JP7512171B2 - Management device and management method - Google Patents

Description

The disclosed embodiment relates to a management device and a management method.

Conventionally, charging facilities, generally called charging stations, used to charge vehicles such as EVs (Electric Vehicles) and PHVs (Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles) are known.

In addition, a management system has been proposed for such charging facilities that aims to improve the efficiency of use of the facilities by appropriately transmitting facility usage guidance information to the mobile devices of users who are in vehicles using the facilities (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2015-116010 A

However, there is still room for improvement in the conventional technologies mentioned above to further improve the utilization efficiency of charging facilities.

One aspect of the embodiment has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a management device and a management method that can further improve the utilization efficiency of charging facilities.

A management device according to one aspect of an embodiment is a management device that manages a charging facility and includes a control unit . The control unit determines a status of the charging facility based on sensing data related to the charging facility, and when it is determined that a vehicle has been parked in a predetermined area of the charging facility for a predetermined period of time or more, registers the vehicle in a waiting list for the charging facility , and when the vehicle moves out of the predetermined area despite not being first in the waiting list, cancels the registration of the vehicle in the waiting list .

According to one aspect of the embodiment, the utilization efficiency of charging facilities can be further improved.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a management method according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of the management system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure executed by the management device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the assumed registration process. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the manual registration process. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the order change process. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a procedure of the timeout determination process. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a management method according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a management system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process performed by the management device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic explanatory diagram (part 1) of a management method according to the third embodiment. FIG. 12 is a schematic explanatory diagram (part 2) of the management method according to the third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a management system according to the third embodiment. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a process performed by the in-vehicle device according to the third embodiment.

Below, an embodiment of the management device and management method disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below.

The first, second and third embodiments will be described below in that order. The first embodiment will be described using Figures 1 to 7. The second embodiment will be described using Figures 8 to 10. The third embodiment will be described using Figures 11 to 14. In the following, charging facilities will be denoted with the symbol "ST."

(First embodiment)
First, a management method according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of the management method according to the first embodiment.

Typically, at a charging facility ST, if there is already a user at the charging device 3, the user waits their turn by lining up at the back, but with conventional technology, it is difficult to know how many vehicles are waiting, which vehicle's turn will be when the charging device next becomes available, and what number the user is in.

Therefore, in the management method according to the first embodiment, the status of the charging facility ST is determined based on sensing data related to the charging facility ST, and when it is determined that the vehicle has been parked in a specified area of the charging facility ST for a specified period of time or more, the vehicle is registered as waiting at the charging facility ST. Note that "registering as waiting" here refers to "registering that one is waiting."

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the management system 1 according to the first embodiment includes a charging facility ST and a management device 10.

The charging facility ST includes one or more charging areas CA. In the example of FIG. 1, there are eight charging areas CA. Each charging area CA includes one charging device 3. The charging device 3 may be of either a contact type or a non-contact type. The charging facility ST also includes one or more waiting areas WA. In the example of FIG. 1, there are eight waiting areas WA.

The management device 10 is, for example, operated by a business operator that operates the charging facility ST, and is a device that manages the charging facility ST. The management device 10 is, for example, a computer, and is configured to be able to communicate with each of the charging devices 3.

The charging facility ST is also equipped with various sensors such as cameras (see FIG. 2), and the management device 10 is configured to be able to sequentially acquire the status of the charging facility ST based on the sensing data of the various sensors 2. The management device 10 can, for example, identify each vehicle that enters the charging facility ST and grasp the current status of each identified vehicle.

In the management method according to the first embodiment, when the management device 10 detects that a vehicle has been parked in the waiting area WA for a predetermined period of time or longer (step S11), the management device 10 automatically registers the vehicle in the waiting list at the charging facility ST (step S12). Hereinafter, such an automatic waiting list registration process will be referred to as the "deemed registration process" as appropriate.

This deemed registration process is performed, for example, between an on-board device installed in the vehicle and the management device 10 via short-range wireless communication such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark). This makes it possible to register for waiting at the charging facility ST while reducing the opportunities for the user to get out of the vehicle when using the charging facility ST, thereby further improving the utilization efficiency of the charging facility ST.

Even if short-distance wireless communication is not possible, the management method according to the first embodiment allows a user to register a waiting list via manual operation of the charging device 3 or the like. This makes it possible to register a waiting list for a charging facility ST, which was not possible in the first place in the past, and can further improve the utilization efficiency of the charging facility ST. Hereinafter, such a waiting list registration process via manual operation will be referred to as a "manual registration process" as appropriate.

When the waiting order is registered, the current waiting order is displayed on the in-vehicle device in the case of assumed registration processing, and on the display unit 4 (see FIG. 2), which is a display or the like provided at the charging facility ST, in the case of manual registration processing. This allows the user to grasp the current waiting situation at any time, and the utilization efficiency of the charging facility ST can be further improved.

In this way, in the management method according to the first embodiment, the status of the charging facility ST is determined based on sensing data related to the charging facility ST, and when it is determined that the vehicle has been parked in a specified area of the charging facility ST for a specified period of time or more, the vehicle is registered as waiting at the charging facility ST. Therefore, according to the management method according to the first embodiment, it is possible to further improve the utilization efficiency of the charging facility ST.

