Server device and system

Abstract

To improve the efficiency of power supply to vehicles to be fed.SOLUTION: A server device includes a communication unit and a control unit that communicates by the communication unit. The control unit sends a vehicle to be fed information on a travel route according to the position of the vehicle, such that the vehicle to be fed traveling on the power of a battery arrives at a feeding point to receive power supply a predetermined time before a scheduled time of power supply and that the temperature of the battery at the time of arrival is at a predetermined temperature.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a server device and a system. [Background technology]

[0002] Battery-powered electric vehicles (EVs) and the like may experience a power shortage while traveling. Various technologies have been proposed to resolve or avoid such situations. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which a vehicle experiencing a power shortage is charged by another vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-86841 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When a power supplying vehicle or the like supplies power to a power receiving vehicle that receives power, there is room for improving the efficiency of power supply.

[0005] The present disclosure provides a server device and the like that enable improvement in the efficiency of power supply to a power-supply-receiving vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The server device in the present disclosure has a communication unit and a control unit that communicates via the communication unit, and the control unit sends to the powered vehicle information about a travel route corresponding to the position of the powered vehicle, so that the powered vehicle running on battery power arrives at a power supply point to receive power a predetermined time before the scheduled time of power supply and the temperature of the battery upon arrival is a predetermined temperature.

[0007] The system disclosed herein is a system having a powered vehicle that runs on battery power and a server device that communicates with the powered vehicle, wherein the server device sends information about a travel route corresponding to the position of the powered vehicle so that the powered vehicle arrives at a power supply point where it will receive power a predetermined time before the scheduled time of power supply and so that the temperature of the battery upon arrival will be a predetermined temperature, and the powered vehicle receives the travel route information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the server device and the like in the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the efficiency of power supply to a power-receiving vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a vehicle management system. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation procedure of the server device, the power supply vehicle, and the terminal device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle management system according to one embodiment. The vehicle management system 1 includes one or more server devices 10, one or more power-supplied vehicles 12, and one or more power-supplying vehicles 13, which are connected to each other via a network 11 so as to be able to communicate information with each other.

[0012] The server device 10 is, for example, a server computer that belongs to a cloud computing system or other computing system and functions as a server that implements various functions.

[0013] The powered vehicle 12 is a passenger car or commercial vehicle equipped with a communication function and an information processing function, and is connected to the network 11 via a mobile communication network. The powered vehicle 12 is driven by power from an onboard battery 15, and is, for example, an electric vehicle (BEV; Battery Electric Vehicle), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV; Hybrid Electric Vehicle), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV; Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), etc. In this embodiment, when the battery 15 needs to be charged, the powered vehicle 12 receives power at a power supply station or receives power from the power supply vehicle 13. The powered vehicle 12 may be driven by a driver, or the driving may be automated to an arbitrary level.

[0014] The power supply vehicle 13 is a passenger car or commercial vehicle equipped with a communication function and an information processing function, and is connected to the network 11 via a mobile communication network. The power supply vehicle 13 has an on-board device 14 and a battery 15 similar to those of the power supply receiving vehicle 12, but the battery 15 in the power supply vehicle 13 includes a battery that stores power for supplying power to the power receiving vehicle 12. The power supply vehicle 13 is a BEV, HEV, PHEV, or the like that is driven by power from the on-board battery 15, but may also be a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) or a gasoline-powered vehicle.

[0015] The network 11 is, for example, the Internet, but may also include an ad-hoc network, a LAN, a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), or other network, or any combination thereof.

[0016] In this embodiment, the vehicle management system 1 is a system for supporting on-site charging of the power-receiving vehicle 12 by the power supply vehicle 13 when the power-receiving vehicle 12 experiences a power shortage. The power shortage includes a state in which the battery level of the power-receiving vehicle 12 has dropped to the extent that the power-receiving vehicle 12 is unable to perform one or more functions, including traveling, or a state in which the battery level has fallen below a desired level. However, it may also be a state in which the user of the power-receiving vehicle 12 arbitrarily determines that power supply is necessary. On-site charging is a mode in which the power supply vehicle 13 moves to the location of the power-receiving vehicle 12 and charges the battery 15 of the power-receiving vehicle 12 from the battery 15 of the power supply vehicle 13, thereby supplying power. In the vehicle management system 1, the server device 10 performs on-site charging by sending a movement instruction to the power supply vehicle 13 to supply power to each of the one or more power-receiving vehicles 12.

