Charging system

Abstract

A processor of a control device of this charging system executes processing including: receiving a check-in, which is a procedure for starting charging of a vehicle at a charging stand; receiving a reservation of charging of the vehicle at the charging stand before the check-in; acquiring, at the time of the reservation, vehicle identification information, which is information for identifying the vehicle, from the vehicle performing the reservation; acquiring, at the time of the check-in, the vehicle identification information from the vehicle performing the check-in; performing collation to determine whether the vehicle identification information acquired at the time of the reservation matches the vehicle identification information acquired at the time of the check-in; and, if it is determined by the collation that the vehicle identification information at the time of the reservation and the vehicle identification information at the time of check-in match, permitting the check-in so as to enable charging of the vehicle at the charging stand.

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] Vehicles such as electric vehicles that have an electric motor as a drive source may attempt to charge their onboard batteries at a charging station. However, when the vehicle arrives at the charging station, the station may be in use and the vehicle may be unable to charge. It is desirable for the vehicle to be able to charge smoothly when it arrives at the charging station.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a charging system that enables smooth charging.

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, a charging system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: a charging station capable of charging a vehicle; and a control device, wherein the control device has one or more processors and one or more memories connected to the processors, and the processor performs processing including: accepting a check-in, which is a procedure for starting charging of the vehicle at the charging station; accepting a reservation for charging the vehicle at the charging station before the check-in; acquiring, at the time of the reservation, vehicle identification information that is information that identifies the vehicle from the vehicle making the reservation; acquiring, at the time of the check-in, the vehicle identification information from the vehicle checking in; comparing whether the vehicle identification information acquired at the time of the reservation matches the vehicle identification information acquired at the check-in; and, if it is determined through the comparison that the vehicle identification information at the time of the reservation matches the vehicle identification information at the time of the check-in, allowing the check-in to enable charging of the vehicle at the charging station.

[0007] According to the present invention, charging can be performed smoothly.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a charging system according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a vehicle, a charging station, and a server device that constitute the charging system. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a charging error database. FIG. 4 is a sequence chart illustrating the processing flow of the vehicle and the server device when reserving charging. FIG. 5 is a sequence chart illustrating the processing flow of the vehicle and the server device when reserving charging. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display on the navigation device when reserving charging. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating another example of a display on the navigation device when making a prediction. FIG. 8 is a sequence chart illustrating the processing flow of the charging station and the vehicle when checking in. FIG. 9 is a sequence chart illustrating the processing flow of the vehicle and the server device when checking in.

[0009] 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.

[0010] 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a charging system 1 according to this embodiment. The charging system 1 includes a vehicle 10, a charging station 12, a server device 14, and a base station 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.

[0011] The charging station 12, which will be described in detail later, is configured to be capable of charging the on-board battery of the vehicle 10. Hereinafter, charging of the on-board battery may be simply referred to as "charging." Therefore, the expression "charging the vehicle 10" refers to charging of the on-board battery of the vehicle 10.

[0012] The charging station 12 is installed, for example, in correspondence with a predetermined position on the road 20. In Fig. 1, an example is shown in which the charging station 12 is installed in a service area 22 on a highway, which is the road 20. Although a highway is used as the road 20 in this example, the present invention is not limited to this case and can be applied to various roads on which the vehicle 10 can travel.

[0013] In addition, although an example is given here in which two charging stands 12 are installed in the service area 22, the number of charging stands 12 is not limited to two and may be one, or three or more. Note that, in this example, the area in which the charging stands 12 are installed and into which the vehicle 10 is permitted to enter for the purpose of charging is defined as the charging area 24.

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

[0015] The base station 16 communicates with the vehicle 10 via a mobile communication system such as 4G or 5G. However, it is sufficient that the base station 16 can be connected to the vehicle 10 via wireless communication. Therefore, as a wireless communication method, for example, a communication method such as ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems), ETC (Electronic Toll Collection System), or VICS (Vehicle Information and Communication System) (registered trademark) can be adopted.

