Charging management device, navigation system, and computer program

Abstract

To make it possible to propose, when setting a route to a destination, a charging plan that takes into consideration battery charging facilities where an electric vehicle is to stop along the way and a staying time at each of the charging facilities.SOLUTION: A charging management device for managing the charging of a battery of an electric vehicle acquires information on a current place and a destination of the vehicle, sets battery charging facilities where the vehicle is to stop in a route from the current place to the destination, on the basis of a prescribed criterion, and calculates a necessary charging time at one charging facility so that an expected remaining capacity of the battery at a scheduled arrival time at the next charging facility is equal to or greater than a prescribed reference charging capacity.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a charging management device, a navigation system, and a computer program for managing the charging of a battery of an electric vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Since an electric vehicle becomes inoperable when the power charged in the battery runs out, it must be charged before the battery runs out. For this reason, various techniques for proposing a battery charging facility to a user have been disclosed.

[0003] For example, in Patent Document 1, a plurality of charging facilities having chargers capable of charging a battery are searched, the temperature and the remaining amount of the battery at the arrival of each charging facility included in the plurality of charging facilities are estimated, the allowable current during charging corresponding to the temperature is specified, the charging time is estimated from the allowable current and the remaining amount, and a navigation device that displays the scheduled arrival time and the charging time for each charging facility has been proposed.

[0004] Further, in Patent Document 2, a charging stand information providing device that extracts a charging facility existing around the current location of an electric vehicle from the stored charging facilities and provides the position of the extracted charging facility and the available information of the charger installed in the charging facility has been proposed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, the technologies disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, etc., provide users with information such as the location and charging time of each charging station they will visit, but they do not provide information that takes into account the power required to reach the next charging station. Specifically, with the technologies disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, users must select a charging station each time they travel to a predetermined destination in an electric vehicle, which may be inconvenient. Also, if the power required to reach the next charging station is not taken into account, the vehicle will have to be fully charged at each charging station, which may result in unnecessarily long stays at charging stations.

[0007] This disclosure has been made in view of the above issues, and the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a charging management device, a navigation system, and a computer program that can propose a charging plan that takes into account battery charging facilities to be visited along the way and the time spent at each charging facility when setting a route to a destination. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, in one view of the present disclosure, a charging management device for managing the charging of an electric vehicle battery is provided, comprising one or more processors and one or more memories connected to the one or more processors in a communicative manner, wherein the one or more processors acquire information on the vehicle's current location and destination, set battery charging facilities to be visited along the journey from the current location to the destination according to predetermined criteria, and calculate the required charging time at one charging facility so that the expected remaining capacity of the battery at the scheduled arrival time at the next charging facility is equal to or greater than a predetermined standard charging capacity.

[0009] Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of this disclosure, a navigation system for an electric vehicle is provided, comprising one or more processors and one or more memories communicably connected to one or more processors, wherein one or more processors acquire information on the vehicle's current location and destination, set battery charging facilities to be visited along the journey from the current location to the destination according to predetermined criteria, calculate the required charging time at one charging facility so that the expected remaining battery capacity at the scheduled arrival at the next charging facility is equal to or greater than a predetermined standard charging capacity, and present the time to stay at one charging facility.

[0010] Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of this disclosure, a computer program is provided for a charging management device that manages the charging of an electric vehicle battery, which causes one or more processors to perform the following processes: acquiring information on the vehicle's current location and destination; setting battery charging facilities to be visited along the journey from the current location to the destination according to predetermined criteria; and calculating the required charging time at one charging facility so that the expected remaining capacity of the battery at the scheduled arrival time at the next charging facility is equal to or greater than a predetermined standard charging capacity. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] As explained above, this disclosure makes it possible to propose a charging plan that takes into account battery charging facilities to be visited along the way and the time spent at each charging facility when setting a route to a destination. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle equipped with a charging management device (control device) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the navigation system according to the same embodiment. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of charging efficiency data. [Figure 4]This is a flowchart showing the main routine of the processing operation of the control device in the same embodiment. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows the navigation process by the control device of the same embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Preferred embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.

[0014] <1. System Configuration> First, an example of the system configuration of a vehicle equipped with a charging management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. In this embodiment, the "control device 50" has the function of a charging management device. In addition to its function as a charging management device, the "control device 50" also has the function of a control device for the navigation system 40.

