Charging system

Abstract

This charging system comprises: an arm mechanism that moves a first charging connector and a second charging connector within a predetermined range; and a control device. The control device is configured so as to move a first vehicle and a second vehicle within a predetermined range. The control device is also configured: to operate the arm mechanism so as to release the gripping of the first charging connector in a state where the first charging connector is inserted into a charging port of the first vehicle after gripping the first charging connector and operating the arm mechanism so that the first charging connector is inserted into the charging port of the first vehicle moved within the predetermined range; and to grip the second charging connector after the gripping of the first charging connector is released and operate the arm mechanism so that the second charging connector is inserted into a charging port of the second vehicle moved within the predetermined range.

Description

Charging system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a charging system.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a charging system that uses an arm mechanism and a charger to charge a plurality of vehicles.

[0003] Patent No. 6497478

[0004] The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 leaves room for improvement in terms of increasing the turnover rate of charging vehicles.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a charging system that can charge two or more vehicles simultaneously and increase the charging turnover rate.

[0006] A charging system according to the present disclosure includes a first charging connector and a second charging connector; an arm mechanism capable of grasping the first charging connector and the second charging connector and moving the first charging connector and the second charging connector within a predetermined range; and a control device that controls operation of the arm mechanism, movement of a first vehicle, and movement of a second vehicle. The control device is configured to move the first vehicle and the second vehicle within the predetermined range, and to operate the arm mechanism to grasp the first charging connector and insert the first charging connector into a charging port of the first vehicle that has been moved within the predetermined range, and then operate the arm mechanism to release the grip of the first charging connector with the first charging connector inserted into the charging port of the first vehicle, and after releasing the grip of the first charging connector, operate the arm mechanism to grasp the second charging connector and insert the second charging connector into a charging port of the second vehicle that has been moved within the predetermined range.

[0007] The charging system of the present disclosure is configured such that, in the above-described charging system, the control device moves the first vehicle from within the specified range while the first charging connector is inserted into the charging port of the first vehicle, after the first charging connector is inserted into the charging port of the first vehicle.

[0008] The charging system of the present disclosure is configured such that, in the above-described charging system, the control device moves the first vehicle from within a predetermined range with the first charging connector inserted into the charging port of the first vehicle, and after the first vehicle has completed moving from within the predetermined range, the control device completes moving the second vehicle into the predetermined range.

[0009] The charging system of the present disclosure is configured such that, in the above-described charging system, the control device moves the second vehicle to a range where the second charging connector can be inserted using the arm mechanism simultaneously with or during charging of the first vehicle, and starts charging the second vehicle.

[0010] The charging system according to the present disclosure is configured such that, in the above-described charging system, after the second charging connector is inserted into the charging port of the second vehicle, the control device moves the second vehicle from within a predetermined range with the second charging connector inserted into the charging port of the second vehicle, and then moves the first vehicle within the predetermined range with the first charging connector inserted into the charging port of the first vehicle.

[0011] The charging system according to the present disclosure is the charging system described above, wherein the control device is configured to stop the first vehicle and the second vehicle side by side in the direction of vehicle travel.

[0012] The charging system of the present disclosure is configured such that, in the above-described charging system, the control device returns the arm mechanism to a predetermined standby position when there is no vehicle waiting to be charged next or when there is no vehicle that has already completed charging.

[0013] The charging system according to the present disclosure is configured such that, in the charging system described above, the control device has the arm mechanism grasp the first charging connector and wait in advance before the first vehicle stops at a predetermined position, and has the arm mechanism grasp the second charging connector and wait in advance before the second vehicle stops at a predetermined position.

[0014] The charging system of the present disclosure is configured such that, in the above-described charging system, when charging of the first vehicle is completed and the second vehicle is parked at a predetermined position, the control device uses the arm mechanism to insert the second charging connector into the charging port of the second vehicle to start charging, and then removes the first charging connector from the charging port of the first vehicle; and when charging of the first vehicle is completed and the second vehicle is not parked at a predetermined position, the control device uses the arm mechanism to remove the first charging connector from the charging port of the first vehicle, and then inserts the second charging connector into the charging port of the second vehicle to start charging.

[0015] The charging system according to the present disclosure is configured such that, in the charging system described above, when charging of the first vehicle is completed, the control device moves the arm mechanism to the position of the charging port of the first vehicle, unlocks the charging connector, and then uses the arm mechanism to remove the charging connector from the charging port of the first vehicle; and when charging of the second vehicle is completed, the control device moves the arm mechanism to the position of the charging port of the second vehicle, unlocks the charging connector, and then uses the arm mechanism to remove the charging connector from the charging port of the second vehicle.

[0016] According to the present disclosure, two or more vehicles can be charged simultaneously, thereby increasing the charging turnover rate.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a charging system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the charging system according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the charging system according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the charging system according to an embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing an overall flow of a charging method executed by the charging system according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing an example of a case where two vehicles are simultaneously charged using an arm mechanism in the charging system according to an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing an example of a case where two vehicles are simultaneously charged using an arm mechanism in the charging system according to an embodiment. FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing an example of a case where four vehicles are sequentially charged using an arm mechanism in the charging system according to an embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing an example of a case where four vehicles are sequentially charged using an arm mechanism in the charging system according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing an example of a case where four vehicles are sequentially charged using an arm mechanism in the charging system according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing an example of a case where four vehicles are sequentially charged using an arm mechanism in the charging system according to an embodiment. FIG. 12 is a schematic view showing an example of a case where four vehicles are sequentially charged using an arm mechanism in the charging system according to an embodiment. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a case where four vehicles are sequentially charged using an arm mechanism in a charging system according to an embodiment. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a case where four vehicles are sequentially charged using an arm mechanism in a charging system according to an embodiment. FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a case where four vehicles are sequentially charged using an arm mechanism in a charging system according to an embodiment. FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an overall flow of a charging method executed by a charging system according to an embodiment. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a modified charging system according to an embodiment where a waiting space before charging and a waiting space after charging are separated. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a modified charging system according to an embodiment where a traveling route between the waiting space and the charging space before and after charging is separated.FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating an example of a modification of the charging system according to the embodiment, in which the next vehicle to be charged is made to wait in a passage between the waiting space and the charging space.

[0018] A charging system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the components in the following embodiments include those that are easily replaceable by those skilled in the art, or those that are substantially the same.

[0019] (Charging System) A charging system according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 15. The charging system according to the embodiment is for simultaneously charging multiple vehicles using a charger installed in, for example, a parking lot. As shown in FIG. 1, the charging system according to the embodiment includes a charger 1, an arm mechanism 2, a control device 3, infrastructure equipment 4, and a vehicle 5. The charger 1, the arm mechanism 2, the control device 3, infrastructure equipment 4, and the vehicle 5 all have communication capabilities and are configured to communicate with each other through a network N and exchange various information. This network N is configured, for example, by an internet network, a mobile phone network, or the like.

[0020] (Charger) The charger (charging stand, charging post) 1 supplies power to a vehicle 5 to be charged. As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the charger 1 is installed on a stand 6. The charger 1 is also connected to a control panel 7. This control panel 7 is connected to, for example, a transformer (cubicle) that transforms power from a power plant.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1 , the charger 1 includes a control unit 11 , a communication unit 12 , a charging connector 13 , and a charging cable 14 .

