Information output device, information output method, and recording medium

Abstract

This information output device comprises a first acquisition unit, a second acquisition unit, and an output unit. The first acquisition unit acquires travel information that includes at least a part of a travel route on which a vehicle has actually traveled, in a state in which the travel information is associated with vehicle information relating to the vehicle. The second acquisition unit acquires existing equipment information that is information relating to charging equipment which is present at a location satisfying a predetermined criterion relative to a location indicated by the travel information and which has performance corresponding to the vehicle information. The output unit uses the existing equipment information to generate candidate information indicating a location where charging equipment having performance corresponding to the vehicle information should be newly installed, and outputs the candidate information.

Description

Information Output Device, Information Output Method, and Recording Medium

[0001] The present invention relates to an information output device, an information output method, and a recording medium.

[0002] In order to popularize electric vehicles, it is necessary to popularize charging facilities. Regarding the popularization of charging facilities, Patent Document 1 describes a device that performs the following processes. First, this device calculates a power margin indicating the degree of power margin in a certain section of the power system diagram of a predetermined area. Also, this device calculates a geographical convenience degree indicating the degree of convenience when charging facilities related to an electric vehicle are arranged at a certain position on the map of a predetermined area. Further, this device superimposes the level of the power margin on a certain section of the power system diagram and superimposes the level of the geographical convenience degree on a certain position on the map. Then, this device displays both the power system diagram with the power margin superimposed and the map with the geographical convenience degree superimposed, and accepts an instruction for the arrangement of charging facilities.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013 - 246541

[0004] There are charging facilities with various performances. Therefore, when considering newly installing charging facilities, it is preferable to consider the installation locations for each performance of the charging facilities. However, this consideration requires labor.

[0005] An information output device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a first acquisition unit that acquires travel information including at least a part of a travel route actually traveled by a vehicle in a state linked to vehicle information regarding the vehicle; a second acquisition unit that acquires existing facility information which is information regarding a charging facility that exists at a position satisfying a predetermined criterion with respect to the position indicated by the travel information and has a performance corresponding to the vehicle information; and an output unit that generates and outputs candidate information indicating a place where a charging facility having a performance corresponding to the vehicle information should be newly installed, using the existing facility information.

[0006] One aspect of the information output method of this disclosure is that a computer acquires driving information, which includes at least a portion of the driving route actually traveled by the vehicle, linked to vehicle information relating to the vehicle; acquires existing equipment information, which is information relating to charging equipment that is located at a position that satisfies predetermined criteria relative to the location indicated by the driving information and has performance corresponding to the vehicle information; and uses the existing equipment information to generate and output candidate information indicating a location where new charging equipment having performance corresponding to the vehicle information should be installed.

[0007] One aspect of this disclosure includes a recording medium that stores a program on a computer that includes: a first acquisition means for acquiring driving information, which includes at least a portion of the driving route actually traveled by a vehicle, linked to vehicle information relating to the vehicle; a second acquisition means for acquiring existing equipment information, which is information relating to charging equipment located at a position that satisfies predetermined criteria with respect to the position indicated by the driving information and having performance corresponding to the vehicle information; and an output means for generating and outputting candidate information indicating a location where new charging equipment having performance corresponding to the vehicle information should be installed, using the existing equipment information.

[0008] According to one example of this disclosure, it becomes easier to consider the installation location for each type of charging equipment based on its performance.

[0009] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the information output device relating to this disclosure. This is a diagram showing an example of a screen output by the information output device. This is a diagram showing an example of a screen output by the information output device. This is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information output device. This is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed by the information output device.

[0010] In this disclosure, the drawings are associated with one or more embodiments. In all drawings, similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted where appropriate.

[0011] The information output device 10 is used, for example, by a business operator that manages charging facilities for electric vehicles, and generates and outputs information indicating locations where new charging facilities should be installed. Hereinafter, this information will be referred to as candidate information. The business operator uses the candidate information to determine locations where new charging facilities should be installed and then installs the charging facilities at those locations. It is believed that the spread of charging facilities will progress as this process is repeated. Note that the information output device 10 may also be used by persons other than the business operator.

