Management device and information processing method

Abstract

To prevent batteries from running out while suppressing a main battery of a vehicle from being exhausted by asking a user whether supplementary charging is possible from the main battery to a sub battery, and then performing supplementary charging.SOLUTION: A management device manages the remaining power of a sub-battery of a vehicle that includes a main battery and the sub-battery. The management device acquires remaining power information of the sub-battery at the time when the vehicle starts parking. The management device predicts a remaining power drop timing at which the remaining power of the sub-battery falls below a threshold while the vehicle is parked, based on the acquired remaining power information. The management device transmits, to a user terminal, an inquiry as to whether to perform supplementary charging of the sub-battery using power of the main battery at a timing earlier than the predicted remaining power drop timing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a management device and an information processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, research and development has been conducted into secondary batteries that contribute to energy efficiency and charging systems for vehicles equipped with secondary batteries, in order to ensure that more people have access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and advanced energy.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for issuing instructions to charge the auxiliary battery of a vehicle that is turned off, such as when parked, based on the stored auxiliary battery status without constantly monitoring the vehicle's status. Patent Document 2 also discloses a technology for branching the main electrical circuit from a smart meter to connect the electric vehicle's charging device to a residential distribution board, and for communicating the charging status to a mobile terminal so that the charging status can be grasped even when away from home and the charging current to the electric vehicle can be controlled. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-83157 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-182853 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the technology related to secondary batteries and charging and supplying power to vehicles equipped with secondary batteries, the sub-battery is supplementally charged using power from the main battery. However, frequent supplementary charging to prevent the battery from running out consumes power from the main battery, which can lead to a problem of reduced mileage (AER).

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, the present application aims to suppress battery exhaustion while suppressing the consumption of the main battery of a vehicle by inquiring the user about whether or not the sub-battery can be supplementarily charged from the main battery before supplementary charging is performed, thereby contributing to energy efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to the present invention, A management device for managing a remaining charge of a sub-battery of a vehicle having a main battery and a sub-battery, a remaining charge information acquisition means for acquiring remaining charge information of the sub-battery at the time when the vehicle starts to be parked; a prediction unit for predicting a timing at which the remaining charge of the sub-battery will fall below a threshold while the vehicle is parked, based on the remaining charge information; a transmitting means for transmitting an inquiry to a user terminal as to whether or not to supplementarily charge the sub-battery using power from the main battery at a timing before the remaining charge reduction timing predicted by the predicting means; Equipped with The transmission means transmits information about the supplemental charging to the user terminal together with the inquiry, and the information about the supplemental charging is a traveling distance of the vehicle that varies depending on the execution of the supplemental charging. A management device is provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, by asking the user whether or not supplementary charging from the main battery to the sub-battery is possible before performing supplementary charging, it is possible to prevent battery death while suppressing consumption of the vehicle's main battery. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a management system for a sub-battery remaining capacity according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a server that is a management device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a vehicle. [Figure 4]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a GUI displayed on a terminal according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing by a management device according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention as claimed, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. Two or more of the features described in the embodiments may be combined in any desired manner. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used to designate identical or similar components, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.

[0011] A management device according to one embodiment of the present invention manages the remaining charge of a sub-battery of a vehicle having a main battery and a sub-battery. In particular, the management device according to this embodiment acquires remaining charge information of the sub-battery at the start of parking the vehicle, and predicts a timing at which the remaining charge of the sub-battery will fall below a threshold while the vehicle is parked based on the acquired remaining charge information. The management device then transmits an inquiry to a user terminal prior to the predicted timing at which the remaining charge will fall below a threshold using power from the main battery. In this embodiment, the management device is a server that acquires various information from the vehicle and predicts the timing at which the remaining charge will fall, but this is merely an example and the present invention is not limited to this configuration.

[0012] [system] A system including a management device according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 shows a management system that sets the timing for supplemental charging of a vehicle 110, managed by a management device (server) 100 according to this embodiment. The management device according to this embodiment is the server 100, which is communicatively connected to the vehicle 110 via a network 120. In this embodiment, the server 100 is connected via the network 120 to a terminal 130 (user terminal) owned by a user 135 of the vehicle 110, and sends an inquiry to the terminal 130 as to whether or not to supplementally charge the sub-battery.

