Charging control system, charging control method, and program

Abstract

To prevent a charging device from being used in an unauthorized manner.SOLUTION: A charge control system 100 includes an acquisition unit 1, a determination unit 11, and a control unit 12. The acquisition unit 1 acquires vehicle information relevant to a vehicle 5. The determination unit 11 determines whether the vehicle is an electric vehicle based on the vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit 1. The control unit 12 is configured to control a charging device 3 to be available for charging a storage battery of the electric vehicle when the determination unit 11 determines that the vehicle is an electric vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to a charging control system, a charging control method, and a program. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a charging control system for controlling a charging device that charges a storage battery of an electric vehicle, a charging control method, and a program for executing the charging control method.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a charging device for an electric vehicle. This charging device for an electric vehicle can perform charging while parked by setting the unlocking of the door of the housing or the opening of the door as a condition for turning on the main power switch SW. Alternatively, this charging device for an electric vehicle can be installed near a parking device with a vehicle exit prevention mechanism that performs an exit prevention operation when a predetermined time has elapsed after the vehicle has parked in a predetermined parking area. And this charging device for an electric vehicle can perform charging while parked by setting the fact that the vehicle exit prevention mechanism has performed an exit prevention operation as a condition for turning on the main power switch SW.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the charging device for an electric vehicle described in Patent Document 1, there is a problem that it is difficult to prevent it from being used in an unauthorized manner because it can be used even when the vehicle parked in the parking area is not an electric vehicle.

[0005] In view of the above points, the present disclosure is made, and an object thereof is to provide a charging control system, a charging control method, and a program that can easily prevent the charging device from being used in an unauthorized manner.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A charging control system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit, a determination unit, and a control unit. The acquisition unit acquires vehicle information regarding a vehicle. The determination unit determines whether the vehicle is an electric vehicle based on the vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit. The control unit sets the charging device that charges the storage battery of the electric vehicle to a usable state when the determination unit determines that the vehicle is the electric vehicle. The charging device includes a connector connectable to the electric vehicle. The control unit sets an operation unit that can receive an instruction to start supplying charging power from the charging device to the connector to a state in which it can receive the instruction when the determination unit determines that the vehicle is the electric vehicle.

[0007] A charging control method according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes an acquisition step, a determination step, and a control step. The acquisition step is a step of acquiring vehicle information regarding a vehicle. The determination step is a step of determining whether the vehicle is an electric vehicle based on the vehicle information acquired in the acquisition step. The control step is a step of setting the charging device that charges the storage battery of the electric vehicle to a usable state when the vehicle is determined to be the electric vehicle in the determination step. The charging device includes a connector connectable to the electric vehicle. In the control step, when the vehicle is determined to be the electric vehicle in the determination step, an operation unit that can receive an instruction to start supplying charging power from the charging device to the connector is set to a state in which it can receive the instruction.

[0008] A program according to an aspect of the present disclosure causes one or more processors to execute the above charging control method.

Advantages of the Invention

[0009] The present disclosure has an advantage that it is easy to prevent the charging device from being used in an irregular manner.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] (1) Overview As shown in FIG. 1, the charging control system 100 of the present embodiment is a system for controlling a charging device 3 that charges a storage battery 51 (see FIG. 3) of a vehicle (electric vehicle) 5 (see FIG. 3). Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the billing system 200 of the present embodiment is a system for billing a user (driver or passenger) of the electric vehicle 5 for a fee including an electricity charge that may occur when charging the storage battery 51 of the electric vehicle 5. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the charging control system 100 and the billing system 200 are configured as one system.

[0012] As used in the present disclosure, an "electric vehicle" is equipped with a storage battery 51 and is configured to run using the electrical energy stored in the mounted storage battery 51. Note that the electric vehicle 5 may include, in addition to a mode of running by the output of an electric motor, a mode of running by combining the output of an engine and the output of an electric motor. As an example, the electric vehicle 5 may include an electric vehicle (EV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), an electric assist bicycle, an electric motorcycle, etc. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, when the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle, it is referred to as "electric vehicle 5", when the vehicle 5 is not an electric vehicle, it is referred to as "non-electric vehicle 5", and when it is not distinguished whether the vehicle is an electric vehicle or not, it is referred to as "vehicle 5".

[0013] As used in the present disclosure, the "storage battery" only needs to be mountable on the electric vehicle 5, and may be electrically connected to the charging device 3 in a state where it is mounted on the electric vehicle 5, or may be electrically connected to the charging device 3 in a state where it is removed from the electric vehicle 5.

[0014] The charging device 3 as used in the present disclosure is, for example, a charging stand and is installed around the parking space of the vehicle 5 such as a time-sharing parking lot. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the "time-sharing parking lot" is simply referred to as a "parking lot". The parking lot may have a plurality of parking spaces like a parking lot annexed to a store or a public facility, etc., or may have only one parking space like a roadside parking lot where a parking meter is installed. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the parking lot has a plurality of parking spaces, and one or more charging devices 3 corresponding to the periphery of one or more of the plurality of parking spaces are installed.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the charging control system 100 includes an acquisition unit (communication unit) 1, a determination unit 11, and a control unit 12.

[0016] The acquisition unit 1 acquires vehicle information regarding the vehicle 5. The "vehicle information" as used in the present disclosure is at least The vehicle information includes information that enables the vehicle determination unit 11 to determine whether the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle 5. That is, when the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle 5, the vehicle information includes features indicating that it is an electric vehicle 5. As an example, when the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle 5, the vehicle information may include information on the vehicle type indicating that it is an electric vehicle 5, or information on the appearance unique to the electric vehicle 5. The appearance of the vehicle 5 may include, for example, in addition to the license plate, the body of the vehicle 5, etc.

[0017] Based on the vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit 1, the determination unit 11 determines whether the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle 5. For example, if the vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit 1 includes information on the vehicle type indicating that it is an electric vehicle 5, the determination unit 11 determines that the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle 5. Also, for example, when the vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit 1 includes information on the appearance of the vehicle 5, the determination unit 11 determines whether the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle 5 based on the appearance of the vehicle 5.

[0018] When the determination unit 11 determines that the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle 5, the control unit 12 sets the charging device 3 capable of charging the storage battery 51 of the electric vehicle 5 to a usable state. The "usable state of the charging device" as used in the present disclosure means a state in which the user of the electric vehicle 5 can charge the storage battery 51 of the electric vehicle 5 using the charging device 3. That is, the charging device 3 is in an unusable state before being controlled by the control unit 12 to be in a usable state and after the charging of the storage battery 51 is completed. An example of the control by the control unit 12 to set the charging device 3 to a usable state will be described in detail in the following "(2) Details".

[0019] As described above, in the charging control system 100 of the present embodiment, it is determined whether the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle 5, and when the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle 5, the charging device 3 is made available. For this reason, in the present embodiment, if the vehicle 5 parked in the parking space corresponding to the charging device 3 is a non-electric vehicle 5, the charging device 3 is not available. Further, in the present embodiment, if the vehicle 5 is not parked in the parking space corresponding to the charging device 3 in the first place, the charging device 3 is not available. Therefore, in the present embodiment, there is an advantage that it is easy to prevent the charging device 3 from being used in an irregular manner.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the charge billing system 200 includes a first acquisition unit 21, a second acquisition unit 22, an association unit 23, and a billing unit 24.

