JP2023171071A - charging system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a charging system that has a relatively simple configuration and can be installed in a location where a plurality of users can use the same.SOLUTION: A charging system for an electric vehicle that is installed in a building used by a specific user includes: a plurality of charger facilities installed in a parking area where a parking frame is individually allocated to at least one specific user who uses an electric vehicle; and a server that can collect information on an amount of power used by each of the plurality of charger facilities. The server identifies, on the basis of information on correspondence between the user assigned to the parking frame and the parking frame each of the plurality of charger facilities corresponds to, the amount of power used by each user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a charging system for an electric vehicle.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, various electric vehicles such as electric vehicles that run using the power of electric motors have become popular. Along with this, the development of electrical equipment that controls the charging of the on-board battery (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "driving battery" or "main battery") that supplies power to the electric motor for driving is also actively being carried out. For example, see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-187451

BACKGROUND ART Charging equipment for electric mobile objects includes those installed in public places, those installed in private homes, and those installed in apartment complexes. In charging equipment installed in a private home, the users are limited to residents of the private home, so an authentication function or the like for identifying the user is basically unnecessary. On the other hand, charging equipment installed in public areas such as expressway service areas, stores, accommodation facilities, and housing complexes requires an authentication function to identify users.

Examples of charging equipment equipped with an authentication function include those equipped with an authentication function using an IC card. If the charging equipment is equipped with such an authentication function, various users with IC cards can use the charging equipment. However, charging equipment for public areas that has such an authentication function needs to have a card reader to read IC card information and a sturdy casing to protect the equipment from unauthorized manipulation. This is relatively expensive equipment. Therefore, it is not realistic to install such relatively expensive charging equipment for public areas in places where the number of users is limited, such as small-scale housing complexes and accommodation facilities.

Therefore, the present application discloses a charging system that has a relatively simple configuration and can be installed at a location that can be used by multiple people.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention calculates the amount of power used by each user based on information on the correspondence between the users assigned to the parking slots and the parking slots to which each of the plurality of charger facilities corresponds. I decided to specify.

Specifically, the present invention provides a charging system for an electric mobile body that is attached to a building used by a specific person, in which at least a user of the electric mobile body among the specific people is provided with an individual parking slot. The server is equipped with a plurality of charger facilities installed in the parking area allocated to the parking area, and a server capable of collecting information regarding the amount of power used by each of the plurality of charger facilities. This is a charging system that identifies the amount of power used by each user based on information on the correspondence between the user and the parking slot to which each of the plurality of charger facilities corresponds.

Here, the electric vehicle is an electric vehicle, and includes, for example, an electric regular car, a large vehicle, a motorcycle, a ship, an aircraft, and various other types of vehicles.

In the above-mentioned charging system, the amount of electricity used by each user is specified based on the information on the correspondence between the users assigned to the parking slots and the parking slots that each of the plurality of charger facilities corresponds to. Even if the charger equipment is not equipped with an authentication function for identifying users, it is possible to identify the amount of power used by each user of the charger equipment. Therefore, although it has a relatively simple configuration, it can be installed in a location that can be used by multiple people.

Note that each of the multiple charger facilities is equipped with a switch that can open and close the electrical circuit based on commands from the server, and when a user requests charging of an electric vehicle using the charging system, the server It may also be a device that closes the switch of the charger equipment corresponding to the parking slot assigned to the person himself/herself. According to this, since the switch of the charger equipment can be opened and closed as necessary, it is possible to suppress unauthorized use of the charger equipment as much as possible.

Further, upon receiving the opening/closing request transmitted from the user's mobile communication terminal, the server may open/close the switch of the charger equipment corresponding to the parking slot assigned to the user. . According to this, the user himself/herself can open/close the switch of the charger equipment. Therefore, for example, it is possible to prevent the charger equipment from being used by a third party.

