JP2022128781A - Information processing device, system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an information processing device, system, and method that facilitates an increase in the number of energy output units, such as outlets, that can manage the provision of energy to vehicles that are energy supply targets and the use by the energy supply targets, and an expansion of the installation area. [Solution] In an electricity usage management system, an electricity usage management server 100, which is a type of information processing device, acquires supply amount information relating to the supply amount of energy that is supplied from an outlet 20 of a parking lot manager to a vehicle 30 of a user 50 and detected by a detection unit 33. Then, based on the acquired supply amount information, it performs the necessary processing to pay the parking lot manager the provision fee for the energy supplied from the parking lot manager to the vehicle 30. [Selected Figure] Figure 2

Description

Application for application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act (1) On August 19, 2020, https://www. Wecharge. com/ etc. (2) On August 25, 2020, https://www. ubiden. com/news/20200825 (3) On October 9, 2020, https://note. com/wecharge/n/n65a7d47de59c (4) On December 24, 2020, https://note. com/wecharge, etc. (5) On January 21, 2021, https://note. com/wecharge, etc. (6) On January 25, 2021, https://note. com/wecharge, etc. (7) On January 28, 2021, https://note. com/wecharge, etc. (8) On February 3, 2021, https://note. com/wecharge, etc. (9) On February 9, 2021, https://note. com/wecharge, etc. (10) On February 14, 2021, https://note. com/wecharge, etc. (11) On February 16, 2021, https://note. Published on websites such as com/wecharge

The present invention relates to an information processing device, system, and method for managing the supply and/or use of energy such as electric power.

Conventionally, a system is known that manages the use of power through outlets. For example, Patent Literature 1 describes a power supply gate device that receives power from a power line of a power company (energy business operator) and controls the power supply, and a power supply gate device that manages usage fees for the power supplied from the power supply gate device. A system is disclosed that includes a server device (information processing device) and a mobile outlet (energy output unit) that connects between a power supply gate device and an electric vehicle (energy supply target). The mobile outlet is equipped with a power usage accumulator (detector) for measuring how much power the electric vehicle uses. After the power from the power supply gate device is output from the mobile outlet and supplied to the electric vehicle, the current power supply amount (supply amount information) detected by the power usage accumulator is sent from the mobile outlet to the server device, The server device calculates the power usage fee from the received power supply amount.

JP-A-2002-325357

In recent years, there has been a demand for an increase in the number of energy output units capable of managing supply to energy supply targets such as electric vehicles and use by the energy supply targets, and expansion of installation areas where the energy output units are installed. However, due to various restrictions, it is difficult to increase the number of such energy output units and expand the installation area.

An information processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention is an information processing apparatus that performs information processing related to provision of energy, and is an energy supply target detection unit that supplies energy from a provider's energy output unit to a user's energy supply target. a supply amount information acquiring unit for acquiring supply amount information related to the supply amount of energy detected in the above, and based on the supply amount information acquired by the supply amount information acquiring unit, the energy is supplied from the provider to the energy supply target. and a payment processing unit that performs processing necessary to pay the energy supply charge to the provider.
In the information processing apparatus, the energy output section is configured to supply an amount of energy supplied from the energy output section to the energy supply target and an amount of energy supplied from other than the energy output section to a supply target other than the energy supply target. The provider may receive energy from an energy company that pays for energy based on the total amount of energy supplied, and supply the energy to the energy supply target.
The information processing apparatus may further include a provider identification information acquisition unit that acquires provider identification information that enables identification of the energy output unit that supplied energy to the energy supply target or the provider. The payment processing unit may perform the payment processing for the provider specified by the provider identification information acquired by the provider identification information acquisition unit.
Further, in the information processing device, based on the supply amount information acquired by the supply amount information acquisition unit, a usage fee for the energy supplied from the energy output unit and used by the energy supply target is paid to the user. It may have a billing processing unit that performs processing necessary for billing.

An information processing apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention is an information processing apparatus that performs information processing related to the use of energy, and detects energy supplied from an energy output unit of a provider to an energy supply target of a user and detecting the energy supply target. a supply amount information acquisition unit that acquires supply amount information related to the supply amount of energy detected by the unit; and the energy supplied from the energy output unit based on the supply amount information acquired by the supply amount information acquisition unit. and a billing processing unit that performs necessary processing for billing the user for the energy used by the supply target.

In the information processing device, the usage fee may be calculated according to an attribute of the user or an attribute of the energy supply target.
The information processing apparatus further includes a user-side identification information acquisition unit that acquires user-side identification information that can identify the user to whom energy is supplied from the energy output unit or the energy supply target. Alternatively, the billing processing unit may perform processing necessary for billing the user identified by the user-side identification information acquired by the user-side identification information acquisition unit.
Further, in the information processing device, the supply amount information acquisition unit may receive and acquire the supply amount information from a management device that manages the energy supply target.
Further, in the information processing device, the supply amount information acquisition unit may receive and acquire the supply amount information from the energy supply target.

A system according to still another aspect of the present invention is a system for managing the supply and/or use of energy, comprising the information processing apparatus described above, the energy supply target, and the supply of energy to the information processing apparatus. and a management device for transmitting quantity information.
A system according to still another aspect of the present invention is a system for managing supply and/or use of energy, comprising the information processing device described above, and transmitting the supply amount information from the energy supply target to the information processing device. a transmitting device for transmitting.

A method according to still another aspect of the present invention is a method of performing information processing related to energy provision, wherein energy is supplied from an energy output unit of a provider to an energy supply object of a user and detected by a detection unit of the energy supply object. obtaining supply amount information regarding the amount of supplied energy; and performing a process.
A method according to still another aspect of the present invention is a method of performing information processing regarding the use of energy, wherein energy is supplied from an energy output unit of a provider to an energy supply object of a user and detected by a detection unit of the energy supply object. and billing the user for the energy supplied from the energy output unit and used by the energy supply target based on the supply amount information. and performing the necessary processing to do so.