[0021] The first acquisition unit 21 acquires the identification information of the electric vehicle 5 via the first acquisition device 41 and the parking time of the electric vehicle 5. The first acquisition device 41 is a device operated by the parking management system 4 described later. That is, the first acquisition unit 21 indirectly acquires the identification information of the electric vehicle 5 acquired by the first acquisition device 41 by communicating with the parking management system 4. Further, the first acquisition unit 21 acquires the parking time by communicating with the parking management system 4.

[0022] The "identification information" referred to in the present disclosure may be information that can distinguish the electric vehicle 5 from other electric vehicles 5, and may not include information that can determine whether the vehicle is an electric vehicle 5. The identification information may include information assigned in advance to the electric vehicle 5, such as a character string (including numbers) written on the license plate. Further, the identification information may include information temporarily assigned during the period from when the electric vehicle 5 enters the parking lot until it exits.

[0023] The "parking time" referred to in the present disclosure is the time from when the electric vehicle 5 enters the parking lot until it exits. For example, the parking time is the time from the point when the parking management system 4 acquires the identification information of the electric vehicle 5 to the point when the identification information of the same electric vehicle 5 is acquired next.

[0024] The second acquisition unit 22 acquires the identification information of the electric vehicle 5 via the second acquisition device 32 and the charging parameters related to the charging power amount of the electric vehicle 5. The second acquisition device 32 is a device that is operated in the charging device 3 That is, the second acquisition unit 22 indirectly acquires the identification information of the electric vehicle 5 acquired by the second acquisition unit 22 by communicating with the charging device 3. Further, the second acquisition unit 22 acquires the charging parameters by communicating with the charging device 3.

[0025] The "charging parameters" referred to in the present disclosure are parameters related to the amount of electric power required to charge the storage battery 51 of the electric vehicle 5, that is, the amount of electric power supplied from the charging device 3 to the storage battery 51 of the electric vehicle 5. The second acquisition unit 22 may acquire the charging power amount itself as the charging parameter, or may acquire information obtained by converting the charging power amount into another physical quantity, such as the charging time, as the charging parameter.

[0026] The association unit 23 collates the identification information acquired by the first acquisition unit 21 and the identification information acquired by the second acquisition unit 22, and when they match, associates the parking time and the charging parameters with the matching identification information as associated information. For example, it is assumed that the first acquisition unit 21 has acquired the identification information of the electric vehicle 5 as "A" and the parking time of this electric vehicle 5. Further, it is assumed that the second acquisition unit 22 has acquired the identification information of the electric vehicle 5 as "A" and the charging parameters of this electric vehicle 5. In this case, since the identification information of the electric vehicle 5 acquired by each of the first acquisition unit 21 and the second acquisition unit 22 matches, the association unit 23 associates the parking time and the charging parameters of this electric vehicle 5 with the identification information of the electric vehicle 5 as "A".

[0027] The charging unit 24 bills the user of the electric vehicle 5 for the parking fee according to the parking time and the electricity fee according to the charging parameters for the associated information associated by the association unit 23. That is, the charging unit 24 combines the parking fee according to the parking time of the electric vehicle 5 measured by the parking management system 4 and the fee according to the charging parameters of the storage battery 51 of the electric vehicle 5 measured by the charging device 3, and bills the user of the electric vehicle 5. The timing at which the charging unit 24 bills may be, for example, the time when the electric vehicle 5 exits the parking lot, or may be an appropriate timing thereafter.

[0028] As described above, in the charging and billing system 200 of the present embodiment, the charging unit 24 bills the user of the electric vehicle 5 for the combined parking fee and electricity fee. And the charging unit 24 can adopt a method of billing, for example, by a fee settlement machine provided at the exit of the parking lot, etc., and can also adopt a method of billing via an electronic payment system. Therefore, in the present embodiment, there is an advantage that the degree of freedom of the method for the user of the electric vehicle 5 to settle the parking fee and the electricity fee is likely to be improved.

[0029] (2) Details Hereinafter, the charging control system 100 and the charging and billing system 200 of the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the following embodiments are only a part of various embodiments of the present disclosure. The following embodiments can be variously modified according to the design, etc., as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. Also, each figure described in the following embodiments is a schematic figure, and the ratio of the size and thickness of each component in the figure does not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratio.

[0030] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the charging control system 100 and the billing system 200 are realized by the same single server. Of course, the charging control system 100 and the billing system 200 may be realized by different servers. Also, in this embodiment, the charging control system 100 and the billing system 200 are configured to be communicable with one or more charging devices 3 and the parking management system 4 via a network N1 such as the Internet.

[0031] The charging control system 100 and the billing system 200 include a communication unit 1 and a processing unit 2.

[0032] The communication unit (acquisition unit) 1 is a wireless communication module connectable to the network N1 through, for example, a mobile phone network (carrier network) provided by a communication carrier. The mobile phone network includes, for example, a 3G (third generation) line, a 4G (fourth generation) line, or a 5G (fifth generation) line. In addition, the communication unit 1 may be connectable to the network N1 by a wireless communication method conforming to a standard such as WiFi (registered trademark). The communication unit 1 has a first acquisition unit 21 and a second acquisition unit 22. The first acquisition unit 21 and the second acquisition unit 22 are each realized as one function of the communication unit 1.

[0033] The processing unit 2 is a computer system mainly composed of one or more processors and memories as hardware. In this processing unit 2, various functions are realized by executing a program recorded in the memory with one or more processors. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory of the processing unit 2, provided through a telecommunication line, or provided by being recorded in a non-transitory recording medium such as an optical disk or a hard disk drive readable by a computer system. The processing unit 2 has a determination unit 11, a control unit 12, an association unit 23, and a billing unit 24. The determination unit 11, the control unit 12, the association unit 23, and the billing unit 24 are each realized as one function of the processing unit 2.

[0034] (2.1) Charging Device The charging device 3 is installed around the corresponding parking space. The charging device 3 supplies charging power to the electric vehicle 5 installed in the parking space. Specifically, the charging device 3 has an AC / DC converter, converts the alternating current power supplied from the power grid 6 into direct current power, and charges the battery 51 of the electric vehicle 5 by supplying the converted direct current power to the battery 51. When using the charging device 3, the user of the electric vehicle 5 only needs to connect the connector 37 at the tip of the cable 371 connected to the housing 30 of the charging device 3 to the inlet 50 of the electric vehicle 5.

[0035] The charging device 3 includes a power measurement unit 31, a second acquisition device 32, a communication unit 33, a processing unit 34, and an operation unit 35. Also, as described above, a cable 371 provided with a connector 37 connectable to the inlet 50 of the electric vehicle 5 at one end is connected to the housing 30 of the charging device 3 (see FIG. 3). In other words, the charging device 3 includes a connector 37 connectable to the electric vehicle 5. Further, a holding unit 36 is provided on the housing 30 of the charging device 3 (see FIG. 3).

[0036] The power measurement unit 31 measures the charging parameters of the electric vehicle 5 parked in the parking space. In the present embodiment, the power measurement unit 31 measures the charging time from the start time of power supply to the battery 51 of the electric vehicle 5 to the stop time of power supply as the charging parameter. Note that the power measurement unit 31 may measure the charging power amount as the charging parameter by a watt-hour meter that has received verification based on the metrology law.