In addition, the building is an apartment complex, the plurality of charger facilities are charger facilities that are supplied with power from a power source for the common areas of the apartment complex, and the server is connected to a residential complex that is located in the housing unit corresponding to the parking slot. The amount of power used for calculating the fee charged to each resident may be specified based on the correspondence between the resident and the parking slot to which each of the plurality of charger facilities corresponds. According to this, a charging system with a relatively simple configuration can be installed in a place such as an apartment complex that can be used by a plurality of people.

In addition, the building is an accommodation facility, and the server is configured to respond to each guest based on the correspondence between the accommodation facility's guests staying in the guest rooms corresponding to the parking slots and the parking slots to which the plurality of charger facilities each correspond. It may also specify the amount of power used to calculate the fee to be charged. According to this, the accommodation facility can easily settle the amount according to the amount of power used by the charging system used by the guest.

The charging system described above has a relatively simple configuration and can be installed in a location that can be used by multiple people.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an image of the processing content realized by the charging system disclosed in this application. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing details of a charging system in an apartment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the installation state of the charger outlet. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a smartphone. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of information managed by the server. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the server. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing flow regarding reception of a new user. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow related to the on/off operation of the charging switch.

<Application example>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an image of the processing content realized by the charging system disclosed in this application. The charging system 1 is a charging system for an electric mobile body that is attached to a building. Examples of electric vehicles include electric cars that travel on the ground, electric ships that travel on water, and electric aircraft that fly in the air. Further, examples of buildings in which the charging system 1 is installed include apartment complexes and accommodation facilities. Electric vehicles include BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles) that run only on battery power, PHVs (Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles) that use both a battery and an internal combustion engine, and FCVs (Fuel Cell Vehicles) that run on fuel cell power. Other examples include various electric vehicles (hereinafter referred to as "EVs"). In addition, examples of collective housing include rental apartments and condominiums. In addition, accommodation facilities include business hotels, resort hotels, inns, pensions, and various other facilities that have multiple guest rooms. In the following, as an application example of the charging system 1, a case where a resident of an apartment 2 charges a personal electric vehicle in the parking lot of the apartment 2 as a user of the charging system 1 will be mainly explained. It is also possible to apply it to electric vehicles and buildings.

In Apartment 2, a charger outlet for connecting an EV charger is installed in the parking area near Apartment 2. The charging system 1 allows the supply of power to such a charger outlet to be controlled via the Internet 4 by operating the smartphone 3 by the user of the charging system 1 . Furthermore, the charging system 1 collects the amount of power used at each charger outlet using the server 5, and collects a usage fee corresponding to the amount of power used from the user of the charging system 1 via the payment provider 6.

In the case of an apartment complex such as Apartment 2, the electric wires for each dwelling unit to use electricity are branched from the lead-in line from the power system 8 to Apartment 2, and are wired separately to each dwelling unit. In addition, electric wires for use in common areas such as stairs and passageways in apartment complexes are routed separately from the wiring to each dwelling unit for use in common areas. The electric wires wired to each dwelling unit are usually connected to a distribution board located within each dwelling unit. On the other hand, electric wires routed to a common area are usually connected to a distribution board located in a common area such as the outer wall of a building. Therefore, when installing charging equipment for electric vehicles in a parking area near a building, rather than laying charger wires from the distribution board of each residential unit to the outdoor parking area, It is easier to lay the electric wire for the charger in the parking area. Furthermore, in various public subsidy systems related to the installation work of charging equipment for electric vehicles, there are some that stipulate wiring from a distribution board in a common area as a requirement for the subsidy application. Therefore, in charging system 1, the electric wire for the charger laid in the parking area is routed from the distribution board in the common area, and it is possible to appropriately charge each user of charging system 1 a usage fee according to the amount of electricity used. To do this, each charger outlet is equipped with a sensor that measures the amount of power used. In the charging system 1, the server 5 specifies the amount of power used by each user based on the correspondence between the user assigned to the parking slot and the parking slot to which each charger outlet corresponds. In the charging system 1, a usage fee corresponding to the amount of power used is billed to the user through the payment provider 6, and the owner 7 (in this application, " (for example, "Administrator") will be refunded according to the usage fee.

