Information management device, information management method, and program

Abstract

An information management device according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a candidate charging facility extraction unit that extracts candidate charging facilities that can be reached within a designated distance or within a designated time from a destination, on the basis of charging facility information that includes information on the locations of a plurality of charging facilities that can charge a battery mounted on a moving vehicle and an availability time period of the charging facilities; and a providing unit that provides, to a user of the moving vehicle, the distances and / or travel times, for the user of the moving vehicle, between the destination and candidate charging facilities determined to be available from among the candidate charging facilities, and information on the locations of the candidate charging facilities, on the basis of destination information, a scheduled time of arrival at the destination, and the availability time period. If information indicating that charging of the battery has started is not acquired from a charging facility selected by the user from among the candidate charging facilities, first route guidance information from the location of the moving vehicle to the charging facility is provided to the moving vehicle. If information indicating that charging of the battery has started is acquired, second route guidance information to the destination is provided to a communication terminal used by the user.

Description

Information management device, information management method, and program

[0001] The present invention relates to an information management device, an information management method, and a program.

[0002] In recent years, efforts to provide access to sustainable transportation systems that take into consideration vulnerable traffic participants have been gaining momentum. Toward this goal, efforts are being focused on research and development into navigation technology to further improve traffic safety and convenience. In this context, a technology has been known that searches for charging stations located before the maximum reachable point of an electric vehicle that can be driven based on the remaining battery charge, displays information about nearby facilities within a range that can be visited while charging from the candidate charging stations, and displays the charging time at the candidate charging stations, allowing the user to select a charging station (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] JP 2011-174711 A

[0004] In conventional navigation technologies, when an electric vehicle passes through a charging facility before arriving at a destination, it is necessary to provide information on both the route from the current location to the charging facility and the route from the charging facility to the destination. However, no consideration has been given to a method for switching route guidance information when the means of transportation to the charging facility and the means of transportation from the charging facility to the destination are different. Therefore, there has been an issue in that appropriate route guidance information is sometimes not provided to the user.

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one of the objects of the present application is to provide an information management device, an information management method, and a program that can provide more appropriate route guidance information to users, thereby contributing to the development of sustainable transportation systems.

[0006] The information management device, information management method, and program according to the present invention employ the following configuration: (1): An information management device according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a charging facility candidate extraction unit that extracts charging facility candidates that can be reached within a predetermined distance or within a predetermined time from a destination based on charging facility information including location information of a plurality of charging facilities that can charge a battery mounted on a mobile body and available time slots of the charging facilities; and a providing unit that provides a user of the mobile body with at least one of a distance between the destination and a charging facility candidate determined to be available from among the charging facility candidates and a travel time of the user of the mobile body, based on destination information about the destination, an estimated time of arrival at the destination, and the available time slots, wherein the providing unit provides the mobile body with first route guidance information from the location of the mobile body to the charging facility when information indicating that the battery has started charging has not been acquired from a charging facility selected by the user from among the charging facility candidates, and provides second route guidance information to the destination to a communication terminal used by the user when information indicating that the battery has started charging has been acquired.

[0007] (2): In addition, an information management device according to another aspect of the present invention includes a charging facility candidate extraction unit that extracts charging facility candidates that can be reached within a predetermined distance or within a predetermined time from a destination based on charging facility information including location information of a plurality of charging facilities that can charge a battery mounted on a mobile body and available time periods for the charging facilities; and a providing unit that provides a user of the mobile body with at least one of the distance between the destination and a charging facility candidate that is determined to be available among the charging facility candidates, based on destination information about the destination, an estimated time of arrival at the destination, and the available time periods, and the location information of the charging facility candidate. When the providing unit determines that the mobile body has not been stopped at the charging facility for a predetermined time or more continuously, the providing unit provides a communication terminal used by the user with first route guidance information from the location of the mobile body to the charging facility, and when the providing unit determines that the mobile body has been stopped at the charging facility for a predetermined time or more continuously, the providing unit provides second route guidance information to the destination to the communication terminal.

[0008] (3): In the above aspect (2), when the providing unit acquires information indicating that the battery has started charging at the charging facility, it provides second route guidance information to the destination to the communication terminal used by the user.

[0009] (4): In the above aspect (1) or (2), the providing unit switches between the first route guidance information and the second route guidance information when it receives an instruction to switch route information from the user.

[0010] (5) In the aspect (1) or (2) above, the vehicle information device further includes a travel time calculation unit that calculates a travel time of the user based on a distance between the charging facility candidate and the destination.

[0011] (6) In the above aspect (1) or (2), the destination information includes information regarding the user's stay time at the destination.

[0012] (7): In the aspect (6) above, the provision unit provides the user with information regarding the candidate charging facilities at which charging of the battery will be completed between the scheduled arrival time and the elapse of the stay time.

[0013] (8) In the above aspect (1) or (2), the providing unit provides the user with information on the state of the battery or charging performance information indicating the charging performance of the battery.

[0014] (9): In the above aspect (1) or (2), the vehicle navigation system further includes a reservation unit that reserves a charging facility selected by the user from among the candidate charging facilities, and the reservation unit provides the user with information regarding the available hours of the reserved charging facility when the estimated arrival time is updated, and updates or cancels the reservation in response to instructions from the user.

[0015] (10): In the aspect of (1) or (2) above, the providing unit includes an evaluation unit that evaluates the charging facility candidates, and a recommendation unit that recommends recommended charging facilities to the user based on the evaluation results of the charging facility candidates evaluated by the evaluation unit, wherein the evaluation unit evaluates each of the charging facility candidates using at least one criterion among the usage fee of the charging facility candidate, the distance between the charging facility candidate and the destination, the travel time from the charging facility candidate to the destination, and charging performance information of the charging facility candidate, and the recommendation unit recommends the charging facility candidate with the highest evaluation among the evaluated charging facility candidates as the recommended charging facility.

[0016] (11): In the above aspect (1) or (2), a degree of freedom setting unit is further provided that sets the degree of freedom of the stay time at the destination, and the charging facility candidate extraction unit increases the specified distance or the specified time as the degree of freedom set by the degree of freedom setting unit increases.

[0017] (12): In the above aspect (1) or (2), the first route guidance information is information that guides the mobile body on a route that can be traveled, and the second route guidance information is a route that can be traveled by the user or a route that can be traveled by the user by public transportation.

[0018] (13): An information management method according to one aspect of the present invention is an information management method in which a computer extracts candidate charging facilities that can be reached within a predetermined distance or within a predetermined time from a destination based on charging facility information including location information of a plurality of charging facilities that can charge a battery mounted on a mobile body and available time periods of the charging facilities; provides a user of the mobile body with at least one of the distance between the destination and a candidate charging facility determined to be available among the candidate charging facilities and a travel time of the user of the mobile body based on destination information about the destination, an estimated time of arrival at the destination, and the available time periods; and provides the user of the mobile body with first route guidance information from the location of the mobile body to the charging facility when information indicating that the battery has started charging has not been obtained from a charging facility selected by the user among the candidate charging facilities; and provides second route guidance information to the destination to a communication terminal used by the user when information indicating that the battery has started charging has been obtained.

[0019] (14): In another aspect of the present invention, a computer provides a user of the mobile body with at least one of the distance between the destination and a charging facility candidate determined to be available among the charging facility candidates and a travel time of the user of the mobile body, and the location information of the charging facility candidate, based on destination information about the destination, an estimated time of arrival at the destination, and the available time slots; and, when it is determined that the mobile body has not been stopped at the charging facility for a predetermined time or more, first route guidance information from the location of the mobile body to the charging facility is provided to a communication terminal used by the user. When it is determined that the mobile body has not been stopped at the charging facility for a predetermined time or more, second route guidance information to the destination is provided to the communication terminal.

[0020] (15): A program according to one aspect of the present invention causes a computer to extract candidate charging facilities that can be reached within a predetermined distance or within a predetermined time from a destination based on charging facility information including location information of a plurality of charging facilities that can charge a battery mounted on a mobile body and available time periods for the charging facilities; causes the computer to provide a user of the mobile body with at least one of the distance between the destination and a candidate charging facility determined to be available among the candidate charging facilities and a travel time of the user of the mobile body based on destination information about the destination, an estimated time of arrival at the destination, and the available time periods; causes the computer to provide, to the mobile body, first route guidance information from the location of the mobile body to the charging facility when information indicating that the battery has started charging has not been obtained from a charging facility selected by the user among the candidate charging facilities; and causes the computer to provide, to a communication terminal used by the user, second route guidance information to the destination when information indicating that the battery has started charging has been obtained.

[0021] (16): A program according to another aspect of the present invention is a program that causes a computer to extract candidate charging facilities that can be reached within a predetermined distance or within a predetermined time from a destination based on charging facility information including location information of a plurality of charging facilities that can charge a battery mounted on a mobile body and available time periods for the charging facilities; causes the computer to provide a user of the mobile body with at least one of the distance between the destination and a candidate charging facility that is determined to be available among the candidate charging facilities and a travel time of the user of the mobile body, based on destination information about the destination, an estimated time of arrival at the destination, and the available time periods; causes the computer to provide, to the mobile body, first route guidance information from the location of the mobile body to the charging facility when it is determined that the mobile body has not been stopped at the charging facility continuously for a predetermined time or more; and causes the computer to provide, to a communication terminal used by the user, second route guidance information to the destination when it is determined that the mobile body has been stopped at the charging facility continuously for a predetermined time or more.

[0022] According to the above aspects (1) to (16), more appropriate route guidance information can be provided to the user.

[0023] 1 is a configuration diagram of an information management system 1 that uses an information management device of an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an electric vehicle M of an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a communication terminal 200 of an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a charging facility 300 of an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of an information management device 400 of an embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of a user information DB 452. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of a charging facility DB 454. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration diagram of a charging facility management unit 434 of an embodiment. FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a process for providing information on charging facilities. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of information on a charging facility 300 being provided. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an image IM10 related to a candidate charging facility that is displayed on a communication terminal 200. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a first example of a route guidance process according to an embodiment. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a second example of a route guidance process according to an embodiment. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a third example of a route guidance process according to an embodiment. FIG. 14 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a process for updating or canceling reservation details.

[0024] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, embodiments of an information management device, an information management method, and a program according to the present invention will be described. The following describes a case where the information management device according to the embodiment is applied to an information management system capable of providing information such as a route from a current location of a mobile object to a destination and a route to a charging facility where a battery mounted on the mobile object can be charged. In addition, the following uses an electric vehicle as an example of a mobile object equipped with a battery. The electric vehicle is, for example, a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) that runs using an electric motor driven by power supplied from an onboard battery for traction. Alternatively, the electric vehicle may be a PHV (Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle) or a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), which is a hybrid vehicle equipped with an external charging function. In addition, electric vehicles include not only four-wheeled vehicles, but also saddle-type two-wheeled vehicles, three-wheeled vehicles (including vehicles with one front wheel and two rear wheels, as well as vehicles with two front wheels and one rear wheel), assisted bicycles, electric kick scooters, and other "mobile bodies" that run using an electric motor powered by electricity supplied from a battery.

