of charging units 1. (2) Slave units 2 installed in each of the plurality of charging units 1. (3) A master unit 3 connected to each slave unit 2 by a communication line and capable of transmitting and receiving various information. (4) A user terminal 4 operable by a user who can use the EV charging system. (5) A cloud server 5 capable of transmitting and receiving information using an Internet line between the master unit 3 and the user terminal 4.

[0019] Next, the configurations of the slave unit 2, the master unit 3, the user terminal 4, and the cloud server 5 will be described using the block diagram of the EV charging system according to Embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 2. <Slave unit 2> The slave unit 2 controls the energization start and stop from the corresponding charging unit 1 to the EV by turning on or off the switch of the corresponding charging unit 1 based on the energization instruction information (described later) transmitted from the master unit 3. It has energization control means 21 and energization control information transmission means 22 that transmits energization control information indicating the current status of the corresponding charging unit 1 (whether the EV is connected, the on / off state of the switch, and the charging current value to the EV) to the master unit 3 every predetermined time. Note that the charging current value to the EV is controlled to be a constant value (usually 15A). However, as the battery of the EV approaches full charge, the charging current value decreases. Therefore, in order to turn off the switch of the charging unit 1 when the charging current value becomes less than or equal to the threshold value (usually 10A), an ammeter for measuring the charging current value is provided in the charging unit 1. In addition to the switch and the ammeter, the charging unit 1 is also provided with a connection detection circuit that detects whether the charging plug of the EV is connected or unplugged based on changes in the current value or voltage value. However, if it is not necessary to turn off the switch of the charging unit 1 when the charging current value becomes less than or equal to the threshold value, only the connection detection circuit may be provided. Since the connection and disconnection of the charging plug of the EV can also be detected by the ammeter, only the ammeter may be provided. If it is not necessary to detect the charging current value and the connection of the charging plug of the EV, an integrating wattmeter may be provided instead of the ammeter.

[0020] <Master unit 3> The master unit 3 has energization instruction information transmission means 31 that transmits energization instruction information for instructing energization start or stop to the slave unit 2 corresponding to the designated charging unit 1 based on the charging unit control information (described later) transmitted from the cloud server 5, and energization control information transfer means 32 that transfers the energization control information transmitted from the energization control information transmission means 22 of all slave units 2 to the cloud server 5.

[0021] <User terminal 4> The user terminal 4 includes a charging unit specifying means 41 for specifying any one of a plurality of charging units 1, a power supply command input means 42 capable of inputting power supply command information for instructing the start or stop of power supply to the charging unit 1 specified by the charging unit specifying means 41, a charging unit specifying information transmitting means 43 for transmitting the charging unit specifying information specified by the charging unit specifying means 41 to the cloud server 5, a power supply command information transmitting means 44 for transmitting the power supply command information input by the power supply command input means 42 to the cloud server 5, a usage information display means 45 for displaying the current status and the amount of power used of the corresponding charging unit 1 based on the usage information (described later) transmitted from the cloud server 5, and a chargeable capacity display means 46 for displaying the chargeable capacity for each time period from the present to a specific time later (for example, 24 hours later) based on the chargeable capacity information by time period (described later) transmitted from the cloud server 5. The user terminal 4 is a general-purpose smartphone installed with dedicated application software and can transmit and receive various information to and from the cloud server 5 using an Internet line. Further, buttons for specifying the charging unit 1 and buttons for instructing the start or stop of power supply to the charging unit 1 are displayed on the screen by the dedicated application software, and desired information can be input by the user touching those buttons. Furthermore, information such as the current status of the corresponding charging unit 1, the amount of power used for charging the EV, and the chargeable capacity for each time period is output based on various information transmitted from the cloud server 5. Note that the charging unit specifying means 41 may be a means for outputting the charging unit specifying information stored in advance in a timely manner when the user terminal 4 and the charging unit 1 are in a one-to-one correspondence. However, when the user terminal 4 and the charging unit 1 are not in a one-to-one correspondence, it becomes a means for the user to check the available charging unit 1 and select or input the charging unit specifying information.

