Control method

Abstract

To improve the convenience of a service that recharges vehicles by dispatching workers.SOLUTION: A control method pertaining to the present disclosure is a control method executed by a computer configured to be able to communicate with a vehicle. The control method includes: storing a work item included in recharging work to the vehicle and a work time of the work item in association with each other; and outputting an alert when an end notice of the work item is not received from the vehicle after a start notice of the work item is received from the vehicle but before the work time expires.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0004] ,

[0006] , , , , , ,

[0005] ,<​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​A control method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a control method executed by a computer configured to communicate with a vehicle, and includes: storing in association a work item included in a charging operation for the vehicle and the work time of the work item; and outputting an alert if, after receiving a start notification for the work item from the vehicle, a completion notification for the work item is not received from the vehicle before the work time expires. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the convenience of a service that dispatches workers to charge vehicles can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This block diagram shows a schematic configuration of a vehicle charging management system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the general configuration of the vehicle. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the general configuration of the server. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart showing the first operation of the vehicle charging management system. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart showing the second operation of the vehicle charging management system. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below.

[0010] (Summary of the embodiment) Referring to Figure 1, an overview of a vehicle charging management system 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the vehicle charging management system 1. The vehicle charging management system 1 includes a vehicle 10, a server 20, and terminal devices 30A and 30B.

[0011] Vehicle 10 is any vehicle, such as a passenger car, bus, truck, or motorcycle. In this embodiment, vehicle 10 is a vehicle equipped with a battery, such as a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), or a battery electric vehicle (BEV). However, vehicle 10 is not limited to the above-mentioned vehicles and may be any vehicle equipped with a battery. Vehicle 10 may also be an autonomous driving vehicle capable of driving autonomously. The level of autonomous driving is, for example, one of levels 1 to 5 in the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) classification. However, vehicle 10 may be driven by a driver or driven remotely.

[0012] Server 20 is comprised of one or more computers. In this embodiment, Server 20 is described as being comprised of a single computer. However, Server 20 may be comprised of multiple computers that can communicate with each other, such as a cloud computing system.

[0013] Terminal devices 30A and 30B are, for example, smartphones, but are not limited to smartphones; they may be any computer, such as a personal computer or tablet. In this disclosure, terminal device 30A is defined as a terminal device used by a user of the vehicle charging service. Terminal device 30B is defined as a terminal device used by a worker of the vehicle charging service. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, terminal devices 30A and 30B will simply be referred to as terminal device 30.

[0014] Figure 1 shows, for simplicity of explanation, one vehicle 10, one server 20, and two terminal devices 30 (30A and 30B). However, the vehicle charging management system 1 may include any number of vehicles 10, servers 20, and terminal devices 30. The vehicles 10, servers 20, and terminal devices 30 are connected to a network 40, including, for example, the Internet and a mobile communication network.

[0015] First, an overview of this embodiment will be described, and details will be described later. The vehicle charging management system 1 is used, for example, to provide a vehicle charging service that involves dispatching workers to charge vehicles. The server 20 stores the work items included in the charging work for the vehicle 10 and associates them with their respective work times. After the server 20 receives a notification from the vehicle 10 to start a work item, if it does not receive a notification from the vehicle 10 to end the work item before the work time expires, it outputs an alert.

[0016] Thus, according to this embodiment, if a worker takes longer than expected to complete a predetermined task, or if a worker leaves the site without locking the vehicle, an alert is output to the user's or worker's terminal device, for example. This reduces the user's anxiety even when the user, such as the owner of the vehicle 10, is not present at the site and entrusts the vehicle charging work to a worker. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the convenience of a service that dispatches workers to charge vehicles can be improved.

[0017] Next, the components of the vehicle charging management system 1 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the vehicle 10. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the server 20.

[0018] (Vehicle configuration) As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 10 includes a communication unit 11, a positioning unit 12, a sensing unit 13, an imaging unit 14, an output unit 15, an input unit 16, a memory unit 17, and a control unit 18. The communication unit 11, the positioning unit 12, the sensing unit 13, the imaging unit 14, the output unit 15, the input unit 16, the memory unit 17, and the control unit 18 are communicably connected to each other via an in-vehicle network such as CAN (Controller Area Network) or a dedicated line, for example.