[0025] [Overall Configuration] Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram of an information management system 1 that uses an information management device according to an embodiment. The information management system 1 includes, for example, an electric vehicle M, a communication terminal 200 used (carried) by a user U who uses the electric vehicle M, a charging facility 300, and an information management device 400. In the information management system 1, at least one of the electric vehicle M, the communication terminal 200, and the charging facility 300 may be provided in plurality. The electric vehicle M, the communication terminal 200, the charging facility 300, and the information management device 400 can communicate with each other via, for example, a network NW. The network NW includes, for example, a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), a local area network (LAN), a public line, a provider device, a dedicated line, a wireless base station, and the like.

[0026] The electric vehicle M transmits information regarding the location of the electric vehicle M, information regarding the destination input by the user U, information regarding the charging status of the battery installed in the electric vehicle M, etc. to the information management device 400 via the network NW, receives information transmitted from the information management device 400, and provides the received information to the user U who is riding in the electric vehicle M.

[0027] The communication terminal 200 is, for example, a portable terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. The communication terminal 200 acquires location information and transmits the acquired location information, etc. to the information management device 400 via the network NW. The communication terminal 200 also transmits information, etc. related to a destination input by the user U to the information management device 400, and outputs information acquired from the information management device 400 to provide to the user U. The communication terminal 200 may communicate with the electric vehicle M, for example, via short-range communication such as Bluetooth. Note that the communication terminal 200 may be mounted on the electric vehicle M and may function as an on-board terminal (display) to communicate with various devices, display screens, output audio, etc. independently of the vehicle.

[0028] The charging facility 300 is, for example, a facility for charging a battery mounted on an electric vehicle M. The charging facility 300 is provided, for example, on a road shoulder or a sidewalk. The charging facility 300 may also be provided in a parking lot of a residential or commercial facility, a battery store (e.g., a dealer), or the like. The charging facility 300 has a space where the electric vehicle M can be parked in a charged state. The charging facility 300 may also be called, for example, a charging stand, a charging spot, or a charging station. The charging facility 300 may also have a communication function for communicating with the electric vehicle M being charged and the information management device 400. When communicating with the electric vehicle M, the charging facility 300 may communicate via a wire (e.g., a signal cable described below) or wirelessly. For example, the charging facility 300 acquires location information of the electric vehicle M and information about the battery mounted on the electric vehicle M, and transmits the acquired information to the information management device 400.

[0029] The information management device 400 may be, for example, a server device or a PC (Personal Computer), or may be a cloud server configured by cloud computing including one or more information processing devices. The information management device 400 may also be, for example, distributed across multiple devices for different functions. The information management device 400 manages the location information of each charging facility 300 managed by the information management system 1 and the usage status of the charging facility 300. The information management device 400 also acquires location information, information about the destination, and an estimated time of arrival at the destination from the electric vehicle M or the communication terminal 200, extracts candidate charging facilities 300 that the user U can use while the user U is at the destination, and transmits the candidate charging facilities 300 to the electric vehicle M or the communication terminal 200. The information management device 400 also reserves a charging facility 300 selected by the user U from the candidate charging facilities 300, and transmits reservation information to the electric vehicle M or the communication terminal 200. Furthermore, the information management device 400 provides the user U with route guidance information (for example, first route guidance information and second route guidance information, which will be described later) to the destination or the charging facility 300 .

[0030] Next, the functions of the electric vehicle M, the communication terminal 200, the charging facility 300, and the information management device 400 will be specifically described.

[0031] 2 is a configuration diagram of an electric vehicle M according to an embodiment. The electric vehicle M includes, for example, a motor 12, drive wheels 14, a braking device 16, a vehicle sensor 20, a PCU (Power Control Unit) 30, a battery 40, a battery sensor 42, a communication device 50, a charging port 70, a connection circuit 72, a display unit 80, a navigation device 90, and a control device 100.

[0032] The motor 12 is, for example, a three-phase AC motor. A rotor of the motor 12 is connected to the drive wheels 14. The motor 12 outputs power to the drive wheels 14 using the supplied electric power. The motor 12 also generates power using the kinetic energy of the electric vehicle M when the electric vehicle M decelerates. The energy generated by the motor 12 may be used to charge the battery 40.

[0033] The brake device 16 includes, for example, a brake caliper, a cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, and an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the cylinder. The brake device 16 may include a backup mechanism that transmits hydraulic pressure generated by operating the brake pedal to the cylinder via a master cylinder. Note that the brake device 16 is not limited to the configuration described above, and may also be an electronically controlled hydraulic brake device that transmits hydraulic pressure from the master cylinder to the cylinder. When the brake device 16 is activated, the motor 12 generates regenerative current. Energy generated by this regenerative current (regenerative energy) may be used to charge the battery 40.

[0034] The vehicle sensors 20 include, for example, an accelerator position sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, a brake pedal depression sensor, a position sensor (an example of a position acquisition unit), and a temperature sensor. The accelerator position sensor is attached to the accelerator pedal and detects the accelerator pedal depression amount as the accelerator position. The vehicle speed sensor includes, for example, wheel speed sensors attached to each wheel and a speed calculator, and derives the vehicle speed (vehicle speed) by combining the wheel speeds detected by the wheel speed sensors. The brake pedal depression sensor is attached to the brake pedal and detects the brake pedal depression amount as the brake pedal depression amount. The position sensor acquires position information (e.g., latitude and longitude information) of the electric vehicle M using, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver (not shown). The temperature sensor detects the temperature outside or inside the vehicle. The information acquired by each of the above sensors is output to the control unit 36 ​​or the control device 100.

[0035] The PCU 30 includes, for example, a converter 32, a VCU (Voltage Control Unit) 34, and a control unit 36. Note that the configuration in which these components are collectively formed as the PCU 30 is merely an example, and these components may also be arranged in a dispersed manner.

[0036] The converter 32 is, for example, an AC-DC converter. A DC side terminal of the converter 32 is connected to a DC link DL. A battery 40 is connected to the DC link DL via a VCU 34. The converter 32 converts the AC power generated by the motor 12 into DC power and outputs the DC power to the DC link DL.

[0037] The VCU 34 is, for example, a DC-DC converter, and boosts the power supplied from the battery 40 and outputs the boosted power to the DC link DL.

[0038] The control unit 36 ​​includes, for example, a motor control unit, a brake control unit, and a battery / VCU control unit. The motor control unit, the brake control unit, and the battery / VCU control unit may be replaced with separate control devices, such as a motor ECU (Electronic Control Unit), a brake ECU, and a battery ECU.

[0039] The control unit 36 ​​controls the motor 12 based on the output of the vehicle sensor 20 in the motor control unit. The control unit 36 ​​controls the brake device 16 based on the output of the vehicle sensor 20 in the brake control unit. The control unit 36 ​​also outputs vehicle speed information detected by the vehicle sensor 20 to the control device 100. The control unit 36 ​​acquires the state of the battery 40 based on the output of a battery sensor 42 attached to the battery 40 in the battery / VCU control unit, and outputs the state of the battery 40 to the VCU 34 and the control device 100. The state of the battery 40 is, for example, the SOC (State of Charge). The SOC includes, for example, the remaining charge, the charging rate, and the amount of power charged to the battery 40 per predetermined time. The SOC output may be repeatedly performed at predetermined timing. The control unit 36 ​​may also estimate the degree of deterioration of the battery 40 based on information acquired from the battery sensor 42. The VCU 34 increases the voltage of the DC link DL in response to an instruction from the battery / VCU control unit. The control unit 36 ​​may also acquire the amount of generated energy or regenerated energy from the motor 12 and control charging of the battery 40 .

[0040] The battery 40 is, for example, a secondary battery such as a lithium-ion battery or an all-solid-state battery. The battery 40 stores power for propelling the electric vehicle M. For example, the battery 40 stores and charges power supplied from an external charging facility 300 via a charging port 70 of the electric vehicle M, and discharges the power for propelling the electric vehicle M. The battery 40 may also store power for propelling the electric vehicle M using the above-mentioned generated energy or regenerated energy.

[0041] The battery sensor 42 includes, for example, a current sensor, a voltage sensor, and a temperature sensor. The battery sensor 42 detects, for example, the current value, voltage value, and temperature of the battery 40 using each sensor. The battery sensor 42 also detects the state of charge (SOC) of the battery 40. The battery sensor 42 may also detect whether the electric vehicle M is being charged by power supplied from the charging facility 300. The battery sensor 42 outputs the detected information to the control unit 36 ​​or the control device 100.

[0042] The communication device 50 includes, for example, a wireless module for connecting to a cellular network or a Wi-Fi network. The communication device 50 transmits information from the control unit 36 ​​and the control device 100 to the information management device 400 via the network NW. The communication device 50 also receives information transmitted by the information management device 400 and outputs the received information to the control device 100. The communication device 50 may also communicate with the communication terminal 200 or with the charging facility 300 under the control of the communication control unit 120.

[0043] The charging port 70 is provided facing the outside of the body of the electric vehicle M. The charging port 70 is connected to the charging facility 300 via a charging cable CC. The charging cable CC includes, for example, a first plug P1 and a second plug P2. The first plug P1 is connected to the charging facility 300, and the second plug P2 is connected to the charging port 70. Power supplied from the charging facility 300 is supplied to the charging port 70 via the charging cable CC. The charging cable CC also includes a signal cable attached to the power cable. The signal cable mediates communication between the electric vehicle M and the charging facility 300. Therefore, each of the first plug P1 and the second plug P2 is provided with a power connector for connecting the power cable and a signal connector for connecting the signal cable.

[0044] A connection circuit 72 may be provided between the charging port 70 and the battery 40. The connection circuit 72 transmits DC power supplied from the charging facility 300 to the battery 40 via the first plug P1, the charging cable CC, the second plug P2, and the charging port 70. The connection circuit 72 may also perform control to supply DC power transmitted from the battery 40 to the charging facility 300 via the charging port 70, the second plug P2, the charging cable CC, and the first plug P1.

[0045] The connection circuit 72 also detects that the charging cable CC (second plug P2) is connected to the charging port 70 of the electric vehicle M. The connection circuit 72 may also detect, from the power transmission status, that the supply of power from the charging facility 300 to the battery 40 has started. The connection circuit 72 outputs information indicating that the charging cable CC is connected to the charging port 70 or that the supply of power to the battery 40 has started to the control device 100.