[0015] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle 1 equipped with a charging management device according to this embodiment. The vehicle 1 is configured as a front-wheel drive electric vehicle that drives the front wheels with the drive torque output from a drive motor 7 that generates the drive torque of the vehicle 1. However, the vehicle 1 may be an electric vehicle equipped with two drive motors, a motor for driving the front wheels and a motor for driving the rear wheels, or an electric vehicle equipped with a drive motor corresponding to each wheel.

[0016] The drive motor 7 is typically a three-phase AC motor, but the type of the motor is not particularly limited. The vehicle 1 includes a battery unit 3 and an inverter unit 5 as a system for driving the drive motor 7. The battery unit 3 has a plurality of battery cells that store the electric power supplied to the drive motor 7. The battery unit 3 includes a battery management device 11. The battery management device 11 acquires information such as the open-circuit voltage, output voltage, output current, charge capacity (SOC), and temperature of the battery unit 3 and transmits it to the control device 50. When the battery unit 3 includes a cooling device such as a blower fan, the battery management device 11 may have a function of controlling the drive of the cooling device.

[0017] The inverter unit 5 converts the DC current supplied from the battery unit 3 into a three-phase AC current and supplies it to the drive motor 7. Further, the inverter unit 5 converts the AC current generated by the regeneration of the drive motor 7 during deceleration of the vehicle 1 into a DC current and supplies it to the battery unit 3. The inverter unit 5 may include a DCDC converter that boosts or降压 the voltage. The drive of the inverter unit 5 is controlled by a motor control device (not shown) based on the required drive torque or required regenerative brake torque of the vehicle 1.

[0018] <2. Navigation System> Subsequently, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a configuration example of the navigation system 40 will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the navigation system 40.

[0019] The navigation system 40 includes a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) sensor 13, an input unit 41, an output unit 43, a control device 50, a map database 71, a charging facility database 73, and a travel database 75.

[0020] The GNSS sensor 13 receives satellite signals transmitted from satellites represented by GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites. The GNSS sensor 13 outputs the position information of the vehicle 1 included in the received satellite signals to the control device 50. Note that the GNSS sensor 13 may be provided with an antenna for receiving satellite signals from other satellite systems that identify the position of the vehicle 1 in addition to GPS satellites.

[0021] The input unit 41 has a function of receiving an input for the user to operate the navigation system 40. The input unit 41 may be configured to include at least one of, for example, a touch panel, a dial-type switch, a switch button, and an operation lever. The input unit 41 may have a function of receiving an input by voice or gesture. Further, the input unit 41 may be a mobile terminal used by the user.

[0022] The output unit 43 has a function of presenting various information to the user by means such as image display and voice output. The output unit 43 includes, for example, a display device and a speaker provided in the instrument panel. The output unit 43 may be provided with a HUD (Head-Up Display) that performs display on the front window, or may be provided with a mobile terminal used by the user. Note that the input unit 41 and the output unit 43 may be integrally configured.

[0023] The map database 71 is a database that stores map data including road information, building information, facility information, information on the installation positions of traffic signal devices, and terrain information.

[0024] The charging facility database 73 is a database that stores the positions on the map data of charging facilities for charging the battery unit 3 of the vehicle 1. The charging facility database 73 may further store detailed data such as the number of charging devices of each charging facility.

[0025] The driving database 75 is a database that stores data on the power consumption of multiple other vehicles during their operation. The driving database 75 stores the power consumption when driving in predetermined sections, such as predetermined distance units, between traffic signals, between intersections, or between interchanges, and associates this with the vehicle type or vehicle specifications. The vehicle type or vehicle specifications are factors that affect power consumption performance and include information such as the rated output of the drive motor, the rated output of the battery unit, and the vehicle weight.

[0026] The GNSS sensor 13, input unit 41, and output unit 43 are each connected to the control device 50 via a dedicated line, CAN (Controller Area Network), or LIN (Local Internet), etc., to enable communication. The GNSS sensor 13, input unit 41, and output unit 43 may also be connected via wireless communication means such as Bluetooth® or NFC (Near Field Communication).

