Determination device

Abstract

To reduce generation of loss due to the fact that a power supply vehicle dispatched to a user's vehicle cannot charge the user's vehicle.SOLUTION: A determination device comprises: an acquisition unit that acquires sensor information output from a sensor that can detect obstacles around a vehicle to be charged; and a control unit that specifies an obstacle located around the vehicle based on the sensor information, and determines whether a power supply vehicle can charge the vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a determination device that determines whether or not a vehicle can be charged by a power supply vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] A system has been proposed for reserving a charging service provided by a business operator when the battery charge level of a vehicle powered by electricity falls below a predetermined value (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The service provided by the conventional technology involves a power supply vehicle from the business operator dispatching to the location of the vehicle requiring charging, and an operator of the power supply vehicle inserting a charging plug into the charging port of the vehicle to be charged to charge the battery. According to such conventional technology, a third party can charge the vehicle's battery even while the user is away from the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-121885 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when a user is away from the vehicle, even if a worker from a charging service provider attempts to charge the vehicle to be charged, charging may not be possible depending on the surrounding environment where the vehicle is parked. For example, if there is an obstacle such as a wall or fence in front of the charging port of the vehicle to be charged, depending on the distance between the charging port and the obstacle, it may be difficult for the worker to connect the connector of the charging cable of the power supply vehicle to the charging port. Charging may also be difficult if the charging port of the vehicle to be charged is far from a location where the power supply vehicle can be parked and the power supply vehicle is not equipped with a charging cable of an appropriate length.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to reduce losses caused by a power supply vehicle dispatched to a user's vehicle being unable to charge the user's vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A determination device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure that solves the above problem is characterized by including an acquisition unit that acquires sensor information output by a sensor capable of detecting obstacles around the vehicle to be charged, and a control unit that identifies obstacles located around the vehicle based on the sensor information and determines whether the vehicle can be charged by a power supply vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce losses caused by a power supply vehicle dispatched to charge a user's vehicle being unable to charge the user's vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system including a determination device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the determination device of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the vehicle shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the surrounding environment of a user vehicle parked in a parking lot. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing an example of a process for checking the surrounding environment of a vehicle to be charged. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing an example of processing when a vehicle of a user who has reserved use of a charging service is parked. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the drawings used in the following description are schematic. The dimensions and ratios in the drawings do not necessarily correspond to the actual dimensions and ratios.

[0010] (Overall system configuration) FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a system 1 that dispatches a power supply vehicle 63 (see FIG. 4) to provide charging service to a user's vehicle 20 upon request from the user. The system 1 includes a determination device 10, a vehicle 20, a user terminal 30, and a roadside sensor 40, as well as a network 50 that connects these components so that they can communicate with each other. There are one or more of each of the vehicle 20, the user terminal 30, and the roadside sensor 40. The roadside sensor 40 is not an essential component.

[0011] The determination device 10 is a computer operated by a business operator that provides charging services. The determination device 10 can accept a request for charging from an in-vehicle information terminal installed in a user's vehicle 20 or a user terminal 30 carried by the user. The request for charging includes a request for immediate charging and a request for reserving charging at a specified time. When the determination device 10 receives a request for charging from a user, the determination device 10 acquires sensor information that detects the surroundings of the vehicle 10 output from a sensor in the vehicle to be charged, and recognizes obstacles located around the vehicle 10. When an obstacle is recognized, the determination device 10 determines whether or not charging of the vehicle 20 by a power supply vehicle 63 is possible. The processing performed by the determination device 10 may be distributed and executed by multiple computers.

[0012] The vehicle 20 is an externally chargeable electric vehicle, such as a battery electric vehicle (BEV) or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV).

