Charging system

Abstract

This charging system comprises: a vehicle having an in-vehicle battery and a control device; and a charging facility capable of charging the vehicle. The control device has one or more processors and one or more memories connected to the processor. The processor performs processing including: determining whether or not a power saving request is made in an area to which the charging facility belongs; prompting an occupant of the vehicle to select whether or not to cooperate with the power saving request when it is determined that the power saving request is made; and, when acquiring a selection result indicating cooperation with the power saving request, permitting, when charging the vehicle from the charging facility, the restriction of a charging amount as compared with when not cooperating with the power saving request.

Description

Charging system

[0001] The present invention relates to a charging system for charging.

[0002] For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a technology for predicting the possibility of a vehicle being charged at a charging station. In Patent Literature 1, the lower the remaining battery charge of the vehicle, the higher the predicted possibility of charging, and the higher the remaining battery charge, the lower the predicted possibility of charging.

[0003] JP 2011-13893 A

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art Vehicles such as electric vehicles that have an electric motor as a drive source may attempt to charge their on-board batteries at charging facilities such as charging stations.

[0005] When the demand for electricity becomes tight in an area under the jurisdiction of an electric power company, the electric power company may issue a request for power saving to the area under its jurisdiction. When a power saving request is issued, it is desirable to cooperate with the request and limit the amount of power used in order to suppress the demand for electricity.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a charging system that can appropriately charge even when a power saving request is issued.

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, a charging system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a vehicle having an on-board battery and a control device; and a charging facility capable of charging the vehicle, wherein the control device has one or more processors and one or more memories connected to the processors, and the processor executes processes including: determining whether a power saving request has been issued in an area to which the charging facility belongs; prompting an occupant of the vehicle to choose whether or not to cooperate with the power saving request if it is determined that the power saving request has been issued; and, when a selection result indicating cooperation with the power saving request is obtained, allowing a limit on the amount of charge when charging the vehicle from the charging facility compared to when cooperation with the power saving request is not cooperated with.

[0008] According to the present invention, appropriate charging is possible even when a power saving request is issued.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a charging system according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 shows an example of a selection screen for whether or not to cooperate with a power saving request. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example in which multiple on-the-fly charging facilities are identified on the way to a destination point. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of operation of a vehicle control unit. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of destination point charging reservation processing. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of on-the-fly charging facility charging reservation processing. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of on-the-fly charging facility charging reservation processing. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of on-the-fly charging facility charging reservation processing. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of processing at the start of charging. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of drop-in charging processing.

[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] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a charging system 1 according to this embodiment. The charging system 1 includes a vehicle 10, a charging facility 12, a server device 14, and an electric power company device 16. The vehicle 10 is an electric vehicle having an on-board battery that supplies power to a drive source. Note that the vehicle 10 may also be a hybrid electric vehicle.

[0012] The charging equipment 12, which will be described in detail later, is configured to be capable of charging the vehicle 10's onboard battery. Hereinafter, charging the onboard battery may be simply referred to as "charging." Therefore, the expression "charging the vehicle 10" refers to charging the vehicle 10's onboard battery.

[0013] The charging facility 12 is installed, for example, in association with a predetermined position on a travel route. The travel route is any of various roads on which a vehicle can travel. For example, the charging facility 12 may be installed in a service area on a highway that serves as the travel route. The charging facility 12 may also be installed at the home of a vehicle occupant.

[0014] The server device 14 is, for example, a cloud server, and is capable of managing a plurality of charging facilities 12 .

[0015] The electric power company device 16 is a server device managed by an electric power company.

[0016] The vehicle 10 , the charging facility 12 , the server device 14 , and the power company device 16 are configured to be able to communicate with each other, for example, via a communication network 18 .

[0017] Incidentally, when power demand becomes tight in an area under the jurisdiction of a power utility, the power utility can issue a power saving request to encourage power saving in the area under the jurisdiction. At that time, the power utility device 16 in the area where power demand is tight may broadcast information indicating the power saving request via the communication network 18. The power saving request may be issued, for example, by region, such as Kanto, Kansai, or Chubu, or by region, such as prefecture or city / town / village. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, a time when a power saving request is issued may be referred to as a time when a power saving request is requested. A time when a power saving request is not issued may be referred to as a normal time.

[0018] It is desirable that each device that has received a power saving request cooperate with the power saving request and limit its power consumption in order to reduce power demand.

[0019] Therefore, the charging system 1 of this embodiment is capable of limiting the charging amount, which is the amount of power supplied from the charging facility 12 to the vehicle 10, in response to a power saving request issued by an electric power company. In this case, the charging system 1 of this embodiment allows the occupant of the vehicle 10 to choose whether or not to cooperate with the power saving request, and limits the charging amount if the occupant's intention to cooperate with the power saving request is confirmed. The configuration and operation of the charging system 1 of this embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0020] The vehicle 10 includes a vehicle communication device 40, an on-board battery 42, a charging connection device 44, a navigation device 46, and a vehicle control device 50. The vehicle communication device 40 can establish communication with the charging equipment 12 and the server device 14 via a communication network 18.

[0021] The vehicle battery 42 is a secondary battery that can be charged and discharged, such as a lithium-ion battery. The charging connection device 44 has a charging port exposed to the outside, and is configured to be connectable to a charging connector 62 of the charging equipment 12, which will be described later. The charging connection device 44 functions as a connection part that electrically connects the charging equipment 12 and the vehicle battery 42.

[0022] The navigation device 46 can identify the position of the vehicle 10 using a global positioning system (GPS). The navigation device 46 has a display device that can display various information such as map information, a driving route, and the position of the vehicle 10. The map information may include information about the driving route and information about the installation location of the charging facility 12.

[0023] The navigation device 46 also functions as a notification unit that notifies the occupant of information related to the vehicle 10 and as an operation unit that accepts operations by the occupant. For example, the navigation device 46 can display information related to charging of the vehicle 10 on a display device in addition to or instead of the various information described above. The navigation device 46 can also accept operation input by the occupant in response to options related to charging of the vehicle 10, for example, via a touch panel or the like provided on the navigation device 46.

[0024] The vehicle control device 50 includes one or more processors 52a and one or more memories 52b connected to the processor 52a. The memory 52b includes a ROM storing programs and the like and a RAM serving as a work area. The processor 52a controls the entire vehicle 10 in cooperation with the programs stored in the memory 52b. The processor 52a also functions as a vehicle control unit 54 by executing the programs. The vehicle control unit 54 executes various processes related to charging the vehicle 10.

[0025] The charging facility 12 includes a charging facility communication device 60, a charging connector 62, a power conversion device 64, and a charging facility control device 70. The charging facility communication device 60 can establish communication with the server device 14 and the vehicle 10 via the communication network 18.

[0026] Charging connector 62 is configured to be connectable to charging connection device 44 of vehicle 10. Power conversion device 64 converts, for example, power from a commercial power source and supplies the power to vehicle 10 via charging connector 62 and charging connection device 44. Furthermore, under the control of charging equipment control device 70, power conversion device 64 is capable of changing the charging amount, which is the amount of power supplied to vehicle 10, in a stepwise or continuous manner. In this manner, on-board battery 42 can be charged.

