Processing device and control device

Abstract

In the present invention, a processing device includes one or more processors, and one or more memories connected to the processors. The processors execute processes including: acquiring anomaly information, which is information relating to charging anomalies in a charging stand in which a battery of a vehicle is charged, and vehicle information, which is information relating to the vehicle, each of the sets of information being acquired in association with each other; and performing a search on the charging stand on the basis of the anomaly information and the vehicle information.

Description

Processing and Control Devices

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

[0002] Some vehicles, such as electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles, have a traction motor as a drive source. These vehicles are provided with a battery that stores the power supplied to the traction motor. The vehicle's battery may be rechargeable using a charger at a charging station. When charging using a charger, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, the charger cable is connected to an inlet provided on the vehicle, and the battery is charged with power supplied from the charger.

[0003] JP 2011-199920 A

[0004] Charging of batteries at charging stations is not always performed normally, and there are cases where the battery cannot be charged. Therefore, it is desirable to prevent the occurrence of such charging abnormalities at charging stations.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a processing device and a control device that can suppress the occurrence of charging abnormalities at a charging station.

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, a processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention has one or more processors and one or more memories connected to the processors, and the processor executes processing including: acquiring anomaly information, which is information regarding a charging anomaly at a charging station where a vehicle's battery is charged, and vehicle information, which is information regarding the vehicle, by linking them to each other; and searching for the charging station based on the anomaly information and the vehicle information.

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, a control device according to one embodiment of the present invention has one or more processors and one or more memories connected to the processors, and the processors perform processing including notifying the results of a search for the charging stations based on abnormality information, which is information regarding a charging abnormality at a charging station where a vehicle's battery is charged, and vehicle information, which is information regarding the vehicle and is linked to the abnormality information.

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of charging abnormalities at charging stations.

[0009] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a general configuration of a charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a control device of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a control device of a charging station according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a server according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a processing flow related to the accumulation of various information performed in the charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 6 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a processing flow related to the search for a charging station performed in the charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Specific dimensions, materials, numerical values, etc. shown in the embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the invention and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functions and configurations are designated by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant explanation, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not shown.

[0011] <Configuration of Charging System> The configuration of a charging system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG.

[0012] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a charging system 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the charging system 1 includes a vehicle 10, a charging stand 20, and a server 30. The vehicle 10, the charging stand 20, and the server 30 are capable of communicating with each other via a wireless communication network N1. The server 30 corresponds to an example of a processing device according to the present invention.

[0013] 1 shows one vehicle 10 for ease of understanding, but in reality, the charging system 1 includes multiple vehicles 10. Also, in FIG. 1 shows one charging stand 20 for ease of understanding, but in reality, the charging system 1 includes multiple charging stands 20.

[0014] 1, vehicle 10 includes a traction motor 11, a battery 12, a navigation device 13, and a control device 14. For example, vehicle 10 is an electric vehicle that includes traction motor 11 as a drive source. However, vehicle 10 may also be a hybrid vehicle that includes an engine as a drive source in addition to traction motor 11.

[0015] The traction motor 11 is, for example, a three-phase AC motor, and outputs power to be transmitted to the wheels of the vehicle 10. The traction motor 11 is driven using electric power from the battery 12 to output power.

[0016] The battery 12 is capable of charging and discharging power. The battery 12 may be, for example, a lithium ion battery, a lithium ion polymer battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery, a nickel-cadmium battery, or a lead-acid battery, but other batteries may also be used. The battery 12 stores the power supplied to the traction motor 11.

[0017] The navigation device 13 is a device that provides guidance on a driving route from the current location of the vehicle 10 to a destination desired by the user in accordance with input operations by the driver of the vehicle 10. The navigation device 13 has a function of visually displaying information and displays various information related to route guidance. Examples of information displayed by the navigation device 13 include the current location of the vehicle 10, the driving route to be guided, the location of the destination, the distance on the driving route from the current location of the vehicle 10 to the destination, and the time required to reach the destination. The navigation device 13 can obtain information indicating the current location of the vehicle 10 based on signals transmitted from GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites.

[0018] The navigation device 13 also displays the locations of various facilities. For example, the navigation device 13 displays the various facilities by superimposing them on a map. The driver of the vehicle 10 can set a desired facility as a destination by selecting the facility on the map. In particular, the navigation device 13 can display the locations of charging stations 20.

[0019] The control device 14 has one or more processors 14a and one or more memories 14b connected to the processors 14a. The processor 14a includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU). The memory 14b includes, for example, a read-only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM). The ROM is a storage element that stores programs and calculation parameters used by the CPU. The RAM is a storage element that temporarily stores data such as variables and parameters used in processing executed by the CPU.