[0022] The control unit 11 is realized by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory (main storage unit) such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), etc. The control unit 11 supplies power to the vehicle 5 to be charged based on instructions from the control device 3.

[0023] The communication unit 12 is configured by, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface board, a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication, etc. The communication unit 12 exchanges information with, for example, the arm mechanism 2 and the control device 3 through communication via the network N.

[0024] The charging connector (charging gun, charging plug) 13 is used to supply power to the vehicle 5 to be charged. When not charging, the charging connector 13 is engaged with the side surface of the charger 1. When charging of the vehicle 5 begins, the charging connector 13 is gripped by a fixed arm mechanism 2 and inserted into a charging port 53 of the vehicle 5. In this state, power is supplied from the charger 1 to the vehicle 5 through the charging connector 13. Thereafter, when charging of the vehicle 5 is completed, the charging connector 13 is gripped again by the arm mechanism 2 and removed from the charging port 53 of the vehicle 5, and then engaged with the side surface of the charger 1.

[0025] 2 to 7 show an example in which one charging connector 13 is provided for one charger 1, but multiple charging connectors 13 may be provided for one charger 1.

[0026] The charging cable 14 is provided between the charging connector 13 and the charger 1 (charger main body). The charging cable 14 is configured with a length that allows the charging connector 13 to be inserted into the charging port 53 regardless of the position of the charging port 53 on the vehicle 5. For example, while FIG. 3 shows an example in which the charging port 53 is located on the front left side of the vehicle 5, depending on the vehicle model, the charging port 53 may be located on the rear left side, front center, rear center, etc. of the vehicle 5. Therefore, the charging cable 14 is configured with a length that allows the charging connector 13 to be inserted regardless of whether the charging port 53 is located on the front left side, rear left side, front center, or rear center of the vehicle 5.

[0027] Depending on the model of vehicle 5, the charging port 53 may be located on the front right side or the rear right side of vehicle 5. In this case, for example, in FIG. 3 , the vehicles 5 in the left and right charging spaces Sp1 are parked in opposite front-to-rear directions, and charging is performed with the charging port 53 facing toward the charger 1. For example, the vehicle 5 on the right side of FIG. 3 is parked in the charging space Sp1 with the front of the vehicle facing downward and the rear of the vehicle facing upward. Similarly, the vehicle 5 on the left side is parked with the front of the vehicle facing upward and the rear of the vehicle facing downward.

[0028] (Arm mechanism 2) The arm mechanism (automatic charging robot) 2 is used to grip the charging connector 13 when charging the vehicle 5 from the charger 1. The arm mechanism 2 can grip multiple charging connectors 13 and moves each charging connector 13 within a predetermined range. The arm mechanism 2 is installed and fixed to the stand 6.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1 , the arm mechanism 2 includes a control unit 21 , a communication unit 22 , and a camera 23 .

[0030] Control unit 21 is realized by a processor such as a CPU, and a memory (main storage unit) such as a RAM, a ROM, etc. Based on instructions from control device 3, control unit 21 grasps charging connector 13 and inserts and removes charging connector 13 into and from charging port 53.

[0031] Furthermore, when inserting the gripped charging connector 13 into the charging port 53, the control unit 21 identifies the position of the charging port 53 and the distance to the charging port 53 (the distance between the charging connector 13 and the charging port 53) from an image captured by, for example, the camera 23 installed at the tip of the arm mechanism 2. The shape of the charging port 53 of the vehicle 5 is standardized. Therefore, the position of the charging port 53 can be identified by performing pattern matching based on the image of the charging port 53 captured by the camera 23. Furthermore, the distance from the charging connector 13 gripped by the arm mechanism 2 to the charging port 53 can be identified by obtaining depth information using a 3D (three-dimensional) camera as the camera 23.

[0032] The communication unit 22 is configured by, for example, a LAN interface board, a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication, etc. The communication unit 22 exchanges information with, for example, the charger 1 and the control device 3 through communication via the network N.

[0033] Camera 23 is used to capture an image of charging port 53. Camera 23 is provided at the tip of arm mechanism 2 (arm mechanism main body). It is preferable to use a 3D camera as camera 23, which is capable of acquiring information in the depth direction.

[0034] (Control device 3) The control device 3 controls the charger 1, the arm mechanism 2, and the multiple vehicles 5. The control device 3 performs, for example, charging control of the charger 1, control of the operation of the arm mechanism 2, control of the infrastructure equipment 4, and driving control (movement control) of the vehicles 5. The control device 3 is realized, for example, by a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or a personal computer, or a server located on the cloud. Note that the control device 3 may be configured with separate hardware depending on the control target (charger 1, arm mechanism 2, infrastructure equipment 4, vehicles 5). Furthermore, the function of the control device 3 that controls charging of the charger 1 may be performed by the control panel 7.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 1 , the control device 3 includes a control unit 31 and a communication unit 32 .

[0036] The control unit 31 is realized by a processor such as a CPU, and a memory (main storage unit) such as a RAM, a ROM, etc. Specific processing contents of the control unit 31 will be described below.

[0037] The control unit 31 controls the traveling of the vehicle 5 based on information (e.g., position information of the vehicle 5) acquired from the infrastructure facility 4. The control unit 31 also remotely controls the vehicle 5 to move the vehicle 5 within a predetermined range (the operating range of the arm mechanism 2).

[0038] For example, the control unit 31 accepts a charging reservation for the vehicle 5 from a user (e.g., a driver) of the vehicle 5. This charging reservation may be accepted based on information input into an information terminal carried by the user (e.g., a smartphone connected to the network N), or may be accepted based on information input into an in-vehicle terminal (e.g., a car navigation system connected to the network N) by the user.

[0039] As the vehicle 5's turn to be charged approaches, the control unit 31 uses the location information of the vehicle 5 acquired from the infrastructure 4, etc., to automatically drive the vehicle 5 from the parking space where the vehicle 5 is parked to the waiting space Sp2, and then automatically parks the vehicle 5, as shown in Fig. 5. By moving the vehicle 5 to be charged to the waiting space Sp2 in advance and leaving it waiting, the time required to switch vehicles 5 to be charged can be minimized, and the availability of the charger 1 can be improved.

[0040] Subsequently, when it is the vehicle 5's turn to be charged, the control unit 31 uses the position information of the vehicle 5, etc., obtained from the infrastructure 4, to automatically drive the vehicle 5 from the waiting space Sp2 to the charging space Sp1 and then automatically park the vehicle 5. Then, the control unit 31 causes the arm mechanism 2 to grasp the charging connector 13, inserts the charging connector 13 into the charging port 53, and starts charging using the charger 1.

[0041] Subsequently, when charging of vehicle 5 is completed, control unit 31 causes arm mechanism 2 to grip charging connector 13 again and removes charging connector 13 from charging port 53. Next, using the position information of vehicle 5 acquired from infrastructure facility 4, control unit 31 causes vehicle 5 to automatically drive from charging space Sp1 to waiting space Sp2, and then automatically parks vehicle 5.

