JP7465758B2 - Vehicle charging system, information processing method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle charging system, an information processing method, and a program.

A vehicle charging system is known in which a charging device, a vehicle, an intermediate device, and a server are associated with one another to charge the vehicle (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The vehicle charging system of Patent Document 1 is configured to determine, by a processor included in the vehicle, whether or not a battery connection module is connected to the charging device, to transmit a permission request to the server in response to the battery connection module being coupled to the charging device, and to enable the charging device to charge at least one rechargeable battery in response to receiving charging permission corresponding to the permission request from the server.

JP 2019-176726 A

However, the vehicle charging system described in Patent Document 1 has the problem that it does not take into account billing processing for the amount of charge.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a vehicle charging system etc. that can efficiently process charges associated with charging a vehicle.

A vehicle charging system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a plurality of medium-speed chargers that charge storage batteries mounted on vehicles, a control device communicatively connected to the plurality of medium-speed chargers, a gate unit communicatively connected to the control device, and an external server communicatively connected to the control device via an external network, in which the medium-speed charger includes an imaging unit that images a vehicle being charged by the medium-speed charger, the gate unit includes an imaging device that images a vehicle entering an area in which the plurality of medium-speed chargers are provided, and an ETC roadside unit that acquires information on an ETC card mounted on the vehicle, and the control device identifies the vehicle that has been charged based on a first image of the vehicle captured by the imaging device of the gate unit and a second image of the vehicle captured by the imaging unit of the medium-speed charger, and outputs information on the ETC card of the identified vehicle and information on charges for charging to the external server.

An information processing method according to one aspect of the present disclosure causes a computer to execute a process of acquiring a first captured image of a vehicle captured by an imaging device provided in a gate unit, acquiring information of an ETC card installed in the vehicle captured by an ETC roadside device provided in the gate unit, acquiring a second captured image of the vehicle captured by an imaging unit of a medium-speed charger, identifying the vehicle that has been charged based on the first captured image and the second captured image, and outputting information of the ETC card of the identified vehicle and information regarding charges for charging the vehicle by the medium-speed charger to an external server.

A program according to one aspect of the present disclosure causes a computer to execute a process of acquiring a first captured image of a vehicle captured by an imaging device provided in a gate unit, acquiring information of an ETC card installed in the vehicle captured by an ETC roadside device provided in the gate unit, acquiring a second captured image of the vehicle captured by an imaging unit of a medium-speed charger, identifying the vehicle that has been charged based on the first captured image and the second captured image, and outputting to an external server information of the ETC card of the identified vehicle and information regarding charges for charging the vehicle by the medium-speed charger.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a vehicle charging system that efficiently processes charges associated with charging a vehicle.

1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a location related to a vehicle charging system according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of a vehicle charging system. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a control device and the like included in the vehicle charging system. FIG. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the data layout of a user master table. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a data layout of a charging station master table; 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the data layout of a usage history table by a user. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating functional units included in a control unit of the control device. FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram illustrating functional units included in a control unit of the external server. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure performed by a control unit of the control device. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure performed by a control unit of an external server. FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram illustrating functional units included in a control unit of an external server according to a second embodiment (summary information). FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a report screen that displays summary information. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure performed by a control unit of an external server. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of a vehicle charging system according to a third embodiment (apartment building); FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a data layout of a charging station master table; FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of a vehicle charging system according to a fourth embodiment (commercial facility). FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a data layout of a charging station master table; FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of a vehicle charging system according to a fifth embodiment (configuration of a medium-speed charger). 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a medium-speed charger and the like included in a vehicle charging system.

The present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings showing the embodiments. A vehicle charging system S according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to these examples, but is indicated by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings showing the embodiments. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a location related to a vehicle charging system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an overview of a vehicle charging system S according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control device 1 and the like included in the vehicle charging system S. The vehicle charging system S includes a plurality of medium-speed chargers 2, a control device 1 that controls the output power values of the plurality of medium-speed chargers 2, and an external server 3 that is communicably connected to the control device 1 and stores and manages information related to the usage history of the medium-speed chargers 2 output (transmitted) from the control device 1.

The medium-speed chargers 2 and the control device 1 included in the vehicle charging system S constitute a charging station, which is installed, for example, in the parking lot of an apartment complex or other collective housing complex, or in the parking lot of a hotel or large retail store. The charging station is equipped with multiple parking spaces that are divided for parking the vehicles to be charged, and multiple medium-speed chargers 2 that are provided corresponding to the parking spaces. A vehicle C that enters the charging station from the entrance/exit of the charging station enters a vacant parking space or a parking space for a medium-speed charger 2 that has been reserved in advance.

As shown in FIG. 1, a gate unit G including an ETC roadside device G1 and an imaging device G2 is provided at the entrance/exit of the charging station. The gate unit G has a communication function and is composed of a microcomputer with a memory and an MPU, and acquires information about a vehicle C entering or exiting the charging station, and outputs (transmits) the information to the control device 1. The information about the vehicle C is, for example, the ETC card number, ETC on-board unit management number, and vehicle number acquired by the ETC roadside device G1, and an image (first captured image) of the vehicle number (number plate) of the vehicle C captured by the imaging device G2. The gate unit G acquires an image (first captured image) of the vehicle number (number plate) and the ETC card number, etc. for each vehicle C passing through the entrance/exit of the charging station, associates these, and outputs them to the control device 1.

When a vehicle C that has entered a charging station is connected to one of the medium-speed chargers 2, the medium-speed charger 2 outputs (transmits) an image of the vehicle number (number plate) of the vehicle C captured by an imaging unit 24 installed in the medium-speed charger 2 to the control device 1. The control device 1 may be configured to recognize the presence of the vehicle C for which charging is to begin based on the image output from the medium-speed charger 2.

The control device 1 regularly or periodically acquires meter readings from the smart meter M, for example, every minute. When acquiring meter readings from the smart meter M, the control device 1 acquires, for example, a one-minute power reception value via route B connecting the control device 1 and the smart meter M. Alternatively, the control device 1 may acquire service pulses via a communication line connected to a pulse terminal of the smart meter M, and calculate the amount of power by counting the acquired service pulses. By using service pulses, it is possible to perform measurements faster than one minute. The control device 1 determines the output power value of each of the medium-speed chargers 2 so that the output power value output from each of the multiple medium-speed chargers 2 does not exceed a predetermined threshold determined based on, for example, the contracted power or the power capacity (upper limit value that may be used) allocated to the medium-speed charger 2 within the contracted power. The control device 1 controls the output power value of each of the medium-speed chargers 2 by outputting a control signal generated based on the determined output power value to each medium-speed charger 2. Based on a control signal related to an output power value output from the control device 1, the multiple medium-speed chargers 2 supply power to a vehicle C, such as an electric vehicle, connected to the device at that output power value, and charge the storage battery C2 of the vehicle C. When controlling the medium-speed chargers 2, the control device 1 identifies the user of the medium-speed charger 2 or the vehicle C using the medium-speed charger 2 based on information including the ETC card number etc. obtained from the gate unit G and information including the vehicle number of the vehicle C obtained from the medium-speed charger 2, and outputs (transmits) information related to the user's usage history etc. to the external server 3.

Based on the information acquired from the control device 1, the external server 3 performs billing for the charging by the user, and transmits the billing amount, which is the result of the billing process, to the payment server KS of a credit company that performs settlement for ETC cards, for example. Furthermore, based on the information acquired from the control device 1, the external server 3 transmits, for example, the scheduled time of charging completion (scheduled charging completion time) derived (estimated) at the start of charging, or the charging completion date and time and the charging energy amount when charging is completed, to a mobile terminal KT (user side terminal) associated with the user. Furthermore, based on the information acquired from the control device 1, the external server 3 generates summary information (actual information) that summarizes the operating status of the medium-speed charger 2 at each charging station, and transmits the summary information to an information terminal JT (administrator side terminal) associated with an administrator such as the owner or operation manager of the charging station. The external server 3 is not limited to a single server, and may be configured to perform distributed processing in cooperation with multiple servers. In addition, the external server 3 and the payment server KS may be configured as a server that is substantially configured by a single server.

The vehicle C is capable of being charged from an external power source, such as an electric vehicle (EV) or a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHV). The vehicle C is equipped with a storage battery C2, which is a secondary battery such as a lithium battery, a power receiving unit C3 that receives power supplied from the medium-speed charger 2 and controls charging to the storage battery C2, and an ETC on-board unit C1. The power receiving unit C3 of the vehicle C and the medium-speed charger 2 communicate with each other, for example, using the CHAdeMO system, and the medium-speed charger 2 obtains information about the medium-speed charger 2, such as the charging rate (SOC: State Of Charge) and battery capacity of the storage battery C2, from the power receiving unit C3. An ETC card is inserted in the ETC on-board unit C1, and when the vehicle C enters the charging station, the ETC roadside unit G1 included in the gate unit G reads information about the ETC card and the ETC on-board unit C1 (ETC card number, ETC on-board unit management number). By providing the ETC roadside unit G1 in this way in the gate unit G, it is possible to eliminate the need to implement (provide) the relatively expensive ETC roadside unit G1 in each medium-speed charger 2, and to suppress increases in the manufacturing costs of the medium-speed charger 2. Therefore, by using the imaging device G2 in the gate unit G and the relatively inexpensive imaging unit 24 implemented in the medium-speed charger 2 to identify the vehicle C using the medium-speed charger 2 and linking it to a system (billing system) that processes billing for the use of the medium-speed charger 2, the costs of the entire system can be suppressed.