[0016] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the vehicle 10, the charging stand 12, and the server device 14 that make up the charging system 1. The vehicle 10, the charging stand 12, and the server device 14 are configured to be able to communicate with each other, for example, via a communication network 26.

[0017] 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 station 12 and the server device 14 via the communication network 26.

[0018] The vehicle battery 42 is a rechargeable secondary battery 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 stand 12 (described later). The charging connection device 44 functions as a connector that electrically connects the charging stand 12 and the vehicle battery 42.

[0019] The navigation device 46 can identify the location 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 location of the vehicle 10. The map information may include information about the driving route 20 and information about the installation locations of the charging stations 12.

[0020] 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.

[0021] 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.

[0022] The charging stand 12 includes a stand communication device 60, a charging connector 62, a power conversion device 64, and a stand control device 70. The stand communication device 60 can establish communication with the server device 14 and the vehicle 10 via the communication network 26.

[0023] The charging connector 62 is configured to be connectable to the charging connection device 44 of the vehicle 10. The power conversion device 64 converts, for example, power from a commercial power source and supplies the power to the vehicle 10 via the charging connector 62 and the charging connection device 44. In this way, the on-board battery 42 can be charged.

[0024] The station 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 station 12 in cooperation with the programs stored in the memory 72b. The processor 72a also functions as a station control unit 74 by executing the programs. The station control unit 74 executes various processes related to charging the vehicle 10.

[0025] 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 station 12 and the vehicle 10 via the communication network 26.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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.

[0028] Any vehicle 10 having an electric motor as a drive source attempts to charge the on-board battery 42 at a charging station 12 as the SOC (State Of Charge) of the on-board battery 42 decreases. For example, while the vehicle 10 is traveling on the road 20, it may stop at a service area 22 and charge the on-board battery 42 at the charging station 12 within the service area 22.

[0029] Here, in order to charge the vehicle 10 at the charging station 12, the charging system 1 performs check-in, which is a procedure for starting charging of the vehicle 10 at the charging station 12. In the charging system 1, after check-in is permitted, charging of the vehicle 10 at the charging station 12 becomes possible. Check-in is performed near the charging station 12. More specifically, check-in is performed when the vehicle 10 enters the charging area 24 in which the charging station 12 is installed.

[0030] For example, a gate is provided at the entrance and exit of the charging area 24 where the charging station 12 is installed. Check-in is performed at the gate at the entrance and exit of the charging area 24. If check-in is permitted, the gate opens and the vehicle 10 can enter the charging area 24. On the other hand, if check-in is not permitted, the gate remains closed and the vehicle 10 cannot enter the charging area 24.

[0031] Furthermore, in the charging system 1, when charging is completed and the vehicle 10 leaves the charging station 12, checkout, which is a procedure for ending charging of the vehicle 10 at the charging station 12, may be performed. Checkout is performed at the charging station 12 or at the gate at the entrance / exit of the charging area 24. For example, when payment for charging the vehicle 10 has been completed, checkout is automatically completed.

[0032] Furthermore, the charging system 1 is configured to allow a reservation for charging of the vehicle 10 at the charging station 12 before check-in. A given vehicle 10 predicts its arrival time at the charging station 12 while traveling on the road 20, for example, and before arriving at the service area 22, and reserves a desired charging time from 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 a given vehicle 10 arrives at the charging station 12, it becomes possible to charge the onboard battery 42 from the reserved start time without having to wait for charging.

[0033] The server device 14 can perform a process of accepting check-in of the vehicle 10 at the charging station 12. The server device 14 can also perform a process of accepting reservations for charging the vehicle 10 at the charging station 12.

[0034] Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the vehicle 10 for which a reservation is made may be referred to as a first vehicle. Also, any vehicle 10 different from the first vehicle may be referred to as a second vehicle.

[0035] The storage device 82 of the server device 14 may store a check-in permission table, a reservation permission table, and a charging error database.

[0036] The check-in permission table is a table in which the vehicles 10 currently permitted to check in and the charging stations 12 are associated and managed. When the server control unit 94 permits the check-in of a vehicle 10, it adds the permitted vehicle 10 to the check-in permission table. When the vehicle 10 checks out, the server control unit 94 deletes the checked-out vehicle 10 from the check-in permission table. In this way, the check-in permission table is updated.

