Information Processing Method

Abstract

To improve the accuracy of estimating a charging fee.SOLUTION: An information processing method using an information processing device 1 includes: receiving, from a user terminal 2, a reservation request for a reservation for causing a power feeding vehicle to move to a position of a power feeding destination vehicle and perform power feeding; determining characteristic information related to movement of the power feeding vehicle and estimating an upper limit and a lower limit of a charging fee from the characteristic information such that a difference between the upper limit and the lower limit is set to be smaller when a difference between a clock time when power feeding is performed and a clock time when the reservation request is received is smaller; and transmitting information indicating the upper limit and the lower limit of the charging fee to the user terminal 2.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 the background art described above, there may be a discrepancy between the estimated charging fee and the actual charging fee.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to improve the accuracy of charging fee estimates. [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, receiving a reservation request from a user terminal for reserving that a power supply source vehicle move to a position of a power supply destination vehicle and supply power; determining characteristic information related to movement of the power supply source vehicle and estimating an upper limit and a lower limit of a charging fee from the characteristic information, wherein the difference between the upper limit and the lower limit is set smaller as the difference between the time when power is supplied and the time when the reservation request is received becomes smaller; transmitting information indicating an upper limit and a lower limit of the charging fee to the user terminal; 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 each of a user terminal and a worker terminal. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the information processing device. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the data structure of a charging fee DB (database). [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a user terminal. 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 worker terminal 3, a power supply destination vehicle SV, and a power supply source 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.

[0010] The user terminal 2 is operated by a user SP. The user SP drives or rides in the power supply destination vehicle SV. The worker terminal 3 is operated by a worker BP. The worker BP drives or rides in the power supply source vehicle BV. The power supply source vehicle BV moves to the position of the power supply destination vehicle SV in direction A, and supplies power from the power supply source vehicle BV to the power supply destination vehicle SV. This movement is also referred to as rushing to the location. Here, as an example, the power supply destination vehicle SV and the power supply source vehicle BV are each electric vehicles including batteries, but this is not limited to this. As an alternative, the user SP does not need to ride in the power supply destination vehicle SV. The worker BP does not need to ride in the power supply source vehicle BV.

[0011] 1, for ease of explanation, one information processing device 1, one user terminal 2, one worker terminal 3, one power supply source vehicle BV, and one power supply destination vehicle SV are illustrated. However, the respective numbers of information processing devices 1, user terminals 2, and worker terminals 3 are not limited to this. For example, the processing executed by the information processing device 1 of the present embodiment may be executed by a plurality of 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 includes, for example, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic memory, an optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these, but is not limited to these. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a RAM or a ROM. The RAM is, for example, an SRAM or a DRAM. The ROM is, 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. The memory unit 13 includes a charging fee DB.

[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. 3A, 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, an input unit 25, and a positioning unit 26. The components of the user terminal 2 are communicably connected to 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] The positioning unit 26 includes at least one GNSS receiver. "GNSS" is an abbreviation for Global Navigation Satellite System. GNSS includes, for example, at least one of GPS, QZSS, BeiDou, GLONASS, and Galileo. "GPS" is an abbreviation for Global Positioning System. "QZSS" is an abbreviation for Quasi-Zenith Satellite System. QZSS satellites are called quasi-zenith satellites. "GLONASS" is an abbreviation for Global Navigation Satellite System. The positioning unit 26 acquires location information. "Location information" is information that can identify the location of the user terminal 2, and includes, for example, coordinates.

[0025] 3B, the internal configuration of the worker terminal 3 is described in detail. The worker terminal 3 includes a control unit 31, a communication unit 32, a storage unit 33, a display unit 34, an input unit 35, and a positioning unit 36. The components of the worker terminal 3 are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other, for example, via a dedicated line.

[0026] The description of the hardware configuration of the control unit 31, communication unit 32, storage unit 33, display unit 34, input unit 35, and positioning unit 36 ​​of the worker terminal 3 may be the same as the description of the hardware configuration of the control unit 21, communication unit 22, storage unit 23, display unit 24, input unit 25, and positioning unit 26 of the user terminal 2. The description here will be omitted.