[0013] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the server 100 according to this embodiment. The server 100 includes a processing unit 201, a storage unit 202, and a communication unit 203. The processing unit 201 is a processor typified by a CPU, and executes programs stored in the storage unit 202. The storage unit 202 is a storage device such as a RAM, a ROM, or a hard disk. The communication unit 203 includes a wired or wireless communication interface capable of communicating with the vehicle 110 or the terminal 130 via a communication network.

[0014] The storage unit 202 stores various data in addition to the program executed by the processing unit 201. The program may be installed in the server 100 from a storage medium such as a CD-ROM. In the example of FIG. 2, a database (DB) 221 is illustrated as an example of data stored in the storage unit 202. The DB 221 is a DB in which information about the vehicle 110 is registered, and may also be referred to as a vehicle DB. The DB 221 registers the vehicle 110 and the terminal 130 owned by the user 135 of the vehicle 110 in association with each other. In this embodiment, an inquiry as to whether to perform sub-battery operation for the vehicle 110 is transmitted to the terminal 130 associated with the vehicle 110. Here, the number of terminals 130 associated with the vehicle 110 is not particularly limited, and one terminal 130 may be associated with multiple vehicles 110. The DB 221 can store various information about the vehicle, such as information about the sub-battery 313 of the vehicle 110.

[0015] 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the server 100 according to this embodiment. The vehicle 110 according to this embodiment is a vehicle that has a main battery 311 and a sub-battery 313, which are secondary batteries, and is driven by an electric motor 315. The vehicle 110 according to this embodiment includes, as on-board devices, the main battery 311, a converter 312, the sub-battery 313, a control unit 314, a motor 315, an ECU 316, and a communication unit 317.

[0016] The main battery 311 is a power source for driving the vehicle motor 315, and in this embodiment, the sub-battery 313 is supplementally charged using the power of the main battery 311. The voltage of the main battery 311 may be, for example, 150V or higher, 200V or higher, 250V or higher, or 280V or higher. The voltage of the main battery may also be 450V or lower, 400V or lower, or 300V or lower.

[0017] The sub-battery 313 is a battery that functions as a power source for an electrical system including an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) including a PCU (Power Control Module) or auxiliary equipment such as an audio system. The sub-battery 313 according to this embodiment has a lower voltage output than the main battery 311, and its voltage is, for example, 12 V. However, the voltage of the sub-battery 313 can be any voltage depending on the ECU that controls it, and may be, for example, 100 V or a voltage similar to that of the main battery. Using a sub-battery with an output of 12 V makes it possible to employ a conventional ECU that is driven by a 12 V battery. The vehicle 110 equipped with such a sub-battery 313 may be, for example, an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle with an additional engine. In this embodiment, the vehicle 110 is described as an electric vehicle (BEV, Battery Electric Vehicle) that drives a motor using a battery.

[0018] As described above, the sub-battery 313 according to this embodiment supplies power to the electrical system of the vehicle 110. Because the sub-battery 313 supplies power to the control unit 314, which is the control system of the vehicle 110, if the remaining charge of the sub-battery 313 becomes too low, the control system stops and is unable to send instructions to the various electrical systems (hereinafter, this phenomenon will be referred to as "dead battery"). While a dead battery can be prevented by supplementally charging the sub-battery 313 using power from the main battery 311, performing supplemental charging more frequently than necessary will consume power from the main battery 311 and reduce the mileage (AER). In this embodiment, the sub-battery 313 is supplementally charged using power from the main battery 311 at a supplemental charging timing set by the server 100, thereby suppressing battery death while suppressing power consumption of the main battery. The converter 312 is, for example, a DC / DC converter, and reduces the current stored in the main battery 311 to a predetermined voltage and supplies the voltage to various in-vehicle devices, including the sub-battery 313.