In addition, in the management method according to the first embodiment, for example, if a vehicle in a waiting queue leaves the waiting area WA, the registration can be automatically cancelled. This makes it possible to cancel the waiting queue while reducing the opportunities for the user to get out of the vehicle, thereby further improving the efficiency of use of the charging facility ST.

In addition, in the management method according to the first embodiment, for example in the case of manual registration processing, a predetermined registration fee can be collected in advance to prevent careless registration or cancellation.

In addition, in the management method according to the first embodiment, for example, an emergency order change request can be received, and an "order change process" can be executed when such a request is received. Note that a user who receives and complies with a request to change the order may be given a privilege, such as a discount service on charging fees.

In addition, the management method according to the first embodiment can execute a "timeout determination process" for the case where the next user in the waiting order after a user who has completed charging does not start charging within a predetermined time. In such a case, the user who has been determined to have timed out is treated as canceled, and the turn can be passed on to the next user.

Below, a configuration example of the management system 1 to which the management method according to the first embodiment described above is applied will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 2 to 7.

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the management system 1 according to the first embodiment. Note that Figure 2 shows only the components necessary to explain the features of this embodiment, and omits the description of general components.

In other words, each component shown in FIG. 2 is a functional concept, and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown. For example, the specific form of distribution and integration of each block is not limited to that shown, and all or part of it can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit depending on various loads, usage conditions, etc. The same applies to the block diagrams shown in FIGS. 9 and 13 below.

In addition, in the explanation using Figure 2 and Figures 9 and 13 shown later, the explanation of components that have already been explained may be simplified or omitted.

As shown in FIG. 2, the management system 1 according to the first embodiment includes a management device 10 and an in-vehicle device 100.

The management device 10 will be described first. The management device 10 is connected to the various sensors 2, the charging device 3, and the display unit 4, which have already been described. The management device 10 also includes a communication unit 11, a memory unit 12, and a control unit 13.

The communication unit 11 is realized, for example, by a network interface card (NIC). The communication unit 11 is connected to a network N, such as the Internet or a mobile phone network, by wire or wirelessly, and transmits and receives information to and from the in-vehicle device 100 via the network N.

The network N includes a short-range wireless communication network, and the communication unit 11 can also transmit and receive information to and from the in-vehicle device 100 via short-range wireless communication, for example, if the in-vehicle device 100 is capable of short-range wireless communication using Wi-Fi or the like.

The storage unit 12 is realized, for example, by a semiconductor memory element such as a random access memory (RAM) or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or an optical disk, and in the example of FIG. 2, it stores charging device information 12a and queue information 12b.

The charging device information 12a is information about the power specifications and power supply performance of each charging device 3 installed in the charging facility ST. The queue information 12b is information about the current waiting situation at the charging facility ST, and is updated as needed according to queue registration, cancellation, and the progress of charging in each charging area CA.

The control unit 13 is a controller, and is realized, for example, by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or MPU (Micro Processing Unit) executing various programs (not shown) stored in the memory unit 12 using a RAM as a working area. The control unit 13 can also be realized, for example, by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

The control unit 13 has an acquisition unit 13a, a determination unit 13b, a registration unit 13c, a change unit 13d, a reception unit 13e, and a notification unit 13f, and realizes or executes the functions and actions of information processing described below.

The acquisition unit 13a acquires sensing data from the various sensors 2. The acquisition unit 13a also acquires the status of each charging device 3. The acquisition unit 13a also acquires data transmitted from the in-vehicle device 100 via the communication unit 11.

The determination unit 13b determines the status of the charging facility ST, the status of the vehicle, the status of each charging device 3, etc. based on the data acquired by the acquisition unit 13a.

The determination unit 13b determines, for example, whether the vehicle has been parked in the waiting area WA for a predetermined time or longer. The determination unit 13b also determines, for example, whether the vehicle is capable of wireless communication. The determination unit 13b also determines whether the charge level of the vehicle's battery is equal to or lower than a specified remaining charge.

As a result, for example, if the vehicle has been parked in the waiting area WA for a predetermined time or longer, wireless communication is possible, and the charge level is equal to or less than a specified remaining charge, the determination unit 13b causes the registration unit 13c to execute the above-mentioned "deemed registration process."

In addition, for example, when the vehicle is parked in the waiting area WA for a predetermined period of time or longer but wireless communication is not possible, the determination unit 13b causes the registration unit 13c to execute the above-mentioned "manual registration process."

In addition, the determination unit 13b executes the above-mentioned "timeout determination process" when, for example, the next user in the waiting order after the user who has completed charging does not start charging within a predetermined time. The specific processing procedure of this process will be described later using FIG. 7.

The registration unit 13c executes a "deemed registration process" or a "manual registration process" based on the result of the determination by the determination unit 13b. The specific processing steps of each of these processes will be described later using Figure 4 or Figure 5.

When an emergency order change request is received, the change unit 13d executes the "order change process" described above. The specific processing procedure of this process will be described later with reference to FIG. 6.