[0037] The reservation permission table is a table in which the vehicles 10 currently permitted to make reservations and the charging stations 12 are associated and managed. When the server control unit 94 permits a reservation for charging of the vehicle 10, it adds the permitted vehicle 10 to the reservation permission table. When the server control unit 94 permits check-in for the reserved vehicle 10, it deletes the vehicle 10 permitted to check-in from the reservation permission table. In this way, the reservation permission table is updated. Note that the reservation permission table is also updated if the reservation is canceled or if the vehicle 10 does not check-in even after the end time of the reserved charging time has passed.

[0038] 3 is a diagram showing an example of the charging error database. The charging error database stores a history of errors that occurred when the vehicle 10 was being charged at the charging station 12. The charging error database associates the charging area 24, the charging station 12, the model of the vehicle 10, and the details of the error.

[0039] If an error occurs at a charging stand 12, the stand control unit 74 transmits the charging stand 12 where the error occurred, the model of the vehicle 10, and the details of the error to the server device 14. Upon receiving the information such as the details of the error, the server device 14 stores the received information such as the details of the error in the storage device 82 and updates the charging error database. In this way, the history of errors that occurred when charging the vehicle 10 at the charging stand 12 is accumulated in the charging error database.

[0040] 3 shows a connector connection error, a credit card reading error, and an excessive voltage error as examples of the types of errors registered in the charging error database. The connector connection error indicates that the charging connection device 44 of the vehicle 10 and the charging connector 62 of the charging stand 12 could not be mechanically connected. The credit card reading error indicates that the charging stand 12 was unable to read the credit card of the occupant of the vehicle 10. The excessive voltage error indicates that the voltage applied from the charging stand 12 to the vehicle 10 is excessively high compared to the power receiving voltage of the vehicle 10. However, the types of errors registered in the charging error database are not limited to the types of errors shown as examples, and various types of errors that may occur during charging may be registered in the charging error database.

[0041] 4 and 5 are sequence charts illustrating the processing flow of the vehicle 10 and the server device 14 when reserving charging. "A" in Fig. 4 connects to "A" in Fig. 5. For example, the occupant of the vehicle 10 can input a request to reserve charging through the navigation device 46.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 4 , if there is no request for a charging reservation (NO in S10), the vehicle control unit 54 waits until a reservation request is received. When the vehicle control unit 54 detects a request for a charging reservation (YES in S10), it derives the current remaining drivable distance (S11). The remaining drivable distance indicates the distance that can be traveled with the current SOC. For example, the vehicle control unit 54 derives the current remaining charge amount of the in-vehicle battery 42 based on the current SOC. The vehicle control unit 54 derives the remaining drivable distance by multiplying the drivable distance per unit charge amount by the current remaining charge amount.

[0043] Next, the vehicle control unit generates occupant identification information that identifies at least one of the occupants of the vehicle 10 (S12). For example, the vehicle 10 is provided with a camera that can capture images of occupants in the vehicle cabin. The vehicle control unit 54 generates image information of the faces of the occupants in the vehicle cabin captured by the camera as the occupant identification information. Note that the occupant identified by the occupant identification information is not limited to the driver, but may also be a passenger who is not driving.

[0044] Furthermore, the occupant identification information is not limited to being generated from an image of the occupant captured by a camera. For example, an image of the driver's license of the occupant of the vehicle 10 may be registered in advance in the vehicle 10, and image information of the registered driver's license may be used as the occupant identification information. Furthermore, the occupant identification information is not limited to image information, and may be, for example, text information such as the occupant's address.

[0045] Next, the vehicle control unit 54 transmits reservation request information requesting a reservation to the server device 14 via the vehicle communication device 40 (S13). The reservation request information includes vehicle identification information that identifies the vehicle 10, occupant identification information, payment information that identifies whether payment for charging the vehicle 10 is possible, the remaining driving distance, the current position of the vehicle 10, the target point, and route information.