The medium-speed charger 2 is, for example, a charger with an input voltage of three-phase AC 200V, single-phase AC 200V, or three-phase AC 400V, and a rated output power of DC 30KW. When charging with the rated output power, the time required for charging to full charge or to complete charging to 80% of the battery capacity is about 2 hours. The medium-speed charger 2 is a charger that is positioned between the normal speed charger and the rapid charger, with the time required for charging being about 1/4 of that of a normal speed charger and about 4 times that of a rapid charger. The normal speed charger is a charger with an input voltage of single-phase AC 100V or 200V and a rated output power of about AC 3KW. The rapid charger is a charger with an input voltage of three-phase AC 200V and a rated output power of about DC 50KW. The input voltage of the medium-speed charger 2 is three-phase AC 200V or single-phase AC 200V, which is a specification for Japan, and in foreign countries such as Europe or the United States, a commercial power source with an input voltage other than these may be used. The medium-speed charger 2 includes a PCS 22 (power conditioner: power conversion device) that converts AC power from a commercial power source into DC power, a control unit 21 that controls the PCS 22, a connection unit 23 for connecting to the vehicle C, and an imaging unit 24. The medium-speed charger 2 may be equipped with an AC or DC power meter and measure the amount of charging power supplied to the vehicle C. An input voltage such as AC three-phase 200V input to the medium-speed charger 2 is supplied (applied) from a high-voltage power receiving equipment K provided upstream of the smart meter M. The high-voltage power receiving equipment K includes a transformer and transforms a voltage of 6 KV (6000 V) input to the high-voltage power receiving equipment K to 200 V and supplies the voltage to each medium-speed charger 2. In the illustration of this embodiment, the transformer is provided in the high-voltage power receiving equipment K corresponding to a high voltage (6 KV), but is not limited thereto. The transformer may be provided in a special high-voltage power receiving equipment corresponding to a special high voltage such as 20 KV, 60 KV, or 140 KV. In other words, the vehicle charging system S can also be applied to facilities that use extra-high voltage power receiving equipment that receives electricity at extra-high voltages such as 20 kV.

The connection unit 23 includes a connector for connecting to the vehicle C, and a charging cable with the connector at its tip. The power converted to direct current by the PCS 22 is supplied to the vehicle C via the connection unit 23, charging the storage battery C2. The charging cable includes a power line for charging and a communication line for communicating control signals. Alternatively, the charging cable may communicate by PLC (Power Line Communication) using a power line.

The control unit 21 has a communication function with the control device 1 and is composed of a microcomputer with a memory and an MPU. The control unit 21 acquires (receives) information (control signal) related to the output power value output (transmitted) from the control device 1, and controls the power to be charged from the PCS 22 to the vehicle C at that output power value. The control unit 21 transmits information related to the storage battery C2, such as the charging rate and battery capacity of the storage battery C2, acquired from the vehicle C (power receiving section C3), to the control device 1.

The imaging unit 24 is, for example, a COMS camera, and captures video or still images of the vehicle C connected to the medium-speed charger 2. The captured image (second captured image) includes the license plate of the vehicle C, and the vehicle number of the vehicle C can be identified based on the image (second captured image).

The control unit 21 of the medium-speed charger 2 communicates steadily or periodically with the control device 1, and transmits to the control device 1 information relating to the charging state including the start and completion of charging, information relating to the charging rate of the storage battery C2, information relating to the connection state between the connector of the connection part 23 and the vehicle C, and information such as an image including the license plate of the vehicle C. Based on this information transmitted from the control unit 21 of the medium-speed charger 2, the control device 1 can grasp the state of the vehicle C relative to the medium-speed charger 2, such as whether the vehicle C has entered or left the parking space corresponding to the medium-speed charger 2 (entering/leaving state) and whether the connector of the connection part 23 has been connected to the vehicle C (connected state).

The control device 1 is a computer with communication capabilities, including a control unit 11, a memory unit 12, a route B communication unit 13, a wireless communication unit 14, and a charger communication unit 15. As described above, the control device 1 determines the output power value of each medium-speed charger 2 so as not to exceed a predetermined threshold determined based on the contracted power or the power capacity (upper limit value that may be used) of the contracted power allocated to the medium-speed charger 2, and controls the medium-speed charger 2 at the output power value. Furthermore, the control device 1 functions as a relay device that outputs (transmits) information acquired from the medium-speed charger 2 to an external server 3 or a smart meter M, etc.

The control unit 11 has a processing device equipped with a timekeeping function, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), and GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and performs various information processing, control processing, etc. related to the control device 1 by reading and executing programs stored in the memory unit 12.

The storage unit 12 includes a volatile storage area such as a static random access memory (SRAM), a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), or a flash memory, and a non-volatile storage area such as an EEPROM or a hard disk. Programs and data referenced during processing are stored in advance in the storage unit 12. The programs stored in the storage unit 12 may be programs read from a recording medium (not shown) that is readable by the control device 1. Alternatively, the programs may be downloaded from an external computer (not shown) connected to a communication network (not shown) and stored in the storage unit 12.

The B route communication unit 13 is a data communication unit for BEMS or HEMS as defined by the standard of the smart meter M. The control unit 11 of the control device 1 communicates with the smart meter M via the B route communication unit 13, and acquires meter reading values from the smart meter M, for example, every minute. In this embodiment, the meter reading values are acquired via the B route, but this is not limited thereto, and the control unit 11 of the control device 1 may acquire service pulses via a communication line connected to a pulse terminal of the smart meter M.

The wireless communication unit 14 is a communication module for wirelessly communicating with the external server 3 and the gate unit G via the external network N, and is, for example, a short-range wireless communication module such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark), or a wide-range wireless communication module such as 4G or 5G. The control device 1 communicates with the external server 3 via the wireless communication unit 14, but is not limited to this, and may have a wired communication unit such as Ethernet, and communicate with the external server 3 via the wired communication unit.

The charger communication unit 15 is a communication module for communicating with multiple medium-speed chargers 2, for example, via a serial cable or a coaxial cable, and may use a communication protocol for industrial equipment, such as Modbus. Each of the multiple medium-speed chargers 2 is assigned a charger number for uniquely identifying the medium-speed charger 2, and the control unit 11 of the control device 1 may communicate with each medium-speed charger 2 via the charger communication unit 15 using the charger number.

In this embodiment, the control device 1 is provided with individual communication units corresponding to the connection destinations of the control device 1, but this is not limited to the above. It may be provided with a single communication unit corresponding to multiple protocols for communicating with the connection destinations, that is, the smart meter M, the external server 3, and the medium-speed charger 2, or an integrated communication I/F, and communicate using a protocol corresponding to each communication destination via the single communication unit, etc.

The external server 3 is a server device (information processing device) such as a cloud server connected to an external network N such as the Internet, and similar to the control device 1, includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, and a communication unit 33. The external server 3 functions as a database server that performs user management such as registration or deletion of users of the medium-speed charger 2 (charging station), and management of usage history by users.

Furthermore, the external server 3 functions as an accounting server that performs billing processing for the use of the medium-speed charger 2. The billing processing may be performed by a process that derives the amount based on the amount of charged power (a pay-as-you-go system). The external server 3 transmits the billing amount, which is the result of the billing processing, to the payment server KS. As exemplified in this embodiment, when the user is identified based on the information of the ETC card, the payment server KS is a server managed by a credit company or the like that settles the fee charged via the ETC card.

Furthermore, the external server 3 functions as an application server that accepts sign-ins from users of the medium-speed charger 2 or administrators of the charging station, displays a page dedicated to the user (My Page) or a page dedicated to the administrator (My Management Page), and provides information such as the expected time for charging to be completed or a notification of charging completion by email or the like (service application). These server functions are not limited to being implemented by a single external server 3, and may be distributed across multiple servers according to the individual server functions.

The user's mobile terminal KT (user terminal) is, for example, a personal computer, tablet PC, or smartphone, and has a control unit, a memory unit, and a communication unit (not shown) similar to the control device 1. The mobile terminal KT may be a mobile terminal KT corresponding to a telephone number or email address associated with an ETC card. The mobile terminal KT and the external server 3 are connected to be able to communicate with each other, for example, via an external network N, and the mobile terminal KT displays information transmitted from the external server 3 on a display unit such as a display of the terminal itself.

The administrator's information terminal JT (administrator side terminal) is, like the user's mobile terminal KT, for example, a personal computer, tablet PC, or smartphone, and like the control device 1, has a control unit, a storage unit, and a communication unit (not shown). The information terminal JT and the external server 3 are connected to be able to communicate with each other via, for example, an external network N, and the information terminal JT displays information transmitted from the external server 3 on a display unit such as a display of its own terminal.

Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the data layout of a user master table. Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the data layout of a charging station master table. Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the data layout of a user usage history table. The external server 3 functions as a database server that saves and manages user information, and various tables contained in the database are stored in the storage unit 32 of the external server 3. The various tables contained in the database include, for example, a user master table, a charging station master table, and a usage history table, and are configured by database management software such as an RDBMS (Relational DataBase Management System) implemented in the external server 3.