[0027] The map database 71, the charging facility database 73, and the driving database 75 may each be mounted on the vehicle 1 and connected to the control device 50 via a dedicated line, a communication bus such as CAN or LIN, or wireless communication means such as Bluetooth® or NFC. Alternatively, the map database 71, the charging facility database 73, and the driving database 75 may each be stored on an external server connected to the control device 50 via mobile communication means. The information stored in the map database 71, the charging facility database 73, and the driving database 75 may be updated at all times or at any chosen update time.

[0028] The control device 50 functions as a device that manages the charging of the battery unit 3 and controls the navigation system by having one or more CPUs (Central Processing Units) or other processors execute a computer program. The computer program is a computer program that causes the processor to execute the operations that the control device 50 is to perform, as described later. The computer program executed by the processor may be recorded on a recording medium that functions as a memory 55 provided in the control device 50, or it may be recorded on a recording medium built into the control device 50 or on any external recording medium that can be attached to the control device 50.

[0029] Recording media for storing computer programs may include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes; optical recording media such as CD-ROMs (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), DVDs (Digital Versatile Disks), and Blu-ray®; magneto-optical media such as floppy disks; memory elements such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory); flash memory such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory and SSDs (Solid State Drives); and other media capable of storing programs.

[0030] Furthermore, the control device 50 is not limited to an electronic control device mounted on the vehicle 1, but may also be a mobile terminal device such as a smartphone or wearable device.

[0031] <3. Control device (charging management device)> Next, the functional configuration of the control device 50 according to this embodiment will be described in detail. In the following embodiments, the amount of energy, such as the amount of power, charging capacity, and remaining capacity, is calculated by converting it into a ratio (unit: %) when the maximum charging capacity of the battery unit 3 is set to 100%.

[0032] The control device 50 comprises a communication unit 51, a processing unit 53, and a storage unit 55. The communication unit 51 is an external communication interface connected to the processing unit 53 in a communicative manner. The communication unit 51 is used for communication with the map database 71, the charging facility database 73, the driving database 75, and the battery management device 11, etc. The processing unit 53 is configured with one or more processors. Part or all of the processing unit 53 may be configured with updatable components such as firmware, or it may be a program module executed by commands from the CPU, etc. The storage unit 55 is configured with one or more memories such as RAM or ROM, and is connected to the processing unit 53 in a communicative manner. However, the number and type of storage units 55 are not particularly limited. The storage unit 55 stores computer programs executed by the processing unit 53, various parameters used in arithmetic processing, detection data, calculation results, and other information.

[0033] The processing unit 53 includes a route setting unit 61, a power consumption estimation unit 63, a charging time calculation unit 65, and a notification control unit 67. Each of these units is a function realized by the execution of a computer program by the processor, but parts of each unit may be composed of analog circuits. Below, the functions of each unit will be briefly described, followed by a detailed explanation of the processing operation of the processing unit 53.

[0034] (Route setting section) The route setting unit 61 acquires information about the destination specified by the user and also acquires information about the current location of the vehicle 1 based on the location information output from the GNSS sensor 13, and sets up at least one candidate driving route from the current location to the destination. The route setting unit 61 sets up at least one candidate driving route so that charging facilities can be visited at predetermined criteria during the journey from the current location to the destination. The predetermined criteria may be, for example, visiting a charging facility at predetermined time intervals, visiting a charging facility at predetermined distance intervals, visiting a charging facility in each municipality passed through, or other arbitrary criteria. The predetermined criteria may be predetermined, may be set arbitrarily by the user, or may be selectable by the user from multiple options.

[0035] (Power consumption estimation section) The power consumption estimation unit 63 estimates the expected power consumption E_est when vehicle 1 travels along the planned route. In this embodiment, the power consumption estimation unit 63 refers to the travel database 75 and extracts travel data of vehicles of the same type as vehicle 1 in terms of power consumption performance to estimate the expected power consumption E_est. Specifically, the power consumption estimation unit 63 extracts power consumption data for each section of the planned route from the travel data of vehicles of the same type as vehicle 1 in terms of vehicle weight, rated output of the drive motor, and rated output of the battery unit, to estimate the expected power consumption E_est. The power consumption estimation unit 63 estimates the expected power consumption E_est for each section between charging facilities on the travel route selected by the user from among the candidate travel routes set by the route setting unit 61.