[0019] The communication unit 11 includes a communication module for connecting to the network 40. The communication module is a communication module corresponding to a mobile communication standard such as 4G (4th Generation) or 5G (5th Generation), for example. The communication module may be a communication module corresponding to a standard such as a wired LAN (Local Area Network) or a wireless LAN, for example. The communication module may be a communication module corresponding to a short-range wireless communication standard such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or infrared communication. In the present embodiment, the vehicle 10 is connected to the network 40 via the communication unit 11. Thereby, the vehicle 10 can communicate with the server 20 or the like.

[0020] The positioning unit 12 includes one or more positioning devices capable of generating position information of the vehicle 10. The position information of the vehicle 10 is coordinates such as two-dimensional coordinates or three-dimensional coordinates of the location where the vehicle 10 exists, for example.

[0021] The positioning unit 12 generates the position information of the vehicle 10 by means of navigation using a satellite positioning system, autonomous navigation, or a combination thereof. The positioning unit 12 may include a receiver corresponding to a satellite positioning system such as GPS (Global Positioning System) in order to generate the position information of the vehicle 10 by means of navigation using a satellite positioning system. The positioning unit 12 may include sensors such as an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor in order to generate the position information of the vehicle 10 by means of autonomous navigation.

[0022] The sensing unit 13 includes one or more sensors. The sensing unit 13 is configured to generate information indicating the start or end of work items included in the charging operation of the vehicle 10. The information indicating the start or end of work items may include, but are not limited to, opening and closing the doors of the vehicle 10's living compartment, operating levers or buttons, opening and closing the cover of the vehicle 10's charging port, or connecting a charging connector to the charging port. The sensing unit 13 may include, but is not limited to, a displacement sensor, a contact sensor, an infrared sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

[0023] The imaging unit 14 includes one or more cameras. The cameras may be any cameras capable of capturing images, such as visible light cameras or infrared cameras. The images captured by the imaging unit 14 may be still images or moving images. The imaging unit 14 can capture images of the interior or exterior of the vehicle 10.

[0024] The output unit 15 includes one or more output devices. These output devices are, for example, a display, speaker, or lamp. The output unit 15 outputs images, sounds, or light, etc.

[0025] The input unit 16 includes one input device. The input device is, for example, a touch panel, camera, lever, or button. The input unit 16 receives input operations from the user.

[0026] The storage unit 17 is, for example, a semiconductor memory, magnetic memory, or optical memory. The storage unit 17 may function as, for example, a main memory, an auxiliary memory, or a cache memory. The storage unit 17 stores any information used in the operation of the vehicle 10. For example, the storage unit 17 stores a system program, an application program, or embedded software. The information stored in the storage unit 17 may be updateable with information obtained from the network 40 via, for example, the communication unit 11.

[0027] The control unit 18 includes one or more processors. The processors may be general-purpose processors such as CPUs (Central Processing Units), or dedicated processors specialized for specific processing. The control unit 18 is not limited to processors and may include one or more dedicated circuits. The dedicated circuits may be, for example, FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays) or ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits). The control unit 18 controls each component to realize the functions of the vehicle 10, including the functions of the components described above, such as the communication unit 11, positioning unit 12, sensing unit 13, imaging unit 14, output unit 15, input unit 16, and storage unit 17. The control unit 18 may be, for example, a computer such as the vehicle 10's ADS (Autonomous Driving System), ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems), ECU (Electronic Control Unit), or car navigation system.

[0028] (Server configuration) As shown in Figure 3, the server 20 comprises a communication unit 21, an output unit 22, an input unit 23, a storage unit 24, and a control unit 25. The communication unit 21, output unit 22, input unit 23, storage unit 24, and control unit 25 are connected to each other via wired or wireless means so that they can communicate with one another.

[0029] The communication unit 21 includes a communication module for connecting to the network 40. The communication module is, for example, a communication module compatible with a mobile communication standard such as 4G or 5G. The communication module may also be a communication module compatible with a standard such as wired LAN or wireless LAN. The communication module may also be a communication module compatible with a short-range wireless communication standard such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or infrared communication. In this embodiment, the server 20 is connected to the network 40 via the communication unit 21. This allows the server 20 to communicate with the vehicle 10 and terminal devices 30, etc.