[0017] The server device 10 has a communication unit 101 and a control unit 103 that communicates via the communication unit 101. The control unit 103 sends to the power-receiving vehicle 12 information about a travel route corresponding to the position of the power-receiving vehicle 12 so that the power-receiving vehicle 12, traveling on power from the battery 15, arrives at a power-receiving point to receive power a predetermined time before the scheduled power supply time and the temperature of the battery 15 at the time of arrival is a predetermined temperature. Even if the temperature of the battery 15 rises due to discharge while the power-receiving vehicle 12 is traveling, by moving so as to arrive at the power-receiving point a predetermined time (hereinafter referred to as margin time) before the scheduled power supply time, the battery 15 can be cooled in a state where charging and discharging of the battery 15 are stopped during the margin time. Furthermore, when the power-receiving vehicle 12 travels at a legal speed, the amount of discharge per hour of the battery 15 is limited to a certain level. Therefore, even if the temperature rises due to discharge, the temperature at the time of arrival at the power-receiving point is limited to a certain predetermined temperature (hereinafter referred to as allowable temperature). If the temperature of the battery 15 is within the allowable temperature range, it is possible to cool the battery 15 to a temperature suitable for charging, i.e., a temperature at which good charging efficiency can be achieved, during the spare time. In this way, it is possible to avoid a decrease in charging efficiency due to a rise in the temperature of the battery 15, and therefore it is possible to improve the power supply efficiency of the power-supplied vehicle 12.

[0018] Next, configuration examples of the server device 10, the power receiving vehicle 12, and the power supplying vehicle 13 will be described.

[0019] The server device 10 includes a communication unit 101, a storage unit 102, and a control unit 103. The server device 10 may be a single computer, or may be configured from two or more computers that are communicatively connected and operate in cooperation with each other. When the server device 10 is configured from two or more computers, the configuration shown in FIG. 1 is appropriately arranged in the two or more computers.

[0020] The communication unit 101 includes one or more communication interfaces. The communication interface is, for example, a LAN interface. The communication unit 101 receives information used in the operation of the control unit 103 and transmits information obtained by the operation of the control unit 103. The server device 10 is connected to a network 11 by the communication unit 101 and communicates information with the power-supplied vehicle 12 and the power-supplying vehicle 13 via the network 11.

[0021] The storage unit 102 includes, for example, one or more semiconductor memories, one or more magnetic memories, one or more optical memories, or a combination of at least two of these, that function as a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The semiconductor memories are, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory) or ROM (Read Only Memory). The RAM is, for example, SRAM (Static RAM) or DRAM (Dynamic RAM). The ROM is, for example, EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM). The storage unit 102 stores information used in the operation of the control unit 103 and information obtained by the operation of the control unit 103.

[0022] The control unit 103 includes one or more processors, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) specialized for a specific process. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), etc. The control unit 103 executes information processing related to the operation of the server device 10 while controlling each unit of the server device 10.

[0023] The functions of the server device 10 are realized by executing a control program on a processor included in the control unit 103. The control program is a program that causes a computer to execute processing of steps included in the operation of the server device 10, thereby causing the computer to realize functions corresponding to the processing of those steps. In other words, the control program is a program that causes a computer to function as the server device 10. Also, some or all of the functions of the server device 10 may be realized by a dedicated circuit included in the control unit 103. Also, the control program may be stored in a non-transitory recording / storage medium that is readable by the server device 10, and read by the server device 10 from the medium.

[0024] The power-supplied vehicle 12 has an on-board device 14 and a battery 15. The on-board device 14 has a communication unit 121, a storage unit 122, a control unit 123, a positioning unit 124, an input unit 125, an output unit 126, and a detection unit 127. One or more of these units may be configured as a single control device, or may be configured as a terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal, a navigation device, or the like. Alternatively, the units may be connected to each other so as to be able to communicate information via an in-vehicle network that complies with standards such as CAN (Controller Area Network). The battery 15 is, for example, one or more lithium-ion batteries that charge and discharge power for driving the power-supplied vehicle 12.

[0025] The communication unit 121 includes one or more communication interfaces. The communication interfaces are interfaces compatible with mobile communication standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), or 5G (5th Generation). The communication unit 121 receives information used in the operation of the control unit 123 and transmits information obtained by the operation of the control unit 123. The control unit 123 is connected to the network 11 via a mobile communication base station by the communication unit 121, and communicates information with the server device 10 and the like via the network 11.

