Vehicle charging facility recommendation device and vehicle charging facility recommendation method

Abstract

To provide a vehicle charging facility recommendation device and a vehicle charging facility recommendation method which can avoid concentration to a charging facility and allow a user to select a proper facility without confusion from the facilities where charging can be performed.SOLUTION: A vehicle charging facility recommendation device comprises: a map information storage part which stores type information, position information and stay estimated time information of a facility and charging facility information and facility information of the facility; a reception unit which receives identification information, position information, facility utilization type information and charging information from a vehicle; a retrieval unit which retrieves a visiting facility to be presented on the vehicle side; and an output unit which outputs the retrieved visiting facility and recommendation degree information of the visiting facility to the vehicle. The retrieval unit retrieves facility information existing in a current place or a passage route from the position information of the vehicle, selects the plurality of facilities matching with the facility utilization type information from the retrieved facility information, calculates the charging time necessary for charging of a charging amount from the charging information, and creates recommendation degree information of the plurality of facilities from the charging time, stay estimated time information and charging facility information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle charging facility recommendation device and a vehicle charging facility recommendation method that recommend optimal charging facilities for electric vehicles. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, interest in electric vehicles, especially BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles), has been growing rapidly from the perspectives of environmental conservation and sustainable energy use. Technologies are being developed to provide users with charging facilities for BEVs. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that enables the provision of information and guidance to optimal charging stations with short waiting times by generating and displaying an icon indicating the usage status of a charger on a map of the area around the electric vehicle's own location. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-164050 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in Patent Document 1, multiple electric vehicles may be concentrated at the same charging facility, which may lead to user dissatisfaction.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle charging facility recommendation device and a vehicle charging facility recommendation method that avoid concentration at charging facilities and enable users to select an appropriate facility from among multiple charging facilities without hesitation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) A vehicle charging facility recommendation device (for example, a "vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30" described later) of the present invention includes a map information storage unit (for example, a "map information storage unit 321") that stores facility type information, location information of the facility, estimated stay time information regarding estimated stay time at the facility, and charging facility information regarding charging facilities associated with the facility as facility information; a receiving unit (for example, a "recommended request input unit 311") that receives, from a vehicle side, identification information of the vehicle, location information of the vehicle, facility use type information regarding types of facilities that the vehicle has previously used, and charging information including the amount of charging required for the vehicle; and a device that searches for stopover facilities to be presented to the vehicle side. and an output unit (e.g., "output unit 313") that outputs the searched stop-off facilities and recommendation level information regarding the degree to which the stop-off facilities are recommended to the vehicle, the search unit searches for facility information located near the current location of the vehicle or the passing route from the vehicle's location information, selects from the searched facility information multiple facilities that match the facility usage type information, calculates the charging time required to charge the amount of charge from the charging information, and creates the recommendation level information for the multiple facilities from the calculated charging time, the estimated stay time information, and the charging facility information.

[0007] According to the above (1), it is possible to avoid concentration at charging facilities and to enable a user to select an appropriate facility from among a plurality of facilities where charging is possible without hesitation.

[0008] (2) The charging facility information described in (1) may include information indicating the performance of a charger, and the charging information may include information indicating the correspondence of the vehicle to the performance of the charger, and the search unit may use the information indicating the performance of the charger and the information indicating the correspondence to the performance of the charger when selecting multiple facilities that match the facility usage type information from the searched facility information and when calculating the charging time.

[0009] According to (2) above, it is possible to create more precise recommendation level information.

[0010] (3) The output unit according to (1) or (2) may output an icon displayed in a size according to the recommendation level of the recommendation level information.

[0011] According to the above (3), the user can more easily select an appropriate facility from among a plurality of charging facilities without any confusion.

[0012] (4) The output unit according to (1) or (2) may output a display frame having a size according to the recommendation level of the recommendation level information.

[0013] According to (4) above, the user can more easily select an appropriate facility from among a plurality of charging facilities without any confusion.

[0014] (5) A vehicle charging facility recommendation method of the present invention is a vehicle charging facility recommendation method that causes a computer to operate as a vehicle charging facility recommendation device, and includes: a map information storage step of storing facility type information, location information of the facility, estimated stay time information regarding an estimated stay time at the facility, and charging facility information regarding charging facilities associated with the facility as facility information; a receiving step of receiving from the vehicle identification information, location information of the vehicle, facility use type information regarding types of facilities that the vehicle has used in the past, and charging information including the amount of charging required for the vehicle; a search step of searching for stop-off facilities to be presented to the vehicle; and an output step of outputting to the vehicle the searched stop-off facilities and recommendation level information regarding the degree to which the stop-off facilities are recommended, wherein the search step searches for facility information located near the current location or passing route of the vehicle from the location information of the vehicle, selects from the searched facility information multiple facilities that match the facility use type information, calculates the charging time required to charge the amount of charge from the charging information, and creates the recommendation level information for the multiple facilities from the calculated charging time, the estimated stay time information, and the charging facility information.

[0015] According to the method (5) above, the same effect as that of the vehicle charging facility recommendation device (1) can be achieved. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to avoid concentration at charging facilities and to enable a user to select an appropriate facility from among a plurality of facilities where charging is possible without hesitation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of an entire vehicle charging facility recommendation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of an in-vehicle navigation device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3A] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of facility information display according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3B] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of facility information display according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of a vehicle charging facility recommendation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of facility information according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of a charging facility information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 3 is a flowchart showing a basic operation of the vehicle charging facility recommendation device according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] <Overall configuration of vehicle charging facility recommendation system 1> DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of the vehicle charging facility recommendation system of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of a vehicle charging facility recommendation system 1. As shown in FIG.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle charging facility recommendation system 1 includes an on-board navigation device 10 installed in an electric vehicle 50, a mobile terminal 20 of a user of the electric vehicle 50, a vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30, the vehicle 50, and a charging facility information processing device 40. In this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, a battery electric vehicle (BEV) is also simply referred to as an electric vehicle, an electrically powered vehicle, or a vehicle. These devices and terminals are connected to each other via a communication network 60 so that they can communicate with each other. In addition, although the diagram also illustrates information transmitted and received by each of these devices and terminals, this information is merely an example. In this embodiment, information other than that illustrated may be transmitted and received.

