Charging Management System and Charging Management Method

Abstract

To provide a charging management system capable of preventing power shortage of a battery of a vehicle in a zone where exhaust gas is regulated.SOLUTION: A charging management system includes a charging facility installed in a low emission zone (LEZ) and vehicles that can be charged by the charging facility. The vehicles are configured to transmit a state of charge (SOC) of a battery to the charging facility. The charging facility is configured to limit power supply to a vehicle with a high SOC when shortage of power supply capacity is predicted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a charging management system and a charging management method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a hybrid vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine and a motor as a driving power source for traveling is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The hybrid vehicle of Patent Document 1 is configured to stop the internal combustion engine and travel with the driving force from the motor when it is located in an area where air pollution prevention is strengthened (an area where exhaust gas is regulated).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Here, in an area where exhaust gas is regulated as described above, if the power supply capacity at the charging facility is insufficient with respect to the required power of the vehicle, there is a risk that the battery of the vehicle may easily run out of power. And when the battery runs out of power, if the operation of the internal combustion engine is prohibited, the vehicle will become inoperable, and if the operation of the internal combustion engine is permitted, it is possible to continue vehicle travel by starting the internal combustion engine, but it is considered that exhaust gas will be emitted.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a charging management system and a charging management method capable of suppressing the vehicle battery from running out of power in an area where exhaust gas is regulated.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The charging management system according to the present invention includes a charging facility installed in an area where exhaust gas is regulated, and a A plurality of vehicle that can be charged at the charging facility. Also, the plurality of vehicles constituting the charging management system are plug-in hybrid vehicles. Further, the charging facility and each vehicle are configured to be communicable via a network. Each The vehicle is configured to and the position of the host vehicle send the state of charge of the battery Transmittable to the charging facility. The charging facility is configured to Based on the positions, traveling directions, and battery charge states of the plurality of vehicles respectively, estimate the vehicles that visit the charging facility for charging, and the total required power demanded by the vehicles estimated to visit the charging facility for charging exceeds the power supply capacity of the charging facility and the limit the power supply to vehicles with a high state of charge when a shortage of power supply capacity is predicted. Among the vehicles estimated to visit the charging facility for charging, Therefore, it is configured to notify the vehicle with a high charge state that the charging facility is unavailable

[0008] By configuring in this way, by prioritizing the charging of vehicles with a low state of charge, it is possible to suppress the battery of the vehicle from running out of power.

[0010] The charging management method according to the present invention is performed in a charging management system including a charging facility installed in an area where exhaust gas is regulated, and a A plurality of vehicle that can be charged at the charging facility. The method includes The plurality of vehicles constituting the charging management system are plug-in hybrid vehicles, the charging facility and each vehicle are configured to be communicable via a network, and each a step of the vehicle sending the state of charge of the battery and the position of the host vehicle to the charging facility, and a step of the charging facility Transmit limiting the power supply to vehicles with a high state of charge when a shortage of power supply capacity is predicted. Based on the positions, traveling directions, and battery charge states of the plurality of vehicles respectively, estimate the vehicles that visit the charging facility for charging, and the total required power demanded by the vehicles estimated to visit the charging facility for charging exceeds the power supply capacity of the charging facility and the Among the vehicles estimated to visit the charging facility for charging, Therefore, notify the vehicle with a high charge state that the charging facility is unavailable

Effects of the Invention

[0011] According to the charging management system and the charging management method of the present invention, in an area where exhaust gas is regulated, it is possible to suppress the battery of the vehicle from running out of power.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0014] First, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the configuration of a charging management system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the charging management system 100 includes a charging facility 1 installed in a LEZ (Low Emission Zone) and a plurality of vehicles 2 capable of passing through the LEZ. The charging facility 1 and the vehicle 2 are configured to be communicable via a network 150. In the LEZ, exhaust gas is regulated in order to reduce air pollutants, and while the entry of vehicles 2 that meet a predetermined exhaust gas standard is permitted, the entry of vehicles that do not meet the predetermined exhaust gas standard is restricted. Note that the LEZ is an example of the "area" of the present invention.