[0046] For example, a credit card number can be used as the payment information. For example, the credit card numbers of the occupants of the vehicle 10 may be registered in advance in the vehicle 10, and the registered credit card numbers may be used as the payment information. The current location of the vehicle 10 detected by the navigation device 46 can be used as the current location.

[0047] If the destination point and route information are not set in the navigation device 46, the destination point and route information may be omitted from the reservation request information.

[0048] The server control unit 94 receives reservation request information from the vehicle 10 via the server communication device 80 (S20). This allows the server control unit 94 to acquire vehicle identification information, occupant identification information, payment information, etc. for the vehicle 10 requesting the reservation. As will be described later, the vehicle identification information, occupant identification information, and payment information acquired in this manner at the time of reservation are compared at check-in after the reservation is made, and are used to determine whether check-in is permitted.

[0049] Next, the server control unit 94 extracts, as reservation candidate charging stations 12, charging stations 12 that are within the range of the remaining driving distance from the current location based on the acquired remaining driving distance and the current location of the vehicle 10 (S21). Based on the acquired destination point and route information, the server control unit 94 may extract, as reservation candidate charging stations 12, charging stations 12 that are within the range of the remaining driving distance from the current location and that are located on the route from the current location to the destination point.

[0050] The server control unit 94 generates other vehicle check-in information for all charging stations 12 extracted as reservation candidates based on the check-in permission table stored in the storage device 82 (S22). The other vehicle check-in information indicates whether a second vehicle, which is a vehicle other than the first vehicle, has already checked in at the charging station 12 that is the target of the reservation. The other vehicle check-in information may include not only whether a second vehicle has checked in, but also information on the number of second vehicles that have already checked in.

[0051] The server control unit 94 generates other vehicle reservation information for all charging stations 12 extracted as reservation candidates based on the reservation permission table stored in the storage device 82 (S23). The other vehicle reservation information indicates whether a reservation has already been made for a second vehicle, which is a vehicle other than the first vehicle, at the charging station 12 that is the target of the reservation. The other vehicle reservation information may include not only whether a reservation for the second vehicle has been made but also information on the number of second vehicles that have already been reserved.

[0052] The server control unit 94 generates error information for all of the charging stations 12 extracted as reservation candidates based on the error database stored in the storage device 82 (S24). The error information indicates the content of errors that have occurred in the past for the combination of the vehicle 10 making the reservation and the charging station 12 that is a reservation candidate.

[0053] The server control unit 94 transmits charging station information related to the reservation candidate charging stations 12 to the vehicle 10 that transmitted the reservation request information via the server communication device 80 (S25). The transmitted charging station information includes charging station identification information that identifies the reservation candidate charging station 12, other vehicle check-in information, other vehicle reservation information, and error information.

[0054] The vehicle control unit 54 receives the charging station information transmitted from the server device 14 via the vehicle communication device 40 (S30). This allows the vehicle 10 to recognize the charging stations 12 that are candidates for reservation. The vehicle 10 can then obtain other vehicle check-in information, other vehicle reservation information, and error information for each charging station 12 that is a candidate for reservation.

[0055] 5 , the vehicle control unit 54 presents the candidate charging stations 12 for reservation to the occupant of the vehicle 10, for example, by displaying them on the display device of the navigation device 46 (S31). At this time, the vehicle control unit 54 also presents the other vehicle check-in information, other vehicle reservation information, and error information to the occupant of the vehicle 10, for example, by displaying them on the display device of the navigation device 46.

[0056] 6 is a diagram showing an example of the display on the navigation device 46 when making a reservation. As shown in FIG. 6, the navigation device 46 displays the current position of the vehicle 10, the destination point, and the travel route.

[0057] The navigation device 46 displays a first charging area 110 and a second charging area 112 as charging areas 24 where charging stations 12 that are candidates for reservation are installed. The first charging area 110 and the second charging area 112 are located roughly along the driving route. The first charging area 110 is located closer to the current location of the vehicle 10 than the second charging area 112.

