JP2013198186A - Charge control assistance device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a charging control support device for realizing inexpensive charging to a traveling battery mounted on a vehicle.
A mobile terminal 40 as a charging control support device acquires a current position of a vehicle 10. When the vehicle 10 is stopped at a place other than home based on the acquired current position, the terminal 40 acquires a power rate plan set by an electric power company having jurisdiction over the current position of the vehicle 10. In addition, the terminal 40 determines whether or not the solar power generation facility 22 is provided by recognizing image data of an external appearance taken from the south side of the house that is the charging facility. If the facility 22 is not provided, the terminal 40 sets the charging start time in a time zone in which inexpensive power with high priority is supplied according to the power rate plan, and supplies the charging start time to the charging control device 30. In addition, if the equipment 22 is provided, the terminal 40 sets the priority of the time zone including the power generation time zone to the lowest.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a charging control support device that supports charging control for a running battery mounted on a vehicle.

  Conventionally, for example, a timer setting device for an electric vehicle as shown in Patent Document 1 below is known. This conventional timer setting device for an electric vehicle performs charging timer setting for the electric vehicle using an application provided in the portable terminal. In this conventional electric vehicle timer setting device, the application time of the midnight discount and the electricity rate are selected and set using the application of the portable terminal, and the application time of the midnight discount and the electricity charge are set. By transmitting the rate to the vehicle, a charging timer can be set in consideration of charging in the midnight discount time zone.

  For example, a building as shown in Patent Document 2 below is also known. In this conventional building, when charging a storage battery for a vehicle, as a rate plan for power supplied from the system power source, a power rate plan for each time zone divided into three hours of morning, evening, daytime and nighttime is applied. The vehicle storage battery is charged in a time zone in which the cheapest power can be supplied by setting a power rate plan to the controller.

JP 2009-89474 A JP 2011-61952 A

  In the above-described conventional electric vehicle timer setting device and the above-mentioned conventional building, both are set in advance, in other words, in-vehicle battery and vehicle storage battery according to the known time zone of late-night power and the time zone of the power rate plan. Is supposed to charge. Thereby, inexpensive charging is possible.

  By the way, electric power companies (electric power companies) across the country have set their own electricity rate plans. For this reason, for example, the time zone in which inexpensive late-night power can be used differs for each electric power company (electric power company), and the time zone in which cheap electric power can be used also differs for each electric power company (electric power company). . In this case, for example, the user concludes a power rate contract according to a power rate plan set by an electric power company (electric power company) having jurisdiction over the area where the home exists, and uses the electric power supplied by the electric power company (electric power company). be able to. Therefore, as long as the vehicle battery (vehicle battery or vehicle storage battery) is charged at home, it can be charged using cheap power with an appropriate power rate plan based on the contracted contract. It is.

  However, for example, in an area under the jurisdiction of another electric power company (electric power company) that does not have a power rate contract with the user, the power rate plan with which the user has a power rate contract is not applied. Also, even if you are in an area under the jurisdiction of an electric power company (electric power company) that has a power rate contract with a user, when you use a charging facility that is different from your home, you are not necessarily charged Plans do not always apply. For this reason, for example, when the midnight power time zone and the rate of electricity charges are set in advance as in the conventional electric vehicle timer setting device, the power set by other electric utilities (electric power companies) is set. Even if it is different from the time zone of the rate plan, or even the same electric power company (electric power company), the time zone of the electricity rate plan may be different, and charging may not be possible using cheap power. In this case, for example, the user needs to acquire the time zone of the power rate plan set by another electric power company (electric power company), and needs to set the acquired time zone and the rate of the electricity fee again, which is extremely complicated. It is.

  The present invention has been made to address the above-described problems, and one of its purposes is to provide charge control for realizing low-cost charging by supporting charge control for a traveling battery mounted on a vehicle. It is to provide a support device.

  In order to achieve the above object, a charging control support apparatus according to the present invention is provided so as to be communicable with a charging control apparatus that controls charging of a running battery of a vehicle using electric power supplied from an external charging facility. It is what Thus, the charging control support device according to the present invention includes control means for supplying information for supporting the charging operation of the battery for traveling by the charging control device.