[0042] When parking the vehicle 5 in the charging space Sp1, the control unit 31 parks the vehicle 5 so that the charging port 53 faces the charger 1. For example, when charging a vehicle 5 whose charging port 53 is located on the front left side, as shown in Fig. 3 , the vehicle 5 is parked in the charging space Sp1 to the right of the charger 1 with the front of the vehicle facing upward on the paper and the rear of the vehicle facing downward on the paper so that the charging port 53 is on the left side. Conversely, the vehicle 5 is parked in the charging space Sp1 to the left of the charger 1 with the front of the vehicle facing downward on the paper so that the charging port 53 is on the right side.

[0043] Depending on the model of vehicle 5, charging port 53 may be located on the front right side or rear right side of vehicle 5, opposite to that shown in Fig. 3. In this case, for example, in the example of two vehicles 5 shown in Fig. 3, vehicle 5 is parked in charging space Sp1 on the right side of charger 1 with the front of the vehicle facing downward on the paper and the rear of the vehicle facing upward on the paper so that charging port 53 is on the left side. Conversely, vehicle 5 is parked in charging space Sp1 on the left side of charger 1 with the front of the vehicle facing upward on the paper so that charging port 53 is on the right side.

[0044] The control unit 31 charges two or more vehicles 5 simultaneously by operating the charging connectors 13 with one arm mechanism 2. In this case, as shown in FIG. 6 , the control unit 31 moves a first vehicle 5 (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle A") to a predetermined position (charging space Sp1 on the right side of the page). Next, the control unit 31 causes the arm mechanism 2 to grip the charging connector 13A of the first charger 1 (charger 1 on the upper side of the page). Next, the control unit 31 inserts the charging connector 13A gripped by the arm mechanism 2 into the charging port 53 of vehicle A, and starts charging vehicle A.

[0045] Next, as shown in Fig. 7 , the control unit 31 moves the second vehicle 5 (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle B") to a predetermined position (charging space Sp1 on the left side of the page). Next, the control unit 31 causes the arm mechanism 2 to grip the charging connector 13B of the second charger 1 (the charger 1 on the lower side of the page). Next, while vehicle A is being charged, the control unit 31 inserts the charging connector 13B gripped by the arm mechanism 2 into the charging port 53 of vehicle B, and starts charging vehicle B.

[0046] In this way, in the charging system according to this embodiment, two or more charging connectors 13A, 13B can be operated by one arm mechanism 2, and two or more vehicles 5 can be simultaneously charged. As a result, the charging turnover rate can be increased.

[0047] 6 and 7 , before vehicle A stops at a predetermined position (charging space Sp1 on the right side of the paper), the control unit 31 may have the arm mechanism 2 grip the charging connector 13A of the first charger 1 (charger 1 on the upper side of the paper) in advance and wait for the vehicle to stop. Similarly, before vehicle B stops at a predetermined position (charging space Sp1 on the left side of the paper), the control unit 31 may have the arm mechanism 2 grip the charging connector 13B of the second charger 1 (charger 1 on the lower side of the paper) in advance and wait for the vehicle to stop.

[0048] 6 and 7 , the "predetermined position" refers to charging space Sp1. In the examples of FIGS. 6 and 7 , when charging only one vehicle 5, control unit 31 may insert charging connector 13A (or charging connector 13B) into charging port 53 and then return arm mechanism 2 to a predetermined standby position to keep it on standby. Alternatively, control unit 31 may remove charging connector 13A (or charging connector 13B) from charging port 53 and then return arm mechanism 2 to a predetermined standby position to keep it on standby. In addition, control unit 31 may return arm mechanism 2 to a predetermined standby position to keep it on standby, for example, when there is no vehicle 5 waiting to be charged next or when there is no vehicle 5 that has already completed charging.

[0049] Furthermore, while the first vehicle 5 (vehicle A) is being charged, the control unit 31 may move the second vehicle 5 (vehicle B) to a range where the charging connector 13B of the second charger 1 can be inserted using the arm mechanism 2. This allows the second vehicle 5 to be charged quickly.

[0050] Furthermore, when charging of the first vehicle 5 (vehicle A) is completed, control unit 31 moves arm mechanism 2 to the position of charging port 53 of first vehicle 5, unlocks charging connector 13A, and then causes arm mechanism 2 to remove charging connector 13A from charging port 53 of first vehicle 5. Furthermore, when charging of the second vehicle 5 (vehicle B) is completed, control unit 31 moves arm mechanism 2 to the position of charging port 53 of the second vehicle 5, unlocks charging connector 13B, and then causes arm mechanism 2 to remove charging connector 13B from charging port 53 of the second vehicle 5.

[0051] In this way, in the charging system according to the embodiment, the charging connectors 13A, 13B are held by the arm mechanism 2 in advance and wait before the vehicle 5 arrives at the charging space Sp1, thereby further increasing the charging turnover rate.

[0052] In addition, in the examples of Figures 6 and 7, the control unit 31 may determine whether to immediately remove the charging connectors 13A, 13B from the vehicle A currently being charged, depending on whether the following vehicle B is nearby (whether charging can be performed immediately for vehicle B).

[0053] In this case, when charging of vehicle A is completed and vehicle B is parked in a predetermined position (charging space Sp1 on the left side of the drawing), the control unit 31 uses the arm mechanism 2 to insert the charging connector 13B of the second charger 1 (the charger 1 on the lower side of the drawing) into the charging port 53 of vehicle B to start charging. Then, the control unit 31 removes the charging connector 13A of the first charger 1 (the charger 1 on the upper side of the drawing) from the charging port 53 of vehicle A. In other words, when charging of vehicle A is completed and vehicle B is parked in the charging space Sp1 and can be charged immediately, the control unit 31 prioritizes inserting the charging connector 13B into vehicle B over removing the charging connector 13A from vehicle A.

[0054] On the other hand, when charging of vehicle A is completed but vehicle B is not parked in a predetermined position (charging space Sp1 on the left side of the drawing), the control unit 31 uses the arm mechanism 2 to remove the charging connector 13A of the first charger 1 (the charger 1 on the upper side of the drawing) from the charging port 53 of vehicle A. Then, after vehicle B has stopped in the predetermined position, the control unit 31 inserts the charging connector 13B of the second charger 1 (the charger 1 on the lower side of the drawing) into the charging port 53 of vehicle B to start charging. In other words, when charging of vehicle A is completed but vehicle B is not parked in the charging space Sp1 and cannot be charged immediately, the control unit 31 prioritizes removing the charging connector 13A from vehicle A over inserting the charging connector 13B into vehicle B.

[0055] As described above, in the charging system according to the embodiment, when a single arm mechanism 2 operates multiple charging connectors 13A, 13B, it is determined whether to first remove charging connector 13A, 13B from vehicle 5 or insert another charging connector 13A, 13B into another vehicle 5, depending on the level of charging congestion. For example, when charging is congested, if insertion of charging connector 13A, 13B is ready first, priority is given to insertion into another vehicle 5, even if the removal is completed later. On the other hand, when charging is not congested, priority is given to removal of charging connector 13A, 13B before insertion into another vehicle 5 begins.

[0056] In this way, in the charging system according to the embodiment, the charging turnover rate can be further increased by efficiently inserting the charging connectors 13A, 13B into the multiple vehicles 5 and removing the charging connectors 13A, 13B from the multiple vehicles 5.

