Energy management method and electric vehicle

Abstract

To realize both the effectiveness of energy management and a user's convenience.SOLUTION: An energy management method includes: scheduling the charging of an electric vehicle for energy management to be performed at a predetermined charging spot on a predetermined execution date; determining whether or not the electric vehicle can reach the charging spot without charging when a pre-charging action of the electric vehicle is detected on the execution date at a location other than the charging spot (S21); and requesting a user of the electric vehicle not to charge at locations other than the charging spot when it is determined that the electric vehicle can reach the charging spot without charging at the locations other than the charging spot (S22).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an energy management method and a computer system. [Background technology]

[0002] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2016-171634 (Patent Document 1) discloses a method for energy management using an electric vehicle equipped with a power storage device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-171634 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The energy management method described in Patent Document 1 predicts user behavior and manages a charging schedule (a schedule for supplying power to the electric vehicle) for a power storage device mounted on the electric vehicle based on the prediction results. However, users do not always behave as predicted. Furthermore, if the electric vehicle is controlled so that the user can only behave as predicted, there is a possibility that user convenience will be excessively impaired.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to achieve both the feasibility of energy management and user convenience. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an energy management method including: scheduling charging of an electric vehicle for energy management to be performed at a predetermined charging station on a predetermined execution date; determining whether the electric vehicle can reach the charging station without charging when a pre-charging operation of the electric vehicle is detected at a location other than the charging station on the execution date; and requesting a user of the electric vehicle not to charge at a location other than the charging station when it is determined that the electric vehicle can reach the charging station without charging at a location other than the charging station.

[0007] In the above method, it is determined whether or not charging is likely to be performed at a location other than the charging station, based on the preparatory charging operation of the electric vehicle. Then, if there is a possibility that charging will be performed at a location other than the charging station (i.e., if the preparatory charging operation is detected at a location other than the charging station), it is determined whether or not the electric vehicle can reach the charging station without charging. Requiring the user of the electric vehicle not to charge at a location other than the charging station even in cases where the electric vehicle cannot reach the charging station without charging at a location other than the charging station could excessively impair user convenience. Therefore, in the above method, if it is determined that the electric vehicle can reach the charging station without charging at a location other than the charging station, the user is requested not to charge at a location other than the charging station. This makes it possible to achieve both the feasibility of energy management and user convenience.

[0008] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer system including one or more processors and one or more storage devices that store a program that causes the one or more processors to perform the energy management method described above.

[0009] The above-described computer system can suitably execute the energy management method. The computer system may include multiple processors mounted on separate computers and multiple storage devices mounted on separate computers. For example, the computer system may include a first computer installed in the vehicle and a second computer installed outside the vehicle. The computer system may be implemented on a cloud. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to achieve both the feasibility of energy management and user convenience. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an energy management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state of the electric vehicle shown in FIG. 1 during charging. [Figure 3] 2 is a diagram for explaining prediction of vehicle behavior by the server shown in FIG. 1 and power trading based on the prediction result. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an overview of tertiary control capability-2. [Figure 5] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an energy management method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a modification of the energy management method shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals and their description will not be repeated.

[0013] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an energy management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Fig. 1, the energy management system according to this embodiment performs energy management of a power grid PG. This energy management system includes a group of vehicles 1, a group of EVSEs 2, and servers 300 and 700. EVSE stands for Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment.

[0014] The power grid PG is a power network constructed by power transmission and distribution facilities. Multiple power plants are connected to the power grid PG. The vehicle group 1 includes multiple electric vehicles (xEVs) that can operate as the adjusting power of the power grid PG. The EVSE group 2 includes multiple EVSEs that receive power supply from the power grid PG.

[0015] The server 300 includes a processor 310 and a storage device 320. The server 300 may be a computer belonging to an aggregator. The server 700 belongs to, for example, a TSO (system operator) of a power system PG. The servers 300 and 700 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via a communication network NW. The communication network NW is, for example, a wide area network constructed by the Internet and wireless base stations.

[0016] Each vehicle included in vehicle group 1 and each EVSE included in EVSE group 2 are configured to communicate with server 300 via communication network NW. Each of these vehicles and EVSEs is registered in server 300. Storage device 320 stores information about each registered vehicle (e.g., specifications, charging stations, user information, incentive information, etc.) distinguished by vehicle identification information (vehicle ID). Storage device 320 also stores information about each registered EVSE (e.g., specifications, location information, etc.) distinguished by EVSE identification information (EVSE-ID). The following describes the configuration of each vehicle included in vehicle group 1 (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle 100" when not distinguished) and each EVSE included in EVSE group 2 (hereinafter referred to as "EVSE 200" when not distinguished) using FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the state of vehicle 100 during charging.

