Charging control device and charging control method

Abstract

To appropriately support a setting of a charging mode by a user.SOLUTION: A charge control device according to the present invention, is a charge control device that comprises a control part controlling a charging of a battery mounted onto a vehicle by using an external power supply. The control part provides: a first mode in which a first charging rate as a charging rate near a full charging is set to a target charging rate as a charging mode of the battery; and a second mode in which a second charging rate lower than the first charging rate is set to the target charging rate. The charging mode selected by a user is set to the charging mode used for the control, and a notification for promoting the change to a recommendation charging mode is performed to the user in the case where the recommendation charging mode determined on the basis of a discharge history of the battery is different from the set charging mode.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a charge control device and a charge control method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, for example, there is a charge control device that controls the charging of a secondary battery such as a lithium battery. In such a charge control device, there is a technique of providing a full charge mode and an intermediate charge mode and controlling the charging according to the charge mode selected by the user. For example, in the intermediate charge mode, the deterioration of the lithium battery can be suppressed by setting the charge amount to about 50% (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the prior art, there is room for improvement in appropriately supporting the setting of the charge mode by the user.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to provide a charge control device and a charge control method that can appropriately support the setting of the charge mode by the user.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the charging control device according to the present invention is a charging control device comprising a control unit that controls charging of a battery mounted on a vehicle using an external power supply, wherein the control unit provides a first mode as the charging mode for the battery, in which the target charging mode is a first charging rate, which is a charging rate near full charge, and a second mode as the target charging mode, in which the target charging mode is a second charging rate lower than the first charging rate, sets the charging mode selected by the user as the charging mode to be used for control, and if the recommended charging mode determined based on the battery discharge history differs from the set charging mode, the control unit provides a notification to the user prompting them to change to the recommended charging mode. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately support the user in setting the charging mode. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an example of a charge control device being installed. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an overview of the charging control method. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a block diagram of the charging control device. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of a charge / discharge history memory unit. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating exception handling related to charge and discharge history. [Figure 6A] Figure 6A shows an example of a dispersion state related to the discharge amount. [Figure 6B] Figure 6B shows an example of a dispersion state related to the amount of discharge. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows an example of notification information. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an example of notification information. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the processing steps performed by the charging control device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the charging control device and charging control method disclosed in this application will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

[0010] First, an overview of the charging control device and charging control method according to the embodiment will be described using Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the mounting of the charging control device. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an overview of the charging control method.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, the charging control device 10 according to this embodiment is mounted on a vehicle C. The vehicle C has an on-board battery 40 (see Figure 3), which is a secondary battery such as a lithium battery, and the charging control device 10 controls the charging of the on-board battery 40 by an external power supply 100. In the example in Figure 1, the case where the external power supply 100 is a contact-type charging device that supplies power via a cable is shown, but the external power supply 100 may be a non-contact type charging device.

[0012] Incidentally, secondary batteries, such as lithium-ion batteries, can generally be kept under control by using them with a charge level between 30% and 80%. In other words, for example, if the charge level of a secondary battery exceeds 80% after charging, the driving range of vehicle C will increase, but it will also cause the secondary battery to deteriorate.

[0013] Therefore, the charging control device 10 according to the embodiment provides a first mode as a charging mode for the vehicle battery 40, in which the target charging rate is set to a charging rate exceeding the recommended charging threshold th of the vehicle battery 40, and a second mode in which the target charging rate is set to a charging rate lower than the recommended charging threshold th.

[0014] For example, the recommended charging threshold th is a threshold related to the charging rate recommended from the perspective of the degradation of the secondary battery, and is, for example, 80% of the charging rate. The first mode is a full charge mode aimed at fully charging the in-vehicle battery 40, and the second mode is a degradation suppression mode aimed at suppressing the degradation of the in-vehicle battery 40.

[0015] That is, in the first mode, it is difficult to run out of power, and in the second mode, the degradation of the in-vehicle battery 40 can be suppressed. In the present embodiment, the case where the target charging rate exceeds the recommended charging threshold th is defined as the first mode, and the case where the target charging rate is less than or equal to the recommended charging threshold th is defined as the second mode.