[0012] A business that uses the information output device 10 is, for example, a logistics company that manages multiple vehicles for logistics, such as trucks. In this example, the vehicles managed by this business may be equipped with a diesel engine, a gasoline engine, or a motor and rechargeable battery as a power source. An example of a vehicle equipped with a motor and rechargeable battery is an electric vehicle. However, the business that uses the information output device 10 is not limited to a logistics company. For example, this business may primarily manage charging facilities.

[0013] The information output device 10 includes a first acquisition unit 110, a second acquisition unit 120, and an output unit 130.

[0014] The first acquisition unit 110 acquires driving information, including at least a portion of the driving route actually traveled by the vehicle, linked to vehicle information related to the vehicle. The second acquisition unit 120 acquires information about charging equipment that is located at a position that satisfies predetermined criteria relative to the location indicated by the driving information, and that has performance corresponding to the vehicle information linked to this driving information. Hereinafter, this information will be referred to as existing equipment information. The output unit 130 generates and outputs candidate information using the existing equipment information. This candidate information indicates a location where new charging equipment having performance corresponding to the vehicle information acquired by the first acquisition unit 110 should be installed.

[0015] Thus, the candidate information output by the output unit 130 indicates a location where a new charging facility with performance corresponding to the vehicle information acquired by the first acquisition unit 110 should be installed. Therefore, by using this candidate information, it becomes easy to consider the installation location for each performance level of the charging facility.

[0016] The details of the information output device 10 will be described below.

[0017] As described above, the first acquisition unit 110 acquires driving information, including at least a portion of the driving route actually traveled by the vehicle, linked to the vehicle information relating to that vehicle. For example, the first acquisition unit 110 acquires driving information linked to the vehicle information from a driving history storage unit that stores the driving history for each individual vehicle. However, the vehicle information may be stored in a storage device different from the driving history storage unit. It is preferable for the first acquisition unit 110 to acquire all driving history for multiple vehicles over multiple days as driving information. Multiple days may be, for example, more than one week and less than or equal to one year, but are not limited to this.

[0018] The driving history and driving information include at least the location during the drive and the date and time when that location was reached. The driving history also includes information indicating the origin, destination, and intermediate stops. Intermediate stops include places where rest stops were taken. The driving information may include information indicating at least one of the origin, destination, and intermediate stops.

[0019] The driving history storage unit may store only the driving history of vehicles managed by the business operator using the information output device 10, or it may store the driving history of vehicles managed by each of multiple businesses. In the latter case, the existing equipment storage unit may store information indicating the business operator managing each of the multiple vehicles. The driving history storage unit further stores vehicle information for each individual vehicle.

[0020] Vehicle information includes, for example, information indicating the type of vehicle. The type of vehicle includes, for example, information indicating the power source and the vehicle class. Information indicating the power source may, for example, indicate whether the vehicle is a gasoline vehicle, a diesel vehicle, or an electric vehicle. If the vehicle is an electric vehicle, the vehicle information may further include battery information relating to the rechargeable battery installed in the electric vehicle. Battery information includes, for example, at least one of the charging standard and capacity. Vehicle class is defined, for example, by the external shape, size, and size of the power source of the vehicle, but is not limited to these.

[0021] The first acquisition unit 110 may acquire both driving information and vehicle information. In this case, the output unit 130 classifies the driving information into multiple groups using at least one item included in the vehicle information, and generates candidate information for each classified group.

[0022] The first acquisition unit 110 may selectively acquire only driving information in which at least one of the items included in the vehicle information satisfies a specified condition. For example, the first acquisition unit 110 may acquire only driving information corresponding to a specific vehicle class, or only driving information corresponding to a rechargeable battery of a specific size. In this case as well, it can be said that the first acquisition unit 110 acquires the driving information while it is linked to the vehicle information.

[0023] The second acquisition unit 120 acquires existing equipment information. The second acquisition unit 120 acquires existing equipment information from, for example, the existing equipment storage unit, which stores various information about charging equipment. The existing equipment storage unit may store only information about charging equipment managed by the business operator using the information output device 10, or it may store information about charging equipment managed by each of multiple business operators. In the latter case, the existing equipment storage unit may store information indicating the business operator managing each of the multiple charging equipment. The existing equipment storage unit may also include information about charging equipment that is publicly available.