[0022] <Cloud server 5> The cloud server 5 includes a charging unit control information transmitting means 51 that transmits charging unit control information to the master unit 3 based on the charging unit designation information transmitted from the charging unit designation information transmitting means 43 of the user terminal 4 and the energization command information transmitted from the energization command information transmitting means 44; a utilization information transmitting means 52 that transmits utilization information including the current status and the amount of power used of the corresponding charging unit 1 to the user terminal 4 based on the energization control information transferred from the energization control information transfer means 32 of the master unit 3; a time-series maximum capacity determining means 53 that determines in advance the maximum capacity that can be supplied to a plurality of charging units 1 for each date range and each time range, and a capacity information transmitting means 54 that transmits time-range-by-time-range chargeable capacity information regarding the chargeable capacity for each time range from the current time to a specific time later to the user terminal 4 based on the maximum capacity for each date range and each time range determined by the time-series maximum capacity determining means 53 and the energization control information transferred from the energization control information transfer means 32. And the time-series maximum capacity determining means 53 determines the maximum capacity that can be supplied to the plurality of charging units 1 in consideration of the maximum value of the power used in the building where the plurality of charging units are installed for each date range and each time range throughout the year. Therefore, it is possible to present how the maximum capacity that can be supplied in advance changes, and usually there is no need to change the maximum capacity, so the user can easily estimate when the battery of the EV will be fully charged at the start of use. Also, in order to turn off the switch of the charging unit 1 when the charging current value becomes equal to or less than a threshold value (usually 10 A), even if no energization stop command information is transmitted from the user terminal 4, when the charging current value becomes equal to or less than the threshold value, charging unit control information for instructing energization stop is transmitted from the charging unit control information transmitting means 51 to the master unit 3. Furthermore, the cloud server 5 creates a charging schedule for the designated charging unit 1 based on the charging unit designation information and the energization command information transmitted from the user terminal 4, and transmits the charging unit control information to the master unit 3 according to the schedule, but it is better to transmit the created charging schedule or information on the charging end time to the user terminal 4. In such a case, based on the received information, the user terminal 4 notifies the user of the schedule until the end of charging (on / off of the switch) or the end time of charging by display or voice.

[0023] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the maximum capacity for each time period during which power can be supplied to a plurality of charging units 1 determined by the time-series maximum capacity determination means 53 on a certain date. This diagram shows an example in an EV charging system with nine charging units 1 installed. The common system L1 can supply a maximum of 45 A of power from midnight to morning, from 0:00 to 7:00 and from 23:00 to 24:00. The dedicated system L2 and the external dedicated system L3 can always supply a maximum of 45 A of power. That is, in this example, in the time periods from 0:00 to 7:00 and from 23:00 to 24:00, each of all the charging units 1 can be supplied with a maximum of 15 A of power. In the time period from 7:00 to 23:00, each of six charging units 1 can be supplied with a maximum of 15 A of power. Therefore, even if the user wishes to start charging from 7:00 to 23:00, if charging is already being performed in six of the charging units 1, charging cannot be started until any one of the charging units 1 being charged is fully charged or power supply is stopped. Therefore, in such a case, the cloud server 5 transmits utilization information including the current status of the corresponding charging unit 1 (being in a state of waiting to start charging) to the user terminal 4. If the time when charging can start is known, that information may be included in the utilization information. Note that in FIG. 3, the maximum capacity from the common system L1 in the time period from 23:00 to 24:00 was set to 0 A all the time. However, the setting of the maximum capacity may be finely changed, for example, the maximum capacity from the common system L1 in the time period from 14:00 to 17:00 may be set to 15 A.