[0036] (Charging time calculation part) The charging time calculation unit 65 calculates the required charging time T_chg at a charging facility (hereinafter also referred to as a "stopover facility") when the vehicle 1 stops at the said charging facility, and further calculates the expected remaining capacity E_c of the battery unit 3 at the time of scheduled arrival at the next charging facility (hereinafter also referred to as a "planned stopover facility") so that it is equal to or greater than a predetermined standard charging capacity E_min. The standard charging capacity E_min may be set to, for example, 20%, taking into account the deterioration of the battery cells of the battery unit 3. However, the standard charging capacity E_min may be set to any other arbitrary value, and the user may be able to change it to any arbitrary value.

[0037] The expected remaining capacity E_c of battery unit 3 at the time of scheduled arrival at the planned stopover facility can be determined by subtracting the expected power consumption E_est during the journey from one stopover facility to the next, from the remaining capacity E_b at the time of departure from the stopover facility. E_c = E_b - E_est

[0038] In other words, by adding the estimated power consumption E_est when traveling the route from one stopover facility to the next, to the standard charging capacity E_min, the remaining capacity E_b of the battery unit 3 required when departing from the stopover facility can be determined. E_b = E_min + E_est

[0039] The difference between the remaining capacity E_b of battery unit 3 when departing from this stopover facility and the remaining capacity E_a of battery unit 3 when charging begins at the stopover facility is the required amount of charging power E_chg at the stopover facility. E_chg=E_b-E_a

[0040] The charging time calculation unit 65 calculates the required charging time T_chg to charge the required amount of charge E_chg based on the charging efficiency data pre-recorded in the storage unit 55 according to the specifications of the battery unit 3 of the vehicle 1. The rated output of the charging device installed at each charging facility is predetermined by a unified standard, and the remaining capacity E_a of the battery unit 3 at the start of charging and the remaining capacity E_b of the battery unit 3 at the end of charging are determined, allowing the required charging time T_chg to be calculated.

[0041] Figure 3 shows an example of charging efficiency data. Figure 3 shows the time required to charge the battery unit 3 from a state where the remaining capacity is 0% to a full charge (100%) using a charging facility. For example, when charging from a state where the remaining capacity is 30% to a state where it is 70%, the required charging time T_chg is approximately 25 minutes.

[0042] In this way, the charging time calculation unit 65 calculates the required charging time T_chg at the stopover facility based on the remaining capacity E_a of the battery unit 3 at the start of charging at the stopover facility and the remaining capacity E_b of the battery unit 3 at the end of charging. The remaining capacity E_a of the battery unit 3 at the start of charging may be, for example, the value of the remaining capacity upon arrival at the stopover facility, or a value estimated before arrival at the stopover facility. For example, before arriving at the stopover facility, the charging time calculation unit 65 may determine the amount of power consumed when the vehicle 1 travels from its current location to the stopover facility by referring to the travel database 75, and use the value obtained by subtracting the amount of power consumed from the remaining capacity of the battery unit 3 at that time as the remaining capacity E_a of the battery unit 3 at the start of charging. (Notification Control Unit) The notification control unit 67 controls the operation of the output unit 43 to notify the user of various information. For example, the notification control unit 67 displays candidate driving routes to the destination set by the route setting unit 61 on the map data. In addition, the notification control unit 67 displays the driving route selected by the user on the map data, as well as the location information of the vehicle 1 acquired from the GNSS sensor 13 on the map data.

[0043] Furthermore, the notification control unit 67 displays information about charging facilities to be visited along the driving route to the destination on the map data, and notifies the user of the time to stay at a charging facility when it is stopped there. The notification control unit 67 proposes the required charging time T_chg as the stay time. The notification control unit 67 notifies the user of the stay time by at least one means of display notification or voice notification. In this embodiment, the notification control unit 67 sets the stay time so that it is equal to or greater than a predetermined minimum rest time. That is, if the required charging time T_chg is shorter than the minimum rest time, the notification control unit 67 proposes the minimum rest time as the stay time. This allows users who ride in the vehicle 1 for a long time to recover from fatigue and to use the vehicle 1 comfortably.

[0044] <4. Operation of the control device (charging management device)> Next, an example of the operation of the control device 50 according to this embodiment will be specifically explained with reference to a flowchart.