[0024] As described above, the existing equipment information is information about charging equipment that is located at a position that meets predetermined criteria relative to the location indicated by the driving information acquired by the first acquisition unit 110, and that has the performance corresponding to the vehicle information linked to this driving information. Hereinafter, the area that meets predetermined criteria relative to the location indicated by the driving information acquired by the first acquisition unit 110 will be referred to as the target area.

[0025] The predetermined criterion is, for example, that the charging equipment is located within a predetermined distance from a point indicated by the driving information, i.e., at least a part of the driving route. In this case, the target area is an area that follows the driving route and has a certain width. The predetermined distance used here may be set, for example, by the user of the information output device 10. Furthermore, this predetermined distance may be the same value for all locations, or it may be a different value depending on the region, for example, whether or not it is an urban area.

[0026] Alternatively, the specified criteria may be to select all areas within the municipalities that include at least a portion of the driving route. In this case, the target area will be the selected area itself.

[0027] If the vehicle to which the driving information is based is a vehicle with an internal combustion engine, such as a gasoline or diesel vehicle, the target area may be specified as follows. First, the output unit 130 identifies the capacity of the rechargeable battery, assuming that the internal combustion engine is replaced by a rechargeable battery and motor. An example of this process will be described later. The output unit 130 then identifies a point where the vehicle's cruising range falls below a standard value, assuming that the rechargeable battery is fully charged at the starting point of the driving route to which the driving information acquired by the first acquisition unit 110 is based, and that the vehicle travels along this driving route. The information output device 10 then designates an area that meets a predetermined standard relative to this point, for example, an area located within a predetermined distance from this point, as the target area. In this way, the second acquisition unit 120 can use information indicating the location of existing charging equipment that meets a predetermined standard relative to this point as existing equipment information.

[0028] Charging equipment can be classified, for example, by charging speed, i.e., output. In other words, some charging equipment has a high output and a fast charging speed, while others have a low output and a slow charging speed. "Charging equipment having performance corresponding to vehicle information linked to driving information" is, for example, charging equipment that, when charging a predetermined amount of power to a rechargeable battery having a capacity corresponding to the vehicle information and a predetermined SOC value, the required time is less than or equal to a standard value. This standard value for required time is set, for example, by the user of the information output device 10, but is not limited to this. Furthermore, if the vehicle information has a charging standard, it is preferable that "charging equipment having performance corresponding to the vehicle information" is charging equipment that complies with that charging standard.

[0029] Generally, for electric vehicles managed by logistics companies, charging equipment with short charging times is preferred. On the other hand, for electric vehicles used by the general public, a somewhat longer charging time may be acceptable. Specifically, when considering vehicles managed by logistics companies, short charging times are required, so it is desirable to install high-output charging equipment. On the other hand, when considering vehicles managed by the general public to be charged at a shopping mall, it is sufficient if charging can be completed while shopping, so low-output equipment is acceptable. Therefore, the above-mentioned required time may be changed depending on the attributes of the person using the information output device 10 (for example, whether or not they are a business operator). In this case, when a logistics company uses the information output device 10, the above-mentioned required time will be shorter compared to other cases.

[0030] Furthermore, the time required as described above may be changed depending on the vehicle class and battery capacity. For example, if the information output device 10 uses vehicle information corresponding to the vehicle class and battery capacity suitable for logistics vehicles, the time required as described above may be shorter compared to other cases.

[0031] In this case, if the vehicle subject to the driving information is an electric vehicle, the capacity of the "rechargeable battery having the capacity corresponding to the vehicle information" is the capacity of the rechargeable battery installed in that vehicle.

[0032] On the other hand, if the vehicle subject to the driving information is a vehicle with an internal combustion engine, such as a gasoline or diesel vehicle, the capacity of the "rechargeable battery having a capacity corresponding to the vehicle information" indicates the capacity of the rechargeable battery if the internal combustion engine were replaced with a rechargeable battery and motor. The process of determining the capacity of the rechargeable battery if the internal combustion engine were replaced with a rechargeable battery and motor may be performed by the first acquisition unit 110 or by the second acquisition unit 120. The following explanation will assume that the first acquisition unit 110 performs this process.