  The charging control support device according to the present invention is characterized in that the control means acquires a current position of a vehicle that is stopped along with charging from the charging facility to the traveling battery, Based on the current position, estimating and determining contract information related to a usage fee of power supplied from the charging facility, and supplying information related to a charging operation to the charging control device according to the estimated and determined contract information There is to do. In this case, the control means is acquired by the current position acquisition means for acquiring the current position of the vehicle that is stopped along with the charging of the battery for traveling from the charging facility, and the current position acquisition means. Estimating means for estimating and determining contract information relating to a usage fee of power supplied from the charging facility based on the current position of the vehicle, and in accordance with the contract information estimated and determined by the estimating means, the charging control device It is also possible to provide information supply means for supplying information related to the charging operation.

  In this case, the contract information is information indicating a priority order regarding the use of power among a plurality of time zones constituting a power rate plan of power supplied from the charging facility, and is a time zone during which cheap power is supplied. The priority is set to be high and the priority is set to be low in the time zone in which expensive power is supplied. In this case, the information related to the charging operation supplied to the charging control device can include at least charging start time information indicating a time at which charging of the traveling battery is started. Furthermore, the control means can present a plurality of pieces of contract information relating to a usage fee of power supplied from the charging facility, for example. And the said control means can supply the information regarding charging operation with respect to the said charge control apparatus according to the contract information selected from the said some contract information shown.

  According to these, the user of the vehicle is in a different place from home, specifically in an area where another electric power company (electric power company) that does not have a contract for the electricity usage fee has jurisdiction. Even when the battery for traveling is charged, the charging control support device automatically sets the power supplied from the charging facility, for example, set by another electric power company having jurisdiction over the current position of the vehicle. It is possible to estimate and acquire a power rate plan, set and determine priorities in order of time zones in which cheap power is supplied based on the power rate plan, and determine the charging start time according to the determined priority it can. Then, the charge control support device can supply charge start time information indicating the determined charge start time to the charge control device. As a result, the user of the vehicle does not have to acquire a power rate plan for a place different from his / her home, or set the charge start time according to the power rate plan and operate the charge control device. In addition, it is possible to charge the traveling battery by charging the charging control device during an inexpensive time period, and to save electricity costs.

  Another feature of the charging control support apparatus according to the present invention is that the control means further estimates and determines the contract information based on an appearance of the charging facility. In this case, the control means can determine the presence or absence of specific equipment provided in the charging facility based on the appearance of the charging facility. And when the said specific equipment is provided in the said charge facility, the said control means may set the priority which considered the time slot | zone when the said specific equipment operates as a priority regarding the use of the said electric power. it can. In this case, the specific facility is, for example, a photovoltaic power generation facility, and the control means sets a plurality of time zones constituting the power rate plan in the priority order of the time zones in which the solar power generation facility generates power. In addition to the priority order between, it can be newly set. And the said control means can set the priority of the time slot | zone which the said newly set photovoltaic power generation equipment generates electric power to the lowest. In this case, for example, the control unit can recognize the presence or absence of the solar power generation facility provided in the charging facility by recognizing an image of the appearance taken from the south side in the charging facility.

  According to these, on the basis of the appearance of the charging facility, based on whether or not there is a specific facility, for example, a solar power generation facility or a heat storage facility that stores electric energy by converting electric energy into heat energy, It is possible to accurately estimate and determine contract information when using equipment, that is, a power rate plan. In particular, as a specific facility, when a solar power generation facility is provided on the south side of the charging facility, power generation is performed so that profit can be obtained by selling the power generated by the solar power generation facility. Avoid charging the battery for driving during the time period. Specifically, the priority of the time zone for generating power, in other words, the time zone for storing the generated power (that is, the time zone for selling power) is set at the lowest order. Thereby, the profit by installing a solar power generation facility can be enjoyed to the maximum extent.

It is the schematic of the charging system provided with the charging control assistance apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing a configuration of a charge control device in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the mobile terminal in FIG. 1. 4 is a flowchart of a charging control support application program executed by the portable terminal of FIG. 1 (more specifically, the electronic control unit of FIG. 3).

  Hereinafter, a charging control support device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a charging system to which the charging control support device according to the present embodiment can be applied.

  This charging system is intended for charging a vehicle 10 that needs to be charged in a general house or a destination. The target vehicle 10 is equipped with a traveling battery 11 (hereinafter simply referred to as “battery 11”) that stores electric power used for traveling so that the battery 11 can be charged from an external power source. A plug-in electric vehicle, for example, an electric vehicle (EV) that runs on the electric power of the battery 11, a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHV) that further includes an internal combustion engine, or a two-wheeled vehicle such as an electric bicycle or an electric motorcycle. Can do.