[0027] The charging facility control device 70 includes one or more processors 72a and one or more memories 72b connected to the processor 72a. The memory 72b includes a ROM storing programs and the like and a RAM serving as a work area. The processor 72a controls the entire charging facility 12 in cooperation with the programs stored in the memory 72b. The processor 72a also executes the programs to function as a charging facility control unit 74. The charging facility control unit 74 executes various processes related to charging of the vehicle 10.

[0028] The server device 14 includes a server communication device 80, a storage device 82, and a server control device 90. The server communication device 80 can establish communication with the charging equipment 12 and the vehicle 10 via the communication network 18.

[0029] The storage device 82 is configured with a nonvolatile storage element. The nonvolatile storage element may include an electrically readable and writable nonvolatile storage element such as a flash memory.

[0030] The server control device 90 includes one or more processors 92a and one or more memories 92b connected to the processor 92a. The memory 92b includes a ROM storing programs and the like and a RAM serving as a work area. The processor 92a controls the entire server device 14 in cooperation with the programs stored in the memory 92b. The processor 92a also functions as a server control unit 94 by executing the programs. The server control unit 94 executes various processes related to charging the vehicle 10.

[0031] Any vehicle 10 having an electric motor as a drive source attempts to charge the on-board battery 42 at a charging facility 12 as the SOC (State Of Charge) of the on-board battery 42 decreases. For example, if the vehicle 10 is traveling on a highway, it may stop at a service area and charge the on-board battery 42 at a charging facility 12 in the service area.

[0032] Here, the charging system 1 is configured to enable a reservation for charging of the vehicle 10 at the charging facility 12 before the vehicle 10 arrives at the charging facility 12. For example, the vehicle control unit 54 requests the server device 14 to reserve charging of the vehicle 10 at the charging facility 12, and the server device 14 makes a reservation for charging at the charging facility 12 in response to the reservation request. The server device 14 manages charging reservations for each charging facility 12. Note that the vehicle control unit 54 may request a reservation to the charging facility 12 that will perform charging, and the charging facility 12 may make a reservation for charging individually. Hereinafter, for ease of explanation, the expression "the vehicle control unit 54 makes a reservation for charging of the vehicle 10" may be used in some cases, which has the same meaning as "the vehicle control unit 54 makes a request for a charging reservation."

[0033] For example, a given vehicle 10, before arriving at the charging facility 12, predicts its arrival time at the charging facility 12 and reserves a desired charging time based on the arrival time. The start time of the reserved charging may be referred to as the reserved start time, and the end time of the reserved charging may be referred to as the reserved end time. In this way, when the given vehicle 10 arrives at the charging facility 12, it becomes possible to charge the on-board battery 42 from the reserved start time without having to wait for charging.

[0034] The vehicle control unit 54 can obtain the current location, which is the current position of the vehicle 10, using the GPS of the navigation device 46. The vehicle control unit 54 can accept the setting of a destination point for travel through the navigation device 46. For example, the occupant of the vehicle 10 can input the destination point by operating a touch panel of the navigation device 46. The vehicle control unit 54 can refer to map information through the navigation device 46 and set a route from the current location to the destination point.

[0035] Hereinafter, the current remaining amount of power in the vehicle battery 42 may be referred to as the current remaining battery amount. Also, the amount of power required to travel along the route from the current location to the destination point may be referred to as the required amount of power. If the current remaining battery amount is equal to or greater than the required amount of power, it is possible to travel from the current location to the destination point.

[0036] Here, a service area where charging facility 12 is installed may be set as the destination point. When setting the route, vehicle control unit 54 determines whether charging facility 12 is installed at the destination point. If vehicle control unit 54 determines that charging facility 12 is installed at the destination point, it makes a reservation for charging of vehicle 10 at charging facility 12 at the destination point.

[0037] When making a reservation for charging at charging facility 12 at the destination point, vehicle control unit 54 determines whether a power saving request has been issued in the area to which charging facility 12 at the destination point belongs. For example, vehicle control unit 54 may determine whether a power saving request has been issued by directly receiving information indicating the power saving request from electric power company device 16. Alternatively, vehicle control unit 54 may inquire of electric power company device 16 whether a power saving request has been issued. Alternatively, server device 14 may receive information indicating the power saving request from electric power company device 16, and vehicle control unit 54 may determine whether a power saving request has been issued by communicating with server device 14.

[0038] When the vehicle control unit 54 determines that a power saving request has been issued in the area to which the charging facility 12 in the target area belongs, the vehicle control unit 54 prompts the occupant of the vehicle 10 to select whether or not to cooperate with the power saving request. For example, the vehicle control unit 54 displays a selection screen for whether or not to cooperate with the power saving request on the display device of the navigation device 46 or the like.

[0039] When the vehicle control unit 54 acquires a selection result indicating cooperation with the power saving request, the vehicle control unit 54 permits a limit on the amount of charge when charging the vehicle 10 from the charging facility 12, compared to when cooperation with the power saving request is not obtained. The vehicle control unit 54 makes a reservation for charging with the limited amount of charge for the charging facility 12 at the destination point.

[0040] For example, under normal circumstances, the charging equipment 12 can charge the vehicle 10 at a maximum charge amount, which is the maximum amount of power that the charging equipment 12 can supply to the vehicle 10 in one charge. Furthermore, under normal circumstances, the charging equipment 12 may charge the vehicle 10 at a charge amount that is set in advance by the occupant of the vehicle 10.

[0041] If the occupant of vehicle 10 selects not to cooperate with the power saving request, vehicle control unit 54 may permit charging at the same charge amount as in the normal state described above. In other words, when actually charging after the occupant selects not to cooperate with the power saving request, charging equipment 12 may charge vehicle 10 at the maximum charge amount of charging equipment 12.

[0042] In contrast, if the occupant selects to cooperate with the power saving request, the vehicle control unit 54 permits the charge amount to be limited so that the charge amount is at least less than the maximum charge amount of the charging equipment 12. In other words, when the occupant actually charges the vehicle 10 after selecting to cooperate with the power saving request, the charging equipment 12 can charge the vehicle 10 at a charge amount that is at least less than the maximum charge amount of the charging equipment 12. Furthermore, if the occupant selects to cooperate with the power saving request, the vehicle control unit 54 may also permit the charge amount to be limited so that the charge amount is less than the charge amount previously set by the occupant of the vehicle 10. In other words, when the occupant actually charges the vehicle 10 after selecting to cooperate with the power saving request, the charging equipment 12 can charge the vehicle 10 at a charge amount that is less than the charge amount previously set by the occupant of the vehicle 10. For example, the charging equipment 12 may charge the vehicle 10 at a charge amount that is a predetermined percentage of the normal charge amount, such as 50% of the normal charge amount.

[0043] In this way, when a power saving request is issued and the occupant's intention to cooperate with the power saving request is confirmed, the charging facility 12 is permitted to limit the amount of charge to the vehicle 10, thereby enabling the charging facility 12 to appropriately cooperate with the power saving request. At this time, the occupant of the vehicle 10 can also make a social contribution by cooperating with the power saving request at the charging facility 12. As a result, the charging system 1 can improve the power demand in the area to which the charging facility 12 is located. For example, the charging system 1 can prevent the power demand from becoming even tighter and developing into a more serious situation such as a planned power outage.