[0058] 7 is a diagram showing another example of the display of the navigation device 46 during prediction. The occupant of the vehicle 10 can switch from the display screen of FIG. 6 to the display screen of FIG. 7 by, for example, touching the screen of the navigation device 46.

[0059] 7 , the navigation device 46 displays the charging stations 12 that belong to the charging area 24 for each of the first charging area 110 and the second charging area 112. The navigation device 46 also displays other vehicle check-in information, other vehicle reservation information, and error information in association with the charging stations 12.

[0060] The occupant of the vehicle 10 can select the charging station 12 for which he / she wishes to make a reservation from among the charging stations 12 that are candidates for reservation presented via the navigation device 46.

[0061] Since the other vehicle check-in information, other vehicle reservation information, and error information are displayed on the navigation device 46, the occupant of the vehicle 10 can carefully select the charging station 12 at which they wish to make a reservation.

[0062] Although the example described above illustrates the generation and presentation of other vehicle check-in information, other vehicle reservation information, and error information, the vehicle control unit 54 may omit the generation and presentation of one or more of the other vehicle check-in information, other vehicle reservation information, and error information as long as it presents at least the charging stations 12 that are candidates for reservation.

[0063] Returning to FIG. 5, the vehicle control unit 54 receives, via the navigation device 46, the selection of the charging station 12 for which a reservation is desired (S32).

[0064] The vehicle control unit 54 transmits selection information indicating the charging station 12 selected as the charging station 12 for which a reservation is desired to be made to the server device 14 via the vehicle communication device 40 (S33).

[0065] The server control unit 94 receives the selection information transmitted from the vehicle 10 via the server communication device 80 (S40).

[0066] The server control unit 94 identifies the charging station 12 indicated by the received selection information as a reservation target charging station for which a reservation is to be made (S41).

[0067] The server control unit 94 derives the travel distance from the current position of the vehicle 10 to the reservation target charging station based on the map information and route information. Then, the server control unit 94 determines whether the derived travel distance is within a predetermined distance (S42).

[0068] If it is determined that the travel distance is within the predetermined distance (YES in S42), the server control unit 94 derives the travel time required for the vehicle 10 to travel from the current location of the vehicle 10 to the reservation target charging station. For example, the server control unit 94 may derive the travel time from traffic congestion information, speed limits, etc. on the route from the current location of the vehicle 10 to the reservation target charging station. Then, the server control unit 94 determines whether the derived travel time is within a predetermined time (S43). That is, in step S43, it is determined whether the vehicle 10 can arrive at the reservation target charging station within a predetermined time from the current time.

[0069] If it is determined that the distance determination in step S42 is satisfied (YES in S42) and that the time determination in step S43 is satisfied (YES in S43), the server control unit 94 permits a reservation for charging at the reservation target charging station (S44). In response to permitting the reservation, the server control unit 94 stores the contents of the permitted reservation in the storage device 82, thereby finalizing the reservation. Note that the vehicle identification information of the vehicle 10 has already been acquired in step S20 of FIG. 4.

[0070] On the other hand, if it is determined that the distance judgment in step S42 is not met (NO in S42), or if it is determined that the time judgment in step S43 is not met (NO in S43), the server control unit 94 denies the reservation (S45).

[0071] This can prevent a reservation from being made for a reservation target charging station that is located excessively far from the current location of the vehicle 10. As a result, for example, it can reduce the probability that a reservation will be canceled.

[0072] The server control unit 94 is not limited to a mode in which it performs both the distance determination in step S42 and the time determination in step S43. For example, the server control unit 94 may perform only one of the distance determination and the time determination, and omit the other. In a mode in which the time determination is omitted and the distance determination is performed, the server control unit 94 may obtain vehicle identification information and permit the reservation if the distance determination is satisfied. In a mode in which the distance determination is omitted and the time determination is performed, the server control unit 94 may obtain vehicle identification information and permit the reservation if the time determination is satisfied.