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present invention, it is possible to easily increase the number of energy output units capable of managing the provision of energy to an energy supply target and the use by the energy supply target, and to expand the installation area.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the entire power usage management system according to an embodiment; Explanatory drawing which shows an example of the main structure of the same electric power usage management system. 4(a) to 4(c) are explanatory diagrams each showing an example of an image attached to the outlet according to the embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of main functions of a power usage management server in the power usage management system; 4 is a flowchart showing an example of power usage management processing in the power usage management server;

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
A system according to this embodiment is a system for managing the use of energy supplied from an energy output unit to an energy supply target. The supplied energy may be, for example, primary energy in the form of petroleum, natural gas, coal, etc., or secondary energy in the form of electricity, hydrogen, gasoline, light oil, heavy oil, city gas, alcohol, etc. .

An energy supply target to which energy is supplied is, for example, an electric moving object driven by a battery-mounted motor. The mobile body may be a mobile body that moves on the ground such as an electric vehicle or a fuel cell vehicle, a mobile body that moves in the air such as a drone, or a mobile body that moves on water such as the sea. good too. The mobile object may be a vehicle with four or more wheels, a tricycle, a two-wheeled vehicle (motorcycle, bicycle), a truck, a bus, a private car, a business vehicle, or the like. The energy supply target may be owned by the user, leased from a leasing company, or owned by a business operator different from the user. Also, the target of energy supply may be electric or electronic equipment such as portable or stationary home appliances, office equipment, and communication terminal devices.

In the following embodiments, as an example, the energy to be supplied is electrical energy, the energy output unit to which the energy is output is an outlet for outputting the electrical energy, and the energy supply target to which the energy is supplied is a vehicle or a vehicle. A case of a power usage management system that manages power usage when charging the vehicle battery with power output from an outlet, which is a battery built into the vehicle, will be described.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a power usage management system 10 according to this embodiment.
The power usage management system 10 controls the power usage when charging the batteries of the vehicles from the outlet 20 within the area of the parking lot 80 having parking spaces capable of parking a plurality of vehicles 30-1 to 30-3. It is managed. A place where the vehicles 30-1 to 30-3 enter and leave the parking lot 80 is one entrance/exit 81. As shown in FIG. A gate device 82 is installed at the entrance/exit 81 of the parking lot 80 .

In the parking lot 80, charging stands 25-1 to 25-5 each having an outlet 20 are installed near each parking space. In the example of FIG. 1, five charging stations 25-1 to 25-5 are installed in the parking lot 80, but the number of charging stations installed in the parking lot is arbitrary. It may be plural. Further, the outlets 20 are not limited to those installed in the charging stands 25-1 to 25-5, and any outlets such as those installed on the wall can be used.

The five charging stations 25-1 to 25-5 in the parking lot 80 are supplied with power via power lines from the power distribution equipment 210 of the same power company, which is the energy provider (step A), and are managed by the power company. The power supply amount is measured by a single watt-hour meter 83 . Therefore, in this embodiment, the power supply amount supplied from the five charging stations 25-1 to 25-5 cannot be measured separately for each charging station.

In addition to the charging stations 25-1 to 25-5, the power meter 83 also measures the power supply amount used by the gate device 82 and various power utilization facilities 85 that use power. Therefore, in this embodiment, the power supply amount at the charging stations 25-1 to 25-5 and the power supply amount at the other power utilization facilities 82 and 85 cannot be measured separately. .

The power supply amount (power amount data) measured by the power meter 83 is sent to the power management device 200 of the power company (step B). For example, if the power meter 83 has a communication function like a smart meter, the power amount data is transmitted to the power management device 200 of the power company via a communication line.

The power utilization equipment (charging stations 25-1 to 25-5, gate device 82, power utilization equipment 85) whose power supply amount is measured by the power meter 83 is provided by the parking lot manager (installation of the outlet 20). person) is managed. Therefore, the power charge (energy charge) for the amount of power supplied by the power company and used by these power utilization facilities 25-1 to 25-5, 82, 85 is paid by the parking lot manager to the power company. (Step C).

The power charge paid by the parking lot manager to the electric power company can be covered by, for example, the parking lot charge collected by the parking lot manager from the parking lot users who use the parking lot. This power charge includes the charge for the amount of power supplied to the vehicle 30-1 from the charging stations 25-1 to 25-5. Non-users who do not use the stands 25-1 to 25-5 (users of automobiles without a charging function, etc.) are also included. In addition, even users who use the charging stations 25-1 to 25-5 usually receive different amounts of power supplied from the charging stations. Therefore, it is unfair and undesirable for the parking lot users to uniformly add the amount of power charges paid by the parking lot manager to the electric power company to the parking lot charges of the parking lot users.

The power usage management system of the present embodiment collects usage charges from users who receive power supply from the charging stations 25-1 to 25-5, and charges (supply charges) for the amount of power supplied to the users. It provides a power usage management service that is paid to the parking lot manager (provider). According to this power usage management service, the parking lot manager pays for the amount of power supplied from the charging stations 25-1 to 25-5, out of the power fee to be paid to the power company, by the power usage management service. It can be covered by the provision fee paid.

In particular, in the power usage management service of this embodiment, users who receive power supply from the charging stations 25-1 to 25-5 are charged a usage fee according to the amount of power supplied. Therefore, it is possible to collect appropriate usage charges from users of the charging stations 25-1 to 25-5 according to the amount of power supplied to the users.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the main configuration of the power usage management system 10 according to this embodiment.
In FIG. 2 , the power usage management system 10 manages the supply and use of power to a target to which power is supplied from an outlet 20 . The supply target of the present embodiment is a vehicle 30 or a battery 31 of the vehicle 30 that is charged with power from the outlet 20 . Power is supplied from the outlet 20 via, for example, a wired power cable 40 and a plug 41 . The power supply from the outlet 20 may be performed by wireless power supply such as electromagnetic induction, power supply using radio waves such as microwaves, or power supply using light such as laser light. Also, the voltage (current) supplied from the outlet 20 may be alternating current or direct current.

The power usage management system 10 includes a power usage management server 100 as an information processing device that manages the provision and use of power (electrical energy). The power usage management server 100 may be configured by a single computer device, may be configured by linking a plurality of computer devices, or may be configured by a cloud system on a network.

