Information Processing Method

Abstract

To improve estimation accuracy of charging fee.SOLUTION: An information processing method by an information processor 1 includes steps of: obtaining temperature information of a battery of a vehicle 3 and estimating charge period of the vehicle 3 and charging fee according to the charge period on the basis of the temperature information; and calculating a reduced amount of the charging fee when an operation to rise the battery temperature is performed and notifying a user terminal 2 of the operation and the reduced amount.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART A service has been known in which, when a request for power supply to a vehicle is made on an app, a power supply vehicle rushes to the vehicle and supplies power to the vehicle (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0003] [Non-Patent Document 1] NIO LIMITED, “NIO Power”, [online], Reiwa 4, [Retrieved December 14, 2022], Internet<URL:https: / / www.nio.com / nio-power> Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In relation to the above-mentioned background art, there is a known technology for on-site charging that estimates the charging time period, charging amount, and man-hours, calculates the charging fee, and requests payment of the charging fee when a reservation is accepted. However, as the temperature of the vehicle battery drops, charging efficiency decreases, and the estimated cost may differ from the actual cost.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to improve the accuracy of estimating a charging fee. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An information processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: An information processing method by an information processing device, acquiring temperature information of a battery of a vehicle, and estimating a charging period of the vehicle and a charging fee according to the charging period from the temperature information; calculating a reduction in the charging fee when an operation to raise the temperature of the battery is performed, and notifying a user terminal of the operation and the reduction; Includes. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the accuracy of estimating a charging fee. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an information processing system. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an information processing device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a user terminal. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen of a user terminal. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the information processing device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] 1 is a schematic diagram of an information processing system S according to this embodiment. The information processing system S includes an information processing device 1, a user terminal 2, a vehicle 3, a worker terminal 4, and a worker vehicle BV, which are capable of communicating with each other via a network NW. The network NW includes, for example, a mobile communication network, a fixed communication network, or the Internet. As an alternative, the information processing device 1 may be mounted on the vehicle 3.

[0010] The user terminal 2 is operated by a user SP. The user SP drives or rides in a vehicle 3. The worker terminal 4 is operated by a worker BP. The worker BP drives or rides in a worker vehicle BV. The worker vehicle BV moves to the position of vehicle 3 in direction A, and supplies power from the worker vehicle BV to vehicle 3. Here, as an example, each of the worker vehicle BV and vehicle 3 is an electric vehicle including a battery, but this is not limiting. As an alternative example, vehicle 3 may receive power from a charging device.

[0011] 1, for ease of explanation, one information processing device 1, one user terminal 2, and one vehicle 3 are illustrated. However, the number of information processing devices 1, one user terminal 2, and one vehicle 3 is not limited to this. For example, the processing executed by the information processing device 1 of this embodiment may be executed by multiple information processing devices 1 that are distributed.

[0012] The information processing device 1 is installed in a facility such as a data center, etc. The information processing device 1 is a computer such as a server that belongs to a cloud computing system or other computing system.

[0013] In FIG. 2, the internal configuration of the information processing device 1 will be described in detail.

[0014] The information processing device 1 includes a control unit 11, a communication unit 12, and a storage unit 13. The components of the information processing device 1 are connected to each other via, for example, a dedicated line so that they can communicate with each other.

[0015] The control unit 11 includes, for example, one or more general-purpose processors including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit). The control unit 11 may include one or more dedicated processors specialized for specific processing. Instead of including a processor, the control unit 11 may include one or more dedicated circuits. The dedicated circuits may be, for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The control unit 11 may include an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). The control unit 11 transmits and receives any information via the communication unit 12.

[0016] The communication unit 12 includes a communication module compatible with one or more wired or wireless LAN (Local Area Network) standards for connecting to the network NW. The communication unit 12 may include a module compatible with one or more mobile communication standards including LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), or 5G (5th Generation). The communication unit 12 may include a communication module compatible with one or more short-range communication standards or specifications including Bluetooth (registered trademark), AirDrop (registered trademark), IrDA, ZigBee (registered trademark), FeliCa (registered trademark), or RFID. The communication unit 12 transmits and receives any information via the network NW.

[0017] The memory unit 13 may include, but is not limited to, for example, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic memory, an optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memory may be, for example, a RAM or a ROM. The RAM may be, for example, an SRAM or a DRAM. The ROM may be, for example, an EEPROM. The memory unit 13 may function as, for example, a main memory device, an auxiliary memory device, or a cache memory. The memory unit 13 may store information resulting from analysis or processing by the control unit 11. The memory unit 13 may store various information related to the operation or control of the information processing device 1. The memory unit 13 may store system programs, application programs, embedded software, etc. The memory unit 13 may be provided outside the information processing device 1 and may be accessed by the information processing device 1.