[0057] Here, if one charger 1 is equipped with multiple charging connectors 13, it is possible to charge more vehicles 5 simultaneously. Below, an example of charging four vehicles 5 using one arm mechanism 2 and two chargers 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 15 . The following description will be given on the assumption that the charger 1 is equipped with two charging connectors 13. In addition, in the following description, of the four vehicles 5, the first vehicle 5 will be referred to as "vehicle A," the second vehicle 5 as "vehicle B," the third vehicle 5 as "vehicle C," and the fourth vehicle 5 as "vehicle D." In addition, in the following description, the total of four charging connectors 13 will be referred to as charging connectors 13A, 13B, 13C, and 13D.

[0058] First, the control unit 31 parks the vehicles 5 lined up front and behind each other in the direction of vehicle travel. For example, as shown in Fig. 8 , the control unit 31 parks vehicles A and C lined up front and behind in the charging space Sp1 at the bottom of the page, and parks vehicles B and D lined up front and behind in the charging space Sp1 at the top of the page. Next, as shown in Fig. 8 , the control unit 31 inserts the charging connector 13A of the first charger 1 (the charger 1 on the right side of the page) held by the arm mechanism 2 into the charging port 53 of vehicle A.

[0059] Next, as shown in Fig. 9 , the control unit 31 moves vehicles A and C forward and then starts charging vehicle A. Also, as shown in Fig. 9 , the control unit 31 inserts the charging connector 13B of the second charger 1 (the charger 1 on the left side of the page) held by the arm mechanism 2 into the charging port 53 of vehicle B.

[0060] 9 , the timing for gripping charging connector 13B by arm mechanism 2 and the timing for inserting the gripped charging connector 13B into charging port 53 of vehicle B may be any time after charging connector 13A is removed from charging port 53 of vehicle A. In other words, gripping of charging connector 13B by arm mechanism 2 and insertion of charging connector 13B into charging port 53 of vehicle B may be performed before vehicle A starts moving forward, or these operations may be performed while or after vehicle A starts moving forward.

[0061] Next, as shown in Fig. 10 , the control unit 31 moves vehicles B and D backward, and then starts charging vehicle B. Also, as shown in Fig. 10 , the control unit 31 inserts the charging connector 13C of the first charger 1 (the charger 1 on the right side of the page) held by the arm mechanism 2 into the charging port 53 of vehicle C, and starts charging vehicle C.

[0062] 10 , the timing for gripping charging connector 13C by arm mechanism 2 and the timing for inserting the gripped charging connector 13C into charging port 53 of vehicle C may be any time after charging connector 13B is removed from charging port 53 of vehicle B. In other words, gripping of charging connector 13C by arm mechanism 2 and insertion of charging connector 13C into charging port 53 of vehicle C may be performed before vehicle B moves backward, or these operations may be performed while or after vehicle B moves backward.

[0063] Next, the control unit 31 inserts the charging connector 13D of the second charger 1 (the charger 1 on the left side of the drawing) held by the arm mechanism 2 into the charging port 53 of the vehicle D, as shown in FIG.

[0064] Next, as shown in Fig. 12 , the control unit 31 moves vehicles A and C backward and moves vehicles B and D forward, and then starts charging vehicle D. Also, as shown in Fig. 12 , the control unit 31 causes the arm mechanism 2 to grasp the charging connector 13A of the first charger 1 (the charger 1 on the right side of the page), and removes the charging connector 13A from the charging port 53 of vehicle A, for which charging has been completed.

[0065] Next, the control unit 31 moves the vehicles A and C forward, and automatically drives the vehicle A from the charging space Sp1 to the waiting space Sp2, as shown in Fig. 13. Also, as shown in Fig. 13, the control unit 31 causes the arm mechanism 2 to grasp the charging connector 13B of the second charger 1 (the charger 1 on the left side of the page), and removes the charging connector 13B from the charging port 53 of the vehicle B, for which charging has been completed.

[0066] Next, the control unit 31 causes vehicles B and D to move backward, and causes vehicle B to automatically travel from the charging space Sp1 to the waiting space Sp2, as shown in Fig. 14. Also, as shown in Fig. 14, the control unit 31 causes the arm mechanism 2 to grasp the charging connector 13C of the first charger 1 (the charger 1 on the right side of the page), and removes the charging connector 13C from the charging port 53 of vehicle C, for which charging has been completed.

[0067] Next, the control unit 31 causes the vehicle C to automatically travel from the charging space Sp1 to the waiting space Sp2, as shown in Fig. 15. Also, as shown in Fig. 15, the control unit 31 causes the arm mechanism 2 to grasp the charging connector 13D of the second charger 1 (the charger 1 on the left side of the page) and removes the charging connector 13D from the charging port 53 of the vehicle D that has completed charging. Next, the control unit 31 causes the vehicle D to automatically travel from the charging space Sp1 to the waiting space Sp2. This completes the charging of the four vehicles 5.

[0068] Here, for example, when focusing on charging vehicles A and C using charging space Sp1 on the same side of arm mechanism 2, control unit 31 performs the following process. First, control unit 31 grasps charging connector 13A and operates arm mechanism 2 to insert charging connector 13A into charging port 53 of vehicle A that has been moved within a predetermined range (the operating range of arm mechanism 2) (see FIG. 8 ). Then, control unit 31 operates arm mechanism 2 to release grip of charging connector 13A with charging connector 13A inserted into charging port 53 of vehicle A, thereby releasing grip of charging connector 13A. Then, control unit 31 grasps charging connector 13B and operates arm mechanism 2 to insert charging connector 13B into charging port 53 of vehicle B that has been moved within the predetermined range (see FIG. 9 ).

[0069] Furthermore, after charging connector 13A is inserted into charging port 53 of vehicle A, control unit 31 moves vehicle A from within the predetermined range with charging connector 13A inserted into charging port 53 of vehicle A (see FIG. 9 ). Furthermore, control unit 31 moves vehicle A from the predetermined position with charging connector 13A inserted into charging port 53 of vehicle A as described above, and after vehicle A has completed moving out of the predetermined range, control unit 31 completes moving vehicle C into the predetermined range (see FIG. 9 ).

[0070] 9 shows an example in which vehicle A and vehicle C move (forward) at the same time, but vehicle A and vehicle C may move at different times. For example, it is also possible that vehicle C is in another location (e.g., waiting space Sp2) at the stage in FIG. 8. In this case, as described above, it is sufficient that vehicle A moves out of the predetermined range and then vehicle C completes its movement into the predetermined range.

[0071] Additionally, simultaneously with or while vehicle A is being charged, control unit 31 moves vehicle C to a range where charging connector 13C can be inserted using arm mechanism 2, and starts charging vehicle C (see FIG. 10 ). After charging connector 13C is inserted into charging port 53 of vehicle C, control unit 31 moves vehicle C from within the predetermined range with charging connector 13C inserted into the charging port of vehicle C (see FIG. 12 ). Thereafter, control unit 31 moves vehicle A with charging connector 13A inserted into charging port 53 of vehicle A, within the predetermined range (see FIG. 12 ).