[0044] Furthermore, by allowing the occupant of the vehicle 10 to choose whether or not to cooperate with the power saving request, the vehicle control unit 54 can permit charging at the normal charge amount even if a power saving request has been issued. This makes it possible for the charging system 1 to avoid a situation in which a limitation on the charge amount due to a power saving request interferes with the occupant's intended driving.

[0045] 2 shows an example of a selection screen for selecting whether or not to cooperate with a power saving request. In the example of FIG. 2, the selection screen is displayed on the display device of the navigation device 46.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 2 , the selection screen displays, for example, a software button SW1 labeled "Cooperate" and a software button SW2 labeled "Do not cooperate." The software button SW1 labeled "Cooperate" can accept, via the touch panel, a selection of whether to cooperate with the power-saving request. The software button SW2 labeled "Do not cooperate" can accept, via the touch panel, a selection of whether to not cooperate with the power-saving request. In other words, the software button SW1 and the software button SW2 function as selection controls that accept a selection of whether to cooperate with the power-saving request. The occupant can operate the software button SW1 labeled "Cooperate" or the software button SW2 labeled "Do not cooperate."

[0047] As shown in Figure 2, the selection screen displays information on the charge amount, charge time, and estimated cruising range when it is assumed that the vehicle cooperates with the power-saving request, and information on the charge amount, charge time, and estimated cruising range when it is assumed that the vehicle does not cooperate with the power-saving request. The charge amount when it is assumed that the vehicle does not cooperate with the power-saving request is the normal charge amount. The charge amount when it is assumed that the vehicle cooperates with the power-saving request is the charge amount limited by the power-saving request.

[0048] Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the charge amount, the charge time, and the predicted driving range may be collectively referred to as charging information.

[0049] The predicted cruising range can be calculated based on the average electric power consumption, which is the amount of electric power consumed per unit distance traveled by the vehicle. For example, the predicted cruising range is calculated by multiplying the average electric power consumption by the sum of the current remaining battery charge and the charge amount (predicted cruising range = (current remaining battery charge + charge amount) × average electric power consumption). The average electric power consumption is calculated, for example, by averaging the electric power consumption calculated from the electric power consumed during one driving cycle from ready-on to ready-off and the distance traveled at that time over multiple past driving cycles.

[0050] In this way, the charge amount, charging time, and expected cruising range are displayed both in the case where the power saving request is cooperated with and in the case where the power saving request is not cooperated with, so that the occupants can easily decide whether or not to cooperate with the power saving request.

[0051] It should be noted that the display of the charging information is not limited to a specific mode, and it is sufficient that at least a selection operator is displayed on the selection screen, and the display of the charging information may be omitted.

[0052] Furthermore, the selection screen is not limited to a mode in which all of the charge amount, charge time, and estimated cruising range are displayed, and the selection screen may display one or more of the charge amount, charge time, and estimated cruising range.

[0053] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to a mode in which both charging information when it is assumed that the vehicle cooperates with the power-saving request and charging information when it is assumed that the vehicle does not cooperate with the power-saving request are displayed on the selection screen. The selection screen may display one or more of information on the charge amount, charging time, and estimated cruising range when it is assumed that the vehicle cooperates with the power-saving request, and may omit displaying charging information when it is assumed that the vehicle does not cooperate with the power-saving request.

[0054] 2, the selection screen may display map information M of a predetermined range including a target point exemplified by a star mark G. This map information M of the predetermined range may display the target point and charging facilities 12 in the vicinity of the target point.

[0055] By displaying charging facilities 12 around the target point on the selection screen, the occupants of the vehicle 10 can easily plan their journey after charging at the charging facility 12 at the target point, and can more easily decide whether or not to cooperate with the request to save electricity.

[0056] The display of the target point and the charging facilities 12 around the target point may be omitted.

[0057] However, if the current battery remaining charge is less than the required amount of power when the route is set, the vehicle 10 cannot reach the destination point with the current battery remaining charge. In such a case, the vehicle 10 needs to stop at a charging facility 12 along the route between the current point and the destination point to charge the vehicle 10. Hereinafter, for ease of explanation, the charging facility 12 along the route may be referred to as a detour charging facility.

[0058] When setting a route, the vehicle control unit 54 determines whether charging of the vehicle 10 is required along the route. If the vehicle control unit 54 determines that charging of the vehicle 10 is required along the route, it identifies a via charging facility along the route. The vehicle control unit 54 makes a reservation for charging of the vehicle 10 at the identified via charging facility.

[0059] When making a reservation for charging at a route charging facility, the vehicle control unit 54 determines whether a power saving request has been issued for the area to which the route charging facility belongs. A specific method for determining whether a power saving request has been issued can be the same as the method for determining whether a power saving request has been issued for the area to which the charging facility 12 at the target point belongs.

[0060] When the vehicle control unit 54 determines that a power saving request has been issued in the area to which the indirect charging facility belongs, the vehicle control unit 54 prompts the occupant of the vehicle 10 to select whether or not to cooperate with the power saving request. For example, the vehicle control unit 54 displays a selection screen for whether or not to cooperate with the power saving request on the display device of the navigation device 46, or the like.

[0061] The selection screen for the en route charging facility may have approximately the same configuration as the selection screen for the charging facility 12 at the destination point exemplified in Fig. 2. However, for the numerical value of the charging information, the value derived for the en route charging facility is displayed.

[0062] Furthermore, on the selection screen for the on-route charging facility, in addition to or instead of displaying map information of the target point and the charging facility 12 in the vicinity of the target point, map information of the point where the on-route charging facility is installed and the charging facility in the vicinity of the on-route charging facility may be displayed.

[0063] When the vehicle control unit 54 obtains a selection result indicating cooperation with the power saving request of the area to which the on-site charging facility belongs, it allows a limit on the amount of charge when charging the vehicle 10 from the on-site charging facility compared to when cooperation with the power saving request is not performed.

[0064] If the occupant of the vehicle 10 chooses not to cooperate with the power saving request, the vehicle control unit 54 may permit charging at the same charge amount as in the normal case described above.

[0065] In contrast, when the occupant selects to cooperate with the power saving request, the vehicle control unit 54 permits the limiting of the charge amount so that the charge amount is at least less than the maximum charge amount of the via charging facility. In other words, when the occupant actually charges the vehicle 10 after selecting to cooperate with the power saving request, the via charging facility can charge the vehicle 10 at a charge amount that is at least less than the maximum charge amount of the via charging facility. Furthermore, when the occupant selects to cooperate with the power saving request, the vehicle control unit 54 may also permit the limiting of the charge amount so that the charge amount is less than the charge amount previously set by the occupant of the vehicle 10. In other words, when the occupant actually charges the vehicle 10 after selecting to cooperate with the power saving request, the via charging facility can charge the vehicle 10 at a charge amount that is less than the charge amount previously set by the occupant of the vehicle 10. For example, the via charging facility may charge the vehicle 10 at a charge amount that is a predetermined percentage of the normal charge amount, such as 50% of the normal charge amount.