[0024] FIG. 4 is Explanation Diagram 1 showing the procedure when charging is continuously continued after starting charging to an EV until full charge and charging is completed, among the diagrams for explaining the procedure (sequence) from the start of charging to the end of charging in Embodiment 1. <At the start of charging> When the user inputs power-on command information for instructing power-on from the user terminal 4, the power-on command information is transmitted to the cloud server 5. Before or after the input of the power-on command information, when the user connects the plug of the EV to the outlet of the charging unit 1, the connection is detected by a minute current, voltage, etc., and power-on control information indicating that the EV is connected to the cloud server 5 via the slave unit 2 and the master unit 3 is transmitted. When the cloud server 5 receives the charging unit designation information and the power-on command information for instructing power-on from the user terminal 4, it refers to these pieces of information and creates a charging schedule for the designated charging unit 1 based on the maximum capacity for each date range and time range and the power-on control information from all the slave units 2 transferred from the master unit 3. Then, when the cloud server 5 receives the power-on control information indicating that the EV is connected and becomes in a chargeable state according to the created charging schedule, it transmits the charging unit control information for instructing the start of power supply to the designated charging unit 1 to the master unit 3. When the master unit 3 receives the charging unit control information, it transmits the power-on instruction information for instructing the start of power supply to the slave unit 2 corresponding to the designated charging unit 1. When the slave unit 2 receives the power-on instruction information for instructing the start of power supply, it turns on the switch of the charging unit 1 and transmits the power-on control information (switch on) to the cloud server 5 via the master unit 3. When the cloud server 5 receives the power-on control information (switch on), it transmits the usage information notifying the current status (start of power supply) of the charging unit 1 to the user terminal 4. When the user terminal 4 receives the usage information notifying the current status (start of power supply) of the charging unit 1, it displays the current status (start of power supply) of the charging unit 1. The transmission of the usage information may be performed using an email or using an app for the EV system. When charging unit designation information is transmitted from the user terminal, the cloud server 5 transmits time zone-specific chargeable capacity information regarding the chargeable capacity for each time zone from the current time until a specific time later (e.g., until 24 hours later) to the user terminal 4 based on the maximum capacity for each date range and time zone and the power supply control information transferred from the master unit 3. Since the user terminal 4 displays the chargeable capacity for each time zone, the user can anticipate how the charging will be executed before inputting power supply command information for instructing the start of power supply to the designated charging unit 1.

[0025] <Charging> When power supply is started, the slave unit 2 transmits power supply control information indicating the current status (charging current value to the EV) of the corresponding charging unit 1 to the cloud server 5 via the master unit 3 every predetermined time (e.g., every 15 minutes). When the cloud server 5 receives the power supply control information (charging current value), it transmits usage information notifying the current status (charging current value) of the charging unit 1 to the user terminal 4. When the user terminal 4 receives the usage information notifying the current status (charging current value) of the charging unit 1, it displays the current status (charging current value) of the charging unit 1. When the EV battery approaches full charge, the charging current value becomes equal to or less than the threshold value (usually 10 A).

[0026] <At the end of charging> When the cloud server 5 receives the power supply control information (charging current value) indicating that the charging current value has become equal to or less than the threshold value (usually 10 A), it transmits charging unit control information for instructing the stop of power supply to the designated charging unit 1 to the master unit 3. When the master unit 3 receives the charging unit control information for instructing the stop of power supply, it transmits power supply instruction information for instructing the stop of power supply to the slave unit 2 corresponding to the designated charging unit 1. When the slave unit 2 receives the power supply instruction information for instructing the stop of power supply, it turns off the switch of the charging unit 1 and transmits the power supply control information (switch off) to the cloud server 5 via the master unit 3. When the cloud server 5 receives the power supply control information (switch off), after creating the usage history, it transmits usage information notifying the current status (power supply stopped) of the charging unit 1 and the amount of power used, etc. to the user terminal 4. When the user terminal 4 receives the usage information notifying the current status (power supply stopped) of the charging unit 1 and the amount of power used, etc., it displays the current status (power supply stopped) of the charging unit 1 and the amount of power used, etc. Note that instead of or in addition to the amount of power used, the charging time or usage fee may be displayed.