The outlet 20 as an energy output unit capable of outputting electric power (electrical energy) may be a general-purpose outlet whose use is not limited, or may be a dedicated outlet whose use is limited. Further, the outlet 20 may be an outlet for which users are not limited, or may be an outlet that can be used only by specific users.

FIGS. 3A to 3C are explanatory diagrams showing examples of images attached to the outlet 20 of the present embodiment, respectively.
A code image (for example, a QR code (registered trademark) image) 21 is attached to the outlet 20 in FIG. 3(a). The code image 21 may be a one-dimensional code image or a two-dimensional code image. The code image 21 is an image in which information such as the name of the outlet 20, identification number, installation location, installation subject (parking lot manager), etc., is encoded. Note that when managing a database that stores information such as the name of the outlet 20, installation location, and installation entity (parking lot manager) in association with the identification number, the code image 21 does not even include the identification number. All you have to do is

An image of characters (for example, handwritten characters) 22 is attached to the outlet 20 in FIG. Further, an image of an illustration 23 as an identification auxiliary image arbitrarily attached by a parking lot manager or the like is attached to the outlet 20 in FIG. 3(c). Letters 22 or illustrations 23 may be attached to the outlet 20 . The characters 22 and the illustration 23 of the outlet 20 may be drawn on the seal member 24 by a parking lot administrator or the like and attached to the side of the outlet 20 . The identification assistance image may be a pattern or a mark in addition to characters and illustrations.

A terminal device 51 of a user 50 who wants to use the power supplied from the outlet 20 can communicate with the power usage management server 100 via a communication network 60 such as a mobile communication network or the Internet. The terminal device 51 includes an operation unit such as keys, buttons, and a touch panel, a display unit such as a liquid crystal display, and an imaging unit such as a camera for capturing a code image of an outlet or an identification auxiliary image. The terminal device 51 can activate and execute a predetermined power utilization application (power utilization application) installed in advance by a user's operation. The terminal device 51 may include a current position acquisition unit such as a GNSS receiver that acquires information on its own current position. The terminal device 51 is, for example, a mobile station (also referred to as a “mobile device”, “user equipment (UE)”, etc.) capable of communicating via a mobile communication network of the fourth generation or the fifth generation or later. good too.

The vehicle 30 can communicate with the power usage management server 100 of the power usage management company and the vehicle management server 300 of the vehicle manufacturer via the communication network 60 by the external communication unit 32 of the in-vehicle device. Note that the external communication unit 32 may include a communication unit that communicates with the power usage management server 100 and a communication unit that communicates with the vehicle management server 300 separately.

The external communication unit 32 may be, for example, a remote control unit (TCU: Telematic Control Unit) connected to an in-vehicle network (CAN: Controller Area Network) via a gateway. The remote control unit (TCU) may have a communication function via the communication network 60 as well as a short-range wireless communication function such as a wireless LAN or Bluetooth (registered trademark). Connected to the in-vehicle network (CAN) are a remote control unit (TCU), a battery management system (BMS) that manages the battery 31, and one or more electronic control units (ECUs) that control other parts. there is

Next, the flow of the power usage management service using the power usage management system 10 according to this embodiment will be described.
Power usage information (e.g., battery identification information, power amount, charge start time, charge end time) regarding the power used to charge the battery 31 is sent from the battery management system (BMS) via the remote control unit (TCU), for example. and transmitted to the vehicle management server 300 of the vehicle manufacturer (step 1). Further, the vehicle identification information is transmitted to the vehicle management server 300 via a remote control unit (TCU) from an electronic control unit (ECU) having a memory storing basic vehicle information, for example. The transmission of these pieces of information to the vehicle management server 300 is executed, for example, based on the timing specified by the vehicle management server 300, or based on a transmission request generated by an application running on the terminal device 51. be. The transmission request from the terminal device 51 may be received by a remote control unit (TCU) of the vehicle via short-range wireless communication such as wireless LAN or Bluetooth (registered trademark). In the vehicle management server 300 of the vehicle manufacturer, the power usage information of the vehicle 30 is accumulated in association with the identification information of the vehicle 30, and the latest power usage information is managed almost in real time.

On the other hand, when the user 50 parks the vehicle 30-1 in the parking lot 80 and charges the battery of the vehicle 30-1 from the outlet 20 of the charging stand 25-1, the user 50 uses the terminal device 51 to charge the battery of the vehicle 30-1. A user application is executed to read a code image (for example, a QR code (registered trademark) image) 21 attached to the outlet 20 (see FIG. 3(a)). Then, the user 50 operates the terminal device 51 to operate the read data of the code image 21, the identification information of the user 50 or the terminal device 51, and the identification information (for example, , identification information of the vehicle 30 or the battery 31 ) are transmitted from the terminal device 51 . These pieces of information are received by the terminal communication unit 101 of the power usage management server 100 via the communication network 60 (step 2).

The identification information of the user 50 or the terminal device 51 and the identification information of the supply target (for example, the identification information of the vehicle 30 or the battery 31) are registered in the power usage application of the terminal device 51 in advance. The read data of the code image 21 may be, for example, image data obtained by imaging the code image 21 with the camera of the terminal device 51, or may be data obtained by decoding the image data. In another example, instead of the read data of the code image 21, the read data of the identification auxiliary image 22 or 23 attached to the outlet 20 (see FIGS. 2(a) and 2(c)) and the terminal Location information of the device 51 may also be used. The location information of the terminal device 51 is, for example, location information (latitude, longitude, altitude) of the terminal device 51 measured by the GNSS receiver of the terminal device 51 .

The power usage management server 100 of the power usage management company receives the read data of the code image 21 from the terminal device 51 of the user 50, and acquires supply amount information from the vehicle manufacturer's vehicle management server 300 (step 3). ). Then, based on the acquired supply amount information, the power usage management server 100 performs processing necessary for collecting from the user 50 the usage fee for the amount of power supply for charging the vehicle 30-1 (charging of the usage fee). processing) is performed (step 4). As a result, the power usage management company that manages this power usage management service can collect from the user 50 the usage fee for the amount of power supplied for charging the vehicle 30-1 (step 6).