[0030] The output unit 22 includes one or more output devices. These output devices are, for example, a display, a speaker, or a lamp. The output unit 22 outputs images, sounds, or light, etc.

[0031] The input unit 23 includes one input device. The input device may be, for example, a touch panel, camera, lever, or button. The input unit 23 receives input operations from the user.

[0032] The storage unit 24 is, for example, a semiconductor memory, magnetic memory, or optical memory. The storage unit 24 may function as, for example, a main memory, an auxiliary memory, or a cache memory. The storage unit 24 stores any information used in the operation of the server 20. For example, the storage unit 24 stores system programs, application programs, or embedded software. The information stored in the storage unit 24 may be updateable with information obtained from the network 40 via, for example, the communication unit 21.

[0033] The control unit 25 includes one or more processors. The processors may be, for example, general-purpose processors such as CPUs, or dedicated processors specialized for specific processing. The control unit 25 is not limited to processors and may also include one or more dedicated circuits. The dedicated circuits may be, for example, FPGAs or ASICs. The control unit 25 controls each component in order to realize the functions of the server 20, including the functions of the components described above, such as the communication unit 21, output unit 22, input unit 23, and storage unit 24.

[0034] (Operation of the vehicle charging management system) The operation of the vehicle charging management system 1 will be explained with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is a flowchart of the first operation of the vehicle charging management system 1. Figure 5 is a flowchart of the second operation of the vehicle charging management system 1. The flowcharts shown in Figures 4 and 5 show the operation of the vehicle 10, server 20, and terminal device 30 included in the vehicle charging management system 1. Therefore, this explanation of operation corresponds to the control method of the vehicle charging management system 1, as well as the control methods of the vehicle 10, server 20, and terminal device 30 included in the vehicle charging management system 1.

[0035] First, with reference to Figure 4, the first operation of the vehicle charging management system 1 will be explained. The first operation is the operation of the vehicle charging management system 1 before the operator starts charging the vehicle 10.

[0036] In step S101, the control unit 25 of the server 20 stores in the storage unit 24 the work items included in the vehicle 10 charging operation and the work time for each work item in association with each other.

[0037] The charging process for vehicle 10 includes one or more work items. These work items may include, for example, (1) unlocking the passenger compartment door of vehicle 10 using a digital key, (2) opening the charging port cover of vehicle 10 by operating a lever or button under the driver's seat, or (3) connecting the charger's connector to the charging port of vehicle 10 to charge the vehicle 10's battery. However, the work items included in the charging process for vehicle 10 are not limited to these. Furthermore, the work items and their duration may vary depending on the vehicle type or model of vehicle 10.

[0038] In step S102, the control unit 25 of the server 20 receives a request for charging work to the vehicle 10.

[0039] For example, the control unit 25 of the server 20 may receive a charging request for the vehicle 10 from the vehicle 10 or the user's terminal device 30A via the communication unit 21. The charging request for the vehicle 10 may include, for example, identification information of the vehicle 10 and work location information. The identification information of the vehicle 10 is, for example, information uniquely issued by the server 20, but may also be the vehicle registration number written on the license plate of the vehicle 10. The work location information may be, for example, location information of the vehicle 10 generated by the positioning unit 12 of the vehicle 10. However, the information included in the charging request for the vehicle 10 is not limited to these, and may also include the digital key for the vehicle 10's door, the remaining charge level of the vehicle 10's battery, the work time period, etc. The control unit 25 may store the acquired charging request for the vehicle 10 in the storage unit 24.

[0040] In step S103, the control unit 25 of the server 20 outputs a charging work plan for the vehicle 10.

[0041] For example, the control unit 25 of the server 20 may generate a charging operation plan for the vehicle 10 based on the work items and work time of the charging operation stored in step S101 and the charging operation request for the vehicle 10 acquired in step S102. At this time, the control unit 25 can determine the vehicle type or model of the vehicle 10 based on the identification information of the vehicle 10 and adopt the work items and work time of the charging operation accordingly. The control unit 25 may also change the work time of each work item based on at least one of the vehicle information of the vehicle 10, the charging operation environment information, or past work history information.