The types of items (metadata) managed in the user master table include, for example, user ID, password, contract holder name, email address, ETC card number, ETC onboard unit management number, vehicle number, and user classification.

The user ID field stores an identification number for identifying the user. The password field stores the password used to sign in to the external server 3. The subscriber name field stores the name of the subscriber who has signed up to use the vehicle charging system S. When billing is performed using an ETC card as in this embodiment, the subscriber name corresponds to the owner or administrator of the ETC card. The email address field stores an email address used when sending information from the external server 3 to the user's mobile terminal KT.

The ETC card number field stores the ETC card number of the corresponding contract holder (user). The ETC card number is used for billing and usage fee invoices. The ETC vehicle unit management number field stores the ETC vehicle unit management number of the corresponding contract holder (user). The vehicle number field stores the vehicle number of the corresponding contract holder (user).

The user category item (field) stores a category indicating the priority of the user. In this embodiment, the user categories are defined as a first category (premium user) and a second category (normal user), with the first category (premium user) having a higher priority than the second category (normal user). In this embodiment, there are two types of user categories, but this is not limited to this and there may be three or more types of user categories.

Item types (metadata) managed in the charging station master table include, for example, station ID, location, number of chargers, facility category, owner name, and email address.

The station ID field stores an identification number for uniquely identifying each charging station. The vehicle charging system S is expected to manage multiple charging stations, and by assigning a station ID to each charging station, the operating status of multiple charging stations can be centrally managed.

The location field stores the address of the corresponding charging station. The facility type field stores the type of facility in which the corresponding charging station is installed. The type can be, for example, an apartment building or a commercial facility.

The number of medium-speed chargers 2 installed at the corresponding charging station is stored in the number of medium-speed chargers 2 field. In addition to the number of medium-speed chargers 2, the charging station master table may also include items related to facility management information such as the model or installation date and time of the medium-speed charger 2.

The owner name field stores the corporate name of the owner or manager, such as the operations manager, of the corresponding charging station. The email address field stores the email address of the manager.

Item types (metadata) managed in the usage history table include, for example, user ID, station ID, charger number, ETC onboard unit management number, vehicle number, captured image, charging start date and time, charging completion date and time, charging rate at the start of charging, charging energy amount, and usage fee.

The user ID item (field) stores the user ID of the user who used the medium-speed charger 2, and the usage history table is normalized by the user ID. When using the medium-speed charger 2, the user is identified by the ETC card number, and the user ID can be identified by referencing the user master table based on the identified ETC card number. The usage history table may include an ETC card number item in addition to the user ID item. The station ID stores the station ID of the charging station that includes the medium-speed charger 2 used by the user, and the usage history table is normalized by the station ID.

The charger number item (field) stores the charger number of the medium-speed charger 2 used by the user. By saving and managing the charger numbers of the medium-speed chargers 2 used by the user, the operation rates of each charger number at each charging station can be centrally managed by the external server 3 and used as reference information for the maintenance management of these medium-speed chargers 2.

The ETC on-board unit management number field stores the ETC on-board unit management number of the ETC on-board unit C1 installed in the user's vehicle C. The vehicle number field stores the vehicle number of the user's vehicle C.

The captured image field stores images of the user's vehicle C. The images include images captured by the imaging device G2 of the gate unit G and images captured by the imaging unit 24 of the medium-speed charger 2.

The item (field) for charging start date and time stores the date and time when charging started at the medium-speed charger 2 used by the user. The item (field) for charging completion date and time stores the date and time when charging completed at the medium-speed charger 2 used by the user. The item (field) for charging rate at the start of charging stores the charging rate of the storage battery C2 at the start of charging in the user's vehicle C.

The amount of charging energy used by the medium-speed charger 2 by the user is stored in the charging energy amount field. The usage fee field stores the usage fee calculated using a predetermined formula based on the amount of charging energy. The control unit 31 of the external server 3 may derive the usage fee to be charged to the user on a pay-as-you-go basis by multiplying the amount of charging energy (KWh) by a predetermined unit price (e.g., the fee for 1 KWh).

The control unit 31 of the external server 3 adds a record to the usage history table based on the information acquired from the control device 1 via the communication unit. In response to a request from the control device 1, the control unit 31 of the external server 3 searches the user master table, the charging station master table, or the usage history table, and transmits the search results to the control device 1.

Figure 7 is a functional block diagram illustrating functional units included in the control unit 11 of the control device 1. The control unit 11 of the control device 1 functions as an acquisition unit 111, an output power value determination unit 112, a planned charging completion time derivation unit 113, a usage history aggregation unit 114, and an output unit 115 by executing a program stored in the storage unit 12.

The acquisition unit 111 acquires various information output from the smart meter M, gate unit G, medium-speed charger 2, and external server 3 connected to the control device 1. The acquisition unit 111 acquires meter reading values from the smart meter M via route B, etc. The acquisition unit 111 further acquires from the gate unit G the ETC card number, ETC on-board unit management number, and vehicle number acquired by the ETC roadside device G1, and an image of the vehicle number (number plate) of vehicle C captured by the imaging device G2.

The acquisition unit 111 further acquires from each medium-speed charger 2 information on the charging state including the start and completion of charging, information on the charging rate and battery capacity of the storage battery C2, information on the connection state between the connector of the connection unit 23 and the vehicle C, the amount of charged electricity (charging energy amount), and information such as an image including the license plate of the vehicle C. The acquisition unit 111 further acquires information on the user associated with the ETC card number from the external server 3.

The acquisition unit 111 compares the image of the vehicle number output from the gate unit G with the image of the vehicle number output from the medium-speed charger 2, and compares the vehicle numbers contained in these images. If these vehicle numbers are the same, the acquisition unit 111 transmits to the external server 3 a request (a user introduction request) including the ETC card number associated with (corresponding to) the image of the vehicle number output from the gate unit G, thereby acquiring information about the user associated with the ETC card number from the external server 3.

If the acquisition unit 111 is unable to acquire information about a user corresponding to the ETC card number acquired from the gate unit G from the external server 3, it may output alert information indicating that the medium-speed charger 2 cannot be used with that ETC card number to the medium-speed charger 2 or the external server 3 via the output unit 115. If the acquisition unit 111 is unable to acquire information about a user corresponding to the ETC card number from the external server 3, it is assumed that the ETC card number has not been registered (subscribed) to the vehicle charging system S, and by performing an authentication system function through communication between the control device 1 and the external server 3, appropriate operation based on user registration can be achieved.

Based on the charging state of each medium-speed charger 2 acquired by the acquisition unit 111, the output power value determination unit 112 identifies the number of medium-speed chargers 2 currently being charged, i.e., the number of vehicles C being charged. Based on the total number of identified vehicles C being charged and vehicles C newly connected to the medium-speed charger 2, the output power value determination unit 112 determines the output power value of each medium-speed charger 2 that will be used for charging from now on, based on the total number of vehicles C being charged identified and vehicles C newly connected to the medium-speed charger 2. For example, if there are three vehicles C being charged, and one new vehicle C that will start charging is connected to any medium-speed charger 2, the total number of medium-speed chargers 2 that will be used for charging from now on (total number of vehicles C to be charged) will be four. Based on this total number (four), the output power value determination unit 112 determines the output power value of each medium-speed charger 2 that will be used for charging.

The output power value determination unit 112 uses a predetermined threshold value stored in the memory unit 12 when determining the output power value. The predetermined threshold value may be determined, for example, based on the contract power based on a contract between the owner of the charging station and the power company. For example, if the contract power is 110 kW, the predetermined threshold value may be a value that is less than the contract power, for example, 100 kW. Or, the predetermined threshold value may be determined based on the power capacity (upper limit value that may be used) allocated to the medium-speed charger 2 out of the contract power. For example, if the contract power is 220 kW and half of the contract power, 110 kW, is allocated to the medium-speed charger 2 as the power capacity (upper limit value that may be used), the predetermined threshold value may be a value that is less than the allocated power capacity, for example, 100 kW. Or, the predetermined threshold value may be determined, for example, based on the transformer capacity of the transformer provided in the high-voltage power receiving equipment K or the extra-high-voltage power receiving equipment, so as to be less than the transformer capacity of the transformer. As described above, the transformer converts, for example, a voltage of 6 KV input (applied) to the high-voltage power receiving equipment K, or a voltage of 20 KV input to the extra-high-voltage power receiving equipment, to 200 V for supply to the multiple medium-speed chargers 2, and the transformer capacity is determined in advance based on the equipment specifications. By determining a predetermined threshold based on the transformer capacity, it is possible to prevent the power consumed by the multiple medium-speed chargers 2 from exceeding the transformer capacity. The predetermined threshold can be changed according to an operation by the owner or manager of the charging station. The output power value determination unit 112 receives a change request (threshold change information) by an operation by the owner or manager of the charging station via the acquisition unit 111, and changes the predetermined threshold based on the change request (threshold change information).

