Systems, programs, and methods

Abstract

SOLUTION: To provide a system including a control unit that provides a power resource to a power network by performing at least one of first control for reducing the amount of charge to a plurality of movable batteries and second control for increasing the amount of power to be supplied from the plurality of movable batteries to the outside in response to a first request to reduce power consumption, a classification unit that classifies each of the plurality of movable batteries into a battery that can be used for both the first control and the second control and a battery that can be used for the first control, but not used for the second control based on at least one of an integrated value of discharge power and a health degree of each of the plurality movable batteries, and an estimation unit that estimates which one of the first control and the second control enables each of the plurality movable batteries to provide the power resource to the power network based on a classification result by the classification unit and a predicted usage status of the plurality of movable batteries.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system, a program, and a method. [Background Art]

[0002] Patent Documents 1 to 7 disclose techniques relating to supply-demand adjustment for power grids. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2021-87261 Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-50240 Patent Document 3: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2021-150988 Patent Document 4: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2021-100326 Patent Document 5: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2021-149788 Patent Document 6: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2020-108301 Patent Document 7: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2021-16288 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0003] There is a problem that it is not easy to effectively utilize a battery to achieve energy saving. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0004] In a first aspect of the present invention, a system is provided. The system controls the charging of a plurality of mobile batteries and the supply of power from the plurality of mobile batteries to an external source. The system includes a control unit that provides power resources to a power network by performing at least one of a first control that reduces the amount of charge to the plurality of mobile batteries and a second control that increases the amount of power supplied from the plurality of mobile batteries in response to a first request that requests a reduction in power consumption. The system includes a classification unit that classifies each of the plurality of mobile batteries into batteries that can be used for both the first and second controls and batteries that can be used for the first control but not for the second control, based on at least one of the cumulative value of the discharge power of each of the plurality of mobile batteries and their health status. The system includes an estimation unit that estimates whether each of the plurality of mobile batteries can provide power resources to the power network by the first control or the second control, based on the classification results by the classification unit and the predicted usage status of the plurality of mobile batteries.

[0005] In the above system, the classification unit may classify batteries among the plurality of movable batteries whose integrated discharge power exceeds a predetermined value as batteries that can be used for the first control but not for the second control.

[0006] In any of the above systems, the classification unit may classify batteries among the plurality of movable batteries whose health status is lower than a predetermined value as batteries that can be used for the first control but not for the second control.

[0007] In any of the above systems, the estimation unit may estimate the amount of power resources that each of the multiple movable batteries can provide to the power network through the first control and the second control, respectively, based on the predicted usage status of the multiple movable batteries.

[0008] In any of the above systems, the predicted usage of the multiple movable batteries may include the time period during which the multiple movable batteries are expected to be used.

[0009] In any of the above systems, the predicted usage of the plurality of movable batteries may further include the predicted charge state of the plurality of movable batteries.

[0010] In any of the above systems, the estimation unit may estimate the predicted usage status of the plurality of movable batteries based on the past usage history of the plurality of movable batteries and the future usage plan of the plurality of movable batteries.

[0011] In any of the above systems, the predicted usage of the plurality of movable batteries may include the timing at which the plurality of movable batteries are expected to be charged or discharged. The estimation unit may estimate the amount of power resources that each of the plurality of movable batteries can provide to the power network by the first control and the second control, respectively, by estimating the amount of power resources that can be provided to the power network by changing the timing at which the plurality of movable batteries are charged or discharged, in relation to the timing at which the plurality of movable batteries are expected to be charged or discharged, within the period during which power resources agreed upon in the power market should be provided to the power network.

[0012] In any of the above systems, the control unit may, in response to receiving the first request within the period during which the power resources should be provided to the power network, perform at least one of the first control and the second control based on the amount of power resources that the estimation unit has estimated will be available to the power network.

[0013] In any of the above systems, the control unit may further provide power resources to the power network by performing at least one of a third control that increases the amount of charge to the plurality of movable batteries and a fourth control that decreases the amount of power supplied from the plurality of movable batteries to the outside, in response to a second request that requests an increase in power consumption. The estimation unit may estimate, based on the classification results by the classification unit and the predicted usage status of the plurality of movable batteries, whether each of the plurality of movable batteries can provide power resources to the power network by any of the first control, second control, third control, or fourth control.

[0014] In any of the above systems, the plurality of movable batteries may include batteries mounted on a vehicle.

[0015] In any of the above systems, the classification unit may classify each of the plurality of movable batteries into two groups based on the integrated value of the discharge power of each of the plurality of movable batteries: batteries that can be used for both the first control and the second control, and batteries that can be used for the first control but not for the second control. The discharge power does not have to include the power used to run the vehicle.

[0016] In any of the above systems, the plurality of movable batteries may include batteries mounted on the vehicle and replaceable at multiple stations.

[0017] In a second aspect of the present invention, a program is provided. The program causes a computer to function as the system described in any of the above.

[0018] In a third aspect of the present invention, a method is provided. The method comprises the step of providing power resources to a power network by performing at least one of a first control of reducing a charging amount for a plurality of movable batteries and a second control of increasing a power supply amount from the plurality of movable batteries, in response to a first request that requires reduction of power consumption. The method comprises the step of classifying each of the plurality of movable batteries into a battery available for both the first control and the second control and a battery available for the first control but unavailable for the second control, based on at least one of an integrated value of discharge power and a health status of each of the plurality of movable batteries. The method comprises the step of estimating which of the first control and the second control enables each of the plurality of movable batteries to provide power resources to the power network, based on a classification result obtained from the step of classifying each of the plurality of movable batteries and an expected usage status of the plurality of movable batteries.

[0019] The above summary of the invention does not enumerate all features of the present invention. Sub-combinations of these feature groups may also constitute inventions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] [Figure 1] Conceptually illustrates an application mode of a power system 5 in one embodiment. [Figure 2] Shows an example of a system configuration of a system 100. [Figure 3] Is a graph schematically showing predicted power 301 that is predicted to be consumed in a provision period and target power 302. [Figure 4] Is a graph schematically showing estimated power 311 in a provision period. [Figure 5] Is a graph schematically showing required power 331 that the system 100 needs to secure in a provision period. [Figure 6] Is a diagram for explaining an example of a method for calculating power resources that can be provided by a vehicle 10. [Figure 7]It is a diagram for explaining another example of a method for calculating available power resources that can be provided by a vehicle 10. [Figure 8] It is a diagram for explaining another example of a method for calculating available power resources that can be provided by a vehicle 10. [Figure 9] Schematically shows total power and total electric energy that can be provided from all stations 30. [Figure 10] Schematically shows an example of power resources allocated to required power 331 allocated by an allocation unit 230. [Figure 11] It is a schematic diagram for explaining power resources allocated to a battery 12a. [Figure 12] It is a schematic diagram for explaining power resources allocated to a battery 12b and a battery 12c. [Figure 13] It is a schematic diagram for explaining power resources allocated to a battery 12d and a battery 12e. [Figure 14] It is a graph for explaining control for suppressing provision of power resources by second control. [Figure 15] It is another graph for explaining control for suppressing provision of power resources by second control. [Figure 16] It is a diagram for explaining an example of a method for calculating available power resources that can be provided by a vehicle 10a in consideration of an integrated value of discharge power. [Figure 17] It is a diagram for explaining control according to SOC for a battery 12 to provide power resources. [Figure 18] It is a diagram for explaining an example of a method for calculating available power resources that can be provided by a vehicle 10d and a vehicle 10e in consideration of an integrated value of discharge power. [Figure 19] Shows an example of a temporal change in power consumption under the control of a station 30. [Figure 20] It is a flowchart showing a procedure of processing executed by a system 100. [Figure 21] Shows an example of a computer 2000. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0021] The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but these embodiments are not intended to limit the invention as defined in the claims. Furthermore, not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0022] Figure 1 conceptually illustrates the usage of the power system 5 in one embodiment. The power system 5 comprises stations 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d, a power generator 80, a system 100, a server 180, and vehicles 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e, and 20.

[0023] In this embodiment, stations 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d may be collectively referred to as "station 30". Vehicles 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, and 10e may be collectively referred to as "vehicle 10". Vehicles 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, and 10e are equipped with batteries 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, and 12e, respectively. Batteries 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, and 12e may be collectively referred to as "battery 12".

[0024] System 100 is connected to server 180 via communication network 190. Server 180 can communicate with station 30 via communication network 190. System 100 controls station 30 via communication network 190. System 100 communicates with vehicle 10 via communication network 190 and acquires various information about vehicle 10, such as vehicle 10's driving history and battery 12's SOC.

[0025] Station 30, electricity consumers 70, and power generation equipment 80 are connected to a power network 90. ​​Power generation equipment 80 includes, for example, a power plant operated by a power company. The electricity generated by power generation equipment 80 can be supplied to Station 30 and electricity consumers 70 through the power network 90. ​​The power network 90 is, for example, a power grid.