[0042] The vehicle information for vehicle 10 includes information such as the vehicle type or model of vehicle 10. For example, if the control unit 25 of server 20 determines, based on the vehicle information for vehicle 10, that the vehicle 10 is a vehicle in which charging is difficult, such as when the position of the passenger compartment is high, or when access to levers, buttons, or charging ports is physically restricted due to the structure of vehicle 10, it may lengthen the working time for at least one of the work items (1) to (3) above.

[0043] The environmental information for the charging operation includes information about the work location (parking position of the vehicle 10), the time of day, weather, and any other information related to the environment at the site where the charging operation is performed. For example, if the control unit 25 of the server 20 determines, based on the environmental information for the charging operation, that the charging operation will be performed at night or in rainy weather or other difficult conditions, it may change the work time of the work item to a longer duration.

[0044] Past work history information includes actual work time values ​​for charging work performed by the same or other workers. For example, if the control unit 25 of the server 20 determines, based on past work history information, that work time has been exceeded more than a predetermined number of times or by a predetermined percentage in the past, or if it determines that the worker has never been in charge of charging a vehicle of the same type as vehicle 10 in the past, it may change the work time of the work item to be longer. In this way, by changing the work time of the work items included in the charging work plan based on additional information, the accuracy of alert output in subsequent processing can be improved.

[0045] In step S103, the control unit 25 of the server 20 may transmit the generated vehicle 10 charging work plan to the worker's terminal device 30B via the communication unit 21. At this time, the control unit 25 may also transmit information necessary for the charging work along with the vehicle 10 charging work plan. The information necessary for the charging work is, for example, the digital key for the vehicle 10's door, but is not limited to this. That is, the control unit 25 may transmit the digital key for the vehicle 10's door to the terminal device 30B associated with the worker performing the charging work. This makes it possible for a worker to perform the vehicle charging work even when the service user is not on site.

[0046] Next, with reference to Figure 5, the second operation of the vehicle charging management system 1 will be described. The second operation is the operation of the vehicle charging management system 1 while the operator is charging the vehicle 10.

[0047] In this description of the operation, the worker, in carrying out the charging work on vehicle 10, drives a work vehicle equipped with a charger to the vehicle 10's parking position, in accordance with the vehicle 10 charging work plan output in the first operation. The worker then carries out the charging work on vehicle 10 in accordance with the vehicle 10 charging work plan transmitted to the worker's terminal device 30B. Furthermore, the control unit 25 of the server 20 stores in the storage unit 24 the work items included in the vehicle 10 charging work described above in the first operation, along with the work time for each work item.

[0048] In step S201, the control unit 18 of the vehicle 10 detects that a work item included in the charging operation for the vehicle 10 has been started.

[0049] Any method can be used to detect when a work item has started. For example, the control unit 18 of the vehicle 10 may detect information indicating that a work item has been disclosed via the communication unit 11, the sensing unit 13, or the input unit 16, etc. For example, if the work item is (1) unlocking the passenger compartment door of the vehicle 10 using a predetermined digital key, the control unit 18 may detect that the work item has started by receiving an unlocking request accompanied by the predetermined digital key via the communication unit 11. If the work item is (2) opening the charging port cover of the vehicle 10 by operating a lever or button under the driver's seat, etc., the control unit 18 may detect that the work item has started when the lever or button acting as the input unit 16 receives a predetermined input operation. Alternatively, if the work item is (3) charging the vehicle 10's battery by connecting the charging connector of a charger to the vehicle 10's charging port, the control unit 18 may detect that the work item has started by detecting, via the sensing unit 13, that the charging connector has been connected to the charging port. When the control unit 18 detects that a work item included in the charging operation for the vehicle 10 has started, it sends a notification of the start of the work item to the server 20 via the communication unit 11. The notification of the start of the work item may be, for example, a notification indicating that the door to the living area of ​​the vehicle 10 has been unlocked by a predetermined digital key, a notification indicating that a lever or button has received a predetermined input operation, or a notification indicating that a charging connector has been connected to the charging port.

[0050] In step S202, when the control unit 25 of the server 20 receives a notification from the vehicle 10 that a work item has started, it starts measuring the elapsed time since the start of that work item.