Billing processing (processing necessary for billing) performed by the power usage management server 100 is based on the acquired supply amount information, and charges the user 50 for the amount of power supply for charging the vehicle 30-1. This is at least part of a series of processes required for collection (including all known billing processes). Specific examples include, for example, a process of calculating a usage fee for the power supply amount related to charging of the vehicle 30-1 from the acquired supply amount information, a process of performing a procedure for charging the user with the usage fee, and a process of charging the user with the usage fee. Examples of processing include processing for providing at least one of supply amount information and usage fee information to a management device managed by another business that collects usage fees from users.

Further, based on the acquired supply amount information, the power usage management server 100 receives the read data of the code image 21 from the terminal device 51 of the user 50, and provides the power supply amount for charging the vehicle 30-1. Processing necessary for paying the fee to the parking lot manager (preparation processing for payment of the provision fee) is performed (step 5). As a result, the power usage management company that manages this power usage management service can pay the parking lot manager the supply fee for the amount of power supply for charging the vehicle 30-1 (step 7).

The payment processing (processing required for payment) performed by the power usage management server 100 is based on the acquired supply amount information, and the charge for the amount of power supply for charging the vehicle 30-1 is paid to the parking lot manager. It is at least a part of a series of processes necessary for payment (including all known payment processes). As a specific example, for example, a process of calculating a supply charge for the power supply amount related to charging of the vehicle 30-1 from the acquired supply amount information, and a procedure for paying the supply charge to the parking lot manager (provider). and providing at least one of the supply amount information and the provided charge information to a management device managed by another business operator who pays the provided charge to the parking lot manager.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of main functions of the power usage management server 100 according to the embodiment.
4, the power usage management server 100 includes a terminal communication unit 101, a supply amount information communication unit 102, a management processing unit 103, a storage unit (DB: database) 104, a billing processing unit 105, and a payment processing unit. 106.

The terminal communication unit 101 communicates with the terminal device 51 of the user 50 via the communication network 60 . The terminal communication unit 101 receives, for example, read data of the code image 21 transmitted from the terminal device 51, identification information of the user 50 or the terminal device 51, identification information of a supply target to which power is supplied from the outlet 20 (for example, vehicle 30 or battery 31 identification information) and the like.

The read data of the code image 21 also functions as identification information of the parking lot manager who is the provider of the outlet 20 that supplies power to the vehicle 30 of the user 50. Functions as an information acquisition unit. Further, the identification information of the user 50 or the terminal device 51 and the identification information to be supplied (for example, the identification information of the vehicle 30 or the battery 31) function as identification information of the user, and the terminal communication unit 101 , also functions as a user identification information acquisition unit.

The supply amount information communication unit 102 communicates via the communication network 60 with the vehicle management server 300 of the vehicle manufacturer in which the vehicle 30 to be supplied is registered. The supply amount information communication unit 102 receives, for example, at least the supply amount information of the power usage information of the vehicle 30 accumulated by the vehicle management server 300 from the vehicle management server 300 via the communication network 60 .

Note that the terminal communication unit 101 and the supply amount information communication unit 102 may be configured by an integrated communication device (for example, a mobile communication module).

The management processing unit 103 authenticates the user who uses the electric power based on the identification information of the user 50 or the terminal device 51 and the identification information of the supply target (for example, the identification information of the vehicle 30 or the battery 31). user authentication) and at least one of authentication of a supply target (for example, vehicle 30 or battery 31) (supply target authentication).

For example, the management processing unit 103 stores the identification information (user ID) of the user 50 received from the terminal device 51 and the identification information (user ID) of the user registered in advance in the power usage management server 100. Through the comparison, user authentication is performed to confirm whether the user 50 is an authorized user pre-registered in the power usage management service of the present embodiment. In this case, use of the power usage management service may be permitted for authorized users, and use of the power usage management service may be restricted (for example, use may not be permitted) for unauthorized users.

In addition, for example, the management processing unit 103 combines the identification information of the supply target (for example, the identification information of the vehicle 30 or the battery 31) received from the terminal device 51 with the identification of the supply target registered in advance in the power usage management server 100. information (for example, identification information of the vehicle 30 or the battery 31) to determine whether the supply target (for example, the vehicle 30 or the battery 31) is a regular supply target registered in advance in the power usage management service of the present embodiment. You may perform supply object authentication which confirms whether there is. In this case, the use of the power usage management service may be permitted when the power supply is a regular supply target, and the use of the power usage management service may be restricted (for example, the use may not be permitted) when the power supply is not a regular power supply target.

In addition, the management processing unit 103 transmits information from the supply amount information communication unit 102 to the vehicle management server 300 of the vehicle manufacturer based on the identification information of the supply target (for example, the identification information of the vehicle 30 or the battery 31) received from the terminal device 51. In response, the supply amount information of the supply target is received (step 3). The supply amount information is information about the supply amount of electric power supplied from the outlet 20 to the vehicle 30 to which the user 50 is supplied and detected by the detection unit 33 of the vehicle 30 . The supply amount information is information capable of specifying the supply amount of electric power supplied from the outlet 20 to the vehicle 30 to which the user 50 is supplied, and is detected by the detection unit 33 provided in the vehicle 30 to be supplied. Any information is acceptable. In this embodiment, the supply amount information is included in the power usage information transmitted from the vehicle 30 to the vehicle management server 300 and accumulated in the vehicle management server 300 .

As a specific example of the supply amount information, for example, if the detection unit 33 provided in the vehicle 30 can directly detect the amount of electric power charged to the battery 31 from the outlet 20 (power supply amount), Information on the amount of power detected can be used as supply amount information.

Further, for example, if the detection unit 33 provided in the vehicle 30 can detect the remaining power level of the battery 31, information on the detected remaining power level may be used as the supply amount information. In this case, for example, by subtracting the remaining amount of power before charging from the remaining amount of power after charging, the amount of power charged from the outlet 20 to the battery 31 (power supply amount) can be obtained.