[0020] The in-vehicle navigation device 10 has a function of providing route guidance to a destination such as a facility input or selected by the user, and a function of measuring the position information of the in-vehicle navigation device 10 (i.e., the position information of the vehicle 50). The in-vehicle navigation device 10 also has a function of storing identification information of the vehicle 50 in which it is installed (e.g., a license plate number or a VIN (Vehicle Identification Number)), and facility use type information relating to the types of facilities previously used by the user of the vehicle 50 (e.g., facility name, facility location, facility type, stay time, date and time of use, etc.). The in-vehicle navigation device 10 also has a function of acquiring an SoC (State of Charge) indicating the state of charge of the vehicle 50, and calculating, from the acquired SoC, the amount of charge required to fully charge (i.e., SoC is 100%) or to reach an SoC of 80%, etc. (hereinafter also referred to as the "required amount of charge"). For example, while the user is driving the vehicle 50, the in-vehicle navigation device 10 transmits a charging facility recommendation request including identification information of the vehicle 50, measured position information, destination information, facility use type information, and charging information to the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30. The in-vehicle navigation device 10 has a function of displaying to the user of the vehicle 50 facility information of a plurality of facilities having charging facilities recommended as stop-off facilities located on the route (passing route) to the current location or destination of the vehicle 50, which is provided using the vehicle charging facility recommendation system 1, based on recommendation level information regarding the degree to which each facility is recommended. The in-vehicle navigation device 10 may be configured to allow the user to select a facility from the plurality of recommended facilities and provide route guidance from the current location of the vehicle 50 to the selected facility.

[0021] The mobile terminal 20 is a mobile terminal of a user who uses the vehicle 50. It is preferable that application software for linking with the vehicle 50 used by the user is installed in the mobile terminal 20. The mobile terminal 20 may be configured to have the same functions as the in-vehicle navigation device 10. The mobile terminal 20 can acquire the identification information, location information, destination information, facility use type information, and charging information of the vehicle 50. Then, similar to the in-vehicle navigation device 10, the mobile terminal 20 transmits a charging facility recommendation request including the acquired identification information, location information, destination information, facility use type information, and charging information of the vehicle 50 to the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30. The mobile terminal 20 can be realized by a smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet terminal, a notebook computer, or other portable electronic device. A user can communicate with the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 via an in-vehicle navigation device 10 installed in a vehicle 50 or a mobile terminal 20 carried by the user. In this embodiment, the user can transmit and receive data to and from the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 from the vehicle 50 or the mobile terminal 20. Therefore, the vehicle 50 or the mobile terminal 20 of the user of the vehicle 50 can be recognized as "communication with the vehicle side" from the perspective of the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30. In this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, "the vehicle 50 or the mobile terminal 20 of the user of the vehicle" is also referred to as "the vehicle side."

[0022] The vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 is a device that, as a process unique to this embodiment, selects multiple facilities that are optimal for charging the vehicle 50 based on the identification information, location information, destination information, facility usage type information, and charging information of the vehicle 50 contained in the charging facility recommendation request received from the vehicle, as well as facility information about facilities that have charging facilities (e.g., restaurants, cafes, etc.) and information indicating the performance of the chargers at the charging facilities, and creates recommendation level information regarding the degree to which each of the selected facilities is recommended as a stop-off facility. The vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 can be realized by installing software specific to this embodiment in a general-purpose server device, for example. The server device may be a single computer or a distributed system configured from multiple computers.

[0023] The charging facility information processing device 40 is installed, for example, at each facility that has a charging facility, and manages the usage status of the charging equipment provided at the charging facility. Here, the usage status of a charger (charging equipment) can be, for example, whether it is in use (a vehicle is being charged), whether it is available, whether it is reserved, etc. The charging facility information processing device 40 reports the usage status of the charging equipment provided at each charging facility to the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 periodically, or upon request. Furthermore, when the vehicle selects, as a charging destination, charging equipment provided at a charging facility at a stopover facility recommended by the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30, the charging facility information processing device 40 receives information related to the vehicle using the charging facility from the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30. In this way, the charging facility information processing device 40 sets the charging facility at the charging facility to a reserved state. Furthermore, when a vehicle 50 that has used a facility recommended by the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 completes charging at the charging facility, the vehicle 50 notifies the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 that charging at the charging facility has been completed. By doing so, for example, the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 can create billing information for the charging facility.

[0024] As described above, the vehicle 50 is a vehicle that is equipped with the in-vehicle navigation device 10 and is capable of communicating with the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30.

[0025] The communication network 60 is realized by a network such as the Internet or a mobile phone network, or a network that combines these. The overall configuration of the vehicle charging facility recommendation system 1 has been described above. Next, each configuration will be described.

[0026] <Functional Blocks of the In-Vehicle Navigation Device 10> The functional blocks of the in-vehicle navigation device 10 will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the in-vehicle navigation device 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13, a sensor unit 14, a display unit 15, and an input unit 16.

[0027] The control unit 11 is composed of an arithmetic processing device such as a microprocessor, and controls each unit that constitutes the in-vehicle navigation device 10. The control unit 11 will be described in detail later.

[0028] The storage unit 12 is composed of semiconductor memory and the like, and stores control programs called firmware and an operating system, a program that transmits a charging facility recommendation request to the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30, including identification information, location information, destination information, facility use type information, and charging information about the vehicle 50, receives and displays facility information and recommendation level information about multiple facilities that are located on the current location of the vehicle 50 or on the route (passing route) to the destination and have recommended charging facilities as stopover facilities, and a program that executes, for example, a function of sending a reservation request to the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 when a displayed facility (charging facility) is selected, a program that executes a function of providing route guidance to the selected facility, and various other information such as map information. The figure illustrates map information (navigation map) 121, identification information 122, location information 123, and facility use type information 124 as information stored in the storage unit 12.