[0017] Referring to FIG. 2, vehicle 100 includes battery 110, inlet 120, charging circuit 130, electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as "ECU (Electronic Control Unit)") 150, HMI (Human Machine Interface) 180, and communication device 190. Vehicle 100 may further include an air conditioning device (not shown). ECU 150 includes processor 151 and storage device 152. Vehicle 100 is an electric vehicle (xEV) configured to be able to run using power stored in battery 110. Vehicle 100 is, for example, a BEV (electric vehicle) without an internal combustion engine. As battery 110, a known vehicle power storage device (such as a liquid secondary battery, an all-solid-state secondary battery, or a battery pack) can be used. Examples of the secondary battery include a lithium-ion battery and a nickel-metal hydride battery.

[0018] The inlet 120 includes a charging port and a charging lid. The charging lid is configured to be openable and closable by the user, covering the charging port when closed and exposing the charging port when open. When charging the battery 110, the charging lid is open and a connector 240 of the charging cable 230 is connected to the charging port. The charging circuit 130 is a circuit that charges the battery 110 using power supplied to the charging port from outside the vehicle. The charging circuit 130 is controlled by the ECU 150. However, the charging circuit 130 may also charge the battery 110 in response to a command from outside the vehicle. Hereinafter, charging of the battery 110 mounted on the vehicle 100 may be referred to as charging of the vehicle 100.

[0019] The HMI 180 includes a navigation system. Hereinafter, information set in the navigation system will be referred to as "navigation information." Examples of navigation information include a driving route and a destination. The HMI 180 may include at least one of a touch panel display and a smart speaker that accepts voice input.

[0020] The detection values ​​of various sensors (not shown) mounted on the vehicle 100 are input to the ECU 150. The vehicle 100 is equipped with a position sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, an accelerator sensor, an outside air temperature sensor, a battery sensor, a charging lid open / close sensor, a charging cable connection sensor, and the like. The position sensor may detect the position of the vehicle 100 using a positioning system such as the Global Positioning System (GPS). The battery sensor includes various sensors that detect the state of the battery 110 (for example, voltage, current, temperature, and SOC). The SOC (State Of Charge) indicates the amount of stored power, and may be expressed as a ratio of the current amount of stored power to the amount of stored power in a fully charged state, for example, from 0 to 100%.

[0021] The ECU 150 communicates with the server 300 through a communication device 190. The communication device 190 may include a wireless communication device (for example, a DCM (Data Communication Module)) that can access the communication network NW. The vehicle 100 sequentially transmits detection results from on-board sensors (for example, a position sensor and an SOC sensor) to the server 300. Furthermore, every time the navigation information is updated, the latest navigation information is transmitted from the vehicle 100 to the server 300.

[0022] The main body of the EVSE 200 incorporates a control unit 210 and a circuit unit 220. The EVSE 200 further includes a charging cable 230 extending outward from the main body of the EVSE 200. The control unit 210 includes a processor 211 and a storage device 212 and controls the circuit unit 220. The circuit unit 220 includes a circuit (e.g., a power conversion circuit) that charges the vehicle 100 (charges the battery 110) using power supplied from the power grid PG. A connector 240 (plug) that can be attached to and detached from the charging port of the inlet 120 is provided at the end of the charging cable 230. When the connector 240 of the charging cable 230 connected to the main body of the EVSE 200 is connected to the inlet 120 of the parked vehicle 100, the vehicle 100 enters a state electrically connected to the EVSE 200 (hereinafter also referred to as a "plugged-in state"). The EVSE 200 and the power grid PG are electrically connected. Therefore, the vehicle 100 in the plugged-in state is electrically connected to the power grid PG.

[0023] The server 300 is configured to predict the future behavior (usage pattern) of the vehicle 100 based on past usage data of the vehicle 100. A prediction program is installed in the server 300. The server 300 then performs power trading based on the prediction results. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the prediction of vehicle behavior by the server 300 and the power trading based on the prediction results. Hereinafter, the EVSEs 200 existing in areas A, B, C, and D shown in FIG. 3 will be referred to as EVSEs 200A, 200B, 200C, and 200D, respectively. Furthermore, the vehicle 100 belonging to the user living in house 10A in area A will be referred to as "vehicle 100A." The EVSE 200A corresponds to power supply equipment installed in house 10A (the user's home). The location of house 10A (EVSE 200A) is registered in the server 300 as a charging station for vehicle 100A. In this embodiment, the charging station (for example, the user's home and / or workplace) of each vehicle included in the vehicle fleet 1 is registered in the server 300.