[0027] Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram 2 showing the procedure in the case where, among the diagrams explaining the procedure (sequence) from the start of charging to the end of charging in the first embodiment, after starting charging to the EV, the power supply is once stopped, and after the power supply is restarted, it becomes fully charged and the charging ends. Note that since the procedures at the start and end of charging are the same as the procedures shown in Figure 4, only the procedure during charging will be described. <During charging> When the power supply is started, the slave unit 2 transmits power supply control information indicating the current status (charging current value to the EV) of the corresponding charging unit 1 to the cloud server 5 via the master unit 3 every predetermined time (for example, every 15 minutes). When the cloud server 5 receives the power supply control information (charging current value), it transmits usage information notifying the current status (charging current value) of the charging unit 1 to the user terminal 4. When the user terminal 4 receives the usage information notifying the current status (charging current value) of the charging unit 1, it displays the current status (charging current value) of the charging unit 1. After that, when charging is to be stopped once according to the created schedule, or when charging must be stopped due to natural disasters, accidents, etc., the cloud server 5 transmits charging unit control information instructing the power supply stop of the designated charging unit 1 to the master unit 3. When the master unit 3 receives the charging unit control information, it transmits power supply instruction information instructing the power supply stop to the slave unit 2 corresponding to the designated charging unit 1. When the slave unit 2 receives the power supply instruction information instructing power supply stop, it turns off the switch of the charging unit 1 and transmits the power supply control information (switch off) to the cloud server 5 via the master unit 3. When the cloud server 5 receives the power supply control information (switch off), it transmits the usage information notifying the status of the charging unit 1 (power supply stop) to the user terminal 4. When the user terminal 4 receives the usage information notifying the status of the charging unit 1 (power supply stop), it displays the status of the charging unit 1 (power supply stop). Furthermore, when restarting the power supply according to the created schedule or when the power supply can be restarted due to power recovery, etc., the cloud server 5 transmits the charging unit control information instructing the start of power supply of the designated charging unit 1 to the master unit 3. When the master unit 3 receives the charging unit control information, it transmits the power supply instruction information instructing the start of power supply to the slave unit 2 corresponding to the designated charging unit 1. When the slave unit 2 receives the power supply instruction information instructing the start of power supply, it turns on the switch of the charging unit 1 and transmits the power supply control information (switch on) to the cloud server 5 via the master unit 3. When the cloud server 5 receives the power supply control information (switch on), it transmits the usage information notifying the status of the charging unit 1 (power supply start) to the user terminal 4. When the power supply is restarted, the slave unit 2 transmits the power supply control information indicating the status of the corresponding charging unit 1 (charging current value to the EV) to the cloud server 5 via the master unit 3 every predetermined time (for example, every 15 minutes). When the cloud server 5 receives the power supply control information (charging current value), it transmits the usage information notifying the status of the charging unit 1 (charging current value) to the user terminal 4. When the user terminal 4 receives the usage information notifying the status of the charging unit 1 (charging current value), it displays the status of the charging unit 1 (charging current value). And when the battery of the EV approaches full charge, the charging current value becomes equal to or less than the threshold value (usually 10A).