[0020] The control device 14 communicates with each device in the vehicle 10. The communication between the control device 14 and each device is realized using, for example, CAN (Controller Area Network) communication.

[0021] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device 14 of the vehicle 10. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the control device 14 includes a communication unit 141, a control unit 142, and a storage unit 143.

[0022] Various processes, including the processes described below, performed by the communication unit 141 or the control unit 142 may be executed by the processor 14a. In particular, the various processes are executed by the processor 14a executing programs stored in the memory 14b. The function of the storage unit 143 is realized by the memory 14b. However, the functions of the control device 14 may be divided among multiple devices, or multiple functions may be realized by a single device.

[0023] The communication unit 141 communicates with the charging stand 20 and the server 30 via the communication network N1.

[0024] The control unit 142 performs various processes to control the operation of each device in the vehicle 10. For example, the control unit 142 controls the operation of the traction motor 11. For example, the control unit 142 acquires various information such as the remaining capacity from the battery 12. For example, the control unit 142 controls the operation of the navigation device 13.

[0025] The storage unit 143 stores various types of information. The information stored in the storage unit 143 is used in processing performed by the communication unit 141 or the control unit 142. For example, the communication unit 141 transmits the information stored in the storage unit 143. For example, the control unit 142 uses the information stored in the storage unit 143 to control the operation of each device in the vehicle 10.

[0026] 1, the charging station 20 includes a plurality of chargers 21 and a control device 22. At the charging station 20, the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 is charged.

[0027] The charger 21 is a device for charging the battery 12 of the vehicle 10. The charger 21 has a main body 21a, a charging cable 21b, and a charging gun 21c. The main body 21a is installed in the charging stand 20 and receives power from a power supply source (not shown). The charging gun 21c is connected to the main body 21a via the charging cable 21b. When the charging gun 21c is attached to an inlet of the vehicle 10, the charging cable 21b is electrically connected to the inlet of the vehicle 10. In this state, power can be supplied from the main body 21a to the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 via the charging cable 21b. This charges the battery 12.

[0028] The control device 22 includes one or more processors 22 a and one or more memories 22 b connected to the processors 22 a. The processors 22 a include, for example, a CPU. The memories 22 b include, for example, a ROM and a RAM.

[0029] 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device 22 of the charging stand 20. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the control device 22 includes a communication unit 221, a control unit 222, and a storage unit 223.

[0030] Note that various processes, including the processes described below, performed by the communication unit 221 or the control unit 222 may be executed by the processor 22a. In particular, the various processes are executed by the processor 22a executing programs stored in the memory 22b. The function of the storage unit 223 is realized by the memory 22b. However, the functions of the control device 22 may be divided among multiple devices, or multiple functions may be realized by a single device.

[0031] The communication unit 221 communicates with the vehicle 10 and the server 30 via the communication network N1.

[0032] The control unit 222 performs various processes for controlling the operation of each device in the charging stand 20. For example, the control unit 222 controls the operation of the charger 21.

[0033] The storage unit 223 stores various types of information. The information stored in the storage unit 223 is used in the processing performed by the communication unit 221 or the control unit 222. For example, the communication unit 221 transmits the information stored in the storage unit 223. For example, the control unit 222 uses the information stored in the storage unit 223 to control the operation of each device in the charging stand 20.

[0034] 1, the server 30 includes one or more processors 30a and one or more memories 30b connected to the processors 30a. The processors 30a include, for example, a CPU. The memories 30b include, for example, a ROM and a RAM.

[0035] 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the server 30. For example, as shown in FIG.

[0036] Note that various processes, including the processes described below, performed by the communication unit 301 or the processing unit 302 may be executed by the processor 30a. In particular, the various processes are executed by the processor 30a executing programs stored in the memory 30b. The function of the storage unit 303 is realized by the memory 30b. However, the functions of the server 30 may be divided among multiple devices, or multiple functions may be realized by a single device.

[0037] The communication unit 301 communicates with the vehicle 10 and the charging station 20 via the communication network N1.

[0038] The processing unit 302 performs various processes. In particular, the processing unit 302 can search for charging stations 20, as will be described later.

[0039] The storage unit 303 stores various types of information. The information stored in the storage unit 303 is used in the processing performed by the communication unit 301 or the processing unit 302. For example, the communication unit 301 transmits the information stored in the storage unit 303. For example, the processing unit 302 searches for charging stations 20 using the information stored in the storage unit 303.