[0072] As described above, in the charging system according to the embodiment, by charging multiple vehicles 5 while moving them within the charging space Sp1, one arm mechanism 2 can operate two or more charging connectors 13A, 13B, 13C, and 13D, and two or more vehicles 5 can be charged simultaneously. As a result, the charging turnover rate can be increased. As a result, the charging turnover rate can be increased. Furthermore, in the charging system according to the embodiment, because charging multiple vehicles 5 is performed while moving them within the charging space Sp1, the charging turnover rate can be maintained without having to secure a separate parking space.

[0073] Furthermore, in conventional charging systems, unless a wide operating range (movement range) of the arm mechanism is ensured, there is a risk that many charging connectors cannot be inserted into and removed from the charging ports of many vehicles. On the other hand, in the charging system according to the embodiment, even if a wide operating range of the arm mechanism 2 is not ensured, the operation of the arm mechanism 2 is controlled while multiple vehicles 5 are moved to predetermined positions (charging spaces Sp1) based on the operating range of the arm mechanism 2, and multiple vehicles 5 are charged in parallel. This makes it possible to insert and remove many charging connectors 13 into and from the charging ports 53 of many vehicles 5, thereby increasing the charging turnover rate.

[0074] 8 to 15, before vehicles A and C stop at a predetermined position (for example, a position where arm mechanism 2 can insert charging connectors 13A and 13C), control unit 31 may cause arm mechanism 2 to grip charging connectors 13A and 13C of first charger 1 (charger 1 on the right side of the paper) in advance and have charge connectors 13B and 13D of second charger 1 (charger 1 on the left side of the paper) in advance and have charge connectors 13B and 13D of second charger 1 (charger 1 on the left side of the paper) in advance and have charge connectors 13B and 13D of second charger 1 in advance and have charge connectors ...

[0075] 8 to 15 , the "predetermined position" refers to the operating range of arm mechanism 2, or the range into which arm mechanism 2 can insert charging connector 13. In the examples of FIGS. 8 to 15 , when charging only one vehicle 5, control unit 31 may return arm mechanism 2 to a predetermined standby position after inserting charging connectors 13A, 13B, 13C, and 13D into charging port 53. Alternatively, control unit 31 may return arm mechanism 2 to a predetermined standby position after removing charging connectors 13A, 13B, 13C, and 13D from charging port 53. In addition, control unit 31 may return arm mechanism 2 to a predetermined standby position to keep it on standby, for example, when there is no vehicle 5 waiting to be charged next or when there is no vehicle 5 that has already completed charging.

[0076] Furthermore, when charging of a first vehicle 5 (e.g., vehicle A) is completed, the control unit 31 moves the arm mechanism 2 to the position of the charging port 53 of the first vehicle 5, unlocks charging connector 13A, and then uses the arm mechanism 2 to remove charging connector 13A from the charging port 53 of the first vehicle 5. When charging of a second vehicle 5 (e.g., vehicle B) is completed, the control unit 31 moves the arm mechanism 2 to the position of the charging port 53 of the second vehicle 5, unlocks charging connector 13B, and then uses the arm mechanism 2 to remove charging connector 13B from the charging port 53 of the second vehicle 5. When charging of a third vehicle 5 (e.g., vehicle C) is completed, the control unit 31 moves the arm mechanism 2 to the position of the charging port 53 of the third vehicle 5, unlocks charging connector 13C, and then uses the arm mechanism 2 to remove charging connector 13C from the charging port 53 of the third vehicle 5. In addition, when charging of a fourth vehicle 5 (for example, vehicle D) is completed, the control unit 31 moves the arm mechanism 2 to the position of the charging port 53 of the fourth vehicle 5, unlocks the charging connector 13D, and then uses the arm mechanism 2 to remove the charging connector 13D from the charging port 53 of the fourth vehicle 5.

[0077] 9, charging of vehicle A is started after vehicles A and C are moved forward, but charging of vehicle A may also be started after vehicles A and C are moved backward. Also, in FIG. 10, charging of vehicle B is started after vehicles B and D are moved backward, but charging of vehicle B may also be started after vehicles B and D are moved forward.

[0078] In addition, in FIG. 9 , vehicles A and C are parked facing the same direction because charging port 53 is provided on the same side (front left) of vehicles A and C. However, depending on the location of charging port 53, vehicles A and C may face different directions. For example, if charging port 53 of vehicle C is located on the front right side, the direction of vehicle C in FIG. 9 will also be opposite. In this case, when vehicle A moves forward, vehicle C moves backward, and when vehicle A moves backward, vehicle C moves forward. In other words, depending on the location of charging port 53, the operation of vehicles A and C may differ. The same is true for vehicles B and D.

[0079] 8 to 15 are based on the assumption that charging of vehicle A will be completed earlier than charging of vehicle C, but it is also possible that charging of vehicle C will be completed earlier than charging of vehicle A. In this case, at the time shown in FIG. 11 , the control unit 31 causes the arm mechanism 2 to grip the charging connector 13C of the first charger 1 (the charger 1 on the right side of the drawing) and removes the charging connector 13C from the charging port 53 of vehicle C for which charging has been completed. Next, after moving vehicles A and C backward, the control unit 31 causes the arm mechanism 2 to grip the charging connector 13A of the first charger 1 (the charger 1 on the right side of the drawing) and removes the charging connector 13A from the charging port 53 of vehicle A for which charging has been completed. The same applies when charging of vehicle D is completed earlier than charging of vehicle B.

[0080] In this way, in the charging system according to the embodiment, the charging connector 13 is held by the arm mechanism 2 in advance and waits before the vehicle 5 arrives at the charging space Sp1, thereby further increasing the charging turnover rate.

[0081] The communication unit 32 is configured by, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface board, a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication, etc. The communication unit 32 exchanges information with, for example, the charger 1, the arm mechanism 2, the infrastructure equipment 4, and the vehicle 5 through communication via the network N.

[0082] (Infrastructure 4) The infrastructure 4 is for realizing, for example, automatic driving of the vehicle 5 in a parking lot and automatic parking using advanced parking (advanced parking assistance function). For example, as shown in Fig. 5 , the infrastructure 4 is arranged around a charging space Sp1 for the vehicle 5, around a waiting space Sp2 for the vehicle 5, on the driving route of the vehicle 5 (on both sides of the driving route, etc.), etc.

[0083] As shown in FIG. 1 , the infrastructure facility 4 includes a control unit 41 , a communication unit 42 , and a sensor 43 .

[0084] The control unit 41 is realized by a processor such as a CPU, and a memory (main storage unit) such as a RAM, a ROM, etc. The control unit 41 transmits, for example, information about the position of the vehicle 5 detected by the sensor 43 to the control device 3.

[0085] The communication unit 42 is configured by, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface board, a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication, etc. The communication unit 42 exchanges information with, for example, the control device 3 and the vehicle 5 through communication via the network N.

[0086] The sensor 43 is configured by, for example, a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging, Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) sensor, a camera, etc.

[0087] (Vehicle 5) The vehicle 5 is an electrically powered vehicle that can be supplied with power, such as a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) or a battery electric vehicle (BEV). The vehicle 5 may be, for example, an autonomous vehicle that can travel autonomously without operation by a driver. The vehicle 5 may also be equipped with an automatic parking function that automatically parks the vehicle or a parking assist function that assists with parking.