[0037] The second acquisition device 32 acquires the identification information of the vehicle (electric vehicle) 5 parked in the parking space. In the present embodiment, the second acquisition device 32 is, for example, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) image se The imaging device 10 (see FIG. 3) has a solid-state imaging device such as an image sensor. The second acquisition device 32 acquires an image including the license plate of the vehicle 5 by imaging the vehicle 5 parked in the parking space. Then, the second acquisition device 32 acquires the license plate itself of the vehicle 5 or the string written on the license plate as identification information by performing appropriate image analysis processing on the captured image.

[0038] The communication unit 33 is a wireless communication module connectable to the network N1, similar to the communication unit 1 of the charge control system 100 and the charge billing system 200. The communication unit 33 exchanges information with the charge control system 100 and the charge billing system 200 via the network N1, and also exchanges information with the parking management system 4.

[0039] The processing unit 34 is a computer system mainly composed of one or more processors and memories as hardware. In this processing unit 34, various functions are realized by executing the program recorded in the memory with one or more processors. The program may be recorded in advance in the memory of the processing unit 34, may be provided through a telecommunication line, or may be provided by being recorded in a non-transitory recording medium such as an optical disk or a hard disk drive readable by a computer system.

[0040] Based on the input received by the operation unit 35, the processing unit 34 starts or stops the power supply via the connector 37. Also, the processing unit 34 makes the charging device 3 usable or unusable by receiving an instruction from the control unit 12 of the charge control system 100 described later.

[0041] The operation unit 35 is a user interface such as a touch panel display, etc., and is configured to receive operation inputs from the user of the electric vehicle 5, and can receive an instruction to start supplying charging power from the charging device 3 to the connector 37. In the present embodiment, the operation unit 35 receives operation inputs from the user of the electric vehicle 5 when the charging device 3 is in a usable state. On the other hand, the operation unit 35 does not receive operation inputs from a person including the user of the electric vehicle 5 when the charging device 3 is in an unusable state. "Not receiving an input" as used in the present disclosure includes that the operation unit 35 does not react even if a person operates the operation unit 35, and further includes that the processing unit 34 does not execute processing corresponding to the operation input, that is, the operation input becomes invalid.

[0042] The holding unit 36 is provided on the side portion of the housing 30 and holds the connector 37. In the present embodiment, the holding unit 36 has an insertion port into which the connection portion of the connector 37 can be inserted, similar to the inlet 50 of the electric vehicle 5. Therefore, the holding unit 36 holds the connector 37 with the connection portion of the connector 37 inserted into the insertion port.

[0043] (2.2) Parking management system The parking management system 4 manages the parking status of the vehicle (electric vehicle) 5. As shown in FIG. 1, the parking management system 4 includes a first acquisition device 41, a time measurement unit 42, a communication unit 43, and a processing unit 44. In the present embodiment, the parking management system 4 is realized by an information terminal such as a personal computer installed in the management room of the parking lot, excluding the first acquisition device 41.

[0044] The first acquisition device 41 acquires the identification information of a vehicle (electric vehicle) 5 parked in a parking space. In the present embodiment, the first acquisition device 41 is installed around the entrance of the parking lot and around the exit of the parking lot. When the entrance and the exit of the parking lot are separated, two first acquisition devices 41 are installed in the parking lot. On the other hand, when the entrance and the exit of the parking lot are the same, one first acquisition device 41 is installed in the parking lot. Then, the first acquisition device 41 acquires the identification information of the vehicle 5 entering the parking lot, that is, the identification information of the vehicle 5 parked in the parking space in the parking lot, by acquiring the identification information of the vehicle 5 at the entrance of the parking lot. In the present embodiment, as described above, the first acquisition device 41 is installed around the entrance (or exit) of the parking lot, and the second acquisition device 32 is provided in the charging device 3 installed around the parking space. That is, in the present embodiment, the second acquisition device 32 acquires the identification information separately from the first acquisition device 41.

[0045] In the present embodiment, the first acquisition device 41 is an imaging device 10 (see FIG. 2) having a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD image sensor or a CMOS image sensor. Similar to the second acquisition device 32, the first acquisition device 41 acquires an image including the license plate of the vehicle 5 by imaging the vehicle 5. Then, the first acquisition device 41 acquires the license plate itself of the vehicle 5 or the character string written on the license plate as identification information by performing appropriate image analysis processing on the captured image. That is, in the present embodiment, the first acquisition device 41 acquires the identification information based on the image of the vehicle (electric vehicle) 5 captured by the imaging device 10.

[0046] The parking time measuring unit 42 measures the parking time of the vehicle (electric vehicle) 5 parked in the parking space. In the present embodiment, when the identification information of the vehicle 5 is acquired by the first acquisition device 41 at the entrance of the parking lot, the parking time measuring unit 42 associates and stores this identification information with the acquisition time of the identification information (the first acquisition time). Then, when the identification information of the same vehicle 5 is acquired by the first acquisition device 41 at the exit of the parking lot, the parking time measuring unit 42 measures the difference between the acquisition time of this identification information (the second acquisition time) and the acquisition time of the stored identification information (the first acquisition time) as the parking time. That is, the parking time is the time from when the identification information of the vehicle 5 is acquired at the entrance of the parking lot until the identification information of the same vehicle 5 is re-acquired at the exit of the parking lot.

[0047] The communication unit 43 is a wireless communication module connectable to the network N1, similar to the communication unit 1 of the charge control system 100 and the charge billing system 200. The communication unit 43 exchanges information with the charge control system 100 and the charge billing system 200 via the network N1, and also exchanges information with the charging device 3.

[0048] The processing unit 44 is a computer system mainly composed of one or more processors and memories as hardware. In this processing unit 44, various functions are realized by executing the program recorded in the memory with one or more processors. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory of the processing unit 44, may be provided through a telecommunication line, or may be recorded and provided on a non-transitory recording medium such as an optical disk or a hard disk drive readable by the computer system. The processing unit 44 executes a process of individually managing the parking time of one or more vehicles 5 entering the parking lot, or executes a process of managing the vacancy status of the parking lot.

[0049] (2.3) Charge control system As shown in FIG. 1, the charge control system 100 includes a communication unit (acquisition unit) 1, and a determination unit 11 and a control unit 12 of the processing unit 2. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, in the description of the charge control system 100, the "communication unit" is referred to as the "acquisition unit".

[0050] The acquisition unit 1 acquires vehicle information regarding the vehicle 5. The acquisition unit 1 is the execution entity of an acquisition step ST11 (see FIG. 4) described later. In the present embodiment, the acquisition unit 1 acquires an image of the vehicle 5 captured by the imaging device 10 (first acquisition device 41) as vehicle information. That is, in the present embodiment, the vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit 1 and the identification information acquired by the first acquisition device 41 are the same in that they both include an image of part or all of the vehicle 5. Further, in the present embodiment, the acquisition unit 1 acquires vehicle information from an information acquisition device (first acquisition device 41) installed at a location different from the charging device 3.

