Charging system, control means, control method, and recording medium

Abstract

A charging system according to the present disclosure comprises: a first breaker that cuts off a main electric path when the current value of a current flowing through the main electric path becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold value; one or more second breakers that are respectively provided in one or more sub electric paths branching from the main electric path and that cut off the respective sub electric paths when the current values of currents flowing through the respective sub electric paths become equal to or greater than threshold values for the respective sub electric paths; one or more chargers respectively connected in parallel to the one or more sub electric paths; and a control means that controls charging processing of the chargers by communicating with the chargers, thereby controlling the current value of the current flowing through the main electric path to be less than the first threshold value, and controlling the current values of the currents respectively flowing through the one or more sub electric paths to be less than the threshold values for the respective sub electric paths.

Description

Charging system, control means, control method, and recording medium

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a charging system, a control means, a control method, and a program.

[0002] A technology related to the present disclosure is disclosed in Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 discloses a system for controlling the power supply from multiple chargers to which multiple vehicles are respectively connected. The system is configured to charge the maximum number of vehicles that can currently be charged efficiently without exceeding the contracted current. Specifically, when the system detects connection of a vehicle to a charger, it temporarily suppresses charging of the previously connected vehicle. After the charging suppression, the system temporarily applies a test current to a new vehicle and measures the charging current flowing through the new vehicle. The system then uses the measured charging current flowing through the new vehicle to determine whether or not to continue charging the new vehicle.

[0003] International Publication No. 2013 / 099868

[0004] As electric vehicles become more common, the number of chargers being installed in one area is also increasing. Chargers are installed in parking lots of facilities, apartment complexes, etc.

[0005] When installing multiple chargers in one area, depending on the characteristics of the area (shape, installation location of circuit breakers that interrupt the electrical circuits, etc.), it may be preferable to adopt a configuration in which the main electrical circuit laid to the area is branched into multiple secondary electrical circuits and a charger is connected to each of the branched secondary electrical circuits. For example, adopting such a configuration may shorten the total length of the electrical circuits to be laid and enable simpler wiring, which may result in a reduction in the workload and costs associated with the electrical circuits.

[0006] In a charging system that employs a configuration in which a main electric circuit extending to an area where multiple chargers are installed is branched into multiple sub-electric circuits and a charger is connected to each of the branched sub-electric circuits, there is a need for a technology that can efficiently utilize the current flowing in the main electric circuit for charging.

[0007] One example of the objectives of the present disclosure is to provide a technology for efficiently utilizing the current flowing in the main circuit for charging processing in a charging system that employs a configuration in which a main circuit that is laid to an area where multiple chargers are installed is branched into multiple sub-circuits, and a charger is connected to each of the branched sub-circuits.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, there is provided a charging system having: a first circuit breaker that cuts off the main circuit when a current value of a current flowing through the main circuit becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold; at least one second circuit breaker that is provided for each of at least one sub-circuit branching off from the main circuit and that cuts off each of the sub-circuits when a current value of a current flowing through each of the sub-circuits becomes equal to or greater than a threshold value for each of the sub-circuits; at least one charger that is connected in parallel to each of the at least one sub-circuits; and control means that communicates with the charger and controls the charging process of the charger, thereby controlling the current value of the current flowing through the main circuit to be less than the first threshold and the current value of the current flowing through each of the at least one sub-circuit to be less than the threshold value for each of the sub-circuits.

[0009] Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, there is provided a control means for a charging system including: a first circuit breaker that cuts off the main circuit when a current value of a current flowing through the main circuit becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold; at least one second circuit breaker that is provided for each of at least one sub-circuit branching off from the main circuit and that cuts off each of the sub-circuits when a current value of a current flowing through each of the sub-circuits becomes equal to or greater than a threshold value for each of the sub-circuits; at least one charger that is connected in parallel to each of the at least one sub-circuits; and control means that communicates with the charger and controls the charging process of the charger, thereby controlling the current value of the current flowing through the main circuit to be less than the first threshold and controlling the current value of the current flowing through each of the at least one sub-circuit to be less than the threshold value for each of the sub-circuits.

[0010] Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, there is provided a control method in which one or more computers of a charging system having: a first circuit breaker that cuts off the main circuit when the current value of the current flowing through the main circuit becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold; at least one second circuit breaker that is provided for each of at least one sub-circuit branching off from the main circuit and that cuts off each of the sub-circuits when the current value of the current flowing through each of the sub-circuits becomes equal to or greater than a threshold for each sub-circuit; at least one charger that is connected in parallel to each of the at least one sub-circuits; and a control means communicate with the chargers and control the charging process of the chargers, thereby controlling the current value of the current flowing through the main circuit to be less than the first threshold and controlling the current value of the current flowing through each of the at least one sub-circuit to be less than the threshold for each sub-circuit.

[0011] Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, there is provided a program for causing a computer of a charging system having: a first circuit breaker that cuts off the main circuit when the current value of the current flowing through the main circuit becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold; at least one second circuit breaker that is provided for each of at least one sub-circuit branching off from the main circuit and that cuts off each of the sub-circuits when the current value of the current flowing through each of the sub-circuits becomes equal to or greater than a threshold value for each sub-circuit; at least one charger that is connected in parallel to each of at least one of the sub-circuits; and a control means, to execute a process of controlling the current value of the current flowing through the main circuit to be less than the first threshold value and the current value of the current flowing through each of the at least one sub-circuit to be less than the threshold value for each sub-circuit by communicating with the charger and controlling the charging process of the charger.

[0012] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, in a charging system that employs a configuration in which a main electrical circuit that is laid to an area where multiple chargers are installed is branched into multiple sub-electrical circuits and a charger is connected to each of the branched sub-electrical circuits, a technology is realized that efficiently utilizes the current flowing in the main electrical circuit for charging processing.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block diagram of a charging system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of the action and effect of a charging system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining another example of the action and effect of a charging system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining another example of the action and effect of a charging system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a schematic example of information processed by a charging system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a schematic example of information processed by a charging system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing flow of a charging system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a charger and a control means according to the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of connection of a charger according to the present disclosure.

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In this disclosure, the drawings relate to one or more embodiments. In all drawings, similar components are designated by similar reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0015] <<First Embodiment>> Fig. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an overview of a charging system 10. As shown in Fig. 1, the charging system 10 includes a first circuit breaker 11, at least one (e.g., multiple) second circuit breakers 12, at least one (e.g., multiple) chargers 13, and a control unit 14. In the figure, three lines indicate electrical paths and one line indicates a communication line. Although Fig. 1 shows two second circuit breakers 12 and eight chargers 13, this number is merely an example and is not limited to this.