[0026] Station 30 charges, discharges, or puts into standby mode the batteries 12 installed in the vehicles 10 to which it is connected. Vehicle 10 is, for example, an electric vehicle. Battery 12 is a battery that supplies power for the vehicle 10 to run. Vehicle 10 may be a privately owned vehicle, a vehicle used by a business for business purposes, a shared car, etc. Battery 12 is an example of a mobile battery. Battery 12 can be operational while installed in vehicle 10.

[0027] Station 30a is located in a private residence 42 and charges and discharges the battery 12a of vehicle 10a connected to Station 30a. Station 30b is a public charging and discharging station and charges and discharges the batteries 12 installed in multiple vehicles 10, including vehicles 10b and 10c connected to Station 30b. Station 30c is located in a facility 44 and charges and discharges the batteries 12 installed in multiple vehicles 10, including vehicles 10d and 10e connected to Station 30c.

[0028] Station 30d holds multiple batteries that can be mounted on vehicle 20 and charges and discharges the multiple batteries it holds. Vehicle 20 is, for example, an electric motorcycle. The battery 12f used in vehicle 20 is replaced at station 30. For example, the battery 12f used to run vehicle 20 is replaced with a battery 12g charged at station 30d and installed in vehicle 20. Battery 12f and battery 12g are examples of movable batteries. Battery 12f and battery 12g can become movable by being mounted on vehicle 20. Battery 12f and battery 12g can also become movable by being carried by a person.

[0029] Each of the stations 30 can charge its battery 12 with power supplied from the power network 90. ​​The stations 30 can also discharge their batteries 12 to supply power to the power network 90.

[0030] Each of the stations 30 charges and discharges the battery 12 according to the control of the system 100. For example, when there is a power shortage in the power network 90, the system 100 can supply power to the power network 90 by having the stations 30 discharge the battery 12. When there is a power surplus in the power network 90, the system 100 can reduce the power surplus in the power network 90 by having the stations 30 charge the battery. The system 100 can use the stations 30 to provide primary, secondary, and tertiary adjustment power to the power network 90. ​​In this way, the system 100 can aggregate multiple batteries 12 and manage them as a power resource for the power network 90.

[0031] Server 180 is a server used, for example, by a power aggregator. Server 180 conducts power trading in the power market. System 100 can provide Server 180 with batteries 12 which are managed as power resources. System 100 controls the charging and discharging of batteries by Station 30 to provide the amount of power agreed upon by Server 180 to the power network 90. ​​For example, System 100 controls the charging and discharging of batteries 12 by Station 30 in response to demand from Server 180 to provide an amount of power corresponding to the demand.

[0032] Figure 2 shows an example of the system configuration of system 100. System 100 comprises a processing unit 200, a storage unit 280, and a communication device 290.

[0033] The processing unit 200 controls the communication device 290. The communication device 290 is responsible for communication between the station 30a and the server 180. The processing unit 200 is implemented by an arithmetic processing unit including a processor. Each storage unit 280 is implemented with a non-volatile storage medium. The processing unit 200 performs processing using the information stored in the storage unit 280. The processing unit 200 may be implemented by a microcomputer equipped with a CPU, ROM, RAM, I / O, bus, etc. The system 100 may be implemented by a computer.

[0034] In this embodiment, system 100 is implemented by a single computer. However, in other embodiments, system 100 may be implemented by multiple computers. At least some of the functions of system 100 may be implemented by one or more servers, such as a cloud server.

[0035] The processing unit 200 includes an acquisition unit 210, an estimation unit 220, an allocation unit 230, a control unit 240, and a classification unit 250.

[0036] The acquisition unit 210 acquires the driving history of the vehicle 10 and the charge / discharge history of the battery 12. The acquisition unit 210 may acquire the driving history transmitted from the vehicle 10 to the system 100. The driving history of the vehicle 10 may include information relating the location of the vehicle 10 and the state of charge (SOC) of the battery 12 to the date and time. The acquisition unit 210 may acquire the charge / discharge history transmitted from the vehicle 10 to the system 100. The acquisition unit 210 may acquire the charge / discharge history of the battery 12 transmitted from the station 30. The charge / discharge history may include information relating the charge / discharge amount of the battery 12 to the date and time. The acquisition unit 210 may acquire information indicating the current state of the vehicle 10. The current state of the vehicle 10 may include the current location of the vehicle 10, the current SOC of the battery 12, etc. The estimation unit 220, the allocation unit 230, and the control unit 240 may perform processing based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit 210.

[0037] System 100 controls the charging of battery 12 and the supply of power from battery 12 to the outside. In response to a first request requesting a reduction in power consumption, control unit 240 provides power resources to the power network 90 by performing at least one of a first control that reduces the amount of charge to battery 12 and a second control that increases the amount of power supplied from battery 12. In response to a second request requesting an increase in power consumption, control unit 240 may provide power resources to the power network 90 by performing at least one of a third control that increases the amount of charge to battery 12 and a fourth control that decreases the amount of power supplied from battery 12 to the outside. Power resources may be power or energy. Providing power resources to the power network 90 includes increasing the power demand of the power network 90 and decreasing the power demand of the power network 90, and does not mean only supplying power to the power network 90.

[0038] The estimation unit 220 estimates, based on the predicted usage of the batteries 12, whether each of the batteries 12 can provide power resources to the power network 90 by the first control or the second control. The estimation unit 220 estimates, based on the predicted usage of the batteries 12, how much power resources each of the batteries 12 can provide to the power network 90 by the first control or the second control. The estimation unit 220 may estimate, based on the predicted usage of the batteries 12, whether each of the batteries 12 can provide power resources to the power network 90 by the first control, the second control, the third control or the fourth control. For example, the estimation unit 220 may estimate, based on the predicted usage of the batteries 12, how much power resources each of the batteries 12 can provide to the power network 90 by the first control, the second control or the third control or the fourth control.

[0039] The estimation unit 220 may estimate the amount of power resources that each of the batteries 12 can provide to the power network 90 by the first control and the second control, respectively, in each of several time periods in the future, based on the predicted usage of the batteries 12. The estimation unit 220 may estimate the amount of power resources that each of the batteries 12 can provide to the power network 90 by the first control, the second control, the third control and the fourth control, respectively, in each of several time periods in the future, based on the predicted usage of the batteries 12. The estimation unit 220 may estimate the amount of power resources that need to be provided to the power network 90 in each of several time periods in the future, based on the target value of power consumption by the batteries 12 for each time period in the future and the prediction of the charge and discharge amounts of the batteries 12 in the future.

[0040] The predicted usage of battery 12 includes, for example, the time period during which battery 12 is expected to be used. The predicted usage of battery 12 may further include the predicted charge state of battery 12 (e.g., charge rate). The estimation unit 220 may estimate the predicted usage of battery 12 based on the battery 12's past usage history and the battery 12's future usage plan.

[0041] The predicted usage of battery 12 may include the timing at which charging or discharging of battery 12 is predicted. The estimation unit 220 estimates the amount of power resources that can be provided to the power network 90 by changing the timing of charging or discharging of battery 12, relative to the timing at which charging or discharging of battery 12 is predicted to occur within the period during which power resources agreed upon in the power market should be provided to the power network 90. ​​By performing this estimation, the estimation unit 220 may estimate the amount of power resources that each of the batteries 12 can provide to the power network 90 through the first control, second control, third control, and fourth control, respectively.

[0042] Based on the amount of power resources that each of the batteries 12 can provide to the power network 90 and the amount of power resources that need to be provided to the power network 90, the estimation unit 220 may assign, prioritizing the first control over the second control, which of the first control and the second control will be used to provide power resources from the batteries 12 to the power network 90 during each time period within the period during which power resources agreed upon in the power market should be provided to the power network 90. ​​Based on the amount of power resources that each of the batteries 12 can provide to the power network 90 and the amount of power resources that need to be provided to the power network 90, the estimation unit 220 may assign, prioritizing the first control over the second control, which of the first control, the second control, the third control and the fourth control will be used to provide power resources from the batteries 12 to the power network 90 during each time period within the period during which power resources agreed upon in the power market should be provided to the power network 90. The control unit 240 may, in response to receiving a first request within the period during which power resources should be provided to the power network 90, perform at least one of the first and second controls based on the amount of power resources that can be provided to the power network 90 as estimated by the estimation unit 220, and in response to receiving a second request within the period during which power resources should be provided to the power network 90, perform at least one of the third and fourth controls based on the amount of power resources that can be provided to the power network 90 as estimated by the estimation unit 220.

[0043] The control unit 240 may, in response to receiving a first request within the period during which power resources should be provided to the power network 90, perform at least one of the first and second controls based on the amount of power resources that can be provided to the power network 90 as estimated by the estimation unit 220, and in response to receiving a second request within the period during which power resources should be provided to the power network 90, perform at least one of the third and fourth controls based on the amount of power resources that can be provided to the power network 90 as estimated by the estimation unit 220.