[0018] The user terminal 2 may be, for example, a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, a wearable device, or a tablet. Alternatively, the user terminal 2 may be a general-purpose device such as a PC, or a dedicated device. "PC" is an abbreviation for personal computer.

[0019] In FIG. 3, the internal configuration of the user terminal 2 is explained in detail.

[0020] The user terminal 2 includes a control unit 21, a communication unit 22, a storage unit 23, a display unit 24, and an input unit 25. The components of the user terminal 2 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via, for example, a dedicated line.

[0021] The description of the hardware configuration of the control unit 21, communication unit 22, and storage unit 23 of the user terminal 2 may be the same as the description of the hardware configuration of the control unit 11, communication unit 12, and storage unit 13 of the information processing device 1. The description here will be omitted.

[0022] The display unit 24 is, for example, a display. The display is, for example, an LCD or an organic EL display. "LCD" is an abbreviation for liquid crystal display. "EL" is an abbreviation for electroluminescence. The display unit 24 may be connected to the user terminal 2 as an external output device instead of being provided in the user terminal 2. Any connection method may be used, for example, USB, HDMI (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0023] The input unit 25 is, for example, a physical key, a capacitance key, a pointing device, a touch screen integrated with a display, or a microphone. The input unit 25 accepts an operation to input information used for the operation of the user terminal 2. The input unit 25 may be connected to the user terminal 2 as an external input device instead of being provided in the user terminal 2. Any connection method may be used, for example, USB, HDMI (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark). "USB" is an abbreviation for Universal Serial Bus. "HDMI (registered trademark)" is an abbreviation for High-Definition Multimedia Interface.

[0024] 4, the internal configuration of the vehicle 3 is described in detail. The vehicle 3 includes a control unit 31, a communication unit 32, a storage unit 33, and a battery 34. The components of the vehicle 3 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other, for example, via a dedicated line.

[0025] The description of the hardware configuration of the control unit 31, communication unit 32, and storage unit 33 of the vehicle 3 may be the same as the description of the hardware configuration of the control unit 21, communication unit 22, and storage unit 23 of the user terminal 2. The description here will be omitted.

[0026] The description of the hardware configuration of the worker terminal 4 may be the same as the description of the hardware configuration of the user terminal 2. The description of the hardware configuration of the worker vehicle BV may be the same as the description of the hardware configuration of the vehicle 3.

[0027] 5 and 6, the information processing method by the information processing device 1 will be described in detail. As an example, a situation will be described in which the user SP operates the input unit 25 of the user terminal 2 to request power supply to the vehicle 3.

[0028] 6, when the control unit 11 receives a power supply request from the user terminal 2, it acquires, from the vehicle 3, temperature information of the battery 34 of the vehicle 3. As an alternative, the control unit 11 may acquire the temperature information by estimating the temperature of the battery 34 from at least one of the season and the driving history of the vehicle 3. As another alternative, when the control unit 11 determines that the vehicle 3 is a rental car, it may acquire vehicle data (e.g., driving data) of another vehicle that is regularly used by the user SP (e.g., a registered personal car of the user SP), and acquire the temperature information by calculating the temperature of the battery 34 from the vehicle data.

[0029] In step S2, the control unit 11 estimates the charging period and the charging fee according to the charging period from the acquired temperature information. The estimation method may be any method.

[0030] In step S3, the control unit 11 calculates the amount of reduction in the charging fee when a predetermined operation is performed to increase the temperature of the battery 34. The predetermined operation may be, for example, running the vehicle 3 before charging.

[0031] In step S4, the control unit 11 notifies the user terminal 2 of at least the predetermined work and the reduced amount, as shown in FIG.

[0032] 6, the control unit 11 determines whether or not a predetermined task has been performed. The determination may be made by acquiring temperature information of the battery 34, acquiring a change in position information of the vehicle 3, or the like.

[0033] If the result of step S5 is No, the control unit 11 settles the charging fee without the reduction amount (3,000 yen in the example of FIG. 5) in step S6. For example, the control unit 11 deducts the charging fee from the balance stored in the user's account of the user terminal 2.

[0034] If the result of step S5 is Yes, the control unit 11 settles the reduced charging fee (2,000 yen in the example of FIG. 5) in step S7.