[0066] In this way, when a power saving request is issued and the occupant's intention to cooperate with the power saving request is confirmed, the via charging facility is permitted to limit the amount of charge to the vehicle 10, thereby allowing the via charging facility to appropriately cooperate with the power saving request. At this time, the occupant of the vehicle 10 can also make a social contribution by cooperating with the power saving request at the via charging facility. As a result, the charging system 1 can improve the power demand in the area where the via charging facility is located. For example, the charging system 1 can prevent the power demand from becoming even tighter and developing into a more serious situation such as a planned power outage.

[0067] Furthermore, by allowing the occupant of the vehicle 10 to choose whether or not to cooperate with the power saving request, the vehicle control unit 54 can permit charging at the normal charge amount even if a power saving request has been issued. This makes it possible for the charging system 1 to avoid a situation in which a limitation on the charge amount due to a power saving request interferes with the occupant's intended driving.

[0068] In addition, if it is determined that a power saving request has been issued in the area to which the on-site charging facility belongs, the vehicle control unit 54 determines whether the vehicle 10 can reach the target point even if the vehicle 10 is charged from the on-site charging facility with a limited amount of charge based on the power saving request.

[0069] If the vehicle control unit 54 determines that the vehicle 10 cannot reach the destination point with the limited charge amount, the vehicle control unit 54 does not permit the limit on the charge amount even if it determines that a power saving request has been issued. In other words, the vehicle control unit 54 permits charging with the normal charge amount.

[0070] In this case, the vehicle control unit 54 may display a message that the limitation on the charge amount is not permitted on the display device of the navigation device 46. In this case, the vehicle control unit 54 may not display a selection operator for whether or not to cooperate with the power saving request, so as not to allow the occupant to select whether or not to cooperate with the power saving request.

[0071] In this way, in the charging system 1, if it is determined that the vehicle 10 cannot reach the target point with the limited charge amount, the charging system 1 does not allow the limit on the charge amount, thereby avoiding a situation in which cooperation with a power saving request would result in the vehicle 10 being unable to reach the target point.

[0072] 3 is a diagram illustrating an example in which multiple detour charging facilities are identified on the way to the destination point. In the example of Fig. 3, the first detour charging facility from the current point is referred to as the first detour charging facility, and the second detour charging facility from the current point is referred to as the second detour charging facility.

[0073] Assuming that charging has been performed at the first intermediate charging facility, if the remaining power in the vehicle battery 42 after charging is not enough to reach the target point, a second intermediate charging facility is identified as a further intermediate charging facility along the route between the first intermediate charging facility and the target point.

[0074] If the vehicle cannot reach the destination point even with the remaining power of the on-board battery 42 after charging at the second detour charging facility, a further detour charging facility is identified along the route between the second detour charging facility and the destination point. In this way, one or more detour charging facilities are identified along the route until the vehicle can reach the destination point.

[0075] As described above, it is assumed that charging is required at multiple transit charging facilities. Hereinafter, for ease of explanation, the transit charging facility that is closest to the target point along the route among the multiple transit charging facilities may be referred to as the final transit charging facility. Furthermore, the transit charging facility other than the transit charging facility that is closest to the target point along the route among the multiple transit charging facilities may be referred to as a non-final transit charging facility. In the example of FIG. 3 , the first transit charging facility corresponds to the non-final transit charging facility, and the second transit charging facility corresponds to the final transit charging facility.

[0076] 3, the vehicle control unit 54 does not permit a limit on the charge amount at any other via charging facility than the final one even if it determines that a power saving request has been issued. For example, the vehicle control unit 54 permits charging at the maximum charge amount at any other via charging facility than the final one.

[0077] On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 3, the vehicle control unit 54 allows the vehicle to select whether to cooperate with the power saving request at the final on-site charging facility under the condition that the vehicle can reach the destination even if the limited charge amount is used for charging. Note that the vehicle control unit 54 does not cooperate with the power saving request when the vehicle cannot reach the destination even if the limited charge amount is used for charging at the final on-site charging facility.

[0078] In this way, in the charging system 1, when charging is required at multiple transit charging facilities, limiting the charge amount at transit charging facilities other than the final one can be prohibited, thereby preventing a further increase in the number of transit charging facilities at which charging is required. As a result, the charging system 1 can prevent the time it takes to reach the destination from becoming excessively long.

[0079] Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, when cooperating with a power saving request, the charge amount limited based on the power saving request may be referred to as a first limited charge amount. As described above, the first limited charge amount is set to a value that is at least smaller than the maximum charge amount of the charging equipment, and may be set to, for example, 50% of the maximum charge amount.

[0080] When cooperating with the power saving request, the vehicle control unit 54 may prompt the occupant of the vehicle 10 to select whether to charge the vehicle 10 using the first limited charge amount or a second limited charge amount that is a charge amount that is more limited than the first limited charge amount. The vehicle control unit 54 may then permit a limit on the charge amount when charging the vehicle 10 from the charging equipment 12 based on the selection between the first limited charge amount and the second limited charge amount. Hereinafter, the first limited charge amount and the second limited charge amount may be collectively referred to as the limited charge amount.

[0081] For example, if the vehicle 10 is charged at the first limited charge amount at the final detour charging facility, when the vehicle 10 reaches the destination, the on-board battery 42 will have a surplus of electric power remaining to enable further travel from the destination.

[0082] In light of this, the second limited charge amount may be set to, for example, a charge amount equal to the amount of power required to travel from the last on-site charging facility to the destination point. In other words, the second limited charge amount may be set to a charge amount such that no excess power remains in the on-board battery 42 when the vehicle 10 reaches the destination point.

[0083] When the limit on the charge amount is permitted according to the second limited charge amount, the charge amount is further limited compared to when the limit on the charge is permitted according to the first limited charge amount, and therefore, in this aspect, it is possible to further reduce the amount of power used by the charging facility 12. As a result, in this aspect, it is possible to further increase the effect of the power saving request.

[0084] Up to this point, we have explained that when a route is set, a reservation is made for charging of the vehicle 10 at the charging facility 12, and if an option to cooperate with the power saving request is selected at the time of such reservation, a limit on the amount of charging at the reserved charging facility 12 is permitted.

[0085] However, even if a power saving request is issued at the time of reservation, the request may be lifted when charging begins.

[0086] Therefore, the vehicle control unit 54 may determine whether or not a power saving request is issued when actually starting charging, thereby enabling the vehicle control unit 54 to respond appropriately depending on the status of the issuance of the power saving request.

[0087] In addition, some occupants may directly go to the charging facility 12 and charge without making a reservation. Hereinafter, for the sake of convenience, charging without making a reservation may be referred to as walk-in charging.

[0088] Vehicle control unit 54 may also determine whether or not there is a power saving request at the start of charging in the case of jump-in charging. Then, in the case of jump-in charging, if vehicle control unit 54 acquires a selection result indicating cooperation with the power saving request, vehicle control unit 54 may permit a limit on the charge amount when charging vehicle 10 from charging facility 12, compared to when not cooperation with the power saving request.

[0089] As a result, in the charging system 1, even the charging equipment 12 where drop-in charging is performed can appropriately cooperate with the power saving request.

[0090] 4 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of operations of the vehicle control unit 54. When the vehicle control unit 54 receives an operation to start setting a route, the vehicle control unit 54 starts the series of processes shown in FIG.