[0051] Here, in the present embodiment, at the entrance (or exit) of the parking lot, there is no blocking device that obstructs the movement of the vehicle 5. The blocking device is installed, for example, at the entrance of the parking lot, and blocks the entry of the vehicle 5 into the parking lot with a blocking bar until the user of the vehicle 5 acquires a parking ticket (magnetic card) issued by the parking ticket issuing machine. Further, the blocking device is installed, for example, at the exit of the parking lot, and blocks the exit of the vehicle 5 from the parking lot with a blocking bar until the user of the vehicle 5 completes the payment of the parking fee at the toll settlement machine That is, in the present embodiment, since the above-described blocking device is not installed in the parking lot, the acquisition unit 1 can acquire vehicle information without obstructing the movement of the vehicle 5 entering (or exiting) the parking lot.

[0052] The determination unit 11 determines whether the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle 5 based on the vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit 1. The determination unit 11 is the execution subject of the determination step ST12 described later. In the present embodiment, the determination unit 11 determines whether the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle 5 based on the image of the vehicle 5 acquired by the acquisition unit 1. Specifically, the determination unit 11 extracts the features of the vehicle 5 by performing appropriate image analysis processing on the image of the vehicle 5 acquired by the acquisition unit 1, and determines whether the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle 5 based on the extracted features. The image analysis processing may include, for example, a process of storing in advance a partial image showing the features of the electric vehicle 5 and performing pattern matching with this partial image. Further, the image analysis processing may include, for example, a process using a learned model that has been machine-learned in advance using a large number of images of the vehicle 5.

[0053] The control unit 12 controls the charging device 3 to be in a usable state or an unusable state by communicating with the charging device 3 via the network N1. The control unit 12 is the execution subject of the control step ST13 described later. In the present embodiment, when the determination unit 11 determines that the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle 5, the control unit 12 enables the operation unit 35 to receive instructions, thereby making the charging device 3 in a usable state. That is, until the determination unit 11 determines that the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle 5, the control unit 12 makes the operation unit 35 unable to receive instructions, in other words, makes the charging device 3 in an inoperable state. In this state, for example, even if a third party tries to operate the operation unit 35 of the charging device 3 to input an instruction to start charging, the charging device 3 does not execute power supply via the connector 37. Then, when the determination unit 11 determines that the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle 5, the control unit 12 enables the user of the electric vehicle 5 to operate the charging device 3. In this state, for example, when the user of the electric vehicle 5 inserts the connector 37 into the inlet 50 of the electric vehicle 5 and operates the operation unit 35 of the charging device 3 to input an instruction to start charging, the charging device 3 executes power supply via the connector 37.

[0054] In this embodiment, when the determination unit 11 determines that the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle, the control unit 12 controls all the charging devices 3 in the parking lot (excluding the charging devices 3 that are already in a usable state) to be in a usable state. Then, when a certain period of time has elapsed since the charging devices 3 became usable or power supply is started at any one of the charging devices 3, the control unit 12 controls all the charging devices 3 (excluding the charging devices 3 that are already in a usable state) to be in an unusable state again.

[0055] (2.4) Charge Billing System As shown in FIG. 1, the charge billing system 200 includes a first acquisition unit 21 and a second acquisition unit 22 of the communication unit 1, and an association unit 23 and a billing unit 24 of the processing unit 2.

[0056] The first acquisition unit 21 acquires the identification information of the electric vehicle 5 and the parking time of the electric vehicle 5 via the first acquisition device 41. The first acquisition unit 21 is the execution entity of the first acquisition step ST21 (see FIG. 5) described later. In this embodiment, the first acquisition unit 21 communicates with the parking management system 4 via the network N1 to acquire the identification information of the vehicle (electric vehicle) 5 acquired by the first acquisition device 41 and the parking time associated with this identification information. The timing at which the first acquisition unit 21 acquires these pieces of information is, for example, when the vehicle (electric vehicle) 5 is about to leave the parking lot.

[0057] The second acquisition unit 22 acquires the identification information of the electric vehicle 5 and the charging parameter via the second acquisition device 32. The second acquisition unit 22 is the execution entity of the second acquisition step ST22 (see FIG. 5) described later. In this embodiment, the second acquisition unit 22 communicates with the charging device 3 via the network N1 to acquire the identification information of the vehicle (electric vehicle) 5 acquired by the second acquisition device 32 and the charging parameter associated with this identification information. The timing at which the second acquisition unit 22 acquires these pieces of information is, for example, when the connection between the inlet 50 of the vehicle (electric vehicle) 5 and the connector 37 is disconnected.

[0058] The association unit 23 collates the identification information acquired by the first acquisition unit 21 and the identification information acquired by the second acquisition unit 22. The association unit 23 is the execution entity of the association step ST23 (see FIG. 5) described later. In the present embodiment, the association unit 23 collates the license plate itself of the vehicle 5 acquired by the first acquisition unit 21 or the character string written on the license plate, and the license plate itself of the vehicle 5 acquired by the second acquisition unit 22 or the character string written on the license plate. Then, as a result of the collation, when these identification information match, the association unit 23 associates the matched identification information with the parking time acquired by the first acquisition unit 21 and the charging parameter acquired by the second acquisition unit 22 as association information. That is, the association unit 23 combines the charging parameter and the parking time of the vehicle (electric vehicle) 5 individually acquired by the charging device 3 and the parking management system 4 into one piece of association information with the identification information of the vehicle 5 as a common term.

[0059] The billing unit 24 bills the user of the electric vehicle 5 for the parking fee according to the parking time and the power fee according to the charging parameter for the association information associated by the association unit 23. The billing unit 24 is the execution entity of the billing step ST24 (see FIG. 5) described later.

[0060] In the present embodiment, the parking fee is calculated by multiplying the parking unit price per unit time (for example, 1 hour) in the parking lot where the vehicle (electric vehicle) 5 is parked by the parking time. The parking fee may be a fixed amount at a predetermined fee when the calculated fee becomes equal to or more than the predetermined fee. Also, in the present embodiment, the power fee is calculated by multiplying the charging unit price per unit time (for example, 1 hour) in the charging device 3 by the charging parameter (here, the charging time). Note that when the charging parameter is the amount of charge, the power fee is calculated by multiplying the charging unit price per unit amount in the charging device 3 by the amount of charge.

[0061] Then, the charging claim unit 24 sums up the calculated parking fee and electricity fee, and bills the user of the vehicle (electric vehicle) 5 corresponding to the identification information included in the related information for the totaled fee. The timing at which the charging claim unit 24 bills the fee is, for example, when the vehicle (electric vehicle) 5 attempts to leave the parking lot. In this embodiment, the charging claim unit 24 bills the user of the vehicle 5 via the fee settlement machine by transmitting information regarding the calculated fee to the fee settlement machine installed at the exit of the parking lot.

[0062] (3) Operation Next, an example of the operation of the charging control system 100 and the fee billing system 200 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0063] (3.1) Operation of the Charging Control System First, an example of the operation of the charging control system 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. First, the acquisition unit 1 acquires vehicle information (S1). Process S1 corresponds to acquisition step ST11. In this embodiment, the acquisition unit 1 acquires, as vehicle information, an image of the vehicle 5 acquired by the first acquisition device 41 when the vehicle 5 enters the parking lot. Next, the determination unit 11 determines whether the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle 5 based on the vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit 1 (S2). In this embodiment, the determination unit 11 determines whether the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle 5 by performing image analysis processing on the image of the vehicle 5 acquired by the acquisition unit 1.