[0045] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the main routine of the processing operation of the control device 50 in this embodiment. First, when the navigation system 40 is started (step S11), the processing unit 53 reads the system setting information (step S13). For example, the processing unit 53 reads information that has been set in advance or set by the user and stored in the storage unit 55, such as the standard information of charging facilities to be visited on the way to the destination, the minimum rest time information, and the power consumption rate performance of the vehicle 1.

[0046] Next, the route setting unit 61 of the processing unit 53 acquires information about the current location of the vehicle 1 based on the location information output from the GNSS sensor 13, and also acquires information about the destination set by the user (step S15).

[0047] Next, the route setting unit 61 refers to the map database 71 and the charging facility database 73 to extract road information and charging facility information from the current location to the destination (step S17).

[0048] Next, the route setting unit 61 sets at least one candidate driving route so that charging facilities can be visited according to set criteria during the journey from the current location to the destination (step S19). Specifically, assuming that the vehicle will travel at the legal speed on each road, the route setting unit 61 calculates candidate driving routes that allow the vehicle to visit charging facilities approximately every hour, based on the driving time obtained by dividing the length of each section by the legal speed. Multiple candidate driving routes may be set, such as a route that prioritizes general roads, a route that prioritizes toll roads, a route that is the shortest distance, or a route that avoids narrow roads, as long as the route allows the vehicle to visit charging facilities according to the predetermined criteria. Furthermore, if it is not possible to set charging facilities that meet the criteria in some parts of the journey, the system should be set to visit charging facilities that are as close to the criteria as possible.

[0049] Next, the notification control unit 67 controls the drive of the output unit 43 and displays at least one candidate driving route set by the route setting unit 61 (step S21). Accordingly, the user selects one of the driving routes from the displayed candidates.

[0050] Next, the route setting unit 61 sets the driving route selected by the user via the input unit 41 as the driving route to be used for navigation and sets the start of the navigation process (step S23). As a result, the processing unit 53 executes the navigation process (step S25).

[0051] Figure 5 shows a flowchart of the navigation process. First, the notification control unit 67 acquires information about the current location of vehicle 1 based on the location information output from the GNSS sensor 13 (step S31). Next, the notification control unit 67 updates the display based on the information about the current location of vehicle 1 (step S33). Specifically, the notification control unit 67 updates the map data to display the vehicle 1 so that its current location is in the center of the display range, and also displays a predetermined icon at the vehicle 1's current location. Note that various conventionally known methods can be arbitrarily adopted for displaying the navigation screen.

[0052] Next, the charging time calculation unit 65 reads the charge capacity E_soc(%) of the battery unit 3 transmitted from the battery management device 11 and determines whether the charge capacity E_soc(%) is equal to or greater than the reference charge capacity E_min(%) (step S35). If the charge capacity E_soc(%) is not equal to or greater than the reference charge capacity E_min(%) (S35 / No), the charging time calculation unit 65 refers to the charging facility database 73 and searches for the nearest charging facility from the vehicle 1's current location (step S37). In other words, if the charge capacity E_soc(%) of the battery unit 3 is already below the reference charge capacity E_min(%), charging of the battery unit 3 is prioritized, and the nearest charging facility is searched regardless of the set driving route. Next, the notification control unit 67 controls the operation of the output unit 43 and suggests to the user that they stop at the nearest charging facility (step S39).

[0053] In step S35, if the charging capacity E_soc(%) is equal to or greater than the reference charging capacity E_min(%) (S35 / Yes), or in step S39, if the user is advised to stop at the nearest charging facility, the charging time calculation unit 65 then determines whether or not the vehicle 1 has arrived at the charging facility (step S41). The charging time calculation unit 65 may determine that the vehicle 1 has arrived at the charging facility if the vehicle 1's current location is located at the charging facility, or it may determine that the vehicle 1 has arrived at the charging facility if the vehicle 1's current location is located within, for example, a radius of 10 to 100 m from the charging facility.

[0054] If vehicle 1 has not arrived at the charging station (S41 / No), exit this routine and proceed to step S27 in Figure 4 to determine whether vehicle 1 has arrived at the destination (step S27). If vehicle 1 has not arrived at the destination (S27 / No), return to step S25 and continue the navigation process shown in Figure 5.