Based on the queue information 12b, the reception unit 13e receives a request for charging from a user who has reached the waiting position of 1 in the queue. When receiving the request, the reception unit 13e receives the input of a key code issued in the "assumed registration process" or the "manual registration process" and authenticates the user. The key code is, for example, the MAC (Media Access Control) address of the in-vehicle device 100, the vehicle license plate number, the vehicle number, code information arbitrarily specified by the user, etc.

The notification unit 13f notifies the in-vehicle device 100 or the display unit 4 of the current waiting status at any time.

Next, the in-vehicle device 100 will be described. The in-vehicle device 100 is a device mounted on a vehicle, and is realized, for example, by an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) or a car navigation device (hereinafter referred to as "Navi"), etc.

The in-vehicle device 100 may be a mobile terminal such as a smartphone carried by a user in the vehicle, in the sense that it is temporarily installed in the vehicle.

The in-vehicle device 100 includes a communication unit 101, an operation unit 102, a display unit 103, a memory unit 104, and a control unit 105.

The communication unit 101, like the communication unit 11 described above, is realized by, for example, a NIC. The communication unit 101 is wirelessly connected to a network N, such as the Internet or a mobile phone network, and transmits and receives information to and from the management device 10 via the network N.

The network N includes a short-range wireless communication network, and the communication unit 101 can also transmit and receive information to and from the management device 10 via short-range wireless communication, for example, if the in-vehicle device 100 is capable of short-range wireless communication.

The operation unit 102 is an operation component that accepts operations from the user. The display unit 103 is a display component such as a display, and displays, for example, the current waiting status notified from the management device 10. Note that the operation unit 102 and the display unit 103 may be configured as one unit using a touch panel display or the like.

The storage unit 104 is realized, for example, by a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or an optical disk, and in the example of FIG. 2, stores key code information 104a and current ranking information 104b.

The key code information 104a is information that includes the key code described above. The current ranking information 104b is information that includes the current waiting order, and is updated as the situation changes.

The control unit 105 is a controller, similar to the control unit 13 described above, and is realized, for example, by a CPU, an MPU, or the like, executing various programs (not shown) stored in the storage unit 104 using the RAM as a working area. The control unit 105 can also be realized, for example, by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC or an FPGA.

The control unit 105 has an acquisition unit 105a, a response control unit 105b, and a transmission unit 105c, and realizes or executes the information processing functions and actions described below.

The acquisition unit 105a acquires data transmitted from the management device 10 via the communication unit 101. The acquisition unit 105a, for example, acquires a key code transmitted from the management device 10 and stores it in the key code information 104a. The acquisition unit 105a also acquires, for example, the current waiting status transmitted from the management device 10 and updates the current ranking information 104b.

The acquisition unit 105a also acquires input from the operation unit 102. The response control unit 105b controls responses to the management device 10 based on the input from the operation unit 102. For example, when a request to change the order is notified from the management device 10, the response control unit 105b accepts a user's response to the request to change the order from the input of the operation unit 102, and transmits it to the transmission unit 105c.

The response control unit 105b also causes the display unit 103 to display the notification contents notified by the management device 10, such as the key code, the current waiting status, the above-mentioned order change request, etc.

The transmission unit 105c transmits the response controlled by the response control unit 105b to the management device 10 via the communication unit 101.

Next, the process steps executed by the management device 10 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the process steps executed by the management device 10 according to the first embodiment.

First, the determination unit 13b detects that the vehicle has been parked in the waiting area WA for a predetermined period of time or longer (step S101). Then, the determination unit 13b determines whether the vehicle is capable of wireless communication (step S102).

If the vehicle is capable of wireless communication (step S102, Yes), the communication unit 11 starts wireless communication (step S103). Then, the determination unit 13b determines whether the charge level of the vehicle's battery is equal to or lower than a specified remaining charge (step S104).

If the charge amount is equal to or less than the specified remaining amount (step S104, Yes), the registration unit 13c executes the deemed registration process (step S105). On the other hand, if the charge amount is greater than the specified remaining amount (step S104, No), the process ends.

In addition, if the vehicle is not capable of wireless communication (step S102, No), the determination unit 13b determines whether the user will use the charging facility ST, for example, based on the user's operation of the charging device 3, etc. (step S106).

If the charging facility ST is to be used (step S106, Yes), the registration unit 13c executes the manual registration process (step S107). On the other hand, if the charging facility ST is not to be used (step S106, No), the process ends.

After the assumed registration process or manual registration process is executed, the change unit 13d executes the order change process (step S108). Then, the reception unit 13e starts accepting charging requests from the user with standby order=1 (step S109), and charging starts (step S110).

Then, the judgment unit 13b executes the timeout judgment process (step S111) and then ends the process.

Next, the processing procedure of the above-mentioned deemed registration process will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the deemed registration process.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the assumed registration process, the registration unit 13c first determines whether the vehicle is continuously parked in the waiting area WA (step S201). If the vehicle is continuously parked in the waiting area WA (step S201, Yes), the registration unit 13c determines whether the vehicle is not registered for waiting (step S202).

If the vehicle is not yet registered as a waiting vehicle (step S202, Yes), the registration unit 13c registers the vehicle as a waiting vehicle and issues a key code (step S203). If the vehicle is not yet registered as a waiting vehicle (step S202, No), the process proceeds to step S204.