In addition, since many electric vehicles are provided with a detection unit 33 that detects the state of charge (SoC) of the battery 31, SoC data may be used as supply amount information. In this case, if the full charge capacity of the battery 31 is unknown, the remaining power level of the battery 31 cannot be grasped from the SoC data. However, by storing the correspondence relationship between the identification information of the battery 31 and the full charge capacity in the storage unit (DB) 104, the full charge capacity can be specified from the identification information of the battery 31, and the SoC data of the battery 31 can be obtained. , the remaining power of the battery 31 can be calculated.

A storage unit (DB) 104 stores information and data necessary for various processes performed by the power usage management server 100 . Specifically, the read data of the code image received by the terminal communication unit 101, the identification information of the user 50 or the terminal device 51, the identification information of the supply target, and the supply amount information received by the supply amount information communication unit 102 are associated with each other and stored. For example, as shown in Table 1, for each series of power usage transactions, one record is stored in which the outlet ID, user ID, terminal ID (for example, IMEI), vehicle ID, and power supply amount are associated with each other. , a power usage transaction table (power usage ledger) is formed.

Further, the storage unit (DB) 104 stores various tables used for power usage management via a plurality of outlets. For example, the storage unit (DB) 104 stores an outlet management table of Table 2, a user management table of Table 3, and a vehicle management table of Table 4. Note that Table 2 may be an example in which the read data of the identification auxiliary image 22 or 23 attached to the outlet 20 and the position information of the terminal device 51 are used instead of the read data of the code image 21 .

The outlet management table, the user management table, and the vehicle management table are respectively the outlet 20 and the user 50 (terminal device 51) and a new record is added when there is a new registration of the vehicle 30 (battery 31).

In addition, the storage unit (DB) 104 stores an installer ID (identification information of a parking lot manager) and a process (payment process) necessary to pay the parking lot manager a charge for the amount of power supply. A payment processing table may be stored in which the information to be used (account number of the payee, etc.) is associated with the payment processing table. A record is added to this payment processing table when an installer of the outlet 20 is newly registered. By linking and referring to the payment processing table and the various tables described above, in the power usage management service of the present embodiment, payment processing for the amount of power supply to the installer (parking lot manager) is performed. be able to.

In addition, the storage unit (DB) 104 stores a user ID and information used for processing (billing processing) necessary for collecting the usage fee for the amount of power supply for charging the vehicle 30 of the user ( billing destination information for usage fees) may be stored. A record is added to the billing processing table when the user 50 is newly registered in the power usage management service of the present embodiment. By linking and referring to the billing processing table and the various tables described above, the power usage management service of the present embodiment can perform billing processing for the amount of power supplied to the user.

In addition, for example, when SoC data is used as the supply amount information, a battery information table showing correspondence between the identification information of the battery 31 and the full charge capacity is stored in the storage unit (DB) 104 .

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of power usage management processing in the power usage management server 100 according to this embodiment.
In FIG. 5, the power usage management process of this embodiment includes a preparation phase (S100) and an operation phase (S200).

In the advance preparation phase (S100), when an installer (provider) of the outlets 20, such as a parking lot manager, applies for outlet registration to the power usage management service, the power usage management server 100 receives an application for outlet registration from the operator. Data entry is performed for the outlet 20 of the person (parking manager), and the outlet management table of Table 2 and the payment processing table are created (S101). By managing such a table, it is possible to perform appropriate payment processing for the supply charge according to the power supply amount supplied from each outlet 20 (energy output unit) to a plurality of providers.

In addition, when a user 50 using the power usage management service applies for the power usage management service using the terminal device 51 , the power usage management server 100 sends the power usage management service to the user 50 and the terminal device 51 from the terminal device 51 . Receive new registration data including information and information on supply objects (vehicle 30 and battery 31). As a result, the power usage management server 100 creates the user management table shown in Table 3, the vehicle management table shown in Table 4, and the billing processing table described above based on the new registration data (S102).

Next, in the operation phase (S200), when the user 50 receives power supply from the registered outlet 20 and charges the battery 31 of the vehicle 30, first, the user 50 operates the terminal device 51 to access the power usage management service. Start the application (power usage application) to use the Then, the terminal device 51 captures and reads the code image 21 including the identification information of the outlet 20 , and selects “my car” from the menu selection displayed on the display screen of the terminal device 51 . By this operation, the identification information of the user 50 (or the terminal device 51), the read data of the code image 21, and the identification of the vehicle 30 (or the battery 31) pre-registered as "my car" in the terminal device 51 are displayed. Information is transmitted to the power usage management server 100 . As a result, the power usage management server 100 receives the identification information of the user 50 (or the terminal device 51), the read data of the code image 21, and the identification information of the vehicle 30 (or the battery 31) from the terminal device 51 of the user 50. is received (S201).

Next, based on the identification information of the user 50 (or the terminal device 51) and the identification information of the vehicle 30 (or the battery 31) received from the terminal device 51, the power usage management server 100 identifies the user 50 (or the terminal device 51). Authentication processing is performed for the combination of the identification information of the device 51) and the vehicle 30 (or battery 31) (S202).

After completing the authentication process, the power usage management server 100 next asks the vehicle management server 300 to SoC data (supply amount information) for the vehicle 30 is requested. As a result, the latest supply amount information (SoC data before charging) for the vehicle 30 is acquired from the vehicle management server 300 to the power usage management server 100 via the communication network 60 (S203).

After that, the battery 31 of the vehicle 30 is charged with the power supplied from the outlet 20, and when the charging is completed, the vehicle 30 is supplied from the outlet 20 at the request of the terminal device 51 of the user 50 or autonomously. Then, the power usage information (eg, battery identification information, power amount (SoC data), charging start time, charging end time) used for charging the battery 31 of the vehicle 30 is transmitted to the vehicle management server 300 . Thereby, the SoC data after charging is registered in the vehicle management server 300 .

Further, when charging is completed, a charging completion notification including identification information of the user 50 (or the terminal device 51) and identification information of the vehicle 30 (or the battery 31) is sent from the user's terminal device 51 to the power usage management server. 100. The power usage management server 100 that has received this sends the vehicle 30 to the vehicle management server 300 based on the identification information of the user 50 (or the terminal device 51) and the identification information of the vehicle 30 (or the battery 31). SoC data (supply amount information). As a result, the latest supply amount information (SoC data after charging) for the vehicle 30 is acquired from the vehicle management server 300 to the power usage management server 100 via the communication network 60 (S204).