Examples of charging equipment installed in public areas include those equipped with an authentication function using an IC card. If a charging facility is equipped with such an authentication function, various users who have an IC card can use the charging facility, but such a facility is expensive. In addition, in the case of apartments 2 that are used only by specific residents, or accommodation facilities where users can be identified as guests, identification of users of the charging equipment is difficult because the charging equipment itself does not have an authentication function. is also possible.

Therefore, the charging system 1 of this application example identifies the amount of electricity used by each resident based on the correspondence between the resident assigned to the parking slot and the parking slot to which each charger outlet corresponds. Even with a relatively simple configuration that does not require robust and expensive charging equipment with functions, the charging equipment can be installed in a location that can be used by multiple people.

<Embodiment>
Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiment shown below is one aspect of the present application, and does not limit the technical scope of the present application.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing details of the charging system 1 in the apartment 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the apartment 2 has a drop-in line connected to an electric wire of a power system 8 suspended from a telephone pole near the apartment 2 or buried underground. In Figure 2, the electric wires are drawn as one thick line, but these lines are based on the image of single-phase three-wire or single-phase two-wire VVF cables, and it is important to note that the copper wire itself is a single thick line. It is not what is represented.

A common electricity board 10 is arranged in the common space of the apartment 2, and a residential unit electricity board 15 is arranged in each dwelling unit 13 of the apartment 2. The shared power distribution board 10 is a power distribution board for distributing power to electrical equipment used in the shared space of the apartment 2. Further, the residential unit power distribution board 15 is a power distribution board for distributing power to electrical equipment used in the residential unit 13. Contracts with the electric power company are then individually negotiated with the owner 7 who manages the common area and the resident living in the dwelling unit 13. Therefore, a common area electricity meter 9 managed by the electric power company is attached to the lead-in line connected to the common area electricity board 10 in order to measure the amount of power consumed in the common electricity area electricity board 10, and the residential area electricity meter 9 of each residential unit 13 is A residential power consumption meter 14 managed by an electric power company is attached to each lead-in line connected to the residential unit 13 to measure the amount of power consumed in the residential unit 13.

The shared power subboard 10 includes a main breaker 11 that cuts off the electrical circuit when overcurrent or leakage is detected, a branch breaker 12 that cuts off the electrical circuit when an overcurrent is detected in each branch line branching from the shared electrical subboard 10, and others. is equipped with bus bars for branching. The branch breaker 12 is connected to electric wires that connect to lighting equipment and wiring plug connectors (so-called outlets) installed in the common area of the apartment 2, and the common area lighting and security cameras are connected via the branch breaker 12. , public viewing boosters for television broadcasting, and other shared equipment. Further, the branch breaker 12 is also connected to an electric wire that leads to a dedicated charger panel 18 that is a charging facility for charging an electric vehicle.

Similarly to the common sub-distribution board 10, the residential power distribution board 15 also has a main breaker 16 that cuts off the electrical circuit when an overcurrent or leakage is detected, and a main breaker 16 that cuts off the electrical circuit when an overcurrent is detected in each branch line branching from the common sub-distribution board 10. There is a branch breaker 17 for branching, and a bus bar for branching and the like. The branch breaker 17 is connected with electric wires that connect to lighting equipment and wiring plug connectors installed in the dwelling unit 13, and the lighting, home appliances, gas water heater, Power will be provided for intercoms and other non-shared equipment.