[0029] The map information (navigation map) 121 is used for navigation, for example, and is a map in which roads are represented by nodes and links. The identification information 122 is information for identifying the vehicle 50, and includes an identification ID that uniquely identifies the vehicle, vehicle name information, and / or vehicle model information. As will be described later, the battery capacity of the vehicle 50 is uniquely associated with the vehicle name information and / or vehicle model information, and the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 can acquire the battery capacity of the vehicle 50 based on a charging facility recommendation request. The position information 123 is the position information of the in-vehicle navigation device 10 (i.e., the position information of the vehicle 50) measured by the sensor unit 14. The position information 123 includes not only information indicating the measured position but also the position measurement time, which is the time when the positioning was performed. The facility use type information 124 is information relating to the type of facility that the vehicle 50 has used in the past, and for example, the facility name, facility location, facility type, stay time, date and time of use, etc. are stored. As described below, the charging information 125 stores the current SoC of the vehicle 50, the required charging amount calculated by the charging amount calculation unit 112, information indicating the compatibility of the vehicle 50 with the performance of the charger (for example, whether it is compatible with a normal charger and / or a rapid charger), etc. The identification information 122, the location information 123, the facility use type information 124, and the charging information 125 are information that is transmitted to the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30.

[0030] The communication unit 13 has a DSP and the like, and conforms to standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), and 5G (5th Generation), or Wi-Fi (registered trademark), to realize wireless communication and wired communication between other devices (for example, the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30) and the vehicle side via the communication network 60. The communication unit 13 is used, for example, to transmit a connection request from the vehicle side, a charging facility recommendation request including identification information, location information, destination information, facility use type information, charging information, etc. of the vehicle 50 to the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30, and conversely, to receive facility information of a plurality of facilities having charging facilities and recommendation level information of the plurality of facilities provided by the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30. However, there is no particular restriction on the data exchanged between the communication unit 13 and other devices, and information other than the above may also be exchanged.

[0031] The sensor unit 14 is configured by, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor, a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, etc. The sensor unit 14 has a function as a position detection means for detecting position information, and receives a GPS satellite signal using the GPS sensor to measure the position information (latitude and longitude) of the in-vehicle navigation device 10.

[0032] The display unit 15 is configured with a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic electroluminescence panel. The display unit 15 displays an image in response to an instruction from the control unit 11. Examples of information displayed by the display unit 15 include facility information of a plurality of facilities that are located on the current location of the vehicle 50 or on the route (passing route) to the destination and have charging facilities recommended as stop-off facilities, recommendation level information of the plurality of facilities, and various user interfaces, which are output from the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30.

[0033] The input unit 16 is composed of input devices such as physical switches called a numeric keypad and a touch panel that is provided over the display surface of the display unit 15. By outputting a signal to the control unit 11 based on an operation input from the input unit 16, for example, pressing a numeric keypad by the user or touching the touch panel, a selection operation by the user can be realized.

[0034] In addition, although not shown, the in-vehicle navigation device 10 may also be equipped with a speaker, a microphone, etc. In this way, it is possible to output information by voice from the speaker, and various selections and instructions by the driver inputted by voice via the microphone can be inputted to the control unit 11 using voice recognition technology.

[0035] Next, the control unit 11 will be described in detail. The control unit 11 is configured by a microprocessor having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random access memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), I / O (Input / Output), etc. The CPU executes each program read from the ROM or storage unit 12, and during execution, reads information from the RAM, ROM, and storage unit 12, writes information to the RAM and storage unit 12, and exchanges signals with the communication unit 13, sensor unit 14, display unit 15, and input unit 16. In this way, the processing in this embodiment is realized by the cooperation of hardware and software (programs).

[0036] The control unit 11 includes a route guidance unit 111, a charging amount calculation unit 112, an information transmission unit 113, a facility information presentation unit 114, and a charging facility reservation transmission unit 115 as functional blocks.

[0037] The route guidance unit 111 is a part that performs route guidance processing to a destination such as a general facility input or selected by the user. The route guidance processing to the destination is equivalent to the route guidance processing in a general car navigation system, and is a function known to those skilled in the art, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted. The route guidance unit 111 can also provide route guidance to a facility recommended as a stop-off facility provided by the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30, with the facility being set as the destination.

[0038] The charge amount calculation unit 112 acquires, for example, the SoC as the state of charge of the vehicle 50 from an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) (not shown) of the vehicle 50, and calculates the amount of charge required to fully charge (i.e., SoC is 100%) or to reach an SoC of 80%, etc., from the acquired SoC. The charge amount calculation unit 112 stores the calculated required amount of charge in the charge information 125 of the storage unit 12. Note that the required amount of charge is preferably about 80% of full charge.

[0039] The information transmission unit 113 transmits a charging facility recommendation request including identification information, location information, destination information, facility use type information, and charging information of the vehicle 50 to the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 via wireless communication using the communication unit 13. Note that information on correspondence to the performance of the charger will be described later.

[0040] The facility information presentation unit 114 receives from the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 facility information of a plurality of facilities having charging facilities recommended as stop-off facilities located on the route (passing route) to the current location or destination of the vehicle 50, and recommendation level information regarding the degree to which each of the plurality of facilities is recommended, and can provide the information to the user by, for example, outputting the information to the display unit 15. This allows the user to select the facility by, for example, tapping on a position indicating the facility on the display unit 15 (which has a touch panel). Specifically, the facility information presentation unit 114 can display, on the display unit 15, for example, as shown in Fig. 3A, the locations of multiple facilities to which facility information has been added, along with a route to the destination, as icons (pins) of a size corresponding to the recommendation level of the recommendation information for each facility, on a map, based on the facility information and recommendation level information received from the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30. Alternatively, when the vehicle 50 is traveling without setting a destination, the facility information presentation unit 114 may display, on the display unit 15, for example, as shown in Fig. 3B, the locations of multiple facilities to which facility information has been added, on a map, with the current location of the vehicle 50 at the center, as icons (pins) of a size corresponding to the recommendation level of the recommendation information for each facility, based on the facility information and recommendation level information received from the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30. If there are a plurality of facilities with a plurality of charging facilities in the vicinity of the vehicle 50, the display unit 15 may display information about the plurality of facilities in a scrollable manner.

[0041] When a facility is selected by the user based on the facility information received from the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30, the charging facility reservation transmission unit 115 can transmit identification information of the facility selected by the user (including a charging facility ID if the facility has multiple charging facilities) to the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30. At that time, if the charging time and charging duration are designated by the user, this information may also be transmitted. The configuration of the in-vehicle navigation device 10 has been described above.