[0091] First, the vehicle control unit 54 acquires the current location of the vehicle 10 using the GPS of the navigation device 46 (S10). The vehicle control unit 54 accepts a destination point for the travel of the vehicle 10 via a touch panel or the like of the navigation device 46 (S11). The vehicle control unit 54 provisionally sets a route based on the current location, the destination point, and map information of the navigation device 46 (S12).

[0092] The vehicle control unit 54 derives the current remaining battery charge based on the current SOC of the on-board battery 42 (S13). The vehicle control unit 54 derives the required amount of power based on the distance along the provisionally set route from the current location to the destination location (S14). More specifically, the vehicle control unit 54 multiplies the average power consumption of the vehicle 10 by the distance along the provisionally set route from the current location to the destination location, and then multiplies this by a predetermined safety factor to derive the required amount of power (required amount of power = average power consumption x distance x safety factor). The safety factor is set to an appropriate value, such as 1.1.

[0093] The vehicle control unit 54 determines whether the current remaining battery charge is equal to or greater than the required power (S15). If the current remaining battery charge is less than the required power, the vehicle 10 will not be able to reach the destination with the current remaining battery charge, and will need to be charged along the route. That is, in step S15, it is determined whether the vehicle 10 needs to be charged along the route.

[0094] If the current remaining battery charge is less than the required power (NO in S15), the vehicle control unit 54 performs a route charging facility charging reservation process (S16) to identify a route charging facility and make a reservation for charging at the route charging facility. The route charging facility charging reservation process (S16) will be described in detail later. After the route charging facility charging reservation process (S16), the vehicle control unit 54 proceeds to the process of step S17.

[0095] If the current remaining battery charge is equal to or greater than the required power (YES in S15), the vehicle control unit 54 proceeds to the process of step S17 because the vehicle can reach the destination point without any on-site charging facility.

[0096] In step S17, the vehicle control unit 54 determines whether or not there is a charging facility 12 at the destination point (S17).

[0097] If there is a charging facility 12 at the destination point (YES in S17), the vehicle control unit 54 performs a destination point charging reservation process (S18) to reserve charging at the charging facility at the destination point, confirms the provisionally set route (S19), and ends the series of processes. The destination point charging reservation process (S18) will be described in detail later.

[0098] If there is no charging facility 12 at the destination point (NO in S17), the vehicle control unit 54 confirms the provisionally set route (S19) and ends the series of processes.

[0099] 5 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of the destination point charging reservation process (S18). When the destination point charging reservation process (S18) is started, the vehicle control unit 54 acquires the maximum charge amount at the charging facility 12 at the destination point (S30). The maximum charge amount may be acquired directly from the charging facility at the destination point or indirectly via the server device 14.

[0100] The vehicle control unit 54 determines whether a power saving request has been issued for the area to which the charging facility at the target point belongs (S31).

[0101] If it is determined that a power saving request has not been issued (NO in S31), the vehicle control unit 54 transmits a request to the server device 14 to reserve charging with an unlimited charging amount for the charging facility 12 at the destination point (S32), and ends the destination point charging reservation process (S18). In response to this, the server control unit 94 reserves the unlimited charging amount.

[0102] When it is determined that a power saving request has been issued (YES in S31), the vehicle control unit 54 derives charging information (S33). More specifically, the vehicle control unit 54 derives the charge amount, charging time, and estimated cruising range when the charge amount is limited to the first limited charge amount, and the charge amount, charging time, and estimated cruising range under normal circumstances.

[0103] The vehicle control unit 54 displays the selection operator, the derived charging information, and map information of a predetermined range including the destination point on the display device of the navigation device 46 (S34). The display here includes the selection operator, and allows an input operation to select whether or not to cooperate with the power saving request.

[0104] The vehicle control unit 54 determines whether input information has been acquired through the selection operator (S35), and waits until the input information has been acquired (NO in S35).

[0105] When input information is acquired through the selection operator (YES in S35), the vehicle control unit 54 determines whether the content of the acquired input information is a selection result to cooperate with the power saving request (S36).

[0106] If it is determined that the selection result indicates cooperation with the power saving request (YES in S36), the vehicle control unit 54 transmits a request to the server device to reserve charging at the first limited charge amount for the charging facility 12 at the destination point (S38), and ends the destination point charging reservation process (S18). In response to this, the server control unit 94 reserves charging at the first limited charge amount.

[0107] If it is determined that the selection result is not to cooperate with the power saving request (NO in S36), the vehicle control unit 54 transmits a request to the server device 14 to reserve charging with an unlimited charging amount for the charging facility 12 at the destination point (S37), and ends the destination point charging reservation process (S18). In response to this, the server control unit 94 reserves the unlimited charging amount.

[0108] 6, 7, and 8 are flowcharts illustrating the flow of the in-transit charging facility charging reservation process (S16). "A" in FIG. 6 connects to "A" in FIG. 7. "B" in FIG. 7 connects to "B" in FIG. 6. "C" in FIG. 7 connects to "C" in FIG. 8.

[0109] When the process of booking charging at a transit charging facility (S16) is started, the vehicle control unit 54 searches for transit charging facilities within a range that can be traveled with the current remaining battery charge, and identifies, from the extracted transit charging facilities, a transit charging facility along the provisionally set route (S40). The vehicle control unit 54 obtains the maximum charge amount of the identified transit charging facility (S41).

[0110] The vehicle control unit 54 determines whether a power saving request has been issued for the area to which the identified on-site charging facility belongs (S42).

[0111] When it is determined that a power saving request has not been issued (NO in S42), the vehicle control unit 54 determines whether it is possible to reach the destination point after unlimited charging (S43).

[0112] If it is determined that the vehicle cannot reach the destination point (NO in S43), the vehicle control unit 54 requests a reservation for charging with no limit on the charging amount at the identified on-the-spot charging facility (S44). In response to this, the server control unit 94 makes a reservation for charging with no limit on the charging amount.

[0113] Since the destination point cannot be reached after unlimited charging, the vehicle control unit 54 searches for the next via charging facility within a range that can be traveled with the remaining power of the charged on-board battery 42. The vehicle control unit 54 identifies, from the extracted via charging facilities, a via charging facility that is along the provisionally set route as the next via charging facility (S45).

[0114] The vehicle control unit 54 acquires the maximum charging amount of the next via charging facility identified in step S45 (S41), and repeats step S42 and subsequent steps for the next via charging facility. In this way, the vehicle control unit 54 identifies via charging facility and makes a reservation for charging at the identified via charging facility until the destination point can be reached.

[0115] If it is determined that the vehicle can reach the destination point after unlimited charging (YES in S43), the vehicle control unit 54 reserves charging with an unlimited charging amount for the most recently identified via charging facility, i.e., the final via charging facility (S46). In response to this, the server control unit 94 reserves the unlimited charging amount. After step S46, the vehicle control unit 54 ends the via charging facility charging reservation process (S16).

[0116] If it is determined in step S42 that a power saving request has not been issued (YES in S42), the vehicle control unit 54 proceeds from "A" in Fig. 6 to "A" in Fig. 7, and derives charging information for the identified on-site charging facility (S50). More specifically, the vehicle control unit 54 derives the charge amount, charging time, and estimated cruising range when the charge amount is limited to the first limited charge amount, and the charge amount, charging time, and estimated cruising range under normal circumstances.