[0028] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram 3 showing the procedure when charging is terminated according to the user's request or the like when charging is continuously continued after starting charging to the EV, when power supply is once stopped after starting charging to the EV, or when charging is continued after power supply is resumed, among the diagrams for explaining the procedure (sequence) from the start of charging to the end of charging in the first embodiment. Note that the procedure at the start of charging is the same as the procedure shown in FIG. 4, the charging procedure while charging is continuously continued after starting charging to the EV is the same as the procedure shown in FIG. 4 up to a certain point, and the charging procedure while power supply is once stopped or resumed and charging is continued after starting charging to the EV is the same as the procedure shown in FIG. 5 up to a certain point. Therefore, in FIG. 6, only the procedure at the end of charging will be described. <At the end of charging> When a user who wishes to stop power supply during charging inputs a power supply stop command from the user terminal 4, power supply command information for instructing power supply stop to the designated charging unit 1 is transmitted to the cloud server 5. When the cloud server 5 receives the power supply command information for instructing power supply stop, it transmits charging unit control information for instructing power supply stop of the designated charging unit 1 to the master unit 3. When the master unit 3 receives the charging unit control information, it transmits power supply instruction information for instructing power supply stop to the slave unit 2 corresponding to the designated charging unit 1. When the slave unit 2 receives the power supply instruction information for instructing power supply stop, it turns off the switch of the charging unit 1 and transmits power supply control information (switch off) to the cloud server 5 via the master unit 3. When the cloud server 5 receives the power supply control information (switch off), it creates a usage history and then transmits usage information notifying the current status (power supply stop) of the charging unit 1 and the amount of power used, etc. to the user terminal 4. When the user terminal 4 receives the usage information notifying the current status (power supply stop) of the charging unit 1 and the amount of power used, etc., it displays the current status (power supply stop) of the charging unit 1 and the amount of power used. In addition to the case where the user wishes to stop power supply during charging, when the EV charging plug is accidentally pulled out due to a mistake or an accident, power control information indicating that the EV charging plug has been pulled out and power control information (charging current value) indicating that the charging current value has become almost 0 A are transmitted from the slave unit 2 to the cloud server 5 via the master unit 3. When the cloud server 5 receives such information, it transmits charging unit control information for instructing the power supply stop of the corresponding charging unit 1 to the master unit 3, and thereafter, the same procedure as described above is performed, so that the user can be notified that the power supply has been stopped.

Example

[0029] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an EV charging system according to Example 2. The EV charging system according to Example 2 has a current amount input means 47 and a current amount information transmitting means 48 added to the user terminal 4 of the EV charging system (FIG. 2) of Example 1, and the charging unit control information transmitted from the cloud server 5 to the master unit 3 and the power supply instruction information transmitted from the master unit 3 to the slave unit 2 include information regarding the current amount during charging. The power supply control means 21 of the slave unit 2 is different in that it controls the start of power supply, the current amount, and the stop of power supply from the corresponding charging unit 1 to the EV, but the other configurations are almost the same as those of Example 1. Therefore, the same numbers are used for the configurations common to the EV charging systems of Example 1 and Example 2, and the description of the configurations and functions exactly the same as those of Example 1 is omitted.

[0030] <Slave unit 2> The power supply control means 21 in Example 1 only controlled the start and stop of power supply from the corresponding charging unit 1 to the EV, but the power supply control means 21 in Example 2 controls the start of power supply, the current amount, and the stop of power supply from the corresponding charging unit 1 to the EV by not only turning on or off the switch of the charging unit 1 but also controlling the current amount increasing / decreasing means based on the power supply instruction information (described later) transmitted from the master unit 3. Note that the charging current value for the EV is controlled to maintain the current value indicated by the energization instruction information, and it is usually instructed to be either 15 A or 7.5 A.

[0031] <Parent device 3> The energization instruction information transmission means 31 in the first embodiment transmitted the energization instruction information for instructing the start or stop of energization to the slave device 2 corresponding to the designated charging unit 1. However, the energization instruction information transmission means 31 in the second embodiment transmits the energization instruction information for instructing the start of energization and the current amount or the stop of energization to the slave device 2 corresponding to the charging unit 1 based on the charging unit control information (described later) transmitted from the cloud server 5.

[0032] <User terminal 4> In the user terminal 4 in the second embodiment, a current amount input means 47 and a current amount information transmission means 48 are added. When charging the EV with the charging unit 1 designated by the charging unit designation means 41, the desired current amount to be used is input, and the current amount information input by the current amount input means 47 is transmitted to the cloud server 5 by the current amount information transmission means 48. And the usage information display means 45 displays the current status, current amount, and power consumption amount of the corresponding charging unit 1 based on the usage information (described later) transmitted from the cloud server 5.