The charger dedicated panel 18 will be explained in detail. The charger dedicated panel 18 is a type of distribution board, and is used for charging to supply power to a plurality of charger outlets 23 (an example of "charger equipment" in the present application) installed in the parking area of the apartment 2. A power breaker 20 and a contactor 21 (which is an example of a "switch" in the present application) are provided to correspond to each charger outlet 23, respectively. When the charger breaker 20 detects an overcurrent or leakage in the electric wire connected to the charger outlet 23, the charger breaker 20 interrupts the electrical circuit. The contactor 21 is an electromagnetic contactor that closes contacts using the magnetic force of an electromagnet excited by a control signal current. When the contactor 21 receives a control signal flowing from the control device 19, it is excited and closes the electric path. The control device 19 is a power monitor, and can record data regarding the power consumption of each charger outlet 23 using a charger power sensor 22 attached to an electric wire connected to each charger outlet 23. The control device 19 is also equipped with a communication function and a control function, and can transmit power consumption data to the server 5 etc. via the communication equipment 24 and the Internet 4, and can send data to the contactor based on commands sent from the server 5 etc. It is possible to control the opening and closing of 21. The control device 19 is connected to the Internet 4
As the communication equipment 24 for communicating with the server 5 and the like via the internet, a device prepared for sending video data from a security camera 25 installed in a common area of the apartment 2 to the Internet 4 can be used.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing how the charger outlet 23 is installed. The charger outlet 23 is installed, for example, in a parking area 30 prepared near the apartment 2. Parking frames 27 are displayed in the parking area 30, and charger outlets 23 for EVs 26 are installed in all or part of each parking frame 27 in a corresponding manner. The users of each parking slot 27 are specified in advance in the contract when moving into the apartment 2. The charger outlet 23 is installed on a pole 29 fixed near the parking frame 27 for the EV 26. A plug of a charger 28, which is an accessory of the EV 26, is inserted into the charger outlet 23. Furthermore, when charger 28 is connected to EV 26, charging system 1 and EV 26 are electrically connected. The main breaker 11, the branch breaker 12, and the charger breaker 20 are normally in a closed state (on state) if there is no abnormality in the charging system 1. Therefore, when the EV 26 is connected to the charger outlet 23 via the charger 28 and the contactor 21 is closed, the EV 26 is ready to be charged at any time. When the EV 26 does not need to be charged, the charger 28 is stored near the pole 29 with the plug inserted into the charger outlet 23, or it is removed from the charger outlet 23 and placed inside the EV 26. etc. will be stored.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the smartphone 3. The operator of the charging system 1, which manages the main equipment of the charging system 1 such as the server 5 and the charger dedicated panel 18, provides an application using the smartphone 3 to users such as residents of the apartment 2 who use the charging system 1. We provide software (hereinafter referred to as "app"). When this application is executed on the smartphone 3, a screen as shown in FIG. 4 is displayed on the smartphone 3, for example. That is, the screen of the smartphone 3 displays the on/off button of the charging switch, the number of points quantitatively representing the amount of power used for charging, the amount of usage fee corresponding to the amount of power used for charging, etc.

As can be seen from the screen displayed on the smartphone 3, the screen of the application used by the resident of the apartment 2 on the smartphone 3 has a screen that allows the resident of the apartment 2 to select which of the multiple charger outlets 23 in the parking area 30. There is no selection button. This is because, as described above, the correspondence between the resident assigned to the parking slot 27 and the parking slot 27 to which each charger outlet 23 corresponds is predetermined in the contract. That is, since the residents of the apartment 2 who use the charging system 1 have a contract to use the parking slot 27 with the owner 7 who owns the apartment 2, it is difficult to determine which charger outlet 23 each resident of the apartment 2 uses. is uniquely determined. Therefore, the operator of the charging system 1 sets in the server 5 the correspondence between the resident of the apartment 2 who has applied to use the charging system 1 and the charger outlet 23 used by the resident. makes it possible to specify the amount of electricity consumed in charging the EV26. Therefore, when a specific user logs into the app on the smartphone 3 and operates the on/off switch of the charging switch on the screen of the smartphone 3, the contactor 21 corresponding to the charger outlet 23 of the parking slot 27 used by the user is activated. A control signal for opening and closing is sent from the server 5 to the control device 19. Therefore, the user can use the charger outlet 23 of the parking slot 27 that the user uses to make the EV 26 chargeable or non-chargeable. Therefore, if the user wants to prevent others from using the charger outlet 23 of the parking slot 27 that he or she uses without permission, the user turns off the charging switch on the screen of the smartphone 3.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of information managed by the server 5. As shown in FIG. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the server 5 has a correspondence relationship between each parking slot 27 and the user (in FIG. 5, each parking slot 27 is uniquely associated with the room number of each dwelling unit 13). A compatible example is shown). Since the correspondence relationship between each parking slot 27 and the user is set in the server 5, when any user operates the on/off switch of the charging switch on the screen of the smartphone 3, the server 5 The control device 19 can open and close the contactor 21 corresponding to the charger outlet 23 of the parking frame 27 used by the vehicle. Further, the server 5 identifies the amount of power consumed by each user in charging the EV 26 from the data of the charger power amount sensor 22 sent from the control device 19 based on the correspondence between each parking slot 27 and the user. be able to.