[0042] <Functional blocks included in the mobile terminal 20> Next, functional blocks included in the mobile terminal 20 will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the mobile terminal 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a communication unit 23, a sensor unit 24, a display unit 25, and an input unit 26. Here, the control unit 21, the memory unit 22, the communication unit 23, the sensor unit 24, the display unit 25, and the input unit 26 have functions equivalent to those of the functional blocks of the same names included in the above-mentioned in-vehicle navigation device 10. In other words, by replacing the term "in-vehicle navigation device 10" in the above-mentioned description of the in-vehicle navigation device 10 with "portable terminal 20," the description of each functional block of the portable terminal 20 can be achieved, and therefore redundant description will be omitted. When a user carries the mobile terminal 20 and gets into the vehicle 50 and turns on the activation switch of the vehicle 50, the mobile terminal 20 may be connected (paired) with the vehicle 50 to share at least the identification information, destination information, facility use type information, and charging information of the vehicle 50. Alternatively, if the vehicle 50 is equipped with a telematics device, the mobile terminal 20 may acquire at least the identification information, destination information, facility use type information, and charging information of the vehicle 50 from a server (not shown) connected to the communication network 60 using a known method (for example, Japanese Patent No. 5174296, etc.). Furthermore, it is preferable that the user's mobile terminal 20 is linked to identification information of the vehicle 50 used by the user and registered in advance in the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30. Specifically, for example, it is preferable that the login ID used when logging in to the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 is associated with the identification information of the vehicle 50. In this way, the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 can certify both the user's mobile terminal 20 and the vehicle 50 as "vehicle sides." The configuration of the mobile terminal 20 has been described above.

[0043] <Functional Blocks of the Vehicle Charging Facility Recommendation Device 30> Next, functional blocks included in the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 5, the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, a communication unit 33, a display unit 34, and an input unit 35.

[0045] The control unit 31 is configured with an arithmetic processing device such as a microprocessor, and controls each unit that configures the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30. Details of the control unit 31 will be described later.

[0046] The storage unit 32 is configured with a semiconductor memory or the like, and stores various programs such as control programs called firmware and operating systems, programs for performing vehicle charging facility recommendation processing, and other various information such as map information, etc. For this reason, as shown in Fig. 5, the storage unit 32 has storage units such as a map information storage unit 321 and a vehicle information storage unit 322. These storage units may be provided individually in the storage unit 32, or may be configured as an integrated unit.

[0047] The map information storage unit 321 stores facility information including facility type information, facility location information, estimated stay time information regarding estimated stay time at the facility, and charging facility information regarding charging facilities associated with the facility. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of facility information. As shown in FIG. 6, the facility information includes, for example, type information including the facility name and facility type (category type), location information identified by the telephone number, address, business hours, latitude and longitude, etc., estimated stay time information regarding the estimated stay time which is the average stay time of people who visit the facility (for example, 20 minutes for a fast food restaurant, 50 minutes for a restaurant, 30 minutes for a roadside station, 60 minutes for a museum, etc.), charging facility information including whether or not there is a charging facility associated with the facility, identification information (facility ID) of the charging facility, output performance (charging speed) of the charger (charging equipment) equipped at the charging facility, etc., reservation information indicating the reservation status of the charging facility, and congestion level information indicating the congestion level of the charging facility. In addition, if a facility has multiple chargers (charging equipment), the charging facility information will include, for each charger (charging equipment), identification information (charger ID) for identifying the charger (charging equipment) and information indicating the performance of the charger. In addition, the charging facility information may include usage limit time information regarding the usage limit time if a usage limit time (e.g., 30 minutes) is set to prevent a charger from being monopolized by a single vehicle.

[0048] Here, a brief description will be given below of the charging facility and the charger (charging equipment). Charging facilities are classified based on the location of the charger (charging equipment), and include off-site charging, excluding home charging (charging at a private location such as the home). Examples of off-site charging include public facilities along major roads during long-distance travel, such as highway service areas, parking areas, and roadside stations, car dealerships that sell electric vehicles, frequently visited facilities such as convenience stores, supermarkets, shopping malls, and restaurants, hotels and other accommodations where cars are parked for long periods of time, and paid parking lots where cars are temporarily parked. The facility ID is unique identification information assigned to each facility, and is preferably assigned for each facility type. Here, an example of the facility type is the store type of the charging facility described above. Here, the identification information (facility ID) of the charging facility may be identification information of a general facility. Each facility ID has location information (map information) that is specified by, for example, latitude and longitude, where the facility is located. The map information may include display map data for displaying the background of roads and road maps, etc., location information and type information of nodes (e.g., road intersections, bends, endpoints, etc.), location information and type information of links which are routes connecting each node, and road network data including link cost data relating to cost information of all links (e.g., distance, required time, etc.).

[0049] Charging facilities are equipped with chargers (also called "charging equipment") that users can use, and some charging facilities have multiple chargers (charging equipment). Furthermore, some charging facilities have multiple types of chargers (charging equipment) (for example, normal chargers and rapid chargers, which will be described later). For this reason, it is desirable to assign a charger ID (charging equipment ID), which is unique identification information, to each charger (charging equipment) installed at a charging facility. The output performance (charging speed) of the charger (charging equipment) is set in advance and associated with each charger ID (charging equipment ID). Next, the output performance (charging speed) of the charger included in the facility information will be specifically described.

[0050] The output performance (charging speed) of chargers (charging equipment) will now be described. Chargers (charging equipment) are broadly classified into normal charging and rapid charging. Normal charging refers to charging with an output performance of 3 kW using, for example, an AC power source (200 V / 15 A or 100 V / 30 A). In addition to 3 kW chargers, there are also high-output normal chargers with a high output of 6 kW. Rapid charging, on the other hand, refers to charging with an output of, for example, 20 kW or more using, for example, a DC power source. Rapid charging has various output performances, and can be classified as, for example, a medium-speed charger with an output performance of 20 kW to 30 kW, a rapid charger with an output performance of 30 kW to 50 kW, an ultra-rapid charger with an output performance of 70 kW, or an ultra-rapid charger with an output performance of 90 kW or more. The above classifications and types are merely examples, and rapid charging is classified into stages by those skilled in the art. As the charging facility information, information indicating the output performance of the charging facility (charging speed information) is set corresponding to each charger ID (charging facility ID) installed at the charging facility. As an example, as illustrated above, the output performance (charging speed) of a charger (charging facility) can be classified into normal charging of 3 kWh and 6 kWh, a medium-speed charger with an output performance of 20 kW to 30 kW, a rapid charger with an output performance of 40 kW to 50 kW, an ultra-rapid charger with an output performance of 70 kW, and an ultra-rapid charger with an output performance of 90 kW or more. At charging facilities, based on user behavior at the facility, medium-speed chargers are often installed at convenience stores, roadside stations, home centers, etc., which correspond to so-called route charging, while rapid-speed chargers are installed at public facilities along major roads for long-distance travel, such as service areas and parking areas on expressways.Furthermore, hotels and other facilities, which correspond to so-called destination charging, tend to have many standard chargers installed.