[0117] The vehicle control unit 54 determines whether the vehicle can reach the destination point after unlimited charging at the identified on-site charging facility (S51).

[0118] If it is determined that the vehicle cannot reach the destination point after unlimited charging (NO in S51), the vehicle control unit 54 transmits a request to the server device 14 to reserve charging with an unlimited charging amount for the identified on-the-spot charging facility (S52). In response to this, the server control unit 94 reserves the unlimited charging amount.

[0119] Since the target point cannot be reached after unlimited charging, the vehicle control unit 54 searches for the next via charging facility within a range that can be traveled with the remaining power of the on-board battery 42 after charging. The vehicle control unit 54 identifies, from the extracted via charging facilities, a via charging facility along the provisionally set route as the next via charging facility (S53). Thereafter, the vehicle control unit 54 proceeds from "B" in Fig. 7 to "B" in Fig. 6.

[0120] The vehicle control unit 54 acquires the maximum charging amount of the next via charging facility identified in step S53 (S41), and repeats step S42 and subsequent steps for the next via charging facility. In this way, the vehicle control unit 54 identifies via charging facility and makes a reservation for charging at the identified via charging facility until the destination point can be reached.

[0121] Here, each time a route charging facility is identified, it is determined whether a power saving request has been issued for the area to which the identified route charging facility belongs (S42). However, the vehicle control unit 54 may determine whether a power saving request has been issued only for the final route charging facility, and may omit checking whether a power saving request has been issued for route charging facilities other than the final one.

[0122] In step S51, when it is determined that the destination point can be reached after unlimited charging (YES in S51), the vehicle control unit 54 determines whether the destination point can be reached after limited charging (S54).

[0123] If it is determined that the vehicle cannot reach the destination point after limited charging (NO in S54), allowing the limit on the charge amount at the final intermediate charging facility would mean that the vehicle would not be able to reach the destination point from the final intermediate charging facility. Therefore, in this case, the vehicle control unit 54 displays on the display device of the navigation device 46 that cooperation with the power saving request will not be accepted (S55). This display does not include a selection operator, making it impossible to enter a selection as to whether or not to cooperate with the power saving request.

[0124] In order not to cooperate with the power saving request, the vehicle control unit 54 transmits a request to the server device to reserve charging with an unlimited charging amount for the final via charging facility (S56), and ends the via charging facility charging reservation process (S16). In response to this, the server control unit 94 reserves the unlimited charging amount.

[0125] In step S54, if it is determined that the destination point can be reached after limited charging (YES in S54), the process proceeds from "C" in Fig. 7 to "C" in Fig. 8. In this case, a power saving request has been issued in the area to which the final detour charging facility belongs, and the destination point can be reached even if limited charging is performed at the final detour charging facility.

[0126] Therefore, the vehicle control unit 54 displays the selection operator, the derived charging information, and map information of a predetermined range including the destination point on the display device of the navigation device 46 (S60). The display here includes the selection operator, and allows an input operation to select whether or not to cooperate with the power saving request.

[0127] The vehicle control unit 54 determines whether input information has been acquired through the selection operator (S61), and waits until the input information has been acquired (NO in S61).

[0128] When input information is acquired through the selection operator (YES in S61), the vehicle control unit 54 determines whether the content of the acquired input information is a selection result indicating cooperation with the power saving request (S62).

[0129] If it is determined that the selection result is not to cooperate with the power saving request (NO in S62), the vehicle control unit 54 transmits a request to the server device 14 for a reservation of charging with an unlimited charging amount for the final on-the-fly charging facility (S63), and ends the on-the-fly charging facility charging reservation process (S16). In response to this, the server control unit 94 makes a reservation with an unlimited charging amount.

[0130] If it is determined that the selection result indicates cooperation with the power saving request (YES in S62), the vehicle control unit 54 derives a second limited charge amount (S64). For example, the vehicle control unit 54 adds the charge amounts at the on-board battery 42's other than the final on-board charging facility to the current remaining battery charge, and estimates the remaining power amount of the on-board battery 42 when the vehicle reaches the final on-board charging facility. The vehicle control unit 54 derives the second limited charge amount by subtracting the remaining power amount of the on-board battery 42 when the vehicle reaches the final on-board charging facility from the required charge amount.

[0131] The vehicle control unit 54 displays the first limited charge amount and the second limited charge amount on the display device of the navigation device 46 (S65). The display here includes a limit selection operator that accepts selection of whether the first limited charge amount or the second limited charge amount is to be used for charging. This allows an input operation to select whether the first limited charge amount or the second limited charge amount is to be used for charging.

[0132] The vehicle control unit 54 determines whether input information has been acquired through the restriction selection operator (S66), and waits until the input information has been acquired (NO in S66).

[0133] When input information is acquired through the limit selection operator (YES in S66), the vehicle control unit 54 determines whether the content of the acquired input information is a selection result for selecting the second limited charge amount (S67).

[0134] If it is determined that the second limited charging amount is not selected (NO in S67), the vehicle control unit 54 transmits a request to the server device 14 to reserve charging at the final on-site charging facility at the first limited charging amount (S68), and ends the on-site charging facility charging reservation process (S16). In response to this, the server control unit 94 makes a reservation at the first limited charging amount.

[0135] If it is determined that the selection result is to select the second limited charging amount (YES in S67), the vehicle control unit 54 transmits a request to the server device 14 to reserve charging at the last on-site charging facility at the second limited charging amount (S69), and ends the on-site charging facility charging reservation process (S16). In response to this, the server control unit 94 makes a reservation at the second limited charging amount.

[0136] Fig. 9 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of processing when charging starts. The vehicle control unit 54 performs the series of processing shown in Fig. 8 when the vehicle 10 enters a charging area where the charging equipment 12 is installed. For example, if the charging equipment 12 is installed in a service area, a portion of the service area where the charging equipment 12 is installed may be set as the charging area. For ease of explanation, the charging equipment 12 in the charging area that the vehicle 10 has entered may be referred to as the target charging equipment 12 below. The target charging equipment 12 may be the charging equipment 12 at the destination point or a detour charging equipment.

[0137] First, the vehicle control unit 54 communicates with the server device 14 and determines whether a reservation for charging has been made at the target charging facility 12 (S80). If it is determined that a reservation for charging has not been made (NO in S80), the vehicle control unit 54 performs a pop-in charging process (S81) to perform pop-in charging, and ends the series of processes in Fig. 9. The pop-in charging process (S81) will be described in detail later.

[0138] When it is determined that charging has been reserved (YES in S80), the vehicle control unit 54 determines whether a power saving request has been issued for the area to which the target charging facility 12 belongs (S90).

[0139] If it is determined that a power saving request has been issued (YES in S90), the vehicle control unit 54 determines whether a selection result indicating cooperation with the power saving request has been obtained when reserving the target charging equipment 12 (S91).

[0140] When it is determined that a selection result indicating cooperation with the power saving request has been acquired (YES in S91), the vehicle control unit 54 acquires the limited charge amount at the time of reservation for the target charging equipment 12 (S92). For example, when a reservation has been made for charging at the first limited charge amount, the vehicle control unit 54 acquires the first limited charge amount, and when a reservation has been made for charging at the second limited charge amount, the vehicle control unit 54 acquires the second limited charge amount.