The output power value determination unit 112 may use, for example, an output power value table when determining the output power value. The output power value table is stored in the memory unit 12 of the control device 1, and is a lookup table showing the output power value to be determined for the number of vehicles C connected to each medium-speed charger 2, i.e., the number of vehicles C being charged. In this embodiment, it includes information showing the total value of the output power value for each number of vehicles, i.e., the value obtained by multiplying the output power value by the number of connected vehicles (output power value x number of connected vehicles). For example, if the contracted power or the power capacity (upper limit value that may be used) allocated to the medium-speed charger 2 within the contracted power is 110 kW, the predetermined threshold is 100 kW, the number of medium-speed chargers 2 is 5, and the rated maximum power value of the medium-speed charger 2 is 30 kW, if the number of connected vehicles (the number of vehicles C being charged) is 3 or less, charging can be performed using the rated maximum power value. If there are four or more medium-speed chargers 2, the predetermined threshold will be exceeded if all four medium-speed chargers 2 are charged using the rated maximum power value. Therefore, the output power value determination unit 112 determines the output power value by dividing the predetermined threshold by the number of connected vehicles (the number of vehicles C being charged). The output power value determination unit 112 determines the output power value steadily or periodically based on information on the charging state that is steadily or periodically output from the acquisition unit 111. The output unit 115 outputs the output power value determined by the output power value determination unit 112 or a control signal generated based on the output power value to each medium-speed charger 2. The predetermined threshold is set to a value smaller than the value obtained by multiplying the rated maximum power value by the number of all medium-speed chargers 2 connected to the control device 1 (predetermined threshold<rated maximum power value×number of all medium-speed chargers 2 connected to the control device 1). In this embodiment, the total number of medium-speed chargers 2 connected to the control device 1 is five, the rated maximum power value is 30 kW, and the value obtained by multiplying the rated maximum power value by the number of medium-speed chargers 2 is 150 kW (30 kW x 5). In contrast, the predetermined threshold is 110 kW, which is a value smaller than 150 kW, which is the value obtained by multiplying the rated maximum power value by the number of medium-speed chargers 2. In this way, by setting the predetermined threshold to a value smaller than the value obtained by multiplying the rated maximum power value by the number of all medium-speed chargers 2 connected to the control device 1, the burden on the supply side (the supplier that supplies power to users using the medium-speed chargers 2) due to an increase in contract power, an increase in transformers, etc. can be reduced, and the spread of the vehicle charging system S can be promoted.

The output power value determination unit 112, for example, refers to an output power value table and determines the output power value so that the total value of the output power values of the medium-speed charger 2 during charging is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. If the total value of the output power values of the medium-speed charger 2 during charging is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold even when the rated maximum power value is used, the output power value determination unit 112 determines the rated maximum power value as the output power value. Therefore, in such a case, since charging is performed using the rated maximum power value, the time required to complete charging can be reduced.

When the total output power value of the medium-speed charger 2 during charging exceeds a predetermined threshold value when the rated maximum power value is used, the output power value determination unit 112 determines the output power value, for example, by dividing the predetermined threshold value by the number of connected vehicles (the number of vehicles C being charged). Therefore, in such a case, the time required to complete charging can be minimized without exceeding the predetermined threshold value.

The output power value determination unit 112 may receive a change request (threshold change information) by an operation of the owner or manager of the charging station, and when the predetermined threshold is changed based on the change request (threshold change information), change the output power value table according to the changed predetermined threshold. When the medium-speed charger 2 charges the vehicle C with a constant voltage (constant DC voltage), the output power value determination unit 112 may determine an output current value according to the constant voltage.

The estimated charging completion time derivation unit 113 derives the estimated charging completion time based on the output power value determined by the output power value determination unit 112 and the charging rate at the start of charging in the vehicle C connected to the medium-speed charger 2. The medium-speed charger 2 and vehicle C communicate with each other, for example, using the CHAdeMO system, and the medium-speed charger 2 acquires the charging rate and battery capacity of the storage battery C2 of the vehicle C and outputs these charging rates and battery capacities to the control device 1. The acquisition unit 111 acquires these charging rates and battery capacities and outputs them to the estimated charging completion time derivation unit 113. The estimated charging completion time derivation unit 113 calculates the required charging time based on the output power value, charging rate, and battery capacity using a predetermined formula determined by a charging method such as the CHAdeMO system, and derives the estimated charging completion time from the time at the start of charging and the required charging time.

The output unit 115 associates the expected charging completion time derived by the expected charging completion time derivation unit 113 with the user ID or ETC card number of the user output from the acquisition unit 111, and outputs the associated information to the external server 3. Based on the information output from the output unit 115, the external server 3 transmits information relating to the expected charging completion time to, for example, the email address of the user identified by referring to the user master table.

The usage history aggregation unit 114 associates the charger number, charging start date and time, charging completion date and time, charging rate at the start of charging, charging energy amount, and image of the vehicle C for each medium-speed charger 2 output from the acquisition unit 111 with the user's user ID or ETC card number, and aggregates information related to the usage history of the user. The output unit 115 outputs (transmits) the information related to the usage history aggregated by the usage history aggregation unit 114 to the external server 3.

Based on this information output from the output unit 115, the external server 3 sends information indicating that charging is complete to the user's email address identified by reference to the user master table, for example. Based on this information output from the output unit 115, the external server 3 performs processing to add or update a record in the usage history table, for example. The external server 3 further generates summary information that compiles the operating status of the medium-speed chargers 2 at each charging station based on the information stored in the usage history table, etc., and sends the summary information to the email address of the administrator identified by reference to the charging station master table. This will be described in more detail later.

The output unit 115 outputs the information acquired from the output power value determination unit 112, the estimated charging completion time derivation unit 113, and the usage history aggregation unit 114 to the connection destination (external server 3, medium-speed charger 2) corresponding to the information via the wireless communication unit 14 or the charger communication unit 15.

In this embodiment, these functional units are performed by the control unit 11 of the control device 1, but this is not limited to the above. Any of these functional units may be performed by the control unit 21 of the medium-speed charger 2, and the medium-speed charger 2 (control unit 21) and the control device 1 (control unit 11) may work together to perform linked or distributed processing to perform this series of processing. Alternatively, the medium-speed charger 2 (control unit 21), the control device 1 (control unit 11), and the external server 3 may share and work together to perform this processing. Alternatively, the control device 1 may function as a gateway that transmits various information acquired from the medium-speed charger 2 and the gate unit G to the external server 3, acquires a series of processing results calculated or otherwise performed by the external server 3, and controls the medium-speed charger 2 based on the processing results.

Figure 8 is a functional block diagram illustrating functional units included in the control unit 31 of the external server 3. The control unit 31 of the external server 3 functions as an acquisition unit 311, a usage fee derivation unit 312, a user identification unit 313, and an output unit 314 by executing a program stored in the memory unit 32 of the external server 3.

The acquisition unit 311 of the external server 3 acquires various information generated or produced in association with the operation of the medium-speed charger 2, such as information on the usage history of the medium-speed charger 2 connected to the control device 1 and information on the scheduled time of charging completion at the medium-speed charger 2, from each control device 1 connected via the external network N. In other words, the external server 3 periodically or constantly communicates with each of the control devices 1 installed in multiple geographically different charging stations via the external network N, and functions as an integrated management server that manages these multiple charging stations (control devices 1) in an overall and integrated manner.

The information relating to the usage history of the medium-speed charger 2 is information aggregated by the usage history aggregation unit of the medium-speed charger 2, and includes the charger number, charging start date and time, charging completion date and time, charging rate at the start of charging, charging energy amount, an image of the vehicle C, and the ETC card number for each medium-speed charger 2. The information relating to the scheduled charging completion time for the medium-speed charger 2 includes the scheduled charging completion time derived by the scheduled charging completion time derivation unit of the medium-speed charger 2, and the ETC card number associated with the scheduled charging completion time. The acquisition unit 311 of the external server 3 outputs the acquired information relating to the scheduled charging completion time and information relating to the usage history of the medium-speed charger 2 to other functional units, and registers this acquired information in a charging management DB (usage history table) stored in the memory unit 32 of the external server 3.

The acquisition unit 311 of the external server 3 may communicate with the control device 1 not only at a predetermined timing such as when the medium-speed charger 2 completes charging, but also periodically with the control device 1 to acquire information on the state of the medium-speed charger 2 controlled by the control device 1 at a predetermined sampling time. The information on the state of the medium-speed charger 2 may include, for example, information on whether the medium-speed charger 2 is charging, the output power value of the medium-speed charger 2 during charging, and an image captured by the imaging unit 24 provided in the medium-speed charger 2, and may be associated with time. In this way, the acquisition unit 311 of the external server 3 periodically acquires information on the state of the medium-speed charger 2 from the control device 1 and registers it in the charging management DB, so that the external server 3 can perform real-time status monitoring of each medium-speed charger 2 provided in multiple geographically different charging stations based on the acquired information. The acquisition unit 311 of the external server 3 may further acquire an image of the vehicle C captured by the imaging device G2 of the gate unit G mounted in the charging station where the control device 1 is provided, in addition to information generated due to the operation of the medium-speed charger 2.