[0033] <Cloud server 5> The charging unit control information transmission means 51 in the first embodiment transmitted the charging unit control information for instructing the start or stop of energization to the parent device 3 based on the charging unit designation information and the energization command information transmitted from the user terminal 4. However, the charging unit control information transmission means 51 in the second embodiment transmits the charging unit control information for instructing the start of energization and the current amount or the stop of energization to the parent device 3 based on the charging unit designation information transmitted from the charging unit designation information transmission means 43 of the user terminal 4, the energization command information transmitted from the energization command information transmission means 44, and the current amount information transmitted from the current amount information transmission means 48. In addition, the usage information transmission means 52 in the first embodiment transmitted usage information including the current status of the corresponding charging unit 1 and the amount of power used to the user terminal 4 based on the power supply control information transferred from the master unit 3. However, the usage information transmission means 52 in the second embodiment is different in that it transmits usage information including the current status, current amount, and amount of power used of the charging unit 1 to the user terminal 4 based on the power supply control information transferred from the power supply control information transfer means 32 of the master unit 3. In the cloud server 5 in the first embodiment, when the charging current value becomes equal to or less than a threshold value (usually 10 A), charging unit control information for instructing power supply stop is transmitted from the charging unit control information transmission means 51 to the master unit 3. However, in the cloud server 5 in the second embodiment, since the charging current value may be controlled to be low, when it becomes equal to or less than a lower threshold value (usually 5 A), charging unit control information for instructing power supply stop is transmitted from the charging unit control information transmission means 51 to the master unit 3.

[0034] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of increasing the number of chargeable units without changing the maximum supplyable capacity. That is, similar to FIG. 3, the maximum capacity for each time zone that can be supplied to the plurality of charging units 1 determined by the time-series maximum capacity determination means 53 is 135 A in the time zones from 0:00 to 7:00 and from 23:00 to 24:00, and 90 A in the time zone from 7:00 to 23:00. However, in the EV charging system according to the second embodiment, since the amount of current supplied to one charging unit 1 can be limited to, for example, 7.5 A, in the time zones from 0:00 to 7:00 and from 23:00 to 24:00, charging of the EV can be performed in a maximum of 18 charging units 1, and in the time zone from 7:00 to 23:00, charging of the EV can be performed in a maximum of 12 charging units 1. Therefore, according to the second embodiment, the number of charging units 1 that can be charged simultaneously can be increased without changing the maximum supplyable capacity. FIG. 8 assumes a case where 16 charging units 1 are installed and shows an example of the amount of current set for each charging unit 1 when they are fully operated.

Embodiment

[0035] FIG. 9 is a block diagram of the EV charging system according to Embodiment 3. The EV charging system according to Embodiment 3 is different in that a date and time input means 49 is added to the power-on command input means 42 of the user terminal 4 of the EV charging system (FIG. 2) in Embodiment 1, and the power-on command information transmitted from the user terminal 4 to the cloud server 5 includes information specifying the date and time of power-on start and the date and time of power-on stop. At the date and time of power-on start and the date and time of power-on stop specified by the power-on command information, the charging unit control information is transmitted from the cloud server 5 to the master unit 3, and the chargeable capacity information for each date range and each time range is transmitted from the cloud server 5 to the user terminal 4, and the user terminal 4 displays the chargeable capacity for each date range and each time range based on the chargeable capacity information. In addition, each slave unit 2 and the master unit 3 in Embodiment 1 were connected by a communication line, whereas each slave unit 2 and the master unit 3 in Embodiment 3 are connected by a wireless line. However, the other configurations are substantially the same as those in Embodiment 1. Therefore, the same numbers are used for the configurations common to the EV charging systems of Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 3, and the description of the configurations and functions exactly the same as those in Embodiment 1 is omitted.

[0036] <Slave unit 2 and master unit 3> Each slave unit 2 and the master unit 3 in Embodiment 1 were connected by a communication line, whereas each slave unit 2 and the master unit 3 in Embodiment 3 are connected by a wireless line. However, the point that various types of information can be transmitted and received between the two is the same in both Embodiments 1 and 3. Note that, in Embodiments 1 and 2, each slave unit 2 and the master unit 3 may be connected by a wireless line, and conversely, in Embodiment 3, each slave unit 2 and the master unit 3 may be connected by a communication line.