Then, the registration unit 13c notifies the inside of the vehicle of the current order (step S204). The registration unit 13c then determines whether the waiting order of the corresponding vehicle is 1 (step S205). If the waiting order is 1 (step S205, Yes), the deemed registration process is terminated. If the waiting order is not 1 (step S205, No), the process from step S201 is repeated.

In addition, if the vehicle is not still parked in the waiting area WA in step S201 (step S201, No), that is, if the vehicle moves out of the waiting area WA even though its waiting order is not 1, the registration unit 13c determines whether the vehicle has already been registered for waiting (step S206).

If the vehicle is already registered for waiting (step S206, Yes), the registration unit 13c automatically cancels the registration (step S207) and ends the process as shown in FIG. 3. If the vehicle is not registered for waiting (step S206, No), the process also ends as shown in FIG. 3.

Next, the procedure for the manual registration process described above will be explained with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the manual registration process.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the manual registration process, the registration unit 13c first performs waiting registration by user operation from a predetermined terminal device such as the charging device 3 in the charging facility ST (step S301). Then, the registration unit 13c determines whether or not a predetermined registration fee has been paid at this time (step S302).

If the registration fee has been paid (step S302, Yes), the registration unit 13c issues a reservation number, for example, using an arbitrary key code designated by the user (step S303). Then, the current turn is displayed within the charging facility ST (step S304).

Then, the registration unit 13c determines whether the corresponding vehicle has waiting order=1 (step S305). If the waiting order=1 (step S305, Yes), the manual registration process ends. If the waiting order=1 is not (step S305, No), the process from step S304 is repeated.

Also, if the registration fee has not been paid in step S302 (step S302, No), the registration unit 13c automatically cancels the registration (step S306) and ends the process as shown in FIG. 3.

Next, the procedure for the above-mentioned order change process will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the order change process.

In the order change process, the change unit 13d determines whether or not there has been a request to change the order (step S401). If there has been no request to change the order (step S401, No), the order change process ends.

If a request to change the order is received (step S401, Yes), the change unit 13d notifies the vehicle interior of the vehicle with waiting order=1 of the request to change the order (step S402). Then, based on the response from the in-vehicle device 100 to the notification, it is determined whether or not the order can be changed (step S403).

If the order cannot be changed (step S403, No), the change unit 13d ends the order change process.

If the order can be changed (step S403, Yes), the change unit 13d moves the current order down by one (step S404), sets the waiting order of the vehicle that requested the order change to 1, and then transitions to step S204 in FIG. 4 or step S304 in FIG. 5.

Next, the processing procedure of the above-mentioned timeout determination process will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the timeout determination process.

As shown in FIG. 7, in the timeout determination process, when the user currently using the charging device 3 completes charging (step S501), the determination unit 13b determines whether there is a user waiting (step S502).

If there is no user waiting (step S502, No), the judgment unit 13b ends the timeout judgment process. If there is a user waiting (step S502, Yes), the judgment unit 13b moves the waiting order up by one (step S503). Then, the judgment unit 13b judges whether the next user has started charging within a certain period of time (step S504).

If charging starts within the certain time (step S504, Yes), the determination unit 13b repeats the process from step S501.

If charging is not started within a certain period of time (step S504, No), the determination unit 13b determines that the user in standby order = 1 has timed out (step S505). Then, the registration of the user is automatically canceled (step S506), and the process from step S502 is repeated.

As described above, the management device 10 according to the first embodiment is a management device that manages a charging facility ST, and includes a determination unit 13b and a registration unit 13c. The determination unit 13b determines the status of the charging facility ST based on sensing data related to the charging facility ST. When the determination unit 13b determines that a vehicle has been parked in a predetermined area of the charging facility ST for a predetermined period of time or more, the registration unit 13c registers the vehicle in a queue (corresponding to an example of "waiting") for the charging facility ST.

Therefore, the management device 10 according to the first embodiment can further improve the utilization efficiency of the charging facility ST.

In addition, the registration unit 13c registers the vehicle in the queue when the determination unit 13b determines that the charge level of the vehicle is equal to or less than a specified remaining charge.

Therefore, the management device 10 according to the first embodiment makes it possible to prioritize registration of vehicles that require charging in the queue.

In addition, if the vehicle is not first in the waiting order but moves out of the specified area, the registration unit 13c cancels the registration of the vehicle in the queue.

Therefore, according to the management device 10 of the first embodiment, it is possible to prevent interruptions while charging in the order of waiting, and by automatically canceling registration, it is possible to further improve the utilization efficiency of the charging facility ST.

The registration unit 13c is also configured to allow a user to manually register a vehicle in a queue, and when performing manual registration, the registration is accepted only if a prescribed registration fee is paid.

Therefore, the management device 10 according to the first embodiment can prevent careless registration or cancellation.

The management device 10 according to the first embodiment further includes a change unit 13d. When a request to change the waiting order is received for a vehicle that is first in the waiting order, the change unit 13d changes the waiting order of the vehicle in accordance with the response of the user of the vehicle to the request to change the waiting order.

Therefore, with the management device 10 according to the first embodiment, it is possible to give priority to charging vehicles with extremely low charge levels on an emergency basis, for example.