[0013] The user terminal 30 is an information processing device such as a personal computer (PC), smartphone, or portable information terminal owned by the user. The user terminal 30 includes a display for displaying information, an input unit for inputting information, a processor for executing various arithmetic operations, a built-in camera, and memory for storing information and programs. The user terminal 30 may be equipped with an application provided by a service provider for receiving a charging service. If the charging service is provided as a membership-based service, the user uses the user terminal 30 to register information about the vehicle 20 in advance with the determination device 10. The information about the vehicle 20 to be registered includes information such as the vehicle registration number, model, and color of the vehicle 20, information for communicating with the vehicle 20, and the like. Furthermore, the information about the vehicle 20 to be registered may include information about the location of the charging port of the vehicle 20 and the type and location of sensors equipped on the vehicle 20. The user can use the user terminal 30 to request the determination device 10 to charge the vehicle 20. The request for charging to the determination device 10 may include the user's identification information registered in the determination device 10, the desired date, time and location of charging, and the identification information of the vehicle 20 registered in the determination device 10.

[0014] The roadside sensor 40 is a sensor that is placed on a road 60 and / or a parking lot 61 (see FIG. 4 ) and can detect the position of the vehicle 20. The roadside sensor 40 may be a camera that captures the road 60 and / or the parking lot 61. The determination device 10 is configured to be able to acquire sensor information detected by the roadside sensor 40. When the roadside sensor 40 is a camera, the sensor information is image information captured by the camera. The determination device 10 can request the roadside sensor 40 located in the vicinity of the vehicle 20 to be charged to transmit the acquired sensor information.

[0015] The network 50 includes a wide area network such as the Internet. The determination device 10, the vehicle 20, the user terminal 30, and the roadside sensor 40 are connected to the wide area network via access lines. Examples of access lines include, but are not limited to, a third generation mobile communication system (3G), a fourth generation mobile communication system (4G) such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), a fifth generation mobile communication system (5G), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access).

[0016] (Configuration of the determination device) As shown in FIG. 2, the determination device 10 includes a control unit 11, a communication unit 12, and a storage unit 13.

[0017] The control unit 11 includes at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination thereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (central processing unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. The control unit 11 executes processes related to the operation of the determination device 10 while controlling each part of the determination device 10. In the following, the processes executed by the control unit 11 may be described as being executed by the determination device 10. The control unit 11 executes the processes of the determination device 10 described in the flow charts of FIGS. 5 and 6, which will be described later, in accordance with a program.

[0018] The communication unit 12 includes at least one external communication interface connected to the network 50. The external communication interface may be either a wired or wireless communication interface. The communication unit 12 receives information for processing by the determination device 10 from the outside (for example, the vehicle 20, the user terminal 30, and the roadside sensor 40), and transmits information obtained as a result of processing by the determination device 10 to the outside (for example, the vehicle 20 and the user terminal 30). The communication unit 12 is an acquisition unit.

[0019] The storage unit 13 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The storage unit 13 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 13 stores programs and data used in the operation of the determination device 10, and data obtained by the operation of the determination device 10. Each piece of information stored in the storage unit 13 may be updatable with information obtained from the network 50 via the communication unit 12, for example.

[0020] The storage unit 13 may store information about registered users who receive the charging service and the vehicles 20 owned by the users. The information may include information such as user identification information, the storage location (parking lot) of the vehicle 20, identification information of the vehicle 20, the location of the charging port of the vehicle 20, and the type and location of sensors provided in the vehicle 20.

[0021] The determination device 10 of this embodiment may further include an input unit and an output unit. That is, in addition to receiving (inputting) and transmitting (outputting) information via the communication unit 12, the determination device 10 may input and output information using the input unit and the output unit. The input unit includes, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, and a microphone for voice input. The output unit includes, for example, a display and a speaker.