[0026] The storage unit 122 includes one or more semiconductor memories, one or more magnetic memories, one or more optical memories, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memories are, for example, RAM or ROM. The RAM is, for example, SRAM or DRAM. The ROM is, for example, EEPROM. The storage unit 122 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 122 stores information used in the operation of the control unit 123 and information obtained by the operation of the control unit 123.

[0027] The control unit 123 includes one or more processors, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU, or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA or an ASIC. The control unit 123 executes information processing related to the operation of the power-supplied vehicle 12 while controlling each part of the on-board device 14.

[0028] The positioning unit 124 includes one or more GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receivers. GNSS includes, for example, at least one of GPS (Global Positioning System), QZSS (Quasi-Zenith Satellite System), BeiDou, GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System), and Galileo. The positioning unit 124 sends the positioning result to the control unit 123, and the control unit 123 determines the position information of the power supply receiving vehicle 12.

[0029] The input unit 125 includes one or more input interfaces. The input interface is, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, a touch screen integrated with a display, or a microphone that accepts voice input. The input interface may further include a camera that captures captured images or image codes, or an IC card reader. The input unit 125 accepts an operation to input information used in the operation of the control unit 123 and sends the input information to the control unit 123.

[0030] The output unit 126 includes one or more output interfaces. The output interface is, for example, a display or a speaker. The display is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. The output unit 126 outputs information obtained by the operation of the control unit 123.

[0031] The detection unit 127 has one or more sensors or an interface with one or more sensors that detect the state of each part of the powered vehicle 12. The sensors include, for example, sensors that detect the remaining battery charge and temperature of the battery 15, and sensors that detect the motion state of the powered vehicle 12 (speed, longitudinal acceleration, lateral acceleration, deceleration, etc.). The temperature of the battery 15 is the temperature of any location, such as the outside or inside of the housing of the battery 15. The detection unit 127 sends information indicating each state detected by the sensor to the control unit 123.

[0032] The functions of control unit 123 are realized by executing a control program on a processor included in control unit 123. The control program is a program that causes a computer to execute processing of steps included in the operation of control unit 123, thereby causing the computer to realize functions corresponding to the processing of those steps. In other words, the control program is a program that causes a computer to function as control unit 123. Furthermore, some or all of the functions of control unit 123 may be realized by a dedicated circuit included in control unit 123.

[0033] The power supply vehicle 13 has an on-board device 14 equivalent to that of the power supply receiving vehicle 12, and the above description of the on-board device 14 of the power supply receiving vehicle 12 applies. The battery 15 of the power supply vehicle 13 includes a battery that charges and discharges the electric power to be supplied to the power supply receiving vehicle 12.

[0034] 2 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a procedure for the cooperative operation of the server device 10, the powered vehicle 12, and the power supply vehicle 13. Steps relating to various information processing in the server device 10, the powered vehicle 12, and the power supply vehicle 13 in FIG. 2 are executed by the respective control units 103, 123, and 123. Steps relating to the transmission and reception of various information in the server device 10, the powered vehicle 12, and the power supply vehicle 13 are executed by the respective control units 103, 123, and 123 transmitting and receiving information to each other via the communication units 101, 121, and 121, respectively. In the server device 10, the powered vehicle 12, and the power supply vehicle 13, the control units 103, 123, and 123 store the information to be processed and transmitted and received in the storage units 102, 122, and 122, respectively, as appropriate.

[0035] The procedure in FIG. 2 is an example of a procedure when the server device 10 dispatches the power supply vehicle 13 for on-site charging of the power supply receiving vehicle 12.

[0036] In step S201, the power-supplied vehicle 12 transmits identification information, a power supply reservation request, movement information, location information, and battery information to the server device 10. The power-supplied vehicle 12 transmits each piece of information to the server device 10 when the remaining battery charge falls below a given standard and there is a power shortage, or when the user determines that power supply is necessary and inputs an instruction to send a power supply request to the in-vehicle device 14. The standard for determining a power shortage is, for example, a State of Charge (SOC) value of 20% or less. The identification information is information that identifies the power-supplied vehicle 12. The power supply reservation request is information that requests a reservation for a power supply opportunity by the power supply vehicle 13. The battery information includes information such as the capacity, remaining charge, and temperature of the battery 15. The movement information includes the destination of the power-supplied vehicle 12, the estimated arrival time, etc. Step S201 is executed for each of one or more power-supplied vehicles 12.