[0046] The display unit 80 is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. The display unit 80 is installed, for example, in a meter panel unit including instruments such as a speedometer, which is provided on an instrument panel in front of the driver's seat where the steering wheel is provided inside the vehicle cabin. The display unit 80 is also installed, for example, near the center of the instrument panel inside the vehicle cabin. The display unit 80 may also be a display unit included in an HMI (Human Machine Interface) of another in-vehicle device (e.g., a navigation device 90). The display unit 80 displays information to be provided to a user U riding in the electric vehicle M (e.g., information about potential charging facilities, information about reservations for charging facilities 300, information about routes, etc.) based on the control of the control device 100. The display unit 80 may also be a touch panel or the like, and in this case, receives instructions from the user U while riding (e.g., an instruction to switch route guidance information, etc.).

[0047] The navigation device 90 includes, for example, a GNSS receiver, a guidance control unit, and a storage unit storing map information. The GNSS receiver identifies the position of the electric vehicle M based on signals received from GNSS satellites. The position of the electric vehicle M may be identified or supplemented by an inertial navigation system (INS) that uses the output of the vehicle sensors 20. The guidance control unit, for example, determines a route from the position of the electric vehicle M identified by the GNSS receiver (or any other input position) to a destination input by the user U by referring to map information, and outputs route guidance information to the display unit 80 via the control device 100 so that the electric vehicle M travels along the route. The map information is, for example, information that represents road shapes using links indicating roads and nodes connected by the links. The map information stores, for example, road information associated with latitude and longitude (road shape (width, curvature, gradient), location of stop lines and crosswalks), point of interest (POI) information, traffic regulation information, address information (address and postal code), contact information, facility information, etc. The facility information includes, for example, location information of the charging facility 300 and information (identification information) for identifying the charging facility 300. The map information may be updated as needed by the communication device 50 communicating with an external device. The map information may be stored in a vehicle-side storage unit 140 of the control device 100 (described later) (map information 142 described later).

[0048] The navigation device 90 may transmit the current position and destination of the electric vehicle M to the information management device 400 or another external device (for example, a navigation server) via a communication device, and acquire the route from the transmission destination.

[0049] The navigation device 90 also calculates an estimated time of arrival at the destination based on the route (distance) from the current position of the electric vehicle M to the destination, the current time, etc. The position information, information related to the destination, estimated time of arrival, etc. acquired by the navigation device 90 are transmitted to the information management device 400 under the control of the control device 100, for example.

[0050] The control device 100 includes, for example, a charging control unit 110, a communication control unit 120, a display control unit 130, and a vehicle-side storage unit 140. The charging control unit 110, the communication control unit 120, and the display control unit 130 are realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). Furthermore, some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device having a non-transitory storage medium) such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or flash memory provided in the electric vehicle M, or may be stored in a removable storage medium (a non-transitory storage medium) such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and the storage medium may be installed in the HDD or flash memory provided in the electric vehicle M by being attached to a drive device provided in the electric vehicle M.

[0051] The vehicle-side storage unit 140 may be realized by the various storage devices described above, or a solid-state drive (SSD), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a read-only memory (ROM), a random-access memory (RAM), or the like. The vehicle-side storage unit 140 stores, for example, information obtained from the battery sensor 42, the control unit 36, the communication device 50, the display unit 80, the charging control unit 110, programs, and various other information. The vehicle-side storage unit 140 may also store map information 142.

[0052] The charging control unit 110 controls the charging of the battery 40. For example, the charging control unit 110 controls the battery 40 and the charging facility 300 so that the battery 40 is charged with power supplied from the charging facility 300 when the charging rate of the battery 40 is below a threshold, and ends (or does not charge) the battery 40 when the charging rate is equal to or greater than the threshold. The charging control unit 110 may also determine whether the battery 40 of the electric vehicle M is being charged. For example, the charging control unit 110 refers to the map information 142 based on the position information of the electric vehicle M detected by the position sensor of the vehicle sensor 20, and determines that the battery 40 is being charged when the position of the electric vehicle M is within a predetermined distance from the installation position of the charging facility 300 and the amount of power charged to the battery 40 per predetermined time is equal to or greater than a threshold.

[0053] The charging control unit 110 may also determine whether charging of the battery 40 of the electric vehicle M has started. In this case, the charging control unit 110 determines that charging of the battery 40 of the electric vehicle M has started when the connection circuit 72 detects that the charging cable CC (second plug P2) is connected to the charging port 70 or when it detects that the supply of power from the charging facility 300 to the battery 40 has started. Note that the charging control unit 110 may also determine that the supply of power to the battery 40 has started or that the battery 40 is being charged when a predetermined time has elapsed since the charging cable CC (second plug P2) was connected to the charging port 70 or when power has been continuously supplied to the battery 40 for a predetermined time or more.

[0054] The charging control unit 110 also acquires charging performance information of the battery 40. The charging performance information includes, for example, information such as the total amount of power of the battery 40, the amount of output power that the battery 40 can handle, and the charging facilities 300 that the battery 40 can connect to. The charging performance information may also include information regarding the degree of deterioration of the battery 40.

[0055] The communication control unit 120 controls communication with the information management device 400, the communication terminal 200, the charging facility 300, and other external devices via the communication device 50. For example, the communication control unit 120 transmits information obtained from the vehicle sensor 20, the control unit 36, the battery sensor 42, the communication device 50, the display unit 80, the navigation device 90, and the charging control unit 110 to the information management device 400 and the communication terminal 200. The communication control unit 120 also receives information transmitted from the information management device 400, the communication terminal 200, and the charging facility 300.

[0056] The display control unit 130 displays, on the display unit 80, information about the electric vehicle M and the battery 40, information about the charging facility 300, and the like, which are obtained from the vehicle sensors 20, the control unit 36, the battery sensor 42, the communication device 50, the navigation device 90, the charging control unit 110, the communication terminal 200, the charging facility 300, the information management device 400, and the like. For example, the display control unit 130 generates images showing the current position and destination of the electric vehicle M, candidate charging facilities, and a charging facility selected by the user U, images showing routes to the destination and charging facility, images showing reservation information for the charging facility 300, and the like, and displays the generated images on the display unit 80. The display control unit 130 may also cause the display unit 80 to output, from the display unit 80, sounds and the like associated with the images displayed on the display unit 80.

[0057] [Communication Terminal] Fig. 3 is a configuration diagram of a communication terminal 200 according to an embodiment. The communication terminal 200 includes, for example, a terminal-side communication unit 210, an input unit 220, an output unit 230, a position acquisition unit 240, a control unit 250, an application execution unit 260, and a terminal-side storage unit 270. The position acquisition unit 240, the control unit 250, and the application execution unit 260 are each realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software). Furthermore, some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI, ASIC, FPGA, or GPU, or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device with a non-transitory storage medium) such as an HDD or flash memory provided in the communication terminal 200, or may be stored in a removable storage medium (a non-transitory storage medium) such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and the storage medium may be installed in the HDD or flash memory provided in the communication terminal 200 by being attached to a drive device provided in the communication terminal 200.

[0058] The terminal storage unit 270 may be realized by the various storage devices described above, or an SSD, an EEPROM, a ROM, a RAM, etc. The terminal storage unit 270 stores, for example, a navigation application 272, map information 274, programs, and various other information. The map information 274 has information similar to the map information 142 described above.

[0059] The terminal-side communication unit 210 communicates with the information management device 400 and other external devices via the network NW, for example. The terminal-side communication unit 210 may also communicate with the electric vehicle M in which the user U is riding by short-range communication.

[0060] The input unit 220 receives input from the user U by operating various keys, buttons, etc. The input unit 220 may include a microphone and receive voice input from the user U, for example.

[0061] The output unit 230 includes, for example, a display 232 and a speaker 234. The display 232 is, for example, an LCD or an organic EL display. Under the control of the application execution unit 260 and the control unit 250, the output unit 230 displays various images on the display 232 and outputs audio from the speaker 234. The display 232 may also have the function of the input unit 220, for example, as a touch panel.

[0062] The position acquisition unit 240 acquires position information (e.g., latitude and longitude information) of the communication terminal 200 using a built-in GPS device (not shown). Furthermore, when communicating with the electric vehicle M, the position acquisition unit 240 may acquire position information of the electric vehicle M detected by the vehicle sensor 20 of the electric vehicle M.

[0063] The control unit 250 controls all of the components of the communication terminal 200. The control unit 250 stores information received by the input unit 220 in the terminal-side storage unit 270, and transmits the information to the information management device 400 via the terminal-side communication unit 210. The control unit 250 may also cause the output unit 230 to output information such as images and audio acquired from the information management device 400 via the terminal-side communication unit 210, or may generate images and audio based on the information acquired from the information management device 400 and output the images and audio from the output unit 230.

[0064] The application execution unit 260 is realized by executing a navigation application 272 stored in the terminal-side storage unit 270. The navigation application 272 is, for example, downloaded from an external device via a network and installed in the communication terminal 200. The navigation application 272 extracts a route to the input destination based on information input by the input unit 220, location information acquired by the location acquisition unit 240, surrounding area information acquired from the map information 274, and the like, and outputs the extraction result to the output unit 230. The navigation application 272 also calculates an estimated time of arrival at the destination based on the route (distance) from the current location to the destination, the current time, and the like. The navigation application 272 also transmits information such as the location information of the communication terminal 200, information related to the destination, and the estimated time of arrival to the information management device 400, receives information related to candidate charging facilities from the information management device 400, and outputs the information to the output unit 230. Furthermore, the navigation application 272 transmits information about the charging facility 300 selected by the user U from one or more candidate charging facilities to the information management device 400, and performs processes such as having the information management device 400 make a reservation, acquiring information about the reserved charging facility 300, and outputting the information to the output unit 230. In this case, the navigation application 272 receives, from the information management device 400, route guidance information and the like from the charging facility 300 selected by the user U or the current position of the communication terminal 200 to the destination, and outputs the information as an image or sound to the output unit 230. Furthermore, the navigation application 272, for example, accepts an instruction to switch route guidance information from the user U and transmits it to the information management device 400, receives route guidance information corresponding to the instruction, and outputs the information to the output unit 230.

[0065] 4 is a configuration diagram of a charging facility 300 according to an embodiment. The charging facility 300 includes, for example, a facility communication unit 310, an input unit 320, an output unit 330, a position acquisition unit 340, a power supply unit 350, a charging control unit 360, and a facility storage unit 370. The position acquisition unit 340, the power supply unit 350, and the charging control unit 360 are implemented by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be implemented by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI, an ASIC, an FPGA, or a GPU, or may be implemented by a combination of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (storage device with a non-transitory storage medium) such as an HDD or flash memory provided in the charging facility 300, or may be stored in a removable storage medium (non-transitory storage medium) such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and the storage medium may be installed in the HDD or flash memory provided in the charging facility 300 by being attached to a drive device provided in the charging facility 300.