[0040] <Operation of Charging System> Next, the operation of the charging system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG.

[0041] As described above, the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 is charged at the charging station 20. However, charging of the battery 12 at the charging station 20 is not always performed normally, and there are cases where the battery 12 cannot be charged. In the charging system 1 according to this embodiment, by improving the search for charging stations 20 performed by the server 30, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of charging abnormalities at the charging stations 20.

[0042] In the charging system 1, various types of information are stored in advance in the server 30, and the information is used to search for a charging station 20. Below, the process related to the storage of various types of information will be described with reference to Fig. 5, and then the process related to the search for a charging station 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 6.

[0043] FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a flow of processing related to the accumulation of various types of information performed in the charging system 1.

[0044] The process shown in Fig. 5 is executed in a situation where the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 is being charged at the charging station 20. Specifically, the process shown in Fig. 5 starts when the charging gun 21c is attached to the inlet of the vehicle 10 and the charging cable 21b is connected.

[0045] 5 , when the charging cable 21b is connected to the inlet of the vehicle 10, first, in step S101, the communication unit 141 of the control device 14 of the vehicle 10 transmits vehicle information to the communication unit 221 of the control device 22 of the charging stand 20. Then, the communication unit 221 of the control device 22 of the charging stand 20 receives the vehicle information. The vehicle information received by the communication unit 221 is stored in, for example, the storage unit 223.

[0046] The vehicle information is information relating to the vehicle 10 and may include various types of information. The vehicle information is stored in advance in the storage unit 143 of the control device 14, for example.

[0047] For example, the vehicle information may include information regarding the type of vehicle 10. Examples of such information include information indicating the model name of the vehicle 10, information indicating the model number of the vehicle 10, and the like.

[0048] Furthermore, for example, the vehicle information may include information about the battery 12. Examples of such information include information indicating the name of the battery 12, information indicating the model number of the battery 12, and the like.

[0049] Furthermore, for example, the vehicle information may include information regarding software used for charging the vehicle 10. Examples of such information include information indicating the name of the software used for charging the vehicle 10, information indicating the version of the software used for charging the vehicle 10, and the like.

[0050] The vehicle information is not limited to the above examples. For example, the vehicle information may include information about the state of the vehicle 10 or the battery 12. Examples of such information include information indicating the degree of deterioration of the battery 12.

[0051] In step S101, the communication unit 141 may transmit a plurality of types of vehicle information. For example, the communication unit 141 may transmit any plurality of types of vehicle information from among the vehicle information exemplified above.

[0052] Next, in step S102, the control unit 142 of the control device 14 of the vehicle 10 and the control unit 222 of the control device 22 of the charging station 20 execute charging control. The charging control is control for charging the battery 12 from the charger 21. For example, in the charging control, the battery 12 is charged at a preset charging rate until the remaining capacity of the battery 12 reaches a preset target remaining capacity.

[0053] Next, in step S103, the communication unit 221 of the control device 22 of the charging stand 20 transmits the vehicle information, the abnormality information, and the charging tool information to the communication unit 301 of the server 30. Then, the communication unit 301 of the server 30 receives the vehicle information, the abnormality information, and the charging tool information.

[0054] The abnormality information is information relating to a charging abnormality at the charging stand 20, and may include various types of information. For example, the control device 22 acquires information indicating the result of charging from the charger 21 used to charge the battery 12, and acquires the abnormality information based on the acquired information. Examples of the information indicating the result of charging include information indicating the change in the remaining capacity of the battery 12.

[0055] For example, the abnormality information may include information indicating whether or not a charging abnormality has occurred, such as information indicating that a charging abnormality has occurred and information indicating that a charging abnormality has not occurred.

[0056] Furthermore, for example, the abnormality information may include information indicating the details of the charging abnormality. Here, examples of the charging abnormality include an abnormality caused by communication, an abnormality caused by electrical factors, an abnormality caused by mechanical factors, etc. The abnormality information indicating the details of the charging abnormality is, for example, information indicating which type of abnormality has occurred among these abnormalities.

[0057] An example of an abnormality caused by communication is an abnormality in which charging does not proceed normally due to a malfunction in communication between the vehicle 10 and the charger 21. An example of an abnormality caused by an electrical factor is an abnormality in which charging does not proceed normally due to a malfunction in the electrical circuit formed between the vehicle 10 and the charger 21. An example of an abnormality caused by a mechanical factor is an abnormality in which charging does not proceed normally due to a malfunction related to the connection between the inlet of the vehicle 10 and the charging gun 21c of the charger 21.

