Method and information processing device

Abstract

To improve a technology that has power supplied by a power supply vehicle.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus 30 acquires information indicating routes of a forward route and / or backward route of a power supply vehicle 20 that performs power supplying of a first vehicle 10A at a first destination. Next, the information processing apparatus 30 acquires positional information and SOC of a plurality of second vehicles 10B. Next, the information processing apparatus 30 identifies one or more second vehicles 10B that exist on a periphery of the first destination and / or a route of the power supply vehicle, and in which the SOC is less than a first reference value, of the plurality of second vehicles 10B. Then, the information processing apparatus 30 proposes use reservation of power supply service whose power is supplied by the power supply vehicle 20 for each of the identified one or more second vehicles 10B.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method and an information processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, for example, when an electric vehicle runs out of power, a technique of supplying power by a power supply vehicle is known. For example, in Patent Document 1, a vehicle that has run out of power transmits information including its current position to a server, and each of a plurality of power supply vehicles transmits information including the position of the vehicle to the server, so that the server selects a power supply vehicle that supplies power to the vehicle that has run out of power.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] There has been room for improvement in the technique of supplying power by a power supply vehicle.

[0005] In view of such circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to improve the technique of supplying power by a power supply vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a method executed by an information processing apparatus, acquiring information indicating a route of an outbound and / or return trip of a power supply vehicle that supplies power to a first vehicle at a first destination; acquiring position information and SOC of a plurality of second vehicles; From among the plurality of second vehicles, identify one or more second vehicles that are located in the vicinity of the first destination and / or on the route of the power supply vehicle, and whose SOC is less than the first reference value. To propose a reservation for the use of the power supply service in which the power supply vehicle provides power to each of the one or more specified second vehicles, Includes.

[0007] An information processing apparatus according to one embodiment of this disclosure is An information processing device comprising a control unit, The control unit, Information is obtained indicating the outbound and / or return route of the power supply vehicle that supplies power to the first vehicle at the first destination. The location information and SOC of multiple second vehicles are acquired, From among the plurality of second vehicles, one or more second vehicles are identified that are located in the vicinity of the first destination and / or on the route of the power supply vehicle, and whose SOC is less than the first reference value. A reservation for the use of the power supply service, in which the power supply vehicle provides power to each of the one or more specified second vehicles, is proposed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the technology for supplying power by a power supply vehicle is improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This block diagram shows a schematic configuration of a 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 a power supply vehicle. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram illustrating the schematic configuration of an information processing device. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart showing the operation of an information processing device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below.

[0011] (Summary of the embodiment) Referring to Figure 1, an overview of System 1 according to the embodiment of this disclosure will be described. System 1 comprises a plurality of vehicles 10, a power supply vehicle 20, and an information processing device 30. The plurality of vehicles 10, the power supply vehicle 20, and the information processing device 30 are connected to a network 40, including, for example, the Internet and a mobile communication network. In the following description, when distinguishing between the plurality of vehicles 10, they will be referred to as the first vehicle 10A, the second vehicle 10B, the third vehicle 10C, and so on.

[0012] Vehicle 10 is, for example, an automobile, but is not limited to that and may be any vehicle. An automobile is, for example, a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle), HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle), PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), or FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle), etc., which is an automobile that uses electricity as a power source, but is not limited to these. The number of vehicles 10 provided in System 1 may be determined arbitrarily.

[0013] The power supply vehicle 20 is a vehicle capable of moving while equipped with a battery that has been charged with a large capacity to provide the power source for vehicle 10. The power supply vehicle 20 provides power supply services to vehicle 10. In Figure 1, the number of power supply vehicles 20 provided by system 1 is one, but this is not limited to this and may be determined arbitrarily. Typically, in the provision of power supply services, the power supply vehicle 20 departs from a base, travels to the location of the user's vehicle, supplies power to the user's vehicle, and then returns to the base. Here, the travel from the base to the location of the user's vehicle is called the outbound trip, and the travel from the location of the user's vehicle to the base is called the return trip.