[0033] An example of this process is as follows. First, the vehicle information includes information that allows for the identification of the capacity of a rechargeable battery, assuming that the internal combustion engine is replaced by a rechargeable battery and motor. This information includes, for example, the type of internal combustion engine and at least one of the engine size and output. The first acquisition unit 110 then uses this information to estimate the capacity of the rechargeable battery. For example, the first acquisition unit 110 estimates the capacity of the rechargeable battery from at least one of the engine size and output according to predetermined rules. These rules are, for example, prepared in advance as conversion tables for each type of internal combustion engine. Alternatively, the first acquisition unit 110 may estimate the capacity of the rechargeable battery from the vehicle class according to predetermined rules. In this case as well, the rules are, for example, prepared in advance as conversion tables.

[0034] Furthermore, if the vehicle subject to the driving information has an internal combustion engine, the capacity of the "charging equipment having the performance corresponding to the vehicle information" is, for example, a charging equipment that, when charging a predetermined amount of power to a rechargeable battery having the capacity identified by the above-described process and whose SOC is a predetermined value, the required time is less than or equal to a standard value.

[0035] The information included in the existing equipment information includes, for example, information indicating the installation location of the charging equipment, information indicating the type of charging equipment, information indicating the operating rate of the charging equipment, and at least one of the number of chargers. Here, the information indicating the installation location may be an address or latitude and longitude information. Charging equipment can be classified into several types, for example, by the output level. For this reason, information indicating the performance of the charging equipment can be used as an example of information indicating the type of charging equipment. Information indicating performance may include, for example, at least one of the charging standard and charging speed. The number of chargers may further include information indicating whether or not additional chargers have been added or shut down since installation, and the number of such additions or shutdowns.

[0036] The second acquisition unit 120 may select charging equipment to be included in the existing equipment information from charging equipment managed by the business operator using the information output device 10, or it may also select charging equipment to be included in the existing equipment information including charging equipment managed by other businesses.

[0037] The output unit 130 uses existing equipment information to generate and output candidate information indicating locations where new charging equipment with performance corresponding to the vehicle information should be installed. For example, the output unit 130 generates candidate information indicating areas within the target area where no existing charging equipment exists. For example, the output unit 130 excludes areas located within a predetermined distance from existing charging equipment from the target area and uses information indicating at least a part of the remaining area as candidate information.

[0038] Here, the output unit 130 may generate candidate information using specific location information that indicates locations that can serve as vehicle destinations and rest stops. For example, the output unit 130 identifies the area where charging equipment should be installed by excluding areas located within a predetermined distance from existing charging equipment from the target area. The output unit 130 also obtains a list of locations that can serve as vehicle destinations and rest stops as specific location information. The output unit 130 then includes information from the list that indicates locations located in the area where charging equipment should be installed as candidate information.

[0039] The list used by the output unit 130 may, for example, be pre-stored in the driving history storage unit, or it may be generated by the output unit 130 using the driving history stored in the driving history storage unit. In the former case, this list may, for example, indicate the locations of facilities or bases owned by stores or businesses that have parking lots. In the latter case, the output unit 130 may, for example, identify and list locations that have been set as destinations a predetermined number of times or more, and locations that have been used as rest stops a predetermined number of times or more.

[0040] The output unit 130 may further generate candidate information using at least a portion of the driving route included in the driving information, a position on this driving route prior to the aforementioned portion, and a position on this driving route after the aforementioned portion.

[0041] For example, the output unit 130 acquires traffic information for at least a portion of the driving route described above and for a predetermined distance before and after that portion. This traffic information includes, for example, information that can identify actual traffic volume, but may also include information indicating actual congestion. The output unit 130 then makes it easier to select areas with high traffic volume within the target area as areas included in the candidate information. Similarly, the output unit 130 makes it easier to select areas within the target area where congestion is likely to occur as areas included in the candidate information.

[0042] As described above, the output unit 130 excludes, for example, areas located within a predetermined distance from existing charging facilities from the target area, and uses information indicating at least a part of the remaining area as candidate information. In this case, the output unit 130 shortens the predetermined distance in areas with heavy traffic and areas prone to congestion. In this way, areas with heavy traffic and areas prone to congestion within the target area are more likely to be included in the candidate information.

[0043] In addition, the output unit 130 may further include information indicating that it is preferable to install charging facilities with a large output, that is, charging facilities with a high charging speed, in the candidate information regarding the points that can be rest areas. The reason is that, for example, in the case of vehicles managed by parties other than the operator, the stay time at the rest area may be shorter compared to the stay time at the destination.