[0016] Also, for each charging mode, a mode with the charging rate near full charge as the target charging rate is the first mode, a second charging mode with a charging rate lower than the first mode as the target charging rate, or a mode with a charging rate at which degradation is unlikely to occur as the target charging rate is the second charging mode, and a first charging mode with a charging rate higher than the second charging mode as the target charging rate may be set.

[0017] By the way, for example, when the charging mode of the in-vehicle battery 40 is set to the first mode, it may be better to change from the first mode to the second mode, or when the charging mode is set to the second mode, it may be better to change from the second mode to the first mode.

[0018] Therefore, the charging control device 10 according to the embodiment selects a recommended charging mode based on the discharge history of the in-vehicle battery 40, and when the set charging mode and the recommended charging mode are different, notifies to prompt the change of the charging mode.

[0019] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the charging control device 10 acquires operation information regarding the setting of the charging mode from the display device 50 (step S1). For example, the display device 50 is a touch panel display mounted on the vehicle C, and accepts an operation regarding the setting of the charging mode by a user (for example, a driver).

[0020] Next, the charge control device 10 selects a recommended charging mode based on the charge and discharge history stored in the charge and discharge history storage unit (step S2). In the example shown in the figure, the discharge amount Cc is defined as the period from the completion of charging to the start of the next charging cycle, and the remaining charge amount Rc at that time is shown as a graph. For example, in this case, each remaining charge amount Rc is 50% or more. This is because even if the charging mode is changed from the first mode (for example, a mode that charges to 100% charge) to the second mode (for example, a mode that charges to 80% charge) and the charge rate drops by 20%, the charge rate will still be above a certain level (for example, 30% charge) that provides some margin before the battery runs out.

[0021] Therefore, given this charging and discharging trend, it can be said that there is a low possibility of running out of power even if the vehicle battery 40 is not charged in the first mode and is charged in the second mode. For this reason, the charging control device 10 selects the second mode as the recommended charging mode.

[0022] Furthermore, for example, if the frequency of the remaining charge Rc falling below 50% exceeds a predetermined value, that is, if lowering the charge rate when switching to the second mode increases the risk of running out of power, the charging control device 10 will select the first mode as the recommended charging mode. Specific examples of the recommended charging mode selection process will be described later using Figures 6A and 6B.

[0023] Next, the charging control device 10 performs a determination process to determine whether the set charging mode matches the selected recommended charging mode (step S3). For example, if the set charging mode matches the recommended charging mode, the charging control device 10 proceeds with charging.

[0024] On the other hand, if the charging control device 10 does not match the set charging mode with the recommended charging mode, it notifies the display device 50 of a change notification prompting a change in the charging mode (step S4). As a result, the user can change the charging mode setting by operating the display device 50 after receiving the change notification. A specific example of the change notification will be described later with reference to Figure 8.

[0025] As described above, the charging control device 10 according to the embodiment selects a recommended charging mode based on the discharge history and issues a change notification prompting a change in the charging mode if the set charging mode differs from the recommended charging mode. That is, if the set charging mode is the first mode and the recommended charging mode is the second mode, it will prompt a change from the first mode to the second mode, and if the set charging mode is the second mode and the recommended charging mode is the first mode, it will prompt a change from the second mode to the first mode.

[0026] In other words, the charging control device 10 prompts the user to switch to the second mode if the setting is the first mode and the possibility of running out of power is low even if the user switches to the second mode. Conversely, if the setting is the second mode and the possibility of running out of power is high, the device prompts the user to switch to the second mode.

[0027] Therefore, the charging control device 10 according to this embodiment can appropriately support the user setting of the charging mode.

[0028] Next, an example of the configuration of the charging control device 10 according to the embodiment will be described using Figure 3. Figure 3 is a block diagram of the charging control device 10. Figure 3 also shows the on-board battery 40, display device 50, and user terminal 60.

[0029] The on-board battery 40 is, for example, a lithium-ion secondary battery, and supplies power to a motor and various auxiliary equipment (loads) not shown. The on-board battery 40 is also charged by an external power source 100 and by regenerative power generated when the vehicle C decelerates.

[0030] The display device 50 is a display device installed, for example, on the dashboard of vehicle C. For example, the display device 50 is composed of a touch panel display.

[0031] The user terminal 60 is, for example, the user's smartphone or tablet device. For example, the user terminal 60 communicates with the charging control device 10 via wired or wireless connection.