  For this reason, in order to charge the battery 11 in the vehicle 10, as shown in FIG. 1, the AC power supplied to the power receiving connector 12 and the power receiving connector 12 provided with the plug K1 of the connecting cable K for charging can be connected. An AC / DC converter 13 that converts electric power into DC power and outputs DC power to the battery 11, and a charge control switch 14 is provided on the power supply line between the power receiving connector 12 and the AC / DC converter 13. Yes. The charge control switch 14 is mounted on the vehicle 10 and can be switched between an on state and an off state by a control signal from a charge control device 30 described later. Further, the vehicle 10 is provided with an SOC detection unit 15 that is provided in the battery 11 and detects an SOC (State Of Charge) that is a value (amount of power) indicating the charging state of the battery 11. The SOC detection unit 15 outputs a signal representing the SOC to the charge control device 30.

  When such a vehicle 10 is owned, it is necessary to charge the battery 11 of the vehicle 10 using a household power source. Hereinafter, a residential power system 20 as a charging facility capable of charging the battery 11 of the vehicle 10 using a household power source will be briefly described.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the residential power system 20 according to the present embodiment includes an external grid-side power supply 21 and a photovoltaic power generation facility 22 linked to the grid-side power supply 21. The system side power supply 21 supplies AC power from an electric power company (electric power company) and is connected to a distribution board 23 provided in the house. The solar power generation facility 22 is generally installed on a roof or the like on the south side of a house and converts solar energy into electric energy, and a later-described house with respect to a distribution board 23 provided in the house. It is connected via the power control device 25 for industrial use. The distribution board 23 is connected to various electric devices 24 used in the home, for example, home appliances such as a refrigerator, a washing machine, an air conditioner, a television, and lighting. In addition, a residential power control device 25 is connected to the distribution board 23.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the residential power control device 25 is connected to the distribution board 23 (that is, the system-side power supply 21) and the solar power generation equipment 22, and is also connected to the storage battery 26, the heat storage equipment 27, and the charging stand 28. The electric power is supplied from at least one of the grid-side power source 21, the solar power generation facility 22, and the storage battery 26 to each electrical device 24, the heat storage facility 27, and the charging stand 28. For this reason, the residential power control device 25 includes a microcomputer whose main components are a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like. For example, a power charge contract that is previously concluded with an electric power company (electric power company), specifically, Selects a priority order for supplying power from among the grid-side power source 21, the solar power generation facility 22, and the storage battery 26 based on a power rate plan, a power sale contract for the power generated by the solar power generation facility 22, and the like. It is like that.

  The storage battery 26 stores surplus power generated by the solar power generation facility 22 and system power in an inexpensive time zone (for example, midnight time zone) according to the charge plan, and the residential power control device 25. The stored power is discharged in accordance with the control by. Specifically, the heat storage facility 27 is an electric water heater that stores system power (electric energy) in an inexpensive time zone as heat energy, such as Ecocute (registered trademark), for example, It is installed along the outdoor wall.

  The charging stand 28 is installed outdoors, for example, in a parking lot provided in an outer wall of a house or in a house premises, and charges the battery 11 of the vehicle 10 by being electrically connected. For this reason, the charging stand 28 includes a charging outlet 28a as shown in FIG. When charging the battery 11 of the vehicle 10, the user of the vehicle 10 inserts the plug K2 of the charging connection cable K into the charging outlet 28a, and also plugs the plug K1 of the charging connection cable K as described above. Insert into the power receiving connector 12. Thereby, the charging stand 28 can supply the power supplied via the residential power control device 25 to the battery 11 of the vehicle 10.

  Here, the charging stand 28 includes a power supply control unit 28b that comprehensively controls the charging operation by the stand 28. The power supply control unit 28b is a microcomputer whose main components are a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like, and uses, for example, wired communication (PLC communication) with the charging control device 30 via the charging connection cable K. Thus, an appropriate amount of electric power is supplied to the battery 11 of the vehicle 10. That is, the power supply control unit 28b and a charge control device 30 to be described later have various information (for example, request code and response code for charging, ID information for specifying the vehicle 10, SOC of the battery 11, etc.) in a predetermined cycle. ) To supply an appropriate amount of power, in other words, appropriately charge the battery 11.