[0024] In this embodiment, a user uses vehicle 100A for commuting to work. For example, the user of vehicle 100A goes to work in the morning on a weekday and returns home in the evening of the same day. On a weekday, vehicle 100A is expected to depart in the morning (for example, around 8:00 AM) to go to work, return home in the evening (for example, around 5:00 PM), and enter a plugged-in state. However, the user may also behave irregularly.

[0025] Server 300 predicts the next day's charging preparation completion time and charge amount for vehicle 100 at the charging station. The predicted charging preparation completion time is the time when vehicle 100 will be ready to be charged at the charging station. In this embodiment, the charging preparation completion time corresponds to the time when vehicle 100 leaves the charging station, returns to the charging station after traveling, connects to EVSE 200, and enters a plugged-in state. The predicted charge amount is the amount of power (kWh) stored in vehicle 100 through charging using EVSE 200 after charging preparation is completed at the charging station, and corresponds to the value obtained by subtracting the amount of power stored at the start of charging from the amount of power stored at the end of charging.

[0026] The server 300 may acquire information for the above prediction from the vehicle 100. Specifically, the server 300 sequentially acquires various information (e.g., location information, SOC, and navigation information) from the vehicle 100, and records usage data of the vehicle 100 (e.g., data indicating the location and status of the vehicle 100 while it is traveling) in the storage device 320. The usage data may include, for example, the location and SOC of the vehicle 100 at each time.

[0027] For example, the server 300 uses usage data (usage history) stored in the storage device 320 to predict the vehicle 100A's return home time the next day and the state of charge (SOC) of the vehicle 100A at that return home time. The server 300 may predict the amount of charge of the vehicle 100A for the next day based on the amount of power stored in the vehicle 100A at the return home time the next day. The server 300 can predict the vehicle 100A's driving route and driving schedule for the next day, as well as the amount of power consumed by driving the next day, based on the vehicle 100A's usage history. The server 300 may predict the vehicle 100A's return home time from the predicted driving schedule. The server 300 may predict the amount of power stored (remaining battery charge) at the return home time from the predicted amount of power consumed. The server 300 may manage the vehicle 100A's usage history by day of the week and predict the vehicle 100A's driving route and driving schedule based on the cumulative probability for each day of the week. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the server 300 manages the usage history by distinguishing between weekdays (Monday to Friday), Saturdays, and Sundays. The server 300 then separately predicts a weekday driving route L1, a Saturday driving route L2, and a Sunday driving route L3 based on the corresponding usage history. Note that the prediction mode shown in FIG. 3 is merely an example and can be changed as appropriate.

[0028] When the server 300 receives navigation information for the next day from the vehicle 100A, the server 300 predicts the time of return home and the amount of charge for the next day, taking into consideration the navigation information for the next day. When the navigation information for the vehicle 100A is updated, the user may be planning an irregular trip. Therefore, the server 300 may trust the navigation information more than the usage history and predict the time of return home and the amount of charge for the vehicle 100A for the next day based on the navigation information for the next day.

[0029] The server 300 can predict the time when the charging preparation will be completed from the arrival time of the user. The server 300 may estimate that the vehicle 100A will be connected to the EVSE 200A and enter a plugged-in state after a predetermined time (for example, 1 to 10 minutes) has elapsed since the arrival time of the user. When the vehicle 100A arrives home, the HMI 180 may prompt the user to prepare for charging (for example, to put the vehicle into a plugged-in state).