[0066] The facility storage unit 370 may be realized by the various storage devices described above, or an SSD, an EEPROM, a ROM, a RAM, etc. The facility storage unit 370 stores, for example, programs and various other information.

[0067] The facility-side communication unit 310 communicates with the information management device 400 and other external devices via the network NW, for example. The facility-side communication unit 310 may also communicate with the electric vehicle M to which power is supplied via a charging cable CC or short-range communication.

[0068] The input unit 320 receives input from the user U through, for example, the operation of various keys, buttons, etc. The input unit 320 may also be provided with a microphone and receive voice input from the user U, for example.

[0069] The output unit 330 includes, for example, a display 332 and a speaker 334. The display 332 is, for example, an LCD or an organic EL display. Under the control of the charging control unit 360, the output unit 330 displays various images on the display 332 and outputs audio from the speaker 334. The display 332 may also have the function of the input unit 320, for example, as a touch panel.

[0070] The position acquisition unit 340 acquires position information (e.g., latitude and longitude information) of the charging facility 300 using a built-in GPS device (not shown). In addition, when the charging facility 300 is installed at a fixed location, the position acquisition unit 340 may acquire the position information of the charging facility 300 stored in the facility-side storage unit 370.

[0071] When connected to the electric vehicle M via the charging cable CC, the power supply unit 350 supplies power to the battery 40 mounted on the electric vehicle M under the control of the charging control unit 360.

[0072] When the charging control unit 360 receives a charging instruction for the electric vehicle M (battery 40) from the user U via the input unit 320, it acquires information about the state of the battery 40 mounted on the electric vehicle M. Furthermore, for example, when the charging rate of the battery 40 included in the SOC of the battery 40 is less than a threshold, the charging control unit 360 causes the power supply unit 350 to supply power to the battery 40. Furthermore, the charging control unit 360 transmits information about the usage status of the charging facility 300 to the information management device 400 at a predetermined interval or at a predetermined timing, together with identification information for identifying the charging facility 300. The information about the usage status includes, for example, the charging start time for the electric vehicle M connected via the charging cable CC, the charging end time (estimated end time) based on the SOC, identification information for identifying the electric vehicle M or the user U being charged, and information indicating whether the charging facility 300 is normal or abnormal. Furthermore, the information about the usage status may also include reservation information for the charging facility 300. Furthermore, the charging control unit 360 may perform control based on the reservation information so as not to supply power even when an electric vehicle M other than the reserved electric vehicle M is connected via the charging cable CC (in other words, so that electric vehicles other than the reserved vehicle cannot be charged). Furthermore, the charging control unit 360 may transmit information indicating that charging of the electric vehicle M has started (for example, information indicating that the charging cable CC has been connected to the charging port 70 of the electric vehicle M or that the supply of power to the battery 40 has started) to the information management device 400. Furthermore, the charging control unit 360 may transmit charging performance information of the charging facility 300 to the information management device 400. The charging performance information of the charging facility 300 includes, for example, information such as the amount of power that can be supplied and its specifications, the type of target vehicle that can be charged, and the manufacturing date of the charging facility.

[0073] [Information Management Device] Figure 5 is a configuration diagram of an information management device 400 according to an embodiment. The information management device 400 includes, for example, a communication unit 410, an acquisition unit 420, a management unit 430, a provision unit 440, and a storage unit 450. The acquisition unit 420, the management unit 430, and the provision unit 440 are realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software). Furthermore, some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI, ASIC, FPGA, or GPU, or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device with a non-transitory storage medium) such as an HDD or flash memory provided in the information management device 400, or may be stored in a removable storage medium (a non-transitory storage medium) such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and the storage medium may be installed in the HDD or flash memory provided in the information management device 400 by being attached to a drive device provided in the information management device 400.

[0074] The storage unit 450 may be realized by the various storage devices described above, or an SSD, an EEPROM, a ROM, a RAM, or the like. The storage unit 450 stores, for example, a user information database (DB) 452, a charging facility DB 454, map information 456, programs, and various other information. The charging facility DB 454 is an example of "charging facility information."

[0075] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the user information DB 452. The user information DB 452 includes, for example, a user ID, a terminal ID, a vehicle ID, user location information, address information, and payment information. The user ID is identification information for identifying the user U. The user ID may also store information for user authentication (e.g., a password, biometric information, etc.). The terminal ID is identification information for identifying the communication terminal 200 used by the user U. The vehicle ID is identification information for identifying the electric vehicle M used by the user U. The user location information is location information of the communication terminal 200 or location information of the electric vehicle M. The address information is address information used by the information management device 400 to communicate with the communication terminal 200 and the electric vehicle M. The payment information is, for example, information regarding a payment method (e.g., credit card payment, electronic money payment) used when the user U pays a usage fee when using a service (e.g., a navigation service) or the charging facility 300 according to the embodiment. The payment information may also include information regarding whether the payment has been completed, the payment date, the payment amount, etc.

[0076] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the charging facility DB 454. The charging facility DB 454 includes, for example, a facility ID, location information, charging performance information, fee information, transportation information, available time slots, and reservation information. The facility ID is identification information for identifying the charging facility 300. The location information is location information of the charging facility 300. The performance information is information such as the amount of power that can be supplied by the charging facility 300 and its specifications, the type of vehicle that can be charged, and the manufacturing date of the charging facility. The fee information is information related to the usage fee for the charging facility 300. Note that the usage fee may include the cost of public transportation, such as a bus, when using other paid public transportation to travel from the charging facility to the destination. The transportation information is, for example, information related to transportation (transportation) that is present within a predetermined distance based on the location information of the charging facility 300. Examples of transportation include buses and trains. The information about the means of transportation includes information such as the locations of bus stops and stations, route information (for example, location information of each stop station, travel time for each stop section), transportation fare, timetable, etc. The information about the means of transportation may also include information indicating whether travel (travel) by foot is possible. The available time period sets the time period during which the charging facility 300 can be used. The reservation information is reservation information for the charging facility 300. The reservation information includes information about a user ID and a reservation time.

[0077] Here, the charging facility DB 454 is generated or updated based on, for example, information transmitted from the charging facility 300 or information transmitted from a communication terminal (for example, a PC, a smartphone, or the like) used by an administrator (including the owner, or the like) who manages the charging facility 300. Furthermore, the fee information in the charging facility DB 454 may be set by the information management device 400 according to, for example, the usage status and congestion level of the charging facility 300, whether or not an event is taking place near the charging facility, and the like.

[0078] The map information 456 stores, for example, information similar to the above-described map information 142 and 274. Furthermore, the map information 456 may store the above-described transportation means information corresponding to location information such as latitude and longitude. For example, the map information 456 includes, in addition to route guidance information for vehicles, route guidance information for walking, route guidance information for public transportation such as buses and trains, and the like.

[0079] The communication unit 410 communicates with the electric vehicle M, the communication terminal 200, the charging facility 300, and other external devices via the network NW. For example, the communication unit 410 receives location information, information about the destination, information about the estimated time of arrival at the destination, and the like from the electric vehicle M or the communication terminal 200. The communication unit 410 also transmits information about candidate charging facilities 300 that the electric vehicle M can use while the user U is staying at the destination, information about reservations for the charging facility 300, and the like to the electric vehicle M, the communication terminal 200, and the charging facility 300.

[0080] Based on the information received by the communication unit 410, the acquisition unit 420 acquires information to be registered in the user information DB 452 and the charging facility DB 454, and information to update the registered information. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 420 acquires location information of the user U (location information of the electric vehicle M or the communication terminal 200), destination information, and information regarding the estimated time of arrival at the destination. The destination information may include information regarding the location of the destination as well as information regarding the duration of stay at the destination. The duration of stay is set, for example, by the user U. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 420 may estimate the duration of stay from past history information of the user U, or may set the duration of stay according to the purpose of stay at the destination (for example, work, leisure, sightseeing, or other errands) previously set by the user U.

[0081] The acquisition unit 420 also acquires an instruction to switch route guidance information from the electric vehicle M or the communication terminal 200. The acquisition unit 420 may also acquire charging performance information and information on the state of the battery 40 from the electric vehicle M. The acquisition unit 420 may also acquire charging performance information from the charging facility 300. These pieces of information may be provided to the user U by the provision unit 440.

[0082] The management unit 430 includes, for example, a user management unit 432, a charging facility management unit 434, and a reservation unit 436. The user management unit 432 registers user information in the user information DB 452 and updates and deletes registered data. The user management unit 432 may also perform processes such as user authentication when using services provided by the information management device 400. In this case, the user management unit 432 receives information from the user U, such as a user ID, password, and biometric information, and refers to the user information DB 452 to determine whether matching user information exists. If matching user information exists, the user management unit 432 permits use of the service. If matching user information does not exist, the user management unit 432 prohibits use of the service or outputs information prompting new registration. Furthermore, when new registration information is received, the user management unit 432 updates the user information DB 452 based on the received new registration information.

[0083] The charging facility management unit 434 manages the usage status and the like of the charging facility 300. The charging facility management unit 434 updates the charging facility DB 454 based on, for example, the usage status received at a predetermined interval from the charging facility 300 acquired by the acquisition unit 420, a reservation instruction from the user U, and the like.

[0084] 8 is a configuration diagram of the charging facility management unit 434 according to the embodiment. The charging facility management unit 434 includes, for example, a charging facility candidate extraction unit 434A, an availability determination unit 434B, a travel time calculation unit 434C, and a degree of freedom setting unit 434D. The charging facility candidate extraction unit 434A extracts charging facility candidates that can be reached within a predetermined distance or within a predetermined time from the destination. For example, the charging facility candidate extraction unit 434A refers to the charging facility DB 454 based on information such as the destination information and the estimated arrival time from the user U, and extracts charging facility candidates that can be reached within a predetermined distance or within a predetermined time from the destination.

[0085] The availability determination unit 434B determines whether the charging facility candidate extracted by the charging facility candidate extraction unit 434A is available at a predetermined time set based on the estimated arrival time. For example, the availability determination unit 434B refers to the available time slot for each charging facility candidate, and determines that the facility is available if it is available (no reservations have been made) after a time that is a predetermined time before the estimated arrival time, and determines that the facility is unavailable if it is not available. Note that the predetermined time may be a time corresponding to the travel time (e.g., walking time) of the user U from the charging facility 300 to the destination, or may be a fixed time (e.g., approximately 5 to 15 minutes).