The usage fee derivation unit 312 derives the usage fee to be charged to the user on a pay-as-you-go basis by multiplying the amount of charging power included in the information on the usage history of the medium-speed charger 2 by a predetermined unit price (e.g., the fee for 1 KWh), and registers the derived usage fee in the charging management DB (usage history table). The predetermined unit price (e.g., the fee for 1 KWh) may be a common price for each charging station, or may be a different price for each charging station. If the predetermined unit price is different for each charging station, the predetermined unit price for each charging station may be stored, saved, and managed, for example, in a charging station master table. The predetermined unit price (e.g., the fee for 1 KWh) may be different depending on the user category of the user, for example.

The user identification unit 313 refers to the user master table based on the ETC card number included in (associated with) information on the usage history of the medium-speed charger 2 or information on the scheduled completion time of charging at the medium-speed charger 2, and identifies the user of the medium-speed charger 2. By identifying the user, the user identification unit 313 extracts an email address that can be used to contact the user.

The output unit 314 of the external server 3 outputs (transmits) information regarding the scheduled charging completion time to the mobile terminal KT of the user, for example, using the identified user's email address. The output unit 314 of the external server 3 outputs (transmits) information regarding the usage history of the medium-speed charger 2 together with the derived usage fee as payment notification data to the mobile terminal KT of the user, for example, using the identified user's email address. It goes without saying that the communication form between the external server 3 and the user's mobile terminal KT is not limited to a communication form using an email address in an SMTP server or the like, and may be a pull-type or push-type communication form using a client application installed on the user's mobile terminal KT.

The output unit 314 of the external server 3 generates payment request data by associating the derived usage fee (billing amount) with the ETC card number, and transmits the generated payment request data to the payment server KS of the credit company that handles payments related to the ETC card. By using the ETC card (ETC card number) in the billing process for charging by the user of the medium-speed charger 2, the vehicle charging system S that handles the billing process for charging and the payment system that actually bills the user for the charge can be effectively linked, reducing the hassle of the user having to pay the usage fee.

Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure performed by the control unit 11 of the control device 1. The control unit 11 of the control device 1 communicates with each medium-speed charger 2 and gate unit G, for example, constantly or periodically, and starts the processing of the flowchart.

The control unit 11 of the control device 1 acquires information about the vehicle C from the gate unit G (S101). The control unit 11 of the control device 1 acquires from the gate unit G (ETC roadside device G1, imaging device G2) the ETC card number, ETC on-board unit management number, and vehicle number of the vehicle C that has passed through the gate unit G and entered the charging station, as well as an image of the vehicle number (number plate) of the vehicle C captured by the imaging device G2.

The control unit 11 of the control device 1 acquires an image of the vehicle C from the medium-speed charger 2 (S102). The control unit 11 of the control device 1 acquires an image of the vehicle C captured by the imaging unit 24 provided in the medium-speed charger 2 from the medium-speed charger 2.

The control unit 11 of the control device 1 identifies the medium-speed charger 2 to which the vehicle C is connected and the user of the medium-speed charger 2 (S103). Based on communication with the medium-speed charger 2, the control unit 11 of the control device 1 identifies the address or charger number of the medium-speed charger 2 that is the source of the captured image.

The image (second captured image) of vehicle C captured by the imaging unit 24 provided in the medium-speed charger 2 includes the license plate of the vehicle C, and the control unit 11 compares the license plate of vehicle C included in the image captured by the imaging unit 24 of the medium-speed charger 2 with the image (first captured image) captured by the imaging device G2 of the gate unit G, and identifies vehicle C based on the identity of these license plates. When comparing these license plates, the control unit 11 of the control device 1 may recognize the numbers on the license plate, for example, using pattern matching or a convolutional neural network (CNN).

Images captured by the imaging device G2 of the gate unit G are associated with an ETC card number, etc. The control unit 11 of the control device 1 may identify the associated ETC card number and transmit a request including the ETC card number to the external server 3 to obtain information about the user associated with the ETC card number (such as a user ID) from the external server 3.

The control unit 11 of the control device 1 derives the output power value of the medium-speed charger 2 (S104). The control unit 11 of the control device 1 has already acquired the charging state of each medium-speed charger 2 connected to the control device itself, and stores the charging state of each of these medium-speed chargers 2, for example, in the memory unit 12 of the control device 1. The control unit 11 of the control device 1 specifies the number of medium-speed chargers 2 that will be charged simultaneously from now on by adding the number of medium-speed chargers 2 that are currently charging (the number of vehicles C that are currently being charged) to the number of medium-speed chargers 2 that will start charging this time based on the charging state. The control unit 11 of the control device 1 derives the output power value for each of these medium-speed chargers 2 based on the specified number of medium-speed chargers 2, for example, by referring to the output power value table stored in the memory unit 12. As described above, the output power value table specifies the output power value based on the number of medium-speed chargers 2 so that the total value of the output power values for each medium-speed charger 2 does not exceed a predetermined threshold.

The control unit 11 of the control device 1 outputs a control signal to the medium-speed charger 2 based on the derived output power value (S105). The control unit 11 of the control device 1 generates a control signal based on the output power value derived, for example, by referring to an output power value table, and outputs the generated control signal to the medium-speed charger 2. The medium-speed charger 2 that is connected to the vehicle C and charges the vehicle C determines an output power value based on the control signal output from the control device 1, and charges the vehicle C connected to the device at the output power value.

The control unit 11 of the control device 1 derives the expected time of charging completion based on the output power value and the charging rate (S106). The control unit 11 of the control device 1 acquires the charging rate and battery capacity of the storage battery C2 of the vehicle C from each of the medium-speed chargers 2 that charge the vehicle C, calculates the required charging time based on the charging rate and the derived output power value using a predetermined formula determined by the charging method, such as the CHAdeMO method, and derives the expected time of charging completion based on the time when charging started and the required charging time.

The control unit 11 of the control device 1 outputs the derived expected charging completion time to the external server 3 (S107). The control unit 11 of the control device 1 associates the derived expected charging completion time with the ETC card number or the user ID, and outputs (transmits) it to the external server 3. Based on the expected charging completion time and the user ID, etc. acquired (received) from the control device 1, the external server 3 transmits information related to the expected charging completion time to the mobile terminal KT of the user of the user ID by email, etc.

The control unit 11 of the control device 1 determines whether charging is complete (S108). The control unit 11 of the control device 1 determines whether charging in the medium-speed charger 2 is complete based on the information on the charging state output from each medium-speed charger 2. If charging is not complete (S108: NO), the control unit 11 of the control device 1 performs a loop process to execute the process of S108 again.

When charging is completed (S108: YES), the control unit 11 of the control device 1 outputs information related to the usage history of the medium-speed charger 2 to the external server 3 (S109). The control unit 11 of the control device 1 acquires information related to the usage history of the medium-speed charger 2, including the charging completion date and time, the amount of charging energy, etc., from the medium-speed charger 2, associates the information related to the usage history with the user ID, etc., and outputs (transmits) it to the external server 3. Based on the information related to the usage history, including the charging completion date and time, etc. acquired (received) from the control device 1, and the user ID, etc., the external server 3 transmits information related to the charging completion date and time, the amount of charging energy, and billing based on the amount of charging energy to the mobile terminal KT of the user of the user ID by email, etc.

In this embodiment, the control unit 11 of the control device 1 determines whether charging is completed in the process of S108, but this is not limited thereto. For example, even if the charging is forcibly terminated by forcibly removing the connector of the connection unit 23 from the vehicle C being charged by the operator of the vehicle C, the control unit 11 of the control device 1 may perform the following process in the same manner as when the charging is completed (S108: YES). The vehicle C being charged and the medium-speed charger 2 communicate with each other using the CHAdeMO method, for example, and when the connector of the connection unit 23 is forcibly removed by the operator of the vehicle C, the medium-speed charger 2 can detect that the connector has been forcibly removed based on the communication or according to the connection state of the connector. Based on the detection result (forcible removal of the connector), the medium-speed charger 2 outputs a signal to the control device 1 indicating that the connector of the connection unit 23 has been forcibly removed from the vehicle C, and the control unit 11 of the control device 1 may perform S108 and the following processes based on the signal, assuming that charging is completed. Furthermore, for example, when a problem occurs on the vehicle C side and error information indicating that charging cannot be continued is acquired through communication from the vehicle C side, the medium-speed charger 2 may output a signal indicating that charging has been abnormally terminated to the control device 1 based on the error information. In this case, the control unit 11 of the control device 1 may also determine that charging has been completed based on the signal (signal indicating that charging has been abnormally terminated) and perform S108 and subsequent processes. In this way, the medium-speed charger 2 may output different signals (normal termination signal when charging is completed normally, forced termination signal when charging is forcibly terminated, and abnormal termination signal when charging has been abnormally terminated) to the control device 1 depending on whether charging has been completed normally, whether charging has been forcibly terminated due to forced removal of the connector, or whether charging has been abnormally terminated due to an abnormality occurring on the vehicle C side. The control unit 11 of the control device 1 may transmit information regarding the usage history to the external server 3, including information regarding these signals (normal termination signal, forced termination signal, and abnormal termination signal). The external server 3 may also perform processing to add or update records in the usage history table for these signals (normal termination signal, forced termination signal, and abnormal termination signal) included in the information on usage history.