[0032] As shown in Figure 3, the charging control device 10 includes a control unit 20 and a storage unit 30. The storage unit 30 is implemented by semiconductor memory elements such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and flash memory, and in the example shown in Figure 3, it includes a charging mode storage unit 31, a charge / discharge history storage unit 32, and a scheduled information storage unit 33.

[0033] The charging mode memory unit 31 is a memory unit that stores the currently set charging mode. The charge / discharge history memory unit 32 is a memory unit that stores the charge / discharge history of the vehicle battery 40. Figure 4 shows an example of the charge / discharge history memory unit 32.

[0034] As shown in Figure 4, for example, the charge / discharge history storage unit 32 stores information such as "charging date and time," "charge level before charging," "charge level after charging," and "discharge amount" in a manner that associates them with each other.

[0035] "Charging Date and Time" indicates the date and time when the vehicle battery 40 was charged using an external power supply 100 (see Figure 1). "Charging Rate Before Charging" indicates the charging rate immediately before charging at the corresponding charging date and time. "Charging Rate After Charging" indicates the charging rate immediately after charging at the corresponding charging date and time.

[0036] "Discharge amount" refers to the amount of discharge that represents the balance of the charge rate from the completion of charging of the vehicle battery 40 to the start of the next charging. For example, the discharge amount at charging date and time T1 is calculated as "charge rate after the current charge (B1) - charge rate before the next charge (A2)".

[0037] Incidentally, for example, if a user does not charge the vehicle battery 40 in an environment where a charging environment is available and there is sufficient time to charge, the charging control device 10 may consider that charging was performed during that period and store the discharge amount in the charging mode storage unit 31.

[0038] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating exception handling related to charge and discharge history. In Figure 5, the vertical axis represents the charge level of the vehicle battery 40, and the horizontal axis represents the date and time. As shown in Figure 5, for example, suppose that at date and time T11, the user did not charge the vehicle battery 40 even though the charging environment was suitable (and there was sufficient time for charging).

[0039] In this case, for example, if we try to calculate the discharge amount Cc before charging after charging has occurred, as shown by the bar on the far right of Figure 5, the charging control device 10 calculates the discharge amount Cc as Cc = 100% - Y% when the charging starts. However, for example, if we calculate the discharge amount Cc before date and time T11, using T11 as the trigger, the discharge amount Cc = 100% - X%, and if we calculate the discharge amount Cc after T11, the discharge amount Cc = X% - Y%. In this way, it becomes possible to calculate the discharge amount Cc between the previous charge and the current charge by dividing it into discharge amounts Cc for multiple periods.

[0040] In other words, by calculating and storing the discharge amount Cc at the time T11, it becomes possible to calculate the discharge amount Cc in more detail. This allows for the selection of the recommended charging mode, as described later, based on a more detailed discharge amount Cc, thereby improving the accuracy of the recommended charging mode selection.

[0041] Furthermore, the charging control device 10 may determine the date and time T11 that triggers the calculation of the discharge amount Cc based on the location information and parking time of the vehicle C. More specifically, for example, the charging control device 10 determines whether or not the environment is suitable for charging by comparing map information showing the location of the external power source 100 with the location information when the vehicle C was parked, and determines the date and time T11 that triggers the calculation if the parking time exceeds the time required for charging. Furthermore, the charging control device 10 may determine that the environment is suitable for charging if, for example, the vehicle is parked for a long period of time near an external power source 100 that is normally used, such as at home or at work.

[0042] Furthermore, for example, in the case of a user who has charging equipment at home and charges vehicle C on their way home, the system could simply record the amount of charge and discharge on a daily cycle. The starting point of this daily cycle (the transition point between days) could be, for example, the time when charging begins upon arrival home or the time when charging is completed upon departure.

[0043] Returning to the explanation of Figure 3, let's describe the schedule information storage unit 33. The schedule information storage unit 33 is a storage unit that stores information about the user's future schedule. Here, the future schedule refers to information that indicates the user's plans to use vehicle C, and includes items such as date and time and destination.

[0044] The schedule information stored in the schedule information storage unit 33 may be entered by the user via the navigation function of the display device 50, or it may be obtained via a cloud system, for example, from a calendar application on the user terminal 60. Alternatively, an application for entering schedule information may be downloaded to the user terminal 60, and the schedule information may be obtained through such an application.