[0044] The allocation unit 230 allocates whether each of the batteries 12 will provide power resources to the power network 90 by first control or second control in each of several future time periods, based on the amount of power resources each battery 12 can provide to the power network 90 and the amount of power resources that need to be provided to the power network 90. ​​In particular, the allocation unit 230 prioritizes first control over second control when allocating whether each of the batteries 12 will provide power resources to the power network 90 by first control or second control in each of several future time periods, based on the amount of power resources each battery 12 can provide to the power network 90 and the amount of power resources that need to be provided to the power network 90.

[0045] The allocation unit 230, in each of several time periods in the future, (i) allocates the battery 12 to provide power resources to the power network 90 by the first control only if the total amount of power resources that the battery 12 can provide to the power network 90 by the first control is equal to or greater than the amount of power resources that need to be provided to the power network 90, and (ii) allocates the power resources that cannot be provided to the power network 90 by the first control in each time period to be provided by the second control if the total amount of power resources that the battery 12 can provide to the power network 90 by the first control is less than the amount of power resources that need to be provided to the power network 90. Specifically, the allocation unit 230 allocates the power resources to be provided to the power network 90 by the first control only in each of several time periods in the future if (i) the total amount of power resources that the battery 12 estimated by the estimation unit 220 can provide to the power network 90 by the first control is equal to or greater than the amount of power resources that need to be provided to the power network 90, and (ii) the total amount of power resources that the battery 12 estimated by the estimation unit 220 can provide to the power network 90 by the first control is less than the amount of power resources that need to be provided to the power network 90, by the second control in each time period.

[0046] The allocation unit 230 allocates, based on the amount of power resources each of the batteries 12 can provide to the power network 90 and the amount of power resources that need to be provided to the power network 90, which of the first, second, third, and fourth controls each of the batteries 12 will use to provide power resources to the power network 90 in each of several future time periods. For example, the allocation unit 230 may allocate the amount of power resources each of the batteries 12 will provide to the power network 90 in each of several future time periods by at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth controls.

[0047] The allocation unit 230 may prioritize the fourth control over the third control when allocating whether each of the batteries 12 will provide power resources to the power network 90. ​​The allocation unit 230 may allocate whether each of the batteries 12 will provide power resources to the power network 90 by the first control, second control, third control, or fourth control in each of several time periods in the future, so that the change in the charging power or discharging power of the batteries 12 is less than or equal to a predetermined value.

[0048] The classification unit 250 classifies each of the batteries 12 into two categories based on at least one of the cumulative discharge power and health status of each battery 12: batteries that can be used for both first and second control, and batteries that can be used for first control but not for second control. The estimation unit 220 may estimate, based on the classification results by the classification unit 250 and the predicted usage status of the batteries 12, whether each of the batteries 12 can provide power resources to the power network 90 by first control or second control. The estimation unit 220 may estimate, based on the classification results by the classification unit 250 and the predicted usage status of the batteries 12, whether each of the batteries 12 can provide power resources to the power network 90 by first control, second control, third control, or fourth control.

[0049] The classification unit 250 may classify batteries 12 whose cumulative discharge power exceeds a predetermined value as batteries that can be used for the first control but not for the second control. The classification unit 250 may classify batteries 12 whose health level is lower than a predetermined value as batteries that can be used for the first control but not for the second control. Based on the cumulative discharge power of each battery 12, the classification unit 250 may classify each of the batteries 12 into batteries that can be used for both the first and second control, and batteries that can be used for the first control but not for the second control. The discharge power does not have to include the power used to drive the vehicle 20.

[0050] If the predicted usage of battery 12 includes the predicted charge rate of battery 12, the estimation unit 220 may estimate the amount of power resources that each of the batteries 12 can provide to the power network 90 by the third control, such that the charge rate of each of the batteries 12 does not exceed a predetermined first value. Based on the predicted usage of battery 12, the estimation unit 220 may estimate the amount of power resources that each of the batteries 12 can provide to the power network 90 by the first control, second control, third control, and fourth control, such that the charge rate of each of the batteries 12 does not exceed a predetermined value. If the predicted usage of battery 12 further includes the time period during which battery 12 is expected to be used, the estimation unit 220 may estimate the amount of power resources that can be provided to the power network 90, such that the charge rate of batteries expected to be used within a predetermined time exceeds a predetermined first value, while allowing the charge rate of batteries not expected to be used within a predetermined time to exceed a predetermined first value.

[0051] If the predicted usage of battery 12 includes the predicted charge rate of battery 12, the estimation unit 220 may estimate the amount of power resources that each of the batteries 12 can provide to the power network 90 by the second control, such that the charge rate of each of the batteries 12 does not fall below a predetermined second value. The second value may be lower than the first value. Charge reduction control corresponds to the first control, power supply increase control corresponds to the second control, charge increase control corresponds to the third control, and power supply reduction control corresponds to the fourth control.

[0052] Figure 3 is a schematic graph showing the predicted power 301 and target power 302 expected to be consumed during the supply period. In this embodiment, the "supply period" refers to the period during which the amount of electricity agreed upon in the electricity market should be supplied. The supply period shown in Figures 3 to 12 is assumed to be the period from time t1 to t4.

[0053] The predicted power 301 is an assumed value of the power demand that will occur under the control of system 100. For example, the predicted power 301 is a baseline value of power demand every 30 minutes used when trading in the power market. The target power 302 is determined by subtracting the amount of power contracted in the power market from the predicted power 301. The target power 302 is the power consumption that system 100 should be able to maintain in order to ensure that the amount of power contracted in the power market is supplied to the power network 90.

[0054] Figure 4 is a schematic graph showing the estimated power 311 during the service period. The estimated power 311 represents the estimated power consumption consumed by charging the battery 12 controlled by the system 100. The estimated power 311 may be estimated based on the future charging plan for the battery 12 during the service period, the forecast of the vehicle 10 entering and leaving the station 30, and the history of the battery 12's charge and discharge amounts for each time period in the past. The estimated power 311 is estimated by the estimation unit 220.

[0055] Figure 5 is a graph schematically showing the required power 331 that the system 100 must secure during the service period. The required power 331 is calculated by subtracting the estimated power 311 from the target power 302. In Figure 5, the vertical axis represents the power difference. When the required power is less than 0, as in the required power 331 in Figure 5, it indicates that it may be necessary to reduce power consumption in response to a decreasing demand. When the required power is greater than 0, it indicates that it may be necessary to increase power consumption in response to an increasing demand.

[0056] The control unit 240 can supply the amount of electricity agreed upon in the electricity market to the power network 90 during the service period by adjusting the future charge and discharge schedule of the battery 12 so as to be able to provide the required power 331.

[0057] When the control unit 240 receives a downward demand issued by the server 180 during a period when the required power is less than zero, it responds to the downward demand by performing either a first control, which reduces the power consumed to charge the battery 12, or a second control, which reduces the overall power consumption by discharging the battery 12 and supplying power to the outside of the vehicle 10. When the control unit 240 receives an upward demand issued by the server 180 during a period when the required power is greater than zero, it responds to the upward demand by performing either a third control, which increases the power consumed to charge the battery 12, or a fourth control, which increases the overall power consumption by reducing the power supplied to the outside of the vehicle 10 by discharging the battery 12.

[0058] Figure 6 illustrates an example of a method for calculating the power resources that vehicle 10 can provide. Here, we illustrate a case where there is time required to charge the battery 12a between the end of the provision period and the predicted departure time of vehicle 10a. Figures 6 to 12 mainly describe the case where the battery 12 of vehicle 10 provides power resources to the power network 90.

[0059] Line 601 in Graph 600 shows the time change of SOC of battery 12a of vehicle 10a based on the charge / discharge plan. Line 602 in Graph 600 shows an example of the time change of SOC of battery 12a when the charge / discharge plan is modified to provide power resources within the supply period.

[0060] The first control, which prevents charging of battery 12a, can be performed throughout the entire time period from time t1 to t4. Similarly, the second control, which discharges battery 12a to supply power to the outside of vehicle 10, can be performed at any point during the time period from time t1 to t4, provided that the SOC does not become excessively low. For example, if the first control is performed throughout the entire time period from time t1 to t4, and the second control is performed between time t1 and t2, the SOC change will be as shown by line 602. To address the case shown in Figure 5, where the downward demand is particularly large during the time period from time t2 to time t3, the second control may be performed between t2 and t3 (illustration omitted). Subsequently, by starting to charge battery 12a from time t4, it becomes possible to charge battery 12a until its SOC reaches the target SOC1 by the predicted departure time t5 of vehicle 10a.