[0014] The information processing device 30 is a computer such as a server device. The information processing device 30 can communicate with a plurality of vehicles 10 and the power supply vehicle 20 via the network 40.

[0015] First, the outline of this embodiment will be described, and the details will be described later. The information processing device 30 acquires information indicating the route of the outbound and / or return trip of the power supply vehicle 20 that supplies power to the first vehicle 10A at the first destination. Next, the information processing device 30 acquires the position information and SOC (State of Charge) of a plurality of second vehicles 10B. Next, the information processing device 30 identifies one or more second vehicles 10B that exist around the first destination and / or on the route of the power supply vehicle 20 and whose SOC is less than the first reference value from among the plurality of second vehicles 10B. Then, the information processing device 30 proposes a reservation for using the power supply service in which the power supply vehicle 20 supplies power to each of the identified one or more second vehicles 10B.

[0016] Thus, according to this embodiment, since the power supply vehicle 20 can supply power not only to the first vehicle 10A but also to one or more second vehicles 10B during the outbound and / or return trip for supplying power to the first vehicle 10A at the first destination, the service efficiency and energy efficiency of the power supply vehicle 20 can be improved. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the technology of supplying power by the power supply vehicle is improved in that the service efficiency and energy efficiency of the power supply vehicle 20 can be improved.

[0017] Next, each component of the system 1 will be described in detail.

[0018] (Configuration of the vehicle) As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 10 includes a communication unit 11, an output unit 12, an input unit 13, a storage unit 14, a control unit 15, and a positioning unit 16.

[0019] The communication unit 11 includes one or more communication interfaces connected to the network 40. These communication interfaces may, for example, support mobile communication standards such as 4G (4th Generation) or 5G (5th Generation), but are not limited to these. In this embodiment, the vehicle 10 communicates with the information processing device 30 via the communication unit 11 and the network 40.

[0020] The output unit 12 includes one or more output devices that output information. These output devices are, for example, a display that outputs information as images, or a speaker that outputs information as sound, but are not limited to these. Alternatively, the output unit 12 may include an interface for connecting an external output device.

[0021] The input unit 13 includes one or more input devices for detecting user input operations. These input devices are, but are not limited to, physical keys, capacitive keys, mice, touch panels, touchscreens integrated with the display of the output unit 12, or microphones. Alternatively, the input unit 13 may include an interface for connecting external input devices.

[0022] The storage unit 14 includes one or more memories. The memories are, for example, semiconductor memories, magnetic memories, or optical memories, but are not limited to these. Each memory included in the storage unit 14 may function as, for example, a main memory, an auxiliary memory, or a cache memory. The storage unit 14 stores any information used in the operation of the vehicle 10. Any information used in the operation of the vehicle 10 includes the SOC. In addition, for example, the storage unit 14 may store system programs, application programs, and embedded software. For example, the information stored in the storage unit 14 may be updatable with information obtained from the network 40 via the communication unit 11.

[0023] The control unit 15 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process, but is not limited to these. The programmable circuit is an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), but is not limited to this. The dedicated circuit is an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), but is not limited to this. The control unit 15 controls the operation of the entire vehicle 10.

[0024] The positioning unit 16 includes one or more devices for acquiring location information of the vehicle 10. Specifically, the positioning unit 16 includes, for example, a receiver compatible with GPS, but is not limited to that, and may include a receiver compatible with any satellite positioning system.

[0025] (Configuration of the power supply vehicle) As shown in Figure 3, the power supply vehicle 20 includes a communication unit 21, an output unit 22, an input unit 23, a storage unit 24, a control unit 25, and a positioning unit 26. Note that the communication unit 21, output unit 22, input unit 23, storage unit 24, control unit 25, and positioning unit 26 are the same as the communication unit 11, output unit 12, input unit 13, storage unit 14, control unit 15, and positioning unit 16, respectively, so their explanation is omitted.

[0026] (Configuration of information processing device) As shown in Figure 4, the information processing device 30 comprises a communication unit 31, a storage unit 32, and a control unit 33.