[0016] The charging facility 1 includes a charging device 11 for charging the vehicle 2, a communication device 12 for communicating with the vehicle 2, and a control device 13 for controlling the charging device 11 and the communication device 12. In the charging facility 1, for example, a plurality of charging devices 11 are provided, and a battery 24 (see FIG. 2) of the vehicle 2 described later is charged using the power supplied by each charging device 11.

[0017] The charging device 11 is provided with a charging cable (not shown), and the connector of the charging cable is configured to be attachable to an inlet 25a (see FIG. 2) described later of the vehicle 2. The charging device 11 is configured to charge the battery 24 in a state where the connector of the charging cable is attached to the inlet 25a. This charging device 11 is configured to be able to perform normal charging and rapid charging. In rapid charging, compared with normal charging, charging is performed with a large amount of power, so that it is possible to shorten the charging time.

[0018] The vehicle 2 is, for example, a plug-in hybrid vehicle. As shown in FIG. 2, an internal combustion engine 21 and a motor 22 are provided as driving power sources for traveling, and the battery 24 can be charged using an external charging device 11. This vehicle 2 includes an internal combustion engine 21, a motor 22, a PCU 23, a battery 24, a charger 25, a navigation device 26, a communication device 27, and a control device 28.

[0019] The internal combustion engine 21 is configured to output driving power for traveling by burning fuel. The motor 22 is configured to output driving power for traveling by the power from the battery 24. The motor 22 functions as an electric motor and also functions as a generator depending on the situation. The PCU 23 has an inverter and the like and is disposed between the motor 22 and the battery 24. The PCU 23 is configured to control the motor 22 to output driving force and regenerative braking force from the motor 22. The battery 24 is capable of charging and discharging and is configured to store electric power for driving the motor 22. The charger 25 is provided to charge the battery 24 using the electric power supplied from the charging device 11. This charger 25 is capable of corresponding to normal charging and rapid charging and is disposed between the battery 24 and the inlet 25a. The inlet 25a is configured to be attachable to the connector of the charging cable of the charging device 11.

[0020] The navigation device 26 has map information, which includes the LEZ and charging facilities 1, etc. Further, the navigation device 26 has a GPS receiver (not shown), and the GPS receiver is configured to be able to receive signals from GPS satellites and calculate the current location. Therefore, the navigation device 26 can determine whether the vehicle 2 is located within the LEZ based on the position information from the GPS receiver and the map information.

[0021] The communication device 27 is provided for communicating with the charging facility 1. The control device 28 is configured to control the vehicle 2. Specifically, the control device 28 is configured to be able to switch between the EV driving mode and the HV driving mode. In the EV driving mode, the operation of the internal combustion engine 21 is stopped, and the vehicle 2 is driven only by the driving force from the motor 22. In the HV driving mode, the internal combustion engine 21 is operated, and the vehicle 2 is driven by the driving force from the internal combustion engine 21. In this case, it is also possible to output a driving force (assist torque) for driving from the motor 22 or generate electricity with the motor 22. For example, the control device 28 is configured to set the EV driving mode when the vehicle 2 is located within the LEZ.

[0022] Further, the control device 28 is configured to calculate the SOC (State Of Charge) of the battery 24 based on, for example, the integrated value of the charge and discharge current of the battery 24. And the control device 28 is configured to transmit various information of the vehicle 2 to the charging facility 1 when the vehicle 2 is located within the LEZ. The various information of the vehicle 2 includes, for example, the position of the vehicle 2 and the SOC of the battery 24, etc.

[0023] At the charging facility 1, the communication device 12 receives various information transmitted from the vehicle 2, and the control device 13 acquires the various information. The control device 13 is configured to predict whether the power supply capacity is insufficient at the charging facility 1 based on the acquired various information of the vehicle 2. For example, by estimating the vehicle 2 visiting the charging facility 1, when the total required power of the estimated vehicle 2 exceeds the power supply capacity of the charging facility 1, it is predicted that the power supply capacity is insufficient. Then, when it is predicted that the power supply capacity is insufficient, the control device 13 is configured to limit the power supply to the vehicle 2 with a high SOC. Specifically, the control device 13 is configured to prohibit rapid charging for the vehicle 2 with a high SOC. On the other hand, since rapid charging for the vehicle 2 with a low SOC is permitted, when it is predicted that the power supply capacity is insufficient at the charging facility 1, charging of the vehicle 2 with a low SOC is prioritized.