  The charging control device 30 is mounted on the vehicle 10, and the battery 11 on the vehicle 10 side according to information related to the charging operation supplied from the portable device 40 as a charging control support device possessed by the user of the vehicle 10. The charging operation is controlled and controlled in an integrated manner. Therefore, the charging control device 30 includes an electronic control unit 31, a short-range communication unit 32, a storage unit 33, and a GPS unit 34, as schematically shown in FIG.

  The electronic control unit 31 is a microcomputer whose main components are a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like, and comprehensively controls the operation of the charge control device 30 associated with charging of the battery 11 by executing various programs. . Here, the electronic control unit 31 is provided with a well-known interface that connects the charge control switch 14 and the SOC detection unit 15 so that they can communicate with each other. The electronic control unit 31 outputs an on / off control signal and outputs the detected SOC. The signal to represent can be acquired.

  The near field communication unit 32 realizes near field communication with the portable device 40 and also performs wired communication (PLC communication) with the charging station 28. Here, in the present embodiment, as described later, Bluetooth (registered trademark) is adopted as the wireless communication method of the short-range communication unit 32. However, as another wireless communication method, for example, Wi-Fi Needless to say, (registered trademark) or the like can be adopted, and other short-distance communication methods such as wired communication with the mobile device 40 using a cradle or the like can be adopted.

  The storage unit 33 includes a storage medium such as a hard disk and a semiconductor memory, and a drive device for the storage medium. The storage unit 33 stores in advance a program and data necessary for the electronic control unit 31 to comprehensively control the operation of the charge control device 30, and a charge supplied from the portable device 40 as will be described later. Various information related to the charging operation including the command related to the operation (hereinafter referred to as “charging command”) and the charging start time are stored in an updateable manner. The GPS unit 34 detects the current position of the vehicle 10 based on satellite radio waves from GPS satellites.

  The portable device 40 is owned by the user of the vehicle 10, and charging control of the vehicle 10 is performed by estimating different power rate plans depending on the stop (parking) position (point or region) where the vehicle 10 is charged and the charging station 28 used. A charging command, a charging start time, and the like are transmitted to the device 30. Therefore, as schematically shown in FIG. 3, the portable device 40 includes an electronic control unit 41, an external communication unit 42, a short-range communication unit 43, a storage unit 44, a display unit 45, a GPS unit 46, and a camera unit. 47. Here, as the mobile device 40, for example, a mobile phone such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a laptop computer, or the like can be employed.

  The electronic control unit 41 is a microcomputer whose main components are a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like, and comprehensively controls the charging support operation by the portable device 40 by executing various programs including a program to be described later. The external communication unit 42 is a communication interface for realizing communication with a server or the like provided on the network connected to a network constructed outside such as an Internet network or a mobile phone network. . The near field communication unit 43 is a communication interface for realizing near field wireless communication using Bluetooth (registered trademark) with the charging control device 30 of the vehicle 10 (more specifically, the near field communication unit 32). is there. Needless to say, the short-range communication unit 43 can employ, for example, Wi-Fi (registered trademark) as another wireless communication method, similarly to the short-range communication unit 32 of the charging control device 30. For example, other short-distance communication methods such as wired communication using a cradle or the like may be employed.

  The storage unit 44 includes a storage medium such as a hard disk and a semiconductor memory, and a drive device for the storage medium. The storage unit 44 is a program necessary for the electronic control unit 41 to comprehensively control the operation of the portable device 40 (specifically, charge control support necessary for charge control support acquired from an external center). Application program) and various data are stored in an updatable manner. The display unit 45 includes a touch panel type liquid crystal display that serves as both a display unit and an operation unit as a main component, displays various types of information to the user, and enables input of various types of information by a user's touch (tap) operation. To do.

  The GPS unit 46 detects the current position of the vehicle 10 based on satellite radio waves from GPS satellites. The camera unit 47 captures the periphery of the portable device 40 and outputs the captured image data to the electronic control unit 41 and the storage unit 44.

  Next, the operation of the charging control support device applied to the charging system configured as described above will be described. In the present embodiment, the portable device 40 possessed by the user as the charge control support device sends a charge start time and a charge command, that is, information related to the charge operation, to the charge control device 30 mounted on the vehicle 10 at a short distance. The power is supplied using wireless communication, and the charging control device 30 supports the charging control of the battery 11.