[0027] The communication unit 31 includes one or more communication interfaces connected to the network 40. These communication interfaces may, for example, support mobile communication standards, wired LAN (Local Area Network) standards, or wireless LAN standards, but are not limited to these, and may support any communication standard. In this embodiment, the information processing device 30 communicates with multiple vehicles 10 and power supply vehicles 20 via the communication unit 31 and the network 40.

[0028] The storage unit 32 includes one or more memories. Each memory included in the storage unit 32 may function as, for example, a main memory, an auxiliary memory, or a cache memory. The storage unit 32 stores any information used in the operation of the information processing device 30. For example, the storage unit 32 may store system programs, application programs, embedded software, and databases. The information stored in the storage unit 32 may be updatable with information obtained from the network 40, for example, via the communication unit 31.

[0029] The control unit 33 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process, but is not limited to these. The programmable circuit is an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), but is not limited to this. The dedicated circuit is an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), but is not limited to this. The control unit 33 controls the operation of the entire information processing device 30.

[0030] (Operation flow of the information processing device) Referring to Figure 5, the operation of the information processing device 30 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0031] S100: The control unit 33 of the information processing device 30 acquires information indicating the outbound and / or return route of the power supply vehicle 20 that supplies power to the first vehicle 10A at the first destination.

[0032] Specifically, the control unit 33 receives location information of the first destination, which is the destination of the first vehicle 10A, from the first vehicle 10A via the communication unit 31 and the network 40. The control unit 33 obtains information indicating the outbound and / or return routes of the power supply vehicle 20 that supplies power to the first vehicle 10A by calculating the outbound and / or return routes of the power supply vehicle 20, for example, by route searching, using the location information of the first destination, the location information of the base of the power supply vehicle 20 stored in the storage unit 32 of the information processing device 30, and the map information stored in the storage unit 32.

[0033] "Location information" may include any information that indicates a location, such as an address, latitude and longitude, or facility name.

[0034] S101: The control unit 33 acquires the position information and SOC of multiple second vehicles 10B.

[0035] Specifically, the control unit 33 acquires the location information and SOC of multiple second vehicles 10B by receiving their respective location information and SOC via the communication unit 31 and the network 40. For example, multiple second vehicles 10B can use their respective positioning units 16 to acquire location information of their respective current locations.

[0036] S102: The control unit 33 identifies one or more second vehicles 10B from among a plurality of second vehicles 10B that are located in the vicinity of the first destination and / or on the route of the power supply vehicle 20, and whose SOC is less than the first reference value.

[0037] Specifically, the control unit 33 identifies one or more second vehicles 10B that are located within a predetermined distance from the first destination and / or within a predetermined distance from the route of the power supply vehicle 20, and whose SOC is less than a first reference value, based on the information indicating the outbound and / or return route of the power supply vehicle 20 that supplies power to the first vehicle 10A acquired in S100, the location information and SOC of the multiple second vehicles 10B acquired in S101, and the map information stored in the storage unit 32. The predetermined distance may be changed. The first reference value is, for example, a predetermined value of SOC, but may be changed by, for example, the operator.

[0038] S103: The control unit 33 proposes a reservation for the use of a power supply service in which the power supply vehicle 20 supplies power to each of the one or more second vehicles 10B identified in S102.

[0039] Any method can be used to propose the reservation of the power supply service. For example, the control unit 33 may propose the reservation of the power supply service to each of the one or more identified second vehicles 10B by sending a message via the communication unit 31. Alternatively, the control unit 33 may send an instruction via the communication unit 31 to each of the one or more identified second vehicles 10B to output information regarding the proposal of the power supply service reservation. Upon receiving such an instruction, each of the one or more second vehicles 10B may output the information, for example, via an output device such as a display or speaker.

[0040] Furthermore, for example, if the number of second vehicles 10B identified in S102 is two or more, the control unit 33 may prioritize the vehicle 10B with the lowest State of Charge (SOC) among the identified second vehicles 10B and propose a reservation for the power supply service.