[0019] In this embodiment, the communication unit 317 transmits to the server 100 remaining charge information of the sub-battery at the start of parking the vehicle. Here, the start of parking the vehicle refers to the timing when the ignition of the vehicle 110 is turned off, but is not particularly limited to the timing when an operation to keep the vehicle stationary by parking, such as when the parking brake is used, is performed. The communication unit 317 transmits the remaining charge information of the sub-battery as a State Of Charge (SOC) value. The remaining charge information may also be expressed by referring to, for example, voltage and temperature. Hereinafter, when simply referring to "remaining charge information," it refers to the remaining charge information of the sub-battery 313.

[0020] The control unit 314 is, for example, a PCU, and receives power from the sub-battery 313 to control the electrical system of the vehicle. The control unit 314 according to this embodiment may control the supplementary charging of the sub-battery, may control the motor 315, or may control the ECU 316. Alternatively, the control unit 314 may be implemented as an ECU dedicated to the supplementary charging of the sub-battery, and the ECU 316 may control other aspects of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the control unit 314 controls the supplementary charging of the sub-battery at a timing according to an instruction from the server 100.

[0021] The ECU 316 is, for example, an audio system, an air conditioner, or other electrical system mounted on the vehicle 110. The communication unit 317 transmits and receives data to and from the server 100 via the network 120.

[0022] 1, the server 100 predicts the timing when the battery of the vehicle 110 will run out based on the remaining charge information of the sub-battery 313 at the start of parking the vehicle 110. The server 100 sets a threshold value for the remaining charge of the sub-battery 313, and estimates the timing when the remaining charge is predicted to fall below the threshold value as the timing when the battery will run out (timing when the remaining charge will decrease). Below, the processing performed by the server 100 will be described as being performed by the processing unit 201 shown in FIG. 2.

[0023] The threshold used to determine whether the battery will die can be set according to the user's desired conditions, but for example, it may be set in the range of 10% to 30% using the SOC. Furthermore, taking into account the charging efficiency depending on the battery temperature, the threshold for the remaining battery information may be set based on predicted temperature information. The predicted temperature information may be forecast information on the air temperature, the outside temperature of the vehicle when parked, or the temperature of the battery after sufficient time has passed since parking. The server 100 can set the threshold for the remaining battery information higher, assuming that the lower the predicted temperature information, the worse the charging efficiency will be.

[0024] The server 100 can calculate the timing of the remaining charge decrease based on the remaining charge information of the sub-battery 313 and the amount of power consumption (discharge amount) due to the dark current of the sub-battery 313. The amount of discharge due to the dark current of the sub-battery 313 in standby may be set in advance based on, for example, the type of vehicle 110, or may be calculated based on various electrical components such as a car navigation device or a drive recorder provided in the vehicle 110, or may be obtained from records of past consumption amounts. For example, by periodically obtaining the remaining charge information from the vehicle 110, the server 100 can calculate the amount of consumption, such as a 1% decrease in SOC per day. This discharge amount may be statistically calculated from the amount of discharge while the vehicle is parked for a predetermined period (for example, one month).

[0025] The server 100 sets the timing for supplementary charging the sub-battery 313 using power from the main battery 311 before the remaining charge is low. The server 100 may set the timing for supplementary charging based on, for example, remaining battery information, or may set the timing for supplementary charging based on information on factors related to the battery charging speed, such as temperature information or battery degradation information, in addition to the remaining battery information. The server 100 according to this embodiment may set the timing for supplementary charging based on a temperature forecast, for example, so as to prioritize timing for supplementary charging when the temperature is high. Since charging can be performed efficiently when the temperature is 0°C or higher, the server 100 may set the timing for supplementary charging when the temperature is 0°C or higher. Similarly, the server 100 may set the timing for supplementary charging based on a temperature desired by the user. The server 100 may also set the timing for supplementary charging to start on a day when charging can be performed efficiently, such as during the daytime on the day with the highest (maximum or average) temperature within a predetermined period (e.g., one week) for which temperature information is acquired. On the other hand, since extremely high temperatures, such as when the engine compartment exceeds 60°C, can have a negative impact on charging, it is possible to avoid setting supplemental charging timing when it is predicted that certain high temperature conditions will be met, such as not performing supplemental charging on days when it is predicted that the temperature will exceed 35°C continuously for a certain period of time (for example, 6 hours).