[0064] When the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle 5 (S3: Yes), the control unit 12 controls the charging device 3 to be in a usable state by giving an instruction to the charging device 3 (S4). In this embodiment, the control unit 12 makes the charging device 3 in a usable state by making the operation unit 35 of the charging device 3 capable of receiving instructions. On the other hand, when the vehicle 5 is not an electric vehicle 5 (S3: No), the control unit 12 does not execute anything in particular. For this reason, the charging device 3 maintains an unusable state (S5). Processes S2 and S3 correspond to determination step ST12. Process S4 corresponds to control step ST13.

[0065] (3.2) Operation of the Billing System Next, an example of the operation of the billing system 200 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. First, the second acquisition unit 22 acquires the identification information and charging parameters of the vehicle (electric vehicle) 5 (S6). Process S6 corresponds to the second acquisition step ST22. In the present embodiment, when the connection between the inlet 50 of the vehicle 5 and the connector 37 is released, the second acquisition unit 22 acquires, via the second acquisition device 32, the license plate itself of the vehicle 5 or the string written on the license plate as the identification information. Further, when the connection between the inlet 50 of the vehicle 5 and the connector 37 is released, the second acquisition unit 22 acquires the charging parameters (here, the charging time) measured by the power measurement unit 31.

[0066] Next, the first acquisition unit 21 acquires the identification information and parking time of the vehicle (electric vehicle) 5 (S7). Process S7 corresponds to the first acquisition step ST21. In the present embodiment, when the vehicle 5 exits the parking lot, the first acquisition unit 21 acquires, via the first acquisition device 41, the license plate itself of the vehicle 5 or the string written on the license plate as the identification information. Further, when the vehicle 5 exits the parking lot, the first acquisition unit 21 acquires the parking time measured by the time measurement unit 42.

[0067] Then, the association unit 23 collates the identification information acquired by the first acquisition unit 21 and the identification information acquired by the second acquisition unit 22 (S8). When these pieces of identification information match, the association unit 23 associates the matching identification information with the parking time acquired by the first acquisition unit 21 and the charging parameters acquired by the second acquisition unit 22 as association information (S9). Processes S8 and S9 correspond to the association step ST23. Then, the billing unit 24 calculates and sums up the parking fee and the electricity fee for the association information associated by the association unit 23, and bills the user of the vehicle (electric vehicle) 5 for the totaled fee (S10). Process S10 corresponds to the billing step ST24. In the present embodiment, the billing unit 24 bills the user of the vehicle 5 via the fee settlement machine by transmitting information regarding the calculated fee to the fee settlement machine installed at the exit of the parking lot.

[0068] As described above, in the charging control system 100 of the present embodiment, it is determined whether the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle 5, and when it is an electric vehicle 5, the charging device 3 is set to an available state. For this reason, in the present embodiment, if the vehicle 5 parked in the parking space corresponding to the charging device 3 is not an electric vehicle 5, the charging device 3 is not in an available state. Further, in the present embodiment, if the vehicle 5 is not parked in the parking space corresponding to the charging device 3 in the first place, the charging device 3 is not in an available state. Therefore, in the present embodiment, there is an advantage that it is easy to prevent the charging device 3 from being used in an irregular manner.

[0069] Specifically, in the present embodiment, even if a third party tries to play a prank on the charging device 3, since the charging device 3 is not in an available state, it is easy to prevent the charging device 3 from being pranked. Further, in the present embodiment, even if a third party tries to charge a portable battery, since the charging device 3 is not in an available state, it is easy to prevent the charging device from being used without following the regular rules.

[0070] Also, as described above, in the charging system 200 of the present embodiment, the identification information acquired by the system for acquiring the parking time (here, the parking management system 4) is collated with the identification information acquired by the system for acquiring the charging parameters (here, the charging device 3). Then, when these identification information match, it is possible to bill the user of the electric vehicle 5 corresponding to these identification information for the total of the parking fee and the electricity fee. For this reason, in the present embodiment, there is an advantage that the degree of freedom of the method for the user of the electric vehicle 5 to settle the parking fee and the electricity fee is likely to be improved as compared with the case where the fee is billed without considering the identification information of the electric vehicle 5.

[0071] Specifically, as already described, the charging fee billing system 200 of the present embodiment can adopt a method of billing the user of the electric vehicle 5 at, for example, a fee settlement machine provided at the exit of a parking lot. Further, since the charging fee billing system 200 of the present embodiment acquires the identification information of the electric vehicle 5, in other words, the information of the user of the electric vehicle 5, it can also adopt a method of billing the user of the electric vehicle 5 via, for example, an electronic payment system. In the latter case, the charging fee billing system 200 can adopt a method of billing the user of the electric vehicle 5 when the electric vehicle 5 exits the parking lot, and can also adopt a method of billing the user of the electric vehicle 5 at a later date.

[0072] (4) Modification The above-described embodiment is merely one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. The above-described embodiment can be variously modified according to the design and the like as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. Further, the same functions as those of the charging control system 100 may be embodied by, in addition to the charging control method, a (computer) program, a non-transitory recording medium recording the program, or the like. Similarly, the same functions as those of the charging fee billing system 200 may be embodied by, in addition to the charging fee billing method, a (computer) program, a non-transitory recording medium recording the program, or the like.

[0073] A charging control method according to one aspect includes an acquisition step ST11, a determination step ST12, and a control step ST13. The acquisition step ST11 is a step of acquiring vehicle information regarding the vehicle 5. The determination step ST12 is a step of determining whether the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle 5 based on the vehicle information acquired in the acquisition step ST11. The control step ST13 is a step of bringing the charging device 3 capable of charging the storage battery 51 of the electric vehicle 5 into a usable state when it is determined in the determination step ST12 that the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle 5. A (computer) program according to one aspect causes one or more processors to execute the above-described charging control method.

[0074] The charging method according to one aspect includes a first acquisition step ST21, a second acquisition step ST22, an association step ST23, and a billing step ST24. The first acquisition step ST21 is a step of acquiring the identification information of the electric vehicle 5 via the first acquisition device 41 and the parking time of the electric vehicle 5. The second acquisition step ST22 is a step of acquiring the identification information of the electric vehicle 5 via the second acquisition device 32 and the charging parameters related to the charging power amount of the electric vehicle 5. The association step ST23 is a step of collating the identification information acquired in the first acquisition step ST21 with the identification information acquired in the second acquisition step ST22, and when they match, associating the parking time and the charging parameters with the matched identification information as associated information. The billing step ST24 is a step of billing the user of the electric vehicle 5 for the parking fee according to the parking time and the power fee according to the charging parameters for the associated information associated in the association step ST23. A (computer) program according to one aspect causes one or more processors to execute the above charging method.

[0075] Hereinafter, modified examples of the above-described embodiments will be listed. The modified examples described below can be applied in appropriate combinations.