[0035] The payment of the charging fee may be made either before or after charging. That is, either prepayment or postpayment may be made. For example, when payment is made after charging, the control unit 11 pays the charging fee reflecting the determination result of whether or not to reduce the discount amount. As an alternative example, when payment is made before charging, the control unit 11 may pay the charging fee after the discount amount has been reduced before charging, and after charging, if it determines that the predetermined operation of raising the temperature of the battery 34 has not been performed, may additionally pay the discount amount.

[0036] As an alternative or additional example, when the control unit 11 detects that the user SP has selected to increase the temperature of the battery 34 on the user terminal 2, the control unit 11 may grant the operator terminal 4 of the operator BP who will be performing the charging the battery 34 the authority to operate the heater of the battery 34. For example, the control unit 11 may send the digital key of the vehicle 3 to the operator terminal 4. The operator BP uses the operation authority to operate the heater to increase the temperature of the battery 34. When the vehicle 3 is left parked, the battery 34 becomes cold, especially in cold regions. For this reason, operating the heater of the battery 34 is effective in increasing the temperature.

[0037] As described above, according to this embodiment, the operation of the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 includes acquiring temperature information of the battery 34, estimating a charging period for the vehicle 3 and a charging fee corresponding to the charging period from the temperature information, calculating a reduction in the charging fee when an operation to raise the temperature of the battery 34 is performed, and notifying the user terminal 2 of the operation and the reduction amount. With this configuration, the information processing device 1 acquires temperature information of the battery 34 and reflects this in the estimate, thereby improving the accuracy of estimating the charging fee.

[0038] According to this embodiment, the operation of the control unit 11 includes settling the charging fee after the discount amount before charging, and settling the discount amount when it is determined after charging that the work has not been performed. With this configuration, the information processing device 1 can reliably perform payment even in a situation where advance payment is set.

[0039] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the operation of the control unit 11 includes, upon detecting that the user SP has selected to increase the temperature of the battery 34, granting the operator terminal 4 of the operator who will be charging the battery 34 the authority to operate the heater of the battery 34. With this configuration, the information processing device 1 can ensure that the temperature increase operation is reliably performed by the operator.

[0040] According to this embodiment, the operation of the control unit 11 includes acquiring temperature information by estimating the temperature of the battery 34 from at least one of the season and the driving history of the vehicle. This configuration enables the information processing device 1 to further improve the accuracy of estimating the charging fee.

[0041] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the operation of the control unit 11 includes, when it is determined that the vehicle 3 is a rental car, acquiring temperature information by acquiring vehicle data of other vehicles that are regularly used by the user SP. This configuration allows the information processing device 1 to reflect the individual characteristics of the user, such as their daily habits, and thus further improves the accuracy of estimating the charging fee.

[0042] Although the present disclosure will be described based on various drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art may make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Other modifications are possible within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each means or step may be rearranged so as not to cause logical inconsistencies, and multiple means or steps may be combined or divided into one.

[0043] For example, in the above-described embodiment, a program for executing all or part of the functions or processes of the information processing device 1, the user terminal 2, and the vehicle 3 may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium may include a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as a magnetic recording device, an optical disc, a magneto-optical recording medium, or a semiconductor memory. The program may be distributed, for example, by selling, transferring, or lending a portable recording medium, such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) or a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), on which the program is recorded. The program may also be distributed by storing the program in the storage of an arbitrary server and transmitting the program from the arbitrary server to another computer. The program may also be provided as a program product. The present disclosure may also be realized as a program executable by a processor. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] S Information Processing System

Claims

1. An information processing method by an information processing device, acquiring temperature information of a battery of a vehicle, and estimating a charging period of the vehicle and a charging fee according to the charging period from the temperature information; calculating a reduction in the charging fee when an operation to raise the temperature of the battery is performed, and notifying a user terminal of the operation and the reduction; An information processing method including:

2. 2. The information processing method according to claim 1, settling the charging fee after the reduction amount has been reduced before charging; If it is determined after charging that the work has not been performed, the reduced amount is settled; and An information processing method including:

3. 2. The information processing method according to claim 1, An information processing method including, when detecting that a user has selected to increase the temperature of the battery, granting authority to operate the heater of the battery to an operator terminal of an operator performing charging.

4. 2. The information processing method according to claim 1, An information processing method comprising: acquiring the temperature information by estimating the temperature of the battery from at least one of a season and a driving history of the vehicle.

5. 2. The information processing method according to claim 1, An information processing method that includes, if it is determined that the vehicle is a rental car, obtaining the temperature information by obtaining vehicle data of other vehicles that are regularly used by the user.

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