The series of operations described above can be realized, for example, by the following device configuration and processing flow.

<Hardware configuration of server 5>
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the server 5. As shown in FIG. The server 5 includes a CPU 5A (Central Processing Unit), a memory 5B such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), an interface 5C that controls various communications and input/output, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and an SSD (Solid Disk Drive).
This is an information processing device that includes a database 5D formed by storage such as a state drive. In the server 5, the following various processing flows are realized by the CPU 5A executing the computer program developed in the memory 5B.

<User reception>
First, processing related to accepting new users will be explained. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing flow regarding reception of a new user. For example, when a resident of the apartment 2 applies for new use of the charging system 1, the server 5 performs a process of accepting input of the new user's information (S101). Information in this reception process may be input by the new user himself, by the owner (including the management company) 7 who owns the apartment 2, or by mail. This may be done by the operator of the charging system 1 who has received the application form.

When the server 5 determines that the reception of the input in step S101 has been successfully completed (S102), next, information regarding the correspondence between the new user and each parking slot 27 is stored in the server 5. . As a result, the user and the parking slot 27 used by the user are linked (S103).

By executing a series of processes from step S101 to step S103, reception of a new user is completed, and the charging system 1 becomes available for use by the user.

<Opening/closing operation of contactor 21>
Next, a processing flow related to the on/off operation of the charging switch by the user of the charging system 1 will be described. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow related to the on/off operation of the charging switch. In the server 5, a process is always performed to determine whether the user of the server 5 has performed an on/off operation and whether the on/off time set by the user of the server 5 has arrived. Therefore, for example, when the server 5 detects that a user of the server 5 has turned on the charging switch on the smartphone 3 (S201), the server 5 connects the charger outlet 23 of the parking slot 27 used by the user. The contactor 21 is turned on (S202). For example, when the server 5 detects that the charging switch ON time set by the user of the server 5 has arrived (S203), the server 5 connects the contactor corresponding to the charger outlet 23 of the parking slot 27 used by the user. 21 is turned on (S202). For example, when the server 5 detects that the user of the server 5 has turned off the charging switch on the smartphone 3 (S204), the server 5 connects the charger outlet 23 of the parking slot 27 used by the user. The contactor 21 is turned off (S205). For example, when the server 5 detects that the charging switch off time set by the user of the server 5 has arrived (S206), the server 5 connects the contactor corresponding to the charger outlet 23 of the parking slot 27 used by the user. 21 is turned off (S205).

By performing such processing, the user of the charging system 1 can freely turn on and off the power of the charger outlet 23 of the parking slot 27 that he or she uses.

In such a charging system 1, the operator of the charging system 1 aggregates the amount of electricity used by each user from the data accumulated in the server 5 at an appropriate time such as monthly, and calculates the amount of electricity used by each user through the payment provider 6. Performs clerical work such as billing usage fees to each user. Then, the operator of the charging system 1 deducts miscellaneous expenses from the fee deposited from the payment provider 6 and refunds the amount to the owner 7. As a result, the owner 7 will receive from the operator of the charging system 1 an amount corresponding to the electricity bill used by the resident of the apartment 2 to charge the EV 26, out of the electricity bill paid to the power company for the common area of the apartment 2. This can be covered by a refund.

<Modified example>
In the above embodiment, the server 5 opens and closes the contactor 21, but the contactor 21 may be omitted. In this case, although there is a risk that someone other than the user may illegally use the charger outlet 23, it is practically acceptable if, for example, the parking area 30 is monitored by the security camera 25 installed in the apartment 2. It is also possible to reduce the risk.