[0041] Here, if one or more users of the second vehicle 10B who have been offered a reservation for the power supply service wish to reserve the power supply service, they perform a predetermined user operation on the input unit 13 of the second vehicle 10B. When the control unit 15 of the second vehicle B detects this user operation, it transmits information regarding the power supply service reservation to the information processing device 30 via the communication unit 11. The control unit 33 of the information processing device 30 receives this information, for example, via the communication unit 31 and the network 40, modifies the operation plan information of the power supply vehicle 20 stored in the storage unit 32, and transmits the modified operation plan information to the power supply vehicle 20, thereby accepting the power supply service reservation. Note that any method is not limited to this example and can be used to accept the reservation.

[0042] As described above, the information processing device 30 acquires information indicating the outbound and / or return route of the power supply vehicle 20 that supplies power to the first vehicle 10A at the first destination. Next, the information processing device 30 acquires location information and SOC of multiple second vehicles 10B. Next, the information processing device 30 identifies one or more second vehicles 10B from among the multiple second vehicles 10B that are located in the vicinity of the first destination and / or on the route of the power supply vehicle 20, and whose SOC is less than the first reference value. Then, the information processing device 30 proposes a reservation for the use of the power supply service in which the power supply vehicle 20 supplies power to each of the identified one or more second vehicles 10B.

[0043] With this configuration, the power supply vehicle 20 can supply power not only to the first vehicle 10A but also to one or more second vehicles 10B during the outbound and / or return journey to supply power to the first vehicle 10A at the first destination, thereby improving the service efficiency and energy efficiency of the power supply vehicle 20. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the technology of supplying power by a power supply vehicle is improved in that the service efficiency and energy efficiency of the power supply vehicle 20 can be improved.

[0044] 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.

[0045] For example, in the embodiment described above, it is also possible to have an embodiment in which the configuration and operation of the information processing device 30 are distributed among multiple computers that can communicate with each other. Alternatively, for example, it is also possible to have an embodiment in which some or all of the components of the information processing device 30 are provided in the vehicle 10 or the power supply vehicle 20. For example, the vehicle 10 may be equipped with some or all of the components of the information processing device 30, or the power supply vehicle 20 may be equipped with some or all of the components of the information processing device 30.

[0046] Furthermore, for example, in the embodiment described above, if the control unit 33 receives a reservation for the use of the power supply service from at least one of the one or more second vehicles 10B, it may calculate the predicted SOC of the power supply vehicle 20 after it has supplied power to the first vehicle 10A and the at least one second vehicle 10B. Next, if the calculated predicted SOC of the power supply vehicle 20 is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the control unit 33 may acquire the location information and SOC of a plurality of third vehicles 10C. Subsequently, the control unit 33 may identify one or more third vehicles 30C that are located around the first destination and / or on the route of the power supply vehicle 20, and whose SOC is greater than or equal to a first reference value and less than a second reference value, and propose a reservation for the use of the power supply service to each of the identified one or more third vehicles 10C. Note that the predetermined value for the predicted SOC of the power supply vehicle 20 may be changed.

[0047] The second threshold value is a predetermined value for SOC that is greater than the first threshold value. Furthermore, the second threshold value may be changeable by the operator to any value greater than the first threshold value.

[0048] Furthermore, for example, in the embodiment described above, the control unit 33 may monitor the current location of the power supply vehicle 20 as it moves toward the first destination. Next, if a change occurs in the route of the power supply vehicle 20, the control unit 33 may newly identify one or more second vehicles 10B from among the plurality of second vehicles 10B that are located on the changed route and whose SOC is less than the first reference value. The control unit 33 may then propose a reservation for the use of the power supply service to each of the one or more newly identified second vehicles 10B.

[0049] Any method, such as using GPS, can be employed to monitor the current location of the power supply vehicle 20.

[0050] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the first base from which the power supply vehicle 20 departs and the second base from which it returns may be different. In this case, the control unit 33 may calculate the outbound and / or return route of the power supply vehicle 20, for example, by route search, using the location information of the first destination, the location information of the first base stored in the storage unit 32, the location information of the second base stored in the storage unit 32, and the map information stored in the storage unit 32.

[0051] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the first destination was the destination of the first vehicle 10A, but it is not limited to this. For example, if the first vehicle 10A is already parked, the parking location may be set as the first destination.