[0030] In this embodiment, when the vehicle 100 is connected to the EVSE 200 at the charging station and enters a plugged-in state, the vehicle 100 enters a state in which it allows charging control from the EVSE 200 at the charging station (more specifically, the control unit 210 shown in FIG. 2). In this state, the charging circuit 130 (on-board charger) shown in FIG. 2 charges the battery 110 according to instructions from the EVSE 200. For example, in the home 10A, the EVSE 200A receives a prediction result for the vehicle 100A from the server 300. On days when energy management is not performed, the EVSE 200A charges the vehicle 100A based on the prediction result of the server 300 (i.e., the charging preparation completion time and charge amount predicted on the previous day). For example, if the vehicle 100A becomes chargeable at the home 10A before the predicted charging preparation completion time, charging of the vehicle 100A may start at the predicted charging preparation completion time. If vehicle 100A becomes available for charging at home 10A after the predicted charging preparation completion time, charging of vehicle 100A may be started immediately (when it becomes available for charging). Then, when the charge amount (kWh) of vehicle 100A reaches the predicted charge amount, charging of vehicle 100A may be terminated. However, the user of vehicle 100A can operate the EVSE 200A at their own will, regardless of instructions from EVSE 200A, by operating a charging operation unit of vehicle 100A or EVSE 200A, to charge battery 110. In this case, ECU 150 controls charging circuit 130 according to instructions from the user.

[0031] The server 300 performs the above-mentioned predictions for each vehicle included in the vehicle fleet 1, and automatically performs transactions (e.g., bidding and agreements) in the electricity market based on the prediction results. The server 300 then performs settlements related to the electricity transactions and manages accounting books (transaction records). Below, we will explain tertiary control reserve-2 as an example of control reserve that is awarded in the electricity market.

[0032] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an overview of tertiary control reserve-2. Referring to FIG. 4, tertiary control reserve-2 is a control reserve for the FIT (Feed-in Tariff) special system, and is traded in the supply and demand adjustment market. In the supply and demand adjustment market, electricity is traded as a commodity. Each commodity is bought and sold, for example, by a bidding method. Tertiary control reserve-2 corresponds to "RR-FIT" (Replacement Reserve for Feed-in Tariff), and has a response time of 45 minutes or less and a duration of 3 hours (6 periods). In the supply and demand adjustment market, tertiary control reserve-2 is traded for each of 8 blocks, each divided into 3-hour blocks of a day.

[0033] The server 300 submits bids in the balancing market between 12:00 and 14:00 on the day before the target block. Specifically, the server 300 transmits bidding information (i.e., information indicating bidding conditions) including the product (e.g., tertiary control reserve-2), the block (one of the eight blocks), the adjustment base within the target area, and the bid amount (ΔkW) to the balancing market system. The number of adjustment bases may be one or more. The results are then notified to the server 300 at 15:00 on the bidding day. When the bid for the product is successful, a contract is reached. The ΔkW contract amount corresponds to the successful bid amount. A successful bidder for tertiary control reserve-2 in the balancing market is obligated (contractual obligation) to adjust power within the range of the successful bid amount (successful bid range) set relative to the reference value (kW).

[0034] In this embodiment, the server 300 submits a bid for the tertiary control capacity-2. When the server 300 wins the bid for the product, it registers the reference value in the balancing market system by the submission deadline t0 (for example, one hour before the start time of the target block for which the bid was made). In the example shown in FIG. 4, the reference value on the charging side is registered. Then, the charging station specified by the bidding information is also registered in the balancing market system as an adjustment station. The server 300 sequentially receives from the server 700 the target value L11 arbitrarily requested by the server 700 within the successful bid range for the target block for which the bid was made (for example, the contract period t1 to t2). The server 300 controls charging at the charging station so that the actual charging power (actual value L12) at the charging station follows the target charging power (target value L11) from the server 700 during the contract period t1 to t2. When multiple charging stations are specified in the bidding information, the server 300 controls charging at each charging station so that the total charging power at those charging stations approaches the target charging power. The difference between the reference value (kW) and the actual value L12 (kW) corresponds to the adjustment capacity (ΔkW) of the power grid PG provided by the charging station. If power adjustment that satisfies the product requirements is not performed, a penalty fee will be imposed on the successful bidder.

[0035] As described above, for the tertiary control capacity-2, bidding is held on the day before the energy management execution date. In this embodiment, the server 300 predicts the time when the vehicle 100 will be ready to charge at the charging station and the amount of charge on the execution date, assuming that the vehicle 100 will not be charged at any location other than a charging station (for example, the user's home) on the day before the execution date, and performs energy trading based on the prediction result. The server 300 determines the bid amount to be allocated to a certain charging station based on the amount of charge predicted for that charging station.