[0061] Graph 610 shows the power that can be supplied from battery 12a during each time period. As described above, the reduction in the charge level of battery 12a by the first control can be performed throughout the entire time period from time t1 to t4. The second control can be performed at any time period from time t1 to t4, but as is clear from line 602 in this example, there is only one time period during which it can be performed. When represented by rectangular frames in graph 610, all three frames can be selected for the first control, and one of the three frames can be selected for the second control. The time period corresponding to this frame can supply power to meet the reduced demand.

[0062] Graph 620 shows the amount of power available from battery 12a. As mentioned above, the first control can be executed throughout the entire time period from time t1 to t4, and can therefore be represented as three power resource slots. In this example, the second control is represented as one power resource slot.

[0063] Graph 660 shows the power that can be supplied from station 30a during each time period. Graph 670 shows the amount of power that can be supplied from station 30a. Since only one vehicle 10a can be connected to station 30a, graph 660 is the same as graph 610, and graph 670 is the same as graph 620.

[0064] Figure 7 illustrates another example of how to calculate the power resources that vehicle 10 can provide. Here, it is shown that vehicle 10b is expected to depart from station 30b at time t3 during the provision period, and vehicle 10c is expected to enter station 30b at time t2 during the provision period.

[0065] Line 701 in Graph 700 shows the time change of the State of Charge (SOC) of battery 12b of vehicle 10b based on the charge-discharge plan. Line 702 in Graph 700 shows the time change of the SOC of battery 12b when the charge-discharge plan is modified to provide power resources within the supply period. Here, the charge-discharge plan is to start charging battery 12b before time t1.

[0066] In contrast, as shown by line 702, charging of battery 12b is started from time t1, and the third control is performed between time t2 and time t3 to charge battery 12b. This allows the amount of charge to be increased between time t2 and t3. This makes it possible to provide power from battery 12b in response to rising demand.

[0067] Graph 710 shows the power that can be supplied from battery 12b during each time period. As described above, by performing the third control between time t2 and t3, it becomes possible to supply power in response to the rising demand. Therefore, as shown in Graph 710, by performing the third control, it becomes possible to supply a certain amount of power to respond to the rising demand.

[0068] Graph 720 shows the amount of power that can be supplied from battery 12b. As described above, by performing the third control between time t2 and t3, a certain amount of power can be supplied from battery 12b to respond to the rising demand.

[0069] Line 731 in Graph 730 shows the time change of SOC of battery 12c of vehicle 10c based on the charge / discharge plan. Line 732 in Graph 730 shows the time change of SOC of battery 12c when the charge / discharge plan is modified to provide power resources within the supply period. Here, the charge / discharge plan is scheduled to start charging battery 12b from the time vehicle 10c enters the depot t2.

[0070] In response to this, as shown by line 732, a first control is performed between time t2 and t3 to prevent charging of battery 12c, and a second control is performed to discharge battery 12c and supply power to the outside of vehicle 10, thereby enabling battery 12c to provide power in response to the declining demand between time t2 and t3. Subsequently, by performing the first control again between time t3 and t4 to prevent charging of battery 12c, it becomes possible to provide power in response to the declining demand between time t3 and t4. Subsequently, by starting charging of battery 12c from time t4, the battery 12c of vehicle 10c is rapidly charged until its SOC reaches the target SOC1.

[0071] Graph 740 shows the power that can be supplied from battery 12c during each time period. As described above, by performing the second control between time t2 and t3, it is possible to supply power that responds to the decreasing demand. Similarly, the second control may be performed between time t3 and t4. In this way, the second control can be performed at any point during a certain period between time t2 and t4. Graph 740 illustrates an example of a time period in which the second control can be performed. Furthermore, as described above, by reducing the charge amount of battery 12c by the first control between time t2 and t4, it becomes possible to supply power that responds to the decreasing demand compared to the charge / discharge plan represented by line 731.

[0072] Graph 750 shows the amount of power that can be supplied from battery 12c. As described above, by performing the second control during a certain period between time t2 and t4, a certain amount of power can be supplied to respond to the decreasing demand. Furthermore, as described above, by performing the first control between time t2 and t4, it is possible to supply the amount of power to respond to the decreasing demand, as shown in Graph 750. As shown in Graph 750, the amount of power that can be supplied by performing the first control is the sum of the charging power reduced between time t2 and t4.

[0073] Graph 760 shows the amount of electricity that can be supplied from station 30b during each time period. Graph 770 shows the amount of electricity that can be supplied from station 30b. Graph 760 is the sum of graphs 710 and 740. Graph 770 is the sum of graphs 720 and 750.

[0074] Figure 8 illustrates another example of how vehicle 10 can calculate its available power resources. Here, it is assumed that vehicle 10d's battery 12d will not be charged or discharged during the service period, and that timer charging of battery 12d is scheduled to occur between times t5 and t6. Vehicle 10e is scheduled to supply power to facility 44 between times t2 and t4.

[0075] Line 801 in Graph 800 shows the time change of SOC of battery 12d of vehicle 10d based on the charge / discharge plan. Line 802 in Graph 800 shows the time change of SOC of battery 12d when the charge / discharge plan is modified to provide power resources for the first request within the supply period. Line 803 in Graph 800 shows the time change of SOC of battery 12d when the charge / discharge plan is modified to provide power resources for the second request within the supply period.

[0076] As shown by line 802, charging of battery 12d is started before time t1, the battery 12d is discharged by performing a second control between time t1 and t3, no charging or discharging of battery 12d is performed between time t3 and t4, and charging of battery 12d is started from time t4 when the supply period ends. This makes it possible to increase the amount of power supplied from battery 12d to the outside of vehicle 10d between time t1 and t3. This makes it possible to supply power from battery 12d in response to a decrease in demand.

[0077] As shown by line 803, the discharge of battery 12d is started before time t1, and a third control is performed between time t1 and t4 to charge battery 12d until its SOC reaches the target SOC1. This allows the amount of charge in battery 12d to be increased between time t1 and t4. This makes it possible to provide power from battery 12d in response to rising demand.

[0078] Graph 810 shows the power that can be supplied from battery 12d during each time period. As described above, if the control shown by line 802 is performed, power to respond to a decreasing demand can be supplied by performing a second control during the two-frame period from time t1 to t3. The second control can also be performed during the two-frame period from time t2 to t4. In this way, the second control can be performed during any two frames out of the three frames between time t1 and t4. Furthermore, if the control shown by line 803 is performed, power to respond to an increasing demand can be supplied by performing a third control between time t1 and t4. Therefore, as shown in graph 810, by performing the second control, a certain amount of power to respond to a decreasing demand can be supplied, and by performing the third control, power to respond to an increasing demand can be supplied.

[0079] Graph 820 shows the amount of power that can be supplied from battery 12d. As described above, by performing the second control within a certain period between time t1 and t4, the battery 12d can be supplied with the amount of power needed to respond to a decreasing demand. Furthermore, by performing the third control from time t1 to time t4, a certain amount of power can be supplied to respond to an increasing demand. As shown in Graph 820, the amount of power that can be supplied by performing the third control is the sum of the charging power between time t1 and t4. Also, the amount of power that can be supplied by performing the second control is the sum of the power supplied during the certain period between time t1 and t4 when the second control is performed.

[0080] Line 831 in Graph 830 shows the time change of the State of Charge (SOC) of battery 12e of vehicle 10e based on the charge-discharge plan. As shown in line 831, battery 12e is scheduled to be discharged between time t2 and t4 to supply power to facility 44. Line 832 in Graph 830 shows the time change of the SOC of battery 12c when the charge-discharge plan is modified to provide power resources within the supply period. Line 833 in Graph 830 shows the time change of the SOC of battery 12e when the charge-discharge plan is modified in a different manner to provide power resources within the supply period.

[0081] As shown by line 832, the battery 12e is discharged before time t1, and then charged by performing a third control between time t1 and t2. This increases the amount of charge between time t1 and t2. This makes it possible to provide power from the battery 12e to respond to the rising demand. In addition, by performing a fourth control between time t2 and t4 to prevent power from being supplied to facility 44, it becomes possible to provide power from the battery 12e to respond to the rising demand.

[0082] As another form of control, as shown by line 833, the amount of power supplied from battery 12e can be increased by performing a second control between time t1 and t2, which involves discharging battery 12e from time t1 to t4. This makes it possible to provide power from battery 12e in response to a decrease in demand.

[0083] Graph 840 shows the power that can be supplied from battery 12e at each time interval. As described above, by performing the third control between time t1 and t2, it is possible to supply power to respond to the rising demand. Similarly, the third control can also be performed between time t2 and t3 or between time t3 and t4. Therefore, the third control can be performed at any point during a certain period between time t1 and t4. Thus, as shown in Graph 840, by performing the third control, it becomes possible to supply a certain amount of power to respond to the rising demand between time t1 and t4. Furthermore, as described above, by reducing the amount of power supplied from battery 12e by the fourth control between time t2 and t4, it becomes possible to supply power to respond to the rising demand compared to the charge / discharge plan represented by line 831.