[0055] On the other hand, if vehicle 1 arrives at a charging facility (S41 / Yes), the charging time calculation unit 65 calculates the expected remaining capacity E_c(%) of battery unit 3 at the time of expected arrival at the next charging facility (step S43). In step S43, the charging time calculation unit 65 calculates the expected remaining capacity E_c(%) of battery unit 3 at the time of expected arrival at the next charging facility (planned stop), assuming that vehicle 1 will not be charged at the current charging facility (stopover facility) but will continue driving to the next charging facility (planned stopover facility).

[0056] Specifically, the charging time calculation unit 65 refers to the driving database 75 and extracts power consumption data for each section of the driving route between the stopover facility and the planned stopover facility, for vehicles whose power consumption performance belongs to the same category as vehicle 1. This power consumption data reflects, for example, the increase in load when driving uphill, the decrease in load when driving downhill, and the charging power when using regenerative braking. The charging time calculation unit 65 converts the sum of the average power consumption values ​​for each section into the charging capacity of the battery unit 3 and estimates the expected power consumption E_est(%) when driving from the stopover facility to the planned stopover facility. Alternatively, the maximum value may be summed instead of the average power consumption value for each section.

[0057] The charging time calculation unit 65 then calculates the estimated remaining capacity E_c(%) of the battery unit 3 at the time of scheduled arrival at the planned stopover facility by subtracting the estimated expected power consumption E_est(%) from the current charging capacity E_soc(%) of the battery unit 3.

[0058] Furthermore, if, in accordance with the suggestion in step S39, the vehicle stops at a charging facility different from the one initially set on the driving route, the charging time calculation unit 65 sets the charging facility closest to the one currently stopped at from among the charging facilities on the initially set driving route as the next charging facility to be visited, and calculates the expected remaining capacity E_c(%).

[0059] Next, the charging time calculation unit 65 determines whether the expected remaining capacity E_c(%) is equal to or greater than the reference charging capacity E_min(%) (step S45). In step S45, it is determined whether, even if charging is not performed at the charging facility visited this time, the expected remaining capacity E_c(%) of the battery unit 3 at the time of scheduled arrival at the next charging facility will not fall below the reference charging capacity E_min(%). If the expected remaining capacity E_c(%) is equal to or greater than the reference charging capacity E_min(%) (S45 / Yes), although there is little need to charge at the charging facility visited this time, considering the fatigue level of the occupants who will be riding in the vehicle 1 for a long time, the notification control unit 67 drives the output unit 43 and proposes a preset minimum rest time T_rest as the stay time (step S47).

[0060] On the other hand, if the expected remaining capacity E_c(%) is not equal to or greater than the standard charging capacity E_min(%) (S45 / No), the charging time calculation unit 65 calculates the required charging time T_chg at the current charging facility so that the expected remaining capacity E_c(%) of the battery unit 3 at the time of scheduled arrival at the next charging facility is equal to or greater than the standard charging capacity E_min(%) (step S49). Specifically, the charging time calculation unit 65 calculates the remaining capacity E_b of the battery unit 3 required when departing from the current charging facility by adding the expected power consumption E_est(%) calculated in step S43 to the standard charging capacity E_min(%).

[0061] Furthermore, the charging time calculation unit 65 calculates the required charging energy E_chg(%) by subtracting the current remaining capacity of the battery unit 3 (the remaining capacity of the battery unit 3 at the start of charging) E_a(%) from the calculated remaining capacity E_b(%). In addition, the charging time calculation unit 65 calculates the required charging time T_chg from the remaining capacity of the battery unit 3 at the start of charging E_a(%) to the remaining capacity of the battery unit 3 at the end of charging E_b(%), based on the charging efficiency data shown in Figure 3.

[0062] Next, the notification control unit 67 drives the output unit 43 and proposes the calculated required charging time T_chg as the stay time (step S51). After the notification control unit 67 proposes the stay time in step S47 or step S51, the routine is exited and the process proceeds to step S27 in Figure 4 to determine whether or not vehicle 1 has arrived at the destination (step S27). If vehicle 1 has not arrived at the destination (S27 / No), the process returns to step S25 and continues the navigation process shown in Figure 5. On the other hand, if vehicle 1 has arrived at the destination (S27 / Yes), the processing unit 53 terminates the series of processing operations.