Further, in the above embodiment, a flat parking lot is illustrated in FIG. 3, but the charging system 1 can be applied not only to a flat parking lot but also to a multi-level parking lot and other various types of parking lots. .

In addition, in the above embodiment, since the rental apartment 2 is illustrated, the resident of the apartment 2 operates the charging switch using the smartphone 3. However, when the charging system 1 is used in an accommodation facility, the charging switch The operation may be performed by either the guest or the accommodation staff. In this case, the charging switch is not limited to the form realized by an application on the smartphone 3, but may be operated from a computer installed at the reception desk of the accommodation facility, or may be operated by a computer installed at the reception desk of the accommodation facility. It may also be a switch on a control panel installed at the reception desk of the facility, etc. In the case of lodging facilities, the staff of the lodging facility understands the relationship between the charger outlet 23 used by the user and the user, and charges the user of each charger outlet 23 according to the amount of electricity used during the stay. You will be billed at the time of payment, etc.

In addition, the above embodiments can be modified as appropriate without changing the gist disclosed in the present application.

Note that this application includes the following additional notes.
<Additional note 1>
A charging system (1) for an electric mobile object (26) installed incidentally in a building used by a specific person,
a plurality of charger facilities (23) installed in a parking area (30) in which a parking slot (27) is individually allocated to at least a user of the electric mobile object among the specific persons;
a server (5) capable of collecting information regarding the amount of power used by each of the plurality of charger facilities;
The server (5) calculates the power usage of each of the users based on information on the correspondence between the user assigned to the parking slot and the parking slot to which each of the plurality of charger facilities corresponds. specify the amount,
charging system.

1.Charging system 2..Apartment 3..Smartphone 4..Internet 5..Server 6..Payment provider 7..Owner (including management company)
8. Power system 9. Common area electricity meter (for transactions)
10... Shared electrical panel 11... Main breaker 12... Branch breaker 13... Residential unit 14... Residential unit electricity meter (for transaction)
15... Residential distribution board 16... Main breaker 17... Branch breaker 18... Charger dedicated panel 19... Control device 20... Charger breaker 21... Contactor 22... Charger power amount sensor 23... Charger outlet 24...Communication equipment 25...Security camera 26...EV
27... Parking slot 28... Charger 29... Pole 30... Parking area 5A... CPU
5B...Memory 5C...Interface 5D...Database

Claims (5)

A charging system for electric mobile objects that is attached to a building used by a specific person,
a plurality of charger facilities installed in parking areas where parking slots are individually allocated to at least users of the electric mobile body among the specific people;
a server capable of collecting information regarding the amount of power used by each of the plurality of charger facilities,
The server identifies the amount of power used by each of the users based on information on the correspondence between the users assigned to the parking slots and the parking slots to which each of the plurality of charger facilities corresponds. do,
charging system. Each of the plurality of charger facilities is equipped with a switch capable of opening and closing an electric circuit based on a command from the server,
When the user requests charging of the electric mobile object by the charging system, the server closes the switch of the charger equipment corresponding to the parking slot assigned to the user himself.
The charging system according to claim 1. When the server receives an opening/closing request transmitted from the user's mobile communication terminal, the server opens/closes the switch of the charger equipment corresponding to the parking slot assigned to the user.
The charging system according to claim 2. The building is an apartment complex,
The plurality of charger facilities are charger facilities that are supplied with power from an electric wire for a common area of the apartment complex,
The server charges a fee to each resident based on the correspondence between the resident of the apartment complex who lives in the housing unit corresponding to the parking slot and the parking slot to which each of the plurality of charger facilities corresponds. specifying the amount of power used for calculating the amount of electricity used;
The charging system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The building is an accommodation facility,
The server charges a fee to each guest of the accommodation facility who stays in a guest room corresponding to the parking slot, based on the correspondence relationship between the guest of the accommodation facility and the parking slot to which each of the plurality of charger facilities corresponds. specifying the amount of power used for calculating the amount of electricity used;
The charging system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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