[0051] In step S203, the control unit 18 of the vehicle 10 detects that the work items included in the charging operation for the vehicle 10 have been completed.

[0052] Any method can be used to detect when a work item has been completed. For example, the control unit 18 of the vehicle 10 may detect information indicating that a work item has been completed via the communication unit 11, the sensing unit 13, or the input unit 16, etc. For example, if the work item is (1) unlocking the passenger compartment door of the vehicle 10 using a predetermined digital key, the control unit 18 may detect that the work item has been completed by receiving a locking request accompanied by the predetermined digital key via the communication unit 11. If the work item is (2) opening the charging port cover of the vehicle 10 by operating a lever or button under the driver's seat, etc., the control unit 18 may detect that the work item has been started by detecting, via the sensing unit 13, that the charging port cover of the vehicle 10 has been closed. Alternatively, if the work item is (3) charging the vehicle 10's battery by connecting the charging connector of the charger to the vehicle 10's charging port, the control unit 18 may detect that the work item has been started by detecting, via the sensing unit 13, that the charging connector has been removed from the charging port. When the control unit 18 detects that a work item included in the charging operation for the vehicle 10 has been completed, it sends a completion notification for the work item to the server 20 via the communication unit 11. The completion notification for a work item may be, for example, a notification indicating that the door to the living area of ​​the vehicle 10 has been locked with a predetermined digital key, a notification indicating that the cover of the charging port of the vehicle 10 has been closed, or a notification indicating that the charging connector has been removed from the charging port.

[0053] In step S204, the control unit 25 of the server 20, after starting to measure the elapsed time from the start of a work item in step S202, terminates the measurement of the elapsed time for the work item when the work time associated with the work item expires or when it receives a notification of completion for the work item. Then, after receiving a notification of start of a work item from the vehicle 10, the control unit 25 determines whether or not it has received a notification of completion for the work item from the vehicle 10 before the work time associated with the work item expires.

[0054] In step S204, if the control unit 25 of the server 20 determines that it has received a completion notification for the work item from the vehicle 10 before the work time associated with the work item expires (step S204-Yes), it executes the process in step S207.

[0055] On the other hand, in step S204, if the control unit 25 of the server 20 determines that it has not received a completion notification for the work item from the vehicle 10 before the work time associated with the work item expires (step S204-No), it executes the processes in steps S205 and S206.

[0056] In step S205, the control unit 25 of the server 20 receives a work item start notification from the vehicle 10, and if it does not receive a work item completion notification from the vehicle 10 before the work time associated with the work item expires, it outputs an alert.

[0057] Any method can be used to output the alert. The control unit 25 of the server 20 may output information, sound, or light via the output unit 22. Alternatively, the control unit 25 may send a request to output an alert to the user's terminal device 30A or the worker's terminal device 30B via the communication unit 21. In this case, the terminal device 30A or 30B can output the alert via a display or the like based on the request received from the server 20. As a result, the server 20 can prompt the user or worker of the vehicle charging service to confirm that no abnormality has occurred in the charging operation of the vehicle 10. This makes it possible for the user or worker to recognize early on if the worker is performing work other than what they are supposed to be doing, or if the worker has left the site without locking the vehicle.

[0058] In step S206, the control unit 25 of the server 20, after receiving a work item start notification from the vehicle 10, outputs a request to start imaging by the vehicle's onboard camera if it does not receive a work item completion notification from the vehicle 10 before the work time expires.

[0059] Any method can be used to output the request to start imaging. The control unit 25 of the server 20 may send the request to start imaging to the vehicle 10 via the communication unit 21. In this case, the control unit 18 of the vehicle 10 may, based on the request received from the server 20, start imaging the inside or outside of the vehicle 10 via the imaging unit 14 and send the captured image to the server 20. The control unit 25 of the server 20 may store the image received from the vehicle 10 in the storage unit 24. Alternatively, the control unit 25 may send the image received from the vehicle 10 to the user's terminal device 30A or the worker's terminal device 30B via the communication unit 21.