[0141] The vehicle control unit 54 displays the acquired limited charge amount at the time of reservation on the display device of the navigation device 46 (S93). This display allows the user to input a confirmation as to whether or not to start charging with the displayed limited charge amount.

[0142] The vehicle control unit 54 determines whether confirmation input information has been acquired (S94), and waits until the input information has been acquired (NO in S94).

[0143] When confirmation input information is acquired (YES in S94), the vehicle control unit 54 determines whether the content of the acquired input information permits charging at the displayed limited charging amount (S95).

[0144] If it is determined that charging at the displayed limited charging amount is permitted (YES in S95), the vehicle control unit 54 causes the target charging equipment 12 to start charging at the limited charging amount at the time of reservation (S96), and ends the series of processes in Figure 9.

[0145] If it is determined in step S90 that a power saving request has not been issued (NO in S90), the vehicle control unit 54 proceeds to the process of step S97. Alternatively, if it is determined in step S91 that a selection result indicating that cooperation with the power saving request has not been obtained (NO in S91), the vehicle control unit 54 proceeds to the process of step S97. Alternatively, if it is determined in step S95 that charging at the displayed limited charge amount is not permitted (NO in S95), the vehicle control unit 54 proceeds to the process of step S97.

[0146] In step S97, the vehicle control unit 54 sets an unlimited charge amount to the target charging equipment 12 (S97). For example, the vehicle control unit 54 may set the maximum charge amount of the target charging equipment 12 as the charge amount to be charged. Alternatively, the vehicle control unit 54 may set the charge amount registered in advance by the occupant as the charge amount to be charged.

[0147] The vehicle control unit 54 displays the set charge amount on the display device of the navigation device 46 (S98). The vehicle control unit 54 then causes the target charging equipment 12 to start charging with no limit on the charge amount, i.e., the charge amount set in step S97 (S99), and the series of processes in FIG. 9 ends.

[0148] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of the pop-up charging process (S81). When the pop-up charging process (S81) is started, the vehicle control unit 54 determines whether a power saving request has been issued for the area to which the target charging facility belongs (S110).

[0149] When it is determined that a power saving request has been issued (YES in S110), the vehicle control unit 54 derives (S111) charging information for the target charging equipment 12. More specifically, the vehicle control unit 54 derives the charge amount, charging time, and estimated cruising range when the charge amount is limited to the first limited charge amount, and the charge amount, charging time, and estimated cruising range under normal circumstances.

[0150] The vehicle control unit 54 displays the selection operator, the derived charging information, and map information of a predetermined area including the target charging facility on the display device of the navigation device 46 (S112). The display here includes the selection operator, and allows an input operation to select whether or not to cooperate with the power saving request.

[0151] The vehicle control unit 54 determines whether input information has been acquired through the selection operator (S113), and waits until the input information has been acquired (NO in S113).

[0152] When input information is acquired through the selection operator (YES in S113), the vehicle control unit 54 determines whether the content of the acquired input information is a selection result to cooperate with the power saving request (S114).

[0153] If it is determined that the selection result is to cooperate with the power saving request (YES in S114), the vehicle control unit 54 causes the target charging equipment 12 to start charging at the first limited charging amount (S115), and terminates the jump-in charging process (S81).

[0154] Note that, when a selection result indicating cooperation with the power saving request is acquired in the pop-in charging process (S81), the vehicle control unit 54 may prompt the vehicle to select between the first limited charge amount and the second limited charge amount. In this aspect, the vehicle control unit 54 may cause the target charging equipment 12 to start charging at the charge amount selected from the first limited charge amount and the second limited charge amount.

[0155] If it is determined in step S110 that a power saving request has not been issued (NO in S110), the vehicle control unit 54 proceeds to the process of step S116. Alternatively, if it is determined in step S114 that the selection result is to not cooperate with the power saving request (NO in S114), the vehicle control unit 54 proceeds to the process of step S116.

[0156] In the process of step S116, the vehicle control unit 54 sets an unlimited charge amount to the target charging equipment 12 (S116). For example, the vehicle control unit 54 may set the maximum charge amount of the target charging equipment 12 as the charge amount to be charged. Alternatively, the vehicle control unit 54 may set the charge amount to be charged as the charge amount registered in advance by the occupant.

[0157] The vehicle control unit 54 displays the set charge amount on the display device of the navigation device 46 (S117). The vehicle control unit 54 causes the target charging equipment 12 to start charging with no limit, i.e., the charge amount set in step S116 (S118), and ends the jump-in charging process (S81).

[0158] As described above, the charging system 1 of the present embodiment determines whether a power saving request has been issued in the area to which the charging facility 12 belongs. When it is determined that a power saving request has been issued, the charging system 1 of the present embodiment prompts the occupant of the vehicle 10 to select whether or not to cooperate with the power saving request. When the charging system 1 of the present embodiment acquires a selection result indicating cooperation with the power saving request, it permits a limit on the charge amount when charging the vehicle 10 from the charging facility 12, compared to when cooperation with the power saving request is not cooperated with.

[0159] As a result, in the charging system 1 of this embodiment, the amount of charge used by the charging facility 12 can be reduced in response to the issuance of a power saving request in the area to which the charging facility 12 belongs. As a result, in the charging system 1 of this embodiment, the charging facility 12 can appropriately cooperate with the power saving request.

[0160] In addition, in the charging system 1 of this embodiment, by prompting the occupant to choose whether or not to cooperate with the power saving request, it is possible to achieve both appropriate cooperation with the power saving request and avoid a situation in which the occupant's intended driving is hindered by limiting the charging amount due to the power saving request.

[0161] Therefore, according to the charging system 1 of this embodiment, even if a power saving request is issued in the area where the charging facility 12 is located, it is possible to appropriately charge the vehicle 10 at the charging facility 12.

[0162] While the present invention has been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such embodiments. It is clear that those skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications and alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that such modifications and alterations also fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0163] The series of processes performed by each device (e.g., vehicle 10, server device 14) according to the present embodiment described above may be implemented using software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. The programs constituting the software are stored in advance in, for example, a non-transitory storage medium provided inside or outside each device. The programs are then read from, for example, a non-transitory storage medium (e.g., ROM) to a transitory storage medium (e.g., RAM) and executed by a processor such as a CPU.

[0164] A program for realizing each function of each of the above devices can be created and installed on the computer of each of the above devices. The processor executes the program stored in memory, thereby performing the processing of each of the above functions. At this time, the program may be shared and executed by multiple processors, or the program may be executed by a single processor. Furthermore, the functions of each of the above devices may be realized by cloud computing using multiple computers interconnected by a communications network. The program may be provided to and installed on the computer of each device by distribution from an external device via a communications network.

[0165] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Charging system 10 Vehicle 12 Charging equipment 42 Vehicle battery 50 Vehicle control device 52a Processor 52b Memory

Claims

1. A vehicle having an onboard battery and a control device, A charging facility capable of charging the aforementioned vehicle, Equipped with, The control device is One or more processors, One or more memories connected to the processor, It has, The aforementioned processor, To determine whether a power conservation request has been issued for the area to which the aforementioned charging equipment belongs, If it is determined that the aforementioned power conservation request has been issued, the occupants of the vehicle will be prompted to choose whether or not to cooperate with the aforementioned power conservation request. If a choice is made to cooperate with the aforementioned power saving request, the occupant of the vehicle will be prompted to choose whether to charge the vehicle from the charging equipment using a first limited charge amount, which is a charge amount restricted based on the aforementioned power saving request, or a second limited charge amount, which is a charge amount even more restricted than the first limited charge amount, unlike when the vehicle does not cooperate with the power saving request. To permit the limitation of the amount of charge when charging the vehicle from the charging equipment, based on the selected of the first limited charge amount and the second limited charge amount, A charging system that performs a process including the following.