[0016] The first circuit breaker 11 breaks the main electric circuit 15 when the current value of the current flowing through the main electric circuit 15 becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold value.

[0017] The second circuit breaker 12 is provided for at least one (e.g., multiple) sub-circuits 16 branching off from the main circuit 15. In the figure, the main circuit 15 branches off into two sub-circuits 16, but this number is merely an example and is not limited to this. The second circuit breaker 12 breaks off each sub-circuit 16 when the current value of the current flowing through each sub-circuit 16 exceeds the threshold value for each sub-circuit (threshold value 2-1, threshold value 2-2).

[0018] The charger 13 is connected in parallel to each of at least one sub-electrical circuit 16. At least one (e.g., multiple) chargers 13 are connected in parallel to one sub-electrical circuit 16. A load (e.g., an electric vehicle) is connected to the charger 13. The charger 13 performs a charging process to supply a current flowing through the sub-electrical circuit 16 to the connected load.

[0019] The control means 14 communicates with the charger 13 and controls the charging process of the charger 13. By controlling the charging process, the control means 14 controls the current value of the current flowing through the main electric circuit 15 to be less than the first threshold value, and controls the current value of the current flowing through each of the at least one secondary electric circuit 16 to be less than the sub-circuit threshold value. In other words, the control means 14 controls the charging process of the charger 13 so that the current value of the current flowing through the main electric circuit 15 is less than the first threshold value, and further, the current value of the current flowing through each of the at least one secondary electric circuit 16 is less than the sub-circuit threshold value.

[0020] According to the charging system 10, in which the main electric circuit 15 is separated into at least one sub-electric circuit 16 and a charger 13 is connected to each sub-electric circuit 16, wiring can be configured to suit the type of space in which the chargers 13 are installed. For example, as shown in FIG. 2 , multiple chargers 13 (not shown) may be installed in a space divided into multiple parking areas. In the example of FIG. 2 , the space is divided into two areas, parking area A and parking area B. As shown in FIG. 2 , a first circuit breaker 11 may be installed between the multiple parking areas. In such a case, as shown in FIG. 2 , the main electric circuit 15 extending to the first circuit breaker 11 may be separated into multiple sub-electric circuits 16 and each sub-electric circuit 16 may be extended toward each parking area, thereby achieving simple wiring.

[0021] The charging system 10 controls the current value of the current flowing through the main electric circuit 15 to be less than a threshold value, and further controls the current value of each of the at least one sub-electric circuit 16 to be less than its respective threshold value. The charging system 10 that performs such control makes it possible to efficiently utilize the current flowing through the main electric circuit 15 while suppressing the inconvenience of the current value flowing through the main electric circuit 15 exceeding the threshold value. The reason for this will be described in detail in the second embodiment.

[0022] Second Embodiment Overview A charging system 10 according to a second embodiment is a specific embodiment of the configuration of the charging system 10 according to the first embodiment. The charging system 10 will be described in detail below.

[0023] <Functional Configuration> The functional configuration of the charging system 10 will be described in detail. As shown in Fig. 1, the charging system 10 has a first circuit breaker 11, at least one (e.g., multiple) second circuit breakers 12, at least one (e.g., multiple) chargers 13, and a control unit 14. In the figure, three lines indicate electrical paths and one line indicates a communication line.

[0024] The first circuit breaker 11 is installed in the main electric circuit 15. The first circuit breaker 11 interrupts the main electric circuit 15 when the current value of the current flowing through the main electric circuit 15 becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold. The first circuit breaker 11 is, for example, an earth leakage circuit breaker (ELCB) or a molded case circuit breaker (MCCB). Any widely known earth leakage circuit breaker or molded case circuit breaker can be used as the first circuit breaker 11.

[0025] The main electric line 15 is an electric line that is connected to a power source and that carries electricity supplied from the power source. The main electric line 15 is made up of a cable. The power source includes at least one of a power grid, a storage battery, and a power generation device.

[0026] "Blocking" means preventing the flow of electricity.

[0027] The "first threshold" is a fixed value that is determined in advance based on safety, the contents of the contract with the power supplier, and the like.

[0028] The second circuit breaker 12 is provided for at least one (e.g., multiple) sub-circuits 16 branching off from the main circuit 15. At least one second circuit breaker 12 is provided for each sub-circuit 16. The second circuit breaker 12 shuts off each sub-circuit 16 when the current value of the current flowing through each sub-circuit 16 exceeds the threshold value for each sub-circuit. The second circuit breaker 12 is, for example, a molded-case circuit breaker (MCCB) or an earth leakage circuit breaker (ELCB). For example, if the first circuit breaker 11 is an earth leakage circuit breaker (ELCB), the second circuit breaker 12 may also be an MCCB. Alternatively, if the first circuit breaker 11 is an MCCB, the second circuit breaker 12 may also be an earth leakage circuit breaker (ELCB). Any well-known molded-case circuit breaker or earth leakage circuit breaker may be used as the second circuit breaker 12.

[0029] The secondary electric circuit 16 is an electric circuit branching off from the main electric circuit 15. The secondary electric circuit 16 is made up of a cable. The secondary electric circuit 16 is connected to the power source across the main electric circuit 15. That is, electricity supplied from the power source is supplied to the secondary electric circuit 16 via the main electric circuit 15. With respect to the electricity supplied from the power source, the main electric circuit 15 is located upstream and the secondary electric circuit 16 is located downstream.

[0030] The "sub-circuit threshold" is a predetermined fixed value. The sub-circuit threshold is equal to or less than the first threshold. The sub-circuit thresholds of the at least one sub-circuit 16 may be the same or different from each other. The sub-circuit threshold of each of the at least one sub-circuit 16 is determined based on the first threshold, safety, the number of chargers 13 connected to each sub-circuit 16, the number of chargers 13 planned to be connected to each sub-circuit 16, etc.

[0031] The sum of the sub-electrical path threshold values ​​of all the sub-electrical paths 16 is, for example, equal to or greater than the first threshold value. The effect of doing so will be described below.

[0032] First, consider a reference example in which the sum of the sub-circuit thresholds for all of the sub-conductors 16 is less than the first threshold. As shown in Figure 3, there are two sub-conductors 16, the first threshold is 60 A, and the sub-circuit thresholds for both of the two sub-conductors 16 are 25 A. In this case, the sum of the sub-circuit thresholds for all of the sub-conductors 16 is 50 A. The sum (50 A) of the sub-circuit thresholds for all of the sub-conductors 16 is less than the first threshold (60 A).