[0084] Graph 850 shows the amount of power that can be supplied from battery 12e. As described above, by performing the third control during a certain period between time t1 and t4, a certain amount of power can be supplied to respond to the rising demand. Furthermore, as described above, by performing the fourth control between time t2 and t4, it becomes possible to supply the amount of power to respond to the rising demand, as shown in Graph 850. As shown in Graph 850, the amount of power that can be supplied by performing the fourth control is the sum of the charging power reduced between time t2 and t4. Furthermore, as described above, by performing the second control between time t1 and t2, it becomes possible to supply the amount of power to respond to the falling demand.

[0085] Graph 860 shows the amount of electricity that can be supplied from Station 30c during each time period. Graph 870 shows the amount of electricity that can be supplied from Station 30c. Graph 860 is the sum of Graphs 810 and 840. Graph 870 is the sum of Graphs 820 and 850.

[0086] The estimation unit 220 may estimate the time when vehicle 10 leaves station 30 and the time when vehicle 10 enters station 30 based on the vehicle 10's past driving history and the action plan entered by the user. The estimation unit 220 may estimate the State of Charge (SOC) of battery 12 when vehicle 10 enters station 30 and the State of Charge (SOC) of battery 12 when vehicle 10 leaves station 30 based on the battery 12's past charge / discharge history and the vehicle 10's driving history. The estimation unit 220 may estimate the power and energy that each of the batteries 12 can provide, provided that the SOC of battery 12 can reach the target SOC when vehicle 10 leaves station 30.

[0087] The acquisition unit 210 may acquire preference information indicating whether the user of the vehicle 10 wishes for the battery 12 to provide power in response to a demand. The estimation unit 220 may estimate the power and amount of energy that the battery 12 can provide based on the preference information. For example, the estimation unit 220 may exclude batteries 12 of the vehicle 10 associated with users who do not wish for the battery 12 to provide power in response to a demand from the batteries 12 that will respond to the demand.

[0088] The acquisition unit 210 may acquire specification information for the battery 12 and the station 30. The specification information may include information indicating the power that the battery 12 can charge and discharge, information indicating whether or not it is possible to discharge from the battery 12 to the vehicle 10, information indicating the power that the station 30 can charge and discharge, and information indicating whether or not it is possible for the station 30 to supply power from the battery 12 to the power network 90. ​​Based on the specification information, the estimation unit 220 may estimate the power and amount of energy that the battery 12 can provide within the specifications of the battery 12 and the station 30.

[0089] The acquisition unit 210 may acquire status information of the battery 12. The status information may include information indicating the degree of degradation of the battery 12, the capacity of the battery 12, and the temperature dependence of the output power. The estimation unit 220 may estimate the power and energy that the battery 12 can provide based on the status information of the battery 12. For example, the estimation unit 220 may prioritize selecting batteries 12 with a lower degree of degradation as batteries 12 that can respond to demand. The estimation unit 220 may exclude batteries 12 with a degree of degradation lower than a predetermined value from being selected as batteries 12 that will respond to demand.

[0090] The estimation unit 220 may set upper and lower limits on the State of Charge (SOC) of the battery 12 and on the charge / discharge amount to estimate the power and energy that the battery 12 can provide in order to suppress the progression of degradation of the battery 12 and the station 30 that may occur by responding to demand. The estimation unit 220 may decide whether or not to make the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 respond to demand, taking into consideration the financial benefits for the user of the vehicle 10, based on the electricity charges that may be incurred by charging the battery 12 and the rewards that the user associated with the vehicle 10 can receive by responding to demand. For example, the estimation unit 220 may decide not to make the battery 12 respond to demand if the electricity charges are higher than the rewards.

[0091] Figure 9 schematically shows the total power and total energy available from all 30 stations. Graph 960 shows the total power available from all 30 stations during each time period. Graph 970 shows the total energy available from all 30 stations. Graph 960 is the sum of Graphs 660, 760, and 860. Graph 970 is the sum of Graphs 670, 870, and 870.

[0092] The amount of power that the system 100 needs to have available for each time period to respond to demand during the service period is shown as the required power 331 in Figure 5. As shown in Figure 9, the allocation unit 230 allocates the total available power shown in Figure 9 to the required power 331 so that the required power 331 can be provided. Specifically, the allocation unit 230 allocates which station 30 and which battery 12 will provide the required power 331.

[0093] Figure 10 schematically shows an example of power resources allocated to the required power 331 by the allocation unit 230. In the example of required power 331 shown in Figure 5, there is no time period for responding to the second request. Therefore, the allocation of power resources to respond to the first request will be explained here.

[0094] The allocation unit 230 determines, for each time period, whether the total amount of power resources that can be provided from the battery 12 by the first control is equal to or greater than the amount of power resources required to provide the required power 331. As shown in Figure 9, in the time period from time t1 to t3, the total amount of power resources that can be provided from the battery 12 by the first control is less than the amount of power resources required to provide the required power 331. Therefore, the allocation unit 230 needs to allocate power resources in the time period from time t1 to t3 by both the first control and the second control. In this case, the allocation unit 230 prioritizes the first control over the second control. Specifically, the allocation unit 230 allocates all power resources that can be provided from the battery 12 by the first control in the time period from time t1 to t3, and also allocates power resources that cannot be provided by the first control to be provided by the second control.

[0095] On the other hand, during the time period from t3 to t4, the total amount of power resources that can be provided from the battery 12 by the first control is greater than or equal to the required power 331. Therefore, the allocation unit 230 allocates power resources to be provided only by the first control during the time period from t3 to t4.

[0096] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating the power resources allocated to battery 12a. Figure 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating the power resources allocated to batteries 12b and 12c. Figure 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating the power resources allocated to batteries 12d and 12e.

[0097] As shown in Figures 11 to 13, the allocation unit 230 allocates power resources to provide all power resources that can be provided by the first control from battery 12a during the time period from time t1 to t4, and also allocates power resources to provide all power resources that can be provided by the first control from battery 12c during the time period from time t2 to t4.

[0098] As shown in Figure 13, the allocation unit 230 allocates power resources so that any power resources that cannot be provided by the first control during the time period from t1 to t3 are provided by the second control from batteries 12d and 12e. Specifically, the batteries 12 that can provide power resources by the second control during the time period from t1 to t2 are batteries 12a, 12d, and 12e. However, since battery 12a has already been allocated to provide power resources by the first control during the time period from t1 to t2, the allocation unit 230 excludes battery 12a from being selected as a battery 12 to provide power resources by the second control during the time period from t1 to t2.

[0099] Therefore, the allocation unit 230 determines that battery 12d and / or battery 12e will provide power resources through the second control during the time period from t1 to t3. Since only battery 12d is capable of providing power resources during the time period from t2 to t3, the allocation unit 230 allocates power resources so that one of the batteries 12d, battery 12d, provides power resources through the second control during the time period from t2 to t3. Accordingly, the allocation unit 230 determines that the other battery 12e will provide power resources through the second control during the time period from t1 to t2. This makes it possible to allocate power resources so that battery 12d does not provide power resources over consecutive time periods.

[0100] As explained in relation to Figures 10 to 13, the allocation unit 230 can distribute the batteries 12 that provide power resources within the provision period while prioritizing the allocation of power resources by the first control over the allocation by the second control.

[0101] Figure 14 is a graph illustrating the control used to suppress the provision of power resources by the second control system. In the graph of Figure 14, the horizontal axis represents the elapsed time since the start of use of the vehicle 10, and the vertical axis represents the integrated value of the discharged power of the battery 12.

[0102] The classification unit 250 classifies the batteries 12 into those usable for both the first and second control and those usable for the first control but not for the second control, based on the integrated value of the discharged power of the batteries 12. "Discharged power" does not include the power used to drive the vehicle 10 from the discharged power of the battery 12. Specifically, "discharged power" includes the power discharged from the battery 12 during the period when power is supplied by the second or fourth control, but does not include the power used to drive the vehicle 10. As an example, "discharged power" may include only the power supplied from the battery 12 to the power network 90.

[0103] The classification unit 250 classifies batteries 12 whose integrated discharge power does not exceed a predetermined threshold into batteries usable for the first and second controls, and batteries 12 whose integrated discharge power is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold into batteries usable for the first control but not for the second control. The line 1400 shown in Figure 14 indicates the threshold. In the example in Figure 14, the threshold is a fixed value.

[0104] The line 1450 shown in Figure 14 represents the time evolution of the integrated discharge power from the battery 12a of the vehicle 10a. In the example in Figure 14, after the vehicle 10a is put into use, at time t1401, the integrated discharge power of the battery 12a reaches a threshold. In this case, the classification unit 250 classifies the battery 12a as a battery usable for the first control and the second control during the period from the start of use of the vehicle 10a until time t1401, and classifies the battery 12a as a battery usable for the first control but not for the second control during the period after time t1401.