[0060] The processes described in steps S205 and S206 above may be performed in particular when the charging operation includes, as a work item, unlocking the door to the living compartment of the vehicle 10. That is, after the control unit 25 of the server 20 receives a work item start notification from the vehicle 10, if it does not receive a work item completion notification from the vehicle 10 before the work time associated with the work item expires, it may output at least one of the following: an alert or a request to start imaging by the vehicle's onboard camera. This is particularly useful when the door to the living compartment of the vehicle 10 is unlocked by an operator, as users are likely to have security concerns.

[0061] In step S207, the control unit 25 of the server 20 determines whether all work items included in the vehicle 10 charging operation have been completed. If the control unit 25 determines that all work items have been completed, it may terminate this process. On the other hand, if the control unit 25 determines that there are work items that have not been completed, it may continue this process.

[0062] As described above, the server 20 in this embodiment stores the work items included in the charging operation of the vehicle 10 and the corresponding work time. After the server 20 receives a notification to start a work item from the vehicle 10, if it does not receive a notification to end the work item from the vehicle 10 before the work time expires, it outputs an alert.

[0063] With this configuration, if a worker takes longer than expected to complete a predetermined task, or if a worker leaves the site without locking the vehicle, an alert is output to the user's or worker's terminal device, for example. This reduces user anxiety even when the user, such as the owner of the vehicle 10, is not present at the site and entrusts the vehicle charging work to a worker. Therefore, this embodiment improves the convenience of a service that dispatches workers to charge vehicles.

[0064] While this disclosure has been described based on the drawings and embodiments, it should be noted that those skilled in the art may make various modifications and alterations based on this disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are within the scope of this disclosure. For example, the functions, etc., included in each component or step can be rearranged in a logically consistent manner, and multiple components or steps can be combined into one or divided into two.

[0065] For example, in the embodiments described above, all or part of the functions or processes described as functions or processes of the server 20 may be implemented as functions or processes of the vehicle 10. Specifically, a program describing the processing content that implements all or part of the functions or processes of the server 20 according to the embodiment may be stored in the storage unit 17 of the vehicle 10, and the control unit 18 may read and execute the program.

[0066] Furthermore, for example, an embodiment is also possible in which a general-purpose computer functions as the control unit 18 or server 20 of the vehicle 10 according to the above embodiment. Specifically, a program describing the processing content that realizes each function of the control unit 18 or server 20 of the vehicle 10 according to the above embodiment is stored in the memory of the general-purpose computer, and the processor reads and executes the program. Therefore, this disclosure can also be realized as a program that can be executed by a processor, or as a non-temporary computer-readable medium that stores said program. Examples of non-temporary computer-readable media include magnetic recording devices, optical discs, magneto-optical recording media, or semiconductor memory. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0067] 1: Vehicle charging management system, 10: Vehicle, 11: Communication unit, 12: Positioning unit, 13: Sensing unit, 14: Imaging unit, 15: Output unit, 16: Input unit, 17: Memory unit, 18: Control unit, 20: Server, 21: Communication unit, 22: Output unit, 23: Input unit, 24: Memory unit, 25: Control unit, 30 (30A, 30B): Terminal device, 40: Network

Claims

1. A control method performed by a computer configured to communicate with a vehicle, The process involves associating and storing multiple work items included in the charging operation of the vehicle with the work time for each of the multiple work items. For each of the aforementioned work items, if, after receiving a start notification for the work item from the vehicle, a completion notification for the work item is not received from the vehicle before the work time for the work item expires, an alert is output. A control method including

2. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the work time is changed based on at least one of the vehicle information of the vehicle, the environmental information of the charging work, or past work history information.

3. The control method according to claim 1, wherein if, after receiving the start notification from the vehicle, the end notification is not received from the vehicle before the work time expires, a request is output to start imaging by the vehicle's onboard camera.

4. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the plurality of work items include, as a first work item, unlocking the door to the passenger compartment of the vehicle; as a second work item, opening the cover of the charging port of the vehicle; and as a third work item, connecting the charging connector of the charger to the charging port of the vehicle to charge the battery of the vehicle.

5. The further includes transmitting the digital key of the door to a terminal device associated with the worker performing the charging work, The control method according to claim 4, wherein the notification of the start of the first work item is a notification indicating that the door has been unlocked by the digital key, and the notification of the end of the first work item is a notification indicating that the door has been locked by the digital key.

Images