[0033] In this reference example, when the current value of the current flowing through each of the secondary electric circuits 16 is controlled to be less than the threshold value for each secondary electric circuit (less than 25 A), the current value of the current flowing through the main electric circuit 15 is always less than the first threshold value (less than 60 A). Therefore, in the reference example, it is only necessary to control the current value of the current flowing through each of the secondary electric circuits 16 to be less than the threshold value for each secondary electric circuit (less than 25 A), and there is no need to control the current value of the current flowing through the main electric circuit 15 to be less than the first threshold value (less than 60 A).

[0034] However, in this reference example, it is not possible to effectively utilize the current flowing through the main circuit 15. For example, as shown in Fig. 3, assume that loads are connected to the first and second chargers 13 and a total of 25 A is used to perform charging. Also, as shown in Fig. 3, assume that the fifth to eighth chargers 13 are not used at all.

[0035] In this situation, even if a user who is able to use the third charger 13 connects a load to the third charger 13, the first and second chargers 13 are using 25 A, so the charging process using the third charger 13 cannot be performed. Thus, even though the main circuit 15 is only using 25 A out of the first threshold of 60 A, the user who is able to use the third charger 13 cannot perform the charging process and must wait. Thus, in the reference example, the current flowing through the main circuit 15 cannot be used effectively.

[0036] In contrast to this, as described above, by making the sum of the sub-circuit threshold values ​​for all sub-circuits 16 equal to or greater than the first threshold value, the current flowing through the main circuit 15 can be effectively utilized.

[0037] For example, as shown in Figure 4, suppose there are two sub-electrical circuits 16, the first threshold is 60 A, and the sub-electrical circuit threshold for each of the two sub-electrical circuits 16 is 50 A. In this case, the total of the sub-electrical circuit thresholds for all of the sub-electrical circuits 16 is 100 A. The total (100 A) of the sub-electrical circuit thresholds for all of the sub-electrical circuits 16 is equal to or greater than the first threshold (60 A).

[0038] Consider the situation described in the above-mentioned reference example in this configuration. That is, as shown in Fig. 4, loads are connected to the first and second chargers 13, and charging is performed using a total of 25 A. Also, as shown in Fig. 4, assume that the fifth to eighth chargers 13 are not being used at all.

[0039] In this situation, the sub-circuit 16 to which the first to fourth chargers 13 are connected still has a margin of 25 A before reaching the sub-circuit threshold (50 A). Therefore, if a user who can use the third charger 13 in this situation connects a load to the third charger 13, the user can use the third charger 13 to perform charging.

[0040] In this way, by making the sum of the sub-circuit threshold values ​​of all the sub-circuits 16 equal to or greater than the first threshold value, the current flowing through the main circuit 15 can be effectively utilized.

[0041] However, with this configuration, even if the current value of the current flowing through each of the secondary electric circuits 16 is controlled to be less than the sub-circuit threshold (less than 50 A), a situation may arise in which the current value of the current flowing through the main electric circuit 15 exceeds the first threshold (60 A or more). Therefore, the control means 14 described below controls the current value of the current flowing through the main electric circuit 15 to be less than the first threshold, and further controls the current value of the current flowing through each of at least one secondary electric circuit 16 to be less than the sub-circuit threshold. As a result, the current flowing through the main electric circuit 15 can be effectively utilized while suppressing the inconvenience of the current value of the current flowing through the main electric circuit 15 exceeding the first threshold and the inconvenience of the current value of the current flowing through each of at least one secondary electric circuit 16 exceeding the sub-circuit threshold.

[0042] Returning to FIG. 1 , the charger 13 is connected in parallel to each of at least one sub-electrical circuit 16. At least one (e.g., multiple) chargers 13 are connected in parallel to one sub-electrical circuit 16. The charger 13 is, for example, a normal charger that performs normal charging. Note that the charger 13 may also be a rapid charger that performs rapid charging. The charger 13 may have any widely known configuration.

[0043] The charger 13 has, for example, a communication function and a charging function. The communication function is a function for communicating with the control means 14. The communication with the control means 14 may be wired communication or wireless communication. For example, RS485 communication using a communication cable may be adopted for communication with the control means 14.

[0044] The charging function is a function of supplying electricity to a load connected to the device and charging the load. This function may include at least one of a function of detecting the connection of a load to the device, a function of switching the supply of electricity to the load on and off, a function of measuring the current value of the current flowing through the load, and a function of notifying the load system of the allowable upper limit of the current value. The load system controls the electricity drawn from the charger 13 so that the current value is within the notified upper limit.

[0045] The load is, for example, an electric vehicle. An electric vehicle is a vehicle (such as an automobile, a motorcycle, a large vehicle, or a scooter) that is driven by electricity as a power source.

[0046] The control means 14 communicates with each of the at least one charger 13 and controls the charging process of each charger 13. By controlling the charging process of each charger 13, the control means 14 controls the current value of the current flowing through the main electric circuit 15 to be less than a first threshold value, and further controls the current value of the current flowing through each of the at least one sub-electric circuit 16 to be less than a sub-circuit threshold value.

[0047] The control of the charging process of each charger 13 executed by the control means 14 will be described in detail below.

[0048] First, information linking the identification information of at least one sub-electric circuit 16 with the identification information of at least one charger 13 connected in parallel to each sub-electric circuit 16 is stored in a storage device of the charging system 10. The storage device may be provided within the control means 14 or may be provided in an external device accessible from the control means 14. Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of an example of the information.

[0049] Based on this information, the control means 14 can identify at least one charger 13 connected to each sub-electrical circuit 16. Then, the control means 14 can use the identified content to execute the following first control process or second control process.

[0050] First Control Process In the first control process, the upper limit of the current that can be flowed from each charger 13 to the load is a fixed value.

[0051] The control means 14 controls the number of chargers 13 that perform the charging process, thereby controlling the current value of the current flowing through the main circuit 15 to be less than a first threshold value, and further controlling the current value of the current flowing through each of at least one sub-circuit 16 to be less than a threshold value for each sub-circuit.

[0052] First, as shown in Fig. 6, the control unit 14 manages the number of charge execution units per sub-circuit, which is the number of chargers 13 that are executing the charging process, for each sub-circuit 16. In addition, the control unit 14 can manage the total number of charge execution units, which is the total number of chargers 13 that are executing the charging process, by adding up the numbers of charge execution units per sub-circuit.