In this way, the power usage management server 100 that has received the SoC data before charging and the SoC data after charging refers to the battery information table in the storage unit (DB) 104 to determine the full charge capacity of the battery 31. obtain. Then, the remaining power of the battery 31 before charging is calculated from the SoC data before charging and the full charge capacity, and the remaining power of the battery 31 after charging is calculated from the SoC data after charging and the full charge capacity. . After that, the remaining amount of power before charging is subtracted from the remaining amount of power after charging to calculate the power supply amount used in the current charging (S205).

Note that the method of calculating the amount of power supply is not limited to this, and can be selected as appropriate. In calculating the amount, the degree of consumption may be used for correction.

Next, the power usage management server 100 refers to the outlet management table of Table 2 described above based on the read data of the code image, and identifies the identification information of the outlet 20 . Further, the power usage management server 100 includes identification information (outlet ID) of the outlet 20, identification information (user ID, terminal ID) of the user 50 or the terminal device 51, and identification information of the supply target (vehicle ID or (battery ID) and the current charge amount (power supply amount) calculated in processing step S205 are associated with each other and added to the power usage transaction table (power usage ledger) in Table 1 above. (DB) 104 (S206).

The power usage management server 100 refers to the power usage transaction table (power usage ledger) shown in Table 1, thereby managing the provision and use of power through outlets in the power usage management service.

In the present embodiment, the power usage management server 100 refers to the power usage transaction table (power usage ledger) to determine the charge for power usage by the vehicle 30 via the outlet 20 to the user 50, the supply target (vehicle 30 or battery 31) and the terminal device 51 (charging process) (S207). In this billing process, for example, the total power supply amount of each user for a predetermined period (for example, one month) is obtained, and this is multiplied by the unit price of the usage fee to calculate the usage fee to be collected from each user. . Then, referring to the billing processing table in the storage unit 104, the billing processing necessary for collecting usage fees from each user is performed.

The method of collecting the usage fee from the user is not particularly limited as long as the usage fee is collected according to the amount of power supplied from the outlet 20 to the vehicle 30 of the user. For example, it may be a complete metered system, or a flat rate system in which the amount of power supply is fixed up to a specified amount. The business operator that collects the usage fee from the user may be the power usage management business operator that operates the power usage management server 100, or another business operator that collects the usage fee under consignment from the power usage management business operator. It may be a business operator.

Further, in the present embodiment, the power usage management server 100 refers to the power usage transaction table (power usage ledger) to inform the installer of the outlet 20 (parking manager) of the Processing (payment processing) necessary for paying the charge for supplying power to the vehicle 30 is performed (S208). In this payment process, for example, the total amount of power supply corresponding to the outlet 20 of each installer for a predetermined period (for example, one month) is calculated, and this is multiplied by the unit price of the supply charge, and the amount is paid to each installer. Calculate fees. Then, referring to the payment processing table in the storage unit 104, payment processing necessary for paying the provision fee to each installer is performed.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the power usage management server 100 receives supply amount information such as SoC data detected by the detection unit 33 provided in the vehicle 30 to which energy is to be supplied, by the supply amount information communication unit 102 . Then, the power usage management server 100 uses the charging processing unit 105 to perform charging processing necessary for charging the user 50 with the power usage fee calculated from the received supply amount information. As a result, the power usage management business operator that operates the power usage management server 100 can supply power from the user 50 who receives the power supply from the outlet 20, which is the energy output unit registered in the power usage management service of the present embodiment. It is possible to provide a service that collects an appropriate usage fee according to the received power amount (power supply amount).

Further, in the present embodiment, the power usage management server 100 uses the payment processing unit 106 to send the power supply fee calculated from the supply amount information received by the supply amount information communication unit 102 to the parking lot manager who is the provider. Perform payment processing necessary to pay. As a result, the power usage management operator that operates the power usage management server 100 provides a service that allows the parking lot manager to receive the charge for the power usage of the user 50 who receives the power supply from the outlet 20. can do.

Further, in the present embodiment, as described above, the outlet 20 as an energy output unit is used not only by predetermined specific users (users registered in the power usage management service) but also by the specific users. It may be a common outlet (general-purpose outlet, etc.) that can be used by unspecified general users (users who are not registered with this power usage management service). Using such a shared outlet as the energy output section of the power usage management system of the present embodiment facilitates procedures such as permission for installation compared to installing outlets that can be used only by specific users. , contributes to increasing the number of energy output units that can be used in this power usage management service and expanding the installation area.

However, common outlets usually have a watt-hour meter that detects information on the amount of power supplied from the outlet. Quantity information is detected collectively without distinguishing between users. Therefore, in a system that detects supply amount information with a detection unit provided on the side of a common outlet, it is not possible to detect supply amount information by distinguishing specific users from general users. It is difficult to manage the provision and use of the power (energy) that is used and used. Therefore, when using a common outlet, it is necessary to grasp the amount of power supplied from the outlet to a specific user separately from that of general users.

According to this embodiment, the power supply amount supplied from the outlet 20 to the vehicle 30 of the user 50 is grasped based on the supply amount information detected by the detection unit 33 provided in the vehicle 30 . Therefore, even when a shared outlet is used, the amount of power supplied from the outlet 20 to the vehicle 30 of the user 50 (specific user) can be grasped separately from other users (general users, etc.). can be done. Moreover, in this case, the installer of the shared outlet (parking lot manager, etc.) must distinguish the amount of power supplied from the outlet to a specific user from other users (general users, etc.). There is no need to newly install facilities for detection. Therefore, for the parking lot manager, equipment costs (introduction costs) can be kept low even when a shared outlet is used in this power usage management service.