[0063] By charging the battery unit 3 at each charging facility according to the suggested stay duration, the user can reach their destination while minimizing stay time and preventing battery cell degradation by suppressing overcharging or over-discharging of the battery unit 3. Of course, users may take longer breaks than the suggested stay duration.

[0064] As described above, the control device 50 according to this embodiment sets charging facilities for the battery unit 3 to be visited along the journey from the current location to the destination according to predetermined criteria, calculates the required charging time T_chg at each charging facility, and further calculates that the expected remaining capacity E_c of the battery unit 3 at the time of arrival at the next charging facility will be equal to or greater than the standard charging capacity E_min. Therefore, the user does not need to search for charging facilities each time the charging capacity E_soc of the battery unit 3 decreases during the journey to the destination. In addition, the user can know the minimum charging time at each charging facility to be visited, and can prevent the time spent at charging facilities from becoming unnecessarily long.

[0065] Furthermore, since a minimum required charging time T_chg is proposed, it is possible to prevent the battery unit 3 from entering an over-discharged or over-charged state during the journey to the destination, thereby suppressing the degradation of the battery cells.

[0066] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control device 50 calculates the required charging time T_chg based on the sum of the expected power consumption E_est of the battery unit 3 during travel from one charging facility to the next, the reference charging capacity E_min (E_c), the value of the charging capacity at the start of charging at the charging facility (E_a), and data on the charging efficiency of the battery unit 3. Therefore, the accuracy of the calculation of the required charging time T_chg can be improved based on the charging efficiency of the battery unit 3 of each vehicle 1, and the accuracy of the stay time can be improved.

[0067] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control device 50 refers to a driving database that records driving data including driving section and power consumption for each vehicle type classified according to the power consumption performance of the electric vehicle, and predicts the expected power consumption E_est of the battery unit 3 based on the driving data of vehicle types belonging to the same classification as vehicle 1. As a result, the accuracy of predicting the expected remaining capacity E_c of the battery unit 3 at the scheduled arrival at the next charging facility can be improved, and the accuracy of the stay time can be improved.

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control device 50 sets the required charging time T_chg to be equal to or greater than the minimum rest time T_rest, so that even when the charging capacity E_soc of the battery unit 3 is sufficient, the fatigue level of the occupant who rides in the vehicle 1 for a long time can be reduced.

[0069] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the charge capacity E_soc of the battery unit 3 falls below the reference charge capacity E_min, the control device 50 proposes the nearest charging facility from the vehicle 1, which is different from the charging facility set according to a predetermined standard along with the driving route. Therefore, the time during which the vehicle 1 continues to run while the battery unit 3 is in an over-discharged state can be shortened.

[0070] Furthermore, if the vehicle stops at a charging facility different from the charging facility set according to predetermined criteria, the control device 50 may reset the charging facilities for the battery unit 3 that the vehicle will stop at during the journey to the destination. For example, if the vehicle stops at a different charging facility, the control device 50 may reset the driving route to a charging facility that can be visited according to predetermined criteria, using that charging facility as the current location, and then perform the above process.

[0071] While preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the attached drawings, the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear to any person with ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains that various modifications or alterations may be conceived within the scope of the technical idea set forth in the claims, and these will naturally also be understood to fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0072] For example, in the above embodiment, the control device mounted on the vehicle had the functions of a charge management device or navigation processing device. However, some or all of the functions of the control device may be provided on an external server that is communicably connected via a mobile communication means, and notifications such as display of a driving route or suggestion of stay time may be made based on signals transmitted from the external server to the vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 1: Vehicle, 3: Battery unit, 5: Inverter unit, 7: Drive motor, 11: Battery management device, 13: GNSS sensor, 40: Navigation system, 41: Input unit, 43: Output unit, 50: Control device, 51: Communication unit, 53: Processing unit, 55: Memory unit, 61: Route setting unit, 63: Power consumption estimation unit, 65: Charging time calculation unit, 67: Notification control unit, 71: Map database, 73: Charging facility database, 75: Driving database