[0036] The server 300 is configured to aggregate multiple distributed energy resources (hereinafter referred to as "DERs") to realize a virtual power plant (VPP). A VPP is a system that remotely and centrally controls multiple DERs to function as a single power plant. For example, a vehicle 100 electrically connected to an EVSE 200 can function as a DER for the VPP. The server 300 schedules the charging of each vehicle in the vehicle group 1 for energy management at a specified charging station on a specified execution date based on the predicted charging readiness completion time and charge amount for each vehicle. Specifically, the server 300 selects multiple vehicles from the vehicle group 1 that have charging stations within the target area for which energy management is requested based on the predicted charging readiness completion time and charge amount for each vehicle, and performs energy management using the selected multiple vehicles. In energy trading, the server 300 determines charging stations for multiple vehicles and bid amounts for those charging stations based on the total predicted charge amount for each vehicle at the charging station. Hereinafter, energy management for the power grid PG will also be referred to as "VPP."

[0037] When a bid for energy management during a time period (VPP time period) corresponding to a target block on the VPP execution date is successful, the server 300 requests the users of the vehicles corresponding to the charging stations specified in the bid to charge during the VPP time period on the VPP execution date at the registered charging stations. This request is made the day before the VPP execution date. Each vehicle that receives the request sets the VPP execution date and VPP time period in its ECU 150. During the VPP time period on the VPP execution date, the server 300 transmits a charging command to the EVSE 200 at each registered charging station based on the charging power requested by the server 700 (see FIG. 2). The EVSE 200 at each charging station receives the charging command from the server 300 in real time and controls (remotely controls) the charging of the vehicle 100 in accordance with the charging command. The server 300 may provide an incentive (e.g., points that can be exchanged for cash or points that can be used to pay electricity bills) to the users of the vehicles 100 who charge in response to the request.

[0038] In energy trading, charging at a location other than a pre-designated charging station is not recognized as charging for the contract (energy management). Therefore, if the vehicle 100 is charged at a location other than a charging station on the day (VPP execution day), there is a possibility that the amount of charge will be insufficient compared to the contracted amount (auctioned amount). Therefore, in this embodiment, the vehicle 100 that is requested to charge for energy management executes a series of processes shown in FIG. 5, which will be described below, thereby achieving both feasibility of energy management and convenience for the user.

[0039] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an energy management method according to this embodiment. "S" in the flowchart denotes a step. The process (process flow) shown in this flowchart starts, for example, when the control system (including ECU 150) of vehicle 100 is started on the VPP execution day set for vehicle 100. This process flow ends when the vehicle system is stopped. When the vehicle system is restarted on the VPP execution day, the process flow starts again. As an example, the following describes a case where a nighttime period (for example, 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM) is set as the VPP time period for vehicle 100A shown in FIG. 3. Each process shown in FIG. 5 is executed by ECU 150 of vehicle 100A.

[0040] 5, in S11, ECU 150 determines whether the time remaining until the start of VPP is shorter than a predetermined time. The time remaining until the start of VPP corresponds to the time from the current time to the start time of the VPP time period (e.g., 6:00 PM). If the time remaining until the start of VPP is shorter than the predetermined time, YES is determined in S11, and the process proceeds to S14. In S14, ECU 150 requests the user of vehicle 100A to return to home 10A. Specifically, ECU 150 controls HMI 180 so that HMI 180 displays screen Sc1. Screen Sc1 includes a display unit M1 that displays the start time of energy management and a message urging the user to return home. When the process of S14 is executed, the process flow of FIG. 5 ends.

[0041] On the other hand, if the remaining time until the start of VPP is equal to or longer than the predetermined time, a NO determination is made in S11, and the process proceeds to S12. In S12, ECU 150 determines whether a preparatory charging operation of vehicle 100A has been detected. In this embodiment, the preparatory charging operation corresponds to vehicle 100A stopping at a location where charging is possible (first operation), opening the charging lid of vehicle 100A (second operation), and setting the destination of vehicle 100A to a location where charging is possible (third operation). An example of a location where charging is possible is a parking lot where an EVSE (power supply equipment) that can be used by vehicle 100A is installed. For example, when vehicle 100A stops in the parking lot of house 10A where EVSE 200A is installed, the preparatory charging operation (first operation) is detected in S12. Furthermore, when a supermarket where an EVSE that vehicle 100A can use is installed is set as the destination in the navigation system of vehicle 100A, the preparatory charging operation (third operation) is detected in S12. The first to third operations make it easier to accurately detect the charge preparatory operation of an electric vehicle. However, the charge preparatory operation is not limited to the first to third operations as long as it is an operation that puts the vehicle into a chargeable state. Furthermore, only one of the first to third operations (for example, only the second operation) or two of the first to third operations (for example, the first and third operations) may be adopted as the charge preparatory operation.