  Specifically, when charging the battery 11 of the vehicle 10, the user operates the portable device 40 to execute a charge control support application program (described later) acquired from an external center, and is used for charging the battery 11. When the charging station 28 has a power rate plan (time zone) for supplying power or a solar power generation facility 22, it is estimated and determined by estimating the power selling time zone of the generated power, etc. And a priority order for a charging time zone for charging the battery 11 is determined so as not to affect the power selling time. Then, the portable device 40 transmits the charging start time and the charging command to the charging control device 30 based on the determined priority order of the charging time period. As a result, the electronic control unit 31 of the charge control device 30 charges the battery 11 of the vehicle 10 reliably and inexpensively according to the transmitted charge start time and charge command.

  Here, in the present embodiment, the portable device 40 is registered in advance so as to be communicable with the charging control device 30. In the present embodiment, as described above, the near field communication unit 32 of the charging control device 30 mounted on the vehicle 10 and the near field communication unit 43 of the portable device 40 use Bluetooth (registered trademark). Connected so that wireless communication is possible. As described above, when communicating using Bluetooth (registered trademark), the pairing process is performed between the charging control device 30 and the portable device 40, so that the charging control device 30 can be connected to. The portable device 40 can be registered, or the charge control device 30 can be registered as a connection destination of the portable device 40. Note that the pairing process itself for communication using Bluetooth (registered trademark) is not directly related to the present invention, and will be briefly described below.

  When using Bluetooth (registered trademark), a pairing process for specifying (registering) a connection partner is required. Hereinafter, for example, when the charge control device 30 and the portable device 40 are paired according to a general procedure, in other words, the case where the charge control device 30 and the portable device 40 are set as connection destinations is assumed. To do. For example, when the user of the vehicle 10 (that is, the user of the portable device 40) performs a setting start operation on switches (not shown) provided in the charge control device 30, the electronic control unit 31 exists in the surroundings. The near field communication unit 32 is set in a searchable state so that the mobile device 40 can search. On the other hand, in the portable device 40, the short-range communication unit 43 is set in the search state so that the electronic control unit 41 searches for the charge control device 30 in accordance with the searchable state of the short-range communication unit 32 in the charge control device 30. To do. By setting in this way, the mobile device 40 searches for a nearby short-range communication device including the charging control device 30 and displays a list of search results on the display unit 45. Each short-range communication device including the charging control device 30 (more specifically, the short-range communication unit 32) is assigned a unique device address (for example, a MAC address). Displays the device address of the searched device or an arbitrarily determined device name.

  Next, when a desired connection partner, that is, the charging control device 30 is selected from the list of search results by the user of the mobile device 40, the short-range communication unit 43 of the mobile device 40 and the short-range communication unit of the charge control device 30 32, a link key is generated, and both the link key and the other party's device address are used (specifically, the electronic control unit 31 of the charging control device 30 and the electronic control unit 41 of the portable device 40). By storing), the pairing process is completed. Depending on the specifications of the short-range communication device, it may be necessary to input a pass key (PIN code), and the link key is generated by inputting the correct pass key.

  As described above, the device address and the link key are mutually connected between the charging control device 30 (more specifically, the near field communication unit 32) and the portable device 40 (more specifically, the near field communication unit 43) mounted on the vehicle 10. And the pairing process for using Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication is completed, the user gets into the vehicle 10 with the portable device 40, or the user enters the portable device 40. By being located in the vicinity of the periphery of the vehicle 10 in the state of possessing the connection, the connection is automatically established. Alternatively, the connection is established when the user of the portable device 40 performs a predetermined connection operation in the vehicle 10.

  While completing the pairing process, for example, the user of the mobile device 40 taps the display unit 45 and uses the external communication unit 42 to connect to a server (center) connected to an external network. to access. Then, the user acquires the charging control support application program provided by the accessed server (center) and stores it in the storage unit 44 of the portable device 40. Here, the acquired charging control support application program includes regional information indicating the regions that the electric power companies (electric power companies) have jurisdiction over, and the power ( The power rate plan of the grid-side power supply 21), that is, the rate plan information of the power rate plan set so as to be cheaper or more expensive for each time (time zone) when power is used is included in advance. The regional information and the charge plan information may be acquired from an information center operated by a corresponding electric power company (electric power company) via an external network when the charge control support application program is executed.