Claims

1. In a charging management device for managing the charging of electric vehicle batteries, It comprises one or more processors and one or more memories connected to the one or more processors in a communicative manner, The aforementioned one or more processors Obtain information on the vehicle's current location and destination, The battery charging facilities to be visited during the journey from the current location to the destination are set according to predetermined criteria. Assuming that upon arrival at each of the aforementioned charging facilities, the vehicle is driven to the next charging facility without charging at the arrived facility, the estimated remaining capacity of the battery at the scheduled arrival time at the next charging facility is calculated. Determine whether the expected remaining capacity is equal to or greater than a predetermined standard charging capacity. If the expected remaining capacity is not equal to or greater than a predetermined standard charging capacity, the necessary charging time at the next charging facility is calculated so that the expected remaining capacity at the time of arrival at the next charging facility becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined standard charging capacity, and this necessary charging time is proposed as the stay time at the next charging facility. A charging management device that, when the expected remaining capacity is equal to or greater than the standard charging capacity, proposes a predetermined minimum rest period as the stay time at the charging facility upon arrival.

2. The aforementioned one or more processors The charging management device according to claim 1, which calculates the required charging time based on the sum of the expected power consumption of the battery during travel from one charging facility to the next charging facility and the predetermined reference charging capacity, the value of the charging capacity at the start of charging at the first charging facility, and data on the charging efficiency of the battery.

3. The aforementioned one or more processors For each type of electric vehicle classified according to its power consumption performance, a driving database containing driving data including driving section and power consumption is referenced. The charging management device according to claim 2, which predicts the expected power consumption based on the driving data of a vehicle belonging to the same classification as the vehicle.

4. The aforementioned one or more processors The charging management device according to claim 1, wherein if the vehicle stops at a charging facility different from the charging facility set according to the predetermined criteria, the device resets the battery charging facilities to be stopped at during the journey to the destination.

5. The charging management device according to Claim 1, wherein the expected remaining capacity is calculated by taking into account at least one of the load when driving uphill, the load when driving downhill, or the charging power when using regenerative braking when driving along the driving route.

6. In electric vehicle navigation systems, It comprises one or more processors and one or more memories connected to the one or more processors in a communicative manner, The aforementioned one or more processors Obtain information on the vehicle's current location and destination, Battery charging facilities to be visited along the journey from the current location to the destination are set according to predetermined criteria. Assuming that upon arrival at each of the aforementioned charging facilities, the vehicle is driven to the next charging facility without charging at the arrived facility, the estimated remaining capacity of the battery at the scheduled arrival time at the next charging facility is calculated. If the expected remaining capacity is not equal to or greater than a predetermined standard charging capacity, the necessary charging time at the next charging facility is calculated so that the expected remaining capacity at the time of arrival at the next charging facility becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined standard charging capacity, and this necessary charging time is proposed as the stay time at the next charging facility. A navigation system that, when the expected remaining capacity is equal to or greater than the standard charging capacity, proposes a predetermined minimum rest period as the stay time at the charging facility upon arrival.

7. The navigation system according to claim 6, wherein the expected remaining capacity is calculated by taking into account at least one of the load when driving uphill, the load when driving downhill, or the charging power when using regenerative braking when driving along the driving route.

8. A computer program provided to a charging management device that manages the charging of an electric vehicle battery, One or more processors, To obtain information on the vehicle's current location and destination, The battery charging facilities to be visited along the journey from the current location to the destination are set according to predetermined criteria, Assuming that upon arrival at each of the aforementioned charging facilities, the vehicle is driven to the next charging facility without charging at the arrived facility, the estimated remaining capacity of the battery at the scheduled arrival time at the next charging facility is calculated, If the expected remaining capacity is not equal to or greater than a predetermined standard charging capacity, the necessary charging time at the next charging facility is calculated so that the expected remaining capacity at the time of arrival at the next charging facility becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined standard charging capacity, and this necessary charging time is proposed as the stay time at the next charging facility. If the expected remaining capacity is equal to or greater than the standard charging capacity, a predetermined minimum rest period will be proposed as the stay time at the charging facility upon arrival. A computer program that performs a process that includes [a specific action].

9. The computer program according to claim 8, wherein the expected remaining capacity is calculated by taking into account at least one of the load when driving uphill, the load when driving downhill, or the charging power when using regenerative braking, when driving along the driving route.

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