In addition, if charging of the vehicle that is first in the waiting order does not start within a certain period of time, the determination unit 13b cancels the registration of that vehicle in the queue and moves it up one position in the waiting order.

Therefore, according to the management device 10 of the first embodiment, it is possible to prevent a delay in clearing the queue due to an absent vehicle despite being first in the waiting order, and it is possible to further improve the utilization efficiency of the charging facility ST.

In the first embodiment, the area where vehicles waiting to be charged wait is a waiting area WA partitioned within the charging facility ST, but the waiting area WA may be any area other than the charging area CA. Therefore, the waiting area WA may be an aisle or the like other than the charging area CA.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8, which is a schematic explanatory diagram of a management method according to the second embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 8, the second embodiment assumes that the charging facility ST also serves as a parking lot. Here, the waiting areas WA shown in FIG. 1 also serve as parking areas PA, as shown in FIG. 8.

As shown in FIG. 8, in the second embodiment, the charging facility ST includes an entrance gate 5 and an exit gate 6. The entrance gate 5 and the exit gate 6 are equipped with an electronic payment system equivalent to the so-called Electronic Toll Collection System (ETC). For ease of explanation, such an electronic payment system will be referred to as "ETC" below.

The management system 1A according to the second embodiment uses ETC to manage vehicle entry and exit to and payment at the charging facility ST.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, in the management system 1A according to the second embodiment, the management device 10A acquires the ETC information and license plate number of an entering vehicle passing through the entrance gate 5 (step S21). The ETC information includes identification information of the vehicle-mounted device 100A that is mounted on the vehicle and also functions as an ETC vehicle unit, and identification information of a credit card, etc.

Then, the management device 10A executes waiting list registration for the entered vehicle at the charging facility ST (step S22). Such waiting list registration may be the same as in the first embodiment.

In the second embodiment, vehicles that only use the parking lot are unconditionally registered for waiting at the charging facility ST. In the second embodiment, even if a vehicle's waiting order becomes 1, it is determined to be a parked vehicle if it does not move from the parking area PA for a certain period of time.

On the other hand, if a vehicle's waiting order is 1 and it moves out of the parking area PA within a certain period of time, it is determined to be a charging vehicle, and, for example, the parking fee for the period during which the vehicle waited in the parking area PA is deducted.

Then, when the vehicle passes through the exit gate 6, the management device 10A performs electronic payment via ETC depending on the vehicle's mode of use of the charging facility ST, i.e., charging or parking (step S23).

In the second embodiment, when a vehicle uses the charging device 3, the management device 10A checks whether the vehicle is number 1 in the waiting order by comparing the vehicle number acquired at the time of entry before starting charging. This makes it possible to prevent cutting in.

To prevent such cutting in, for example, a lock plate may be provided in the charging area CA, and the lock plate may be lowered only when a vehicle with waiting order number 1 attempts to enter the charging area CA.

The vehicle number can also be used to manage historical information indicating which vehicle has been charged at which charging facility ST. The vehicle number can also be used to calculate charging fees using such historical information, for example, to calculate charging fees that include discounts for valued customers.

In this way, in the management method according to the second embodiment, the waiting area WA also serves as the vehicle parking area PA, and if a vehicle is first in the waiting order but does not move from a specified area within a certain period of time, the vehicle is determined to be a parked vehicle using the parking area PA. Therefore, according to the management method according to the second embodiment, it is possible to immediately remove a parked vehicle from the waiting queue, further improving the utilization efficiency of the charging facility ST.

Below, a configuration example of a management system 1A that applies the management method according to the second embodiment described above will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 9 and 10.

Figure 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management system 1A according to the second embodiment. Note that since Figure 9 corresponds to Figure 2 shown in the explanation of the first embodiment, the explanation using Figure 9 will mainly focus on the differences from Figure 2.

As shown in FIG. 9, the management device 10A according to the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that an entrance gate 5 and an exit gate 6 are further connected. Also, it differs from the first embodiment in that the memory unit 12 further stores ETC information 12c and number information 12d. Also, it differs from the first embodiment in that the control unit 13 further has an electronic payment unit 13g.

The in-vehicle device 100A according to the second embodiment also differs from the first embodiment in that the storage unit 104 further stores ETC information 104c.

The acquisition unit 13a of the management device 10A acquires ETC information 104c and the vehicle number based on sensing data from the entrance gate 5 and various sensors 2 when the vehicle passes through the entrance gate, and stores them in ETC information 12c and number information 12d, respectively.

The determination unit 13b of the management device 10A determines whether a vehicle registered in the waiting list is a parked vehicle that uses only the parking area PA, or a charging vehicle that uses the charging area CA.

When the vehicle passes through the exit gate 6, the electronic payment unit 13g performs electronic payment for the charging fee or parking fee based on the judgment result of the judgment unit 13b.

Next, the processing procedure executed by the management device 10A according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 10. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure executed by the management device 10A according to the second embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 10, the acquisition unit 13a first acquires the ETC information 104c and the number of the vehicle passing through the entrance gate 5 (step S601). Then, the registration unit 13c performs waiting registration (step S602).