[0053] The management of the number of vehicles to be charged per sub-circuit can be achieved by various means. For example, the control unit 14 may manage the number of vehicles to be charged per sub-circuit based on a notification from each charger 13. In this example, each charger 13 notifies the control unit 14 of the start and end of the charging process. The control unit 14 manages the number of vehicles to be charged per sub-circuit based on the notification.

[0054] For example, when the control means 14 receives charger identification information and a notification of the start of a charging process from a certain charger 13, it identifies the sub-electrical circuit identification information of the sub-electrical circuit 16 to which the charger 13 is connected, based on information such as that shown in Fig. 5. Then, the control means 14 counts up by one the number of charging-executed devices per sub-electrical circuit (see Fig. 6) linked to the identified sub-electrical circuit identification information. Also, when the control means 14 receives charger identification information and a notification of the end of a charging process from a certain charger 13, it identifies the sub-electrical circuit identification information of the sub-electrical circuit 16 to which the charger 13 is connected, based on information such as that shown in Fig. 5. Then, the control means 14 counts down by one the number of charging-executed devices per sub-electrical circuit (see Fig. 6) linked to the identified sub-electrical circuit identification information.

[0055] As another example, the control means 14 may manage the number of vehicles to be charged for each sub-circuit based on the charging permission command sent to each charger 13. In this example, the control means 14 sends a charging permission command to the charger 13 that is to be permitted to perform charging. The control means 14 then receives a notification from the charger 13 that the charging process has ended. The control means 14 manages the number of vehicles to be charged for each sub-circuit based on the transmission and notification.

[0056] For example, when the control means 14 sends a charging permission command to a certain charger 13, it identifies the sub-electrical circuit identification information of the sub-electrical circuit 16 to which the charger 13 is connected, based on information such as that shown in Fig. 5. Then, the control means 14 counts up by one the number of charging-executed devices per sub-electrical circuit (see Fig. 6) linked to the identified sub-electrical circuit identification information. Furthermore, when the control means 14 receives charger identification information and a notification of the end of the charging process from a certain charger 13, it identifies the sub-electrical circuit identification information of the sub-electrical circuit 16 to which the charger 13 is connected, based on information such as that shown in Fig. 5. Then, the control means 14 counts down by one the number of charging-executed devices per sub-electrical circuit (see Fig. 6) linked to the identified sub-electrical circuit identification information.

[0057] The control means 14 determines whether or not to permit each charger 13 to execute charging processing at the time of determination based on the number of vehicles to be charged per sub-circuit and the total number of vehicles to be charged, which are managed as described above.

[0058] The determination time is, for example, the timing at which a request for permission to execute the charging process is received from each charger 13 .

[0059] For example, each charger 13 transmits a request for permission to execute a charging process (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a "charging permission request") to the control means 14 at an arbitrary timing. In one example, each charger 13 transmits a charging permission request to the control means 14 in response to detecting that a load has been connected to the charger 13 (connected to a state in which electricity can be supplied). In another example, each charger 13 transmits a charging permission request to the control means 14 in response to receiving a predetermined operation from the user. The predetermined operation is, for example, a predetermined input operation via an input device provided in the charger 13, but is not limited to this.

[0060] When the control means 14 receives charger identification information and a charging permission request from a certain charger 13, the control means 14 identifies the sub-electrical circuit identification information of the sub-electrical circuit 16 to which the charger 13 is connected, based on information such as that shown in Fig. 5. Next, the control means 14 identifies the number of charging execution devices for each sub-electrical circuit linked to the identified sub-electrical circuit identification information, based on information such as that shown in Fig. 6. Furthermore, the control means 14 identifies the total number of charging execution devices, which is the total number of chargers 13 that are currently performing charging processing, based on information such as that shown in Fig. 6.

[0061] Then, when both of the following two conditions are satisfied, the control means 14 determines to permit the charger 13 to execute the charging process. On the other hand, when at least one of the following two conditions is not satisfied, the control means 14 determines not to permit the charger 13 to execute the charging process.

[0062] The product of "the identified total number of charging executions + 1" and the upper limit of the current value that can be passed from each charger 13 to the load is less than the first threshold. The product of "the identified number of charging executions per sub-circuit + 1" and the upper limit of the current value that can be passed from each charger 13 to the load is less than the threshold value per sub-circuit of the identified sub-circuit 16.

[0063] When it is determined that the execution of the charging process is permitted, the control means 14 can transmit a command (charging permission command) permitting the execution of the charging process to the charger 13 that has transmitted the charging permission request. On the other hand, when it is determined that the execution of the charging process is not permitted, the control means 14 can transmit a command not permitting the execution of the charging process to the charger 13 that has transmitted the charging permission request.

[0064] In this way, the control means 14 can send a command to the charger 13 to permit the execution of the charging process within a range in which the product of the total number of charged vehicles and the fixed value is less than the first threshold value and the product of the number of charged vehicles per sub-circuit and the fixed value is less than the sub-circuit threshold value for all sub-circuits 16. The fixed value is the upper limit of the current that can be flowed from each charger 13 to the load.

[0065] Second Control Process In the second control process, the upper limit of the current that can be supplied from each charger 13 to the load is a variable value.

[0066] The control means 14 controls the upper limit of the current value of each charger 13 that performs the charging process, thereby controlling the current value of the current flowing through the main circuit 15 to be less than a first threshold value, and further controlling the current value of the current flowing through at least one sub-circuit 16 to be less than a threshold value for each sub-circuit.

[0067] First, as shown in Fig. 7, the control means 14 manages an upper limit of permitted current for each charger 13. In Fig. 7, a charger 13 with an upper limit of "0" is not permitted to perform charging. In Fig. 7, a charger 13 with an upper limit of "0" is permitted to perform charging within a range of current values ​​equal to or less than that value.

[0068] Management of the allowable upper limit for each charger 13 can be achieved by various means. In one example, the control means 14 can manage the allowable upper limit for each charger 13 based on a charging permission command sent to each charger 13. In this example, the control means 14 sends a charging permission command indicating an upper limit of the current value to the charger 13 that is permitted to perform charging. The control means 14 then receives a notification from the charger 13 that the charging process has ended. The control means 14 manages the allowable upper limit for each charger 13 based on this transmission and notification.

[0069] For example, when the control means 14 transmits a charging permission command indicating an upper limit of the current value to a certain charger 13, the control means 14 updates the upper limit of the permitted value associated with that charger 13 in the information shown in Fig. 7 to the upper limit of the current value indicated in the charging permission command. Furthermore, when the control means 14 receives charger identification information and a notification of the end of the charging process from a certain charger 13, the control means 14 updates the upper limit of the permitted value associated with that charger 13 to 0 in the information shown in Fig. 7.