[0086] In addition, the availability determination unit 434B may obtain the stay time at the destination, refer to the available time zone for each candidate charging facility, and determine that the facility is available if the time zone from the scheduled arrival time to the stay time at the destination is included in the available time zone, and determine that the facility is unavailable if the time zone including the stay time is not included in the available time zone.

[0087] Furthermore, in addition to (or instead of) the above-mentioned conditions, the availability determination unit 434B may determine that the facility is available if charging of the battery 40 is completed (the charging rate is equal to or greater than a threshold) between the estimated arrival time and the elapse of the stay time, and may determine that the facility is unavailable if charging is not completed. In this case, the availability determination unit 434B predicts the time until charging is completed (charging time) using the SOC and charging performance information of the battery 40 of the electric vehicle M and the charging performance information of the candidate charging facility, and determines whether charging of the battery 40 will be completed depending on whether the time when the charging time has elapsed from the estimated arrival time is included in the chargeable time slot. This allows for more appropriate availability determination to be made based on a more accurate charging time.

[0088] The travel time calculation unit 434C calculates the travel time between the charging facility candidate extracted by the charging facility candidate extraction unit 434A and the destination. For example, the travel time calculation unit 434C refers to the map information 456 to acquire a route from the location of the charging facility candidate to the destination, and calculates the walking travel time based on the distance on the acquired route and the walking speed of the user U. The walking speed may be a predetermined speed, a speed set by the user U, or a speed (e.g., an average speed) set based on the user U's past walking speed. Furthermore, the travel time calculation unit 434C may refer to the transportation mode information in the charging facility DB 454 and calculate the travel time for each transportation mode when transportation modes other than walking are available from the charging facility candidate to the destination. For example, when traveling two stations by train from the charging facility candidate to the destination, the travel time calculation unit 434C acquires the travel time for traveling the two stations by train. Furthermore, the travel time calculation unit 434C may refer to a timetable or the like to calculate the travel time including the waiting time before boarding the transportation mode.

[0089] The degree of freedom setting unit 434D sets the degree of freedom for the stay time at the destination. The degree of freedom is an index value indicating the allowable range of error for a time longer than the stay time. For example, if the stay time at the destination is three hours, the closer the stay time is to three hours, the lower the degree of freedom, and the longer the stay time is from three hours, the higher the degree of freedom. The degree of freedom may be set by the user U, may be set according to the length of the stay time, or may be set according to a predetermined purpose for staying at the destination (e.g., work, leisure, sightseeing, or other errands). For example, the charging facility candidate extraction unit 434A may increase the distance (predetermined distance) from the destination or the travel time (predetermined time) from the destination that serves as the criterion for extracting charging facility candidates as the degree of freedom increases. As a result, when the degree of freedom is low, charging facility candidates close to the destination are extracted, and when the degree of freedom is high, charging facility candidates including charging facilities far from the destination are extracted. In this way, charging facility candidates suitable for the user U can be extracted according to the degree of freedom for the stay time at the destination.

[0090] Returning to FIG. 5 , the reservation unit 436 reserves the charging facility 300. For example, when the user U selects one of the charging facility candidates provided to the user U, the reservation unit 436 reserves the selected charging facility 300. The reservation unit 436 also updates the charging facility DB 454 based on the reservation information. The reservation unit 436 also references the map information 456 to generate information related to the location and route of the reserved charging facility 300, and provides the generated information and reservation information to the user U. The reservation unit 436 may also transmit reservation information to the reserved charging facility 300 and control the charging facility 300 so as not to charge any vehicle other than the reserved user (electric vehicle M) during the reserved time period. Making a reservation using the reservation unit 436 can further reduce the burden on the user U.

[0091] The providing unit 440 provides the user U with at least one of the distance between the destination and a charging facility candidate determined to be available from among the charging facility candidates and the charging facility, and the travel time of the user U of the electric vehicle M, and location information of the charging facility candidate, based on destination information related to the destination, the estimated time of arrival at the destination, and the available time zone. The providing unit 440 includes, for example, a candidate providing unit 442, a route guidance providing unit 444, an evaluation unit 446, and a recommendation unit 448. The candidate providing unit 442 provides the user U with information related to the charging facility candidates extracted by the charging facility management unit 434. For example, the candidate providing unit 442 transmits to the electric vehicle M or the communication terminal 200 at least one of the distance between the destination and a charging facility candidate determined to be available from among the charging facility candidates by the availability determination unit 434B and the user, and the travel time of the user, and the location information of the charging facility candidate, to provide the user U. In addition to the above information, the candidate providing unit 442 may also provide the user U with a usage fee for each charging facility candidate.

[0092] For example, based on the respective position information of the electric vehicle M and the communication terminal 200 acquired by the acquisition unit 420, when the distance between the electric vehicle M and the communication terminal 200 is within a predetermined distance, the candidate providing unit 442 determines that the user U is present inside the electric vehicle M (the user U is riding in the electric vehicle M), and provides the information on the above-mentioned candidate charging facilities to the electric vehicle M. On the other hand, when the distance between the electric vehicle M and the communication terminal 200 is greater than the predetermined distance, the candidate providing unit 442 determines that the user U is not riding in the electric vehicle M, and provides the information on the candidate charging facilities to the communication terminal 200. Furthermore, the candidate providing unit 442 may transmit the information on the candidate charging facilities to either the electric vehicle M or the communication terminal 200 that has transmitted destination information to the information management device 400, or to one that has been preset by the user U.

[0093] Furthermore, the candidate providing unit 442 may provide the user U with information on the state of the battery 40 acquired by the acquiring unit 420. Furthermore, the candidate providing unit 442 may provide the user U with charging performance information indicating the charging performance of the battery 40 acquired by the acquiring unit 420, or may provide the user U with charging performance information indicating the charging performance of the charging facility 300. Furthermore, the candidate providing unit 442 may provide the user U with information such as the charging start time and charging end time (scheduled end time) of the battery 40 acquired by the acquiring unit 420. This allows the user U to more accurately understand the time required for charging and the end time.

[0094] The route guidance providing unit 444 generates route guidance information to be provided to the electric vehicle M or the communication terminal 200 based on the position information of the electric vehicle M or the position information of the communication terminal 200, the position information of the charging facility 300, and the position information of the destination. The route guidance information includes, for example, map information from the current position to the charging facility 300 or the destination, route information, driving instruction information such as turning right or left, guidance information such as recommended lanes, etc.

[0095] For example, when information indicating that charging of the battery 40 has started is not acquired from the charging facility 300 selected by the user U from among the candidate charging facilities, the route guidance providing unit 444 provides the electric vehicle M with guidance information from the position of the electric vehicle M to the charging facility 300. The information indicating that charging of the battery 40 has started is, for example, information detecting that the charging cable CC (second plug P2) has been connected to the charging port 70 of the electric vehicle M, or information detecting that the supply of power from the charging facility 300 to the battery 40 has started. This information may be acquired from the electric vehicle M or from the charging facility 300. The first route guidance information is, for example, information providing guidance on a route on roads that the electric vehicle M can travel.

[0096] Furthermore, when the route guidance providing unit 444 acquires information indicating that charging of the battery 40 has started, it provides the communication terminal 200 with second route guidance information from the current location of the communication terminal 200 to the destination. The second route guidance information is, for example, information that guides the user U on road routes that can be traveled on foot or the like (including routes that require stairs or the like) or routes that can be traveled by public transportation. Therefore, the second route guidance information includes information about the nearest station (or bus stop) for a nearby train (or bus), the names of stations or bus stops near the destination, timetables, train or bus fares, travel times, etc.

[0097] As a result, for example, when the electric vehicle M has not arrived at the charging facility 300 and information indicating that charging of the battery 40 has started has not been acquired, the route guidance providing unit 444 can provide the first route guidance information and realize appropriate route guidance to the charging facility 300. Furthermore, when the user U moves to the destination with the electric vehicle M parked (charging) at the charging facility 300 after the first route guidance information has been provided, the route guidance providing unit 444 switches to and provides second route guidance information for traveling by foot or by using another means of transportation, and can therefore switch to and provide more appropriate route guidance information at a more appropriate time.

[0098] Furthermore, the route guidance providing unit 444 may provide the first route guidance information to the communication terminal 200 instead of the electric vehicle M. Whether the information is to be provided to the electric vehicle M or the communication terminal 200 may be set in advance by the user U, or may be determined depending on whether the user U sets the destination or selects the charging facility 300 on the electric vehicle M or the communication terminal 200.

[0099] Furthermore, instead of (or in addition to) acquiring information indicating that the battery 40 has started charging as described above, the route guidance providing unit 444 may provide the communication terminal 200 with second route guidance information to the destination when it determines that the electric vehicle M has been stopped at the charging facility 300 (the position of the electric vehicle M is within a predetermined distance from the position of the electric vehicle M) for a predetermined period of time or more.

[0100] For example, when the first route guidance information is being provided to the communication terminal 200 and the electric vehicle M is subsequently stopped at the charging facility 300 for a predetermined time or longer, the route guidance providing unit 444 estimates that the user U has parked the electric vehicle M at the charging facility 300 and is traveling on foot or the like, and switches the route guidance information to be provided to the communication terminal 200 from the first route guidance information to the second route guidance information. Furthermore, the route guidance providing unit 444 causes the communication terminal 200 to execute subsequent route guidance using the second route guidance information after switching. This allows the route guidance information to be smoothly switched and provided to the user U.

[0101] Furthermore, the route guidance providing unit 444 may switch the route guidance information to be provided to the communication terminal 200 when the electric vehicle M has been stopped at the charging facility 300 for a predetermined time or more and the position of the electric vehicle M and the communication terminal 200 has become separated by a predetermined distance or more. This makes it possible to more accurately determine that the user U has left the electric vehicle M, and to provide the second route guidance information at a more appropriate time. Note that the route guidance providing unit 444 may switch the route guidance information to be provided to the communication terminal 200 when the distance between the communication terminal 200 and the destination has become shorter by a predetermined distance or more, instead of (or in addition to) when the position of the electric vehicle M and the communication terminal 200 have become separated by a predetermined distance or more. This makes it possible to know that the user U is heading to the destination (that the user U is not heading to a place other than the destination for some other reason), and to switch the route guidance information more appropriately.

[0102] Furthermore, when the user U returns to the charging facility 300 from the destination (for example, when the distance between the charging facility 300 and the communication terminal 200 is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance), the route guidance providing unit 444 may also generate third route guidance information and provide it to the communication terminal 200. Similar to the second route guidance information, the third route guidance information is information that provides guidance on, for example, road routes that the user U can travel on foot or the like or routes that the user U can travel by public transportation.

[0103] Furthermore, when providing the third route guidance information, the route guidance providing unit 444 may acquire the mode of transportation used by the user U when traveling from the charging facility 300 to the destination (in other words, the user U's travel status when the second route guidance information was provided), and may provide route guidance using the same mode of transportation as the acquired mode of transportation in preference to other route guidance. The mode of transportation used when traveling from the charging facility 300 to the destination may be acquired, for example, by inquiring of the user U before providing the third route guidance information, or may be predicted from the travel trajectory and travel speed of the communication terminal 200 when traveling from the charging facility 300 to the destination. Furthermore, providing the mode of transportation in preference includes, for example, highlighting the text by using a larger font size or a different color, displaying the text in a higher ranking than other route guidance, etc. As a result, when traveling to the destination by foot, a walking route can be output in preference to a route such as a bus, and therefore route guidance information that is likely to be actually used when returning from the destination to the charging facility 300 can be provided in preference.

[0104] Furthermore, when an instruction to switch route information is received from the user U (acquired by the acquisition unit 420), the route guidance providing unit 444 may switch between the first route guidance information and the second route guidance information and provide the information. This makes it possible to provide route guidance information desired by the user U in accordance with the user U's operation.

[0105] The evaluation unit 446 evaluates the charging facility candidates. For example, the evaluation unit 446 evaluates each charging facility candidate using at least one criterion among the usage fee of the charging facility candidate, the distance between the charging facility candidate and the destination, the travel time from the charging facility candidate to the destination, and the charging performance information of the charging facility candidate. For example, as a first evaluation, the evaluation unit 446 gives a higher evaluation to a charging facility candidate with a lower usage fee. Furthermore, as a second evaluation, the evaluation unit 446 gives a higher evaluation to a charging facility candidate that is closer to the destination. Furthermore, as a third evaluation, the evaluation unit 446 gives a higher evaluation to a charging facility candidate with a shorter travel time to the destination. The travel time may be unified as travel time by walking, or may include travel time using a means of transportation (public transport). Furthermore, as a fourth evaluation, the evaluation unit 446 gives a higher evaluation to a charging facility candidate with higher performance. The performance is higher, for example, the newer the manufacturing date of the charging facility 300, the larger the amount of power that can be supplied in a given time, or the more types of vehicles that can be charged.

[0106] The evaluation unit 446 evaluates each charging facility candidate using at least one of the first to fourth evaluations. The evaluation unit 446 may also evaluate using evaluation criteria other than the first to fourth evaluations. When using multiple evaluations, the evaluation unit 446 may perform a final evaluation using an average or total value of the evaluations. The evaluation unit 446 may also inquire of the user U as to which evaluation criteria the evaluation will be used, and perform the evaluation using the evaluation criteria selected by the user U. This makes it possible to provide information on charging facility candidates evaluated using evaluation criteria desired by the user U.

[0107] When providing the user U with charging facility candidates, the recommendation unit 448 provides information on the recommended charging facility candidates based on the evaluation result of the evaluation unit 446. For example, the recommendation unit 448 recommends to the user U the charging facility candidate with the highest evaluation among the evaluated charging facility candidates as a recommended charging facility. Furthermore, the recommendation unit 448 may recommend to the user U a charging facility candidate with an evaluation value equal to or greater than a threshold. Furthermore, when providing the user U with a route to the charging facility candidate, the recommendation unit 448 may provide the user U with the route to the recommended charging facility as a recommended route. In this way, by recommending highly rated charging facility candidates to the user U, it is possible to reduce the effort required for the user U to make a selection and make it easier for the user U to select a more appropriate charging facility 300 or driving route.

[0108] If the charging rate of the electric vehicle M is equal to or higher than a threshold, the recommendation unit 448 may recommend to the user U that there is no need to charge the vehicle M while the user is staying at the destination. This makes it possible to prevent unnecessary charging from being performed, and to provide the user U with a more appropriate suggestion.

[0109] [Provision of Information on Charging Facility] Next, an example of providing information on the charging facility in the embodiment will be specifically described. Note that, below, an example will be described in which information on the charging facility 300 is provided to the communication terminal 200 of the user U who uses the electric vehicle M. However, the information may be provided to the electric vehicle M instead of (or in addition to) the communication terminal 200.

[0110] Fig. 9 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a process for providing information about charging facilities. The example of Fig. 9 shows the process between the communication terminal 200 and the information management device 400. It is also assumed that the latest usage status of each charging facility 300 is managed by the information management device 400 before the process of Fig. 9 is executed. The process on the communication terminal 200 side, which will be described later, is mainly realized by executing the navigation application 272.

[0111] 9 , communication terminal 200 stores the destination input by user U (step S100). Next, communication terminal 200 refers to map information 274, acquires a route from the current location of communication terminal 200 to the destination, and calculates an estimated time of arrival at the destination from the acquired route and the current time (step S102). Next, communication terminal 200 transmits destination information and information related to the estimated time of arrival to information management device 400 (step S104). The destination information may include information related to the location information of the destination as well as information related to the duration of stay at the destination.

[0112] The information management device 400 receives destination information and information related to the estimated arrival time from the communication terminal 200 (step S106), and extracts charging facilities that are within a predetermined distance from the destination and that are available at the estimated arrival time as charging facility candidates (step S108). Next, the information management device 400 acquires information related to the location information, usage fees, available time slots, and travel time between the charging facility candidate and the destination for the extracted charging facility candidate (step S110), and transmits the acquired information (information related to the charging facility candidate) to the communication terminal 200 (step S112). Note that the processing of step S110 does not necessarily need to include information related to the usage fees and available time slots, and conversely, may include information related to the travel distance between the charging facility candidate and the destination and information related to the means of transportation.

[0113] Communication terminal 200 receives information regarding the location information, usage fees, available time slots, and travel time of the charging facility candidate (step S114), and displays the received information on display 232 (step S116). Next, communication terminal 200 accepts information regarding a charging facility selected by user U from the displayed charging facility candidates (step S118). Next, communication terminal 200 transmits the accepted information regarding charging facility 300 to information management device 400 (step S120).

[0114] The information management device 400 receives information about the selected charging facility (step S122) and reserves the received charging facility (step S124). Specifically, the information management device 400 updates the reservation information in the charging facility DB 454 and updates the reserved time slot (a predetermined time from the estimated arrival time) to a time excluded from the available time slot. Next, the information management device 400 generates reservation information about the reserved charging facility (step S126) and transmits the generated reservation information to the communication terminal 200 (step S128).

[0115] The communication terminal 200 receives the reservation information (step S130) and notifies the user of the received reservation information (step S132).

[0116] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example in which information about charging facilities 300 is provided. The example in FIG. 10 shows three charging facilities 300A-300C located in an area AR1 within a predetermined distance from a destination DST specified by a user U. The information management device 400 acquires location information about the destination DST and information about the estimated arrival time (11:00 in the example in FIG. 10 ) from the communication terminal 200 of the user U, who is riding in the electric vehicle M. The information management device 400 then extracts charging facilities 300A-300C located within a predetermined distance (within area AR1) centered on the location of the destination DST. Furthermore, the information management device 400 acquires information about the available time slots of the charging facilities 300A-300C from the charging facility DB 454 and determines, based on the acquired information, whether the charging facilities are available from a time close to the estimated arrival time (including a predetermined time error). Furthermore, if the destination information from the communication terminal 200 includes a stay time (two hours in the example in FIG. 10 ), the information management device 400 may extract charging facilities where charging can be completed during the stay time. In the example of FIG. 10, charging facilities 300A and 300B are extracted as charging facility candidates.

[0117] The information management device 400 transmits information regarding the location information, available hours, usage fees, and travel time of the charging facilities 300A and 300B, which are candidate charging facilities, to the communication terminal 200. In this case, the evaluation unit 446 may evaluate the charging facilities 300A and 300B, and the recommendation unit 448 may transmit the charging facility with the highest evaluation result to the communication terminal 200 as a recommended charging facility.

[0118] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image IM10 related to candidate charging facilities displayed on the communication terminal 200. Note that the display content, layout, and other display aspects of the image IM10 are not limited to those illustrated. The image IM10 is an image displaying information related to candidate charging facilities. The image IM10 includes, for example, an extraction result display area DA11, a candidate information display area DA12, and a switch display area DA13. The extraction result display area DA11 displays information related to the number of candidate charging facilities (two in the example of FIG. 11 ) near the destination (within a predetermined distance from the destination or within a predetermined arrival time from the destination) extracted by the information management device 400. The extraction result display area DA11 may also display information prompting the user U to select one of the candidate charging facilities if the user U intends to charge the vehicle during his or her stay at the destination.

[0119] The candidate information display area DA12 displays identification information of two charging facilities extracted as charging facility candidates, and in the example of Fig. 10, location information, available time slots, usage fees, and travel time for each charging facility candidate. The location information may be information such as an address, map information, or may include route information from the current location of the user U. The candidate information display area DA12 may also display information regarding the travel distance from the charging facility to the destination.

[0120] Furthermore, the candidate information display area DA12 may display information indicating that the charging facility is recommended by the recommendation unit 448. In the example of FIG. 11 , text information indicating that the charging facility is a recommended charging facility is displayed. However, instead of (or in addition to) this, various types of collaborative display may be performed, such as enlarging the text indicating the charging facility candidate corresponding to the recommended charging facility, displaying it in an emphasizing color or pattern, or adding a dedicated mark, image, or icon. Furthermore, when a list of multiple charging facility candidates is displayed, the recommended charging facility may be sorted and displayed at the top. This makes it easier for the user U to visually recognize the information about the recommended charging facility.

[0121] Further, the candidate information display area DA12 may display radio buttons or the like that allow the user U to select one of the charging facilities. Further, the candidate information display area DA12 may display content that allows the user U to select not to use the charging facility.

[0122] The switch display area DA13 includes, for example, icons IC11 and IC12, which are GUI (Graphical User Interface) switches. The icon IC11 is a switch (OK switch) that accepts a request to use a charging facility selected by a radio button or the like in the candidate information display area DA12. The icon IC12 is a switch (cancel switch) that accepts not to use the charging facility.

[0123] When icon IC11 is selected by the user U, the communication terminal 200 transmits information about the charging facility selected by the user U using a radio button or the like to the information management device 400. When icon IC12 is selected, the communication terminal 200 transmits information to the information management device 400 indicating that the user will not use (or reserve) any of the charging facilities included in the candidate charging facilities. Note that instead of (or in addition to) providing the communication terminal 200 with an image such as that shown in Fig. 11 , the information management device 400 may display an image such as that shown in Fig. 10 on the communication terminal 200 and allow the user U to select any of the charging facilities or the destination DST, or any of the routes A to D.

[0124] When the information management device 400 receives information about a charging facility selected by the user U (charging facility 300A in the example of FIG. 11 ) from the communication terminal 200, it assumes that it has accepted a reservation instruction from the user U and makes a reservation for the received charging facility. If the reservation is completed successfully, it generates a reservation result and route information (route A shown in FIG. 10 ) to the reserved charging facility, and transmits the generated information to the communication terminal 200 to provide it to the user U. This allows the user U to move the electric vehicle M to the charging facility 300A as the destination of the electric vehicle M.

[0125] In addition, if it is selected not to use the charging facility (or if a destination is selected), the information management device 400 generates route information to the destination (route D shown in Figure 10) and transmits the generated information to the communication terminal 200 to provide it to the user U.

[0126] The user U drives the electric vehicle M according to the route to the reserved charging facility (first route guidance information), and upon arriving at the charging facility 300, completes the necessary procedures and charges the vehicle. Furthermore, the user U travels to the destination according to the second route guidance information (guidance information on the route from the charging facility 300 to the destination, the means of transportation, etc.) presented on the communication terminal 200. An example of processing in the route guidance providing unit 444 will be described below using a flowchart.

[0127] [Route Guidance Processing] [First Example] Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing a first example of the route guidance processing according to the embodiment. In the example of Fig. 12, the route guidance providing unit 444 determines whether or not the charging facility 300 has been selected by the user U from among the candidate charging facilities (step S200). If it is determined that the charging facility 300 has been selected, the route guidance providing unit 444 determines whether or not information indicating that charging of the battery 40 of the electric vehicle M has started has been acquired (step S210).

[0128] If it is determined that information indicating that charging has started has not been acquired, the route guidance providing unit 444 generates first route guidance information from the current position of the electric vehicle M to the charging facility 300 (step S220), provides the generated first route guidance information to the electric vehicle M (step S230), and returns to the processing of step S210. Note that in the processing of step S230, the first route guidance information may be provided to the communication terminal 200.

[0129] Furthermore, if it is determined in the processing of step S210 that information indicating that charging has started has been acquired, the route guidance providing unit 444 determines whether the user U has arrived at the destination DST (step S240). For example, the route guidance providing unit 444 calculates the distance from the position of the communication terminal 200 of the user U to the position of the destination DST, and determines that the user U has arrived at the destination DST if the calculated distance is less than a predetermined distance, and determines that the user U has not arrived at the destination DST if the calculated distance is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance.

[0130] If it is determined that user U has not arrived at destination DST, route guidance providing unit 444 generates second route guidance information from the current location of communication terminal 200 to destination DST (step S250), provides the generated second route guidance information to communication terminal 200 (step S260), and returns to processing of step S240.

[0131] Furthermore, if it is determined in the processing of step S240 that the user U has arrived at the destination DST, the processing of this flowchart ends. Furthermore, if it is determined in the processing of step S200 that a charging facility has not been set, the processing of this flowchart ends. Note that, if a charging facility has not been set and only the destination DST has been set, the route guidance providing unit 444 may generate first route guidance information from the current position of the electric vehicle M or the communication terminal 200 to the destination DST and provide it to the electric vehicle M or the communication terminal 200.

[0132] [Second Example] Figure 13 is a flowchart showing a second example of the route guidance process according to the embodiment. The second example shown in Figure 13 differs from the process of steps S200 to S260 of the first example shown in Figure 12 in that it includes processes of steps S212 and S232 instead of the processes of steps S210 and S230. Therefore, the following description will mainly focus on the processes of steps S212 and S232, and descriptions of other processes will be omitted.

[0133] 13 , if it is determined that the charging facility 300 has been set, the route guidance providing unit 444 determines whether the electric vehicle M has been stopped at the charging facility 300 for a predetermined time or more (step S212). If it is determined that the electric vehicle M has not been stopped at the charging facility for a predetermined time or more, the route guidance providing unit 444 generates first route guidance information from the current position of the electric vehicle M to the charging facility 300 (step S220), provides the generated first route guidance information to the communication terminal 200 (step S232), and returns to the processing of step S212. Note that in the processing of step S232, the first route guidance information may be provided to the electric vehicle M. If it is determined in the processing of step S212 that the electric vehicle M has been stopped at the charging facility 300 for a predetermined time or more, the processing of step S240 and thereafter is performed.

[0134] [Third Example] Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing a third example of the route guidance process according to the embodiment. The third example shown in Fig. 14 is a process for providing third route guidance information when the user U returns from the destination DST to the charging facility 300. In the process in Fig. 14 , the route guidance providing unit 444 determines whether the user U has arrived at the charging facility 300 (step S270). In this case, the route guidance providing unit 444 calculates the distance from the position of the communication terminal 200 of the user U to the position of the charging facility 300 or the electric vehicle M, and determines that the user U has arrived at the charging facility 300 if the calculated distance is less than a predetermined distance, and determines that the user U has not arrived at the charging facility 300 if the calculated distance is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance.

[0135] If it is determined that the user U has not arrived at the charging facility 300, the route guidance providing unit 444 generates third route guidance information from the current position of the communication terminal 200 to the charging facility 300 (or the electric vehicle M; hereinafter, omitted) (step S280), provides the generated third route guidance information to the communication terminal (step S290), and returns to the processing of step S270. Also, if it is determined in the processing of step S270 that the user U has arrived at the charging facility 300, the processing of this flowchart ends.

[0136] In addition, when the user U arrives at the charging facility 300 and sets his / her home or other destination as the destination, the route guidance providing unit 444 may generate first route guidance information including route information to the destination and provide it to the electric vehicle M or the communication terminal 200.

[0137] In the embodiment, after the user U has spent a certain amount of time at the destination DST, the user U returns to the charging facility 300A and drives the fully charged electric vehicle M. In this way, the user U parks the electric vehicle M in the parking area of ​​the charging facility 300A, and can move to the destination DST on foot or the like to do whatever he or she needs while the electric vehicle M is being charged with power supplied from the charging facility 300A.

[0138] In the above-described embodiment, the estimated arrival time may be delayed or advanced depending on road conditions (e.g., traffic congestion) along the route of the electric vehicle M. Therefore, the reservation unit 436 of the information management device 400 may update or cancel the reservation details when the estimated arrival time changes.

[0139] FIG. 15 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a process for updating or canceling reservation details. The example of FIG. 15 illustrates a process when the process shown in FIG. 9 is executed and a reserved charging facility exists. The process shown in FIG. 15 may be repeatedly executed at a predetermined interval. In the example of FIG. 15, the communication terminal 200 updates the estimated arrival time based on the route from the current location of the communication terminal 200 to the destination and the current time (step S300), and transmits the updated estimated arrival time to the information management device 400 (step S302). In the process of step S302, reservation information for an already reserved reservation and information identifying the user may also be transmitted.

[0140] The information management device 400 receives the updated estimated arrival time and the like (step S304), and refers to the charging facility DB 454 to acquire the available time slot of the reserved charging facility (step S306). The information management device 400 also transmits the acquired information regarding the available time slot of the charging facility to the communication terminal 200 (step S308).

[0141] The communication terminal 200 receives the information about the available time slots transmitted from the information management device 400 (step S310) and displays the received information about the available time slots on the display 232 or the like (step S312). Next, when the communication terminal 200 receives an instruction from the user U to change or cancel the reservation based on the updated estimated arrival time (step S314), it transmits the received instruction information to the information management device 400 (step S316).

[0142] The information management device 400 receives the instruction information transmitted from the communication terminal 200 (step S318), and updates the reservation information for the charging facility in accordance with the instruction information (step S320). Next, the information management device 400 transmits the updated reservation information to the communication terminal 200 (step S322).

[0143] The communication terminal 200 receives the updated reservation information (step S324) and displays the reservation information on the display 232 (step S326). In the processes of steps S322 to S326, route information to the reserved charging facility may be included in addition to the reservation information. This completes the sequence process. Note that in the process of step S300, if the difference between the updated estimated arrival time and the estimated arrival time when the charging facility 300 was reserved is less than a predetermined time, it may be assumed that there is no change or cancellation of the reservation, and the processes from step S302 onward may be omitted. The process shown in FIG. 15 allows the reservation information to be updated with less burden on the user U, even when the estimated arrival time is changed depending on road conditions, etc.

[0144] Furthermore, in the embodiment, at least some of the functions of the electric vehicle M and the communication terminal 200 described above may be provided in the information management device 400, and at least some of the functions of the information management device 400 may be provided in the electric vehicle M and the communication terminal 200. For example, the estimated time of arrival at the destination may be calculated by the information management device 400 instead of by the electric vehicle M and the communication terminal 200. Furthermore, the first route guidance information and the second route guidance information may be provided by different devices.

[0145] According to the embodiment described above, the information management device 400 includes a charging facility candidate extraction unit 434A that extracts charging facility candidates that can be reached within a predetermined distance or within a predetermined time from the destination, based on charging facility information including location information of a plurality of charging facilities 300 that can charge the battery 40 mounted on the electric vehicle M (an example of a mobile body) and available time slots of the charging facilities 300; and a provision unit 440 that provides the user U of the electric vehicle M with at least one of the distance between the destination and a charging facility candidate that has been determined to be available from the charging facility candidate based on the estimated arrival time and the available time slot, and the travel time of the user of the electric vehicle M, and the location information of the charging facility candidate. When information indicating that charging of the battery 40 has started is not obtained from a charging facility selected by the user from the candidate charging facilities, the provision unit 440 provides the electric vehicle M with first route guidance information from the location of the electric vehicle M to the charging facility 300, and when information indicating that charging of the battery 40 has started is obtained, the provision unit 440 provides the communication terminal 200 used by the user U with second route guidance information to the destination, thereby making it possible to provide more appropriate route guidance information to the user.

[0146] For example, according to the embodiment, based on an estimated value of the required time at the destination set by the user U, candidate charging facilities are extracted based on the distance from the charging facility to the destination, the time to arrive at the destination via the candidate charging facilities, the available charging time within the required time, and the price, and this information is provided to the user U to allow the user U to select a charging facility. Therefore, for example, when the user U stops at the charging facility 300 before arriving at the destination and heads to the destination while charging at the charging facility 300, route guidance to the destination can be switched from vehicle-based route guidance (first route guidance information) to user-based route guidance (second route guidance information) and provided. This makes it possible to provide seamless route guidance information not only when the user U is driving the electric vehicle M, but also when the user U gets off the electric vehicle M and travels by other means, such as on foot or by bus.

[0147] Furthermore, according to the embodiment, when information indicating that charging of the electric vehicle M has started is acquired, or when the electric vehicle M has been stopped at the charging facility for a predetermined period of time or longer, the system can recognize that the electric vehicle M has arrived at the charging facility and automatically switch route guidance to the user U.

[0148] For example, according to the embodiment, it is possible to provide the user U with more appropriate and optimal charging facility candidates by taking into account the estimated time of arrival at the destination. Furthermore, according to the embodiment, by inputting information about the destination by the user U, it is possible to provide not only a route for traveling directly to the destination but also information about charging facilities near the destination where the user U can charge the electric vehicle M while staying at the destination. Therefore, the user U can be provided with two plans: a plan to travel directly to the destination with the electric vehicle M without charging, and a plan to travel to the destination with the electric vehicle M charged at a charging facility and spend the time there. This allows the user U to select an appropriate plan depending on the situation. Furthermore, according to the embodiment, the user U can stay at the destination away from the electric vehicle M without waiting at the charging facility 300 until charging is completed. This allows the user U to effectively use their time without calculating the departure time by taking into account the driving time and charging time of a route added to pass through a charging facility.

[0149] The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows. a storage medium for storing computer-readable instructions; and a processor connected to the storage medium, wherein the processor executes the computer-readable instructions to: extract charging facility candidates that can be reached within a predetermined distance or within a predetermined time from a destination based on charging facility information including location information of a plurality of charging facilities that can charge a battery mounted on a mobile body and available time slots of the charging facilities; provide a user of the mobile body with at least one of a distance between the destination and a charging facility candidate determined to be available from among the charging facility candidates and a travel time of the user of the mobile body, and location information of the charging facility candidate, when information indicating that the battery has started charging has not been obtained from a charging facility selected by the user from among the charging facility candidates; and provide a communication terminal used by the user with first route guidance information to the mobile body from the location of the mobile body to the charging facility, when information indicating that the battery has started charging has been obtained. Information management device.

[0150] The above-described embodiment can also be expressed as follows. a storage medium storing computer-readable instructions; and a processor connected to the storage medium, wherein the processor executes the computer-readable instructions to: extract charging facility candidates that can be reached within a predetermined distance or within a predetermined time from a destination based on charging facility information including location information of a plurality of charging facilities that can charge a battery mounted on a mobile body and available time slots of the charging facilities; provide a user of the mobile body with at least one of a distance between the destination and a charging facility candidate determined to be available among the charging facility candidates and the destination, a travel time of the user of the mobile body, and location information of the charging facility candidate, based on destination information related to the destination, an estimated time of arrival at the destination, and the available time slots; provide a communication terminal used by the user with first route guidance information from the location of the mobile body to the charging facility when it is determined that the mobile body has not been stopped at the charging facility for a predetermined time or more; and provide a communication terminal used by the user with second route guidance information to the destination when it is determined that the mobile body has been stopped at the charging facility for a predetermined time or more. Information management device.

[0151] The above describes the form for carrying out the present invention using an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications and substitutions can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

[0152] 1...information management system, 20...vehicle sensor, 36, 250...control unit, 40...battery, 42...battery sensor, 90...navigation device, 100...control device, 110, 360...charging control unit, 120...communication control unit, 130...display control unit, 140...vehicle-side memory unit, 200...communication terminal, 210...terminal-side communication unit, 220, 320...input unit, 230, 330...output unit, 232, 332...display, 234, 334...speaker, 240, 340...position acquisition unit, 260... Application execution unit, 270...terminal side storage unit, 300...charging facility, 350...power supply unit, 400...information management device, 410...communication unit, 420...acquisition unit, 430...management unit, 432...user management unit, 434...charging facility management unit, 434A...charging facility candidate extraction unit, 434B...usability determination unit, 434C...travel time calculation unit, 434D...degree of freedom setting unit, 436...reservation unit, 440...provision unit, 442...candidate provision unit, 444...route guidance provision unit, 446...evaluation unit, 448...recommendation unit, M...electric vehicle

Claims

1. An information management device comprising: a charging facility candidate extraction unit that extracts charging facility candidates that can be reached within a specified distance or within a specified time from a destination based on charging facility information including location information of a plurality of charging facilities that can charge a battery mounted on a mobile body and available time periods of the charging facilities; and a provision unit that provides a user of the mobile body with at least one of a distance between the destination and a charging facility candidate determined to be available among the charging facility candidates, and a travel time of the user of the mobile body, based on destination information regarding the destination, an estimated time of arrival at the destination, and the available time periods, and the location information of the charging facility candidates; wherein the provision unit provides the mobile body with first route guidance information from the location of the mobile body to the charging facility when information indicating that the battery has started charging has not been obtained from a charging facility selected by the user from the charging facility candidates, and provides a communication terminal used by the user with second route guidance information to the destination when information indicating that the battery has started charging has been obtained.

2. An information management device comprising: a charging facility candidate extraction unit that extracts charging facility candidates that can be reached within a specified distance or within a specified time from a destination based on charging facility information including location information of a plurality of charging facilities that can charge a battery mounted on a mobile body and available time periods of the charging facilities; and a provision unit that provides a user of the mobile body with at least one of the distance between the destination and a charging facility candidate determined to be available among the charging facility candidates, and the travel time of the user of the mobile body, based on destination information on the destination, an estimated time of arrival at the destination, and the available time periods, and the location information of the charging facility candidates; wherein the provision unit provides a communication terminal used by the user with first route guidance information from the location of the mobile body to the charging facility when it is determined that the mobile body has not been stopped at the charging facility for a predetermined time or more, and provides the communication terminal with second route guidance information to the destination when it is determined that the mobile body has been stopped at the charging facility for a predetermined time or more.

3. The information management device according to claim 2, wherein the providing unit provides the communication terminal with second route guidance information to the destination when the providing unit acquires information indicating that the battery has started charging at the charging facility.

4. An information management device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the providing unit switches between the first route guidance information and the second route guidance information when an instruction to switch route information is received from the user.

5. The information management device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a travel time calculation unit that calculates a travel time of the user based on a distance between the charging facility candidate and the destination.

6. The information management device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the destination information includes information regarding the user's stay time at the destination.

7. The information management device according to claim 6, wherein the provision unit provides the user with information regarding the charging facility candidates at which charging of the battery will be completed between the scheduled arrival time and the stay time.

8. The information management device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the providing unit provides the user with information relating to a state of the battery or charging performance information indicating a charging performance of the battery.

9. The information management device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a reservation unit that reserves a charging facility selected by the user from the candidate charging facilities, wherein when the estimated arrival time is updated, the reservation unit provides the user with information regarding the available time of the reserved charging facility, and updates or cancels the reservation content in response to instructions from the user.

10. The information management device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the providing unit includes an evaluation unit that evaluates the charging facility candidates, and a recommendation unit that recommends a recommended charging facility to the user based on an evaluation result of the charging facility candidates evaluated by the evaluation unit, the evaluation unit evaluates each of the charging facility candidates using at least one criterion among the usage fee of the charging facility candidate, the distance between the charging facility candidate and the destination, the travel time from the charging facility candidate to the destination, and charging performance information of the charging facility candidate, and the recommendation unit recommends the charging facility candidate with the highest evaluation among the evaluated charging facility candidates as a recommended charging facility.

11. The information management device of claim 1 or 2, further comprising a freedom setting unit that sets the freedom of the stay time at the destination, wherein the charging facility candidate extraction unit increases the specified distance or the specified time as the degree of freedom set by the freedom setting unit increases.

12. An information management device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the first route guidance information is information guiding a route that the mobile body can travel, and the second route guidance information is a route that the user can travel or a route that the user can travel by public transportation.

13. An information management method in which a computer extracts charging facility candidates that can be reached within a specified distance or within a specified time from a destination based on charging facility information including location information of a plurality of charging facilities capable of charging a battery mounted on a mobile body and available time periods of the charging facilities; provides a user of the mobile body with at least one of the distance between the destination and a charging facility candidate determined to be available among the charging facility candidates and the destination based on destination information on the destination, an estimated time of arrival at the destination, and the available time periods, and the location information of the charging facility candidate; when information indicating that the battery has started charging has not been obtained from a charging facility selected by the user from the charging facility candidates, the computer provides the mobile body with first route guidance information from the location of the mobile body to the charging facility; and when information indicating that the battery has started charging has been obtained, the computer provides a communication terminal used by the user with second route guidance information to the destination.

14. An information management method in which a computer extracts candidate charging facilities that can be reached within a specified distance or within a specified time from a destination based on charging facility information including location information of a plurality of charging facilities capable of charging a battery mounted on a mobile body and available time periods of the charging facilities; provides a user of the mobile body with at least one of the distance between the destination and a charging facility candidate determined to be available among the candidate charging facilities and the destination based on destination information regarding the destination, an estimated time of arrival at the destination, and the available time periods, and the location information of the candidate charging facility; when it is determined that the mobile body has not been stopped at the charging facility for a predetermined time or more, provides a communication terminal used by the user with first route guidance information from the location of the mobile body to the charging facility; and when it is determined that the mobile body has been stopped at the charging facility for a predetermined time or more, provides a second route guidance information to the destination to the communication terminal.

15. A program which causes a computer to extract candidate charging facilities that can be reached within a specified distance or within a specified time from a destination based on charging facility information including location information of a plurality of charging facilities capable of charging a battery mounted on a mobile body and available time periods of the charging facilities; causes a user of the mobile body to be provided with at least one of the distance between the destination and a candidate charging facility determined to be available among the candidate charging facilities and the travel time of the user of the mobile body, based on destination information regarding the destination, an estimated time of arrival at the destination, and the available time periods; causes a computer to provide the mobile body with first route guidance information from the location of the mobile body to the charging facility when information indicating that the battery has started charging has not been obtained from a charging facility selected by the user from the candidate charging facilities; and causes a computer to provide a communication terminal used by the user with second route guidance information to the destination when information indicating that the battery has started charging has been obtained.

16. A program which causes a computer to extract candidate charging facilities that can be reached within a specified distance or within a specified time from a destination based on charging facility information including location information of a plurality of charging facilities capable of charging a battery mounted on a mobile body and available time periods of the charging facilities; causes the computer to provide to a user of the mobile body at least one of the distance between the destination and a candidate charging facility determined to be available among the candidate charging facilities and the destination based on destination information regarding the destination, an estimated time of arrival at the destination and the available time periods, and the location information of the candidate charging facility; causes the computer to provide a communication terminal used by the user with first route guidance information from the location of the mobile body to the charging facility when it is determined that the mobile body has not been stopped at the charging facility for a predetermined time or more; and causes the computer to provide a second route guidance information to the destination when it is determined that the mobile body has been stopped at the charging facility for a predetermined time or more.

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