[0037] <User terminal 4> A date and time input means 49 is added to the power-on command input means 42 in Embodiment 3, and power-on command information specifying the date and time of power-on start and the date and time of power-on stop input by the date and time input means 49 can be transmitted to the cloud server 5 by the power-on command information transmission means 44. In addition, the chargeable capacity display means 46 in Example 1 displayed the chargeable capacity for each time zone from the current time until a specific time later based on the chargeable capacity information by time zone transmitted from the cloud server 5. However, the chargeable capacity display means 46 in Example 3 can display the chargeable capacity for each date zone and each time zone near the date and time when trying to reserve the start and stop of power supply based on the chargeable capacity information for each date zone and each time zone transmitted from the capacity information transmission means 54 of the cloud server 5 to the user terminal 4.

[0038] <Cloud server 5> The charging unit control information transmission means 51 in Example 1 immediately transmitted the charging unit control information to the master unit 3 upon receiving the charging unit designation information and the power supply command information transmitted from the user terminal 4 based on those pieces of information. However, the charging unit control information transmission means 51 in Example 3 transmits the charging unit control information to the master unit 3 at the date and time of the start of power supply and the date and time of the stop of power supply designated by the power supply command information based on the charging unit designation information transmitted from the charging unit designation information transmission means 43 of the user terminal 4 and the power supply command information transmitted from the power supply command information transmission means 44. In addition, the capacity information transmission means 54 in Example 1 transmitted the chargeable capacity information by time zone regarding the chargeable capacity for each time zone from the current time until a specific time later to the user terminal 4. However, the capacity information transmission means 54 in Example 3 transmits the chargeable capacity information for each date zone and each time zone to the user terminal 4.

[0039] List the modified examples of Examples 1 to 3. (1) In Examples 1 to 3, the power distribution system consisted of a common system L1, a dedicated system L2, and an external dedicated system L3. However, when the number of users and charging units 1 is small, the external dedicated system L3 may not be provided. (2) In Examples 1 to 3, the user terminal 4 was a smartphone with application software installed. However, it may also be a dedicated mobile terminal or a personal computer (installed at the user's home, etc.) with application software installed. (3) In Examples 1 to 3, a cloud server 5 that can transmit and receive information using an Internet line was used between the master unit 3 and the user terminal 4. However, a server that can transmit and receive information using an appropriate line (either wireless or wired) may be used between the master unit 3 and the user terminal 4. (4) In Examples 1 to 3, when the charging current value becomes equal to or less than the threshold value, charging unit control information for instructing power-off is transmitted from the charging unit control information transmission means 51 to the master unit 3 from the cloud server 5. However, such a function may be omitted. Further, instead of transmitting the charging unit control information for instructing power-off, the user terminal 4 may be configured to notify that the battery is fully charged.

Explanation of Signs

[0040] 1 Charging unit 2 Slave unit 3 Master unit 4 User terminal 5 Cloud server 21 Power supply control means 22 Power supply control information transmission means 31 Power supply instruction information transmission means 32 Power supply control information transfer means 41 Charging unit designation means 42 Power supply command input means 43 Charging unit designation information transmission means 44 Power supply command information transmission means 45 Usage information display means 46 Chargeable capacity display means 47 Current amount input means 48 Current amount information transmission means 49 Date and time input means 51 Charging unit control information transmission means 52 Usage information transmission means 53 Time-series maximum capacity determination means 54 Capacity information transmission means EV Electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid vehicle L1 Common system L2 Dedicated system L3 External dedicated system R Other power receiving equipment Tr1 Existing transformer Tr2 External transformer