[0037] In step S202, the server device 10 acquires location information and battery information from one or more power supply vehicles 13. The server device 10 requests each piece of information for each power supply vehicle 13 from one or more power supply vehicles 13, and acquires information sent from each power supply vehicle 13 in response to the request. The battery information includes information on the capacity and remaining charge of the battery 15.

[0038] In step S203, the server device 10 creates a power supply schedule. The power supply schedule includes a power supply point where power is to be supplied and a scheduled time for power supply. The power supply point is set to an arbitrary point. For example, the power supply point is set within several hundred meters to several kilometers around the destination of the power-received vehicle 12. The server device 10 also selects a power supply vehicle 13 that will travel to the power supply point. For example, the server device 10 selects the power supply vehicle 13 with the largest remaining battery charge among the power supply vehicles 13 located within an arbitrary distance range (for example, several kilometers to several tens of kilometers) from the power supply point. Alternatively, the server device 10 may select the power supply vehicle 13 closest to the power supply point among the power supply vehicles 13 with remaining battery charge that exceeds the predicted power supply amount of the power-received vehicle 12. The predicted power supply amount of the power-received vehicle 12 is derived, for example, from battery information and movement information. Based on the position of the selected power supply vehicle 13, the server device 10 derives the time when the power supply vehicle 13 will arrive at the power supply point while traveling at the legal speed. Then, the server device 10 sets any time after the arrival time as the scheduled time of power supply. The scheduled time may be the same as the arrival time, or may be several minutes to several tens of minutes later.

[0039] In step S204, the server device 10 sends the power supply schedule to the selected power supply vehicle 13. The power supply vehicle 13 outputs, for example, information included in the power supply schedule by display or the like, and prompts the occupant to confirm it.

[0040] In step S205, the power supply vehicle 13 sends a power supply schedule confirmation to the server device 10. When the occupant of the power supply vehicle 13 makes an input indicating that the power supply schedule has been confirmed, the power supply vehicle 13 sends the power supply schedule confirmation to the server device 10 in response to this.

[0041] In step S206, the server device 10 sends a movement instruction to the power supply vehicle 13. The movement instruction includes information about a movement route to the power supply point and a movement start time when the movement should start. The movement route is derived based on the positions of the power supply point and the power supply vehicle 13. The movement start time is derived based on the movement route.

[0042] In step S207, the power supply vehicle 13 is dispatched in response to the movement instruction. When the movement start time arrives, the power supply vehicle 13 starts moving by automatic driving along the movement route. Alternatively, the power supply vehicle 13 displays the movement route to the occupant and starts moving in response to the occupant's operation.

[0043] In step S208, the server device 10 derives a travel route for the power-supplied vehicle 12. The travel route is a route from the position of the power-supplied vehicle 12 to the power supply point, and is a route with a distance that allows the power-supplied vehicle 12 to arrive at the power supply point before the margin time of the scheduled power supply time when traveling at a legal speed. The travel route is also a route with a distance that prevents the temperature of the battery 15 from rising above an allowable temperature by the time of arrival when the power-supplied vehicle 12 travels while continuously discharging the battery 15. The allowable temperature is, for example, 60°C to 50°C. The margin time is set as the time required for the battery 15 to cool from the allowable temperature to a temperature suitable for charging, for example, 20°C to 30°C, with charging and discharging of the battery 15 stopped. The margin time is, for example, 15 to 30 minutes. The relationship between the travel distance and the behavior of the temperature of the battery 15 is derived in advance by simulation for each combination of the vehicle type of the power-supplied vehicle 12 and the type of the battery 15, and is stored in the storage unit 102. The server device 10 uses this information and map information to derive a travel route using an arbitrary algorithm.

[0044] In step S209, the server device 10 sends information about the travel route to the power supplied vehicle 12. The power supplied vehicle 12 outputs the travel route by displaying it or the like, and the user drives along the travel route or instructs the in-vehicle device 14 to perform part or more of the driving, causing the power supplied vehicle 12 to move. Note that the power supplied vehicle 12 can also move without following the travel route, depending on the user's preference.