Then, the determination unit 13b determines whether the vehicle has stopped in the charging area CA (step S603). If the vehicle has stopped in the charging area CA (step S603, Yes), the vehicle number is checked (step S604).

Then, the determination unit 13b determines whether the vehicle is a vehicle with waiting order=1 (step S605). If the vehicle is not a vehicle with waiting order=1 (step S605, No), the determination unit 13b repeats step S605 until a vehicle with waiting order=1 arrives.

If the vehicle is number 1 in the waiting order (Yes in step S605), charging is started (step S606). Then, when charging is completed (step S607), the determination unit 13b confirms the exit from the ETC (step S608). Then, the electronic payment unit 13g performs electronic payment for the charging fee (step S609), and the process ends.

On the other hand, if the vehicle does not stop in the charging area CA in step S603 (step S603, No), the determination unit 13b determines whether the vehicle is in waiting order = 1 (step S610).

If the waiting order is not 1 (step S610, No), the determination unit 13b repeats step S610. If the waiting order is 1 (step S610, Yes), the determination unit 13b determines whether the vehicle has moved to the charging area CA within a certain period of time (step S611).

If the vehicle moves to the charging area CA within the certain time (step S611, Yes), it is determined that the vehicle is a charging vehicle, and the process proceeds to step S604. If the vehicle does not move to the charging area CA within the certain time (step S611, No), the determination unit 13b determines that the vehicle is a parked vehicle (step S612), and the process proceeds to step S608.

If it is determined that the vehicle is parked in this way, in step S609, the electronic payment unit 13g will make an electronic payment for the parking fee.

As described above, the specified area also serves as the vehicle parking area PA, and in the management device 10A according to the second embodiment, the determination unit 13b determines that a vehicle is a parked vehicle using the parking area PA if the vehicle is first in line for waiting but does not move out of the specified area within a certain period of time.

Therefore, the management device 10A according to the second embodiment makes it possible to immediately remove a parked vehicle from the queue, thereby further improving the utilization efficiency of the charging facility ST.

The charging facility ST also has an entrance gate 5 and an exit gate 6 equipped with an electronic payment system, and the management device 10A according to the second embodiment further includes an electronic payment unit 13g. The electronic payment unit 13g performs electronic payment based on sensing data from the entrance gate 5 and the exit gate 6. The electronic payment unit 13g also performs electronic payment for the parking fee or charging fee depending on whether the vehicle is a parked vehicle or not.

Therefore, according to the management device 10A of the second embodiment, the utilization efficiency of the charging facility ST can be further improved through electronic payment, and appropriate fee collection can be performed according to the usage form of the charging facility ST.

In the second embodiment, an electronic payment system equivalent to ETC is used, but this is not limited to this and any system capable of electronic payment via contactless communication may be used.

Third Embodiment
Next, a third embodiment will be described. Fig. 11 is a diagram (part 1) outlining a management method according to the third embodiment. Fig. 12 is a diagram (part 2) outlining a management method according to the third embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 11, the third embodiment assumes a case where there are multiple charging facilities ST-1, ST-2, ST-3, etc. A vehicle registers its turn to be charged at a certain charging facility ST, but the queue is long and it takes a long time for the vehicle to reach waiting position 1.

In such a case, in the management system 1B according to the third embodiment, the in-vehicle device 100B searches for nearby charging facilities ST-1, ST-2, ST-3, etc., calculates the estimated time until charging is complete for each of them, and guides the user to the facility selected by the user based on the calculated estimated time. In other words, the management device 10B provides facility information for each charging facility ST that it manages to the in-vehicle device 100B via the network N, and causes the in-vehicle device 100B to calculate the estimated time based on this information.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, in the management system 1B according to the third embodiment, the in-vehicle device 100B searches for nearby charging facilities ST, for example, by using a navigation function (step S31).

If there are charging facilities ST-1, ST-2, ST-3... nearby, the management devices 10B-1, 10B-2, 10B-3... of these charging facilities ST-1, ST-2, ST-3... transmit their current facility information to the in-vehicle device 100B, which then acquires it. The facility information corresponds to the charging device information 12a and queue information 12b described above.

Then, the in-vehicle device 100B calculates the expected time until charging is completed at each charging facility ST based on the acquired facility information (step S32). Here, the expected time until charging is completed is the sum of the travel time to the facility, the waiting time, and the charging time of the vehicle, as shown in FIG. 12.

Then, when the user arbitrarily selects a charging facility ST based on the calculation result, for example, a charging facility ST with the shortest expected time, the in-vehicle device 100B generates a guidance route to the facility and uses the navigation function to guide the vehicle to the facility selected by the user (step S33).

This allows, for example, when multiple charging facilities ST are operated by a common operator, users of a busy charging facility ST to be redirected to an unoccupied charging facility ST, further improving the utilization efficiency of the charging facilities ST.

In the third embodiment, the vehicle is not limited to waiting its turn at a charging facility ST, but may be traveling while searching for a charging facility ST.

In addition, the management device 10B does not necessarily need to manage one charging facility ST, and one management device 10B may be configured to manage multiple charging facilities ST in an integrated manner.