[0088] As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle 5 includes a control unit 51, a communication unit 52, and a charging port 53. Note that Fig. 1 illustrates only the components of the vehicle 5 that are essential for realizing the power supply system according to the embodiment, and does not illustrate the other components.

[0089] The control unit 51 is an electronic control unit (ECU) whose main components are a microcomputer including, for example, a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc. The control unit 51 executes various programs to comprehensively control the operations of various components of the vehicle 5.

[0090] The control unit 51 performs, for example, automatic driving and automatic parking in a parking lot based on instructions from the control device 3. For example, when a user of the vehicle 5 reserves charging using the charger 1, the user drives the vehicle 5 to the parking lot where the charger 1 is installed and parks the vehicle 5 in a parking space within the parking lot. Then, when the user gets out of the vehicle 5, the user opens the cover of the charging port 54 (hereinafter referred to as the "charging port cover") and leaves the parking space.

[0091] When the vehicle 5's turn to charge approaches, the control unit 51 automatically drives the vehicle 5 from the parking space to the waiting space Sp2 and then automatically parks it in accordance with instructions from the control device 3. Then, when the vehicle 5's turn to charge arrives, the control unit 51 automatically drives the vehicle 5 from the waiting space Sp2 to the charging space Sp1 and then automatically parks it in accordance with instructions from the control device 3. Then, the charging connector 13 held by the arm mechanism 2 is inserted into the charging port 53, and charging begins.

[0092] Next, when charging is completed, the arm mechanism 2 removes the charging connector 13 from the charging port 53. Next, in accordance with instructions from the control device 3, the control unit 51 automatically drives the vehicle 5 from the charging space Sp1 to the waiting space Sp2, and then automatically parks the vehicle 5.

[0093] The communication unit 52 is configured by, for example, a DCM (Data Communication Module), etc. The communication unit 52 exchanges information with, for example, the charger 1, the arm mechanism 2, the control device 3, and the infrastructure equipment 4 through communication via the network N.

[0094] The charging port (inlet) 53 is for receiving a supply of power from the charger 1. When the charging connector 13 of the charger 1 is inserted into this charging port 53, the power from the charger 1 is stored in a battery of the vehicle 5 (not shown). In the examples of FIGS. 2 to 4 , the charging port 53 is located on the front left side of the vehicle 5, but it may also be located on the rear left side, front right side, rear right side, front center, rear center, etc. of the vehicle 5.

[0095] The cradle 6 is installed, for example, in a parking lot or the like that can accumulate vehicles 5. The cradle 6 can be installed in any type of parking lot, such as a flat parking lot, a mechanical multi-story parking lot, or a self-propelled multi-story parking lot. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 , the cradle 6 is equipped with a charger 1, an arm mechanism 2, and a control panel 7. In this embodiment, two chargers 1 are installed on the cradle 6, allowing two or more vehicles 5 to be charged simultaneously.

[0096] When the charger 1 is installed in a parking lot, it is installed on a rack unit basis. That is, the charger 1, arm mechanism 2, and control panel 7 are installed on the rack 6 in advance at a factory or the like, and after adjusting the operation of the arm mechanism 2 (robot teaching), aligning the charger 1 and arm mechanism 2, and completing wiring work, the rack 6 is transported to the parking lot and installed (e.g., anchored). By installing on a rack unit basis in this way, the degree of freedom in installing the charger 1 and arm mechanism 2 is improved and installation costs can be minimized.

[0097] (Charging Method) The flow of the charging method executed by the charging system according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0098] First, the user makes a reservation for charging (step S1). This reservation for charging may be made, for example, through an information terminal carried by the user (e.g., a smartphone connected to the network N) or through an in-vehicle terminal (e.g., a car navigation system connected to the network N).

[0099] Next, the control device 3 acquires charging reservation information from the information terminal or the in-vehicle terminal (step S2). This reservation information includes information necessary for charging the vehicle 5 by the charger 1.

[0100] The reservation information includes, for example, information for identifying the user (e.g., a user ID, etc.), information related to the date and time the charging reservation was sent, information related to the date and time the charging is desired, etc. The reservation information also includes other information for identifying the vehicle 5 (e.g., a vehicle number, etc.), information related to the location of the charging port 53 of the vehicle 5, information related to the remaining battery capacity (SOC: State Of Charge) of the vehicle 5, the current location of the vehicle 5, etc. Note that "information related to the location of the charging port 53" is, for example, information related to where the charging port 53 is located among the front left side, rear left side, front right side, rear right side, front center, and rear center of the vehicle 5.

[0101] Next, the control device 3 determines the charging order of the vehicles 5 for which reservations have been accepted (step S3). In step S3, the charging order of the vehicles 5 is determined based on, for example, the number of other vehicles 5 for which charging reservations have been accepted at the same time or around the same time, and the time until charging is completed predicted from the remaining battery power of the other vehicles 5. Also, in step S3, the control device 3 transmits information about the determined order (order information) to the vehicles 5 (and the user's information terminal and in-vehicle terminal).

[0102] Next, the user parks the vehicle 5 in a parking space in the parking lot (the parking lot where the charger 1 is installed) (step S4). Next, the user gets out of the vehicle 5, opens the charging port cover (step S5), and leaves the parking space.

[0103] Next, the vehicle 5 automatically drives from the parking space to the waiting space Sp2 based on instructions from the control device 3 (step S6). Then, when the vehicle's turn for charging arrives, the vehicle 5 automatically drives from the waiting space Sp2 to the charging space Sp1 based on instructions from the control device 3 (step S7).

[0104] When vehicle 5 stops in charging space Sp1, control device 3 transmits an instruction (gripping instruction) to arm mechanism 2 to grip charging connector 13 (step S8). In response to this, arm mechanism 2 grips charging connector 13 (step S9) and moves charging connector 13 to the vicinity of charging port 53. Next, arm mechanism 2 detects the position of charging port 53, for example, by pattern matching based on an image of charging port 53 (step S10), and inserts charging connector 13 into charging port 53 (step S11).

[0105] Next, arm mechanism 2 locks charging connector 13 using a locking mechanism (not shown) or the like to prevent charging connector 13 from coming off charging port 53 (step S12), then releases its grip on charging connector 13 and returns to a predetermined standby position (step S13). An example of the "predetermined standby position" is a position where the entire arm mechanism 2 is within the range of base 6 (a position where it does not extend beyond base 6), as shown in FIG. 1 . In addition, in step S13, arm mechanism 2 transmits information about its current operating state (e.g., its current position, whether charging connector 13 is locked, etc.) to control device 3.

[0106] Here, the arm mechanism 2 returns to the predetermined standby position as in S13, for example, when there is no other vehicle 5 waiting to be charged next, or when there is no other vehicle 5 that has already been charged. For example, if there is another vehicle 5 waiting to be charged next, the arm mechanism 2 does not return to the predetermined standby position (without performing step S13), and directly performs the processing of step S9 and subsequent steps for the other vehicle 5. Also, for example, if there is another vehicle 5 that has already been charged next, the arm mechanism 2 does not return to the predetermined standby position (without performing step S13), and directly performs the processing of step S17 and subsequent steps for the other vehicle 5.