[0042] If the preliminary charging operation (any of the first to third operations) is detected (YES in S12), ECU 150 determines in S13 whether the location where the preliminary charging operation was detected (the location of vehicle 100A) is a charging station (home 10A). If the preliminary charging operation is detected at the charging station (YES in S13), the process flow in FIG. 5 ends.

[0043] If the preliminary charging operation is detected at a location other than the charging station (NO in S13), the process proceeds to S21. In S21, the ECU 150 determines whether the vehicle 100A can reach the charging station (home 10A) without charging at that location (current location or destination). Specifically, the ECU 150 determines whether the vehicle 100A can travel to the home 10A without increasing the amount of power stored in the battery 110, based on the amount of power required for the vehicle 100A to return to the home 10A (the amount of power consumed to reach the charging station) and the SOC (amount of stored power) of the battery 110 at the current location or destination. The ECU 150 may calculate the amount of power consumed to reach the charging station by taking into account the distance and elevation difference between the current location or destination and the charging station. The amount of power consumed to reach the charging station includes not only the amount of power consumed during travel but also the amount of power consumed by on-board equipment (e.g., an air conditioner) while traveling. The ECU 150 may estimate the amount of power consumed by the air conditioner while traveling based on the outside temperature.

[0044] When it is determined that vehicle 100A can reach the charging station without charging at a location other than the charging station (YES in S21), ECU 150 requests the user of vehicle 100A not to charge at a location other than the charging station in S22. Specifically, ECU 150 controls HMI 180 so that HMI 180 displays screen Sc2. Screen Sc2 includes display unit M2 that displays a message informing the user that charging for energy management is scheduled for today, a message informing the user of incentives for energy management, and a message urging the user not to charge at a location other than home (house 10A). When the process of S22 is executed, the process flow of FIG. 5 ends.

[0045] When it is determined that vehicle 100A cannot reach the charging station unless it is charged at a location other than the charging station (NO in S21), ECU 150, in S31, requests the user of vehicle 100A for permission to limit the amount of charge at locations other than the charging station. Specifically, ECU 150 controls HMI 180 (touch panel display) so that HMI 180 displays screen Sc3. Screen Sc3 includes a display unit M31 that displays a message notifying the user that charging for energy management is scheduled for today, a message notifying the user of an incentive for energy management, and a message requesting the user for permission to limit the amount of charge. Screen Sc3 further includes an operation unit M32 for allowing the user to limit the amount of charge in response to a request, and an operation unit M33 for rejecting the request.

[0046] In the next step S32, the ECU 150 determines whether the user of the vehicle 100A has given the permission. The user can reject the request from the ECU 150 by operating the operation unit M33. If the user has rejected the request (NO in S32), the process flow in FIG. 5 ends. The user can also permit the ECU 150 to limit the charge amount by operating the operation unit M32. If permission has been given from the user of the vehicle 100A (user operation on the operation unit M32) (YES in S32), the ECU 150 restricts the charge amount at locations other than the charging station in the next step S33. In this embodiment, the charge amount (kWh) until the stored amount of the battery 110 reaches the power consumption amount to the charging station (see S21) described above is set in the ECU 150 as the upper limit of the charge amount. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the charge amount until the amount of power stored in the battery 110 is equal to the power consumption amount to the charging station plus a predetermined margin may be set in the ECU 150 as the upper limit of the charge amount.

[0047] The user of vehicle 100A can charge battery 110 even at a location other than a charging station by operating a charging operation unit of vehicle 100A or EVSE (electrical power supply equipment). That is, the user of vehicle 100A can charge battery 110 not only at home but also while out. In this case, ECU 150 controls charging circuit 130 according to instructions from the user. However, if an upper limit value for the charge amount is set in ECU 150, ECU 150 controls charging circuit 130 so that the charge amount does not exceed the upper limit value. When the charge amount of battery 110 reaches the upper limit value, charging of battery 110 ends.

[0048] As described above, the energy management method according to this embodiment includes the processes shown in Figures 3 to 5. Each process is performed by one or more processors executing a program stored in one or more memories. However, these processes may also be performed by dedicated hardware (electronic circuits) rather than software.