[0051] Next, the vehicle information storage unit 322 will be described. The vehicle information storage unit 322 stores information that associates the identification information (vehicle identification ID) of the user's vehicle 50 registered in the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30, vehicle name information and / or vehicle model information linked to the identification information (vehicle identification ID), and battery capacity information of the vehicle. In this way, when a vehicle (e.g., the vehicle 50 or the mobile terminal 20 of the user of the vehicle 50) logs in to the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 using, for example, identification information (vehicle identification ID), and a charging facility recommendation request including the identification information of the vehicle 50 is sent from the vehicle (e.g., the vehicle 50 or the mobile terminal 20 of the user of the vehicle 50), the recommendation request input unit 311 described later can obtain vehicle name information and / or vehicle model information and battery capacity information of the vehicle linked to the identification information (vehicle identification ID) of the vehicle, and can provide the identification information, location information, and battery capacity information of the vehicle 50 to the facility search unit 312. The vehicle information storage unit 322 may store identification information (vehicle identification ID) of the electric vehicle, and vehicle name information and / or vehicle model information linked to the identification information (vehicle identification ID), and a battery capacity table by vehicle model information (not shown) that associates the vehicle name information and / or vehicle model information with battery capacity information may be stored in the storage unit 32, so that the recommended request input unit 311, described later, may acquire the battery capacity of the vehicle by referring to the battery capacity table by vehicle model information (not shown). In this case, the battery capacity table by vehicle model information (not shown) may be an internal table of the recommended request input unit 311, described later.

[0052] The communication unit 33 has a DSP and the like, and conforms to standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), 5G (5th Generation), and Wi-Fi (registered trademark), to realize wireless communication or wired communication with other devices, for example, the vehicle side, and wireless communication or wired communication with the charging facility information processing device 40 via the communication network 60. The communication unit 33 is used, for example, to receive a connection request from the vehicle side or a charging facility recommendation request including identification information of the vehicle 50, and conversely, to transmit facility information and recommendation level information of multiple recommended facilities to the vehicle side. Furthermore, the communication unit 33 is used, for example, to transmit information related to the vehicle 50 using the charging facilities of the facility to the charging facility information processing device 40, and conversely, to receive usage status of the charging facility and charging completion information from the charging facility information processing device 40. However, there is no particular restriction on the data exchanged between the communication unit 33 and other devices, and information other than the above may also be exchanged.

[0053] Next, the control unit 31 will be described in detail. The control unit 31 is configured by a microprocessor having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random access memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), I / O (Input / Output), etc. The CPU executes each program read from the ROM or storage unit 32, and during execution, reads information from the RAM, ROM, and storage unit 32, writes information to the RAM and storage unit 32, and exchanges signals with the communication unit 33, display unit 34, and input unit 35. In this way, the processing in this embodiment is realized by the cooperation of hardware and software (programs). In this way, the control unit 31 executes each program to cause the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30, which is a computer, to function as a predetermined means (hereinafter collectively referred to as a "vehicle charging facility recommendation control unit"). Furthermore, the control unit 31 executes each program to cause the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 to execute predetermined steps (hereinafter collectively referred to as "vehicle charging facility recommendation steps"). Hereinafter, the functions of the control unit 31 will be described from the perspective of a vehicle charging facility recommendation control unit. Note that a description from the perspective of a vehicle charging facility recommendation control step (method) will be omitted because it can be explained by replacing "unit" with "step."

[0054] The control unit 31 includes, as functional blocks, a facility interface unit 310, a recommendation request input unit 311, a facility search unit 312, an output unit 313, and a charging facility reservation input unit 314.

[0055] <Facility Interface Unit 310> The facility interface unit 310 periodically acquires the usage status of the chargers (charging facilities) provided at each charging facility from, for example, a charging facility information processing device 40 that manages the chargers (charging facilities) at the charging facilities of each facility, and stores the information in the storage unit 32. Here, examples of the usage status of the charger (charging facility) include whether the charger is in use (charging), whether it is available, whether it has been reserved, and the like. Furthermore, when the vehicle selects a facility that has a charging facility as the charging destination, the facility interface unit 310 may transmit information related to the vehicle to the charging facility information processing device 40. This allows the facility that has the charging facility to plan the use of the charger (charging equipment). Furthermore, when the vehicle has completed charging at the charging facility of the facility, the facility interface unit 310 can obtain a notification that the vehicle has completed charging at the charging equipment of the facility from the charging facility information processing device 40. In this case, the facility interface unit 310 may notify the charging facility information processing device 40 of reward information as a reward for sending the customer.

[0056] <Recommendation request input section 311> The recommendation request input unit 311 receives a charging facility recommendation request including identification information, location information, destination information, facility use type information, and charging information of the vehicle 50 from the vehicle side via the communication unit 33. Here, the identification information of the vehicle 50 is linked to the vehicle name information and / or vehicle model information of the vehicle. The recommendation request input unit 311 can acquire battery capacity information of the vehicle based on the vehicle name information and / or vehicle model information of the vehicle by referring to the vehicle information storage unit 322. The recommendation request input unit 311 may provide the facility search unit 312 with the identification information, location information, destination information, facility usage type information, charging information, and battery capacity information of the vehicle 50 received from the vehicle side.