[0070] The control means 14 determines whether or not to permit each charger 13 to execute the charging process at the time of determination, based on the permitted upper limit managed as described above for each charger 13. Then, if the control means 14 permits the execution of the charging process, it determines the upper limit of the current value.

[0071] The determination time is, for example, the timing at which a request for permission to execute the charging process is received from each charger 13 .

[0072] For example, each charger 13 transmits a request for permission to execute a charging process (charging permission request) to the control means 14 at any timing. In one example, each charger 13 transmits a charging permission request to the control means 14 in response to detecting that a load has been connected to the charger 13 (connected to a state in which electricity can be supplied). In another example, each charger 13 transmits a charging permission request to the control means 14 in response to receiving a predetermined operation from a user. The predetermined operation is, for example, a predetermined input operation via an input device provided in the charger 13, but is not limited to this.

[0073] When the control unit 14 receives charger identification information and a charging permission request from a certain charger 13, the control unit 14 identifies the sub-electrical circuit identification information of the sub-electrical circuit 16 to which the charger 13 is connected, based on the information shown in Fig. 5. Next, the control unit 14 identifies all chargers 13 linked to the identified sub-electrical circuit identification information, based on the information shown in Fig. 5.

[0074] Next, the control means 14 identifies the allowable upper limit of all chargers 13 linked to the identified sub-electrical circuit identification information based on the information shown in Fig. 7 and calculates the allowable upper limit for each sub-electrical circuit by adding up the identified allowable upper limits. Also, the control means 14 identifies the allowable upper limit of all chargers 13 that are currently permitted to perform charging processing based on the information shown in Fig. 7 and calculates the total allowable upper limit by adding up the identified allowable upper limits.

[0075] Then, when both of the following two conditions are satisfied, the control means 14 determines to permit the charger 13 to execute the charging process. On the other hand, when at least one of the following two conditions is not satisfied, the control means 14 determines not to permit the charger 13 to execute the charging process.

[0076] The total permitted upper limit is less than the first threshold value. The permitted upper limit for each sub-circuit of the sub-circuit 16 to which the charger 13 that has sent the charging permission request is connected is less than the threshold for each sub-circuit of that sub-circuit 16.

[0077] When the control means 14 determines that the charger 13 is permitted to perform the charging process, the control means 14 further determines the upper limit of the current value permitted for the charger 13 .

[0078] The control means 14 determines an arbitrary value within the following numerical range as the upper limit of the current value permitted for the charger 13.

[0079] - Greater than 0 and smaller than the smaller of "the difference obtained by subtracting the total permitted upper limit from the first threshold value" and "the difference obtained by subtracting the per-sub-circuit permitted upper limit of the sub-circuit 16 from the per-sub-circuit threshold value of the sub-circuit 16 to which the charger 13 that has sent the charging permission request is connected."

[0080] If it is determined that the charging process is permitted, the control means 14 can transmit a command (charging permission command) permitting the charging process to be performed to the charger 13 that transmitted the charging permission request. The command indicates the upper limit of the permitted current value. On the other hand, if it is determined that the charging process is not permitted, the control means 14 can transmit a command not permitting the charging process to be performed to the charger 13 that transmitted the charging permission request.

[0081] In this way, the control means 14 can determine the upper limit of the current value to be allocated to each charger 13 that is permitted to execute the charging process. The control means 14 can determine the upper limit of the current value to be allocated to each charger 13 that is permitted to execute the charging process within a range that satisfies the following conditions.

[0082] The total value of the upper limits of the current values ​​assigned to the chargers 13 that are permitted to execute the charging process is less than the first threshold value, and the total value of the upper limits of the current values ​​assigned to the chargers 13 that are permitted to execute the charging process in all the sub-circuits 16 is less than the sub-circuit threshold value.

[0083] Then, the charger 13 can transmit a command to the charger 13 permitting the execution of charging processing at a current value less than the determined upper limit. The charger 13 notifies the load system connected to the charger 13 of the upper limit. The load system controls the power drawn from the charger 13 so that the power drawn is within the range not exceeding the notified upper limit.

[0084] Next, an example of the flow of processing executed by the control means 14 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0085] First, the control unit 14 receives charger identification information and a request for permission to execute charging processing (charging permission request) from any charger 13 at any timing (S10).

[0086] Next, the control means 14 determines whether to permit the charger 13 to execute the charging process (S11). The control means 14 makes this determination by executing, for example, the first control process or the second control process described above. Note that when executing the second control process, the control means 14 determines to permit the charger 13 to execute the charging process, and then determines an upper limit of the current value permitted for the charger 13.

[0087] When the control means 14 determines that the execution of the charging process is permitted (Yes in S12), it transmits a command (notification) permitting the execution of the charging process to the charger 13 that transmitted the charging permission request (S13). When the second control process is to be executed in S11, the control means 14 further notifies the charger 13 of the upper limit of the current value permitted for the charger 13 in S13.

[0088] On the other hand, if the control means 14 determines that the charging process should not be permitted to be executed (No in S12), the control means 14 sends a command (notification) to the charger 13 that sent the charging permission request not to permit the charging process to be executed (S14).

[0089] <Hardware Configuration of Charger 13 and Control Means 14> Next, an example of the hardware configuration of the charger 13 and control means 14 will be described. Each functional unit of the charger 13 and control means 14 is realized by any combination of hardware and software. Those skilled in the art will understand that there are various variations in the realization method and device. The software includes programs that are pre-stored in the device before shipping, and programs downloaded from recording media such as CDs (Compact Discs) or servers on the Internet.

[0090] FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the charger 13 and the control means 14. As shown in FIG. 9, the charger 13 and the control means 14 each have a processor 1A, a memory 2A, an input / output interface 3A, a peripheral circuit 4A, and a bus 5A. The peripheral circuit 4A includes various modules. At least one of the charger 13 and the control means 14 may not have the peripheral circuit 4A. Note that at least one of the charger 13 and the control means 14 may be composed of multiple devices that are physically and / or logically separated. In this case, each of the multiple devices can have the above hardware configuration.