[0052] Furthermore, it is also possible to implement an embodiment in which a general-purpose computer functions as the information processing device 30 according to the above embodiment. Specifically, a program describing the processing content that realizes each function of the information processing device 30 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 implemented as a program that can be executed by a processor, or as a non-temporary computer-readable medium that stores said program. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0053] 1 System 10 vehicles 11 Communications Department 12 Output section 13 Input section 14 Storage section 15 Control Unit 16 Positioning Unit 20 Power supply vehicles 21 Communications Department 22 Output section 23 Input section 24 Memory section 25 Control Unit 26 Positioning Unit 30 Information Processing Devices 31 Communications Department 32 Storage section 33 Control Unit 40 Networks

Claims

1. A method executed by an information processing device, To obtain information indicating the outbound and / or return route of the power supply vehicle that supplies power to the first vehicle at the first destination, To acquire the location information and SOC of multiple second vehicles, From among the plurality of second vehicles, one or more second vehicles are identified that are located in the vicinity of the first destination and / or on the route of the power supply vehicle, and whose SOC is less than the first reference value. To propose a reservation for the use of the power supply service in which the power supply vehicle provides power to each of the one or more specified second vehicles, The service will accept reservations for the power supply service from at least one of the two vehicles mentioned above. The calculation of the predicted SOC of the power supply vehicle after the power supply vehicle has supplied power to the first vehicle and at least one second vehicle, If the calculated predicted SOC is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the location information and SOC of multiple third vehicles are acquired. Identifying one or more third vehicles located in the vicinity of the first destination and / or along the route of the power supply vehicle, and whose SOC is greater than or equal to the first reference value and less than the second reference value, To propose a reservation for the use of the power supply service to each of the one or more third vehicles identified, Methods that include...

2. The method according to claim 1, If the number of identified second vehicles is two or more, priority will be given to vehicles with fewer State of Control (SOC) when proposing the use of the power supply service. Methods that further include the above.

3. A method to be executed by an information processing device, To obtain information indicating the outbound and / or return route of the power supply vehicle that supplies power to the first vehicle at the first destination, To acquire the location information and SOC of multiple second vehicles, From among the plurality of second vehicles, one or more second vehicles are identified that are located in the vicinity of the first destination and / or on the route of the power supply vehicle, and whose SOC is less than the first reference value. To propose a reservation for the use of the power supply service in which the power supply vehicle provides power to each of the one or more specified second vehicles, To monitor the current location of the power supply vehicle while it is moving toward the first destination, If a change occurs in the route of the power supply vehicle, one or more second vehicles are newly identified from among the plurality of second vehicles that are located on the changed route and whose SOC is less than the first reference value. To propose a reservation for the use of the power supply service to each of the one or more newly identified second vehicles, Methods that include...

4. The method according to claim 3, If the number of identified second vehicles is two or more, priority will be given to vehicles with fewer State of Control (SOC) when proposing the use of the power supply service. Methods that further include the above.

5. An information processing device comprising a control unit, The control unit, Information is obtained indicating the outbound and / or return route of the power supply vehicle that supplies power to the first vehicle at the first destination. The location information and SOC of multiple second vehicles are acquired, From among the plurality of second vehicles, one or more second vehicles are identified that are located in the vicinity of the first destination and / or on the route of the power supply vehicle, and whose SOC is less than the first reference value. A reservation for the use of the power supply service, in which the power supply vehicle provides power to each of the one or more specified second vehicles, is proposed. Of the one or more second vehicles mentioned above, at least one second vehicle accepts a reservation for the power supply service. The predicted SOC of the power supply vehicle after it has supplied power to the first vehicle and at least one second vehicle is calculated. If the calculated predicted SOC is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the location information and SOC of multiple third vehicles are acquired. Identify one or more third vehicles that are located in the vicinity of the first destination and / or on the route of the power supply vehicle, and whose SOC is greater than or equal to the first reference value and less than the second reference value. An information processing device that proposes a reservation for the use of the power supply service to each of the one or more third vehicles identified.

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