[0045] The control unit 20 is a controller, and is realized, for example, by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or MPU (Micro Processing Unit) executing various programs (not shown) stored in the memory unit 30 using RAM as the working area. The control unit 20 can also be realized by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0046] As shown in Figure 3, the control unit 20 includes a State of Charge (SOC) calculation unit 21, a mode setting unit 22, a selection unit 23, a recommended charge rate calculation unit 24, a generation unit 25, a notification unit 26, and a charge control unit 27.

[0047] The SOC calculation unit 21 calculates the State of Charge (SOC) of the onboard battery 40. The SOC calculation unit 21 calculates the SOC using any method, such as the current integration method, the open-circuit voltage (OCV) estimation method, or the extended Kalman filter method, and writes the calculation result to the charge / discharge history storage unit 32.

[0048] The mode setting unit 22 sets the charging mode of the vehicle battery 40 based on user operations. For example, the mode setting unit 22 sets the charging mode based on operation information input from the display device 50 or operation information input from the user terminal 60. The mode setting unit 22 also writes the charging mode setting to the charging mode storage unit 31 each time a charging mode is set.

[0049] The selection unit 23 selects a recommended charging mode based on the discharge history of the vehicle battery 40. For example, the selection unit 23 selects a recommended charging mode according to the distribution of discharge amounts stored in the charge / discharge history storage unit 32.

[0050] The selection unit 23 may also select a recommended charging mode based on whether the remaining charge never fell below a predetermined threshold during a predetermined period (for example, one week). Alternatively, the selection unit 23 may select a recommended charging mode based on whether the average remaining charge over a predetermined period (for example, one week) falls below a predetermined threshold. Furthermore, the remaining charge can be determined by subtracting the discharge amount from the charge rate before discharge, or by subtracting the charge amount from the charge rate after charging, etc., and the recommended charging mode may also be selected using the discharge amount or charge amount instead of the remaining charge.

[0051] For example, as will be described later, the selection unit 23 selects a recommended charging mode based on the ratio of the occupancy rate of less than 60% discharge to the occupancy rate of 60% or more discharge, with 60% discharge being the boundary.

[0052] As a more specific example (let's call it Example 1), the selection unit 23 selects the recommended charging mode as the second mode when the percentage of discharge amounts exceeding 60% is below a threshold (for example, 15%), that is, when the frequency of discharge amounts exceeding 60% is about once a week (below a certain percentage). Specific examples of the selection process for the recommended charging mode by the selection unit 23 considering the distribution state (an example where the frequency of discharge amounts exceeding 60% is 15% or more) will be described later using Figures 6A and 6B.

[0053] Furthermore, the selection unit 23 selects a recommended charging mode based on the scheduled information stored in the scheduled information storage unit 33. For example, based on the scheduled information, the selection unit 23 estimates the discharge amount from the route and distance traveled to the destination after charging is complete, and selects a recommended charging mode based on that discharge amount.

[0054] In other words, the selection unit 23 can more appropriately select a recommended charging mode by selecting a recommended charging mode based on the schedule after charging is complete. For example, if a change occurs in the schedule, that is, if the schedule for the same time stored in the schedule information storage unit 33 is overwritten, the selection unit 23 will determine whether or not to change the recommended charging mode before and after the change.

[0055] For example, when the selection unit 23 determines whether to change from the second mode to the first mode, it can reduce the probability of running out of power after the change in schedule, and when it determines whether to change from the first mode to the second mode, it can reduce the deterioration of the onboard battery 40.

[0056] In this way, the selection unit 23 can select an appropriate recommended charging mode according to future plans by selecting a recommended charging mode according to future plans.

[0057] The recommended charge rate calculation unit 24 calculates the recommended charge rate for the vehicle battery 40. Here, the recommended charge rate is the recommended value of the target charge rate. For example, the recommended charge rate calculation unit 24 refers to the charge / discharge history storage unit 32 and calculates the recommended charge rate according to the distribution of past discharge amounts.

[0058] Figures 6A and 6B show examples of the dispersion state regarding the discharge amount. Figures 6A and 6B show histograms with the vertical axis representing the frequency of occurrence and the horizontal axis representing the discharge amount (%). For example, the selection unit 23 calculates the occupancy rate and the average, respectively, using a discharge amount of 60% as the boundary.