[0058] The content of the charging abnormality is not limited to the above example. For example, at the charging station 20, charging of the battery 12 may not be possible due to a problem with the payment of the charging fee. An example of a problem with the payment of the charging fee is a credit card authentication error. The content of the charging abnormality may include such a problem.

[0059] The abnormality information is not limited to the above example. For example, the abnormality information may include information indicating which of the multiple chargers 21 in the charging station 20 has experienced the charging abnormality.

[0060] In step S103, the communication unit 221 may transmit multiple types of anomaly information. For example, the communication unit 221 may transmit any multiple types of anomaly information from among the anomaly information exemplified above.

[0061] The charging tool information is information about a charging tool used for charging at the charging stand 20, and may include various types of information. The charging tool information is stored in advance in the storage unit 223 of the control device 22, for example.

[0062] For example, the charging tool information may include information about software used for charging at the charging stand 20. Examples of such information include information indicating the name of the software used for charging at the charging stand 20, information indicating the version of the software used for charging at the charging stand 20, etc.

[0063] Furthermore, for example, the charging tool information may include information about the equipment used for charging at the charging stand 20. Examples of such information include information indicating the type of charger 21 and information indicating the status of the charger 21. Examples of information indicating the status of the charger 21 include information indicating whether or not a malfunction has occurred in the charger 21 itself.

[0064] In step S103, the communication unit 221 may transmit multiple types of charging tool information. For example, the communication unit 221 may transmit any multiple types of charging tool information from among the charging tool information exemplified above.

[0065] In step S103, the communication unit 301 of the server 30 acquires the vehicle information, the abnormality information, and the charging tool information in a manner that links them together. Next, in step S104, the processing unit 302 of the server 30 stores and accumulates the vehicle information, the abnormality information, and the charging tool information in a manner that links them together in the storage unit 303. Then, the processing flow shown in FIG. 5 ends.

[0066] As described above, the server 30 acquires the vehicle information, abnormality information, and charging tool information in a linked manner. As a result, the vehicle information, abnormality information, and charging tool information are stored in the server 30 in a linked state. Therefore, the server 30 can determine which charging station 20 and which vehicle 10 experienced a charging abnormality in the past. Furthermore, the server 30 can also determine the details of the charging abnormality that occurred in the past. The server 30 can also determine what charging tool was used when the charging abnormality occurred.

[0067] FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of processing related to a search for a charging station 20 performed in the charging system 1.

[0068] The process shown in Fig. 6 is executed when the driver of the vehicle 10 requests a search for a charging station 20. Specifically, the driver of the vehicle 10 can send a command to the server 30 via the communication unit 141 of the control device 14 to request a search for a charging station 20. The process shown in Fig. 6 starts when such a command is sent to the server 30.

[0069] 6 , when a command requesting a search for charging stations 20 is sent to server 30, first, in step S201, communication unit 141 of control device 14 of vehicle 10 sends the command, as well as vehicle information and location information, to communication unit 301 of server 30. Then, communication unit 301 of server 30 receives the vehicle information and location information.

[0070] The location information is information that indicates the current location of the vehicle 10. The control device 14 of the vehicle 10 acquires the location information from the navigation device 13, for example.

[0071] Next, in step S202 , the processing unit 302 of the server 30 searches for charging stations 20 .

[0072] In step S202, the processing unit 302 searches for charging stations 20 that are located within a predetermined distance from the current position of the vehicle 10 based on the position information of the vehicle 10 acquired in step S201.

[0073] In step S202, the processing unit 302 searches for the charging station 20 using the vehicle information acquired in step S201 and the information stored in the storage unit 303 of the server 30. As described above, the server 30 stores the vehicle information, abnormality information, and charging tool information in a linked state.

[0074] Specifically, in the search for charging stations 20, the processing unit 302 extracts charging stations 20 that are assumed to have a high probability of causing a charging abnormality when charging the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 that requests the search for charging stations 20. Hereinafter, the vehicle 10 that requests the search for charging stations 20 will also be referred to as the target vehicle. Hereinafter, the charging stations 20 that are assumed to have a high probability of causing a charging abnormality when charging the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 that requests the search for charging stations 20 will also be referred to as the charging stations 20 where a charging abnormality is expected to occur.

[0075] For example, the processing unit 302 extracts charging stations 20 where a charging abnormality occurred when previously charging the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 corresponding to the vehicle information of the target vehicle, as charging stations 20 where a charging abnormality is expected to occur.

[0076] For example, the processing unit 302 extracts charging stations 20 where a charging abnormality occurred when previously charging the battery 12 of a vehicle 10 whose model name or model number matches that of the target vehicle, as charging stations 20 where a charging abnormality is expected to occur.