[0022] (Vehicle configuration) 3, vehicle 20 includes control unit 21, communication unit 22, memory unit 23, battery 24, proximity sensor 25, camera 26, and charging port 27. In addition to these components, vehicle 20 also includes a drive mechanism, a braking mechanism, a control mechanism, sensors, safety equipment, and the like that are normally included in vehicle 20. Vehicle 20 may further include an in-vehicle information terminal that can be used to request charging from determination device 20. In the following description, it is assumed that a user communicates with determination device 10 using user terminal 30, rather than an in-vehicle information terminal provided in vehicle 20.

[0023] Like the control unit 11 of the determination device 10, the control unit 21 includes at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination thereof. The control unit 21 executes various processes of the vehicle 20 described below so that the vehicle 20 can be charged using a charging service. The control unit 21 may receive instructions from the determination device 10 via the communication unit 22 and operate the proximity sensor 25 and the camera 26.

[0024] The communication unit 22 includes at least one external communication interface connected to the network 50. The external communication interface is, for example, an interface compatible with a mobile communication standard such as LTE, 4G, or 5G. The communication unit 22 receives data used in the operation of the vehicle 20 and transmits data obtained by the operation of the vehicle 20 to an external device (for example, the determination device 10). The communication unit 22 can transmit sensor information output by the proximity sensor 25 and the camera 26 to the determination device 10, in particular.

[0025] The storage unit 23 includes one or more memories, similar to the storage unit 13 of the determination device 10. The storage unit 23 stores any information used for the operation of the vehicle 20.

[0026] The battery 24 is configured to include a secondary battery that can be repeatedly charged and discharged, such as a lithium-ion secondary battery or a nickel-metal hydride secondary battery. The vehicle 20 may employ other power storage devices, such as a multilayer capacitor, instead of a secondary battery. The battery 24 includes a control circuit that controls current, voltage, temperature, and the like. The battery 24 is configured to be able to acquire the remaining battery capacity of the secondary battery and notify the control unit 21. The battery 24 may be placed anywhere in the vehicle 20, such as under the rear seat of the vehicle 20 or in the luggage compartment.

[0027] Proximity sensor 25 is disposed near charging port 27 of vehicle 20 and can detect obstacles located opposite charging port 27. Obstacles located opposite charging port 27 include obstacles located in front of charging port 27 and obstacles that impede the connection of a charging cable connector to charging port 27. Proximity sensor 25 includes, for example, an ultrasonic sensor, a photoelectric sensor, or a laser range finder. Proximity sensor 25 is preferably located within 20 cm, more preferably within 10 cm, of charging port 27. Proximity sensor 25 can detect the presence of an obstacle within a distance range of, for example, 20 cm to 100 cm, and the distance to the obstacle.

[0028] It should be noted that proximity sensor 25 of vehicle 20 is not limited to one sensor provided near charging port 27. For example, proximity sensor 25 may be sensors arranged at multiple locations on vehicle 20. The multiple locations may be, for example, the four corners of vehicle 20. When two proximity sensors 25 adjacent to each other across charging port 27 of vehicle 20 detect the presence of an obstacle, it can be estimated that an obstacle is present near charging port 27.

[0029] The camera 26 is an imaging device that captures images of the surroundings of the vehicle 20. The camera 26 includes an optical system and an imaging element. The imaging element includes a charge-coupled device image sensor (CCD image sensor) and a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor (CMOS image sensor). The camera 26 may include, for example, multiple imaging devices that capture images of the front, left and right sides, and rear of the vehicle 20. Preferably, multiple cameras 26 can capture images of obstacles in all directions around the vehicle 20.

[0030] Charging port 27 is a connection portion for externally charging battery 24. Charging port 27 includes a charging inlet for connecting a connector of a charging cable from an external charging device. Charging port 27 may be located at any position of vehicle 20, such as the top of the front grille, the front fender, the rear fender, or the rear bumper. In FIG. 4, charging port 27 is shown located at the top of the front grille.