  Then, the user of the portable device 40, that is, the user of the vehicle 10, charges the battery 11 of the vehicle 10 by connecting the charging stand 28 and the vehicle 10 using the connection cable K for charging as described above. Preparation is performed, and the display unit 45 is tapped to execute the charge control support application program. Hereinafter, this program will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

  According to the touch operation of the display unit 45 by the user, the electronic control unit 41 of the portable device 40 starts execution of the charging control support application program shown in FIG. 4 in step S10. In step S11, the electronic control unit 41 determines whether an unillustrated ignition switch (or start switch) of the vehicle 10 is an ignition-off operation position and an accessory-off operation position. That is, it is determined whether or not the battery 11 can be charged as the state of the vehicle 10.

  Specifically, the electronic control unit 41 communicates with the electronic control unit 31 of the charging control device 30 via the short-range communication unit 43, and the ignition switch (or start switch) of the vehicle 10 is in the operation position where the ignition is off. Operation information indicating that there is an accessory-off operation position is acquired. Then, based on the acquired operation information, the electronic control unit 41 returns “Yes” if the ignition switch (or activation switch) of the vehicle 10 is the ignition-off operation position and the accessory-off operation position. Determine and proceed to step S12. On the other hand, based on the acquired operation information, if the ignition switch (or start switch) of the vehicle 10 is the ignition-off operation position and not the accessory-off operation position, the electronic control unit 41 determines “No”. Repeat step S11 repeatedly. Note that, for the charging control device 30, for example, even when the ignition switch (or start switch) of the vehicle 10 is turned off, power is supplied from the battery 11 until a predetermined time elapses. Thus, communication with the portable device 40 is possible.

  In step S12, the electronic control unit 41 acquires the current position and the current time at which the vehicle 10 is parked. That is, the electronic control unit 41 instructs the GPS unit 46 to detect the current position. Thereby, the GPS unit 46 detects the current position of the mobile device 40, in other words, the current position of the vehicle 10 that is stopped for charging, and sends the current position information indicating the detected current position to the electronic control unit 41. Output. The electronic control unit 41 acquires the current position information output from the GPS unit 46, stores the acquired current position information in a predetermined storage position of the storage unit 44, and represents a current time when the current position information is acquired. The information is associated and stored in a predetermined storage position of the storage unit 44.

  Here, for example, when the GPS unit 46 is not provided in the portable device 40 or when the GPS unit 46 cannot be used for some reason, the electronic control unit 41 is charged via the short-range communication unit 43. The control device 30 can detect the current position of the vehicle 10 and request to provide the current position information. In this case, the electronic control unit 31 of the charging control device 30 can instruct the GPS unit 34 to detect the current position of the vehicle 10. Thereby, the GPS unit 34 detects the current position of the vehicle 10 and outputs the current position information to the electronic control unit 31. The electronic control unit 31 acquires the current position information output from the GPS unit 34 and transmits the acquired current position information to the portable device 40 via the short-range communication unit 32. In the portable device 40, the electronic control unit 41 receives and acquires the current position information transmitted from the charging control device 30 via the short-range communication unit 43, associates it with the time information, and stores the predetermined information in the storage unit 44. Memorize in position. As described above, when the electronic control unit 41 acquires the current position and the current time of the vehicle 10 to be charged, the electronic control unit 41 proceeds to step S13.

  In step S <b> 13, the electronic control unit 41 prompts the user to input an action schedule for using the vehicle 10 in the future via the display unit 45. In other words, the electronic control unit 41 indicates the future action schedule of the user on the display screen of the display unit 45 in order to grasp the necessary charge amount and the charge completion time that the battery 11 of the vehicle 10 will need to be charged in the future. For example, the input form is displayed so as to input the time to depart from the vehicle 10 and the destination to which the vehicle 10 heads. This input form is designed to select a time displayed by a pull-down menu or tap a point on a rough map from the viewpoint of user convenience and privacy protection. When the user inputs a future action schedule according to such an input form, the electronic control unit 41 stores information indicating the input action schedule in a predetermined storage position of the storage unit 44, and proceeds to step S14.