[0077] Furthermore, for example, the processing unit 302 extracts charging stations 20 where a charging abnormality occurred when previously charging a battery 12 whose name or model number matches the battery 12 of the target vehicle, as charging stations 20 where a charging abnormality is expected to occur.

[0078] Furthermore, for example, the processing unit 302 extracts charging stations 20 where a charging abnormality occurred when previously charging the battery 12 of a vehicle 10 using software whose name or version matches the software of the target vehicle, as charging stations 20 where a charging abnormality is expected to occur.

[0079] In the above example, the processing unit 302 searches for charging stations 20 based on the vehicle information and the anomaly information indicating whether a charging anomaly has occurred. However, the processing unit 302 may also search for charging stations 20 by taking other information into consideration.

[0080] The processing unit 302 may, for example, search for charging stations 20 taking into account anomaly information indicating the details of the charging anomaly. In charging stations 20 where a charging anomaly occurred when the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 corresponding to the vehicle information of the target vehicle was previously charged, depending on the details of the past charging anomaly, it may not be assumed that a charging anomaly is likely to occur when charging the battery 12 of the target vehicle. Thus, for example, the processing unit 302 may exclude some charging stations 20 from the charging stations 20 where a charging anomaly occurred when the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 corresponding to the vehicle information of the target vehicle was previously charged, depending on the details of the past charging anomaly.

[0081] For example, if it is determined that a charging abnormality that occurred in the past was caused by communication and that the abnormality would not occur in the software of the target vehicle, the processing unit 302 may exclude the charging station 20 where the abnormality occurred in the past from the charging stations 20 where a charging abnormality is expected to occur. Furthermore, if it is determined that a charging abnormality that occurred in the past was caused by an electrical factor and that the abnormality would not occur in the electrical circuit configuration of the target vehicle, the processing unit 302 may exclude the charging station 20 where the abnormality occurred in the past from the charging stations 20 where a charging abnormality is expected to occur. Furthermore, if it is determined that a charging abnormality that occurred in the past was caused by a mechanical factor and that the abnormality would not occur in the inlet configuration of the target vehicle, the processing unit 302 may exclude the charging station 20 where the abnormality occurred in the past from the charging stations 20 where a charging abnormality is expected to occur. Furthermore, if it is determined that a charging abnormality that occurred in the past was caused by a problem with payment of the charging fee, the processing unit 302 may exclude the charging station 20 where the abnormality occurred in the past from the charging stations 20 where a charging abnormality is expected to occur.

[0082] Furthermore, the processing unit 302 may, for example, take charging tool information into consideration when searching for charging stations 20. In a charging station 20 where a charging abnormality occurred when the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 corresponding to the vehicle information of the target vehicle was previously charged, if the charging tool information when the charging abnormality occurred in the past differs from the current charging tool information, it may not be assumed that a charging abnormality is likely to occur when charging the battery 12 of the target vehicle. Therefore, the processing unit 302 may, for example, exclude some charging stations 20 from the charging stations 20 where a charging abnormality occurred when the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 corresponding to the vehicle information of the target vehicle was previously charged, based on a comparison result between the charging tool information when the charging abnormality occurred in the past and the current charging tool information.

[0083] For example, if the name or version of the software used for charging at a charging stand 20 is different between when a charging abnormality occurred in the past and now, the processing unit 302 may exclude that charging stand 20 from the list of charging stands 20 where a charging abnormality is expected to occur. Also, if the type or state of the charger 21 used for charging at a charging stand 20 is different between when a charging abnormality occurred in the past and now, the processing unit 302 may exclude that charging stand 20 from the list of charging stands 20 where a charging abnormality is expected to occur.

[0084] Furthermore, the processing unit 302 may search for charging stations 20 by taking into account, for example, abnormality information indicating which charger 21 among the multiple chargers 21 at the charging station 20 has experienced a charging abnormality. For example, the processing unit 302 may exclude some charging stations 20 from the charging stations 20 where a charging abnormality is expected to occur, from among the charging stations 20 where a charging abnormality has occurred when previously charging the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 corresponding to the vehicle information of the target vehicle, depending on the number of chargers 21 where a charging abnormality has occurred. For example, if a charging abnormality has previously occurred only in some chargers 21 at the charging station 20, but not in other chargers 21, the processing unit 302 may exclude the charging station 20 from the charging stations 20 where a charging abnormality is expected to occur.