[0044] Further, the output unit 130 may include information indicating the number of charging facilities to be installed in the area in the candidate information. For example, the output unit 130 specifies the number of charging facilities to be installed in the area using the driving histories of a plurality of vehicles. For example, the output unit 130 increases the number of charging facilities to be installed in an area where the number of running vehicles is large.

[0045] The output unit 130 may further generate candidate information using the incidental information regarding at least one of the terrain and structures. The incidental information is, for example, at least a part of the existing map data. The output unit 130 acquires, for example, the incidental information regarding the target area from the storage unit storing the map data. The incidental information may include information indicating the terrain of the target area, for example, information indicating the magnitude of the slope. The incidental information may also include information indicating the presence or absence of structures such as bridges, tunnels, and buildings. Then, the output unit excludes the areas where the incidental information does not satisfy the predetermined criteria from the target area. The criteria used here are, for example, that the terrain is suitable for installing charging facilities and that specific structures such as bridges and tunnels do not exist. An example of the terrain being suitable for installing charging facilities is that the slope is below a predetermined value.

[0046] The output unit 130 may output the candidate information as a map, for example, as shown in FIG. 2. An example of this map is one in which a mark indicating that is superimposed on the area or point where a new charging facility should be installed among the existing map data. By doing so, the user of the information output device 10 can visually grasp the places where new charging facilities should be installed.

[0047] In addition, when this map is at a large scale, this mark may be superimposed on stores or facilities where new charging facilities should be installed. Conversely, when this map is at a medium or small scale, this mark will be superimposed on the area where new charging facilities should be installed.

[0048] In addition, as shown in, for example, FIG. 3, the output unit 130 may further include, on the map, a display indicating the positions of existing charging facilities that are the targets of the existing facility information. This display is, for example, a mark indicating this is superimposed on the area or location where the charging facility is located. In FIG. 3, this mark has a different form from the mark indicating the area or location where a new charging facility should be installed. An example of this form is to make at least one of the size, pattern, color, and shape different. By doing so, the user of the information output device 10 can visually grasp how the existing charging facilities are distributed and then determine the location where a new charging facility should be installed.

[0049] As a hardware configuration, the information output device 10 has, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, a bus 1010, a processor 1020, a memory 1030, a storage device 1040, an input / output interface 1050, and a network interface 1060.

[0050] The bus 1010 is a data transmission path for the processor 1020, the memory 1030, the storage device 1040, the input / output interface 1050, and the network interface 1060 to transmit and receive data to and from each other. However, the method of connecting the processor 1020 and the like to each other is not limited to bus connection.

[0051] The processor 1020 is a processor realized by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or the like.

[0052] The memory 1030 is a main storage device realized by a RAM (Random Access Memory) or the like.

[0053] The storage device 1040 is an auxiliary storage device implemented as a removable media such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or memory card, or as ROM (Read Only Memory), and has a recording medium. The recording medium of the storage device 1040 stores program modules that realize each function of the information output device 10 (for example, the first acquisition unit 110, the second acquisition unit 120, and the output unit 130). The processor 1020 reads these program modules into the memory 1030 and executes them, thereby realizing each function corresponding to the program module. The storage device 1040 may also function as at least one of a driving history storage unit and an existing equipment storage unit.

[0054] The input / output interface 1050 is an interface for connecting the information output device 10 with various input / output devices. For example, the information output device 10 may communicate with at least one of the driving history storage unit and the existing equipment storage unit via the input / output interface 1050.

[0055] The network interface 1060 is an interface for connecting the information output device 10 to a network. This network may be, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network). The method by which the network interface 1060 connects to the network may be wireless or wired. The information output device 10 may communicate with at least one of the driving history storage unit and the existing equipment storage unit via the network interface 1060.

[0056] The information output device 10 operates as shown in Figure 5, for example. First, the first acquisition unit 110 acquires driving information (step S10). Next, the second acquisition unit 120 acquires existing equipment information (step S20). Then, the output unit 130 generates candidate information (step S30) and outputs this candidate information (step S40). The output destination of the candidate information is, for example, a display connected to the information output device 10, but it may also be a communication device communicating with the information output device 10. In the latter case, the communication device causes the candidate information to be displayed on the display.