[0024] - Vehicle operation - Next, with reference to FIG. 3, the operation of the vehicle 2 in the charging management system 100 of the present embodiment will be described. The following flow is repeated at predetermined time intervals. Also, each of the following steps is executed by the control device 28.

[0025] First, in step ST1 of FIG. 3, it is determined whether the vehicle 2 is located within the LEZ using the navigation device 26. That is, the current location is calculated by the GPS receiver, and it is determined whether the current location is within the LEZ of the map information. If it is determined that the vehicle 2 is located within the LEZ, the process proceeds to step ST2. On the other hand, if it is determined that the vehicle 2 is not located within the LEZ, the process returns.

[0026] Next, in step ST2, it is determined whether communication with the charging facility 1 is possible. If it is determined that communication with the charging facility 1 is possible, the process proceeds to step ST3. On the other hand, if it is determined that communication with the charging facility 1 is not possible, the process returns.

[0027] Next, in step ST3, various information of the vehicle 2 including the SOC is transmitted from the communication device 27 to the charging facility 1. Then, it returns.

[0028] -Operation of the charging facility- Next, with reference to FIG. 4, the operation of the charging facility 1 in the charging management system 100 of the present embodiment will be described. Note that the following flow is repeated at predetermined time intervals. Also, each of the following steps is executed by the control device 13.

[0029] First, in step ST11 of FIG. 4, various information of the vehicle 2 including the SOC received by the communication device 12 is acquired.

[0030] Next, in step ST12, it is predicted whether the power supply capacity is insufficient at the charging facility 1. If it is predicted that the power supply capacity is insufficient, the process proceeds to step ST13. On the other hand, if it is predicted that the power supply capacity is not insufficient, the process returns.

[0031] Next, in step ST13, rapid charging for the vehicle 2 with a high SOC is prohibited. Therefore, the power supply to the vehicle 2 with a high SOC is restricted. Note that the power supply to the vehicle 2 with a low SOC is not restricted, and rapid charging for the vehicle 2 with a low SOC is permitted. Then, the process returns.

[0032] -Effect- In the present embodiment, as described above, when it is predicted that the power supply capacity is insufficient at the charging facility 1, the power supply to the vehicle 2 with a high SOC is restricted, so that the charging of the vehicle 2 with a low SOC is prioritized, thereby suppressing the battery 24 of the vehicle 2 from running out of power in the LEZ. Specifically, when it is predicted that the power supply capacity is insufficient at the charging facility 1, rapid charging for the vehicle 2 with a high SOC is prohibited, whereas rapid charging for the vehicle 2 with a low SOC is permitted. Therefore, throughout the LEZ, it is difficult to start the internal combustion engine 21 due to the power shortage of the battery 24, so that air pollutants can be further reduced.

[0033] -Other Embodiments- Note that the embodiments disclosed this time are illustrative in all respects and are not a basis for limiting interpretation. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is not interpreted only by the above-described embodiments, but is defined based on the description of the claims. Also, the technical scope of the present invention includes all changes within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0034] For example, in the above embodiment, LEZ is shown as an example of an area where exhaust gas is regulated, but it is not limited to this, and the area where exhaust gas is regulated may be ZEZ (Zero Emission Zone) or the like.

[0035] Also, in the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the vehicle 2 is wired-charged at the charging facility 1, but it is not limited to this, and the vehicle may be wirelessly charged at the charging facility.

[0036] Also, in the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the vehicle 2 is a plug-in hybrid vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine 21 and a motor 22, but it is not limited to this, and the vehicle may be an electric vehicle not provided with an internal combustion engine.