[0027] The information processing method by the information processing device 1 will be described in detail below with reference to Fig. 4. As an example, a situation will be described in which a user SP operates the user terminal 2 to reserve power supply from a power supply source vehicle BV to a power supply destination vehicle SV.

[0028] In step S1, the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 receives from the user terminal 2 a reservation request for the power supply source vehicle BV to move to the position of the power supply destination vehicle SV and supply power to the power supply destination vehicle SV.

[0029] In step S2, the control unit 11 determines characteristic information related to the movement of the power supply source vehicle BV. The characteristic information is information that affects the charging fee. The characteristic information includes information specific to emergency charging. The characteristic information may be acquired from the user terminal 2 or the power supply destination vehicle SV, or may be read from the memory unit 13. The characteristic information includes at least one of the following information: -Position indicating where power is supplied The time when the power supply reservation request was received (e.g., "January 24th, 9:00") - The actual time when power is supplied (for example, "January 24th, 10:00") -Time period when the vehicle moves to the location of the power supply destination vehicle (SV) Vehicle data of the power-supply vehicle SV Electricity consumption data for the powered vehicle SV - Traffic congestion information when traveling ·Travel routes for travel

[0030] The time of day when the trip occurs affects the charging fee. For example, electricity costs are lower at night and higher during the day. Labor costs for the BP worker are lower during the day and higher at night.

[0031] The electricity cost data of the power supply destination vehicle SV affects the charging fee. The electricity cost data may be calculated by the control unit 11 based on, for example, the driving characteristics of the user SP, the usage pattern of the power supply destination vehicle SV, the season, etc. For example, the electricity cost data varies depending on the driving characteristics of the driver. If the power supply destination vehicle SV is a rental car, the driver will be different depending on the day, and therefore the electricity cost data will differ depending on the day. Therefore, the electricity cost data may include electricity cost data obtained from other vehicles that have been registered in advance in the memory unit 13 by the user SP.

[0032] Traffic congestion information during travel affects charging fees. For example, if the power supply source vehicle BV is caught in traffic, it will take a long time to arrive at the location of the power supply destination vehicle SV. In this case, the following events may occur. -Increased power consumption of the power supply vehicle BV · Labor costs for worker BPs will increase - The fuel efficiency or electricity consumption of the power supply vehicle BV deteriorates. - The entire power supply plan will be disrupted (in this case, service will be reduced and sales will decrease) While the user SP is waiting, the battery of the power supply destination vehicle SV is consumed, and the payment amount increases (in this case, the service quality decreases).

[0033] As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 11 stores the power supply destination vehicle SV and the characteristic information in the storage unit 13 in association with the user SP.

[0034] In step S3 of Fig. 4, the control unit 11 estimates the upper and lower limits of the charging fee from the characteristic information. Any formula may be used for the calculation of the estimate. In this case, the control unit 11 sets the difference between the upper and lower limits to be smaller as the difference between the time when power is actually supplied and the time when the reservation request is received is smaller. The control unit 11 stores information indicating the upper and lower limits in the storage unit 13.

[0035] Additionally or alternatively, the control unit 11 may determine a plurality of candidates for the location where the power supply destination vehicle SV will stop, and estimate an upper limit and a lower limit of the charging fee for each of the plurality of candidates.

[0036] Additionally or alternatively, the control unit 11 may estimate an upper limit and a lower limit of the charging fee for each of a plurality of travel route candidates. In this case, which of the plurality of candidates to adopt may be selected by the user SP at the user terminal 2.

[0037] In step S4, the control unit 11 transmits information indicating the upper and lower limits of the estimated charging fee to the user terminal 2. An example of a display screen on the display unit 24 in this case is shown in FIG. 6. If the user SP approves the estimated amount, the user SP selects icon 61 by tapping or pressing it. If the user SP rejects the estimated amount, the user SP selects icon 62.

[0038] In step S5, the control unit 11 determines whether the estimated charging fee has been approved by the user SP on the user terminal 2. If the result of step S5 is Yes, the control unit 11 dispatches the power supply source vehicle BV to the position of the power supply destination vehicle SV in step S6. If the result of step S5 is No, the control unit 11 ends the flow of FIG. 4.