[0085] Next, in step S203, the communication unit 301 of the server 30 transmits the search result for the charging stations 20 performed in step S202 to the communication unit 141 of the control device 14 of the vehicle 10. Then, the communication unit 141 of the control device 14 of the vehicle 10 receives the search result for the charging stations 20.

[0086] Next, in step S204, the control unit 142 of the control device 14 of the vehicle 10 causes the navigation device 13 to display the search results for the charging stations 20. This allows the driver of the vehicle 10 to use the search results for the charging stations 20 to determine which charging station 20 to use as a destination. For example, the driver of the vehicle 10 sets the determined charging station 20 as a destination, and causes the navigation device 13 to guide the driver along the travel route. Then, the processing flow shown in FIG. 6 ends.

[0087] In step S204, the control unit 142 causes the navigation device 13 to display, for example, charging stations 20 that are present within a predetermined distance from the current location of the vehicle 10, excluding charging stations 20 where a charging abnormality is expected to occur. However, the control unit 142 may cause the navigation device 13 to display charging stations 20 where a charging abnormality is expected to occur in a different display mode from the display mode of other charging stations 20. For example, the control unit 142 may cause the navigation device 13 to display charging stations 20 where a charging abnormality is expected to occur in a different display color from the display color of the other charging stations 20. Furthermore, for example, the control unit 142 may control the display by the navigation device 13 so that charging stations 20 where a charging abnormality is expected to occur are displayed with dashed lines and other charging stations 20 are displayed with solid lines.

[0088] The above describes an example in which the control unit 142 displays the search results for charging stations 20 on the navigation device 13. However, the notification of the search results for charging stations 20 is not limited to the above example. For example, the control unit 142 may display the search results for charging stations 20 on a display device other than the navigation device 13. Furthermore, for example, the control unit 142 may notify the driver of the vehicle 10 of the search results for charging stations 20 by sound output.

[0089] In the above example, the server 30 acquires anomaly information, vehicle information, and charging tool information in association with one another, and searches for charging stations 20 based on the anomaly information, vehicle information, and charging tool information. However, the server 30 does not have to use charging tool information when searching for charging stations 20. In other words, it is sufficient for the server 30 to acquire at least anomaly information and vehicle information in association with one another, and to search for charging stations 20 based on at least the anomaly information and vehicle information.

[0090] As described above, the server 30 acquires anomaly information, which is information about a charging anomaly at a charging station 20 where the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 is charged, and vehicle information, which is information about the vehicle 10, by linking them together, and searches for a charging station 20 based on the anomaly information and the vehicle information. This allows the server 30 to search for a charging station 20 after understanding which charging anomalies have occurred in the past at which charging stations 20 and when charging which vehicles 10. Therefore, the server 30 can search for a charging station 20 while taking into consideration the possibility of a charging anomaly occurring at each charging station 20 when charging the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 that requests the search for a charging station 20. The driver of the vehicle 10 can then select a charging station 20 using the results of the search for charging stations 20 thus performed. This makes it possible to prevent charging anomalies from occurring at the charging stations 20.

[0091] The above describes an example of the processing performed in the charging system 1 with reference to the sequence diagrams of Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. However, the processing performed in the charging system 1 is not limited to the above example.

[0092] For example, in the above example, if no charging abnormality occurs when the battery 12 is charged at the charging stand 20, information indicating that no charging abnormality has occurred is transmitted as abnormality information to the server 30 in step S103 of Fig. 5. However, if no charging abnormality occurs when the battery 12 is charged at the charging stand 20, the transmission of information from the control device 22 of the charging stand 20 to the server 30 does not necessarily have to be performed.

[0093] 5, vehicle information related to the software used for charging in vehicle 10 is transmitted. However, the transmission of vehicle information related to the software used for charging in vehicle 10 may be performed only when the software is being updated. Furthermore, along with the transmission of vehicle information related to the software used for charging in vehicle 10, information indicating the date and time of the software update may be transmitted.

[0094] 5 , charging tool information related to software used for charging at the charging stand 20 is transmitted. However, the transmission of charging tool information related to software used for charging at the charging stand 20 may be performed only when the software has been updated. Furthermore, along with the transmission of charging tool information related to software used for charging at the charging stand 20, information indicating the date and time of the software update may be transmitted.