[0059] In the example shown in Figure 6A (referred to as Example 2), the proportion of discharges less than 60% is 80%, and the average discharge amount is 22.5%. Also, the proportion of discharges 60% or more is 20%, and the average discharge amount is 80%. In other words, in this case, the proportion of discharges 60% or more is sufficiently low, and the average discharge amount less than 60% is more than twice the average discharge amount 60% or more.

[0060] Therefore, in such cases, the user can easily recognize the relationship between the discharge amount and the intended use of vehicle C, that is, the difference between the intended use when the discharge amount is large and when it is small. Consequently, even if the second mode is selected as the recommended charging mode, the user can consider the intended use of vehicle C after charging is complete and set the charging mode to the first mode themselves as needed. Therefore, in this case, the selection unit 23 selects the second mode as the recommended charging mode.

[0061] More specifically, for example, if the occupancy rate of discharge amounts of 60% or more is 15-30%, and the ratio of the average value of discharge amounts less than 60% to the average value of discharge amounts of 60% or more is 2 times or more, the selection unit 23 selects the second mode as the recommended charging mode.

[0062] In other words, the selection unit 23 selects the second mode as the recommended charging mode when there is a large discrepancy in the histogram between the peak with a discharge amount of 60% or more and the peak with a discharge amount of less than 60%. Also, for example in this case, the recommended charge rate calculation unit 24 calculates the recommended charge rate as 80%, which is the recommended charge threshold th.

[0063] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 6B (referred to as Example 3), the percentage of devices with a discharge amount of less than 60% is 80%, and the average value of those discharge amounts is 40%. Also, the percentage of devices with a discharge amount of 60% or more is 20%, and the average value of those discharge amounts is 67.5%.

[0064] More specifically, the maximum value in the histogram is at 40-50% discharge rate, and the average discharge rate is 70% or less. In this case, for example, it is difficult to clearly distinguish the relationship between the discharge rate and the intended use of vehicle C, and it is difficult for the user to recognize the difference between the intended use when the discharge rate is high and when it is low.

[0065] In other words, in such cases, if the device is set to the normal second mode, there is a possibility of unexpected power depletion. Therefore, the selection unit 23 selects the second mode as the recommended charging mode if, for example, the average value of the discharge amount when the discharge amount is 60% or more is 70% or less, but calculates a recommended charge rate that is higher than the default charge rate (80%).

[0066] For example, in this case, since the total discharge amount does not exceed 90%, the recommended charge rate calculation unit 24 calculates the recommended charge rate as 90%. The charge control device 10 performs control in the order of priority of Example 1 → Example 2 → Example 3, and if it does not move to any of Examples 1 to 3, the first mode is selected (the first mode selected by the user is maintained).

[0067] In this way, the selection unit 23 can appropriately select the charging mode by selecting a recommended charging mode according to the distribution state of the discharge amount. That is, assuming that the final setting of the charging mode is left to the user, the selection unit 23 selects a recommended charging mode according to how easily the user can understand the relationship between the use of vehicle C and the discharge amount. Therefore, it can appropriately support the user in setting the charging mode.

[0068] For example, the system could present the user with the selected charging mode and charge level, allowing the user to change these settings manually or with their consent. Alternatively, the system could automatically change the selected charging mode and charge level, then notify the user of the changes, allowing them to freely modify them if desired.

[0069] Returning to the explanation of Figure 3, let's describe the generation unit 25. The generation unit 25 generates notification information that the notification unit 26 will notify. For example, the generation unit 25 generates a graph showing the relationship between the discharge history and the estimated remaining charge. Here, the estimated remaining charge is the estimated value of the remaining charge of the vehicle battery 40 after charging it to the target charge rate and before the next charging starts. A specific example of the graph will be described later using Figure 8.

[0070] The notification unit 26 issues a notification prompting the user to switch to the recommended charging mode if the set charging mode differs from the recommended charging mode. For example, the notification unit 26 compares the currently set charging mode with the recommended charging mode selected by the selection unit 23 when the vehicle C's ignition is turned off.