After executing the process of S109, the control unit 11 of the control device 1 ends the series of processes in this flowchart. Alternatively, the control unit 11 of the control device 1 may perform a loop process in which the process from S101 is executed again after executing the process of S109. The control unit 11 of the control device 1 may perform the processes from S102 to S109 by generating multiple processes according to the number of medium-speed chargers 2 included in the charging station (for example, the same number of processes as the number of medium-speed chargers 2), and processing these multiple processes in parallel.

In this embodiment, the series of processes in the flowchart are performed by the control unit 11 of the control device 1, but this is not limited to the above. In the series of processes, the medium-speed charger 2 (control unit 21) and the control device 1 (control unit 11) may cooperate to perform linked or distributed processing. Alternatively, the medium-speed charger 2 (control unit 21), the control device 1 (control unit 11) and the external server 3 may cooperate to perform the processes. Alternatively, the control device 1 may transmit various information acquired from the medium-speed charger 2 and the gate unit G to the external server 3, acquire a series of processing results calculated or otherwise performed by the external server 3, and function as a gateway to control the medium-speed charger 2 based on the processing results.

Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure performed by the control unit 31 of the external server 3. The control unit 31 of the external server 3 communicates, for example, regularly or periodically with the control device 1 of each charging station registered and managed in the charging station master table, and starts the processing of the flowchart.

The control unit 31 of the external server 3 determines whether or not the planned charging completion time has been acquired from the control device 1 (S151). If the planned charging completion time has not been acquired from the control device 1 (S151: NO), the control unit 31 of the external server 3 performs a loop process to execute the process of S151 again.

When the expected charging completion time is acquired from the control device 1 (S151: YES), the control unit 31 of the external server 3 identifies the user of the medium-speed charger 2 (S152). Based on the ETC card number, etc. associated with the expected charging completion time acquired from the control device 1, the control unit 31 of the external server 3 identifies the user who is the target of the expected charging completion time by, for example, referring to a user master table, and acquires the email address of the user.

The control unit 31 of the external server 3 outputs a notification regarding the expected time for charging to be completed to the user's mobile terminal KT (S153). The control unit 31 of the external server 3 outputs (transmits) the notification regarding the expected time for charging to be completed, obtained from the control device 1, to the user's email address identified from the ETC card number. After processing S153, the control unit 31 of the external server 3 may perform a loop process to execute processing S151 again, and perform a standby process for a transmission from the control device 1.

The control unit 31 of the external server 3 determines whether or not information on the usage history of the medium-speed charger 2 (information on billing) has been acquired from the control device 1 (S154). The control unit 31 of the external server 3 may perform the process of S154 and the process of S151 in parallel using multiple processes. If information on the usage history has not been acquired (S154: NO), the control unit 31 of the external server 3 performs a loop process to execute the process of S154 again.

If information on usage history has been acquired (S154: YES), the control unit 31 of the external server 3 identifies the user of the medium-speed charger 2 (S155). As in S152, the control unit 31 of the external server 3 identifies the user of the medium-speed charger 2 by, for example, referring to a user master table based on the ETC card number, etc. associated with the information on usage history of the medium-speed charger 2 (information on billing) acquired from the control device 1, and acquires the email address of the user.

The control unit 31 of the external server 3 derives the usage fee for the use of the medium-speed charger 2 (S156). The information on the usage record of the medium-speed charger 2 acquired from the control device 1 includes information on the medium-speed charger 2 used (station ID, charger number), the charging completion date and time, and the amount of charging energy, which corresponds to the information on billing. The control unit 31 of the external server 3 derives the usage fee to be billed to the user on a pay-per-use basis by multiplying the amount of charging energy (information on billing) by a predetermined unit price (e.g., the fee for 1 KWh).

The control unit 31 of the external server 3 outputs the payment notification data to the user's mobile terminal KT (S157). The control unit 31 of the external server 3 generates payment notification data including the derived usage fee, and outputs (sends) the generated payment notification data to the user's email address identified from the ETC card number.

The control unit 31 of the external server 3 outputs the payment request data to the payment server KS (S158). The control unit 31 of the external server 3 generates payment request data including the derived usage fee, and outputs (transmits) the generated payment request data to the payment server KS of the credit company that performs the payment related to the ETC card.

The control unit 31 of the external server 3 registers the information on the usage history, etc. in the charging management DB (S159). The control unit 31 of the external server 3 registers the information on the usage history acquired from the control device 1 and the derived usage fee in the charging management DB. When registering the information on the usage history, etc. in the charging management DB, the control unit 31 of the external server 3 may, for example, update or add to the usage history table included in the charging management DB. After processing S159, the control unit 31 of the external server 3 may perform a loop process to execute the process of S154 again and perform a standby process for a transmission from the control device 1.

According to this embodiment, the vehicle charging system S outputs the ETC card information acquired by the ETC roadside device G1 of the gate unit G and the information related to charging to the external server 3, so that the processing related to charging charging of the vehicle C can be efficiently performed. That is, when charging the user of the medium-speed charger 2, by coordinating with the ETC processing system, the user can be relieved of the trouble of paying by credit card or cash at the site where the medium-speed charger 2 is used, and the convenience of the user can be improved when using the medium-speed charger 2. In addition, the vehicle charging system S identifies the vehicle C to be charged based on the first captured image of the vehicle C captured by the imaging device G2 of the gate unit G and the second captured image of the vehicle C captured by the imaging unit 24 of the medium-speed charger 2. The first captured image of the vehicle C captured by the imaging device G2 of the gate unit G is associated with the ETC card information acquired by the ETC roadside device G1 of the gate unit G. This allows the costs of the entire system to be reduced by installing the relatively expensive ETC roadside unit G1 only in the gate unit G that is placed at the gate, such as an entrance or exit for entering and exiting an area (charging station) where multiple medium-speed chargers 2 are installed.

According to this embodiment, the information related to billing is the amount of charging power supplied from the medium-speed charger 2 to the vehicle C, so that a usage fee to be charged to the user of the medium-speed charger 2 can be derived on a pay-per-use basis according to the amount of power used. In other words, the information related to billing for charging includes information on the amount of charging power supplied from the medium-speed charger 2 to the vehicle C. Therefore, a more user-friendly billing service can be provided to the user of the medium-speed charger 2 than a time-based billing system in which billing (usage fee is derived) is based on the time the medium-speed charger 2 is used.

According to this embodiment, the external server 3 outputs payment request data generated based on the ETC card information and billing information acquired from the control device 1 to the ETC card payment server KS, so that the vehicle charging system S and the ETC card payment system can be linked together to efficiently process billing.

According to this embodiment, the medium-speed charger 2 uses a three-phase 200V commercial power source and has a rated maximum power value of 20kW to 30kW, which is the maximum power value, and can be introduced relatively easily compared to a quick charger with a rated maximum power value of about 50kW. A quick charger is a charger for emergency charging that can charge about 80% of a vehicle-mounted battery (storage battery) in 30 minutes, and is relatively expensive. That is, conventional quick chargers are relatively expensive, and therefore, they are not widely used because it is difficult to install them in collective housing such as apartments. In addition, there is a normal quick charger that is cheaper than the quick charger, but the normal quick charger is a charger for home charging that can charge about 80% of a vehicle-mounted battery (storage battery C2) in 10 hours. At present, the mainstream of chargers are either quick chargers or normal quick chargers, and in commercial facilities such as buildings, hotels, and shopping centers, and collective housing such as apartments, there are many cases where one of the chargers has to be adopted. In these commercial facilities or apartment complexes, it is expected that a specific user will not monopolize a charger, but that multiple users will share each charger, and concerns about the long charging time required for normal fast chargers, and the high installation costs, increased contract power, and additional related equipment (transformer capacity of high-voltage power receiving equipment) required for rapid chargers, are issues to be addressed when introducing these chargers. In response to this, the use of the vehicle charging system S of this embodiment is expected to promote the introduction of medium-speed chargers 2, which can charge in a shorter time than normal chargers and are cheaper than rapid chargers, and to popularize chargers (medium-speed chargers 2) with high usability, particularly in an operation mode where sharing is expected. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of sharing, if multiple medium-speed chargers 2 capable of charging about 80% of the vehicle-mounted battery (storage battery C2) in a charging time of about 2 to 4 hours are installed and rated charging (charging using the rated maximum power value) is performed using all of these medium-speed chargers 2, there is a concern that the burden on the supply side (the supplier that supplies power to users using the medium-speed chargers) will increase due to an increase in contract power and the addition of related equipment (transformer capacity of high-voltage power receiving equipment). In contrast, by using the vehicle charging system of this embodiment, the control device controls the output power value so that the total value of the power value output from each of the multiple medium-speed chargers is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, making it possible to provide an effective and low-cost charging infrastructure.

(Embodiment 2)
11 is a functional block diagram illustrating functional units included in the control unit 31 of the external server 3 according to the second embodiment (summary information). The control unit 31 of the external server 3 executes a program stored in the storage unit 32 of the external server 3, thereby further functioning as a summary information generating unit 315.

The summary information generating unit 315 refers to the charging station master table and usage history table included in the charging management DB, and generates summary information (performance information) regarding the usage performance of the medium-speed charger 2 for each charging station. The summary information generating unit 315 may generate summary information periodically, for example, on a weekly or monthly basis, as a monthly or weekly report, or may generate summary information for the previous month or week based on a request sent from the manager's information terminal JT, with the time of the request as the reference.