[0073] The server control unit 94 transmits reservation result information indicating whether the reservation is permitted or not to the vehicle 10 that transmitted the selection information via the server communication device 80 (S46). Note that, if the server control unit 94 permits the reservation, it may update the reservation permission table.

[0074] The vehicle control unit 54 receives the reservation result information transmitted from the server device 14 via the vehicle communication device 40 (S50). The vehicle control unit 54 causes the navigation device 46 to display the reservation result information on a display device. This allows the occupant of the vehicle 10 to know whether or not the reservation for the selected charging station 12 has been approved.

[0075] In addition, when the vehicle control unit 54 obtains reservation result information indicating that the reservation is not permitted, the vehicle control unit 54 may cause the navigation device 46 to display the candidate charging stations 12 for reservation again and prompt the user to select another charging station 12.

[0076] Furthermore, when the server control unit 94 permits the reservation, it may confirm with the vehicle 10 whether it is OK to confirm the reservation. In this case, after receiving an instruction to confirm the reservation from the vehicle 10, the server control unit 94 may store the details of the reservation in the storage device 82 and confirm the reservation.

[0077] 8 is a sequence chart illustrating the processing flow of the charging station 12 and the vehicle 10 at check-in. When the vehicle 10 arrives at the gate of the charging area 24, the charging station 12 detects that a check-in request has been made for the vehicle 10 that has arrived at the gate.

[0078] If there is no check-in request (NO in S60), the stand control unit 74 waits until there is a check-in request. If the stand control unit 74 detects that a check-in request has been made (YES in S60), it transmits information requesting the transmission of authentication information for check-in to the vehicle 10 that has arrived at the gate (S61).

[0079] The vehicle control unit 54 receives information requesting transmission of authentication information through the vehicle communication device 40 (S70).

[0080] The vehicle control unit 54 generates occupant identification information at the time of check-in (S71). The occupant identification information is generated in the same manner as at the time of reservation.

[0081] The vehicle control unit 54 transmits the authentication information at the time of check-in to the charging station 12 (S72). The authentication information includes vehicle identification information, occupant identification information, and payment information.

[0082] The stand control unit 74 receives the authentication information from the vehicle 10 (S80). The stand control unit 74 transmits the received authentication information to the server device 14 (S81).

[0083] FIG. 9 is a sequence chart illustrating the flow of processing performed by the vehicle 10 and the server device 14 at check-in.

[0084] The server control unit 94 receives the authentication information of the vehicle 10 transferred from the charging station 12 (S90). As a result, the server control unit 94 acquires the vehicle identification information, occupant identification information, and payment information at the time of check-in at the vehicle 10.

[0085] The server control unit 94 checks whether the vehicle identification information, occupant identification information, and payment information at the time of reservation for the vehicle 10 that sent the authentication information match the vehicle identification information, occupant identification information, and payment information at the time of check-in (S91).

[0086] If the server control unit 94 determines through the comparison that all of the vehicle identification information, occupant identification information, and payment information match between the time of reservation and the time of payment (YES in S92), it permits check-in (S93). Note that if the occupant identification information includes information on multiple occupants, it may be determined that the occupant identification information matches between the time of reservation and the time of payment if at least one of the occupants is the same between the time of reservation and the time of payment.

[0087] On the other hand, if the server control unit 94 determines through the comparison that any one of the vehicle identification information, occupant identification information, and payment information does not match between the time of reservation and the time of payment (NO in S92), it denies check-in (S94).

[0088] Note that, when verifying the information, the server control unit 94 may authenticate whether the vehicle identification information, the occupant identification information, and the payment information are valid, and may deny check-in if it determines that the information is invalid. For example, the server control unit 94 may deny check-in if the expiration date of the credit card number included in the payment information has passed. This can improve the security of the charging area 24.

[0089] The server control unit 94 transmits check-in result information indicating whether the check-in is permitted or not to the charging stand 12 via the server communication device 80 (S95). Note that if the server control unit 94 permits the check-in, it may update the check-in permission table.

[0090] If the received check-in result information indicates that check-in is permitted, the stand control unit 74 opens the gate of the charging area 24. This allows the vehicle 10 that has arrived at the gate to enter the charging area 24 and charge the vehicle at the charging stand 12.