[0095] Also, for example, in the above example, in step S104 of FIG. 5 , the server 30 stores the received vehicle information, abnormality information, and charging tool information in the storage unit 303. That is, information transmitted from the control device 22 of the charging station 20 is sequentially accumulated in the storage unit 303. However, the server 30 may delete previously acquired information from the storage unit 303 depending on the situation. For example, if the battery 12 of the target vehicle is normally charged at the charging station 20 where a charging abnormality occurred in the past when charging the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 corresponding to the vehicle information of the target vehicle, the server 30 may delete from the storage unit 303 the information indicating the past occurrence of the charging abnormality and information linked to that information, and overwrite the information with information indicating the current charging result of the target vehicle. Furthermore, for example, if the battery 12 of the target vehicle is not charged normally and a charging abnormality occurs at a charging station 20 where no charging abnormality occurred when the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 corresponding to the vehicle information of the target vehicle was previously charged, the server 30 may delete from the memory unit 303 information indicating that no charging abnormality has occurred in the past and information linked to that information, and overwrite it with information indicating the current charging result of the target vehicle.

[0096] <Effects of Charging System> Next, effects of the charging system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0097] In the server 30 of the charging system 1 according to this embodiment, the processor 30a executes processing including: acquiring anomaly information, which is information about a charging anomaly at a charging station 20 where the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 is charged, and vehicle information, which is information about the vehicle 10, by linking the information with each other; and searching for a charging station 20 based on the anomaly information and the vehicle information. This allows the server 30 to search for a charging station 20 after determining which charging station 20 previously experienced a charging anomaly during charging of which vehicle 10. Therefore, the server 30a can search for a charging station 20 while taking into consideration the possibility of a charging anomaly occurring when charging the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 requesting the search for a charging station 20. The driver of the vehicle 10 can then select a charging station 20 using the results of the search for the charging station 20. This reduces the occurrence of charging anomalies at the charging stations 20.

[0098] Furthermore, in the server 30 of the charging system 1 according to this embodiment, the vehicle information preferably includes information regarding the type of vehicle 10. This makes it possible to search for a charging station 20 after knowing which charging station 20 has previously experienced a charging abnormality when charging which type of vehicle 10. This makes it possible to more appropriately consider for each charging station 20 the possibility of a charging abnormality occurring when charging the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 that requests the search for a charging station 20.

[0099] Furthermore, in the server 30 of the charging system 1 according to this embodiment, the vehicle information preferably includes information about the battery 12. This makes it possible to search for charging stations 20 after understanding which charging abnormalities have occurred in the past when charging a vehicle 10 equipped with a certain type of battery 12 at which charging station 20. This makes it possible to more appropriately consider for each charging station 20 the possibility of a charging abnormality occurring when charging the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 requesting the search for a charging station 20.

[0100] Furthermore, in the server 30 of the charging system 1 according to this embodiment, the vehicle information preferably includes information about the software used for charging the vehicle 10. This makes it possible to search for a charging station 20 after understanding which charging station 20 has previously experienced a charging abnormality when charging the vehicle 10 using what software. This makes it possible to more appropriately consider, for each charging station 20, the possibility of a charging abnormality occurring when charging the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 that requests the search for a charging station 20.

[0101] Furthermore, in the server 30 of the charging system 1 according to the present embodiment, the processor 30a preferably executes processing including: acquiring charging tool information, which is information about a charging tool used for charging at a charging station 20, in association with the abnormality information and vehicle information; and searching for a charging station 20 based on the charging tool information in addition to the abnormality information and vehicle information. This makes it possible to search for a charging station 20 after understanding not only which charging station 20 experienced a charging abnormality in the past when charging which vehicle 10, but also what charging tool was used when the charging abnormality occurred. This makes it possible to more appropriately consider, for each charging station 20, the possibility of a charging abnormality occurring when charging the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 that requests the search for a charging station 20.

[0102] Furthermore, in the server 30 of the charging system 1 according to this embodiment, the charging tool information preferably includes information about the software used for charging at the charging stations 20. This makes it possible to search for charging stations 20 after understanding what software was used as a charging tool at charging stations 20 and what type of vehicle 10 was used when charging the vehicle 10 in the past. This makes it possible to more appropriately consider for each charging station 20 the possibility that a charging abnormality will occur when charging the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 that requests the search for a charging station 20.

[0103] Furthermore, in the server 30 of the charging system 1 according to this embodiment, the charging tool information preferably includes information about the equipment used for charging at the charging stations 20. This makes it possible to search for charging stations 20 after understanding what equipment was used as a charging tool at the charging stations 20 and what type of vehicle 10 was used when a charging abnormality occurred in the past. This makes it possible to more appropriately consider for each charging station 20 the possibility of a charging abnormality occurring when charging the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 that requests the search for a charging station 20.