[0026] To this end, the server 100 can acquire a temperature forecast for the parking area after the vehicle 110 starts parking. In this embodiment, the server 100 is communicatively connected to a weather forecast server (not shown) that performs weather forecasts, and acquires weather forecast information, including temperature forecasts for a predetermined period for each area, from the weather forecast server. However, if a temperature forecast for the parking area of ​​the vehicle 110 can be acquired, there is no need to use a weather forecast server; for example, the server 100 may predict the temperature, or temperature forecast information stored in the vehicle 110 may be acquired. Here, the temperature forecast is assumed to be the minimum temperature for each day (or for a predetermined period), but the average temperature, maximum temperature, etc. may also be used depending on the application.

[0027] The server 100 transmits an inquiry as to whether or not to perform supplemental charging (supplemental charging confirmation) to the terminal 130. Upon receiving the supplemental charging confirmation, the terminal 130 displays a message to the user 135 to confirm whether or not the user intends to perform supplemental charging, and acquires a user input as to whether or not to perform supplemental charging.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a GUI of a notification screen for a user displayed by the terminal 130 upon receiving confirmation of supplemental charging in this embodiment. A message 402, a message 403, and a confirmation button 404 are displayed on a display screen 401 of the terminal 130. The message 402 is a display that notifies the user of the date on which the battery will run out (when the remaining charge will decrease). In the example of FIG. 4, the message 402 indicates that the vehicle may not be able to start due to a dead battery in 10 days. The message 403 is a display that notifies the user of the mileage that will change when supplemental charging is performed. In the example of FIG. 4, the message 403 indicates that the mileage will change from 300 km before the supplemental charging to 280 km after the supplemental charging. In this way, the server 100 may transmit information about supplemental charging together with the confirmation of supplemental charging. The terminal 130 obtains a user input via the confirmation button 404 and transmits the selection result to the server 100. Note that the display in Figure 4 is just one example; for example, the notification bar displayed by swiping on the touch panel may only display confirmation button 404, allowing input, and tapping the corresponding location on the notification bar may display the entire information in Figure 4.

[0029] Here, if it is determined that the user 135 intends to perform supplementary charging based on the selection result, the server 100 can transmit a supplementary charging start instruction to the vehicle 110 at the supplementary charging timing. Here, the server 100 may transmit the start instruction at the supplementary charging timing to cause the vehicle 110 to start supplementary charging, or may transmit information indicating the supplementary charging timing to the vehicle 110, and the control unit 314 may start supplementary charging at the supplementary charging timing based on the information.

[0030] The server 100 can set the timing for transmitting the supplementary charging confirmation to the terminal 130 based on the timing of when the remaining amount is low. For example, the server 100 may transmit the supplementary charging confirmation simultaneously with the timing of when the remaining amount is low, or may transmit the supplementary charging confirmation a predetermined period of time (for example, 10 days as shown in message 402 in FIG. 4) in advance. Any timing may be set as long as it allows the user to check.

[0031] Furthermore, if there is no input from the user in response to the confirmation of supplementary charging, the server 100 will not allow the vehicle 110 to perform supplementary charging. However, supplementary charging may be performed even if there is no input from the user.

[0032] In this embodiment, the user is notified by the screen display shown in Fig. 4 when the supplementary charging is confirmed, but the present invention is not limited to this mode as long as the user is notified. For example, the server 100 may send a voice inquiry to the terminal 130, and may simultaneously control the terminal 130 to vibrate or light up. By notifying the user by automated voice over the phone, the user can more reliably confirm the notification.

[0033] Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a management process for the remaining charge of the sub-battery 313 performed by the processing unit 201 of the server 100 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the process according to Fig. 5 is started when the vehicle 110 is parked and the ignition is turned off, and remaining charge information of the sub-battery 313 is transmitted to the server 100. The process according to Fig. 5 is realized, for example, by the CPU of the processing unit 201 reading a program stored in the ROM or the storage unit 202 into the RAM and executing the program.

[0034] In S501, the server 100 acquires various information from the vehicle 110, including remaining charge information of the sub-battery. Here, the server 100 acquires the remaining charge information as SOC. In S502, the server 100 predicts the timing when the sub-battery 313 will run out, based on the remaining charge information acquired in S501. The server 100 according to this embodiment predicts the timing when the sub-battery 313 will run out, using information indicating the amount of discharge due to dark current of the vehicle 110 stored in the DB 221. However, in S501, information indicating the amount of discharge due to dark current of the vehicle 110 may be acquired from the vehicle 110 in addition to the remaining charge information.

[0035] In S503, the server 100 acquires a weather forecast. The server 100 according to this embodiment acquires the weather forecast corresponding to the parking area of ​​the vehicle 110 from a weather forecast server and refers to the temperature forecast included in the weather forecast. Here, the server 100 may have acquired the location information of the vehicle 110 parked as the parking area in S501, or may use the area corresponding to the vehicle 110 stored in DB 221 as the parking area.

[0036] In S504, the server 100 sets the timing for supplementary charging of the sub-battery 313 based on the temperature forecast acquired in S503. For example, the server 100 may set the timing for starting supplementary charging to be during the daytime (e.g., noon) on the day with the highest minimum temperature within a predetermined period (here, one week) for the acquired temperature forecast. Alternatively, for example, the server 100 may calculate the timing for starting supplementary charging based on the temperature forecast so that supplementary charging will be completed on the date and time when the battery will run out, and may set the timing for starting supplementary charging to be during the daytime on a day before the calculated timing when the minimum temperature exceeds a threshold value that satisfies the condition for starting supplementary charging.

[0037] In S505, the server 100 transmits an inquiry to the user terminal as to whether or not to perform supplemental charging. Here, the server 100 transmits a supplemental charging confirmation to the terminal 130 associated with the vehicle for which the remaining charge has been acquired. In S506, the server 100 acquires information that the user has input to the terminal 130 as a response to the inquiry transmitted in S505, indicating whether or not to perform supplemental charging of the sub-battery.

[0038] In S507, the server 100 determines whether or not to perform supplemental charging based on the information acquired in S506. If an input indicating that supplemental charging will be performed is acquired in S506, the process proceeds to S508; otherwise, the process ends. In S508, the server 100 instructs the vehicle 110 to start supplemental charging. As described above, the server 100 may transmit the start instruction to the vehicle 110 at the timing to start supplemental charging, or may transmit an instruction including information indicating the start timing to the vehicle 110 before the start timing.

[0039] According to this processing, the timing when the battery will run out is predicted based on the remaining charge of the sub-battery, and before that timing, the user is asked whether or not the sub-battery can be supplementally charged from the main battery, and then the supplementary charging is carried out, thereby making it possible to prevent the battery from running out while suppressing wear on the vehicle's main battery.

[0040] Although the processing shown in FIG. 4 according to this embodiment has been described as being performed by the server 100, some or all of this processing may be performed by the vehicle 110. That is, a control unit of the vehicle 110 may acquire various pieces of information and perform settings for the timing of supplementary charging and even supplementary charging control. Alternatively, instead of the server 100, an information communication terminal held by an administrator may perform similar processing. In this case, a CPU (not shown) built into the information communication terminal loads a selection processing program recorded in a storage device such as an HDD into RAM or the like, thereby executing the selection processing. Here, the selection processing program executed by the CPU may be installed in the storage device of the information communication terminal via a storage medium such as a CD-ROM.

[0041] It is assumed that each process according to this embodiment is performed when the vehicle 110 is stopped in a parking lot (i.e., a parking position where charging is not possible, or when charging has been forgotten) and the battery charge level is decreasing due to dark current. In this embodiment, the sub-battery 313 is described as being supplementally charged while the vehicle is stopped in this manner, but it is also possible that supplemental charging is performed while the vehicle is traveling, for example. In such a case, while the sub-battery 313 is being supplementally charged, power is supplied from the main battery 311 to the control unit 314 via the converter 312. In other words, the main battery may perform part or all of the power supply from the sub-battery in the above description depending on the situation.

[0042] [Summary of the embodiment] The above-described embodiment discloses at least the following management device and information processing method.

[0043] 1. The management device (e.g., 100) of the above embodiment is A management device for managing the remaining capacity of a sub-battery of a vehicle (e.g., 110) having a main battery (e.g., 311) and a sub-battery (e.g., 313), a remaining amount information acquisition means (e.g., 201) for acquiring remaining amount information of the sub-battery at the time of starting parking of the vehicle; a prediction means (e.g., 201) for predicting a timing at which the remaining charge of the sub-battery will fall below a threshold while the vehicle is parked, based on the remaining charge information; a transmitting means (e.g., 201) for transmitting to a user terminal an inquiry as to whether or not to supplementarily charge the sub-battery using power from the main battery at a timing before the remaining charge reduction timing predicted by the predicting means; Equipped with. According to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the main battery of the vehicle from running out while suppressing consumption of the battery.

[0044] 2. In the management device of the above embodiment, The auxiliary charging timing setting unit sets the auxiliary charging timing (for example, S504) before the remaining charge reduction timing, The transmission means transmits the inquiry to the user terminal at a timing that is set based on the supplementary charging timing. According to this embodiment, it is possible to send a query to the user before the set supplementary charging timing as to whether or not to perform supplementary charging.

[0045] 3. In the management device of the above embodiment, The parking control system further includes a temperature forecast acquisition means for acquiring a temperature forecast of a parking area of ​​the vehicle after the parking of the vehicle starts (for example, S503), The setting means sets the supplementary charging timing based on the temperature forecast. According to this embodiment, it is possible to set the timing of supplementary charging in consideration of changes in charging efficiency based on the temperature.

[0046] 4. In the management device of the above embodiment, The setting means sets the supplementary charging timing by giving priority to a timing when the temperature is high. According to this embodiment, supplementary charging can be performed at a timing that satisfies the temperature conditions suitable for supplementary charging.

[0047] 5. In the management device of the above embodiment, The transmission means transmits the inquiry and information regarding the supplementary charging to the user terminal. According to this embodiment, it is possible to allow the user to confirm information regarding supplementary charging before selecting whether or not supplementary charging is required.

[0048] 6. In the management device of the above embodiment, The information regarding supplemental charging is information indicating the timing of the remaining charge decrease, or the travel distance of the vehicle that varies depending on the execution of supplemental charging. According to this embodiment, it is possible to have the user check the estimated battery life or the reduced driving distance due to supplemental charging before selecting whether or not supplemental charging is required.

[0049] 7. In the management device of the above embodiment, the main battery is a power source for driving a motor of the vehicle, The sub-battery has a lower voltage output than the main battery and serves as a power source for electrical equipment of the vehicle. According to this embodiment, it is possible to appropriately perform supplementary charging of the sub-battery of the electric vehicle.

[0050] 8. The management device of the above embodiment It is communicably connected to an on-board device (e.g., 107) of the vehicle, The battery charger includes an instruction unit that transmits an instruction to start the supplementary charging to the in-vehicle device at a timing before the remaining charge decrease timing predicted by the prediction unit (for example, S507). According to this embodiment, it is possible to issue a supplementary charging instruction from the management device side while suppressing the consumption of the main battery of the vehicle.

[0051] 9. In the management device of the above embodiment, The remaining amount information acquiring means acquires the remaining amount information from the vehicle-mounted device. According to this embodiment, it becomes possible for the management device to predict the timing of supplementary charging based on the acquired remaining amount information.

[0052] 10. In the management device of the above embodiment, the management device is an on-board device mounted on the vehicle, The management device The battery includes a control unit that operates a charger that performs supplementary charging of the sub-battery at a timing prior to the timing of the remaining charge decrease predicted by the prediction unit. According to this embodiment, the timing of supplementary charging can be set by the vehicle-mounted device.