2. The aforementioned processor, In the process of prompting the occupants of the vehicle to choose whether or not to cooperate with the aforementioned request for power conservation, Assuming cooperation with the aforementioned power saving request is taken, display one or more of the following: charge level, charging time, and estimated driving range, or Display one or more of the following: charge amount, charging time, and estimated driving range, assuming cooperation with the aforementioned power saving request; and display one or more of the following: charge amount, charging time, and estimated driving range, assuming cooperation with the aforementioned power saving request. A charging system according to claim 1, which performs a process including the following:

3. The aforementioned processor, We accept requests to set target locations for driving, To determine whether the charging equipment is installed at the aforementioned target location, If it is determined that the charging equipment is installed at the target location, then it is determined whether the power conservation request has been issued for the area to which the charging equipment at the target location belongs. If it is determined that the aforementioned power conservation request has been issued, the occupants of the vehicle will be prompted to choose whether or not to cooperate with the aforementioned power conservation request. The charging system according to claim 1, which, if it obtains a result indicating that it will cooperate with the aforementioned power saving request, performs a process that includes allowing a limit on the amount of charge when charging the vehicle from the charging equipment at the target location, unlike when it does not cooperate with the aforementioned power saving request.

4. The aforementioned processor, We accept requests to set target locations for driving, To set a route from the current location to the aforementioned target location, Execute the process that includes, In the process of setting the aforementioned route, To determine whether the vehicle needs to be charged along the aforementioned route, If it is determined that the vehicle requires charging along the aforementioned route, the charging facility located along the aforementioned route, which is a via-charging facility, is identified. To determine whether the aforementioned power conservation request has been issued for the area to which the aforementioned charging facility belongs, If it is determined that the aforementioned power conservation request has been issued, the occupants of the vehicle will be prompted to choose whether or not to cooperate with the aforementioned power conservation request. If the selection result indicates cooperation with the aforementioned power saving request, unlike when cooperation with the aforementioned power saving request is not obtained, the restriction on the amount of charge when charging the vehicle from the aforementioned charging equipment will be permitted. A charging system according to claim 1, which performs a process including the following:

5. The aforementioned processor, If it is determined that the aforementioned power conservation request has been issued for the area to which the aforementioned charging facility belongs, To determine whether the vehicle can reach the target location even if the vehicle is charged with the limited amount of charge based on the aforementioned power saving request using the via charging equipment, If it is determined that the vehicle cannot reach the target location with the limited amount of charge, even if it is determined that the power saving request has been issued, the restriction on the amount of charge when charging the vehicle from the via charging equipment will not be permitted. The charging system according to claim 4, which performs a process including the following:

6. The aforementioned processor, If it is determined that charging is required at multiple of the aforementioned via-charging facilities, then, even if it is determined that the power saving request has been issued, the via-charging facilities other than the one closest to the target point along the route will not permit the restriction on the amount of charge when charging the vehicle from the via-charging facility. The charging system according to claim 4, which performs a process including the following:

7. A vehicle having an onboard battery and a control device, A charging facility capable of charging the aforementioned vehicle, Equipped with, The control device is One or more processors, One or more memories connected to the processor, It has, The aforementioned processor, We accept requests to set target locations for driving, To set a route from the current location to the aforementioned target location, To determine whether a power conservation request has been issued for the area to which the aforementioned charging equipment belongs, If it is determined that the aforementioned power conservation request has been issued, the occupants of the vehicle will be prompted to choose whether or not to cooperate with the aforementioned power conservation request. If the selection result indicates cooperation with the aforementioned power conservation request, unlike when cooperation with the aforementioned power conservation request is not obtained, a restriction on the amount of charge when charging the vehicle from the charging equipment will be permitted. Execute the process that includes, The aforementioned processor, In the process of setting the aforementioned route, To determine whether the vehicle needs to be charged along the aforementioned route, If it is determined that the vehicle requires charging along the aforementioned route, the charging facility located along the aforementioned route, which is a via-charging facility, is identified. To determine whether the aforementioned power conservation request has been issued for the area to which the aforementioned charging facility belongs, If it is determined that the aforementioned power conservation request has been issued, the occupants of the vehicle will be prompted to choose whether or not to cooperate with the aforementioned power conservation request. If the selection result indicates cooperation with the aforementioned power saving request, unlike when cooperation with the aforementioned power saving request is not obtained, the restriction on the amount of charge when charging the vehicle from the aforementioned charging equipment will be permitted. Execute the process that includes, The aforementioned processor, If it is determined that the aforementioned power conservation request has been issued for the area to which the aforementioned charging facility belongs, To determine whether the vehicle can reach the target location even if the vehicle is charged with the limited amount of charge based on the aforementioned power saving request using the via charging equipment, If it is determined that the vehicle cannot reach the target location with the limited amount of charge, even if it is determined that the power saving request has been issued, the restriction on the amount of charge when charging the vehicle from the via charging equipment will not be permitted. A charging system that performs a process including the following.

8. A vehicle having an onboard battery and a control device, A charging facility capable of charging the aforementioned vehicle, Equipped with, The control device is One or more processors, One or more memories connected to the processor, It has, The aforementioned processor, We accept requests to set target locations for driving, To set a route from the current location to the aforementioned target location, To determine whether a power conservation request has been issued for the area to which the aforementioned charging equipment belongs, If it is determined that the aforementioned power conservation request has been issued, the occupants of the vehicle will be prompted to choose whether or not to cooperate with the aforementioned power conservation request. If the selection result indicates cooperation with the aforementioned power conservation request, unlike when cooperation with the aforementioned power conservation request is not obtained, a restriction on the amount of charge when charging the vehicle from the charging equipment will be permitted. Execute the process that includes, The aforementioned processor, In the process of setting the aforementioned route, To determine whether the vehicle needs to be charged along the aforementioned route, If it is determined that the vehicle requires charging along the aforementioned route, the charging facility located along the aforementioned route, which is a via-charging facility, is identified. To determine whether the aforementioned power conservation request has been issued for the area to which the aforementioned charging facility belongs, If it is determined that the aforementioned power conservation request has been issued, the occupants of the vehicle will be prompted to choose whether or not to cooperate with the aforementioned power conservation request. If the selection result indicates cooperation with the aforementioned power saving request, unlike when cooperation with the aforementioned power saving request is not obtained, the restriction on the amount of charge when charging the vehicle from the aforementioned charging equipment will be permitted. Execute the process that includes, The aforementioned processor, If it is determined that charging is required at multiple of the aforementioned via-charging facilities, then, even if it is determined that the power saving request has been issued, the via-charging facilities other than the one closest to the target point along the route will not permit the restriction on the amount of charge when charging the vehicle from the via-charging facility. A charging system that performs a process including the following.