[0091] The bus 5A is a data transmission path for the processor 1A, memory 2A, peripheral circuit 4A, and input / output interface 3A to mutually transmit and receive data. The processor 1A is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) or a graphics processing unit (GPU). The memory 2A is, for example, a random access memory (RAM) or a read-only memory (ROM). The input / output interface 3A includes interfaces for acquiring information from input devices, external devices, external servers, external sensors, cameras, etc., and interfaces for outputting information to output devices, external devices, external servers, etc. The input / output interface 3A also includes an interface for connecting to a communication network such as the Internet. Examples of input devices include a keyboard, mouse, microphone, physical buttons, and touch panel. Examples of output devices include a display, speaker, printer, and mailer. The processor 1A can issue commands to each module and perform calculations based on the results of those calculations.

[0092] <Example of connection of charger 13> Next, an example of a configuration for connecting the charger 13 to the secondary electric circuit 16 will be described. Note that the configuration described here is merely an example and is not limited to this example. Figure 10 shows an example of this configuration.

[0093] In the example of FIG. 10, the first circuit breaker 11 is an MCCB, the second circuit breaker 12 is an ELCB, and the control means 14 is a charge controller.

[0094] A branch cable is used as the secondary electrical circuit 16. The branch cable is a cable that has been branched during the manufacturing process. At the time of shipping, the branch cable has a trunk cable and a branch cable that branches off from the trunk cable. A charger 13 is connected to the branch cable of this branch cable. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the charger 13 may be connected via an ELCB. The ELCB may be housed in a waterproof box.

[0095] The use of a branch cable is merely an example and is not intended to be limiting. For example, a single cable may be used as the secondary electrical circuit 16. When connecting the charger 13, the cable may be branched, and the charger 13 may be connected to the resulting branch.

[0096] In the example of Fig. 10, multiple chargers 13 are daisy-chained (connected in a daisy chain) with cables, and configured to perform RS485 communication. Fig. 10 shows an example of how to connect the chargers 13, but this is not limiting. In the example of Fig. 10, the chargers 13 are connected using a T-shaped adapter. This three-pronged configuration is widely available and is convenient. In addition, the inconvenience of communication interruptions when attaching or detaching the charger 13 is unlikely to occur.

[0097] <Operational Effects> According to the charging system 10 of this embodiment, the same operational effects as those of the charging system 10 of the first embodiment are achieved.

[0098] Furthermore, according to the charging system 10 of this embodiment, the sum of the sub-circuit thresholds of all the sub-circuits 16 can be equal to or greater than the first threshold of the main circuit 15. According to this charging system 10, as described with reference to Figures 3 and 4, the current flowing through the main circuit 15 can be effectively utilized.

[0099] However, with this configuration, even if the current value of the current flowing through each of the secondary electric circuits 16 is controlled to be less than the sub-circuit threshold (less than 50 A), a situation may arise in which the current value of the current flowing through the main electric circuit 15 exceeds the first threshold (60 A or more). Therefore, the control means 14 controls the current value of the current flowing through the main electric circuit 15 to be less than the first threshold, and further controls the current value of the current flowing through at least one of the secondary electric circuits 16 to be less than the sub-circuit threshold. As a result, the current flowing through the main electric circuit 15 can be effectively utilized while suppressing the inconvenience of the current value of the current flowing through the main electric circuit 15 exceeding the first threshold and the inconvenience of the current value of the current flowing through at least one of the secondary electric circuits 16 exceeding the sub-circuit threshold.

[0100] Furthermore, the control means 14 of the charging system 10 can control the charging process of the charger 13 by the first control process or the second control process described above. Such control means 14 can perform desired control with high accuracy.

[0101] <<Modifications>> Modifications applicable to the second embodiment will be described.

[0102] The control unit 14 executes the second control process described in the second embodiment. That is, the control unit 14 determines an upper limit of the current value to be assigned to each charger 13 that is permitted to execute a charging process. Then, the control unit 14 transmits a command to each charger 13 to permit the charger 13 to execute a charging process at a current value less than the determined upper limit.

[0103] The control means 14 then monitors the current value of the current flowing from each charger 13 to the load. For example, a charger 13 that has been permitted to execute a charging process measures the current value of the current flowing to the load and notifies the control means 14. This notification is performed in real time. The control means 14 monitors the current value of the current flowing from each charger 13 to the load based on the notification from each charger 13 that has been permitted to execute a charging process.

[0104] Then, the control means 14 updates the upper limit of the current value allocated to each charger 13 based on the result of comparing the current value of the current flowing from each charger 13 to the load with the upper limit of the current value allocated to each charger 13. If there is a charger 13 that is not fully utilizing its allocated amount, the control means 14 reduces the upper limit of the current value allocated to that charger 13.

[0105] For example, the control unit 14 determines the charger 13 that satisfies any of the following conditions as a target for updating the upper limit of the current value to be allocated.

[0106] The current value of the current flowing through the load has never reached the upper limit within the specified time. The current value of the current flowing through the load has never reached M% of the upper limit within the specified time.

[0107] The "last few minutes" may be, for example, the last few minutes, the last few tens of minutes, or the last few hours, but is not limited to these. "M" is a value greater than 0 and less than 100.

[0108] There are various ways to determine the updated upper limit. For example, the control unit 14 can determine one of the following as the updated upper limit:

[0109] The maximum value of the current that flows through the load within the specified time. The maximum value of the current that flows through the load within the specified time multiplied by a specified correction coefficient.

[0110] Then, in response to the update of the upper limit, the control means 14 transmits a command to the charger 13 permitting the execution of charging at a current value less than the updated upper limit. The charger 13 notifies the load system connected to the charger 13 of the updated upper limit. The load system controls the power drawn from the charger 13 so that the current draw is within the range not exceeding the notified updated upper limit.

[0111] This modification also achieves the same effects as those of the first and second embodiments. Furthermore, according to this modification, the upper limit of the current value allocated to each charger 13 can be updated depending on the current value of the current flowing from each charger 13 to the load. According to this modification, the current flowing in the main electric circuit 15 can be used more effectively.

[0112] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present disclosure within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, each embodiment can be combined with other embodiments as appropriate.

[0113] In addition, in the flowcharts used in the above explanation, multiple steps (processes) are described in order. However, the order of the steps performed in each embodiment is not limited to the order described. In each embodiment, the order of the steps shown in the drawings can be changed as long as it does not cause any problems in terms of the content.