[0105] Figure 15 is another graph illustrating the control used to suppress the provision of power resources by the second control. In the graph of Figure 15, the horizontal axis represents the elapsed time since the start of use of the vehicle 10, and the vertical axis represents the integrated discharge power of the battery 12.

[0106] The line 1550 shown in Figure 15 represents the time evolution of the integrated discharge power from battery 12a. Lines 1500 and 1510 shown in Figure 15 represent thresholds used by the classification unit 250 to classify the battery 12. Line 1500 represents the first threshold, and line 1510 represents the second threshold, which is lower than the first threshold. In the example shown in Figure 15, the first and second thresholds change according to the usage time of the vehicle 10. Specifically, the first and second thresholds increase over time for at least a portion of the vehicle 10's service life.

[0107] The line 1520 shown in Figure 15 represents the reference value of discharge power from the start of use of vehicle 10 to the end of vehicle 10's service life. The reference value changes depending on the usage time of vehicle 10. Specifically, the reference value increases over time for at least a portion of the period until the end of vehicle 10's service life. The first threshold is set higher than the reference value, and the second threshold is set lower than the reference value.

[0108] In the example shown in Figure 15, after the vehicle 10a is put into use, at time t1501, the accumulated discharge power of battery 12a reaches the first threshold. In this case, the classification unit 250 designates battery 12a as a battery available for both first and second control during the period from the start of vehicle 10a use until time t1501, and from time t1501 onwards, designates battery 12a as a battery available for first control but not for second control. As a result, battery 12a is no longer used for second control, and the accumulated discharge power of battery 12a remains constant from time t1501 until the accumulated discharge power of battery 12a reaches the second threshold.

[0109] At time t1502, when the integrated discharge power of battery 12a reaches the second threshold, the classification unit 250 designates battery 12a as a battery usable for both first and second control from time t1501. As a result, battery 12a becomes usable for second control, and the integrated discharge power of battery 12a may increase from time t1502.

[0110] As shown in Figure 15, by setting the first and second thresholds according to the usage time of the vehicle 10, the cumulative value of the discharge power of the battery 12 can be prevented from deviating from the reference value until the usage time of the vehicle 10 reaches its service life. This prevents the cumulative value of the discharge power of the battery 12 from increasing too much before the usage time of the vehicle 10 reaches its service life. Therefore, the deterioration of the battery 12 can be prevented from progressing more than necessary before the service life of the vehicle 10 has expired. This ensures that the vehicle 10 travels a distance greater than a predetermined distance before the service life of the vehicle 10 has expired, while allowing the battery 12 to be used to supply power to the power network 90 within a range where the deterioration of the battery 12 does not progress more than necessary.

[0111] Figure 16 illustrates an example of a method for calculating the power resources that vehicle 10a can provide, taking into account the integrated value of discharged power. Figure 16 corresponds to Figure 6. Specifically, Figure 16 shows the case where the integrated value of the discharged power of battery 12a in vehicle 10a reaches a threshold, and the classification unit 250 classifies battery 12a as a battery that can be used for first control but not for second control. The differences from Figure 6 will be explained here.

[0112] Since the classification unit 250 classifies battery 12a as a battery that will not be used for the second control, the estimation unit 220 assumes that battery 12a will not provide power resources through the second control and will only be able to provide power resources through the first control. Graph 1610 shows the power that can be provided from battery 12a during each time period. The "x" marks in graph 1610 indicate that the estimation unit 220 considers, based on the classification result of the classification unit 250, that battery 12a cannot provide power resources through the second control. As a result, the amount of power that can be provided from battery 12a is limited to the amount provided by the first control, as shown in graph 1620.

[0113] Graph 1620 shows the amount of power available from battery 12a. Since the first control can be performed throughout the entire time period from time t1 to t4, it is represented as three power resource slots. On the other hand, no power resources are provided by the second control.

[0114] Graph 1660 shows the amount of electricity that can be supplied from station 30a during each time period. Graph 1670 shows the amount of electricity that can be supplied from station 30a. Since only one vehicle 10a can be connected to station 30a, graph 1660 is the same as graph 1610, and graph 1670 is the same as graph 1620.

[0115] In relation to Figures 14 to 16, the classification unit 250 has been described in which it classifies the battery 12 according to the cumulative value of the discharge power of the battery 12. However, the cumulative value of the discharge power of the battery 12 is just one example of an indicator of the degree of degradation of the battery 12. The health of the battery 12 can be used as an indicator of the degree of degradation of the battery 12. For example, the classification unit 250 may classify the battery 12 according to the State of Health (SOH) instead of, or in addition to, the cumulative value of the discharge power of the battery 12. For example, the classification unit 250 may classify the battery 12 as a battery usable for both the first and second control if its SOH is above a predetermined value, and as a battery usable for the first control but not for the second control if its SOH is below a predetermined value.

[0116] As explained in relation to Figures 14 to 16, it is possible to switch whether or not to use battery 12 for the second control depending on the cumulative value of the discharged power of battery 12. This makes it possible to use battery 12 to provide power resources to the power network 90 while maintaining the battery 12 so that its degradation does not progress more than necessary. In this way, the value of battery 12 can be maintained while enjoying the benefits obtained by battery 12 providing power resources to the power network 90.

[0117] Figure 17 illustrates the control by which the battery 12 provides power resources according to the State of Charge (SOC). The estimation unit 220 switches the control by which the battery 12 provides power resources according to the range to which the SOC of the battery 12 belongs.

[0118] Specifically, the estimation unit 220 classifies the batteries 12 into groups A to D. For example, group A consists of batteries 12 with an SOC of 91% or more and 100% or less. Group B consists of batteries 12 with an SOC of 61% or more and 90% or less. Group C consists of batteries 12 with an SOC of 40% or more and 60% or less. Group D consists of batteries 12 with an SOC of 0% or more and 39% or less.

[0119] Battery 12 belonging to group A is a battery that can be used to power the vehicle 10. The estimation unit 220 considers that battery 12 belonging to group A is capable of providing power resources by second control in response to the first request.

[0120] The estimation unit 220 determines that the battery 12 belonging to group B is capable of providing power resources by second control in response to the first request. The estimation unit 220 determines that the battery 12 belonging to group B is capable of providing power resources by third control in response to the second request if predetermined conditions are met. Specifically, the estimation unit 220 determines that the battery 12 belonging to group B is capable of providing power resources by third control in response to the second request, provided that the SOC does not exceed 90%. The estimation unit 220 determines that the battery 12 belonging to group B is capable of providing power resources by third control in response to the second request, even if the SOC exceeds 90%, provided that it is predicted that the vehicle 10 will leave the station 30 within a predetermined time from the current time.

[0121] In this way, the estimation unit 220 estimates the amount of power resources that each of the batteries 12 can provide to the power network 90 by third control, so that the SOC of each battery 12 does not exceed 90%. In particular, the estimation unit 220 estimates the amount of power resources that can be provided to the power network 90, while allowing the SOC of batteries 12 that are expected to be used within a predetermined time to exceed 90%, so that the SOC of batteries 12 that are not expected to be used within a predetermined time does not exceed 90%. This makes it possible to use the batteries 12 to provide power resources to the power network 90 while suppressing excessive degradation of the batteries 12. In particular, when a battery 12 is expected to be used to run the vehicle 10 within a predetermined time, even if the SOC exceeds 90%, the provision of power resources by third control is allowed, so that the battery 12 is not left in a high SOC state for a long time. This makes it possible to suppress the degradation of the battery 12 while ensuring that the SOC of the battery 12 is not insufficient when the vehicle 10 is used.

[0122] The estimation unit 220 assumes that the battery 12 belonging to group C is capable of providing power resources by third control, etc., in response to the first request and / or the second request. However, the estimation unit 220 assumes that the battery 12 belonging to group C is capable of providing power resources by second control in response to the first request, provided that predetermined conditions are met. Specifically, the estimation unit 220 assumes that the battery 12 belonging to group C is capable of providing power resources by second control in response to the first request, provided that the SOC does not fall below 40%. As a result, the estimation unit 220 can estimate the amount of power resources that the battery 12 can provide to the power network 90 by second control, so as not to fall below 40% of the battery 12's charge level.

[0123] The estimation unit 220 determines that the battery 12 belonging to group D is capable of providing power resources by third control in response to the second request. The battery 12 belonging to group D is not used as a battery to provide power resources in response to the first request.

[0124] Figure 18 illustrates an example of a method for calculating the power resources that vehicles 10d and 10e can provide, taking into account the integrated value of discharged power. Figure 18 corresponds to Figure 8. Specifically, Figure 18 shows a case where the SOC of vehicle 10d's battery 12d may exceed 90% due to the third control, and the SOC of vehicle 10e's battery 12e may fall below 40% due to the second control. The differences from Figure 8 will be explained here.