[0037] Also, in the above embodiment, whether the vehicle 2 visits the charging facility 1 may be determined based on, for example, the position of the vehicle 2, the traveling direction of the vehicle 2, and the SOC of the battery 24. Also, when the charging facility 1 can be reserved, whether the vehicle 2 visits the charging facility 1 may be determined based on the reservation status.

[0038] Also, in the above embodiment, the required power demanded by each vehicle 2 may be determined based on, for example, the SOC of the battery 24.

[0039] Further, in the above embodiment, when the SOC of the battery 24 is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the vehicle 2 may be determined as a vehicle with a high SOC, and when the SOC of the battery 24 is less than the predetermined value, the vehicle 2 may be determined as a vehicle with a low SOC. Also, in the vehicle 2 estimated to visit the charging facility 1, the SOCs of the respective vehicles 2 may be relatively compared so that the vehicles 2 are classified into a vehicle 2 with a high SOC and a vehicle 2 with a low SOC.

[0040] Further, in the above embodiment, an example is shown in which when the total required power of the estimated vehicles 2 visiting the charging facility 1 exceeds the power supply capacity of the charging facility 1, it is predicted that the power supply capacity will be insufficient. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and when estimating the vehicles visiting the charging facility and the total number of the estimated vehicles exceeds the number of charging devices of the charging facility, it may be predicted that the power supply capacity will be insufficient.

[0041] Further, in the above embodiment, an example is shown in which rapid charging for the vehicle 2 with a high SOC is prohibited in order to limit the power supply to the vehicle 2 with a high SOC. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and in order to limit the power supply to the vehicle with a high SOC, the charging facility may notify that the charging facility cannot be used for the vehicle with a high SOC.

[0042] Further, in the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the vehicle 2 transmits the SOC to the charging facility 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and when the vehicle is connected to the charging device of the charging facility, the vehicle may output the SOC to the charging facility. In this case, when the total required power of the vehicles connected to the charging device of the charging facility exceeds the power supply capacity of the charging facility, it may be predicted that the power supply capacity will be insufficient.

Industrial Applicability

[0043] The present invention can be used for a charging management system including a charging facility installed in an area where exhaust gas is regulated and a vehicle that can be charged at the charging facility, and a charging management method performed in the charging management system.

Explanation of Signs

[0044] 1 Charging facility 2 Vehicle 24 Battery 100 Charging management system

Claims

1. A charging management system comprising a charging facility installed in an area where exhaust gas is regulated and a plurality of vehicles that can be charged at the charging facility, wherein the plurality of vehicles constituting the charging management system are plug-in hybrid vehicles, the charging facility and each vehicle are configured to be communicable via a network, each vehicle is configured to be able to transmit the state of charge of the battery and the position of its own vehicle to the charging facility, the charging facility estimates a vehicle that visits the charging facility for charging based on the position, traveling direction, and state of charge of the battery in each of the plurality of vehicles, and when the total required power demanded by the vehicles estimated to visit the charging facility for charging exceeds the power supply capacity of the charging facility and a shortage of the power supply capacity is predicted, in order to limit the power supply to the vehicles with a high state of charge among the vehicles estimated to visit the charging facility for charging, the charging facility is configured to notify the vehicles with a high state of charge that the charging facility is unavailable. A charging management system characterized by this.

2. A charging management method performed in a charging management system comprising a charging facility installed in an area where exhaust gas is regulated and a plurality of vehicles that can be charged at the charging facility, wherein the plurality of vehicles constituting the charging management system are plug-in hybrid vehicles, the charging facility and each vehicle are configured to be communicable via a network, a step in which each vehicle transmits the state of charge of the battery and the position of its own vehicle to the charging facility, a step in which the charging facility estimates a vehicle that visits the charging facility for charging based on the position, traveling direction, and state of charge of the battery in each of the plurality of vehicles, and when the total required power demanded by the vehicles estimated to visit the charging facility for charging exceeds the power supply capacity of the charging facility and a shortage of the power supply capacity is predicted, in order to limit the power supply to the vehicles with a high state of charge among the vehicles estimated to visit the charging facility for charging, the charging facility notifies the vehicles with a high state of charge that the charging facility is unavailable. A charging management method characterized by comprising this.

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