[0114] Some or all of the above embodiments may be described as, but are not limited to, the following supplementary notes: 1. A charging system comprising: a first circuit breaker that interrupts a main electric circuit when a current value of a current flowing through the main electric circuit becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold; at least one second circuit breaker provided for each of at least one sub-electric circuit branching from the main electric circuit, and that interrupts each of the sub-electric circuits when a current value of a current flowing through each of the sub-electric circuits becomes equal to or greater than a threshold for each of the sub-electric circuits; at least one charger connected in parallel to each of the at least one sub-electric circuit; and control means that communicates with the charger and controls a charging process of the charger, thereby controlling the current value of the current flowing through the main electric circuit to be less than the first threshold and the current value of the current flowing through each of the at least one sub-electric circuit to be less than the threshold for each of the sub-electric circuits. 2. The charging system described in 1, branching from the main electric circuit into a plurality of sub-electric circuits, and having a plurality of second circuit breakers provided for each of the plurality of sub-electric circuits. 3. 3. The charging system according to claim 2, wherein the sum of the per-sub-circuit thresholds for all of the sub-circuits is equal to or greater than the first threshold. 4. The charging system according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the upper limit of the current that can be passed from each of the chargers to the load is a fixed value, and the control means manages, for each of the sub-circuits, a number of charge execution devices per sub-circuit that is the number of chargers executing a charging process, and transmits a command to the charger to permit execution of a charging process within a range where the product of the total number of charge execution devices per sub-circuit for all of the sub-circuits and the fixed value is less than the first threshold, and the product of the number of charge execution devices per sub-circuit and the fixed value for all of the sub-circuits is less than the per-sub-circuit threshold.5. The charging system according to any one of 1 to 3, wherein the upper limit of the current that can be flowed from each of the chargers to the load is a variable value, and the control means determines an upper limit of the current to be allocated to each of the chargers that are permitted to execute a charging process, determines an upper limit of the current to be allocated to each of the chargers that are permitted to execute a charging process within a range such that the total of the upper limits of the current allocated to each of the chargers that are permitted to execute a charging process in all of the sub-electrical circuits is less than the sub-electrical circuit threshold, and transmits a command to each charger permitting execution of the charging process at a current value less than the determined upper limit. 6. The charging system according to 5, wherein the control means monitors the current value of the current flowing from each of the chargers to the load, and updates the upper limit of the current allocated to each of the chargers based on a comparison result of the current value of the current flowing from each of the chargers to the load with the upper limit of the current allocated to each of the chargers, and transmits a command to each charger permitting execution of the charging process at a current value less than the updated upper limit. 7. The charging system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control means controls the charging process of the charger based on information linking identification information of at least one of the sub-electric circuits with identification information of at least one of the chargers connected in parallel to each of the sub-electric circuits. 8. A charging system control means comprising: a first circuit breaker that interrupts the main electric circuit when a current value of a current flowing in the main electric circuit becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold; at least one second circuit breaker provided for at least one sub-electric circuit branching from the main electric circuit, and that interrupts each of the sub-electric circuits when a current value of a current flowing in each of the sub-electric circuits becomes equal to or greater than a threshold for each sub-electric circuit; at least one charger connected in parallel to each of the at least one sub-electric circuit; and control means that communicates with the charger to control the charging process of the charger, thereby controlling the current value of the current flowing in the main electric circuit to be less than the first threshold and the current value of the current flowing in each of the at least one sub-electric circuit to be less than the threshold for each sub-electric circuit.9. A control method in which one or more computers of a charging system having: a first circuit breaker that breaks a main circuit when a current value of a current flowing through the main circuit becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold; at least one second circuit breaker provided for each of at least one secondary circuit branching from the main circuit and that breaks each of the secondary circuits when a current value of a current flowing through each of the secondary circuits becomes equal to or greater than a threshold for each secondary circuit; at least one charger connected in parallel to each of the at least one secondary circuit; and control means communicate with the chargers and control the charging process of the chargers, thereby controlling the current value of the current flowing through the main circuit to be less than the first threshold and controlling the current value of the current flowing through each of the at least one secondary circuit to be less than the threshold for each secondary circuit. a first circuit breaker that cuts off a main circuit when the current value of the current flowing through the main circuit becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold; at least one second circuit breaker that is provided for each of at least one sub-circuit branching off from the main circuit and that cuts off each of the sub-circuits when the current value of the current flowing through each of the sub-circuits becomes equal to or greater than a threshold for each of the sub-circuits; at least one charger that is connected in parallel to each of at least one of the sub-circuits; and a control means, the program causing a computer of a charging system having: a first circuit breaker that cuts off the main circuit when the current value of the current flowing through the main circuit becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold; at least one second circuit breaker that is provided for each of at least one sub-circuit branching off from the main circuit and that cuts off each of the sub-circuits when the current value of the current flowing through each of the sub-circuits becomes equal to or greater than a threshold for each of the sub-circuits; at least one charger that is connected in parallel to each of the at least one sub-circuits; and a control means, the program causing a computer of the charging system to execute a process of controlling the charging process of the charger by communicating with the charger, thereby controlling the current value of the current flowing through the main circuit to be less than the first threshold and controlling the current value of the current flowing through each of the at least one sub-circuit to be less than the threshold for each of the sub-circuits.

[0115] Some or all of Supplements 2 to 7 that are dependent on the charging system of Supplement 1 described above may also be dependent on the control means of Supplement 8, the control method of Supplement 9, and the program of Supplement 10 in the same dependent relationship as Supplement 1 and Supplements 2 to 7. Furthermore, within the scope of each of the above-described embodiments, some or all of the configurations described as Supplements can be realized in various hardware, software, various recording means for recording software, or systems.

[0116] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-201496, filed November 29, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0117] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Charging system 11 First circuit breaker 12 Second circuit breaker 13 Charger 14 Control means 15 Main circuit 16 Sub-circuit 1A Processor 2A Memory 3A Input / output I / F 4A Peripheral circuit 5A Bus

Claims

1. A charging system comprising: a first circuit breaker that cuts off a main circuit when a current value of a current flowing through the main circuit becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold; at least one second circuit breaker that is provided for at least one sub-circuit branching off from the main circuit, and that cuts off each of the sub-circuits when a current value of a current flowing through each of the sub-circuits becomes equal to or greater than a sub-circuit threshold; at least one charger that is connected in parallel to each of the at least one sub-circuit; and control means that communicates with the charger and controls the charging process of the charger, thereby controlling the current value of the current flowing through the main circuit to be less than the first threshold and controlling the current value of the current flowing through each of the at least one sub-circuit to be less than the sub-circuit threshold.

2. The charging system according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of said second circuit breakers, each of said plurality of secondary circuits branching from said main circuit, said second circuit breakers being provided for each of said plurality of secondary circuits.

3. The charging system according to claim 2, wherein the sum of the sub-circuit thresholds for all of the sub-circuits is equal to or greater than the first threshold.