[0057] <Facility Search Unit 312> For each vehicle 50 that has sent a charging facility recommendation request, the facility search unit 312 searches for multiple facilities that have charging facilities that are located on the route to the current location or destination of the vehicle 50 by referring to the facility information stored in the map information storage unit 321 based on the location information, destination information, facility usage type information, charging information, and battery capacity information of the vehicle 50. 3A, for example, when a user operates the mobile terminal 20 to search for a route to a destination, the facility search unit 312 acquires the battery capacity of the vehicle 50 from the charging information (such as the required charging amount and information indicating compatibility with the performance of the charger) and battery capacity information of the vehicle 50 acquired from the mobile terminal 20. Based on the destination information, the facility search unit 312 searches for multiple facilities (cafes, restaurants, etc.) that have charging facilities and are located within a predetermined range on the route to the destination, as POIs (Points of Interest), for example, based on a keyword "meal" specified by the vehicle. Here, the predetermined range may be a range having a width of a predetermined distance (for example, 2 km) on the route to the destination, or may be an administrative division on the route. Also, the predetermined range may be specified from the vehicle side. Note that, when the vehicle 50 moves without setting a destination as shown in FIG. 3B, the predetermined range may be a range of a predetermined radius (for example, 2 km) centered on the current location of the vehicle 50.

[0058] The facility search unit 312 selects multiple facilities whose facility information matches the facility use type information from the facility information of the searched facilities. For each selected facility, the facility search unit 312 calculates the charging time required to charge the vehicle 50 to the required amount of charge based on information indicating the correspondence between the required amount of charge and battery capacity of the vehicle 50 and the performance of the charger for the vehicle 50, and information indicating the performance of the charger at the charging facility owned by the facility. Note that, since it may be difficult for the output performance (charging speed) of the charging facility (charger) to always perform at 100%, the charging time may be calculated by correcting the output performance (charging speed) of the charging facility (charger) by a predetermined correction value (e.g., 80%). Note that the facility search unit 312 may also directly correct the charging time. The facility search unit 312 calculates a recommendation level, which is the degree to which the estimated stay time and the calculated charging time match, based on the estimated stay time information of each facility, the calculated charging time, and the charging facility information stored in the map information storage unit 321, and creates recommendation level information including the recommendation level for each of the selected facilities. For example, in the cases of Figures 3A and 3B, the facility search unit 312 calculates the highest recommendation level for fast food facilities and calculates lower recommendation levels for facilities such as restaurants and cafes than for fast food facilities. The facility search unit 312 temporarily stores a collection of facility information and recommendation level information for multiple facilities searched for for each vehicle 50 that received a charging facility recommendation request in the memory unit 32 for each vehicle 50, and notifies the output unit 313, which will be described later. This avoids concentration at charging facilities and allows the user of vehicle 50 to select an appropriate facility without hesitation from among multiple charging facilities.

[0059] In addition, if a maximum usage time (e.g., 30 minutes) is set for the charging facilities owned by the facility, the facility search unit 312 may refer to the maximum usage time information in the charging facility information and calculate the recommendation level so as to preferentially recommend facilities where the estimated stay time is less than the maximum usage time. Furthermore, the facility search unit 312 may calculate the recommendation level of the facility based on the congestion level information in the facility information so as to preferentially recommend charging facilities that are not congested. The facility search unit 312 may also calculate the recommendation level for each facility based on the charging time when the estimated stay time is equal to or less than the required charge amount, that is, the charging time when the estimated stay time is 80% of the required charge amount, for example. Furthermore, the facility information may include an estimated facility usage fee, making it even easier for the user to make a selection. This allows the user to go to the vehicle 50 connected to the charger before charging is complete, preventing the vehicle 50 from remaining connected to the charger even after charging is complete and avoiding disturbing other users.

[0060] <Output unit 313> The output unit 313 outputs and provides to the vehicle a set of facility information and recommendation level information for facilities that have charging facilities as stop-off facilities searched for by the facility search unit 312. Specifically, for example, as shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the output unit 313 may output the location of a facility having a charging facility recommended as a stop-off facility using an icon (pin) of a size according to the recommendation level, and may also output the contents of the facility information. If a facility having a charging facility cannot be output, a choice of whether to widen the search range for facilities or not may be output.

[0061] <Charging facility reservation input unit 314> The charging facility reservation input unit 314 inputs facility information selected by the user from the vehicle side, and provides the selected facility information together with the vehicle information to the facility interface unit 310. Note that, if the user has specified a charging time and charging duration, this information is also provided to the facility interface unit 310. The configuration of the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 has been described above.

[0062] Finally, we will explain the charging facility information processing device 40. As described above, the charging facility information processing device 40 is installed, for example, in each facility that has a charging facility, and manages the usage status of the charging equipment provided in the charging facility. As shown in FIG. 7, the charging facility information processing device 40 includes a control unit 41, a storage unit 42, a communication unit 43, a display unit 44, and an input unit 45.

[0063] The control unit 41 is configured with an arithmetic processing device such as a microprocessor, and controls each unit constituting the charging facility information processing device 40. The control unit 41 will be described later.

[0064] The memory unit 42 stores the usage status (for example, in use (vehicle charging), charging completed, available, reservation status, etc.) of each charger (charging equipment) provided in the charging facility in the facility to be managed, together with user information and date and time information. Furthermore, in terms of the usage status of the charger (charging equipment), if the user is a user from the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30, the memory unit 42 stores information indicating that the user is from the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30. Furthermore, if the user is a user from the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30, the memory unit 42 stores billing information (reward for sending a customer) sent from the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30.

[0065] The communication unit 43 is used, for example, to receive information related to a vehicle 50 using a charging facility from the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30, and conversely, to transmit the usage status of the charger (charging equipment) and charging completion information to the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30.

[0066] The control unit 41 includes, as functional blocks, a charging facility interface unit 410 and an information processing interface unit 411.

[0067] The charging facility interface unit 410 periodically acquires the usage status of each charger (charging facility) from each charger (charging facility) provided in the charging facility in the facility to be managed, and stores the information in the storage unit 42.

[0068] The information processing interface unit 411 reports the usage status of chargers (charging facilities) to the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 periodically or upon request. Furthermore, when the vehicle side selects, as a charging destination, charging equipment provided at the charging facility output from the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30, the charging facility interface unit 410 receives information related to the vehicle 50 using the charging facility from the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30. By doing so, the information processing interface unit 411 sets the charging equipment at the charging facility to a reserved state. Furthermore, the information processing interface unit 411 may receive reward information as a reward for sending the customer from the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30. Conversely, when a vehicle 50 that has used the charging facility recommended by the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 completes charging at the charging facility, the information processing interface unit 411 notifies the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 that the vehicle 50 has completed charging at the charging facility. The configuration of the charging facility information processing device 40 has been described above.