[0091] If the received check-in result information indicates that check-in is not permitted, the stand control unit 74 keeps the gate of the charging area 24 closed. As a result, the vehicle 10 that arrives at the gate is assumed to be an unauthorized vehicle that has made a reservation, and is therefore unable to enter the charging area 24 and is unable to charge at the charging stand 12.

[0092] The server control unit also transmits check-in result information indicating whether the check-in is permitted or not to the vehicle 10 that transmitted the authentication information (S96).

[0093] The vehicle control unit 54 receives the check-in result information from the server device 14 (S100). In response, the vehicle control unit 54 displays the check-in result information on the display device of the navigation device 46. This allows the occupant of the vehicle 10 to know whether or not check-in has been permitted.

[0094] Here, an example has been described in which all of the vehicle identification information, occupant identification information, and payment information are compared. However, the server control unit 94 may acquire at least the vehicle identification information at the time of reservation and omit acquiring the occupant identification information and payment information. In this case, the server control unit 94 may acquire at least the vehicle identification information at the time of check-in and omit acquiring the occupant identification information and payment information. The server control unit 94 may compare whether the vehicle identification information acquired at the time of reservation matches the vehicle identification information acquired at check-in. If the server control unit 94 determines through the comparison that the vehicle identification information at the time of reservation matches the vehicle identification information at check-in, the server control unit 94 may permit check-in so that the vehicle 10 can be charged at the charging station 12.

[0095] Furthermore, the server control unit 94 may acquire, at the time of reservation, not only the vehicle identification information but also one or both of occupant identification information and payment information from the vehicle 10 making the reservation. In this case, at the time of check-in, the server control unit 94 may acquire, in addition to the vehicle identification information, the same type of occupant identification information and payment information as the information acquired at the time of reservation from the vehicle 10 making the check-in. The server control unit 94 may determine whether the information acquired at the time of reservation among the vehicle identification information, occupant identification information, and payment information matches the information acquired at the time of check-in among the vehicle identification information, occupant identification information, and payment information. If the server control unit 94 determines that the type of information acquired at the time of reservation among the vehicle identification information, occupant identification information, and payment information matches the information acquired at the time of check-in, the server control unit 94 may permit check-in so that the vehicle 10 can be charged at the charging station 12.

[0096] Furthermore, the server control unit 94 may acquire at least vehicle identification information at the time of reservation, and omit acquiring occupant identification information and payment information. In this situation, the server control unit 94 may acquire, at the time of check-in, not only vehicle identification information but also one or both of occupant identification information and payment information from the vehicle 10 being checked in. The server control unit 94 may verify whether the vehicle identification information acquired at the time of reservation matches the vehicle identification information acquired at the time of check-in. The server control unit 94 may also authenticate whether the type of information acquired at the time of check-in, among the vehicle identification information, occupant identification information, and payment information, is appropriate. The server control unit 94 may permit check-in if both verification and authentication are satisfied. This improves the security of the charging area 24.

[0097] As described above, the server control unit 94 of the charging system 1 of this embodiment acquires vehicle identification information from the vehicle 10 making the reservation at the time of reservation, and acquires vehicle identification information from the vehicle 10 checking in at the time of check-in. The server control unit 94 compares whether the vehicle identification information acquired at the time of reservation matches the vehicle identification information acquired at the time of check-in. If the server control unit 94 determines through the comparison that the vehicle identification information at the time of reservation matches the vehicle identification information at the time of check-in, it permits check-in so that the vehicle 10 can be charged at the charging station 12.

[0098] As a result, in the charging system 1 of this embodiment, it is possible to reserve charging at the charging station 12 before arriving at the charging station 12, making it possible to charge smoothly after arriving at the charging station 12.

[0099] Furthermore, in the charging system 1 of this embodiment, the vehicle identification information at the time of reservation is compared with the vehicle identification information at the time of check-in, so that only vehicles 10 that have been properly reserved can be charged. This improves the management of charging at the charging station 12.