4. A charging system as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an upper limit of the current that can be passed from each of the chargers to the load is a fixed value, and the control means manages the number of chargers executing charging per sub-circuit, which is the number of chargers executing charging processing, for each of the sub-circuits, and transmits a command to the charger to permit execution of charging processing to the extent that the product of the total number of chargers executing charging per sub-circuit for all of the sub-circuits and the fixed value is less than the first threshold value and the product of the number of chargers executing charging per sub-circuit and the fixed value for all of the sub-circuits is less than the sub-circuit threshold value.

5. A charging system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein an upper limit of the current value that can be passed from each of the chargers to the load is a variable value, and the control means determines an upper limit of the current value to be assigned to each of the chargers permitted to execute a charging process, determines an upper limit of the current value to be assigned to each of the chargers permitted to execute a charging process within a range such that the total of the upper limits of the current values ​​assigned to each of the chargers permitted to execute a charging process in all of the sub-circuits is less than the first threshold value and the total of the upper limits of the current values ​​assigned to each of the chargers permitted to execute a charging process in all of the sub-circuits is less than the sub-circuit threshold value, and transmits a command to the chargers permitting the charging process to be executed at a current value less than the determined upper limit.

6. The charging system according to claim 5, wherein the control means monitors the current value of the current flowing from each of the chargers to the load, updates the upper limit of the current value assigned to each of the chargers based on a comparison result between the current value of the current flowing from each of the chargers to the load and an upper limit of the current value assigned to each of the chargers, and transmits a command to the charger permitting the execution of charging processing at a current value less than the updated upper limit.

7. A charging system as described in any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the control means controls the charging process of the charger based on information linking identification information of at least one of the sub-circuits with identification information of at least one of the chargers connected in parallel to each of the sub-circuits.

8. A control means for a charging system comprising: a first circuit breaker that cuts off the main circuit when a current value of a current flowing through the main circuit becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold; at least one second circuit breaker that is provided for at least one sub-circuit branching off from the main circuit and cuts off each of the sub-circuits when a current value of a current flowing through each of the sub-circuits becomes equal to or greater than a threshold value for each sub-circuit; at least one charger that is connected in parallel to each of the at least one sub-circuits; and control means that communicates with the charger and controls the charging process of the charger, thereby controlling the current value of the current flowing through the main circuit to be less than the first threshold and controlling the current value of the current flowing through each of the at least one sub-circuit to be less than the threshold value for each sub-circuit.

9. The control means for the charging system according to claim 8, further comprising a plurality of said second circuit breakers provided for each of said plurality of sub-circuits branched from said main circuit.

10. A control means for a charging system according to claim 9, wherein the sum of the sub-circuit thresholds for all of the sub-circuits is equal to or greater than the first threshold.

11. A control means for a charging system described in any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein an upper limit of the current that can be passed from each of the chargers to the load is a fixed value, and the control means manages the number of chargers executing charging per sub-circuit, which is the number of chargers executing charging processing, for each of the sub-circuits, and transmits a command to the charger to permit execution of charging processing within a range in which the product of the total number of chargers executing charging per sub-circuit for all of the sub-circuits and the fixed value is less than the first threshold value and the product of the number of chargers executing charging per sub-circuit and the fixed value for all of the sub-circuits is less than the sub-circuit threshold value.

12. A control means for a charging system described in any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein an upper limit of the current value that can be passed from each of the chargers to the load is a variable value, and the control means determines an upper limit of the current value to be assigned to each of the chargers permitted to execute a charging process, determines an upper limit of the current value to be assigned to each of the chargers permitted to execute a charging process within a range such that the total of the upper limits of the current values ​​assigned to each of the chargers permitted to execute a charging process in all of the sub-circuits is less than the first threshold value and the total of the upper limits of the current values ​​assigned to each of the chargers permitted to execute a charging process in all of the sub-circuits is less than the sub-circuit threshold value, and transmits a command to the chargers to permit the charging process to be executed at a current value less than the determined upper limit.

13. The control means of the charging system described in claim 12, wherein the control means monitors the current value of the current flowing from each of the chargers to the load, updates the upper limit of the current value assigned to each of the chargers based on a comparison result between the current value of the current flowing from each of the chargers to the load and an upper limit of the current value assigned to each of the chargers, and transmits a command to the charger to permit the execution of charging processing at a current value less than the updated upper limit.

14. A control means of a charging system described in any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the control means controls the charging process of the charger based on information linking identification information of at least one of the sub-circuits with identification information of at least one of the chargers connected in parallel to each of the sub-circuits.

15. A control method in which one or more computers of a charging system having: a first circuit breaker that cuts off the main circuit when a current value of a current flowing through the main circuit becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold; at least one second circuit breaker that is provided for at least one sub-circuit branching off from the main circuit and cuts off each of the sub-circuits when a current value of a current flowing through each of the sub-circuits becomes equal to or greater than a sub-circuit threshold; at least one charger connected in parallel to each of the at least one sub-circuits; and a control means, communicate with the charger and control the charging process of the charger, thereby controlling the current value of the current flowing through the main circuit to be less than the first threshold and controlling the current value of the current flowing through each of at least one of the sub-circuits to be less than the sub-circuit threshold.

16. The control method according to claim 15, further comprising: a plurality of said secondary circuits branching from said main circuit; and a plurality of said second circuit breakers provided for each of said secondary circuits.

17. The control method according to claim 16, wherein the sum of the sub-circuit thresholds for all of the sub-circuits is equal to or greater than the first threshold.

18. A recording medium having a program for causing a computer of a charging system having: a first circuit breaker that cuts off the main circuit when a current value of the current flowing through the main circuit becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold; at least one second circuit breaker provided for at least one sub-circuit branching off from the main circuit, that cuts off each of the sub-circuits when a current value of the current flowing through each of the sub-circuits becomes equal to or greater than a sub-circuit threshold; at least one charger connected in parallel to each of at least one of the sub-circuits; and a control means to communicate with the charger and control the charging process of the charger, thereby controlling the current value of the current flowing through the main circuit to be less than the first threshold, and controlling the current value of the current flowing through each of at least one of the sub-circuits to be less than the sub-circuit threshold.

19. The recording medium according to claim 18, further comprising a plurality of said secondary circuits branching from said main circuit, said secondary circuit being provided for each of said plurality of secondary circuits.

20. A recording medium according to claim 19, wherein the sum of the sub-circuit thresholds for all of the sub-circuits is equal to or greater than the first threshold.

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