[0031] (Example of a vehicle charging environment) FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an assumed surrounding environment of vehicle 20 to be charged. Vehicle 20 is parked in parking lot 61 facing road 60. Vehicle 20 is parked facing forward toward wall 62 located on the perimeter of parking lot 61. Charging port 27 of vehicle 20 is located at the top of the front grille (front nose portion). In FIG. 4, the imaginary positions of power supply vehicle 63 that charges vehicle 20 and charging cable 64 that connects power supply vehicle 63 and charging port 27 are indicated by dashed lines.

[0032] In the example shown in FIG. 4, vehicle 20 can measure distance d between charging port 27 and wall 62, which is an obstacle, using proximity sensor 25 provided near charging port 27. For example, if distance d between charging port 27 and wall 62 is less than 20 cm, it is difficult to connect the connector of charging cable 64 to charging port 27. Furthermore, if distance d is in the range of 20 cm to 100 cm, it may be difficult for a worker providing charging services to perform their work, and there may be restrictions on cable routing. If distance d is between 20 cm and 100 cm, the required cable length will generally be long. If distance d is 100 cm or more, it can be expected that a worker will be able to perform their work without any problems.

[0033] Furthermore, the vehicle 20 is equipped with multiple cameras 26 (only a rear camera is shown in FIG. 4 ) to acquire images of the surroundings of the vehicle. In addition, roadside sensors 40 such as surveillance cameras may be installed on the road 60 or parking lot 61. The roadside sensors 40 may be attached to structures on the road such as utility poles. The roadside sensors 40 may be, for example, cameras set at a relatively high position, for example, 2 meters or more above the ground, and equipped with wide-angle lenses that look down on the ground. The determination device 10 acquires sensor information about the surroundings of the vehicle 20 from these cameras 26 and roadside sensors 40, and can recognize the surrounding environment of the vehicle 20.

[0034] The control unit 11 of the determination device 10 can collect information from the proximity sensor 25, the camera 26 of the vehicle 20, and the roadside sensor 40, and determine whether charging is possible for the vehicle 20. The control unit 11 of the determination device 10 may notify the user terminal 30 carried by the user of the availability of charging for the vehicle 20. Furthermore, if it is determined that charging is possible for the vehicle 20, the control unit 11 determines a location where the power supply vehicle 63 can be parked and the length of the required charging cable 64. The parking location of the power supply vehicle 63 is determined based on considerations such as compliance with traffic laws and not interfering with other vehicles or traffic. The length of the charging cable is determined based on considerations such as the distance from the charging port 27 of the vehicle 20 to the parking location of the power supply vehicle 63. The control unit 11 of the determination device 10 can determine a schedule for the power supply vehicle 63 to charge multiple target vehicles 20, and can dispatch the power supply vehicle 63. The power supply vehicle 63 is equipped with a charging cable of a length appropriate for the vehicle 20.

[0035] (Process flow for distributing a power supply vehicle to a vehicle) Next, a method for dispatching a power supply vehicle 63 to a vehicle 20 to be charged will be described with reference to FIG. 5. The processes executed in the flowchart of FIG. 5 below can be executed by the processors of the determination device 10, the vehicle 20, and the user terminal 30, respectively, according to programs. Such programs can be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a flash memory, a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, etc. The same applies to the processes shown in FIG. 6, which will be described later.

[0036] First, the user operates the user terminal 30 to launch a dedicated application and request charging from a business that provides charging services (step S101). The charging request includes a request for immediate charging and a request for reserving charging. The charging request may include information on the desired charging location and date and time. The desired charging location may be the location where the vehicle 20 is currently parked.

[0037] Upon receiving the charge request, the determination device 10 instructs the vehicle 20 to detect information about the surrounding environment of the vehicle 20 (step S102). At this time, the vehicle 20 is assumed to be parked in a parking lot at the user's home, a public parking lot, a parking lot at a large facility, or the like, waiting to be charged.

[0038] Upon receiving the instruction to detect information about the surrounding environment, the vehicle 20 activates the proximity sensor 25 and / or the camera 26 to detect information about the surrounding environment of the vehicle 20 (step S103).

[0039] The vehicle 20 transmits the detected information on the surrounding environment as sensor information to the determination device 10 (step S104). The vehicle 20 may process the information on the surrounding environment acquired from the proximity sensor 25 and / or the camera 26 and transmit the processed information to the determination device 10.

[0040] Determination device 10 recognizes an obstacle based on the sensor information (step S105). Recognizing an obstacle includes recognizing whether or not there is an obstacle near charging port 27 of vehicle 20, and, if there is an obstacle, recognizing the distance to the obstacle (step S106).

[0041] Next, the determination device 10 requests the user terminal 30 and / or the roadside sensor 40 to transmit an image of the periphery of the vehicle 20 (step S107).

[0042] When the user terminal 30 receives the image transmission request from the determination device 10, it displays a message on the display urging the user to capture an image of the area around the vehicle, such as "Please capture an image of the vehicle and its surroundings." Seeing this message, the user captures an image of the area around the vehicle using the camera built into the user terminal 30 (step S108).

[0043] When the user captures an image of the surroundings of the vehicle 20 using the user terminal 30, the captured image is transmitted to the determination device 10 by a function of an application of the user terminal 30 (step S109).

[0044] Meanwhile, the roadside sensor 40, which is a camera that has received the image transmission request, captures an image of the surroundings including the vehicle 20 (step S110).

[0045] The roadside sensor 40 transmits the captured image to the determination device 10 (step S111).

[0046] Note that step S107 and the subsequent steps S108 to S111 are not required. The processing of system 1 may proceed directly from step S107 to step S112. Alternatively, only one of the set of steps S108 and S109 and the set of steps S110 and S111 may be executed. Furthermore, depending on the recognition result of step S106, determination device 10 may not execute steps S107 to S111. For example, if it is determined in step S106 that charging cable 64 cannot be connected to charging port 27 of vehicle 20 because the distance to the obstacle is too close, steps S107 to S111 do not need to be executed.

[0047] Next, in step S112, the determination device 10 determines whether charging of the vehicle 20 is possible based on the sensor information acquired from the vehicle 20 and images of the vehicle 20's surroundings acquired from the user terminal 30 and the roadside sensor 40. Whether charging is possible is determined based on the distance from the charging port 27 of the vehicle 20 to a nearby obstacle. For example, if the distance from the charging port 20 to the obstacle is less than 20 cm, it is determined that charging is not possible. For example, if the distance from the charging port 27 to the obstacle is between 20 cm and 100 cm, the determination device 10 also references images of the vehicle 20's surroundings to determine whether charging of the vehicle 20 is possible. Note that lengths such as 20 cm and 100 cm are merely examples. Values ​​other than these lengths may be set depending on the size of the connector of the charging cable 64, the allowable bending radius of the charging cable 64, and the like.

[0048] In step S112, if it is determined that charging of the vehicle 20 is not possible (step S112: No), the determination device 10 notifies the user terminal 30 of this fact (step S113).

[0049] Upon receiving the notification, the user terminal 30 displays on the display that charging to the vehicle 20 is not possible (step S114). In this case, the user may get into the vehicle 20 and change the parking location of the vehicle 20. If the user changes the parking location of the vehicle 20, the system 1 may repeat the processing from step S102 onwards.

[0050] If it is determined in step S112 that charging of the vehicle 20 is possible (step S112: Yes), the determination device 20 determines the length of the cable required for parking the vehicle 20 (step S115). The determination device 10 determines the parking position of the power supply vehicle 63 from the sensor information and an image of the surroundings of the vehicle 20, and determines the length of the cable connecting the charging port 27 to the battery for charging mounted on the power supply vehicle 63. The determination device 10 may grasp the positional relationship between the vehicle 20 and surrounding obstacles based on the image of the surroundings of the vehicle 20, and may virtually place a charging cable 64 between the vehicle 20 and the power supply vehicle 63 and calculate the length of the cable. The determination device 10 determines the virtual placement of the charging cable 64 taking into account the available space around the vehicle 20 and the allowable bending radius of the charging cable 64.

[0051] If it is determined in step S112 that charging of the vehicle 20 is possible, the determination device 10 may transmit a notification to the user terminal 30 that charging is possible before or after step S115.

[0052] The determination device 10 determines a schedule for one or more power supply vehicles 63, taking into consideration the locations of the multiple vehicles 20 to be charged, the scheduled charging times, and the required cable lengths. The determination device 10 dispatches the power supply vehicles 63 according to the determined schedule (step S116). This enables the determination device 10 to dispatch the power supply vehicles 63 after confirming in advance that the vehicles 20 are in a state where they can be charged by the power supply vehicles 63. Therefore, the system 1 can reduce losses caused by the dispatched power supply vehicles 63 being unable to charge the user's vehicles 20.

[0053] In particular, the determination device 10 can acquire sensor information of an obstacle located opposite the charging port 27 from the proximity sensor 25 provided near the charging port 27 of the vehicle 20, thereby making it possible to determine with high accuracy whether the vehicle 20 can be charged.

[0054] Furthermore, when an obstacle located around vehicle 20 is identified, determination device 10 can generate a notification with different content based on the difference in the distance from charging port 27 to the obstacle. This makes it possible to send the user a notification with different levels, such as that charging is not possible or that charging is very difficult, depending on the distance to the obstacle.

[0055] Furthermore, the determination device 10 can acquire information that can determine the length of the charging cable 64 required to connect the power supply vehicle 63 to the charging port 27. Therefore, the determination device 10 can direct the power supply vehicle 63 equipped with the charging cable 64 of an appropriate length to charge the user's vehicle 20.

[0056] (Processing when a vehicle of a user who has reserved the use of charging service is parked) Next, when vehicle 20 that has reserved the use of the charging service parks after driving, it is desirable to secure an appropriate space in front of charging port 27 in preparation for receiving the charging service. The flow of processing in such a case will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 6.

[0057] First, the user starts an application on the user terminal 30 and makes a reservation for a charging service for the user's vehicle 20 with the determination device 10 (step S201). The user makes the reservation by inputting information such as the desired location and date and time of charging into the user terminal 30. The charging location in this case may be a parking space registered in advance for the vehicle 20, such as a parking space at home.

[0058] Upon receiving the reservation from the user terminal 30, the determination device 10 notifies the vehicle 20 to be charged that charging is reserved (step S202). As a result, the vehicle 20 enters a charging reservation state. The control unit 21 of the vehicle 20 recognizes that the vehicle 20 is in a charging reservation state, and executes information processing accordingly.

[0059] It is assumed that the user may get into the vehicle 20 before the scheduled date and time of the reserved charging. When the user returns to the reserved charging location after using the vehicle 20 and parks the vehicle 20, the vehicle 20 detects that it is transitioning from a traveling state to a parked state (step S203). In this case, it is assumed that the user will receive a charging service from the power supply vehicle 63 before driving the vehicle 20 next time.

[0060] When the vehicle 20 recognizes that the user has parked the vehicle at the location where charging has been reserved, the vehicle 20 activates the proximity sensor 25 and the camera 26 to detect information about the surrounding environment (step S204).

[0061] The vehicle 20 transmits the detected information on the surrounding environment to the determination device 10 as sensor information (step S205).

[0062] The determination device 10 acquires sensor information and recognizes an obstacle in the same manner as in step S105 of FIG. 5 (step S206).

[0063] Determination device 10 determines whether charging is possible based on the result of recognizing obstacles in the surrounding environment (step S207). For example, when sensor information from proximity sensor 25 detects an obstacle closer than a predetermined distance from charging port 27, determination device 10 determines that charging is not possible.