[0071] If both modes match, the notification unit 26 notifies the display device 50 and the user terminal 60 of the current target charge rate. If both modes are different, it notifies the user to change to the recommended charging mode.

[0072] Here, we will explain an example of notification information using Figures 7 and 8. Figures 7 and 8 are diagrams illustrating an example of notification information. The example shown in Figure 7 shows an example of notification information when the current charging mode matches the recommended charging mode.

[0073] For example, the notification information includes information about the current charging mode and the target charge rate. In the example shown in the figure, the current charging mode is the degradation suppression mode (corresponding to the second mode), and the target charge rate is 80%. Here, the target charge rate is the value of the recommended charge rate calculated by the recommended charge rate calculation unit 24. In other words, Figure 7 notifies the user of the recommended charge rate.

[0074] For example, by notifying the user of the current charging mode and target charge level in this way, the user can easily check the current charging mode and target charge level, thus avoiding situations such as forgetting to change the charging mode.

[0075] Furthermore, the example shown in the same figure displays text to confirm with the user whether or not to switch to full charge mode (corresponding to mode 1), along with a mode switching button and a button for manually entering the target charge rate.

[0076] For example, the mode switching button is a button for the user to switch charging modes, and the target charge rate manual input button is a button for the user to manually input the target charge rate. The charging control device 10 can switch charging modes and target charge rates in response to the operation of these buttons.

[0077] Furthermore, Figure 8 shows an example of notification information when the current charging mode is the full charge mode (first mode) and the recommended charging mode is the degradation suppression mode (second mode). In other words, Figure 8 shows an example of notification information when the target charge rate is lowered.

[0078] As shown in the figure, for example, the notification information includes text indicating the current charging mode and the recommended charging mode, a graph showing the remaining charge Rc when charging in the current charging mode (full charge mode), and a graph showing the remaining charge Rc when charging in the recommended charging mode.

[0079] In such graphs, the vertical axis represents the charge level, and the horizontal axis represents the date and time. For example, the graph for the current charging mode shows the most recent discharge amount Cc and the remaining charge Rc when the battery is charged to 100%.

[0080] Furthermore, the recommended charging mode graph shows, for example, the remaining charge Rc when the target charge rate is lowered to 80% based on past discharge amounts Cc. This allows users to visually understand the remaining charge Rc when switching to the recommended charging mode, the second mode, i.e., when the target charge rate is lowered to 80%, so they can confidently agree to lowering the target charge rate.

[0081] Furthermore, the charging control device 10 may update the graph to reflect the changed target charging rate when the target charging rate is changed by the user using the manual target charging rate input button.

[0082] In other words, in this case, by presenting the relationship between the user-set target charge rate and the remaining charge Rc as a graph, it is possible to appropriately support the user in setting the target charge rate. Note that here, graphs showing the charge / discharge status for both the current charging mode and the recommended mode are displayed, but it is also possible to display only one of them, or to display both graphs alternately over time or based on user input.

[0083] Returning to the explanation of Figure 3, let's describe the charging control unit 27. The charging control unit 27 controls the charging of the vehicle battery 40. For example, when the power plug of the external power supply 100 is connected to the vehicle battery 40, the charging control unit 27 controls the charging so that the charge level of the vehicle battery 40 reaches the target charge level.

[0084] Next, the processing procedure performed by the charging control device 10 according to the embodiment will be described using Figure 9. Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure performed by the charging control device 10.

[0085] As shown in Figure 9, first, the charging control device 10 selects a recommended charging mode (step S101). Next, the charging control device 10 determines whether or not the vehicle C has finished operating in a charging environment (step S102).

[0086] If the charging control device 10 determines that operation has ended under conditions where charging is possible (step S102; Yes), it proceeds to the process in step S103. If it determines that operation has not ended under conditions where charging is possible (step S102; No), it continues the process in step S102.

[0087] Next, the charging control device 10 determines whether the recommended charging mode selected in step S101 matches the current charging mode (step S103). If it determines that both modes match (step S103; Yes), it proceeds to step S104. If it determines that both modes do not match (step S103; No), it proceeds to step S105.

[0088] Next, the charging control device 10 notifies the user to switch charging modes (step S104) and determines the target charge rate (step S105). After that, the charging control device 10 starts charging (step S106) and ends the process.