[0104] Furthermore, in the server 30 of the charging system 1 according to this embodiment, the anomaly information preferably includes information indicating whether a charging anomaly has occurred. This makes it possible to search for a charging station 20 after properly understanding which charging station 20 has previously experienced a charging anomaly while charging which vehicle 10. This makes it possible to more appropriately consider for each charging station 20 the possibility of a charging anomaly occurring when charging the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 that requests the search for a charging station 20.

[0105] Furthermore, in the server 30 of the charging system 1 according to this embodiment, the anomaly information preferably includes information indicating the details of the charging anomaly. This allows the server 30 to search for a charging station 20 after understanding not only which charging station 20 previously experienced a charging anomaly when charging which vehicle 10, but also the details of the charging anomaly that occurred in the past. This allows the server 30 to more appropriately consider, for each charging station 20, the possibility of a charging anomaly occurring when charging the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 that requests the search for a charging station 20.

[0106] Furthermore, in the control device 14 of the charging system 1 according to this embodiment, the processor 14a executes processing that includes notifying the results of a search for charging stations 20 that has been performed based on anomaly information, which is information about a charging anomaly at a charging station 20 where the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 is charged, and vehicle information, which is information about the vehicle 10 and is linked to the anomaly information. This allows the driver of the vehicle 10 to select a charging station 20 by determining which charging stations 20 have previously experienced charging anomalies during charging of which vehicles 10, and by using the results of the search for charging stations 20 that has been performed while taking into consideration the possibility of a charging anomaly occurring at each charging station 20 when charging the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 that requests the search for a charging station 20. This allows the driver of the vehicle 10 to select a charging station 20.

[0107] The above describes a preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modified or altered examples within the scope of the claims also fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0108] For example, in the above description, the processes performed by the control device 14, the processes performed by the control device 22, and the processes performed by the server 30 have been distinguished from one another. However, the devices performing each of the processes described above may be changed as appropriate. For example, any part of the processes described above as processes performed by the control device 14 may be performed by the control device 22 or the server 30, any part of the processes described above as processes performed by the control device 22 may be performed by the control device 14 or the server 30, or any part of the processes described above as processes performed by the server 30 may be performed by the control device 14 or the control device 22.

[0109] Furthermore, for example, the processes described herein using sequence diagrams do not necessarily have to be executed in the order shown in the sequence diagrams, and additional processing steps may be employed, or some processing steps may be omitted.

[0110] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Charging system 10 Vehicle 11 Traction motor 12 Battery 13 Navigation device 14 Control device 14a Processor 14b Memory 20 Charging stand 21 Charger 21a Main body 21b Charging cable 21c Charging gun 22 Control device 22a Processor 22b Memory 30 Server 30a Processor 30b Memory 141 Communication unit 142 Control unit 143 Memory unit 221 Communication unit 222 Control unit 223 Memory unit 301 Communication unit 302 Processing unit 303 Memory unit N1 Communication network

Claims

1. One or more processors, One or more memories connected to the processor, It has, The aforementioned processor, This involves obtaining anomaly information, which is information regarding charging abnormalities at a charging station where the vehicle's battery is charged, and vehicle information, which is information regarding the vehicle, by linking them together. The acquired abnormal information and the vehicle information are linked together and sequentially stored in the memory, Based on the previously acquired and stored abnormal information and vehicle information, the charging station is searched for, Execute the process that includes Processing device.

2. The vehicle information includes information regarding the type of vehicle, The apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The vehicle information includes information about the battery, The apparatus according to claim 1.

4. The vehicle information includes information regarding the software used for charging in the vehicle. The apparatus according to claim 1.

5. The aforementioned processor, In the aforementioned charging station, information relating to the charging tool used for charging is acquired in conjunction with the abnormality information and the vehicle information. In addition to the aforementioned abnormal information and vehicle information, the charging station is searched based on the charging tool information. Execute the process that includes The apparatus according to claim 1.

6. The charging tool information includes information about the software used for charging in the charging stand. The apparatus according to claim 5.

7. The charging tool information includes information about the equipment used for charging in the charging stand. The apparatus according to claim 5.

8. The aforementioned abnormal information includes information indicating whether or not the charging abnormality has occurred. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The aforementioned abnormal information includes information indicating the nature of the charging abnormality, The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. One or more processors, One or more memories connected to the processor, It has, The aforementioned processor, The system performs a process that includes reporting the results of a search for the charging station, which was conducted based on information regarding charging abnormalities at the charging station where the vehicle's battery is charged, which is abnormality information acquired and stored in the past, and information about the vehicle, which is vehicle information acquired and stored in the past and linked to the abnormality information. Control device.