[0057] Furthermore, it is preferable that the information output device 10 performs at least the processing shown in steps S10 to S30 for each of at least one item included in the vehicle information, for example, for each characteristic of the rechargeable battery. In this way, the information output device 10 can generate candidate information for each of the contents of at least one item included in the vehicle information, for example, for each characteristic of the rechargeable battery.

[0058] As described above, the information output device 10 generates candidate information. The candidate information indicates a location where a new charging facility with performance corresponding to the vehicle information acquired by the first acquisition unit 110 should be installed. Therefore, by using this candidate information, it becomes easy to consider the installation location for each performance level of the charging facility.

[0059] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications to the structure and details of the present disclosure can be made as can be understood by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, each embodiment can be combined with other embodiments as appropriate.

[0060] Furthermore, while the flowcharts used in the above description show multiple steps (processes) in sequence, the execution order of the steps performed in each embodiment is not limited to the order in which they are described. In each embodiment, the order of the illustrated steps can be changed to the extent that it does not impair the content.

[0061] Some or all of the above embodiments may also be described as follows, but are not limited to the following: 1. An information output device comprising: a first acquisition means for acquiring driving information including at least a portion of the driving route actually traveled by a vehicle, linked to vehicle information relating to the vehicle; a second acquisition means for acquiring existing equipment information which is information relating to charging equipment located at a position that satisfies predetermined criteria with respect to the position indicated by the driving information and having performance corresponding to the vehicle information; and an output means for generating and outputting candidate information indicating a location where charging equipment having performance corresponding to the vehicle information should be newly installed using the existing equipment information. 2. An information output device according to item 1 above, wherein the output means outputs the candidate information as a map. 3. An information output device according to item 2 above, wherein the output means includes in the map a display indicating the location of the charging equipment that is the subject of the existing equipment information. 4. An information output device according to any one of items 1 to 3 above, wherein the output means generates the candidate information using supplementary information relating to at least one of terrain and structures. 5. 1. An information output device according to any one of items 1 to 4 above, wherein the output means generates candidate information using specific location information indicating a location that can be the destination and rest stop of the vehicle. 6. An information output device according to any one of items 1 to 5 above, wherein the predetermined criterion used by the second acquisition means is that the charging facility is located within a predetermined distance from at least a portion of the driving route. 7. An information output device according to any one of items 1 to 6 above, wherein the output means further generates candidate information using actual traffic information at at least one of the following locations: at least a portion of the driving route, a location on the driving route before the at least portion, and a location on the driving route after the at least portion.8. An information output device according to any one of items 1 to 7 above, wherein the vehicle has an internal combustion engine as a power source, the vehicle information has information that can identify the capacity of the rechargeable battery when it is assumed that the internal combustion engine is replaced with a rechargeable battery and a motor, and the charging equipment having the performance corresponding to the vehicle information corresponds to the capacity of the rechargeable battery identified by the vehicle information. 9. An information output device according to item 8 above, wherein the second acquisition means identifies a point where the cruising range of the vehicle falls below a standard value, assuming that the rechargeable battery is fully charged at the starting point of the driving route and the vehicle travels along the driving route, and the existing equipment information is information indicating the location of existing charging equipment that satisfies the predetermined standard for that point. 10. An information output device according to any one of items 1 to 9 above, wherein the vehicle information includes information regarding the charging standard of the rechargeable battery corresponding to the vehicle, and the charging equipment indicated by the existing equipment information corresponds to the charging standard indicated by the vehicle information. 11. An information output device according to any one of items 1 to 10 above, wherein the vehicle is operated by a business operator, and the second acquisition means selects a charging facility that is the subject of the existing facility information from existing charging facilities managed by the business operator. 12. An information output method comprising: a computer acquiring driving information including at least a portion of the driving route actually traveled by the vehicle, linked to vehicle information relating to the vehicle; acquiring existing facility information which is information relating to a charging facility that is located at a position that satisfies predetermined criteria with respect to the position indicated by the driving information and has performance corresponding to the vehicle information; and using the existing facility information, generating and outputting candidate information indicating a location where a new charging facility having performance corresponding to the vehicle information should be installed.13. A recording medium that stores a program that enables a computer to have: a first acquisition means for acquiring driving information, including at least a portion of the driving route actually traveled by a vehicle, linked to vehicle information relating to the vehicle; a second acquisition means for acquiring existing equipment information, which is information relating to charging equipment located at a position that satisfies predetermined criteria relative to the location indicated by the driving information and having performance corresponding to the vehicle information; and an output means for generating and outputting candidate information indicating a location where new charging equipment having performance corresponding to the vehicle information should be installed, using the existing equipment information. 14. The program described in 13 above.