[0053] 11. The information processing method of the above embodiment is An information processing method performed by a management device (e.g., 100) that manages the remaining charge of a sub-battery of a vehicle having a main battery and a sub-battery, a remaining amount information acquisition step (e.g., S501) of acquiring remaining amount information of the sub-battery at the start of parking the vehicle; a prediction step (e.g., S502) of predicting a timing at which the remaining charge of the sub-battery will fall below a threshold while the vehicle is parked, based on the remaining charge information; a transmission step (e.g., S505) of transmitting to a user terminal an inquiry as to whether or not to supplementarily charge the sub-battery using power from the main battery at a timing before the remaining charge decrease timing predicted in the prediction step; Equipped with. According to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the main battery of the vehicle from running out while suppressing consumption of the battery.

[0054] Although the embodiments of the invention have been described above, the invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 201: Processing unit, 202: Storage unit, 203: Communication unit

Claims

1. A management device for managing a remaining charge of a sub-battery of a vehicle having a main battery and a sub-battery, a remaining charge information acquisition means for acquiring remaining charge information of the sub-battery at the time when the vehicle starts to be parked; a prediction unit for predicting a timing at which the remaining charge of the sub-battery will fall below a threshold while the vehicle is parked, based on the remaining charge information; a transmitting means for transmitting an inquiry to a user terminal as to whether or not to supplementarily charge the sub-battery using power from the main battery at a timing before the remaining charge reduction timing predicted by the predicting means; Equipped with the transmission means transmits information regarding the supplementary charging together with the inquiry to the user terminal; The management device is characterized in that the information regarding supplemental charging is a travel distance of the vehicle that varies depending on the implementation of supplemental charging.

2. a setting unit for setting a supplementary charging timing to perform the supplementary charging before the remaining charge low timing; 2. The management device according to claim 1, wherein the transmission means transmits the inquiry to the user terminal at a timing that is set based on the supplementary charging timing.

3. a temperature forecast acquisition means for acquiring a temperature forecast of a parking area of ​​the vehicle after the vehicle starts to park, 3. The management device according to claim 2, wherein the setting means sets the supplementary charging timing based on the temperature forecast.

4. 4. The management device according to claim 3, wherein the setting means sets the supplementary charging timing by giving priority to a timing when the temperature is high.

5. the main battery is a power source for driving a motor of the vehicle, The sub-battery has a lower voltage output than the main battery and serves as a power source for electrical equipment of the vehicle.

4. The management device according to claim 1, wherein the management device is a management device for managing a plurality of data items.

6. the management device is communicably connected to an on-board device of the vehicle, The management device an instruction unit that transmits an instruction to start the supplementary charging to the in-vehicle device at a timing before the remaining charge reduction timing predicted by the prediction unit; The management device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that:

7. 7. The management device according to claim 6, wherein the remaining amount information acquisition means acquires the remaining amount information from the vehicle-mounted device.

8. the management device is an on-board device mounted on the vehicle, The management device a control unit that operates a charger that performs supplemental charging of the sub-battery at a timing before the remaining charge reduction timing predicted by the prediction unit; The management device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that:

9. An information processing method performed by a management device that manages a remaining charge of a sub-battery of a vehicle having a main battery and a sub-battery, comprising: a remaining amount information acquisition step of acquiring remaining amount information of the sub-battery at the start of parking the vehicle; a prediction step of predicting a timing at which the remaining charge of the sub-battery will fall below a threshold while the vehicle is parked, based on the remaining charge information; a transmission step of transmitting to a user terminal an inquiry as to whether or not to perform supplementary charging of the sub-battery using power from the main battery at a timing before the remaining charge low timing predicted in the prediction step; Equipped with information about the supplementary charging is transmitted to the user terminal together with the inquiry; An information processing method, wherein the information regarding supplemental charging is a travel distance of the vehicle that varies depending on whether supplemental charging is performed.

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