The summary information generating unit 315 extracts and aggregates the operation status of each medium-speed charger 2 stored in the usage history table for each station ID stored in the charging station master table, and generates summary information for each charging station. The summary information includes the operation status of the medium-speed charger 2, such as the cumulative charging power amount (output power amount), cumulative operation time, operation rate, and usage time zone of each of the multiple medium-speed chargers 2 included (placed) in the charging station, during a specified period such as one month. The summary information may further include a period during which the output power value of any of the medium-speed chargers 2 is controlled to be a value smaller than the rated maximum power value. The summary information may further include information on the usage trends of users, such as the number of times each user uses the medium-speed charger 2 and the cumulative charging power amount. The summary information generating unit 315 may generate advice information for the manager of the charging station based on the aggregation result from the operation status of the medium-speed charger 2.

The output unit 314 of the external server 3 outputs the summary information for each charging station generated by the summary information generation unit 315 to the information terminal JT of the manager of each charging station. The output unit 314 of the external server 3 may output the summary information using, for example, an email address stored in the charging station master table. The output form of the summary information by the output unit 314 of the external server 3 includes, for example, an output form in text format, an output form in a file format such as PDF, or an output form in a screen format such as html.

Although the summary information generating unit 315 has been described as generating summary information (performance information) regarding performance by referring to a usage history table or the like, the present invention is not limited to this. The summary information generating unit 315 may refer to a usage history table or the like, extract the data itself of performance for a specified period of time, and the output unit may output the extracted data to the administrator's information terminal JT. The administrator's information terminal JT may use a client application pre-installed on its own terminal to tally up the performance of usage contained in the data based on the data acquired from the external server 3, and display the data on its own terminal's display as summary information.

Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a report screen that displays summary information. As described above, the external server 3 refers to the charging station master table and the usage history table, etc., and outputs (transmits) the summary information to the information terminal JT of the manager of each charging station. Based on the summary information output from the external server 3, the information terminal JT of the manager displays a report screen of the summary information on a display unit such as a display of the terminal.

The summary information report screen includes an administrator information display area, a medium-speed charger 2 operation status display area, a user tendency display area, an output power value control status display area, and an advice display area. The administrator information display area displays information on the following items as bibliographic information related to the charging station: station ID, location, number of chargers, facility classification, and owner name. Based on this displayed information, the administrator can easily grasp information on the charging stations that he or she manages.

The medium-speed charger 2 operation status display area displays, for example, the cumulative charging energy (cumulative output energy) and operation rate of each medium-speed charger 2 for a predetermined collection period of one year, one month, and one week. The user tendency display area displays, for example, the cumulative charging energy and number of uses for each user for a predetermined collection period of one year, one month, and one week.

The output power value control status display area displays, for example, a period in the previous month during a specified collection period during which the output power value of any medium-speed charger 2 was controlled to be less than the rated maximum power value, and the number of medium-speed chargers 2 used during that period (the number of medium-speed chargers 2 currently charging). The advice display area displays, for example, advice regarding whether or not the currently set specified threshold should be changed, based on a period during which the output power value of any medium-speed charger 2 was controlled to be less than the rated maximum power value during a specified collection period.

Figure 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure by the control unit 31 of the external server 3. The control unit 31 of the external server 3 starts processing of the flowchart periodically, for example, on a weekly or monthly basis. Alternatively, the control unit 31 of the external server 3 may start processing of the flowchart based on a request sent from the administrator's information terminal JT.

The control unit 31 of the external server 3 generates summary information regarding the usage record of the medium-speed charger 2 (S201). The control unit 31 of the external server 3 references, for example, the charging station master table and the usage history table included in the charging management DB, and generates summary information regarding the usage record of the medium-speed charger 2 for each charging station. The summary information for each charging station includes, for example, the operating status of the medium-speed charger 2, such as the cumulative charging power amount (output power amount), cumulative operating time, operating rate, and usage time zone of each of the multiple medium-speed chargers 2 included (placed) in the charging station during a predetermined period such as one month. The summary information for each charging station may further include a period during which the output power value of any of the medium-speed chargers 2 is controlled to be a value smaller than the rated maximum power value. The summary information for each charging station may further include information regarding the usage tendency of users, such as the number of times each user uses the medium-speed charger 2 and the cumulative charging power amount. The summary information for each charging station may include advice information for the administrator based on the operating status of the medium-speed charger 2 and information regarding the usage tendency of users.

The control unit 31 of the external server 3 outputs the summary information to the information terminal JT of the administrator of the medium-speed charger 2 (S202). The control unit 31 of the external server 3 outputs (sends) the generated summary information for each charging station, for example, to the email address of the administrator of the charging station. Alternatively, the control unit 31 of the external server 3 may accept a sign-in from the administrator, and output (send) a page dedicated to the administrator (My management page: report screen) to the information terminal JT operated by the administrator. The administrator's information terminal JT acquires the summary information output from the external server 3, and displays the report screen exemplified in this embodiment on a display connected to the administrator's terminal.

According to this embodiment, the external server 3 outputs (transmits) summary information (report screen) to the information terminal JT of the manager of the charging station (medium-speed charger 2), thereby providing the manager with reference information for understanding, for example, the operating rate of the medium-speed charger 2 and user trends, and thus supporting the operation and management of the medium-speed charger 2.

(Embodiment 3)
Fig. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of a vehicle charging system S according to a third embodiment (apartment building). Fig. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a data layout of a charging station master table. The vehicle charging system S of the third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the area (charging station) in which the medium-speed charger 2 is installed is included in the area in which the apartment building is installed, and the external server 3 identifies an expense claim server HS for claiming expenses for the apartment building based on information on the usage record including ETC card information and the like, and outputs the generated payment request data to the identified expense claim server HS.

The types of items (metadata) managed in the charging station master table further include items managed by the billing server HS. The billing server HS item (field) stores the host name or IP address of the billing server HS to which charges are to be billed when charging is performed using the medium-speed charger 2 of the corresponding charging station. The facility category of the charging station in which the host name etc. of the billing server HS is stored is an apartment building, and the user is a resident of the apartment building, etc.

The output unit 314 of the external server 3 identifies the charging station in which the medium-speed charger 2 is installed based on information regarding the usage history of the medium-speed charger 2 acquired from the control device 1. If the facility category of the identified charging station is an apartment building and the host name of the fee billing server HS is stored in the item (field) of the fee billing server HS, the output unit 314 of the external server 3 outputs payment request data to the fee billing server HS. The payment request data includes the billed amount and information about the user, and the fee billing server HS includes the billed amount included in the payment request data in the rent for the apartment building based on the acquired payment request data, and requests payment from the user.

According to this embodiment, the charges for using the medium-speed charger 2 installed in an apartment building are included in the rent for the apartment building and are charged to the user, improving convenience for users of the medium-speed charger 2.

(Embodiment 4)
Fig. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of a vehicle charging system S according to a fourth embodiment (commercial facility). Fig. 17 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a data layout of a charging station master table. The vehicle charging system S of the fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that an area (charging station) in which a medium-speed charger 2 is provided is included in an area in which the commercial facility is provided, and the external server 3 identifies a point linking server PS for linking with monetary points of the commercial facility based on information on a usage record including information on an ETC card and the like, and outputs the generated payment request data to the identified point linking server PS.

The types of items (metadata) managed in the charging station master table further include items managed by the point linking server PS. The item (field) of the point linking server PS stores the host name or IP address of the point linking server PS that is the point linking destination when charging is performed using the medium-speed charger 2 of the corresponding charging station. The facility classification of the charging station in which the host name of such a point linking server PS is stored is a commercial facility such as a large retail store, a hotel, or a coin parking lot.

The output unit 314 of the external server 3 identifies the charging station in which the medium-speed charger 2 is installed based on information regarding the usage history of the medium-speed charger 2 acquired from the control device 1. If the facility category of the identified charging station is a commercial facility and the host name of the point linking server PS is stored in the item (field) of the point linking server PS, the output unit 314 of the external server 3 outputs payment request data to the point linking server PS. The payment request data includes the billed amount and information regarding the user, and the point linking server PS provides points to the user based on the acquired payment request data and in accordance with the billed amount included in the payment request data.

The output unit 314 of the external server 3 may derive the parking fee at the commercial facility, include the derived parking fee in the payment notification data and payment request data, and output the data to the user's mobile terminal KT and the payment server KS, etc. The output unit 314 of the external server 3 derives the parking time of the vehicle C that has entered the parking space of the medium-speed charger 2 based on an image captured by the imaging unit 24 of the medium-speed charger 2, and derives the parking fee based on the parking time. For example, when charging is completed, the output unit 314 of the external server 3 transmits the derived parking fee together with the charging completion date and time and the amount of charging energy as payment notification data to the mobile terminal KT associated with the user. The output unit 314 of the external server 3 also includes the derived parking fee in the payment request data, and outputs the payment request data to the payment server KS and the point linking server PS.

The output unit 314 of the external server 3 may identify the vehicle C that has passed through the gate unit G and entered the charging station and exited the charging station without using the medium-speed charger 2 based on the first captured image of the vehicle C captured by the imaging device G2 of the gate unit G and the second captured image of the vehicle C captured by the imaging unit 24 of the medium-speed charger 2, and output the identification result including the license plate of the vehicle C to the information terminal JT of the administrator. That is, the output unit 314 of the external server 3 identifies the license plate of the vehicle C included in the first captured image and not included in the second captured image as the license plate of the vehicle C that has entered the charging station and has not used the medium-speed charger 2. By comparing the first captured image and the second captured image in this way, the vehicle C that has passed through the gate unit G but has not used the medium-speed charger 2 can be identified and used as reference information for operating and managing the charging station. For vehicles C that did not use the medium-speed charger 2 in this way, the output unit 314 of the external server 3 may derive a parking fee based on the time spent at the charging station based on the information of the ETC card installed in the vehicle C, and output the parking fee to the payment server KS, etc.

According to this embodiment, the use of a medium-speed charger 2 installed at a commercial facility is converted into points that are valid at the commercial facility, thereby improving convenience for users of the medium-speed charger 2.

(Embodiment 5)
Fig. 18 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of a vehicle charging system according to embodiment 5 (configuration of a medium-speed charger). Fig. 19 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a medium-speed charger and the like included in the vehicle charging system. As in embodiment 1, a plurality of medium-speed chargers 2 are connected to a control device 1, and supply power to a vehicle C such as an electric vehicle connected to the charger at an output power value based on a control signal related to the output power value output from the control device 1, thereby charging a storage battery C2 of the vehicle C.

A single medium-speed charger 2 is configured to be able to charge, for example, four vehicles C simultaneously, and is provided with a plurality of PCSs 22, connection units 23, and image capture units 24 corresponding to each of the plurality of connected vehicles C. As in the first embodiment, each of the plurality of PCSs 22 and image capture units 24 is connected to the control unit 21 so as to be able to communicate with each other, for example, via an internal bus.

Power lines (branch power lines) branched from a power line connected to a commercial power source are connected to the multiple PCSs 22. When charging the vehicles C connected to each of these PCSs 22, the medium-speed charger 2 communicates with the control device 1 to obtain output power values for each PCS 22 from the control device 1, and controls the output power values supplied from each PCS 22 to the vehicles C based on the output power values.

Each medium-speed charger 2 included in the charging station is assigned a charger number to uniquely identify the medium-speed charger 2. Furthermore, when a single medium-speed charger 2 has multiple PCSs 22 and connection units 23 as in this embodiment, the connection status or charging status of each PCS 22 and connection unit 23 may be managed by a number obtained by adding a branch number to the charger number (1 (charger number) - 1 (branch number) to 4 (branch number)) corresponding to the PCSs 22 and connection units 23.

For each connection portion 23, the medium-speed charger 2 is provided with the same number of imaging units 24 as the number of connection portions 23 (four in this embodiment). The housing that forms the outer shell of the medium-speed charger 2 is, for example, rectangular in plan view, and each imaging unit 24 is provided at a corner of the rectangular housing. By providing each imaging unit 24 at a corner of the rectangular housing, it is possible to accurately capture an image including the license plate number of vehicle C connected to the medium-speed charger 2 via the connection portion 23.

The medium-speed charger 2 can determine which of the connection parts 23 the vehicle C is parked in based on whether the license plate of the vehicle C is included in the image captured by each imaging part 24, whether the vehicle C is connected to each connection part 23, or whether both of these events have been confirmed. When the vehicle C is parked in a parking space corresponding to a connection part 23, the medium-speed charger 2 may output (transmit) this information to the control device 1, and thereby obtain (receive) from the control device 1 the power output value for charging the vehicle C.

According to this embodiment, a single medium-speed charger 2 has multiple connection parts 23, for example, four, so that the installation area of the medium-speed charger 2 included in the vehicle charging system S can be reduced, thereby saving space.

In this embodiment and other embodiments, the charger connected to the control device 1 is a medium-speed charger 2, but this is not limited to this. The chargers connected to the control device 1 and constituting the charging station may be a mixture of medium-speed chargers 2 and rapid chargers, or the multiple chargers connected to the control device 1 may be configured to consist of only rapid chargers. When a mixture of medium-speed chargers 2 and rapid chargers are connected to the control device 1, the control device 1 may prioritize the rapid charger over the medium-speed charger 2 and derive the output power value of each charger. With such a configuration, the availability of the vehicle charging system S can be improved.

The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered limiting. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not by the meaning described above, and is intended to include all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the claims.

S Vehicle charging system C Vehicle C1 ETC on-board unit C2 Storage battery C3 Power receiving unit KT Portable terminal (user terminal)
JT information terminal (administrator terminal)
N External network 3 External server (information processing device)
Description of the Reference Signs 31 Control unit 311 Acquisition unit 312 Usage fee derivation unit 313 User identification unit 314 Output unit 315 Summary information generation unit 32 Memory unit 33 Communication unit KS Payment server HS Expense billing server PS Point linking server G Gate unit G1 ETC roadside unit G2 Imaging device K High voltage power receiving equipment M Smart meter 1 Control device 11 Control unit 111 Acquisition unit 112 Output power value determination unit 113 Expected charging completion time derivation unit 114 Usage record aggregation unit 115 Output unit 12 Memory unit 13 Route B communication unit 14 Wireless communication unit 15 Charger communication unit 2 Medium speed charger 21 Control unit 22 PCS
23 Connection section 24 Imaging section

Claims (11)

A plurality of medium-speed chargers for charging storage batteries mounted on the vehicle;
A control device communicatively connected to the plurality of medium-speed chargers;
A gate unit communicatively connected to the control device;
A vehicle charging system including the control device and an external server communicably connected via an external network,
the medium-speed charger includes an imaging unit that images a vehicle being charged by the medium-speed charger;
the gate unit includes an imaging device that images a vehicle entering an area in which the plurality of medium-speed chargers are provided, and an ETC roadside unit that acquires information of an ETC card installed in the vehicle;
The control device includes:
identifying a vehicle that has been charged based on a first captured image of the vehicle captured by an imaging device of the gate unit and a second captured image of the vehicle captured by an imaging unit of the medium-speed charger;
The vehicle charging system outputs information on the ETC card of the specified vehicle and information on a charge for charging to an external server. The vehicle charging system according to claim 1 , wherein the information related to the billing is an amount of charging power supplied from the medium-speed charger to the vehicle. The external server is
generating payment request data based on the ETC card information and billing information for the specified vehicle acquired from the control device;
3. The vehicle charging system according to claim 1, further comprising: a payment server that performs a payment process according to the use of the ETC card, and outputs the generated payment request data to the payment server. The external server is
generating payment notification data based on the ETC card information and billing information for the specified vehicle acquired from the control device;
The vehicle charging system according to claim 1 , wherein the generated payment notification data is output to a mobile terminal corresponding to a user of the ETC card. The external server is
generating record information regarding a record of use of the medium-speed charger based on information on the ETC card and information regarding billing in the specified vehicle acquired from the control device;
The vehicle charging system according to claim 1 , wherein the generated performance information is output to an information terminal corresponding to a manager of the medium-speed charger. the area in which the plurality of medium-speed chargers are installed is included within an area in which an apartment building is located;
The external server
generating payment request data based on the ETC card information and billing information for the specified vehicle acquired from the control device;
The vehicle charging system according to claim 1 , further comprising: a payment request server configured to request payment for the housing complex by outputting the generated payment request data to a payment request server configured to request payment for the housing complex. the area in which the plurality of medium-speed chargers are installed is included within an area in which a commercial facility is provided;
The external server is
generating payment request data based on the ETC card information and billing information for the specified vehicle acquired from the control device;
The vehicle charging system according to claim 1 , further comprising: a point linking server for linking the generated payment request data with monetary points of the commercial facility. The commercial power supply input to the medium-speed charger is three-phase 200V or single-phase 200V,
The vehicle charging system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a rated maximum power value that is a maximum power value that the medium-speed charger can output is 20 kW to 30 kW. One medium-speed charger among the plurality of medium-speed chargers
A plurality of connection parts connected to a plurality of vehicles;
The vehicle charging system according to claim 1 , further comprising: a plurality of image capturing units respectively corresponding to the plurality of connection units. On the computer,
acquiring a first captured image of the vehicle captured by an imaging device provided in the gate unit;
acquiring information of an ETC card installed in the vehicle, the information being acquired by an ETC roadside device installed in the gate unit;
acquiring a second captured image of the vehicle captured by an imaging unit of the medium-speed charger;
Identifying the vehicle that has been charged based on the first captured image and the second captured image;
outputting, to an external server, information on the ETC card of the specified vehicle and information on a charge for charging the vehicle by the medium-speed charger. On the computer,
acquiring a first captured image of the vehicle captured by an imaging device provided in the gate unit;
acquiring information of an ETC card installed in the vehicle, the information being acquired by an ETC roadside device installed in the gate unit;
acquiring a second captured image of the vehicle captured by an imaging unit of the medium-speed charger;
Identifying the vehicle that has been charged based on the first captured image and the second captured image;
and outputting, to an external server, information on the ETC card of the identified vehicle and information on a charge for charging the vehicle by the medium-speed charger.

Images