Claims

1. An EV charging system having a plurality of charging units supplied with power from a power grid, a power distribution system that supplies power from the power distribution network includes a common system that branches off from an existing transformer and distributes power to other power receiving equipment and the plurality of charging units, and a dedicated system that branches off from the existing transformer and distributes power only to the plurality of charging units; a child device installed in each of the plurality of charging units; A master unit capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from the slave unit; a user terminal operable by a user who can use the EV charging system; a server capable of transmitting and receiving information between the parent device and the user terminal; The user terminal, a charging unit designation means for designating one of the plurality of charging units; a current command input means for inputting current command information for commanding the start or stop of current supply to the charging unit designated by the charging unit designation means; a charging unit designation information transmission means for transmitting charging unit designation information designated by the charging unit designation means to the server; a power-on command information transmitting means for transmitting the power-on command information inputted by the power-on command input means to the server, the server has a charging unit control information transmitting means configured to transmit charging unit control information to the parent device based on the charging unit designation information transmitted from the charging unit designation information transmitting means and the energization command information transmitted from the energization command information transmitting means; the parent device has a current instruction information transmission means for transmitting current instruction information for instructing a start or stop of current supply to a child device corresponding to a designated charging unit based on the charging unit control information transmitted from the server; The child device is a current control unit that controls start and stop of current supply from a corresponding charging unit to an EV based on the current supply instruction information transmitted from the current supply instruction information transmission unit; a current control information transmission means for transmitting current control information indicating a current state of the corresponding charging unit to the parent device at predetermined time intervals; the parent device has a current control information transfer means for transferring the current control information transmitted from the current control information transmission means of all the child devices to the server; The server, a usage information transmission means for transmitting usage information including a current state and an amount of power used of the corresponding charging unit to the user terminal based on the current control information transferred from the current control information transfer means; a time-series maximum capacity determination means for determining a maximum capacity that can be supplied from the common system and the dedicated system to the plurality of charging units for each date range and each time period in advance; a capacity information transmission means for transmitting to the user terminal time-slot-specific chargeable capacity information relating to a chargeable capacity for each time slot from the present time until a specific time based on the maximum capacity for each date slot and each time slot determined by the time-slot-specific maximum capacity determination means and the current control information transferred from the current control information transfer means, The user terminal, a usage information display means for displaying a current state and an amount of power used of a corresponding charging unit based on the usage information transmitted from the usage information transmission means; The chargeable capacity display means displays the chargeable capacity for each time period from the present time until a specific time based on the chargeable capacity information for each time period transmitted from the capacity information transmission means. An EV charging system comprising:

2. The user terminal, a current amount input means for inputting a desired current amount to be used; a current amount information transmission means for transmitting the current amount information inputted by the current amount input means to the server, the charging unit control information transmission means transmits charging unit control information to the parent device based on the charging unit designation information, the current flow command information, and the current amount information transmitted from the current amount information transmission means; The energization instruction information is information instructing a start of energization and a current amount or an end of energization, the current control means controls the start, amount, and stop of current supply from the corresponding charging unit to the EV; The current flow control information is information indicating a current state and a current amount in the corresponding charging unit, The usage information display means displays the current status, current amount, and amount of power used of the corresponding charging unit. The EV charging system according to claim 1 .

3. the power supply command input means has a date and time input means for inputting a date and time of power supply start and a date and time of power supply stop to the charging unit designated by the charging unit designation means, the power supply command information transmitting means transmits power supply command information specifying a power supply start date and time and a power supply stop date and time inputted by the date and time input means to the server; the charging unit control information transmission means transmits charging unit control information to the parent machine on a date and time of starting energization and a date and time of stopping energization, which are specified in the energization command information, based on the charging unit designation information and the energization command information; the capacity information transmitting means transmits to the user terminal a chargeable capacity for each date range and each time range based on the maximum capacity for each date range and each time range determined by the time-series maximum capacity determining means, the power supply control information transferred from the power supply control information transferring means, and the power supply command information transmitted from the power supply command information transmitting means of all the user terminals; The chargeable capacity display means displays the chargeable capacity for each date zone and each time zone based on the chargeable capacity information for each date zone and each time zone transmitted from the capacity information transmission means.

3. The EV charging system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The power distribution system includes the common system, the dedicated system, and an external dedicated system that branches off from an external transformer different from the existing transformer and distributes power only to the multiple charging units.

4. The EV charging system according to claim 1,

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