[0076] The charging control system 100 (or the billing system 200) in the present disclosure each includes a computer system. The computer system mainly consists of a processor and a memory as hardware. By the processor executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system, the functions as the charging control system 100 (or the billing system 200) in the present disclosure are realized. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory of the computer system, may be provided through a telecommunication line, or may be provided by being recorded in a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card, an optical disk, or a hard disk drive that can be read by the computer system. The processor of the computer system is composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI). Here, integrated circuits such as the IC or LSI mentioned here have different names depending on the degree of integration, and include integrated circuits called system LSI, VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration), or ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration). Furthermore, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) programmed after the manufacture of the LSI, or a logic device capable of reconfiguring the bonding relationship inside the LSI or reconfiguring the circuit partition inside the LSI can also be adopted as the processor. The plurality of electronic circuits may be integrated on one chip, or may be provided distributed on a plurality of chips. The plurality of chips may be integrated in one device, or may be provided distributed in a plurality of devices. The computer system mentioned here includes a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. Therefore, the microcontroller is also composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit or a large-scale integrated circuit.

[0077] Also, it is not an essential configuration of the charging control system 100 (or the billing system 200) that a plurality of functions in the charging control system 100 (or the billing system 200) are aggregated in one housing. The components of the charging control system 100 (or the billing system 200) may be provided in a distributed manner in a plurality of housings. Further, at least some functions of the charging control system 100 (or the billing system 200) may be realized by a cloud (cloud computing) or the like.

[0078] In the above-described embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the charging control system 100 may further include a registration unit 13. The registration unit 13 registers registration information associating type information regarding the type of the vehicle 5 and identification information of the vehicle 5. The registration information can be registered in advance by the user of the vehicle 5 on a website provided by, for example, an operator who operates the charging control system 100. For example, the user of the vehicle 5 can register the type information of the vehicle 5 by inputting a character string or the like representing the vehicle type of the vehicle 5 on the website. Also, for example, the user of the vehicle 5 can register the identification information of the vehicle 5 by inputting an image of the license plate of the vehicle 5 itself or a character string or the like written on the license plate on the website.

[0079] Then, the determination unit 11 determines whether the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle 5 by collating the identification information included in the image of the vehicle 5 acquired by the acquisition unit 1 with the registration information registered in the registration unit 13. Specifically, the determination unit 11 searches for whether the registration information including the identification information acquired by the acquisition unit 1 is registered in the registration unit 13. If the registration information corresponding to this identification information is registered in the registration unit 13, the determination unit 11 refers to the type information included in this registration information to determine whether the vehicle 5 corresponding to this identification information is an electric vehicle 5.

[0080] In the above-described embodiment, when the determination unit 11 acquires an image of the vehicle 5 (that is, vehicle information) by the first acquisition device 41, it determines whether the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle 5, but it is not limited to this. For example, the determination unit 11 may collate the image of the vehicle 5 (that is, vehicle information) acquired by the first acquisition device 41 with the image of the vehicle 5 (that is, vehicle information) acquired by the second acquisition device 32. Then, when these vehicle information match, the determination unit 11 may determine whether the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle 5 or not.

[0081] In the above-described embodiment, the acquisition unit 1 acquires the image of the vehicle 5 captured by the first acquisition device 41 (imaging device 10) as vehicle information, but it is not limited to this. For example, the acquisition unit 1 may acquire the type information regarding the type of the vehicle 5 stored in the vehicle 5 as vehicle information. Then, the determination unit 11 may determine whether the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle 5 based on the type information acquired by the acquisition unit 1.

[0082] Specifically, the acquisition unit 1 may acquire the type information by communicating with an in-vehicle unit of an ETC (Electronic Toll Collection System: registered trademark) mounted on the vehicle 5. In this aspect the first acquisition device 41 may have a communication device for ETC (registered trademark) instead of the imaging device 10. Further, the acquisition unit 1 may acquire the type information by communicating with an electronic tag mounted on the vehicle 5. In this aspect, the first acquisition device 41 may have a communication device for the electronic tag instead of the imaging device 10.

[0083] In the above-described embodiment, the control unit 12 enables the charging device 3 to be used by setting the operation unit 35 to a state where it can receive instructions, but it is not limited to this. For example, the holding unit 36 of the charging device 3 may be lockable while holding the connector 37. Then, the control unit 12 may control the holding unit 36 to make the charging device 3 unusable. That is, in a state where the holding unit 36 is locked, the connector 37 cannot be removed from the holding unit 36, so as a result, charging using the charging device 3 cannot be executed. And when the determination unit 11 determines that the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle 5, the control unit 12 may unlock the holding unit 36. In this case, since the connector 37 can be removed from the holding unit 36, as a result, charging using the charging device 3 can be executed.

[0084] In the above-described embodiment, when the determination unit 11 determines that the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle 5, the control unit 12 may not control to make all the charging devices 3 usable, but may control to make only a specific charging device 3 usable. In this case, when the determination unit 11 determines that the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle 5, the control unit 12 may guide the vehicle 5 to the location where the charging device 3 (here, a specific charging device 3) is installed. Specifically, the control unit 12 may, for example, use a speaker installed in the parking lot to guide the route from the entrance of the parking lot to the specific charging device 3 by voice. Also, the control unit 12 may guide the route from the entrance of the parking lot to the specific charging device 3 by turning on a guiding light installed in the parking lot (or embedded in the ground of the parking lot). As an example, the guiding light can use a light-emitting element such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode).

[0085] In the above-described embodiment, the acquisition unit 1 may acquire vehicle information from an information acquisition device (second acquisition device 32) installed at the same location as the charging device 3. In this case, the acquisition unit 1 acquires the vehicle information not when the vehicle 5 enters the parking lot, but when the vehicle 5 is parked in the parking space where the charging device 3 is installed in the vicinity.

[0086] In the above-described embodiment, when an electric vehicle or a storage battery is connected to the connector 37 in a state where the determination unit 11 has not determined that the vehicle 5 is an electric vehicle 5, the control unit 12 may notify the surroundings by, for example, sounding a buzzer installed in a parking lot. In this aspect, there is an advantage that it is easy to prevent unauthorized use of the charging device 3 by a third party.

[0087] In the above-described embodiment, when the identification information of the electric vehicle 5 is registered in the electronic payment system, the claim unit 24 may make a claim via the electronic payment system. The "electronic payment system" as used in the present disclosure includes not only a payment system using electronic money but also a payment system using a credit card. The identification information of the electric vehicle 5 can be registered in advance by the user of the electric vehicle 5 on a website provided by, for example, an operator who operates the fee billing system 200. For example, the user of the electric vehicle 5 can register the identification information of the electric vehicle 5 by inputting an image of the license plate of the electric vehicle 5 itself or a character string written on the license plate into the website. In addition, the user of the electric vehicle 5 can register the payment information (for example, the number of a credit card, etc.) of the electronic payment system being used by inputting it into the website, and associate and register the payment information with the identification information of the electric vehicle 5.

[0088] In this aspect, it is possible to automatically settle the parking fee and the electricity fee using the electronic payment system. In addition to a credit card, for example, in a parking lot operated by a specific store, a point card issued by this store may be registered in advance. In this case, it is possible to settle the parking fee and the electricity fee using the points given to the point card.

[0089] In the above-described aspect, it is necessary to register in advance the identification information of the electric vehicle 5 and the settlement information of the electronic payment system on the website, but it is not limited to this aspect. For example, when the electric vehicle 5 enters the parking lot, the first acquisition device 41 may acquire not only the identification information of the electric vehicle 5 but also the settlement information of the electronic payment system. Specifically, the settlement information may be acquired by holding a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark) or a mobile terminal (for example, a smartphone, etc.) possessed by the user of the electric vehicle 5 in front of a reading device. Then, the billing unit 24 may perform billing via the electronic payment system using this settlement information. Note that it is preferable that the settlement information is erased when the payment is completed.