[0039] As an additional example, the control unit 11 may acquire vehicle data of the power supply destination vehicle SV immediately before power supply and calculate the charging fee. The control unit 11 may notify the user terminal 2 of both the estimated amount calculated in step S3 and the estimated amount calculated immediately before power supply, and allow the user to decide which to select.

[0040] As described above, according to this embodiment, the operation of the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 includes receiving, from the user terminal 2, a reservation request for reserving that the power supply source vehicle BV move to the position of the power supply destination vehicle SV to supply power, determining characteristic information related to the movement of the power supply source vehicle BV and estimating upper and lower limits of the charging fee from the characteristic information, where the difference between the upper and lower limits is set smaller the smaller the difference between the time when power is to be supplied and the time when the reservation request is received, and transmitting information indicating the upper and lower limits of the charging fee to the user terminal 2. With this configuration, the information processing device 1 estimates the charging fee from characteristic information related to the movement, thereby improving the accuracy of the charging fee estimate.

[0041] According to this embodiment, the characteristic information includes at least one of the time period during which the trip will occur, vehicle data of the power supply destination vehicle SV, electricity consumption data of the power supply destination vehicle SV, traffic congestion information during the trip, and the travel route for the trip. With this configuration, the information processing device 1 can further improve the accuracy of the estimate.

[0042] According to this embodiment, the characteristic information includes electricity cost data acquired from other vehicles previously registered by the user SP. With this configuration, the information processing device 1 can estimate a charging fee that reflects the normal driving habits of the user SP, even if the power supply destination vehicle SV is, for example, a rental car.

[0043] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the operation of the control unit 11 includes estimating the upper and lower limits of the charging fee for each of a plurality of travel route candidates for travel, and transmitting information indicating the upper and lower limits of the charging fee for each of the plurality of candidates to the user terminal 2. With this configuration, the information processing device 1 can give the user SP some room to choose the charging fee, thereby improving service quality.

[0044] According to this embodiment, the operation of the control unit 11 includes determining a plurality of candidate locations for the power supply destination vehicle SV to stop at, and estimating an upper limit and a lower limit of the charging fee for each of the plurality of candidate locations. With this configuration, the information processing device 1 can give the user SP some freedom of choice regarding the location to stop at, thereby improving service quality.

[0045] 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.

[0046] For example, in the above-described embodiments, a program for executing all or part of the functions or processes of the information processing device 1, the user terminal 2, and the worker terminal 3 can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium includes 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 can 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 can also be distributed by storing the program in the storage of a server and transmitting the program from the server to another computer. The program can also be provided as a program product. The present disclosure can also be realized as a program executable by a processor. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] S Information Processing System

Claims

1. An information processing method by an information processing device, receiving a reservation request from a user terminal for reserving that a power supply source vehicle move to a position of a power supply destination vehicle and supply power; determining characteristic information related to movement of the power supply source vehicle and estimating an upper limit and a lower limit of a charging fee from the characteristic information, wherein the difference between the upper limit and the lower limit is set smaller as the difference between the time when power is supplied and the time when the reservation request is received becomes smaller; transmitting information indicating an upper limit and a lower limit of the charging fee to the user terminal; An information processing method including:

2. 2. The information processing method according to claim 1, An information processing method, wherein the characteristic information includes at least one of information indicating the time period during which the movement occurs, vehicle data of the power supply destination vehicle, electricity consumption data of the power supply destination vehicle, traffic congestion information during the movement, and information indicating the travel route for the movement.

3. 2. The information processing method according to claim 1, An information processing method, wherein the characteristic information includes electricity consumption data obtained from other vehicles previously registered by the user.

4. 2. The information processing method according to claim 1, An information processing method including estimating upper and lower limits of charging fees for each of a plurality of candidate travel routes for the movement, and transmitting information indicating the upper and lower limits of charging fees for each of the plurality of candidate travel routes to the user terminal.

5. 2. The information processing method according to claim 1, An information processing method including: determining a plurality of candidates for locations where the power supply destination vehicle will stop; and estimating an upper limit and a lower limit of a charging fee for each of the plurality of candidates.

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