[0062] Furthermore, some or all of the configurations described in Appendices 2 to 11, which are subordinate to Appendice 1 above, may also be subordinate to each of Appendices 12 to 14 in the same way as Appendices 2 to 11. Moreover, not limited to Appendice 1 and Appendices 12 to 14, some or all of the configurations described as appendices may also be subordinate to various hardware, software, various recording means for recording software, or systems, without departing from the embodiments described above.

[0063] 10 Information output device 110 First acquisition unit 120 Second acquisition unit 130 Output unit

Claims

1. An information output device comprising: a first acquisition means for acquiring driving information, which includes at least a portion of the driving route actually traveled by a vehicle, in a manner linked to vehicle information relating to the vehicle; a second acquisition means for acquiring existing equipment information, which is information relating to charging equipment located at a position that satisfies predetermined criteria with respect to the position indicated by the driving information and having performance corresponding to the vehicle information; and an output means for generating and outputting candidate information indicating a location where new charging equipment having performance corresponding to the vehicle information should be installed, using the existing equipment information.

2. An information output device according to claim 1, wherein the output means outputs the candidate information as a map.

3. An information output device according to claim 2, wherein the output means includes on the map a display indicating the location of the charging equipment that is the subject of the existing equipment information.

4. An information output device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the output means generates candidate information using supplementary information relating to at least one of terrain and structures.

5. An information output device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the output means generates candidate information using specific location information indicating locations that can be the destination and rest stops of the vehicle.

6. An information output device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the predetermined criterion used by the second acquisition means is that the charging equipment is located within a predetermined distance from at least a portion of the driving route.

7. An information output device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the output means further generates candidate information using actual traffic information at least one of the following locations: at least a portion of the travel route, a location in the travel route prior to the at least portion, and a location in the travel route after the at least portion.

8. An information output device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the vehicle has an internal combustion engine as a power source, the vehicle information has information that can identify the capacity of the rechargeable battery when the internal combustion engine is assumed to be replaced by a rechargeable battery and a motor, and the charging equipment having performance corresponding to the vehicle information corresponds to the capacity of the rechargeable battery identified by the vehicle information.

9. An information output device according to claim 8, wherein the second acquisition means identifies a point where the vehicle's cruising range falls below a standard value, assuming that the rechargeable battery is fully charged at the starting point of the driving route and the vehicle travels along the driving route, and the existing equipment information is information indicating the location of an existing charging facility that satisfies the predetermined standard at that point.

10. An information output device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the vehicle information includes information relating to the charging standard of a rechargeable battery corresponding to the vehicle, and the charging equipment indicated by the existing equipment information corresponds to the charging standard indicated by the vehicle information.

11. An information output device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the vehicle is operated by a business operator, and the second acquisition means selects a charging facility from existing charging facilities managed by the business operator that is the subject of the existing facility information.

12. An information output method comprising: a computer acquiring driving information, including at least a portion of the driving route actually traveled by a vehicle, linked to vehicle information relating to the vehicle; acquiring existing equipment information, which is information relating to charging equipment located at a position that satisfies predetermined criteria relative to the location indicated by the driving information and having performance corresponding to the vehicle information; and using the existing equipment information, generating and outputting candidate information indicating a location where new charging equipment having performance corresponding to the vehicle information should be installed.

13. A recording medium that stores a program that enables a computer to have: a first acquisition means for acquiring driving information, including at least a portion of the driving route actually traveled by a vehicle, linked to vehicle information relating to the vehicle; a second acquisition means for acquiring existing equipment information, which is information relating to charging equipment located at a position that satisfies predetermined criteria relative to the position indicated by the driving information and having performance corresponding to the vehicle information; and an output means for generating and outputting candidate information indicating a location where new charging equipment having performance corresponding to the vehicle information should be installed, using the existing equipment information.

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