[0090] In the above-described embodiment, for example, the second acquisition device 32 may acquire the identification information by receiving an input of the identification information. Specifically, the operation unit 35 may also serve as the second acquisition device 32. In this aspect, when the user of the vehicle (electric vehicle) 5 inputs the string written on the license plate of the vehicle 5 at the operation unit 35, the operation unit 35 (second acquisition device 32) acquires the input string as the identification information of the vehicle 5. Similarly, the first acquisition device 41 may acquire the identification information by receiving an input of the identification information. In this aspect, the first acquisition device 41 only needs to be provided with a user interface that receives an operation input by the user of the vehicle 5. Then, when the user of the vehicle 5 inputs the string written on the license plate of the vehicle 5 at the user interface, the user interface (first acquisition device 41) acquires the input string as the identification information of the vehicle 5.

[0091] In the above-described embodiment, the charging device 3 may have a function of discharging the storage battery 51 by converting the DC power discharged from the storage battery 51 of the electric vehicle 5 into AC power and supplying the converted AC power to the power grid 6. That is, the charging device 3 may support V2G (Vehicle to Grid). In this case, the billing unit 24 may calculate the discharge parameters related to the discharge power amount The electricity charge according to the power consumption data may be subtracted from the parking fee and billed to the user of the electric vehicle 5. The discharge parameter may be the discharge power amount itself, or information obtained by converting the discharge power amount into other physical quantities such as the discharge time. Further, when the user of the electric vehicle 5 has previously permitted charging and / or discharging of the battery 51, the billing unit 24 may subtract the consideration for the permission from the parking fee and bill the user of the electric vehicle 5.

[0092] As used in this disclosure, the "consideration" is the consideration for allowing the battery 51 of the electric vehicle 5 to participate in a VPP (Virtual Power Plant) as a distributed power source. As an example, the consideration may include money, points that can be used at a specific store or the like and replace money, or a discount service for the fee paid by the user. The specific store may include, as an example, stores with a national presence, stores in the area where the parking lot is located, or stores that have a contract with the operator managing the parking lot.

[0093] In this case, in addition to the consideration for the permission, the billing unit 24 may add or subtract the electricity charge according to the charging parameter and / or the discharge parameter from the parking fee and bill the user of the electric vehicle 5.

[0094] Further, for example, when there is an input of the parking time expected in advance by the user of the electric vehicle 5, the billing unit 24 may provide electricity charges according to the input parking time. As an example, if the parking time is longer than a predetermined time, the charging device 3 can charge the battery 51 of the electric vehicle 5 by slow charging. In this case, the billing unit 24 may charge a lower electricity charge compared to the case where the charging device 3 selects rapid charging.

[0095] In addition, the charging unit price when calculating the electricity charge may be a time-based charge (dynamic pricing) linked to the wholesale electricity price. For example, the charging unit price may be high during a time period when the wholesale electricity price is high and low during a time period when the wholesale electricity price is low. In this aspect, there is an advantage that it is easy to maximize the price efficiency of the electricity charge when charging the storage battery 51 of the electric vehicle 5.

[0096] In the above-described embodiment, the imaging device 10 (the first acquisition device 41 and / or the second acquisition device 32) is not included in the components of the charging control system 100, but may be included. That is, the charging control system 100 may further include an imaging device 10 that images the vehicle.

[0097] In the above-described embodiment, the charging device 3 is not included in the components of the charging control system 100, but may be included. That is, the charging control system 100 may further include the charging device 3. In this case, the charging control system 100 may be incorporated in the charging device 3. In this aspect, the second acquisition device 32 of the charging device 3 may function as the communication unit 1, and the processing unit 34 of the charging device 3 may function as the determination unit 11 and the control unit 12.

[0098] In the above-described embodiment, the charging control system 100 may include at least the acquisition unit (communication unit) 1, the determination unit 11, and the control unit 12, and does not necessarily need to include the first acquisition unit 21, the second acquisition unit 22, the association unit 23, and the billing unit 24.

[0099] In the above-described embodiment, the charging device 3 is not included in the components of the billing system 200, but may be included. That is, the billing system 200 may further include the charging device 3. In this case, the billing system 200 may be incorporated in the charging device 3. In this aspect, the communication unit 33 of the charging device 3 may function as the first acquisition unit 21, the second acquisition device 32 may function as the second acquisition unit 22, and the processing unit 34 may function as the association unit 23 and the billing unit 24.

[0100] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the parking management system 4 is not included in the components of the charge billing system 200, but it may be included. That is, the charge billing system 200 may further include the parking management system 4. In this case, the charge billing system 200 may be incorporated into the parking management system 4. In this aspect, the first acquisition device 41 of the parking management system 4 may function as the first acquisition unit 21, the communication unit 43 may function as the second acquisition unit 22, and the processing unit 44 may function as the association unit 23 and the billing unit 24.

[0101] In the above-described embodiment, the charge billing system 200 may include at least the first acquisition unit 21, the second acquisition unit 22, the association unit 23, and the billing unit 24, and does not necessarily include the acquisition unit (communication unit) 1, the determination unit 11, and the control unit 12.

[0102] In the above-described embodiment, the network N1 is not limited to a public network such as the Internet, and may be a closed network such as a LAN (Local Area Network). Also, in the above-described embodiment the communication unit 1 of the charge control system 100 and the charge billing system 200, the communication unit 33 of the charging device 3, and the communication unit 43 of the parking management system 4 may be able to communicate with each other by wired communication.

[0103] In the above-described embodiment, the charging device 3 is installed in a time-rental parking lot where a plurality of vehicles 5 can be parked, but it is not limited to this. For example, the charging device 3 may be installed in a roadside parking lot where only one vehicle can be parked. In this case, the charge control system 100, the charge billing system 200, and the parking management system 4 may all be incorporated into the charging device 3. In this aspect, it is preferable that the second acquisition device 32 also serves as the first acquisition device 41.

[0104] (Summary) As described above, the charging control system (100) according to the first aspect includes an acquisition unit (1), a determination unit (11), and a control unit (12). The acquisition unit (1) acquires vehicle information regarding the vehicle (5). The determination unit (11) determines whether the vehicle (5) is an electric vehicle (5) based on the vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit (1). The control unit (12) enables the charging device (3) that charges the storage battery (51) of the electric vehicle (5) to be used when the determination unit (11) determines that the vehicle (5) is an electric vehicle (5).

[0105] According to this aspect, there is an advantage that it is easy to prevent the charging device (3) from being used in an irregular manner.

[0106] In the charging control system (100) according to the second aspect, in the first aspect, the acquisition unit (1) acquires an image of the vehicle (5) captured by the imaging device (10) as vehicle information. The determination unit (11) determines whether the vehicle (5) is an electric vehicle (5) based on the image of the vehicle (5) acquired by the acquisition unit (1).

[0107] According to this aspect, there is an advantage that it is possible to determine whether the vehicle (5) is an electric vehicle (5) without inputting vehicle information by the user's hand of the vehicle (5).