[0107] Next, the control device 3 transmits information (charging start instruction information) to the charger 1 instructing the charger 1 to start charging the vehicle 5 (step S14). Next, the charger 1 starts charging the vehicle 5 (step S15). Next, when charging of the vehicle 5 is completed (step S16), the charger 1 transmits information (charging completion information) indicating that charging is completed to the arm mechanism 2.

[0108] Next, arm mechanism 2 unlocks charging connector 13 (step S17), grips charging connector 13 (step S18), and removes charging connector 13 from charging port 53 (step S19). Next, arm mechanism 2 returns the removed charging connector 13 to a predetermined position on charger 1 (e.g., the side surface of charger 1) (step S20), releases its grip on charging connector 13, and returns to a predetermined standby position (step S21).

[0109] Here, the arm mechanism 2 returns to the predetermined standby position as in S21 when, for example, there is no other vehicle 5 waiting to be charged next, or there is no other vehicle 5 that has already been fully charged. For example, if there is another vehicle 5 waiting to be charged next, the arm mechanism 2 does not return to the predetermined standby position (without performing step S21), and directly performs the processing of step S9 and subsequent steps for the other vehicle 5. Also, for example, if there is another vehicle 5 that has already been fully charged next, the arm mechanism 2 does not return to the predetermined standby position (without performing step S21), and directly performs the processing of step S17 and subsequent steps for the other vehicle 5.

[0110] Next, the vehicle 5 automatically travels from the charging space Sp1 to the waiting space Sp2 based on instructions from the control device 3 (step S22). Next, the user closes the charging port 53 in the waiting space Sp2, gets into the vehicle 5 (step S23), and exits the parking lot.

[0111] 16, when the vehicle 5 is traveling automatically in steps S6, S7, and S22, the control device 3 and the vehicle 5 are in constant communication to achieve the automatic traveling. In this case, the control device 3 identifies the location of the vehicle 5 based on information acquired from, for example, the infrastructure facility 4, and sequentially transmits to the vehicle 5 the locations of the waiting space Sp2 and the charging space Sp1, the traveling route to the waiting space Sp2 and the charging space Sp1, etc. In this way, the control device 3 controls the traveling of the vehicle 5 within the parking lot.

[0112] In the charging system according to the embodiment described above, a single fixed arm mechanism 2 operates multiple charging connectors 13 to simultaneously charge multiple vehicles 5. In this case, because the arm mechanism 2 itself cannot move, multiple vehicles 5 can be simultaneously charged by moving the vehicles 5 while the charging connectors 13 are inserted and charging is in progress.

[0113] As described above, the charging system according to the embodiment allows two or more vehicles 5 to be charged simultaneously with a simple configuration, thereby increasing the charging turnover rate. In particular, in the examples shown in FIGS. 8 to 15, a single arm mechanism 2 can charge up to four vehicles 5 simultaneously. As a result, it is possible to shorten the time users have to wait for charging, and to improve profitability when vehicle 5 charging is developed as a business. In the charging system according to the embodiment, charging is performed using the automatic driving and automatic parking of the vehicles 5, so users do not have to wait for charging, improving user convenience.

[0114] The charging system according to the embodiment is not limited to the above-described configuration, and may be implemented as the following modified examples, for example. Each modified example will be described below in order.

[0115] 8 to 15 show an example in which one charger 1 is provided with a plurality of charging connectors 13 (and charging cables 14), but one charger 1 may be configured to be provided with one charging connector 13 (and charging cable 14). In this case, by placing a total of four chargers 1 on the stand 6, it is possible to perform the same processing as in FIGS. 8 to 15 .

[0116] (Second Variant) In Figures 8 to 15, an example is shown in which the vehicles 5 automatically travel and change their positions to sequentially charge multiple vehicles 5, but the vehicles 5 may also be moved in other ways.

[0117] For example, if the charging system is installed in a mechanical multi-story parking lot or the like, the vehicle 5 with the charging connector 13 inserted may be lifted upward by a circulating carrier or the like to charge the next vehicle 5. Alternatively, the vehicle 5 with the charging connector 13 inserted may be lifted upward by another transport machine or the like to charge the next vehicle 5. Alternatively, rollers may be provided at the bottom of the charging space Sp1, and the vehicle 5 with the charging connector 13 inserted may be moved back and forth and left and right by the rollers to charge the next vehicle 5.

[0118] In this way, in the second variant, by moving the vehicle 5 using an external device, etc., charging can be performed even when the power to the vehicle 5 is turned off, thereby minimizing power consumption.

[0119] 8 to 15 , after charging is completed, the vehicle 5 is moved to the vicinity of the arm mechanism 2 and then the charging connector 13 is removed from the vehicle 5 (see, for example, vehicle A in FIG. 12 ). However, the charging connector 13 may be removed without moving the vehicle 5 to the vicinity of the arm mechanism 2. In this case, for example, when the vehicle 5 is located away from the arm mechanism 2 (see, for example, vehicle A in FIG. 11 ), the charging connector 13 can be removed using a separate simple device. Alternatively, a simple device for removing the charging connector 13 may be added to the charging connector 13 itself.

[0120] Furthermore, when comparing the operation of inserting charging connector 13 into charging port 53 with the operation of removing charging connector 13 from charging port 53, the operation of removing charging connector 13 is easier to control (for example, because it is not necessary to detect the position of charging port 53). Therefore, in the third modified example, as described above, by performing the insertion and removal of charging connector 13 using separate devices, it is possible to further increase the charging turnover rate and improve the profitability when developing the charging of vehicles 5 as a business.

[0121] (Fourth Modification) The control device 3 is constantly communicating with the charger 1, the arm mechanism 2, and the vehicle 5 via the network N, and thereby can constantly grasp the current status of the charger 1, the arm mechanism 2, and the vehicle 5. Examples of the status that the control device 3 can grasp include the status of charging the vehicle 5 by the charger 1, the current status of the arm mechanism 2, the current position of the arm mechanism 2, the current position of the vehicle 5, the remaining battery charge of the vehicle 5, etc.

[0122] In the fourth variant, the control device 3 can determine, for example, when the vehicle 5 will stop in the charging space Sp1, when the arm mechanism 2 can grab the charging connector 13, etc., thereby increasing the charging turnover rate.

[0123] (Fifth Modification) The control device 3 may control the movement of the next vehicle 5 to be charged (hereinafter referred to as the "booked vehicle"), for example, depending on the charging status of the vehicle 5 currently being charged. In this case, the control device 3 accepts reservations for charging using the charger 1 from multiple vehicles 5 via the network N. Next, the control device 3 acquires information about the charging status from the vehicle 5 currently being charged and, based on this information, predicts the time at which the booked vehicle will arrive at the charging space Sp1. Next, based on the predicted arrival time, the control device 3 automatically drives the booked vehicle so that the booked vehicle arrives at the charging space Sp1 just before charging of the vehicle 5 is completed. At this time, the control device 3 causes the booked vehicle to wait near the charging space Sp1 in a position that does not block the driving route of the vehicle 5 that has completed charging.