[0064] If it is determined in step S207 that charging is not possible (step S207: No), the determination device 10 notifies the user that charging is not possible at the current location of the vehicle 20 (step S208). The user is notified by sending a notification to the user terminal 30 associated with the vehicle 20 or to a pre-registered in-vehicle information terminal of the vehicle 20.

[0065] When the user terminal 30 receives the notification from the determination device 10, the user terminal 30 displays a message on the display instructing the user to change the parking position (step S209).

[0066] When the in-vehicle information terminal receives the notification from the determination device 10, it displays a message on the display of the in-vehicle information terminal instructing the user to change the parking position (step S209). The display of the in-vehicle information terminal can be a display in the instrument panel or a head-up display projected onto the windshield. In this case, when the user parks the vehicle 20, the processes of steps S203 to S208 and S210 are executed, and a message instructing the user to change the parking position is displayed on an easily visible display in the vehicle 20. This allows the user to recognize that the user needs to change the parking position to make it easier to receive charging services.

[0067] When the user moves the vehicle 20 in response to the position change instructions in steps S209 and S210, the process of the flowchart in FIG. 6 may be repeated by returning to step S203.

[0068] If it is determined in step S207 that the vehicle 20 can be charged (step S207: Yes), the determination device 20 determines a charging schedule for the vehicle 20 together with other vehicles that have reserved charging, and dispatches the power supply vehicle 63 (step S211).

[0069] 6, when the vehicle 20 of the user who has reserved charging is parked, the determination device 10 can prompt the user to make the vehicle 20 more likely to receive the charging service. This can improve the probability that the power supply vehicle 63 can provide the charging service to the vehicle 20.

[0070] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and many variations and modifications are possible. For example, the functions included in each means, step, etc. can be rearranged so as not to cause logical contradictions, and multiple means or steps can be combined into one or divided. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1 System 10 Judgment device 11 Control section 12 Communication Department (Acquisition Department) 13 Storage section 20 vehicles 21 Control section 22 Communications Department 23 Memory section 24 Battery 25 Proximity Sensor 26 Camera 27 Charging port 30 User terminals 40 Roadside sensors 50 Network 60 road 61 Parking Lot 62 Wall (Obstacle) 63 Power supply vehicle 64 charging cable

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires sensor information output by a sensor that can detect obstacles around the vehicle to be charged; a control unit that identifies obstacles located around the vehicle based on the sensor information and determines whether or not the vehicle can be charged by a power supply vehicle; Equipped with The acquisition unit is a proximity sensor provided in the vehicle, and is positioned near a charging port to which a charging cable is connected when the vehicle is being charged. The proximity sensor is capable of detecting an obstacle located opposite the charging port, and is a determination device that acquires the sensor information from the proximity sensor.

2. an acquisition unit that acquires sensor information output by a sensor that can detect obstacles around the vehicle to be charged; a control unit that identifies obstacles located around the vehicle based on the sensor information and determines whether or not the vehicle can be charged by a power supply vehicle; Equipped with When the control unit identifies an obstacle located around the vehicle, the control unit is a determination device that generates a notification with different content based on the difference in distance from the charging port to which the charging cable is connected when the vehicle is being charged to the obstacle located opposite the charging port.

3. The determination device according to claim 2 , wherein the acquisition unit is configured to acquire, as the sensor information, information that can determine a length of the cable required for connection from the power supply vehicle to the charging port.

4. an acquisition unit that acquires sensor information output by a sensor that can detect obstacles around the vehicle to be charged; a control unit that identifies obstacles located around the vehicle based on the sensor information and determines whether or not the vehicle can be charged by a power supply vehicle; Equipped with The acquisition unit acquires the sensor information when the vehicle that has reserved charging transitions to a parked state after driving, and when the control unit determines that the vehicle cannot be charged by the power supply vehicle, the determination device sends a notification to a user terminal associated with the vehicle.

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