[0108] The charging control system (100) according to the third aspect further includes a registration unit (13) in the second aspect. Registration information associating type information regarding the type of the vehicle (5) and identification information of the vehicle (5) is registered in the registration unit (13). The determination unit (11) determines whether the vehicle (5) is an electric vehicle (5) by collating the identification information included in the image of the vehicle (5) acquired by the acquisition unit (1) with the registration information registered in the registration unit (13).

[0109] According to this aspect, since it is possible to refer to the pre-registered type information, there is an advantage that the accuracy of determining whether the vehicle (5) is an electric vehicle (5) is likely to be improved.

[0110] The charging control system (100) according to the fourth aspect further includes an imaging device (10) that images the vehicle (5) in the second or third aspect.

[0111] According to this aspect, there is an advantage that it is easy to prevent the charging device (3) from being used in an irregular manner.

[0112] In the charging control system (100) according to the fifth aspect, in the first aspect, the acquisition unit (1) acquires, as vehicle information, type information regarding the type of the vehicle (5) stored in the vehicle (5). The determination unit (11) determines whether the vehicle (5) is an electric vehicle (5) based on the type information acquired by the acquisition unit (1).

[0113] According to this aspect, since the pre-registered type information can be referred to, there is an advantage that the accuracy of determining whether the vehicle (5) is an electric vehicle (5) is likely to be improved.

[0114] In the charging control system (100) according to the sixth aspect, in any of the first to fifth aspects, the charging device (3) includes a connector (37) connectable to the electric vehicle (5) and an operation unit (35). The operation unit (35) can receive an instruction to start supplying charging power from the charging device (3) to the connector (37). The control unit (12) sets the operation unit (35) to a state where it can receive an instruction when the determination unit (11) determines that the vehicle (5) is an electric vehicle (5).

[0115] According to this aspect, since the charging device (3) can be switched between a usable state and an unusable state using the existing operation unit (35) of the charging device (3), there is an advantage that there is no need to separately prepare means for switching the state of the charging device (3).

[0116] In the charging control system (100) according to the seventh aspect, in any of the first to fifth aspects, the charging device (3) includes a connector (37) connectable to the electric vehicle (5) and a holding part (36). The holding part (36) can be locked while holding the connector (37). When the determination unit (11) determines that the vehicle (5) is an electric vehicle (5), the control unit (12) releases the lock of the holding part (36).

[0117] According to this aspect, for example, there is an advantage that it is easy to prevent the connector (37) from being used in an irregular manner, such as being swung around by a third party.

[0118] In the charging control system (100) according to the eighth aspect, in any of the first to seventh aspects, when the determination unit (11) determines that the vehicle (5) is an electric vehicle (5), the control unit (12) guides the vehicle (5) to the location where the charging device (3) is installed.

[0119] According to this aspect, for example, when only a specific charging device (3) can be used, there is an advantage that it is easy to prevent the vehicle (5) from accidentally moving to the location where another charging device (3) is installed.

[0120] In the charging control system (100) according to the ninth aspect, in any of the first to eighth aspects, the acquisition unit (1) acquires vehicle information from an information acquisition device (first acquisition device (41)) installed at a location different from the charging device (3).

[0121] According to this aspect, for example, in a time-sharing parking lot having a plurality of parking spaces, there is an advantage that the charging control system (100) can be applied without providing means for acquiring vehicle information for each charging device (3).

[0122] In the charging control system (100) according to the tenth aspect, in any of the first to eighth aspects, the acquisition unit (1) acquires vehicle information from an information acquisition device (second acquisition device (32)) installed at the same location as the charging device (3).

[0123] According to this aspect, there is an advantage that the charging control system (100) can be applied even in a roadside parking lot with only one parking space, for example.

[0124] The charging control system (100) according to the eleventh aspect further includes a charging device (3) in any of the first to tenth aspects.

[0125] According to this aspect, there is an advantage that it is easy to prevent the charging device (3) from being used in an irregular manner.

[0126] The charging control method according to the twelfth aspect includes an acquisition step (ST11), a determination step (ST12), and a control step (ST13). The acquisition step (ST11) is a step of acquiring vehicle information regarding the vehicle (5). The determination step (ST12) is a step of determining whether the vehicle (5) is an electric vehicle (5) based on the vehicle information acquired in the acquisition step (ST11). The control step (ST13) is a step of bringing the charging device (3) capable of charging the storage battery (51) of the electric vehicle (5) into a usable state when it is determined in the determination step (ST12) that the vehicle (5) is an electric vehicle (5).

[0127] According to this aspect, there is an advantage that it is easy to prevent the charging device (3) from being used in an irregular manner.

[0128] The program according to the thirteenth aspect causes one or more processors to execute the charging control method according to the twelfth aspect.

[0129] According to this aspect, there is an advantage that it is easy to prevent the charging device (3) from being used in an irregular manner.

[0130] Regarding the configurations according to the second to eleventh aspects, they are not essential configurations of the charging control system (100) and can be omitted as appropriate.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0131] 100 Charging control system 1 Communication unit (acquisition unit) 10 Imaging device 11 Judgment unit 12 Control unit 13 Registration unit 3 Charging device 32 Second acquisition device (information acquisition device) 35 Operation unit 36 Holding unit 37 Connector 41 First acquisition device (information acquisition device) 5 Vehicle, electric vehicle 51 Storage battery ST11 Acquisition step ST12 Judgment step ST13 Control step

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information related to a vehicle; a determination unit that determines whether the vehicle is an electric vehicle based on the vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit; a control unit that, when the determination unit determines that the vehicle is the electric vehicle, causes a charging device that charges a storage battery of the electric vehicle to be in a usable state; the charging device includes a connector connectable to the electric vehicle; When the determination unit determines that the vehicle is the electric vehicle, the control unit sets an operation unit capable of receiving an instruction to start supplying charging power from the charging device to the connector to a state capable of receiving the instruction. Charging control system.

2. The acquisition unit acquires type information related to a type of the vehicle stored in the vehicle as the vehicle information, The determination unit determines whether the vehicle is the electric vehicle based on the type information acquired by the acquisition unit. The charging control system according to claim 1 .

3. The charging device is A connector connectable to the electric vehicle; a holding portion capable of being locked in a state in which the connector is held, The control unit unlocks the holding unit when the determination unit determines that the vehicle is the electric vehicle. The charging control system according to claim 2 .

4. The control unit guides the vehicle to a location where the charging device is installed when the determination unit determines that the vehicle is the electric vehicle. The charging control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The acquisition unit acquires the vehicle information from an information acquisition device that is installed in a location separate from the charging device. The charging control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. the acquisition unit acquires the vehicle information from an information acquisition device installed in the same location as the charging device. The charging control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. The charging device is further provided. The charging control system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. acquiring vehicle information relating to the vehicle; a determination step of determining whether or not the vehicle is an electric vehicle based on the vehicle information acquired in the acquisition step; a control step of making a charging device that charges a storage battery of the electric vehicle available when the vehicle is determined to be the electric vehicle in the determination step, the charging device includes a connector connectable to the electric vehicle; In the control step, when the vehicle is determined to be the electric vehicle in the determination step, an operation unit capable of receiving an instruction to start supplying charging power from the charging device to the connector is set to a state capable of receiving the instruction. Charging control method.

9. One or more processors, 9. A charging control method according to claim 8, program.

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