[0100] 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.

[0101] 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.

[0102] 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.

[0103] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Charging system 10 Vehicle 12 Charging station 82 Storage device 90 Server control device 92a Processor 92b Memory

Claims

1. A charging station that can charge vehicles, Control device and A storage device that stores a charging error database which stores the history of errors during charging of the vehicle at the charging station, associating the charging station, the vehicle, and the content of the error; Equipped with, The control device is One or more processors, One or more memories connected to the processor, It has, The aforementioned processor, The procedure for starting the charging of the vehicle at the aforementioned charging station is to accept a check-in, Prior to the aforementioned check-in, the company accepts reservations for charging the vehicle at the aforementioned charging station, At the time of the reservation, vehicle identification information, which is information that identifies the vehicle, is obtained from the vehicle for which the reservation is to be made. At the time of check-in, the vehicle identification information is obtained from the vehicle being checked in. The process involves verifying whether the vehicle identification information obtained at the time of the reservation matches the vehicle identification information obtained at the time of check-in. If the verification determines that the vehicle identification information at the time of reservation matches the vehicle identification information at the time of check-in, the check-in will be permitted so that the vehicle can be charged at the charging station. At the time of the reservation, error information is generated based on the charging error database, indicating the content of errors that have occurred in the past for the combination of the vehicle making the reservation and the charging station that is a candidate for the reservation. Execute the process that includes, The vehicle is a charging system that presents the generated error information to the occupant at the time of the reservation.

2. The aforementioned processor, At the time of check-in, in addition to the vehicle identification information, the following information is obtained from the vehicle being checked in: either or both of the following: occupant identification information that identifies at least one of the occupants of the vehicle, and payment information that identifies that payment for charging the vehicle is possible. In addition to determining that the vehicle identification information at the time of booking matches the vehicle identification information at the time of check-in, if the vehicle identification information, passenger identification information, and payment information obtained at the time of check-in are correct, the check-in will be permitted. A charging system according to claim 1, which performs a process including the following:

3. The aforementioned processor, At the time of the reservation, in addition to the vehicle identification information, the occupant identification information and the payment information, or either one or both, are obtained from the vehicle for which the reservation is being made. At the time of check-in, in addition to the vehicle identification information, the same type of information as that obtained at the time of booking, including the passenger identification information and the payment information, is obtained from the vehicle being checked in. In the process of performing the aforementioned matching, it is determined whether the information obtained from the vehicle identification information, passenger identification information, and payment information at the time of reservation matches the information obtained from the vehicle identification information, passenger identification information, and payment information at the time of check-in. If, through the aforementioned verification, it is determined that the type of information obtained from the vehicle identification information, the occupant identification information, and the payment information matches between the time of the reservation and the time of check-in, then the check-in will be permitted so that the vehicle can be charged at the charging station. The charging system according to claim 2, which performs a process including the following:

4. The vehicle includes a first vehicle and a second vehicle different from the first vehicle. The aforementioned processor, When the first vehicle is reserved, the system generates either or both of the following: other vehicle check-in information indicating whether the second vehicle has checked in at the charging station that is the subject of the reservation, and other vehicle reservation information indicating whether the second vehicle has made a reservation at the charging station that is the subject of the reservation. Execute the process that includes, The first vehicle presents either or both of the generated other vehicle check-in information and other vehicle reservation information to the passenger at the time of the reservation. The charging system according to claim 1.

5. The aforementioned processor, At the time of the reservation, a distance determination is made to determine whether the distance from the vehicle's current location to the charging station subject to the reservation is within a predetermined distance. If the aforementioned vehicle identification information is obtained and the aforementioned distance determination is met, the reservation will be permitted. A charging system according to claim 1, which performs a process including the following:

6. The aforementioned processor, At the time of the reservation, a time determination is made as to whether the vehicle can arrive at the charging station subject to the reservation within a predetermined time from the present time, If the aforementioned vehicle identification information is obtained and the aforementioned time condition is met, the reservation will be permitted. A charging system according to claim 1, which performs a process including the following: