JP2013085316A - Charging assist system and electric vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To assist in safely charging a battery of an electric vehicle even by a person who cannot conduct charge setting operation well, such as the elderly.SOLUTION: When a charging cable 101 is connected to a vehicle before charge setting operation is completed, a feeding ECU 10 transmits a request signal of charge setting information to an on-vehicle apparatus 20. The on-vehicle apparatus 20, when a driver is an object person to be assisted, transmits a request signal of charge setting information to a portable terminal 30. Thus, the third party (family) makes charge setting with the portable terminal 30 in place of the driver and hence the charge setting information is transmitted to the feeding ECU 10 of a charger 100.

Description

  The present invention relates to a charging support system that supports charging setting when charging a battery of an electric vehicle, and an electric vehicle that is applied to the charging support system.

  With the spread of electric vehicles such as electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles, charging facilities for charging batteries of electric vehicles have been expanded. Charging facilities are provided not only at dedicated charging stations, but also at stores such as convenience stores and shopping centers, entertainment facilities, and the like, so that batteries can be charged while parking.

  For example, as shown in Patent Document 1, there is also known one that starts battery charging by a remote operation by a wireless terminal.

JP 2008-247080 A

  However, when charging the battery, in addition to the work of connecting the vehicle and the charging device with the charging cable, it is necessary to perform a setting operation related to charging, which may be difficult for the elderly. The setting relating to charging represents, for example, settings such as a charging speed (selection of quick charging and normal charging), a charging rate, and a charging time. If there is a charging station where a charge operation staff is resident, there is no problem because appropriate support can be obtained, but there are many cases where there is no charge operation staff in stores that do not charge battery charging. In some situations, depending on the person, such as an elderly person, the charge setting operation is difficult and the battery cannot be charged well.

  The present invention has been made in order to cope with the above-described problem, and is intended to assist even an elderly person or the like who can not perform a charging setting operation well so that the battery of an electric vehicle can be charged with peace of mind. Objective.

To achieve the above object, the present invention is characterized in that the battery (201) of the electric vehicle is charged by connecting the charging device (100) and the electric vehicle (200) with a charging cable (101). A charging support system that supports charging settings,
External charging setting information requesting means (S16, for requesting external charging setting information set externally different from the charging setting device of the charging device when the charging device and the electric vehicle are connected by the charging cable. S25, S205), external charge setting information acquisition means (S18, S26, S205) for acquiring information transmitted in response to a request from the external charge setting information request means as the external charge setting information, and the external charge setting Charge command means (S14, S27) for starting charging the battery of the electric vehicle based on the external charge setting information acquired by the information acquisition means.

  In the present invention, the external charge setting information requesting means is external charge setting information set from the outside different from the charge setter provided in the charging device when the charging device and the electric vehicle are connected by the charging cable. Request. This external charge setting information may be set externally different from the charge setting device of the charging device when requested by the external charge setting information requesting means, or may be set in advance in the charging setting device of the charging device. It may be set and stored externally different from. The external charge setting information acquisition means acquires information transmitted in response to the request from the external charge setting information request means as external charge setting information. Then, the charging command means starts charging the vehicle battery based on the external charging setting information acquired by the external charging setting information acquiring means.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, even if a person (for example, a driver) who wants to charge the battery of the electric vehicle is not good at setting operation of battery charging, if the electric vehicle and the charging cable are connected, the charge setting is performed. The battery of the electric vehicle is started without any operation on the battery. As a result, even a person such as an elderly person who cannot perform the charging setting operation successfully can charge the battery of the electric vehicle with peace of mind. Moreover, since a wrong setting operation is not performed, charging failure and erroneous charging can be prevented.

  The electric vehicle is a plug-in electric vehicle that includes a battery and can be charged from an external power source. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to an electric vehicle that travels only with battery power, but is also applied to a plug-in hybrid vehicle that includes a traveling motor and an internal combustion engine. It can also be applied to an electric motorcycle.

  Another feature of the present invention is that the external charge setting information requesting means is connected to the wireless portable terminal (30) associated with the electric vehicle when the charging device and the electric vehicle are connected by the charging cable. A request signal for requesting the external charge setting information is transmitted, and the external charge setting information acquisition unit is configured to acquire information transmitted from the wireless portable terminal in response to the request signal as the external charge setting information. .

  In the present invention, a request signal for requesting external charge setting information is transmitted to the wireless portable terminal associated with the electric vehicle. Accordingly, a setting request for battery charging is notified to the wireless portable terminal user located away from the charging site (for example, charging station). Thereby, the wireless portable terminal user can perform settings related to battery charging on behalf of a person (for example, a driver) at the charging site. The setting information input by the wireless portable terminal is acquired by the external charging setting information acquisition unit as the external charging setting information. Thereby, according to this invention, the wireless portable terminal user in the place away from the charging field can perform charge setting on behalf of the person (for example, elderly person) who is not good at charge setting operation. The wireless portable terminal is a personal portable terminal having a wireless communication function, and for example, a portable terminal such as a smartphone may be used.

  Another feature of the present invention is that the external charge setting information requesting means manages a center server (40) for managing information on a plurality of electric vehicles when the charging device and the electric vehicle are connected by the charging cable. In response, the request signal for requesting the external charge setting information is transmitted together with the information for specifying the electric vehicle, and the external charge setting information acquisition means is transmitted from the center server in response to the request signal. Information is acquired as the external charge setting information.

  In the present invention, a request signal for requesting external charge setting information is transmitted to the center server together with information for specifying the vehicle. Thereby, the center server transmits the charge setting information in response to the request signal, and the external charge setting information acquisition unit acquires this information as the external charge setting information. Therefore, according to the present invention, since the charging setting information can be registered in the center server in advance, when a charging device and an electric vehicle are connected by a charging cable, a supporter such as a family member can support in real time. There is no need to perform remote control for charging settings.

  Another feature of the present invention includes storage means (25) for storing external charge setting information transmitted from a wireless portable terminal associated with the electric vehicle, wherein the external charge setting information request means includes the charging device. And the electric vehicle are connected to each other via the charging cable, the external charging setting information is requested from the storage unit in response to the request signal. The transmitted information is obtained as the external charging setting information (S205).

  In the present invention, the external charging setting information transmitted from the wireless portable terminal associated with the electric vehicle is stored in advance in the storage means. And when a charging device and an electric vehicle are connected by the charging cable, an external charge setting information request | requirement means reads external charge setting information from a memory | storage means. Therefore, according to the present invention, since the charging setting information can be stored in the storage means in advance, when the charging device and the electric vehicle are connected by the charging cable, a supporter such as a family member can see in real time. There is no need to perform remote control for charging settings. For example, when the storage means is provided in the vehicle, it is not necessary to intervene other devices such as a center server, and the system can be implemented with a small system configuration.

  Another feature of the present invention is provided with subject determination means (S22) for determining whether or not the driver of the electric vehicle is a preset support subject, wherein the external charge setting information request means is the target When the driver determining unit determines that the driver is a support target person, the external charging setting information is requested when the charging device and the electric vehicle are connected by the charging cable. .

  In the present invention, the target person determination means determines whether or not the driver of the electric vehicle is a preset support target person. Then, when it is determined that the driver is a support target person, the external charging setting information requesting unit requests the external charging setting information when the charging device and the electric vehicle are connected by the charging cable. Therefore, since the external charge setting information is requested only in a situation where the charge setting operation needs to be supported, the driver who does not need the support is not remotely set from the outside. For this reason, a driver who does not need assistance can perform charge setting as usual.

  Moreover, this invention is applicable not only to a charge assistance system but the electric vehicle used for a charge assistance system.

  In the above description, in order to help the understanding of the invention, the reference numerals used in the embodiment are attached in parentheses to the configuration of the invention corresponding to the embodiment. It is not limited to the embodiment defined by the reference numerals.

It is a schematic block diagram showing the charge assistance system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic structure figure of electric power feeding ECU concerning an embodiment. It is a schematic structure figure of an in-vehicle device concerning an embodiment. It is a flowchart showing the charge setting assistance control routine which concerns on embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a charge setting support control routine according to Modification 1. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a charge setting support control routine according to a second modification. 10 is a flowchart showing a charge setting support control routine according to Modification 3.

  Hereinafter, a charging support system and an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a charging support system according to the embodiment.

  The charging support system is a system that supports setting when charging a battery of an electric vehicle using a charging device. The charging support system includes a power supply control unit 10 (hereinafter referred to as a power supply ECU 10) provided in the charging device 100 serving as an external power source, an in-vehicle device 20 provided in the electric vehicle 200, and each individual associated with the electric vehicle 200. A wireless portable terminal 30 (hereinafter referred to as a portable terminal 30), a center server 40 provided in a vehicle information center 400 that manages vehicle information, a power feeding ECU 10, an in-vehicle device 20, a portable terminal 30, and a center server 40. And a communication network 50 such as the Internet, which is connected to be communicable with each other. The in-vehicle device 20 includes a charging control unit 21 (hereinafter referred to as a charging ECU 21) that controls charging of the battery 201 of the electric vehicle 200, and an in-vehicle communication terminal 27 that is connected to the communication network 50 and communicates with the outside. ing. A wireless base station 51 is connected to the communication line network 50, and the in-vehicle communication terminal 27 and the mobile terminal 30 are connected to the communication line network 50 via the wireless base station 51. Hereinafter, the communication line network 50 is referred to as a network 50.

  The electric vehicle 200 to which the charging support system is applied is a plug-in electric vehicle that includes a battery 201 and that can charge the battery 201 from an external power source. For example, an electric vehicle that drives a traction motor with battery power is a representative example, but a plug-in hybrid vehicle including a traction motor and an internal combustion engine may be used. Further, it may be a two-wheeled vehicle that runs on electric power output from a battery, such as an electric bicycle, an assist bicycle, and an electric motorcycle. Hereinafter, the electric vehicle is simply referred to as a vehicle.

  The battery 201 of the vehicle 200 can be charged from a household outlet, and can be charged using the charging device 100 when away from home. The charging device 100 is provided not only at a charging stand but also at a store such as a convenience store and a shopping center, and a parking lot such as an entertainment facility. The charging device 100 is supplied with commercial power from a power supply company via a power supply network (for example, a smart grid). The charging device 100 includes a charging cable 101, and supplies power to the battery 201 of the vehicle 200 by inserting a plug 102 provided at the tip of the charging cable 101 into the power receiving connector 202 of the vehicle 200.

  The charging apparatus 100 includes an operation indicator 110 in which an operation unit for performing various settings relating to battery charging and a display unit for informing a user of information such as a power supply state and an operation method are integrally configured with a touch panel, a charge Are provided in a casing and a power supply ECU 10 that controls power supply. The power supply ECU 10 includes a microcomputer, a communication circuit, a storage device, and a power supply control circuit as main parts. When classified into the functions, the power supply ECU 10 includes a power supply control unit 11 and a communication terminal unit 12 as shown in FIG. The The power supply control unit 11 controls power supply to the battery 201 in accordance with the charge setting set by the operation indicator 110 or the charge setting information input from the outside. In addition, the power supply control unit 11 exchanges information related to the power supply amount with the settlement device 111.

  The communication terminal unit 12 includes a PLC communication control unit 12a and an external communication control unit 12b. The PLC communication control unit 12a performs power line communication (PLC) with the in-vehicle device 20 with the charging cable 101 interposed therebetween. Further, the external communication control unit 12 b communicates with an external communication device via the network 50. For example, the power supply ECU 10 transmits power supply monitor information, failure information, and the like of the charging device 100 to the outside via the external communication control unit 12b. The external communication control unit 12b is not necessarily required for the configuration of the charging support system, but registers (stores) charging setting information, which will be described later, in the charging device 100 or charges setting information from outside in real time. In the case of transmitting to the charging device 100, the external communication control unit 12b can be used.

  As shown in FIG. 1, vehicle 200 is driven by an inverter 210 that converts DC power output from battery 201 into three-phase AC power and a three-phase AC power output from inverter 210 as a travel drive system. A traveling motor 211 that rotates the wheels W and a motor control unit 212 (referred to as a motor ECU 212) that controls the output of the inverter according to the driving operation of the driver are provided.

  The vehicle 200 includes an AC / DC converter 213 that converts AC power supplied to the power receiving connector 202 into DC power as a charger for charging the battery 201. The battery 201 is provided with an SOC detection unit 214 that detects SOC (State Of Charge), which is a value indicating the state of charge of the battery 201. The SOC detection unit 214 outputs a signal representing the SOC to the charging ECU 21.

  The charge ECU 21 in the in-vehicle device 20 includes a microcomputer, a communication circuit, a storage device, and various drivers as main parts. When classified into the functions, as shown in FIG. 3, a PLC communication control unit 22, a charge control unit 23, The charging setting processing unit 24 and the setting storage unit 25 are included. The PLC communication control unit 22 is connected to the power supply line via the PLC line 220, and is connected to the PLC communication control unit 12 a of the power supply ECU 10 via the PLC line 220, the power supply line 221, and the charging cable 101. Hereinafter, the PLC communication control unit 22 provided in the charging ECU 21 is referred to as a vehicle-side PLC unit 22, and the PLC communication control unit 12a provided in the power supply ECU 10 is referred to as a charging device-side PLC unit 12a.

  The charging control unit 23 inputs the SOC output from the SOC detection unit 214 when the plug 102 of the charging cable 101 is connected to the power receiving connector 202. If the SOC is lower than the set value, the AC / DC The converter 213 is operated to charge the battery 201.

  The vehicle-side PLC unit 22 and the charging device-side PLC unit 12a periodically try communication connection with each other, and when the plug 102 of the charging cable 101 is connected to the power receiving connector 202, communication between the two is established. By establishing this communication, it is determined that the charging device 100 and the vehicle 200 are connected by the charging cable 101, and thereafter, exchange of information regarding charging is started. For example, the power supply ECU 10 transmits a power supply start confirmation signal to the charge ECU 21, confirms that the power supply permission signal is transmitted from the charge ECU 21, and starts power supply. Further, the charging ECU 21 transmits the SOC detected by the SOC detection unit 214 to the power feeding ECU 10. Therefore, power supply ECU 10 can control power supply to vehicle 200 based on this SOC. The power supply from the charging device 100 to the vehicle 200 may be controlled only by the charging ECU 21 side. In this case, the power supply ECU 10 side may start and end power supply in accordance with a command from the charging ECU 21.

  In addition, in this embodiment, although it is the structure which performs PLC communication between electric power feeding ECU10 of the charging device 100, and charge ECU21 of the vehicle 200, communication between both is not restricted to PLC communication. For example, a dedicated communication line may be provided in parallel with the charging cable 101 in addition to the power supply line, so that wired communication may be performed between the power supply ECU 10 and the charging ECU 21 using the communication line. In addition, a short-range wireless communication device is provided in each of the power supply ECU 10 of the charging device 100 and the charge ECU 21 of the vehicle 200 so that short-range wireless communication (for example, Bluetooth) is performed between the power supply ECU 10 and the charge ECU 21. Also good.

  When power is supplied to the battery 201 by the charging device 100, settings related to charging, such as settings related to charging speed (selection of quick charge or normal charge), settings related to charge amount (charging rate or charging time), settings related to charges, etc. There is a need to do. Such a setting relating to charging is performed using the operation indicator 110 of the charging apparatus 100, but the operation may be difficult for elderly people or the like. Therefore, in the present embodiment, in order to support such a person who is difficult to perform the setting operation, a function for performing settings related to charging from the outside is provided.

  The charge setting processing unit 24 and the setting storage unit 25 provided in the charging ECU 21 are for realizing such an external setting function. The charge setting processing unit 24 connects the in-vehicle communication terminal 27 and requests information related to the charge setting (hereinafter referred to as charge setting information) to the outside such as the portable terminal 30 via the in-vehicle communication terminal 27. The charging setting information transmitted in response to the request is acquired and transmitted to the power supply ECU 10 of the charging apparatus 100. The processing of the charge setting processing unit 24 will be described later.

  The setting storage unit 25 is a storage device that is connected to the charge setting processing unit 24 and stores driver information, charge setting information, and the like necessary for the processing of the charge setting processing unit 24.

  The in-vehicle communication terminal 27 includes a microcomputer, a communication circuit, and the like as main parts, and is classified into functions thereof, and includes an external communication control unit 28 and a short-range communication control unit 29. The external communication control unit 28 is connected to the network 50 via the radio base station 51, and exchanges information with various communication devices connected to the network 50. For example, the external communication control unit 28 inputs vehicle information output from the ECUs in various vehicles including the charging ECU 21, and the vehicle information is combined with the vehicle ID to the center server 40 provided in the vehicle information center 400. Send. The center server 40 stores and manages the vehicle information transmitted from each vehicle in association with the vehicle ID. For example, information representing the current position of the vehicle, the state of the battery (SOC), the error history, etc. is periodically acquired and managed. Further, the center server 40 transmits various kinds of information useful to the user to the external communication control unit 28 as necessary. For example, information on a charging facility close to the current position of the vehicle is transmitted to a vehicle in which a decrease in SOC is detected.

  The external communication control unit 28 communicates with the mobile terminal 30 via the network 50 to request charge setting information, receives the charge setting information transmitted from the mobile terminal 30 in response to this request, and performs charge setting processing. To the unit 24. Further, when the charge setting information is stored in the center server 40, the external communication control unit 28 communicates with the center server 40 to request the charge setting information, and is transmitted from the center server 40 in response to this request. The received charge setting information is received and output to the charge setting processing unit 24.

  The short-range communication control unit 29 performs short-range wireless communication using, for example, Bluetooth, and receives a key ID for identifying the vehicle key 230 by establishing communication with the vehicle key 230 brought into the passenger compartment. The received key ID is output to the charge setting processing unit 24 of the charge ECU 20. This key ID is set to different information for each vehicle key 230. Therefore, a driver can be specified from the key ID by assigning a plurality of vehicle keys 230 to each driver.

  The vehicle information center 400 is a facility that collects various types of vehicle information transmitted from the vehicle 200 and provides various service information to vehicle users. The center server 40 provided in the vehicle information center 400 includes a microcomputer, a storage device, and a communication circuit as main parts. When classified into functions, the center server 40 is connected to a network 50 and performs communication control as shown in FIG. The controller 41 includes a vehicle information server 42 that manages vehicle information, and a user information server 43 that manages user information of the vehicle.

  The center server 40 includes a vehicle ID (information corresponding to a registration number and a chassis number, a communication address of the in-vehicle communication terminal 27, etc.) for identifying the vehicle and a user ID (user name, telephone number of the portable terminal 30, Related information associated with a mail address, communication address, etc.), and by specifying one of the IDs, the information specified by the other ID can be extracted. . The center server 40 can also store the charging setting information in the user information server 43 in association with the vehicle ID.

  The portable terminal 30 may be any wireless communication device that can be connected to the network 50, such as a smartphone owned by a vehicle user and a person (for example, a family) of the vehicle user. The mobile terminal 30 is preinstalled with an application for performing settings related to charging of the battery 201 of the vehicle 200. By starting this application and setting the charging method of the battery 201, the charging setting information is communicated in the vehicle. It can be transmitted to the terminal 27 or the center server 40.

  Next, the operation of the charging support system will be described. FIG. 4 shows a charge setting support control routine executed by the cooperation of the power supply ECU 10 of the charging device 100, the in-vehicle device 20, and the portable terminal 30. In the drawing, the left side represents processing executed by the power feeding ECU 10, the center represents processing executed by the in-vehicle device 20 (mainly the charging setting processing unit 24), and the right side represents processing executed by the mobile terminal 30.

  When the driver approaches the charging device 100, the power supply ECU 10 starts a charge setting support control routine when a human detection sensor (not shown) detects the driver. First, in step S <b> 11, the power supply ECU 10 displays a charge setting screen on the operation indicator 110 to prompt the user to input settings related to charging. Subsequently, in step S12, it is determined whether or not a setting operation related to charging is completed. The power feeding ECU 10 determines whether or not the charging cable 101 is connected to the vehicle 200 in step S13 while the setting operation is not completed. This determination may be made based on whether or not the communication between the charging device side PLC unit 12a and the vehicle side PLC unit 22 is established. Instead, for example, the power receiving connector 202 of the vehicle 200 is connected to the plug 102 of the charging cable 101. It is also possible to provide a mechanical switch whose contact changes when the is inserted, and to input a signal of this switch via the charging cable 101.

  While the connection of the charging cable 101 is not detected, the processing of steps S12 to S13 is repeated with the charging setting screen displayed. When the user completes the charge setting operation before connecting charging cable 101 to vehicle 200, power supply ECU 10 advances the process to step S <b> 14 and starts power supply to vehicle 200. In this case, when the user connects the charging cable 101 to the power receiving connector 202 of the vehicle 200 and communication between the charging device side PLC 12a and the vehicle side PLC 22 is established, the power supply ECU 10 starts to supply power via the charging cable 101. To do. Further, the charging ECU 21 of the vehicle 200 starts the operation of the AC / DC converter 213 and starts charging the battery 201.

  On the other hand, when it is detected that the charging cable 101 is connected to the vehicle 200 in a state where the setting operation related to charging is not completed (S13: Yes), the power supply ECU 10 cannot perform remote setting regarding the charging setting in step S15. It is determined whether or not. As will be described later, this determination is performed to determine whether or not a remote setting disable signal is transmitted from the in-vehicle device 20 to the power supply ECU 10, and at the time when the determination of step S15 is first performed, “No”. Subsequently, in step S <b> 16, the power supply ECU 10 transmits a charge setting information request signal to the in-vehicle device 20.

  When the charging cable 101 is connected, the in-vehicle device 20 (charge setting processing unit 24) repeatedly determines whether or not a request signal for charge setting information has been received in step S21. When a request signal for charging setting information is received (S21: Yes), a driver determination process is performed in step S22. When the driver carries the vehicle key 230 and gets into the vehicle 200, the near field communication control unit 29 of the in-vehicle communication terminal 27 performs near field communication with the vehicle key 230, and the key ID is received from the vehicle key 230. Is transmitted to the charge setting processing unit 24 of the charge ECU 21. This key ID is information that can identify the driver. In addition, the setting storage unit 25 of the charging ECU 21 stores in advance the key ID of the vehicle key 230 used by the driver as information for specifying the driver as a support target for the charging setting operation.

  The charge setting processing unit 24 uses the key ID to determine whether or not the current driver is a driver that is a support target for the charge setting operation (hereinafter referred to as a support target driver) in the driver determination process of step S22. to decide. Specifically, the charge setting processing unit 24 determines whether the key ID acquired from the in-vehicle communication terminal 27 matches the key ID stored in the setting storage unit 25 (if a plurality of key IDs are stored, If it matches, the current driver is determined to be a support target driver. If not, the current driver is not a support target driver. Is determined.

  If the current driver is not a support target driver (S23: No), the in-vehicle device 20 transmits a remote setting disable signal to the power supply ECU 10 in step S24, and ends this routine. On the other hand, if the current driver is a support target driver (S23: Yes), a charge setting information request signal is transmitted to the portable terminal 30 in step S25. This request signal is transmitted from the external communication control unit 28 of the in-vehicle communication terminal 27 to the portable terminal 30 via the network 50. In this case, driver information for identifying the driver may be transmitted together with the request signal. The driver information may be stored in advance in the setting storage unit 25 in association with the key ID, and driver information (for example, driver name) corresponding to the key ID may be read and transmitted when the request signal is transmitted. The setting storage unit 25 also stores the communication address of the mobile terminal 30, and the external communication control unit 28 of the in-vehicle communication terminal 27 reads out the communication address stored in the setting storage unit 25 and sets it in advance. A request signal is transmitted to the mobile terminal 30 that has been received. A plurality of transmission destinations may be set.

  Note that the in-vehicle device 20 ends the routine at that time when the charging device 100 appropriately performs the charge setting operation and the power supply to the vehicle 200 is started during the operation of the routine.

  In step S31, the portable terminal 30 repeats the determination as to whether or not the request signal for the charge setting information has been received at a predetermined cycle. When the request signal for the charge setting information is received (S31: Yes), in step S32, a charge setting application for setting the charge of the battery 201 is activated, and a charge setting screen is displayed on a display operation unit (not shown). Then, the user of the mobile terminal 30 (for example, the driver's family) is notified to perform the remote setting operation related to the charging of the battery 201. This charge setting screen is similar to the screen displayed on the operation indicator 110 of the charging device 100, for example, but it is preferable that the driver name is also displayed.

  A user of the mobile terminal 30 (hereinafter referred to as a remote user) performs settings related to charging according to the charging setting screen. When the charge setting is completed, the portable terminal 30 transmits the charge setting information to the in-vehicle device 20 (external communication control unit 28 of the in-vehicle communication terminal 27) via the network 50 in step S33, and ends the charge setting application. If the charge setting is not completed after the preset upper limit waiting time has elapsed from the reception of the request signal for the charge setting information in step S31 (S31: Yes), the portable terminal 30 determines in step S33. The initial setting value is transmitted as the charging setting information. The initial setting value may be a fixed value, but may be arbitrarily set on the initial setting mode screen of the charge setting application. The charge setting information transmitted from the portable terminal 30 corresponds to the external charge setting information in the present invention.

  The in-vehicle device 20 waits until the charging setting information is transmitted to the in-vehicle communication terminal 27 in step S26, and receives the charging setting information. In step S27, the in-vehicle device 20 transmits the charging setting information via the vehicle-side PLC unit 22. 100 is transmitted to the power supply ECU 10, and this routine is terminated. The charge setting processing unit 24 does not transmit the charge setting information from the portable terminal 30 even after the preset upper limit waiting time has elapsed from the transmission of the charge setting information request signal in step S25 (S25) ( In step S26, the charge setting information set to the initial value is transmitted in step S27. This initial value is stored in the setting storage unit 25 in advance.

  After transmitting the charge setting information request signal in step S16, the power supply ECU 10 determines whether or not a remote setting disable signal has been received in step S17. When the power supply ECU 10 receives the remote setting impossibility signal (S17: Yes), the process returns to step S12. Therefore, when the charge setting operation is not completed (S12: No), the determinations of steps S13 and S15 are repeated.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S17 that the remote setting disable signal has not been received, it is determined in step S18 whether or not charging setting information has been received. The power feeding ECU 10 repeats the processes of steps S17 and S18 while neither the remote setting disable signal nor the charging setting information is received. When the power supply ECU 10 repeats such processing and receives the charge setting information, in step S14, the power supply ECU 10 starts power supply to the vehicle 200 according to the received charge setting information. In this case, the charge setting information functions as a charge command that causes the power supply ECU 10 to start power supply to the vehicle 200 (charging of the battery 201).

  The charge setting support control routine ends when power supply to the vehicle 200 is started in step S14. Note that a charging completion signal may be transmitted to the mobile terminal 30 when the power feeding ECU 10 finishes feeding the vehicle 200 or when the charging ECU 21 finishes charging the battery 201. Then, the mobile terminal 30 may receive the charge completion signal and end the charge setting application.

  According to the charge setting support control routine described above, when the battery 201 is charged, the charge setting information request signal is transmitted to the portable terminal 30 via the in-vehicle device 20 only by connecting the charging cable 101 to the vehicle 200. Then, the charge setting application is activated on the mobile terminal 30. The remote user recognizes that the driver to be supported is about to charge the battery by starting the charge setting application, and performs charge setting from the operation screen of the charge setting application. In other words, instead of the support target driver, the battery charging is set by remote control. The charge setting information representing the charge setting set by remote operation is transmitted to the in-vehicle communication terminal 27 via the network 50, and is transmitted to the power supply ECU 10 of the charging apparatus 100 via the charge ECU 21. The power supply ECU 10 starts power supply to the vehicle 200 according to the received charge setting information.

  Thereby, even if it is a person who cannot perform charge setting operation of the charging device 100 well, a battery charge can be started only by connecting the charging cable 101 to the vehicle 200. FIG. Further, it is determined whether or not the driver is a driver to be supported, and only when the driver is a driver to be supported, a notification is given to the remote user (the charging setting application of the mobile terminal 30 is activated). For drivers that do not need it, there is no remote setting for battery charging from the outside. Therefore, a driver who does not need assistance can perform charging setting as usual.

  As a result, according to the present embodiment, even a person such as an elderly person who cannot perform the charging setting operation successfully can charge the battery of the vehicle 200 with peace of mind. Moreover, since a wrong setting operation is not performed, charging failure and erroneous charging can be prevented. In addition, the family of the support target driver can safely send the support target driver to the drive. Further, the family of the support target driver can recognize in real time that the support target driver performs battery charging. In addition, since anyone can easily charge the battery, it is possible to contribute to the spread of electric vehicles and charging facilities. In addition, the charging facility can be self-operated (unmanned), and the charging facility can be expanded in parking lots such as stores and amusement parks.

  Next, a modified example will be described.

<Modification 1>
In the embodiment described above, the power supply ECU 10 of the charging device 100 transmits the request signal for the charging setting information to the mobile terminal 30 of the remote user via the in-vehicle device 20, but the source of the request signal for the charging setting information is The in-vehicle device 20 may be used instead of the power supply ECU 10. In the first modification, the in-vehicle device 20 is used as the transmission source of the charge setting information request signal. FIG. 5 shows a charge setting support control routine as the first modification. About the process same as embodiment, the same step number as embodiment is attached | subjected to drawing, and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the process in power feeding ECU10, the process of step S13, S15, S16 is deleted with respect to embodiment, and in the process in the vehicle equipment 20, the process of step S201 is integrated instead of step S21.

  In-vehicle device 20 waits until connection of charging cable 101 is detected in step S201. When communication between the charging ECU 21 and the power feeding ECU 10 is established, it is determined that the charging cable 101 is connected, and the process proceeds to step S22. When the driver is a driver to be supported, a request signal for charging setting information is obtained. Is transmitted to the portable terminal 30 (S25), and if the driver is not a support target driver, a remote setting impossible signal is transmitted to the power supply ECU 10.

  When the power supply ECU 10 receives the remote setting disable signal from the in-vehicle device 20 (S17: Yes), the power supply ECU 10 waits for the completion of the setting operation by the input from the operation indicator 110 (S12), and receives the charging setting information from the in-vehicle device 20. If received (S18: Yes), power supply to the vehicle 200 is started based on the received charge setting information (S14).

  Also in this modification 1, the same effect as embodiment is obtained.

<Modification 2>
In the above-described embodiment, when the support target driver connects the charging cable 101 to the vehicle 200, a request signal for charging setting information is transmitted to the remote user's portable terminal 30 in real time. Is not immediately available, that is, the setting operation cannot be performed on the mobile terminal 30. Therefore, in the second modified example, when the charge target information is registered in advance in the center server 40 of the vehicle information center 400 and the support target driver connects the charging cable 101 to the vehicle 200, the center server 40, the registered charge setting information is requested.

  For example, the user starts up the charge setting application on the mobile terminal 30 in advance, performs settings related to battery charging, and sets the transmission destination of the request signal for the charge setting information in the center server 40. When such setting is completed, the mobile terminal 30 transmits charge setting information to the center server 40. The center server 40 stores association information that associates the communication address of the mobile terminal 30 with the vehicle ID. Therefore, the center server 40 stores the received charging setting information in the user information server 43 in association with the vehicle ID based on the communication address of the mobile terminal 30. At this time, the portable terminal 30 transmits a setting signal for setting the transmission destination of the request signal for the charging setting information to the center server 40 to the in-vehicle device 20. Information indicating the transmission destination of the request signal is stored in the setting storage unit 25 of the charging ECU 21.

  FIG. 6 shows a charge setting support control routine as a second modification. About the process same as embodiment, the same step number as embodiment is attached | subjected to drawing, and description is abbreviate | omitted. This charge setting support control routine is a process executed when the transmission destination of the charge setting information request signal is set in the center server 40 in advance.

  In this modification, the process on the right side of the drawing is executed by the center server 40. In step S <b> 25, the in-vehicle device 20 transmits a request signal for charge setting information to the center server 40 together with a vehicle ID that identifies the vehicle.

  In step S41, the center server 40 stands by until a charge setting information request signal is received. And if the request signal of charge setting information is received (S41: Yes), the charge setting information corresponding to vehicle ID transmitted with the request signal will be read from the user information server 43 in the following step S42. Subsequently, in step S43, the center server 40 transmits the charging setting information read from the user information server 43 to the in-vehicle device 20 (in-vehicle communication terminal 27).

  In the second modification, since the charging setting information can be registered in the center server 40 in advance, it is not necessary to perform a remote operation in real time when the support target driver performs the charging operation. Therefore, this is effective when the remote user cannot respond immediately. In addition, when there is almost no need to change the charging settings, the frequency of setting operations can be reduced by registering the charging setting information in the center server 40. In addition, when a third party (for example, one of the family members) charges the battery of his / her vehicle 200 as a user, the charging setting information can be transmitted in advance. It is easy to use because there is no need to give instructions regarding charging settings. In the second modification, the transmission destination of the request signal is the center server 40 in the embodiment. However, in the first modification, the transmission destination of the request signal may be the center server 40.

<Modification 3>
In the modified example 2 described above, the charging setting information is registered (stored) in the center server 40 of the vehicle information center 400 in advance, but in the modified example 3, the setting storage unit of the in-vehicle device 20 is previously configured. The charging setting information is registered in the setting storage unit 25 when the support target driver connects the charging cable 101 to the vehicle 200.

  For example, the user launches a charge setting application on the mobile terminal 30 in advance, performs settings related to battery charging, and sets the transmission destination of the request signal for the charge setting information in the in-vehicle device 20. When such a setting operation is completed, the mobile terminal 30 transmits charge setting information to the in-vehicle device 20 (in-vehicle communication terminal 27). The charge setting processing unit 24 of the in-vehicle device 20 stores the charge setting information received via the in-vehicle communication terminal 27 in the setting storage unit 25.

  FIG. 7 shows a charge setting support control routine as a third modification. About the process same as embodiment, the same step number as embodiment is attached | subjected to drawing, and description is abbreviate | omitted. In the third modification, only the processing of the power feeding ECU 10 and the in-vehicle device 20 is performed. This charge setting support control routine is a process executed when the destination of the request signal for the charge setting information is set in the in-vehicle device 20.

  The in-vehicle device 20 performs a driver determination process when receiving the request signal for the charging setting information in step S21. If the driver is a support target driver, the in-vehicle device 20 stores the charging stored in the setting storage unit 25 in step S205. Read setting information. That is, the charge setting processing unit 24 requests charge setting information from the setting storage unit 25, and acquires the charge setting information transmitted from the setting storage unit 25 in response to the request. Therefore, the process of step S205 corresponds to both the external charge setting information requesting means and the external charge setting information acquiring means in the present invention.

  Subsequently, the in-vehicle device 20 transmits the charge setting information read from the setting storage unit 25 to the power supply ECU 10 in step S27.

  In the third modification, since the charge setting information can be registered in the in-vehicle device 20 in advance, it is not necessary to perform a remote operation in real time when the support target driver performs the charging operation. Therefore, this is effective when the remote user cannot respond immediately. In addition, when there is almost no need to change the charge setting, the frequency of the setting operation can be reduced by registering the charge setting information in the in-vehicle device 20. In addition, when a third party (for example, one of the family members) charges the battery of his / her vehicle 200 as a user, the charging setting information can be transmitted in advance. It is easy to use because there is no need to give instructions regarding charging settings. In the third modification, the transmission destination of the request signal is set to the setting storage unit 25 in the embodiment. However, even in the first modification, the transmission destination of the request signal is set to the setting storage unit 25. Good. According to the third modification, since there is no need to interpose the center server 40, it can be implemented with a small system configuration.

  The charging support system and the electric vehicle according to the present embodiment have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the object of the present invention.

  For example, in this embodiment, the driver determination process for determining whether or not the driver is a support target driver is performed. However, the driver determination process may not be performed and all drivers may be supported. . In this case, if a driver who does not need assistance completes the setting operation related to charging before connecting the charging cable 101, the request signal is not transmitted to the outside, so that the driver can use it normally.

  Further, regarding the driver determination process, in the present embodiment, the driver is determined based on the key ID read from the vehicle key 230, but may be determined by other methods. For example, a card reader that reads information on a card (such as a driver's license) that can identify the driver may be provided in the passenger compartment so that the driver can read the card information. Alternatively, the driver's face may be photographed with a camera, and the driver may be identified from the captured image. Alternatively, the driver may be determined based on setting information such as a different seat position and steering position for each driver.

  Further, in the second modification or the third modification, the charging setting information is registered (stored) in the center server 40 or the in-vehicle device 20, but may be registered in other places. Good. For example, the charging setting information may be registered in the charging device 100 using the mobile terminal 30. In this case, the power supply ECU 10 includes a storage device that stores the charging setting information and the vehicle ID in association with each other. When the charging cable 101 is connected to the vehicle 200, the power feeding ECU 10 reads the vehicle ID from the in-vehicle device 20 to charge the charging setting information. It is determined whether or not the vehicle is registered. Then, if the vehicle is a vehicle in which the charge setting information is registered, the charge setting information stored in the storage device may be read and power may be supplied to the vehicle 200 according to the charge setting information.

  Further, the system configuration may be such that the charging setting information is registered in the in-vehicle device 20 or the center server 40 at the time of purchase of the vehicle. In this case, when the charging cable 101 is connected to the vehicle 200, the registered information may be read out. In this system, since it is not necessary for a third party to perform a charge setting operation, it is useful for elderly people living alone, for example.

  In the present embodiment and Modifications 1 and 2, the request signal for the charge setting information is transmitted from the in-vehicle communication terminal 27 of the in-vehicle device 20 to the outside, but the in-vehicle communication terminal 27 may not be used. For example, the in-vehicle device 20 is provided with a short-range wireless communication terminal that performs short-range wireless communication with the mobile terminal 30 possessed by the driver, and a request signal for charge setting information is transmitted from the short-range wireless communication terminal to the mobile terminal 30 possessed by the driver. Send. Then, the portable terminal 30 owned by the driver transmits a request signal for the charge setting information received from the short-range wireless communication terminal to the portable terminal 30 or the center server 40 of the remote user, and the charge setting information returned in response thereto. May be received and transmitted to the short-range wireless communication terminal. That is, communication with the outside may be performed via the portable terminal 30 owned by the driver. In this system, it is not necessary to provide the external communication control unit 28 in the in-vehicle device 20 and can be implemented at low cost.

  Further, for example, the power supply ECU 10 of the charging apparatus 100 may transmit a request signal for charge setting information to the center server 40. In this case, when the charging cable 101 is connected to the vehicle 200, the power feeding ECU 10 receives the vehicle ID from the in-vehicle device 20, and transmits the received vehicle ID to the center server 40, so that the center server 40 The charging setting information may be configured to be transmitted to the power supply ECU 10. The power supply ECU 10 may be a system that transmits a request signal for charge setting information to the mobile terminal 30 of the remote user.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Power supply ECU, 11 ... Power supply control part, 12 ... Communication terminal part, 12a ... PLC communication control part, 12b ... External communication control part, 20 ... In-vehicle apparatus, 21 ... Charge ECU, 22 ... PLC communication control part, 23 ... Charge control unit, 24 ... Charge setting processing unit, 25 ... Setting storage unit, 27 ... In-vehicle communication terminal, 28 ... External communication control unit, 29 ... Near field communication control unit, 30 ... Wireless portable terminal, 40 ... Center server, 41 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS Communication control part 42 ... Vehicle information server 43 ... User information server 50 ... Communication network (network) 100 ... Charging device 101 ... Charging cable 102 ... Plug 110 ... Operation indicator 200 ... Electric vehicle , 201 ... battery, 202 ... power receiving connector 230 ... vehicle key, 400 ... vehicle information center.

Claims (10)

A charging support system that supports a charging setting when charging a battery of the electric vehicle by connecting the charging device and the electric vehicle with a charging cable,
When the charging device and the electric vehicle are connected by the charging cable, external charging setting information requesting means for requesting external charging setting information set from the outside different from the charging setting device of the charging device;
External charge setting information acquisition means for acquiring information transmitted in response to a request from the external charge setting information request means as the external charge setting information;
A charging support system comprising: charging instruction means for starting charging of the battery of the electric vehicle based on the external charging setting information acquired by the external charging setting information acquiring means. The external charge setting information requesting means sends a request signal for requesting the external charge setting information to a wireless portable terminal associated with the electric vehicle when the charging device and the electric vehicle are connected by the charging cable. Send
The charging support system according to claim 1, wherein the external charge setting information acquisition unit acquires information transmitted from the wireless portable terminal in response to the request signal as the external charge setting information. The external charge setting information request means requests the external charge setting information to a center server that manages information on a plurality of electric vehicles when the charging device and the electric vehicle are connected by the charging cable. A request signal to be transmitted together with information identifying the electric vehicle,
The charging support system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the external charging setting information acquisition unit acquires information transmitted from the center server in response to the request signal as the external charging setting information. Comprising storage means for storing external charge setting information transmitted from a wireless portable terminal associated with the electric vehicle;
The external charge setting information request means requests the external charge setting information to the storage means when the charging device and the electric vehicle are connected by the charging cable,
The external charging setting information acquisition unit acquires information transmitted from the storage unit in response to the request signal as the external charging setting information. Charging support system. A target person judging means for judging whether or not the driver of the electric vehicle is a preset support target person,
When the external charge setting information request means is determined by the subject determination means that the driver is a support target person, when the charging device and the electric vehicle are connected by the charging cable, The charging support system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the external charging setting information is requested. An electric vehicle applied to a charging support system that supports a charging setting when charging a battery by connecting a charging device and an electric vehicle with a charging cable,
When the charging device and the electric vehicle are connected by the charging cable, external charging setting information requesting means for requesting external charging setting information set from outside different from the charging setting device of the charging device;
External charge setting information acquisition means for acquiring information transmitted in response to a request from the external charge setting information request means as the external charge setting information;
An electric vehicle comprising: charge command means for starting charging of the battery of the electric vehicle based on the external charge setting information acquired by the external charge setting information acquisition means. The external charge setting information request means transmits a request signal for requesting the external charge setting information to a wireless portable terminal associated with the electric vehicle when the charging device and the electric vehicle are connected by the charging cable. ,
The electric vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the external charge setting information acquisition means acquires information transmitted from the wireless portable terminal in response to the request signal as the external charge setting information. The external charging setting information requesting unit requests the external charging setting information to a center server that manages information on a plurality of electric vehicles when the charging device and the electric vehicle are connected by the charging cable. Sends a request signal with information identifying the electric vehicle,
The electric vehicle according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the external charge setting information acquisition means acquires information transmitted from the center server in response to the request signal as the external charge setting information. Comprising storage means for storing external charge setting information transmitted from a wireless portable terminal associated with the electric vehicle;
The external charge setting information request means requests the external charge setting information to the storage means when the charging device and the electric vehicle are connected by the charging cable,
9. The external charge setting information acquisition unit acquires information transmitted from the storage unit in response to the request signal as the external charge setting information. Electric vehicle. A target person judging means for judging whether or not the driver of the electric vehicle is a preset support target person,
The external charge setting information requesting means, when the driver is determined to be a support target by the target determination means, when the charging device and the electric vehicle are connected by the charging cable, The electric vehicle according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein external charging setting information is requested.

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