[0045] As the power-supplied vehicle 12 moves along a travel route or moves off the travel route according to the user's preferences, its location, remaining battery charge, and battery temperature change. In step S210, the power-supplied vehicle 12 sends its location and battery information to the server device 10. Then, in step S208, the server device 10 derives a travel route based on the latest location, and in step S209, sends the updated travel route information to the power-supplied vehicle 12. Steps S208, S209, and S210 are repeatedly executed at any interval, for example, every few tens of seconds to every few minutes. This continuously optimizes the travel route of the power-supplied vehicle 12, making it possible to ensure that the power-supplied vehicle 12 arrives at the power supply point within the margin time before the scheduled time, with the temperature of the battery 15 at the time of arrival at an acceptable temperature. Alternatively, the server device 10 may perform a route search that prioritizes power consumption when the acquired temperature of the battery 15 reaches or exceeds the upper limit of the acceptable temperature. For example, if the number of times acceleration and deceleration occurs frequently due to waiting at traffic lights, etc. on the travel route increases, the frequency of rapid discharge increases, leading to an increase in the temperature of the battery 15. However, the server device 10 can select a travel route that reduces the number of times acceleration and deceleration occurs, for example, a route with fewer traffic lights, etc. However, even when such a route is selected, a travel route that arrives at the power supply point a margin time before the scheduled time of power supply is selected.

[0046] When the powered vehicle 12 and the power supplying vehicle 13 arrive at the power supply point and the scheduled time arrives, in step S212, power is supplied from the power supplying vehicle 13 to the powered vehicle 12. For example, the power supplying vehicle 13 charges the battery 15 of the powered vehicle 12 with power for supplying from the battery 15 or the power for supplying from the battery 15 through operation by a driver or an automatic machine.

[0047] As described above, by driving the power-supplied vehicle 12 so that it arrives at the power supply point in the margin time before the scheduled time, the battery 15 can be cooled during the margin time. Furthermore, since the temperature of the battery 15 when it arrives at the power supply point is kept within the allowable temperature range, the temperature of the battery 15 is sufficiently reduced by the scheduled power supply time, making it possible to obtain good charging efficiency. In other words, it is possible to improve the power supply efficiency of the power-supplied vehicle 12. It is also possible to avoid a situation in which the battery 15 deviates from the rated temperature range, which makes it more susceptible to deterioration.

[0048] Although the above description exemplifies a case in which the powered vehicle 12 receives power from the power supplying vehicle 13, this embodiment is also applicable to a case in which the powered vehicle 12 receives power at a power supply station. In this case, the position of the power supply station is the power supply point, and a travel route is derived that will allow the powered vehicle 12 to arrive at the power supply station by a margin time before the scheduled power supply time at the power supply station.

[0049] Although the embodiments have been described above based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art can easily make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each means, step, etc. can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent, and multiple means, steps, etc. can be combined or divided into one. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1. Vehicle management system 10 Server device 11 Network 12 Powered vehicles 13 Power supply vehicle 14 Onboard equipment 15 Battery 101, 121 Communications Department 102, 122 Storage section 103, 123 Control section 124 Positioning Unit 125 Input section 126 Output section 127 Detection unit

Claims

1. The Communications Department and a control unit that performs communication using the communication unit, the control unit transmits to the power-receiving vehicle information about a travel route corresponding to a position of the power-receiving vehicle, such that the power-receiving vehicle traveling on battery power arrives at a power-receiving point for receiving power a predetermined time before a scheduled time of power supply and the temperature of the battery reaches a predetermined temperature when the power-receiving vehicle arrives at the power-receiving point, Server device.

2. In claim 1, The predetermined time is a time required for the battery at the predetermined temperature to cool down to a temperature suitable for charging while charging / discharging is stopped. Server device.

3. In claim 1, The predetermined temperature is a temperature at which the battery can be cooled to a temperature suitable for charging within the predetermined time period in a state where charging and discharging of the battery is stopped. Server device.

4. In claim 1, the control unit sends an instruction to the power supply vehicle to move to the power supply point by the scheduled time. Server device.

5. A system including a power-supplied vehicle that runs on battery power and a server device that communicates with the power-supplied vehicle, the server device transmits information about a travel route according to a position of the power-supplied vehicle, such that the power-supplied vehicle arrives at a power supply point for receiving power a predetermined time before a scheduled time of power supply and the temperature of the battery at the time of arrival reaches a predetermined temperature; The power-supplied vehicle receives information about the travel route. system.

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