[0049] The energy management method according to this embodiment includes scheduling charging of an electric vehicle for energy management to be performed at a predetermined charging station on a predetermined execution date (see FIGS. 3 and 4 ); determining whether the electric vehicle can reach the charging station without charging when a pre-charging operation of the electric vehicle is detected at a location other than the charging station on the execution date (S21 in FIG. 5 ); and requesting the user of the electric vehicle not to charge at a location other than the charging station when it is determined that the electric vehicle can reach the charging station without charging at a location other than the charging station (S22 in FIG. 5 ). This method makes it possible to achieve both the feasibility of energy management and user convenience. Furthermore, improving the feasibility of energy management by electric vehicles makes it easier to increase the amount of electricity traded and generate profits. Furthermore, displaying incentives can motivate users to participate in energy management. Instead of incentives, the environmental effects of energy management (e.g., the amount of carbon dioxide emissions reduced) may be displayed.

[0050] Limiting the amount of charge on an electric vehicle even when the user does not want to limit the amount of charge may excessively impair user convenience. Therefore, the energy management method further includes, when it is determined that the electric vehicle cannot reach a charging station without charging at a location other than the charging station, requesting the user of the electric vehicle for permission to limit the amount of charge at locations other than the charging station (S31 in FIG. 5), and, when permission is received from the user of the electric vehicle, limiting the amount of charge at locations other than the charging station (S33 in FIG. 5). In this method, permission is requested from the user of the electric vehicle before limiting the amount of charge. This makes it possible to achieve both the feasibility of energy management and user convenience. Furthermore, by not excessively limiting the amount of charge on the electric vehicle at locations other than the charging station, running out of power in the electric vehicle is prevented.

[0051] The energy management method further includes predicting the time when the electric vehicle will be ready to charge and the amount of charge at the charging station the following day (see FIG. 3), and charging the electric vehicle at the charging station based on the time when the electric vehicle will be ready to charge and the amount of charge predicted the previous day (see FIG. 2). According to this method, the time when the electric vehicle will be ready to charge and the amount of charge are predicted the previous day, and charging of the electric vehicle is performed based on the prediction results. This makes it easier to plan energy management.

[0052] The requests to the vehicle user (S14, S22, S31 in FIG. 5) may be made by a user terminal outside the vehicle (for example, a communication device having a user interface) instead of the in-vehicle HMI (HMI 180). Examples of user terminals outside the vehicle include smartphones, portable game consoles, wearable devices (for example, wristwatch-type communication devices), and electronic keys. The requests to the vehicle user may be made by voice instead of by display.

[0053] The server 300 may execute the series of processes shown in Fig. 5 instead of the vehicle. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example in which the server 300 executes the series of processes shown in Fig. 5. The server 300 may request the vehicle 100 to notify the vehicle user. The server 300 may receive a response from the vehicle user from the vehicle 100. If the request for limiting the charge amount is rejected in the first electric vehicle (NO in S32), the server 300 may request the second electric vehicle to execute energy management instead of the first electric vehicle.

[0054] The processing flow shown in FIG. 5 or FIG. 6 can be modified as appropriate. For example, the order of processing may be changed or unnecessary steps may be omitted depending on the purpose. Furthermore, the content of any of the processing may be modified. For example, S11 and S14 may be omitted. A determination (S12) regarding the preliminary charging operation of vehicle 100 may be made when vehicle 100 starts or ends traveling (for example, when the start switch of vehicle 100 is turned on or off).

[0055] In the above embodiment, a prediction program that predicts future usage patterns of vehicle 100 based on past usage data of vehicle 100 is implemented in server 300 (on-premise server) (see FIG. 3). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and such a prediction program may be implemented in vehicle 100, EVSE 200, or an EMS (Energy Management System) of house 10A instead of server 300. Furthermore, the functions of server 300 may be implemented on the cloud.

[0056] The configuration of the electric vehicle used for energy management is not limited to the configuration described above (see Figure 2). An xEV other than a BEV may also be used, such as a PHEV (plug-in hybrid vehicle) equipped with an internal combustion engine. The electric vehicle may be configured to be capable of wireless charging. An electric vehicle using wireless charging may be considered to be in a state equivalent to the "plugged-in state" described above when the alignment between the power transmission unit (e.g., power transmission coil) on the power supply equipment side and the power receiving unit (e.g., power receiving coil) on the vehicle side is complete. The electric vehicle is not limited to a four-wheeled passenger car, but may also be a bus or truck, or a three-wheeled xEV.