[0069] The above describes embodiments of the functional units of the vehicle charging facility recommendation system 1 of the present invention based on the configuration of the vehicle-mounted navigation device 10, the mobile terminal 20, the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30, the charging facility information processing device 40, and the charging facility. Note that the embodiments of the functional units included in the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 of the present invention can be deployed so as to be executed by a single computer, or in a distributed manner on multiple computers located in one location or distributed across several locations and interconnected by a communication network. Furthermore, the system can also be configured using multiple virtual computers on the cloud.

[0070] <Operation of this embodiment> Next, the operation of the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 of this embodiment during the vehicle charging facility recommendation process will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 8. Here, Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation during the vehicle charging facility recommendation process in which the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 receives a charging facility recommendation request from the vehicle side and then provides the vehicle with facility information and recommendation level information of a plurality of recommendable facilities among facilities that have charging facilities. 8, it is assumed that the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 has already registered identification information (vehicle identification ID), vehicle name information and / or vehicle model information, and facility information of the vehicle 50. Furthermore, although not shown, it is assumed that the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 periodically acquires the usage status of charging facilities from the charging facility information processing device 40 in the background. In the following processing flow, if a facility with a charging facility cannot be found within a predetermined range on the route to the current location or destination of the vehicle 50, the predetermined range is expanded and the search is performed again, but this is not limited to this processing flow. If a facility with a charging facility cannot be found within a predetermined range on the route to the current location or destination of the vehicle 50, the search process may be stopped and the vehicle may be notified that a facility with a charging facility could not be found, although this is not shown.

[0071] In step S10, the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 (recommendation request input unit 311) is logged in from the vehicle side and receives a charging facility recommendation request including the vehicle 50's identification information, location information, destination information, facility usage type information, and charging information.

[0072] In step S11, the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 (recommendation request input unit 311) acquires the battery capacity of the vehicle 50 that has transmitted the charging facility recommendation request by referring to a battery capacity table by vehicle model information (not shown).

[0073] In step S12, the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 (facility search unit 312) searches for multiple facilities with charging facilities that are located within a specified range on the route to the current location or destination of the vehicle 50 as POIs, and temporarily stores a set of facility information for the searched facilities (hereinafter also referred to as the "first set") in the memory unit 32.

[0074] In step S13, the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 (facility search unit 312) determines whether the first set stored in step S12 is an empty set. If the first set is an empty set, the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 (facility search unit 312) proceeds to step S19. On the other hand, if the first set is not an empty set, the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 (facility search unit 312) proceeds to step S14.

[0075] In step S14, the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 (facility search unit 312) temporarily stores in the memory unit 32 a set of facility information (hereinafter also referred to as the "second set") of facilities that match the facility usage type information among the facilities searched for in step S12.

[0076] In step S15, the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 (facility search unit 312) determines whether the second set stored in step S14 is an empty set. If the second set is an empty set, the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 (facility search unit 312) proceeds to step S19. On the other hand, if the second set is not an empty set, the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 (facility search unit 312) proceeds to step S16.

[0077] In step S16, the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 (facility search unit 312) calculates, for each facility included in the second set, the charging time required to charge the required amount of charge based on the required amount of charge of the vehicle 50, the battery capacity, information indicating the compatibility of the vehicle 50 with the charger, and information indicating the performance of the charger at the charging facility owned by the facility.

[0078] In step S17, the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 (facility search unit 312) calculates the recommendation level for each of the selected facilities based on the estimated stay time for each of the selected facilities, the charging time calculated in step S16, and the charging facility information, and creates recommendation level information, and temporarily stores the recommendation level information in the memory unit 32 in association with the facility information of each facility included in the second set.

[0079] In step S18, the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 (output unit 313) outputs and provides the second set of facilities having charging facilities as stop-off facilities to the vehicle 50 that received the charging facility recommendation request in step S11.

[0080] In step S19, the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 (facility search unit 312) widens the predetermined range, and then proceeds to step S12.

[0081] In this way, the vehicle can use the facility information presentation unit 114 (or 214) to display the facility on the display unit 15 (or 25) as an icon (pin) of a size according to the recommendation level, as shown in, for example, Figure 3A or Figure 3B, and can also make a reservation for charging equipment provided at the charging facility of the selected facility. In this way, the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 can provide the vehicle with facility information about facilities that have charging equipment after receiving a charging facility recommendation request from the vehicle, thereby avoiding concentration on charging facilities and enabling the user to select an appropriate facility from among multiple facilities that allow charging without hesitation. The user can then charge vehicle 50 while engaging in an activity that matches the searched-for stop-off facility (for example, having tea at a cafe, eating at a restaurant, shopping at a shopping mall, etc.), thereby charging without having to wait while charging.

[0082] <About hardware and software> Each of the devices included in the vehicle charging facility recommendation system 1 can be realized by hardware, software, or a combination of these. In addition, the input / output method for recommending facilities having charging facilities, which is performed by the cooperation of each of the devices included in the vehicle charging facility recommendation system 1, can also be realized by hardware, software, or a combination of these. Here, being realized by software means being realized by one or more computers reading and executing one or more programs.

[0083] The program can be stored and supplied to a computer using various types of non-transitory computer-readable media. Non-transitory computer-readable media include various types of tangible storage media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include magnetic recording media (e.g., flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives), magneto-optical recording media (e.g., magneto-optical disks), CD-ROMs (Read Only Memory), CD-Rs, CD-R / Ws, and semiconductor memories (e.g., mask ROMs, PROMs (Programmable ROMs), EPROMs (Erasable PROMs), flash ROMs, and RAMs (Random Access Memory)). The program may also be supplied to a computer by various types of transitory computer-readable media. Examples of transitory computer-readable media include electrical signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. The transitory computer-readable media can supply the program to a computer via a wired communication path such as an electric wire or optical fiber, or via a wireless communication path.

[0084] The above-described embodiment is a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment alone, and the present invention can be implemented in various modified forms within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

[0085] <Variation 1> The functional configuration of the above-described embodiment may be modified. That is, the functional configurations of Figures 2, 3, 5, and 7 are merely examples and do not limit the functional configuration of the present embodiment. That is, it is sufficient for each device to have a function that can execute a series of processes related to the vehicle charging facility recommendation function of the present invention as a whole, and the functional blocks used to realize this function are not particularly limited to the examples of Figures 2, 3, 5, and 7.