In this way, in the management method according to the third embodiment, the in-vehicle device 100B searches for nearby charging facilities ST-1, ST-2, ST-3, etc., calculates the estimated time until charging is completed for each of them, and guides the user to the facility selected by the user based on the calculated estimated time. In addition, the management device 10B provides facility information for each charging facility ST that it manages to the in-vehicle device 100B via the network N, and causes the in-vehicle device 100B to calculate the estimated time based on this information. Therefore, according to the management method according to the second embodiment, it is possible to further improve the utilization efficiency of the charging facilities ST.

Below, a configuration example of a management system 1B to which the management method according to the third embodiment described above is applied will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 13 and 14.

Fig. 13 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management system 1B according to the third embodiment. Note that Fig. 13 corresponds to Fig. 2 shown in the explanation of the first embodiment and Fig. 9 shown in the explanation of the second embodiment, so the explanation using Fig. 13 will mainly focus on the differences from these.

As shown in FIG. 13, the management device 10B according to the third embodiment differs from the first or second embodiment in that a plurality of management devices 10B are provided corresponding to the plurality of charging facilities ST. As already mentioned, a single management device 10B may be used to manage a plurality of charging facilities ST in an integrated manner.

The in-vehicle device 100B according to the third embodiment also differs from the first or second embodiment in that the storage unit 104 further stores facility information 104d and navigation information 104e. The control unit 105 also differs from the first or second embodiment in that it further includes a calculation unit 105d, a generation unit 105e, and a navigation control unit 105f.

As already mentioned, the facility information 104d corresponds to the charging device information 12a and queue information 12b of each management device 10B. The facility information 104d also includes the location of each charging facility ST. The navigation information 104e is information regarding the guidance route to the charging facility ST selected by the user.

The calculation unit 105d calculates the estimated time until the above-mentioned charging is completed based on the facility information 104d acquired by the acquisition unit 105a. The calculated calculation result is displayed on the display unit 103 by, for example, the response control unit 105b.

The generation unit 105e generates a guidance route to the charging facility ST selected by the user via the operation unit 102 from the candidate facilities displayed on the display unit 103 together with the calculation results, and stores the route in the navigation information 104e.

The navigation control unit 105f uses the navigation function to search for nearby charging facilities ST. If there are nearby charging facilities ST, the navigation control unit 105f requests facility information from the management device 10B of each charging facility ST via the transmission unit 103c. Upon receiving the request, the management device 10B notifies the facility information, for example, via the notification unit 13f, and causes the in-vehicle device 100B to acquire it. The navigation control unit 105f also uses the navigation function to guide the vehicle to the charging facility ST selected by the user based on the navigation information 104e.

Next, the process steps executed by the in-vehicle device 100B according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 14. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the process steps executed by the in-vehicle device 100B according to the third embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 14, the navigation control unit 105f first searches for nearby charging facilities ST (step S701). Then, it determines whether or not there is a charging facility ST nearby (step S702).

If there is no charging facility ST nearby (step S702, No), the process ends. On the other hand, if there is a charging facility ST (step S702, Yes), the control unit 105 executes the loop process L1 a number of times equal to the number of charging facilities ST found.

In loop processing L1, the acquisition unit 105a acquires facility information 104d from the management device 10B (step S703). Then, the calculation unit 105d calculates the travel time from the current location based on the facility information 104d (step S704).

The calculation unit 105d also determines whether or not there is a waiting vehicle waiting at the corresponding charging facility ST based on the facility information 104d (step S705). If there is a waiting vehicle (step S705, Yes), the calculation unit 105d executes the loop process L2 a number of times equal to the number of waiting vehicles. If there is no waiting vehicle (step S705, No), the calculation unit 105d proceeds to step S710.

In loop process L2, the calculation unit 105d acquires waiting vehicle information (step S706). The waiting vehicle information is included in the queue information included in the facility information 104d. The waiting vehicle information includes the charge capacity and current charge amount of the battery of each waiting vehicle.

Then, the calculation unit 105d calculates the charging completion time of the waiting vehicle based on the acquired waiting vehicle information (step S707). The calculation unit 105d then adds the calculated charging completion time to the total waiting time (step S708).

After executing loop process L2, the calculation unit 105d then causes the display unit 103 to display the total waiting time (step S709). The calculation unit 105d also calculates the charging time of the vehicle (step S710).

Then, the calculation unit 105d sums up the travel time calculated in step S704, the total waiting time accumulated in step S708, and the charging time of the vehicle calculated in step S710, and calculates the estimated time until charging is completed at each charging facility ST (step S711).

Then, after executing loop process L1, the calculation unit 105d causes the display unit 103 to display the selection candidate facilities and the estimated time for each facility (step S712). Then, when the user selects a facility, the generation unit 105e generates navigation information 104e, and the navigation control unit 105f starts guiding the user to the facility selected by the user based on the navigation information 104e (step S713). Then, the process ends.

Even while guiding the vehicle, the calculation unit 105d may continue to calculate the estimated time until charging is complete and display it on the display unit 103, allowing the user to select a candidate facility as appropriate. This makes it possible to respond to dynamic changes in the situation and allow the user to change the destination as appropriate, for example, even if arrival at the charging facility ST is likely to be delayed due to unexpected congestion or an accident while guiding the vehicle.