[0089] As described above, the charging control device 10 according to the embodiment is a charging control device comprising a control unit 20 that controls charging of a battery mounted on a vehicle C using an external power supply 100, wherein the control unit 20 provides a first mode as a battery charging mode in which the target charging rate is a first charging rate, which is a charging rate near full charge, and a second mode in which the target charging rate is a second charging rate lower than the first charging rate, sets the charging mode selected by the user as the charging mode to be used for control, and if the recommended charging mode determined based on the battery discharge history differs from the set charging mode, the control unit 20 notifies the user to change to the recommended charging mode.

[0090] Therefore, the charging control device 10 according to this embodiment can appropriately support the user setting of the charging mode.

[0091] By the way, the above-described embodiment described the case of controlling the charging of the vehicle battery 40, but it is not limited to this. That is, the vehicle battery 40 may be replaced with various secondary batteries. In other words, the present invention may be applied to the control of secondary batteries in personal computers, smartphones, etc.

[0092] Further effects and modifications can be readily derived by those skilled in the art. Therefore, broader aspects of the present invention are not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments expressed and described above. Accordingly, various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit or scope of the overall concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims and equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0093] 10 Charging control device 20 Control Unit 21 SOC calculation section 22 Mode setting section 23 Selection Section 24 Recommended charge level calculation unit 25 Generation part 26 Notification Department 27 Charging Control Unit 31 Charging mode memory unit 32 Charge / Discharge History Memory Unit 33. Schedule Information Storage Unit 40 Car batteries 50 Display device 60 User Terminals 100 External power supply C Vehicle Cc discharge amount Rc charge level th Recommended charging threshold

Claims

1. A charging control device comprising a control unit that controls the charging of a battery mounted on a vehicle using an external power source, The control unit, The battery charging modes include a first mode in which the target charging rate is a first charging rate, which is a charging rate near full charge, and a second mode in which the target charging rate is a second charging rate lower than the first charging rate. The charging mode selected by the user is set as the charging mode used for control, If the recommended charging mode determined based on the battery discharge history differs from the set charging mode, a user notification prompting the user to change to the recommended charging mode will be issued. The user notification includes displaying a graph showing the relationship between the estimated remaining charge based on the discharge history and the discharge history. Charging control device.

2. The second charge level is The charging rate is set to a range in which battery degradation is less likely to occur than the first charging rate. The charging control device according to claim 1.

3. The control unit, If the user has selected the first mode, and the amount of discharge predicted based on the discharge history is such that there is little chance of running out of power even if the target charge level is reduced to the second charge level, the user will be notified to switch to the second mode. The charging control device according to claim 1.

4. The control unit, Based on the aforementioned discharge history, the recommended charge level is calculated. The recommended charge level will be notified. The charging control device according to claim 1.

5. The control unit, The system obtains information about the user's future plans and selects the recommended charging mode based on those plans. If, after selecting the charging mode, a change occurs in the schedule, and this change causes the recommended charging mode to change from the second mode to the first mode, the user will be notified to switch to the first mode. The charging control device according to claim 1.

6. The control unit, The recommended charging mode is selected according to the distribution state of the discharge amount in the discharge history. The charging control device according to claim 1.

7. The control unit is When there is a large discrepancy between the peak frequency of occurrences where the discharge amount is above the threshold and the peak frequency of occurrences where the discharge amount is below the threshold, the second mode is selected as the recommended charging mode. The charging control device according to claim 6.

8. The control unit is If the recommended charging mode determined based on the battery's discharge history is the same as the set charging mode, the system will display the target charge level for manual input to the user. The charging control device according to claim 1.

9. The control unit, When the vehicle's ignition switch is turned off, the current target charge level is notified. The charging control device according to claim 1.

10. A charging control method that controls the charging of a battery mounted on a vehicle using an external power source, The battery charging modes include a first mode in which the target charging rate is a first charging rate, which is a charging rate near full charge, and a second mode in which the target charging rate is a second charging rate lower than the first charging rate. The charging mode selected by the user is set as the charging mode used for control, If the recommended charging mode determined based on the battery discharge history differs from the set charging mode, a user notification prompting the user to change to the recommended charging mode will be issued. The user notification includes displaying a graph showing the relationship between the estimated remaining charge based on the discharge history and the discharge history. Charging control method.

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