[0086] Furthermore, the devices for realizing these functional configurations are merely examples in the above-described embodiments. For example, in the above-described embodiments, the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 is described as being realized by a single server device or the like, but the functions of the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 may be distributed across multiple server devices as appropriate, forming a distributed processing system. Furthermore, the functions of the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 may be realized using a virtual server function or the like on the cloud.

[0087] Furthermore, the display unit 34 and the input unit 35 described as being included in the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 may be realized by devices separate from devices that realize other parts of the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30. For example, a device that realizes the control unit 31, the storage unit 32, and the communication unit 33 may be configured as a separate device from a device that realizes the display unit 34 and the input unit 35, and the two devices may communicate with each other via the communication network 60.

[0088] <Variation 2> As described above, the charging facility information stored in the memory unit 32 of the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 can be configured to be created and updated as appropriate in response to input from the manager of the charging facility, for example, from a charging facility terminal device (not shown) installed at the charging facility. For example, after logging in to the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 from a terminal device for charging facilities (not shown), and the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 determines that the user ID is valid, the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 sends an editing processing screen for creating and updating charging facility information to the terminal device for charging facilities (not shown), thereby enabling editing of charging facility information in the terminal device for charging facilities (not shown), and creating and updating charging facility information as appropriate in accordance with input from the manager of the charging facility, etc.

[0089] <Variation 3> In addition, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 displays the facility on the display unit 15 using a display icon (pin) of a size corresponding to the recommendation level as shown in Fig. 3A or 3B, but is not limited to this. For example, the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 may display an introduction to the facility using a display tile (display frame) of a size corresponding to the recommendation level. This will allow users to more easily select an appropriate facility from among multiple charging facilities without hesitation.

[0090] <Variation 4> Also, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 receives charging information including the required charging amount from the vehicle 50, but this is not limiting. For example, the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 may acquire charging information including the SoC of the vehicle 50 and calculate the required charging amount from the acquired SoC.

[0091] <Variation 5> Also, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 receives a charging facility recommendation request including identification information, location information, destination information, facility use type information, and charging information of the vehicle 50 from the in-vehicle navigation device 10 or the mobile terminal 20. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 may receive a charging facility recommendation request including occupant information of the occupant riding in the vehicle 50 (e.g., the gender, age, hobbies, and interests of the occupant) input by the user, together with the identification information, location information, destination information, facility use type information, and charging information of the vehicle 50 from the in-vehicle navigation device 10 or the mobile terminal 20. In this way, the vehicle charging facility recommendation device 30 can recommend facilities that have charging facilities that suit the preferences of the occupant of the vehicle 50 as stop-off facilities. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 1. Vehicle charging facility recommendation system 10. In-vehicle navigation devices 20 Mobile devices 11,21 Control unit 111,211 Route Guidance Department 112,212 Charge amount calculation section 113,213 Information Transmission Department 114,214 Facility Information Section 115,215 Charging facility reservation transmission unit 12,22 Storage section 121,221 Map Information 122,222 Identification Information 123,223 Location information 124,224 Facility usage type information 125,225 Charging information 13,23 Communications Department 14,24 Sensor section 15,25 Display section 16,26 Input section 30 Recommended equipment for vehicle charging facilities 31 Control Unit 310 Facility Interface Department 311 Recommended request input section 312 Facility Search Department 313 Output section 314 Charging facility reservation input section 32 Storage section 321 Map information storage unit 322 Vehicle information storage unit 40 Charging facility information processing device 50 Vehicles (electric vehicles) 60 Communication Network

Claims

1. a map information storage unit that stores facility information including facility type information, location information of the facility, estimated stay time information regarding an estimated stay time at the facility, and charging facility information regarding charging facilities associated with the facility; a receiving unit that receives, from the vehicle, identification information of the vehicle, location information of the vehicle, facility use type information including at least facility names, facility locations, types, and stay times of facilities that the vehicle has used in the past, and charging information including a required amount of charging for the vehicle; a search unit that searches for stop-off facilities to be presented to the vehicle; an output unit that outputs the searched stop-off facility and recommendation level information relating to a degree to which the stop-off facility is recommended to the vehicle, The search unit searches for facility information present near a current location or a passing route of the vehicle from location information of the vehicle, selects a plurality of facilities that match the facility use type information from the searched facility information, calculates a charging time required to charge the amount of charge from the charging information, and creates the recommendation level information of the plurality of facilities from the calculated charging time, the estimated stay time information, and the charging facility information. Recommended equipment for vehicle charging facilities.

2. the charging facility information includes information indicating performance of a charger, the charging information includes information indicating a correspondence between the vehicle and the performance of the charger, 2. The vehicle charging facility recommendation device according to claim 1, wherein the search unit uses information indicating performance of the charger and information indicating correspondence to the performance of the charger when selecting a plurality of facilities that match the facility use type information from the searched facility information and when calculating the charging time.

3. The vehicle charging facility recommendation device according to claim 1 , wherein the output unit outputs an icon displayed in a size corresponding to the recommendation level of the recommendation level information.

4. The vehicle charging facility recommendation device according to claim 1 , wherein the output unit outputs a display frame having a size corresponding to the recommendation level of the recommendation level information.

5. 1. A vehicle charging facility recommendation method for causing a computer to operate as a vehicle charging facility recommendation device, comprising: a map information storage step of storing facility type information, location information of the facility, estimated stay time information regarding an estimated stay time at the facility, and charging facility information regarding charging facilities associated with the facility as facility information; a receiving step of receiving, from the vehicle side, identification information of the vehicle, location information of the vehicle, facility use type information including at least facility names, facility locations, types, and stay times of facilities used by the vehicle in the past, and charging information including a required amount of charging of the vehicle; a search step for searching for a stop-off facility to be presented to the vehicle; an output step of outputting the searched stop-off facility and recommendation level information relating to a degree to which the stop-off facility is recommended to the vehicle, The search step searches for facility information present near a current location or a passing route of the vehicle from location information of the vehicle, selects a plurality of facilities that match the facility use type information from the searched facility information, calculates a charging time required to charge the amount of charge from the charging information, and creates the recommendation level information of the plurality of facilities from the calculated charging time, the estimated stay time information, and the charging facility information. Vehicle charging facility recommended practices.

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