[0125] Graph 810 shows the power that can be supplied from battery 12d during each time period. As explained in relation to Figure 8, battery 12d is available for third control between time t1 and t4. Here, if it is determined that the SOC will exceed 90% by performing third control for three time slots on battery 12d, the estimation unit 220 allows third control for up to two time slots on battery 12d. In other words, third control is allowed for any two time slots within the period from time t1 to t4.

[0126] Graph 1820 shows the amount of power that can be supplied from battery 12d. The "x" mark in Graph 1820 indicates that the estimation unit 220 considers that battery 12d cannot supply power resources through the third control. As a result, as shown in Graph 1820, the amount of power that can be supplied from battery 12d through the third control is equivalent to two units of power.

[0127] Graph 1840 shows the power that can be supplied from battery 12e during each time period. As explained in relation to Figure 8, battery 12e can perform a third control between time t1 and t4, and a fourth control between time t2 and t4. Here, if it is determined that the SOC would fall below 40% by performing a second control between time t1 and t2, the estimation unit 220 considers that it is not possible to perform a second control on battery 12e. The "x" mark in Graph 1840 indicates that the estimation unit 220 considers that battery 12e cannot provide power resources through the second control.

[0128] Graph 1850 shows the amount of power that can be supplied from battery 12e. As shown in Graph 1850, it is determined that battery 12e can supply enough power for one control slot through the third control, and that battery 12e can supply enough power for two control slots through the fourth control. On the other hand, the estimation unit 220 considers that it is not possible to supply power from battery 12e through the second control.

[0129] Graph 1860 shows the amount of electricity available from Station 30c during each time period. Graph 1870 shows the amount of electricity available from Station 30c. Graph 1860 is the sum of Graphs 810 and 1840. Graph 1870 is the sum of Graphs 1820 and 1850.

[0130] As explained in relation to Figures 17 and 18, the estimation unit 220 estimates the amount of power resources that can be supplied to the power network 90 by third control so as not to exceed a predetermined value in charge of the battery 12. Furthermore, the estimation unit 220 estimates the amount of power resources that can be supplied to the power network 90 by second control so as not to fall below a predetermined value in charge of the battery 12. This makes it possible to use the battery 12 to provide power resources to the power network 90 while maintaining the battery 12 so that its degradation does not progress more than necessary. This makes it possible to enjoy the benefits obtained by the battery 12 providing power resources to the power network 90 while maintaining the value of the battery 12.

[0131] Figure 19 shows an example of the time variation of power consumption due to the control of station 30. In Figure 19, the service period is from time t3 to t5.

[0132] At time t1, the allocation unit 230 allocates which station 30 and battery 12 will provide the necessary power during the provision period. The allocation unit 230 may make the allocation at a predetermined time before the start time of the provision period. The allocation unit 230 may make the allocation at a predetermined time before the start time of the provision period on a day that includes the provision period.

[0133] At time t2 prior to the start of the service period, the control unit 240 pre-controls the charging and discharging of the battery 12 so that it can provide the necessary power during the service period. For example, if the control unit 240 anticipates that power consumption may be reduced in response to a decrease in demand during the service period, it will pre-charge the battery 12. Control to charge the battery 12 before the start of the service period, as shown by line 802 in Figure 8, is included in the pre-control.

[0134] The control unit 240 controls the charging and discharging of the battery 12 by controlling the station 30 according to the demand during the service period. At this time, the control unit 240 controls the charging and discharging of the battery 12 according to the result of the allocation performed by the allocation unit 230. If power consumption increases as a result of unexpected vehicle entry and exit at time t4, the control unit 240 selects a battery 12 that can provide the power corresponding to the increased power consumption from among the batteries 12 that have not been allocated by the allocation unit 230 to provide the necessary power, and causes the selected battery 12 to provide the power corresponding to the increased power consumption by performing first control or second control.

[0135] When the supply period ends at time t5, the control unit 240 controls the charging and discharging of the battery 12 to recover the necessary power supplied from the battery 12 during the supply period. For example, if the control unit 240 reduced power consumption in accordance with the reduced demand during the supply period, it will charge the battery 12 after the supply period. For example, the control unit 240 will charge the battery 12 before the start time of the supply period, as shown by line 802 in Figure 8. Control to charge the battery 12 after the supply period, as shown by line 602 in Figure 6, is included in post-control. At this time, it is desirable for the control unit 240 to control the charging and discharging of the battery 12 so that the time change in power consumption after the supply period is less than a predetermined value.

[0136] Figure 20 is a flowchart showing the steps of the process performed by system 100. In S1402, the estimation unit 220 determines the bid amount for the power market. For example, the estimation unit 220 estimates the available power and energy using a predictive model for estimating the available power and energy in response to demand, and determines the bid amount based on the estimated power and energy. The predictive model may be a model generated in advance based on the past charge and discharge history of battery 12. For example, the predictive model may be a model generated by machine learning using the available power and energy for each time period calculated based on the past charge and discharge history of battery 12. The predictive model may be a model that takes time information as input and outputs estimated values ​​of the available power and energy for the time period indicated by the input time information. The input to the predictive model may include one of the following: day of the week information, weekday and holiday distinction information, seasonal information, and time period information. The input to the predictive model may further include at least one of temperature information and weather information.

[0137] In S1404, the estimation unit 220 estimates the required power. For example, as explained in relation to Figure 3, the estimation unit 220 may calculate the target power based on the power agreed upon in the electricity market and estimate the required power from the difference between the target power and the estimated power.

[0138] In S1406, the power that the station 30 and battery 12 can provide is estimated. For example, the estimation unit 220 estimates the power and energy that the station 30 and battery 12 can provide by the first control, the power and energy that can be provided by the second control, the power and energy that can be provided by the third control, and the power and energy that can be provided by the fourth control, respectively, using the method described in relation to Figures 6 to 8.

[0139] In S1408, the allocation unit 230 allocates the stations 30 and batteries 12 that provide the necessary power. For example, the allocation unit 230 allocates the stations 30 and batteries 12 that provide the necessary power using the method described in relation to Figures 9 to 13, 16 and 18, etc. In S1410, the control unit 240 controls the charging and discharging of the batteries 12 based on the allocation result and demand in S1408.

[0140] As explained above, the system 100 can accurately estimate the power and energy that each battery 12 can provide by considering the utilization forecast of the vehicle 10 and the battery 12. Furthermore, the system 100 can allocate batteries 12 to provide power according to demand based on the power and energy that each battery 12 can provide, and can also allocate the power and energy that each battery 12 should provide for each time period. Conventionally, it is not easy to predict in advance the amount of power that can be provided from batteries mounted on mobile vehicles because there may be irregular periods when they are disconnected from the power network 90. ​​For this reason, it was necessary to keep more batteries on hand as spares in order to use them for adjusting the power supply and demand of the power network 90. ​​In contrast, the control of the system 100 described above makes it possible to provide more power to the power network 90 using fewer batteries 12.

[0141] Figure 21 shows an example of a computer 2000 in which multiple embodiments of the present invention may be embodied in whole or in part. A program installed on the computer 2000 can cause the computer 2000 to function as a system or parts of a system according to an embodiment, or as a device such as various control devices or parts of such devices, to perform operations associated with the system or parts of a system or the device or parts of such devices, and / or to perform a process or a stage of such a process according to an embodiment. Such a program may be executed by the CPU 2012 to cause the computer 2000 to perform specific operations associated with some or all of the processing procedures and blocks of the block diagram described herein.

[0142] The computer 2000 according to this embodiment includes a CPU 2012 and RAM 2014, which are interconnected by a host controller 2010. The computer 2000 also includes a ROM 2026, flash memory 2024, communication interface 2022, and input / output chip 2040. The ROM 2026, flash memory 2024, communication interface 2022, and input / output chip 2040 are connected to the host controller 2010 via an input / output controller 2020.

[0143] CPU2012 operates according to the programs stored in ROM2026 and RAM2014, thereby controlling each unit.

[0144] The communication interface 2022 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The flash memory 2024 stores programs and data used by the CPU 2012 in the computer 2000. The ROM 2026 stores boot programs and / or hardware-dependent programs of the computer 2000, such as those executed by the computer 2000 upon activation. The input / output chip 2040 may also connect various input / output units, such as keyboards, mice, and monitors, to the input / output controller 2020 via input / output ports such as serial ports, parallel ports, keyboard ports, mouse ports, monitor ports, USB ports, and HDMI® ports.

[0145] The program is provided via a computer-readable storage medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or memory card, or via a network. RAM2014, ROM2026, or flash memory 2024 are examples of computer-readable storage media. The program is installed in flash memory 2024, RAM2014, or ROM2026 and executed by CPU2012. The information processing described within these programs is read by computer 2000, resulting in coordination between the program and the various types of hardware resources described above. The apparatus or method may be configured to realize the operation or processing of information in accordance with the use of computer 2000.