Also, in this embodiment, as an outlet (energy output unit) that can be used in this power usage management service, an outlet (energy output unit) installed in a common area such as a common area of an apartment building or a parking lot of a shopping center is used. Using it also contributes to an increase in the number of outlets (energy output units) that can be used in this power usage management service and expansion of the installation area. However, such a common area is often provided with a detector for detecting supply amount information of power (energy) supplied within the common area. It detects the total amount of power supplied within an area. Therefore, in a system in which a detection unit provided in a common area detects supply amount information, it is difficult to manage the supply and use of power from outlets installed in such a common area.

Also in the present embodiment, the power amount of the parking lot 80, which is a common area including the outlet 20, the gate device 82, and various power utilization equipment 85, that is, the power supply amount supplied from the outlet 20 to the vehicle 30 of the user 50 , and other power supply amounts supplied to the gate device 82 and various power utilization facilities 85 are collectively measured by the power meter 83 . Then, the parking lot manager pays the electric power company a price corresponding to the total amount. In this case, in order for the power usage management business operator to pay the parking lot manager (provider) the charge for the amount of power supplied from the outlet 20 to the vehicle 30 of the user 50, the power meter 83 Separately, it is necessary to grasp the amount of power supplied from the outlet 20 to the vehicle 30 of the user 50 .

According to this embodiment, the power supply amount supplied from the outlet 20 to the vehicle 30 of the user 50 is grasped based on the supply amount information detected by the detection unit 33 provided in the vehicle 30 . Therefore, even if the parking lot 80 including the outlet 20, the gate device 82, and various power utilization facilities 85 is equipped only with a facility (watt-hour meter 83) for collectively measuring the amount of electric power in the parking lot 80, the vehicle of the user 50 can be detected from the outlet 20. It is possible to grasp the amount of power supplied to 30 . Therefore, in this embodiment, when the parking lot manager receives the charge for the power usage of the user 50 who received the power supply from the outlet 20, the power supplied from the outlet 20 to the vehicle 30 of the user 50 is There is no need to newly install equipment for detecting the amount of power supply. Therefore, for the parking lot manager, the facility cost (introduction cost) can be kept low when introducing this power usage management service.

In addition, the parking lot manager does not need the above-described complicated procedures for installing new equipment, and can easily introduce this power usage management service. For example, if the parking lot 80 is a common area of a condominium and the parking lot manager is the management union of the condominium, installing a new facility as described above in the common area requires a large number of compartmentalized ownership units in the condominium. It requires procedures such as obtaining the consent of the person, and requires a very complicated procedure. According to this embodiment, since such complicated procedures are not required, even when using the shared outlet 20 (energy output unit) provided in the common area of the condominium, this power usage management service can be used. Easy to introduce.

Moreover, the detection unit 33 for detecting supply amount information for grasping the amount of power supplied from the outlet 20 to the vehicle 30 of the user 50 is a facility provided in most of the existing energy supply targets (vehicles 30). be. Therefore, the user 50 does not newly bear the cost burden of the detection unit 33 .

As described above, the management service of this embodiment is highly convenient for the provider (parking lot management company), and the provider (parking lot management company) can easily introduce this management service. As a result, it is expected that the number of providers (parking management companies) will increase, and as a result, an increase in the number of energy output units (outlets 25) that can be used by users and expansion of installation areas will be promoted. .

In recent years, various information including supply amount information detected by the detection unit 33 provided in the vehicle 30 is accumulated in the vehicle management server 300 of each vehicle manufacturer and used for various vehicle services. The power usage management server 100 of the present embodiment does not individually acquire supply amount information detected by the detection unit 33 provided in the vehicle 30 from each vehicle 30, but acquires it from the vehicle manufacturer's vehicle management server 300. . According to this, since the power usage management server 100 can acquire the supply amount information detected by the detection unit 33 provided in the vehicle 30 using existing equipment and facilities, the individual vehicle 30 of each user 50 can There is no need to install a new device for transmitting supply amount information to the power usage management server 100 . Therefore, the cost burden on the user 50 is further reduced.

On the other hand, since it is assumed that there are users who do not use the service in which the supply amount information detected by the detection unit 33 provided in the vehicle 30 is accumulated in the vehicle management server 300 of the vehicle manufacturer, the vehicle 30 of the user 50 A device that transmits the supply amount information to the power usage management server 100 may be newly installed. In this case, for example, the OBD 2 provided in the vehicle 30 has a communication device as a transmission unit capable of acquiring supply amount information (SoC data, etc.) detected by the detection unit 33 of the vehicle 30 and transmitting it to the power usage management server 100. (On Board Diagnosis second generation) connector.

In addition, in the present embodiment, as the user identification information, the identification information of the user 50 or the terminal device 51, the identification information of the vehicle 30 to which power is supplied from the outlet 20, and the terminal device of the user 50 are used. Although the power usage management server 100 receives the information from the device 51, it is not limited to this. For example, the gate device 82 installed at the entrance/exit of the parking lot 80 may be provided with a function of acquiring the identification information of the vehicle 30 entering and exiting the parking lot 80, and the power usage management server 100 may receive the identification information from the gate device 82. good. In this case, for example, the license plate (automobile registration number mark) of the vehicle 30 passing through the entrance is captured by an imaging device such as a camera provided in the gate device 82, and the vehicle registration number of the vehicle 30 recognized from the captured image. can be obtained as identification information. In addition, identification information of the vehicle received from an ETC (Electronic Toll Collection System) in-vehicle device installed in the vehicle may be acquired.

In the above-described embodiment, the terminal device 51 of the user 50 is used to transmit information such as user identification information and provider identification information to the power usage management server 100 . Alternatively, the external communication unit 32 mounted on the vehicle 30 may be used. In the above-described embodiment, the external communication unit 32 mounted on the vehicle 30 is used to transmit information such as supply amount information. 50 terminals 51 may be used.

In addition, if the above-mentioned usage fee charged to the user and the provision fee paid to the provider such as the parking lot manager are fees calculated based on the supply amount information, other additional information is taken into consideration. It may be a fee calculated by That is, even if the amount of supply is the same, the usage fee or the supply fee may be changed according to the additional information. This additional information includes, for example, attributes of users (differences in fees paid for services, differences in service grades, differences in age of users, differences in regions where users belong, etc.), vehicles to be supplied with energy, etc. 30 attributes (different vehicle manufacturers, different additional services associated with the vehicle 30, etc.). In addition, as this additional information, for example, information on the type of energy output from the energy output unit (difference in energy source, whether it is specified clean energy, etc.), type of energy output unit (from the provider's energy output unit difference in the supply speed of energy supplied to the user's energy supply target (rapid charging or not), etc.).