[0057] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the description of the above embodiments, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1 vehicle group, 2 EVSE groups, 10A home, 100,100A vehicle, 110 battery, 120 inlet, 130 charging circuit, 150 ECU, 180 HMI, 200,200A EVSE, 210 control unit, 220 circuit unit, 230 charging cable, 240 connector, 300,700 server, PG power system.

Claims

1. A server schedules charging of electric vehicles for energy management to be performed at a predetermined charging station on a predetermined execution date; the server requests the electric vehicle to be charged at the charging station on the execution date; determining whether a preparatory charge operation for a current position of the electric vehicle has been detected on the execution date; When a preparatory charging operation for the current location is detected on the execution day, the electric vehicle determines whether the current location of the electric vehicle is the charging station; when a preparatory charge operation for the current location is detected on the execution day and the current location of the electric vehicle is determined to be a location other than the charging location, the electric vehicle determines whether or not the electric vehicle can reach the charging location without charging at the current location of the electric vehicle based on the amount of electricity stored in the electric vehicle at the current location of the electric vehicle and the amount of electricity consumed by the electric vehicle until the electric vehicle moves to the charging location; When it is determined that the electric vehicle can reach the charging station without being charged at the current location of the electric vehicle, the electric vehicle requests a user of the electric vehicle not to be charged at a location other than the charging station; Including, The electric vehicle is equipped with a navigation system, an energy management method, wherein the preliminary charging operation for the current position of the electric vehicle includes at least one of stopping the electric vehicle at a location where the electric vehicle can be charged and opening a charging lid of the electric vehicle;

2. determining whether a pre-charging operation for a destination of the electric vehicle is detected on the execution date; When a preliminary charging operation for the destination is detected on the execution day, the electric vehicle determines whether or not the destination of the electric vehicle is the charging station; when a preparatory charge operation for the destination is detected on the execution day and it is determined that the destination of the electric vehicle is a location other than the charging station, the electric vehicle determines whether or not the electric vehicle can reach the charging station without charging at the destination of the electric vehicle based on the amount of electricity stored in the electric vehicle at the destination of the electric vehicle and the amount of electricity consumed by the electric vehicle until the electric vehicle moves to the charging station; When it is determined that the electric vehicle can reach the charging station without being charged at the destination of the electric vehicle, the electric vehicle requests a user of the electric vehicle not to be charged at a location other than the charging station; further comprising The energy management method according to claim 1 , wherein the preliminary charging operation for the destination of the electric vehicle includes setting the destination of the electric vehicle to a location where charging is possible.

3. when it is determined that the electric vehicle cannot reach the charging station unless the electric vehicle is charged at the current location of the electric vehicle, the electric vehicle requests permission from a user of the electric vehicle to limit the amount of charge at the current location of the electric vehicle; limiting the amount of charge at a current location of the electric vehicle when the electric vehicle receives the permission from a user of the electric vehicle; The energy management method of claim 1 , further comprising:

4. The energy management method described in claim 1, wherein the server predicts, on the day before the execution date, the time when the electric vehicle will be ready to charge and the amount of charge for the charging station on the execution date, and schedules the charging of the electric vehicle for energy management to be performed at the charging station on the execution date based on the predicted time when the electric vehicle will be ready to charge and the amount of charge.

5. An electric vehicle comprising a battery, a navigation system, and an electronic control device, the electric vehicle is configured, when requested by a server to perform charging at a predetermined charging station on a predetermined execution date, to set the execution date in the electronic control device; The electronic control device determining whether a preparatory charge operation for the current location of the electric vehicle has been detected on the execution date; When a preliminary charging operation for the current location is detected on the execution day, determining whether the current location of the electric vehicle is the charging station; when a preparatory charge operation for the current location is detected on the execution day and the current location of the electric vehicle is determined to be a location other than the charging location, determining whether the electric vehicle can reach the charging location without charging at the current location of the electric vehicle based on the amount of power stored in the battery at the current location of the electric vehicle and the amount of power consumed by the electric vehicle until it moves to the charging location; When it is determined that the electric vehicle can reach the charging station without being charged at the current location of the electric vehicle, requesting a user of the electric vehicle not to charge at a location other than the charging station; configured to run The preliminary charging operation for the current position of the electric vehicle includes at least one of stopping the electric vehicle at a location where the electric vehicle can be charged and opening a charging lid of the electric vehicle.

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