[0146] For example, when communication is performed between computer 2000 and an external device, CPU 2012 may execute a communication program loaded into RAM 2014 and, based on the processing described in the communication program, instruct the communication interface 2022 to perform communication processing. Under the control of CPU 2012, the communication interface 2022 reads the transmission data stored in the transmit buffer processing area provided in the recording medium such as RAM 2014 and flash memory 2024, sends the read transmission data to the network, and writes the received data received from the network to the receive buffer processing area provided on the recording medium.

[0147] Furthermore, CPU2012 may read all or necessary parts of a file or database stored on a recording medium such as flash memory 2024 into RAM2014, and perform various types of processing on the data in RAM2014. CPU2012 then writes the processed data back to the recording medium.

[0148] Various types of information, such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases, may be stored on the recording medium and subjected to information processing. The CPU2012 may perform various types of processing on the data read from RAM2014, including various types of operations, information processing, conditional judgments, conditional branching, unconditional branching, information retrieval / replacement, etc., as described herein and specified by the program's instruction sequence, and write the results back to RAM2014. The CPU2012 may also retrieve information in files, databases, etc., within the recording medium. For example, if multiple entries are stored in the recording medium, each having an attribute value of a first attribute associated with an attribute value of a second attribute, the CPU2012 may search among the multiple entries for an entry that matches the condition where the attribute value of the first attribute is specified, read the attribute value of the second attribute stored in that entry, and thereby obtain the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute that satisfies the predetermined condition.

[0149] The programs or software modules described above may be stored on or near computer-readable storage media on computer 2000. Recording media such as hard disks or RAM provided within a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet can be used as computer-readable storage media. Programs stored on computer-readable storage media may be provided to computer 2000 via the network.

[0150] A program installed on computer 2000, which causes computer 2000 to function as system 100, may interact with CPU 2012, etc., to cause computer 2000 to function as each part of system 100. The information processing described in these programs is read by computer 2000 and functions as each part of system 100, which is a concrete means of cooperation between software and the various hardware resources described above. Then, by realizing the calculation or processing of information according to the purpose of use of computer 2000 in this embodiment, a unique system 100 according to the purpose of use is constructed.

[0151] Various embodiments have been described with reference to block diagrams, etc. In a block diagram, each block may represent (1) a stage in a process in which an operation is performed, or (2) a part of a device that has the role of performing an operation. A particular stage and part may be implemented by a dedicated circuit, a programmable circuit supplied with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium, and / or a processor supplied with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium. The dedicated circuit may include digital and / or analog hardware circuits, and may include integrated circuits (ICs) and / or discrete circuits. The programmable circuit may include reconfigurable hardware circuits, including logic AND, logic OR, logic XOR, logic NAND, logic NOR, and other logic operations, flip-flops, registers, memory elements such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic arrays (PLAs), etc.

[0152] A computer-readable storage medium may include any tangible device capable of storing instructions that are executed by a suitable device, and as a result, a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein constitutes at least part of a product containing instructions that can be executed to provide a means for performing an operation specified in a processing procedure or block diagram. Examples of computer-readable storage media may include electronic storage media, magnetic storage media, optical storage media, electromagnetic storage media, semiconductor storage media, etc. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include floppy disks, diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), static random access memory (SRAM), compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital multipurpose disc (DVD), Blu-ray (RTM) disc, memory stick, integrated circuit card, etc.

[0153] Computer-readable instructions may include assembler instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Smalltalk®, Java®, C++, and traditional procedural programming languages ​​such as the C programming language or similar programming languages.

[0154] Computer-readable instructions may be provided locally or via a wide area network (WAN), such as a local area network (LAN) or the internet, to a processor or programmable circuit of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device, and may be executed to provide a means for performing the described processing procedure or the operation specified in the block diagram. Examples of processors include computer processors, processing units, microprocessors, digital signal processors, controllers, microcontrollers, and the like.

[0155] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It will be clear from the claims that such modified or improved forms may also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0156] It should be noted that the execution order of operations, procedures, steps, and stages in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings is not explicitly stated as "before," "prior to," etc., and can be implemented in any order unless the output of a previous process is used in a later process. Even if the operation flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings is described using phrases such as "first," "next," etc. for convenience, it does not mean that it is essential to perform the operations in that order. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0157] 5 Power Systems 10 vehicles 20 vehicles 42 Private residences 44 facilities 12 batteries 30 stations 70 Electricity consumers 80 Power generation equipment 90 Power Network 180 servers 190 Communication Networks 200 Processing Units 210 Acquisition Department 220 Estimation Department 230 Allocation Section 240 Control Unit 250 Classification Department 280 Storage section 290 Communication equipment 301 Predicted Power 302 Target power 311 Estimated Power 331 Required power 100 Systems 2000 Computer 2010 Host Controller 2012 CPU 2014 RAM 2020 Input / Output Controller 2022 Communication Interface 2024 Flash Memory 2026 ROM 2040 Input / Output Chip

Claims

1. A system for controlling the charging of multiple movable batteries and the supply of power from the multiple movable batteries to an external source, A control unit that provides power resources to a power network by performing at least one of a first control that reduces the amount of charge to the plurality of movable batteries and a second control that increases the amount of power supplied from the plurality of movable batteries in response to a first request that requests a reduction in power consumption, A classification unit that classifies each of the plurality of movable batteries into batteries usable for both the first control and the second control, and batteries usable for the first control but not for the second control, based on at least one of the integrated discharge power and health status of each of the plurality of movable batteries. An estimation unit estimates, based on the classification results from the classification unit and the predicted usage status of the plurality of movable batteries, whether each of the plurality of movable batteries can provide power resources to the power network by the first control or the second control. A system equipped with these features.

2. The classification unit classifies batteries among the plurality of movable batteries whose integrated discharge power exceeds a predetermined value into batteries that can be used for the first control but not for the second control. The system according to claim 1.

3. The classification unit classifies batteries among the plurality of movable batteries whose health level is lower than a predetermined value into batteries that can be used for the first control but not for the second control. The system according to claim 1.

4. The estimation unit estimates the amount of power resources that each of the multiple mobile batteries can provide to the power network through the first control and the second control, respectively, based on the predicted usage of the multiple mobile batteries. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The predicted usage of the multiple movable batteries includes the time period during which the multiple movable batteries are expected to be used. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. The predicted usage of the plurality of movable batteries further includes the predicted charge state of the plurality of movable batteries. The system according to claim 5.

7. The estimation unit estimates the predicted usage status of the plurality of movable batteries based on the past usage history of the plurality of movable batteries and the future usage plan of the plurality of movable batteries. The system according to claim 5.

8. The predicted usage of the plurality of movable batteries includes the timing at which charging or discharging of the plurality of movable batteries is predicted to occur. The estimation unit estimates the amount of power resources that can be provided to the power network by each of the multiple mobile batteries through the first control and the second control, by changing the timing of charging or discharging of the multiple mobile batteries in relation to the timing at which charging or discharging of the multiple mobile batteries is expected to occur within the period during which power resources agreed upon in the power market should be provided to the power network. The system according to claim 4.

9. The control unit, in response to receiving the first request within the period during which the power resources should be provided to the power network, performs at least one of the first control and the second control based on the amount of power resources that can be provided to the power network as estimated by the estimation unit. The system according to claim 8.

10. The control unit further provides power resources to the power network by performing at least one of a third control that increases the amount of charge to the plurality of movable batteries and a fourth control that decreases the amount of power supplied from the plurality of movable batteries to the outside, in response to a second request that requests an increase in power consumption. The estimation unit estimates, based on the classification results from the classification unit and the predicted usage status of the plurality of movable batteries, which of the first, second, third, and fourth controls each of the plurality of movable batteries can provide power resources to the power network. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

11. The aforementioned plurality of movable batteries include batteries mounted on a vehicle. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

12. The classification unit classifies each of the plurality of movable batteries into two groups based on the cumulative value of the discharge power of each of the plurality of movable batteries: batteries that can be used for both the first control and the second control, and batteries that can be used for the first control but not for the second control. The discharged power does not include the power used to drive the vehicle. The system according to claim 11.

13. The aforementioned plurality of movable batteries include batteries mounted on the vehicle and replaceable at multiple stations. The system according to claim 11.

14. A program for causing a computer to function as the system described in any one of claims 1 to 3.

15. In response to a first request to reduce power consumption, the process involves providing power resources to a power network by performing at least one of a first control that reduces the amount of charge to a plurality of mobile batteries and a second control that increases the amount of power supplied from the plurality of mobile batteries. A step of classifying each of the plurality of movable batteries into batteries that can be used for both the first control and the second control, and batteries that can be used for the first control but not for the second control, based on at least one of the integrated discharge power and the health status of each of the plurality of movable batteries. A step in which, based on the classification results obtained in the step of classifying each of the plurality of movable batteries and the predicted usage status of the plurality of movable batteries, estimates whether each of the plurality of movable batteries can provide power resources to the power network by the first control or the second control. A method for providing this.

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