It should be noted that the processing steps and components such as the information processing device, the gate device, the in-vehicle device, the terminal device, and the server described herein can be implemented by various means. For example, these processes and components may be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or any combination thereof.

For hardware implementation, the above steps and The processing unit or other means used to implement the components may be one or more of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), a digital signal processor (DSPD), a programmable logic device. (PLDs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, electronic devices, other electronic units designed to perform the functions described herein, computers , or any combination thereof.

Also, for firmware and/or software implementations, means such as processing units used to implement said components may be programs (e.g. procedures, functions, modules, instructions) that perform the functions described herein. , etc.). In general, any computer/processor readable medium tangibly embodying firmware and/or software code means, such as a processing unit, used to implement the steps and components described herein. may be used to implement For example, firmware and/or software code may be stored in memory and executed by a computer or processor, such as in a controller. The memory may be implemented within the computer or processor, or external to the processor. The firmware and/or software code may also be, for example, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), programmable read only memory (PROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM). ), flash memory, floppy disk, compact disk (CD), digital versatile disk (DVD), magnetic or optical data storage devices, etc. good. The code may be executed by one or more computers or processors and may cause the computers or processors to perform certain aspects of the functionality described herein.

Also, the medium may be a non-temporary recording medium. Also, the code of the program is not limited to a specific format as long as it can be read and executed by a computer, processor, or other device or machine. For example, the program code may be source code, object code, or binary code, or may be a mixture of two or more of these codes.

Moreover, the description of the embodiments disclosed herein is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present disclosure. Various modifications to this disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein are applicable to other variations without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. This disclosure, therefore, is not to be limited to the examples and designs described herein, but is to be accorded the broadest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

10: Power usage management system 20: Outlet 21: Code images 22, 23: Identification auxiliary image 25: Charging stand 30: Vehicle 31: Battery 32: External communication unit 33: Detecting unit 40: Power cable 41: Plug 50: User 51 : Terminal device 60 : Communication network 80 : Parking lot 81 : Entrance/exit 82 : Gate device 83 : Electricity meter 85 : Power usage equipment 100 : Power usage management server 101 : Terminal communication unit 102 : Supply amount information communication unit 103 : Management Processing unit 104 : Storage unit 105 : Billing processing unit 106 : Payment processing unit 200 : Power management device 210 : Power distribution equipment 300 : Vehicle management server

Claims (13)

An information processing device that performs information processing related to the provision of energy,
a supply amount information acquisition unit that acquires supply amount information relating to the supply amount of energy supplied from the energy output unit of the provider to the energy supply target of the user and detected by the detection unit of the energy supply target;
a payment processing unit that performs processing necessary for paying a supply charge for the energy supplied from the provider to the energy supply target to the provider based on the supply amount information acquired by the supply amount information acquisition unit; An information processing apparatus comprising: In the information processing device according to claim 1,
The energy output unit is configured to divide the amount of energy supplied from the energy output unit to the energy supply target and the amount of energy supplied from other than the energy output unit to other supply targets other than the energy supply target. An information processing apparatus, wherein energy is received from an energy company for which the provider pays for energy based on the total amount, and is supplied to the energy supply target. In the information processing device according to claim 1 or 2,
a provider-side identification information acquisition unit that acquires provider-side identification information that can identify the energy output unit that has supplied energy to the energy supply target or the provider,
The information processing apparatus, wherein the payment processing unit performs the payment processing for the provider specified by the provider identification information acquired by the provider identification information acquisition unit. In the information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
Based on the supply amount information acquired by the supply amount information acquisition unit, processing necessary for charging the user for the use of the energy supplied from the energy output unit and used by the energy supply target. An information processing apparatus, comprising: a billing processing unit. An information processing device that performs information processing related to the use of energy,
a supply amount information acquisition unit that acquires supply amount information relating to the supply amount of energy supplied from the energy output unit of the provider to the energy supply target of the user and detected by the detection unit of the energy supply target;
Based on the supply amount information acquired by the supply amount information acquisition unit, processing necessary for charging the user for the use of the energy supplied from the energy output unit and used by the energy supply target. and a billing processing unit. In the information processing device according to claim 4 or 5,
The information processing apparatus, wherein the usage fee is calculated according to an attribute of the user or an attribute of the energy supply target. In the information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 6,
a user-side identification information acquisition unit configured to acquire user-side identification information capable of identifying the user to whom energy is supplied from the energy output unit or the energy supply target;
The information processing apparatus, wherein the billing processing unit performs processing necessary for billing the user specified by the user-side identification information acquired by the user-side identification information acquisition unit. In the information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The information processing apparatus, wherein the supply amount information acquisition unit receives and acquires the supply amount information from a management device that manages the energy supply target. In the information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The information processing apparatus, wherein the supply amount information acquisition unit receives and acquires the supply amount information from the energy supply target. A system that manages the provision, utilization or both of energy,
an information processing apparatus according to claim 8;
and a management device that manages the energy supply target and transmits the supply amount information to the information processing device. A system that manages the provision, utilization or both of energy,
an information processing apparatus according to claim 9;
and a transmitting device that transmits the supply amount information from the energy supply target to the information processing device. A method for processing information relating to provision of energy, comprising:
Acquiring supply amount information relating to the amount of energy supplied from the energy output unit of the provider to the energy supply target of the user and detected by the detection unit of the energy supply target;
and performing processing necessary for paying a supply charge for the energy provided from the provider to the energy supply target to the provider, based on the supply amount information. A method for processing information relating to the use of energy, comprising:
Acquiring supply amount information relating to the amount of energy supplied from the energy output unit of the provider to the energy supply target of the user and detected by the detection unit of the energy supply target;
and performing processing necessary for charging the user for the use of the energy supplied from the energy output unit and used by the energy supply target, based on the supply amount information. and how.

Images