In addition, the system may provide guidance on recommended charging facilities ST based on the remaining charge in the vehicle's battery. Also, if it is estimated that moving to the charging facility ST would be difficult based on the remaining charge, the system may provide guidance not to move to the charging facility ST.

In addition, the management device 10B may be configured such that, before the vehicle starts moving to the facility selected by the user, the registration unit 13c, for example, registers the vehicle in the queue information 12b of the destination management device 10B via communication between the management devices 10B. This makes it possible to maintain the waiting time as originally calculated, even if the queue at the destination charging facility ST becomes even longer after the vehicle moves.

As described above, in the management device 10B according to the third embodiment, when the notification unit 13f receives a request for facility information 104d related to a nearby charging facility ST from the in-vehicle device 100B mounted on the vehicle, the notification unit 13f notifies the in-vehicle device 100B of the facility information 104d and causes the in-vehicle device 100B to calculate the expected time until charging is completed, including the waiting time at the nearby charging facility ST, based on the facility information 104d.

Therefore, according to the management device 10B of the third embodiment, for example, when the waiting time at a charging facility ST is long, it is possible to present the user with the estimated time required to use a nearby charging facility ST, and to move the user to the nearby charging facility ST, thereby further improving the efficiency of use of the charging facility ST.

In addition, when a nearby charging facility ST is selected by the user based on the expected time, the registration unit 13c can register the vehicle in a queue at the nearby charging facility ST before the vehicle starts moving to the nearby charging facility ST.

Therefore, according to the management device 10B of the third embodiment, even if the queue at the destination charging facility ST becomes even longer after the vehicle has moved, it is possible to maintain the waiting time at the initially calculated value.

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

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1, 1A, 1B Management system 2 Various sensors 3 Charging device 4 Display unit 5 Entrance gate 6 Exit gate 11 Communication unit 12 Memory unit 12a Charging device information 12b Queue information 12c ETC information 12d Number information 13 Control unit 13a Acquisition unit 13b Determination unit 13c Registration unit 13d Change unit 13e Reception unit 13f Notification unit 13g Electronic payment unit 100, 100A, 100B In-vehicle device 101 Communication unit 102 Operation unit 103 Display unit 103c Transmission unit 104 Memory unit 104a Key code information 104b Current ranking information 104c ETC information 104d Facility information 104e Navigation information 105 Control unit 105a Acquisition unit 105b Response control unit 105c Transmission unit 105d Calculation unit 105e Generation unit 105f Navigation control unit CA Charging area PA Parking area ST Charging facility WA Waiting area

Claims (10)

A management device for managing a charging facility,
determining a status of the charging facility based on sensing data relating to the charging facility;
When it is determined that the vehicle is parked in a predetermined area of the charging facility for a predetermined period of time or more, the vehicle is registered as waiting for the charging facility ;
a control unit that cancels the registration of the vehicle in the waiting list when the vehicle moves out of the predetermined area even though the vehicle is not first in the waiting list;
A management device comprising: The control unit is
When it is determined that the charge amount of the vehicle is equal to or less than a specified remaining amount, the vehicle is registered in the waiting state.
The management device according to claim 1 . The control unit is
The vehicle is registered in the waiting list by a manual operation of a user, and when the vehicle is registered by the manual operation, the registration is accepted only if a predetermined registration fee is paid.
The management device according to claim 1 or 2 . The control unit is
When a request for changing the waiting order is received for the vehicle that is first in the waiting order, the waiting order of the vehicle is changed in accordance with a response of the user of the vehicle to the request for changing the waiting order.
The management device according to claim 1 , 2 or 3 . The control unit is
If charging of the vehicle that is first in the waiting order is not started within a certain period of time, the registration of the vehicle in the waiting order is cancelled, and the waiting order is increased by one.
The management device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . The predetermined area also serves as a parking area for the vehicle,
The control unit is
If the vehicle is first in the waiting order but does not move from the specified area within a certain time, the vehicle is determined to be a parked vehicle that is using the parking area.
The management device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . the charging facility has an entrance gate and an exit gate equipped with an electronic payment system;
The control unit is
performing electronic payment based on sensing data of the entrance gate and the exit gate;
Depending on whether the vehicle is a parked vehicle, electronic payment for parking fees or charging fees is performed.
The management device according to claim 6 . The control unit is
When facility information regarding a nearby charging facility is requested from an on-board device mounted on the vehicle, the facility information is notified to the on-board device, and the on-board device is caused to calculate an expected time until charging is completed, including a waiting time at the nearby charging facility, based on the facility information.
The management device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 . The control unit is
When the nearby charging facility is selected by the user based on the expected time, the vehicle can be registered in the queue of the nearby charging facility before the vehicle starts moving to the nearby charging facility.
The management device according to claim 8 . A management method executed by a management device that manages a charging facility,
determining a status of the charging facility based on sensing data relating to the charging facility;
When it is determined that the vehicle is parked in a predetermined area of the charging facility for a predetermined period of time or more, registering the vehicle as waiting at the charging facility ;
When the vehicle moves out of the predetermined area even though the vehicle is not the first in the waiting list, the registration of the vehicle in the waiting list is cancelled.
Management methods including.

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