[0124] In this way, in the fifth variant, the charging turnover rate can be increased by taking into consideration the charging status of the vehicle 5 being charged and moving the reserved vehicle in advance to the vicinity of the charging space Sp1.

[0125] (Sixth Modification) Fig. 5 shows an example in which the charging space Sp1 and the waiting space Sp2 are separated, but the waiting space Sp2 before charging and the waiting space Sp2 after charging may be separated, for example, as shown in Fig. 17. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 18, for example, when the waiting space Sp2 before and after charging is the same, the travel route of the vehicle 5 before and after charging may be separated.

[0126] In this way, in the sixth variant, by separating the waiting space Sp2 before and after charging, and by separating the driving route of the vehicle 5 before and after charging, it is possible to prevent the waiting space Sp2 from becoming congested with vehicles 5 waiting to be charged, and to increase the charging turnover rate.

[0127] (Seventh Variant) When the control device 3 automatically drives the vehicle 5 between, for example, a parking space, a waiting space Sp2, and a charging space Sp1, the control device 3 may switch the direction of travel of the vehicle 5 depending on, for example, the position of the charging port 53 of the vehicle 5 or the position of the assigned charging space Sp1.

[0128] For example, in the case of vehicle A in Fig. 6, when charging port 53 is provided on the front left side of vehicle 5 and charging is performed in charging space Sp1 on the right side of the page, control device 3 causes vehicle 5 to travel forward between waiting space Sp2 and charging space Sp1. On the other hand, in the case of vehicle B in Fig. 6, when charging port 53 is provided on the front left side of vehicle 5 and charging is performed in charging space Sp1 on the left side of the page, control device 3 causes vehicle 5 to travel backward between waiting space Sp2 and charging space Sp1.

[0129] Furthermore, when causing the vehicle 5 to automatically travel between the parking space, the waiting space Sp2, and the charging space Sp1, the control device 3 may switch the travel route of the vehicle 5 depending on the level of congestion in the parking lot. Furthermore, the control device 3 may switch the travel direction and travel route of the vehicle 5 depending on the number of times the vehicle 5 turns between the parking space, the waiting space Sp2, and the charging space Sp1, the position of the charging port 53, etc.

[0130] In this way, in the seventh variant, by optimizing the direction and route of travel of the vehicle 5, it is possible to shorten the travel time between the parking space, waiting space Sp2, and charging space Sp1, and also to increase the charging turnover rate.

[0131] (Eighth Modification) The control device 3 may cause the next vehicle 5 to be charged to wait in the passage between the waiting space Sp2 and the charging space Sp1, for example, as shown in Fig. 19. This reduces the travel time between the waiting space Sp2 and the charging space Sp1 and increases the number of waiting slots for charging, thereby increasing the turnover rate of charging.

[0132] (Ninth Modification) The control device 3 may, for example, estimate the expected output of the chargers 1 and, based on the result, select a charger 1 that will charge the vehicle 5. In this case, the control device 3 accepts reservations for charging using the chargers 1 from multiple vehicles 5 via the network N. Next, when it is the control device 3's turn to charge, for example, a certain vehicle 5, the control device 3 acquires information about the temperature states of each charging connector 13 and each charging cable 14 from the multiple chargers 1. Next, the control device 3 estimates the expected output of each charger 1 based on this information and selects, from the multiple chargers 1, a charger 1 that meets, for example, the requirements of the vehicle 5. The control device 3 then inserts the charging connector 13 of the selected charger 1 into the charging port 53 of the vehicle 5 to perform charging.

[0133] In this way, in the ninth variant, the expected output of each charger 1 is estimated, and then the charger 1 to be used for charging is selected and used to charge the vehicle 5, thereby suppressing a decrease in charging speed and increasing the charging turnover rate.

[0134] Further advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0135] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Charger 11 Control unit 12 Communication unit 13, 13A, 13B, 13C, 13D Charging connector 14 Charging cable 2 Arm mechanism 21 Control unit 22 Communication unit 23 Camera 3 Control device 31 Control unit 32 Communication unit 4 Infrastructure equipment 41 Control unit 42 Communication unit 43 Sensor 5 Vehicle 51 Control unit 52 Communication unit 53 Charging port N Network Sp1 Charging space Sp2 Waiting space

Claims

1. A charging system comprising: a first charging connector and a second charging connector; an arm mechanism capable of gripping the first charging connector and the second charging connector and moving the first charging connector and the second charging connector within a predetermined range; and a control device that controls operation of the arm mechanism and movement of a first vehicle and a second vehicle, wherein the control device is configured to move the first vehicle and the second vehicle within the predetermined range, and to operate the arm mechanism to grip the first charging connector and insert the first charging connector into a charging port of the first vehicle that has been moved within the predetermined range, and then operate the arm mechanism to release the grip of the first charging connector with the first charging connector inserted into the charging port of the first vehicle, and after releasing the grip of the first charging connector, operate the arm mechanism to grip the second charging connector and insert the second charging connector into a charging port of the second vehicle that has been moved within the predetermined range.

2. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to, after the first charging connector is inserted into the charging port of the first vehicle, move the first vehicle out of the predetermined range with the first charging connector still inserted into the charging port of the first vehicle.

3. The charging system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the control device is configured to move the first vehicle out of a predetermined range with the first charging connector inserted into the charging port of the first vehicle, and to complete the movement of the second vehicle into the predetermined range after the first vehicle has completed moving out of the predetermined range.

4. The charging system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the control device is configured to move the second vehicle to a range where the second charging connector can be inserted by the arm mechanism simultaneously with or while the first vehicle is being charged, and start charging the second vehicle.

5. The charging system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the control device is configured to, after the second charging connector is inserted into the charging port of the second vehicle, move the second vehicle from within a predetermined range with the second charging connector inserted into the charging port of the second vehicle, and then move the first vehicle with the first charging connector inserted into the charging port of the first vehicle into the predetermined range.

6. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to park the first vehicle and the second vehicle side by side in the direction of vehicle travel.

7. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to return the arm mechanism to a predetermined standby position when there is no vehicle waiting to be charged next or when there is no vehicle that has already completed charging.

8. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to have the arm mechanism grip the first charging connector and have it wait before the first vehicle stops at a predetermined position, and to have the arm mechanism grip the second charging connector and have it wait before the second vehicle stops at a predetermined position.

9. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to: when charging of the first vehicle is completed and the second vehicle is parked at a predetermined position, insert the second charging connector into the charging port of the second vehicle using the arm mechanism to start charging, and then remove the first charging connector from the charging port of the first vehicle; and when charging of the first vehicle is completed and the second vehicle is not parked at a predetermined position, remove the first charging connector from the charging port of the first vehicle using the arm mechanism, and then insert the second charging connector into the charging port of the second vehicle to start charging.

10. The charging system according to claim 1 or claim 9, wherein the control device is configured to: when charging of the first vehicle is completed, move the arm mechanism to the position of the charging inlet of the first vehicle, unlock the charging connector, and then use the arm mechanism to remove the charging connector from the charging inlet of the first vehicle; and when charging of the second vehicle is completed, move the arm mechanism to the position of the charging inlet of the second vehicle, unlock the charging connector, and then use the arm mechanism to remove the charging connector from the charging inlet of the second vehicle.

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