  In step S14, the electronic control unit 41 is based on the current position information acquired from the GPS unit 46 (or the GPS unit 34 of the charging control device 30) and stored in the predetermined storage position of the storage unit 44 in step S12. Then, it is determined whether or not the current position where the vehicle 10 is parked is at home. That is, the electronic control unit 41 acquires the current position information stored from the predetermined storage position of the storage unit 44. Further, the electronic control unit 41 acquires home position information registered as a home position and stored in a predetermined storage position of the storage unit 44 as a pre-setting before the execution of the charging control support application program. If the current position represented by the acquired current position information matches the home position represented by the home position information, the electronic control unit 41 determines “Yes” and proceeds to step S15. On the other hand, for example, when the vehicle 10 is parked at a friend's house or the vehicle 10 is parked at a public facility or the like, the current position represented by the acquired current position information is based on the home position information. If it does not coincide with the home position shown, the electronic control unit 41 determines “No” and proceeds to step S16.

  In step S15, since the vehicle 10 is parked in the parking lot at home and the battery 11 is charged using the charging stand 28 installed in the parking lot, the electronic control unit 41 is preliminarily set by the user. The charging start time is determined according to the priority order of the charging time zone for performing charging determined according to the power rate contract, that is, the power rate plan, concluded with the electric power company (electric power company). Specifically, in a power rate plan, in general, according to the power supply and demand situation and the season, the time zone in which the electricity rate is cheaper (hereinafter referred to as the discounted time zone) and the time zone in which it is expensive ( Hereinafter, this will be referred to as “expensive time zone”.

  As such a power rate plan, for example, a midnight time zone (23:00 to 7:00) in which surplus power is generated is set as a discount time zone, and other time zones (7 to 23:00) are overpriced time zones. Or a power rate plan with a small number of time zone divisions (hereinafter, this power rate plan is referred to as “rate plan A”), or the like, which is set in a metered time zone in which a charge is added according to the amount of power used, or , The midnight time zone (23: 00-7pm) is set as the cheapest time zone, the morning (7-10am) and nighttime (17: 00-23: 00) are set as the discount time zone, and the daytime ( A power rate plan (hereinafter, this power rate plan is referred to as “rate plan B”) is provided with a large number of time zone categories such that 10:00 to 17:00 is set as an expensive time zone. For rate plan B, the above-mentioned rate system is used in summer, but in winter, for example, there is a slight increase because there is a high possibility that the power supply and demand will be tight at night (17: 00-23: 00). While charges are incurred, there is a case where the price is changed according to the season so that a slight discount fee is generated because the power supply and demand in the daytime (10:00 to 17:00) is not tight.

  Then, the user of the vehicle 10 can use, for example, the above-described rate plan A or rate plan B according to the usage status of power at home or the usage status of facilities installed at home (solar power generation facility 22 or heat storage facility 27). Select and sign an electricity rate contract with an electric power company (electric power company). The user of the vehicle 10 who has signed the power charge contract taps the display unit 45 of the portable device 40 as a pre-setting before the execution of the charge control support application program, and the contents of the power charge contract, that is, the charge plan A or the charge The plan B is input, and the priority order of the charging time period is set in advance for the time period divided by the input charge plan, and stored in a predetermined storage location of the storage unit 44 in advance.

  Thereby, in step S15, the electronic control unit 41 acquires the charge plan A or the charge plan B stored in the predetermined storage position of the storage unit 44, and acquires the preset priority order of the charging time zone. . Further, the electronic control unit 41 acquires the time information acquired in step S12 and the future action schedule that prompted the input in step S13. Then, the electronic control unit 41 first specifies the time zone of the power rate in the rate plan A or the rate plan B based on the current time represented by the acquired time information. Further, the electronic control unit 41 specifies the time when the vehicle 10 will leave the home from now on, based on the input action schedule, in other words, the charging completion time when the charging of the battery 11 is completed. Further, the electronic control unit 41 specifies the amount of electric power necessary for the vehicle 10 to travel based on the input action schedule.

  On the other hand, the electronic control unit 41 communicates with the electronic control unit 31 of the charging control device 30 through the short-range communication unit 43, requests the provision of the SOC of the current battery 11, and acquires the SOC of the battery 11. . Thereby, the electronic control unit 41 specifies the required charge amount expressed as the difference between the specified required power amount and the acquired current SOC of the battery 11. Then, the electronic control unit 41 determines a charging start time in order to charge the battery 11 with this necessary charge amount before the charging completion time. At this time, the electronic control unit 41 selects a preset priority order of the charging time period so as to obtain the cheapest power charge based on the specified power charge time period, and sets the selected priority order to the selected priority order. Based on this, the charging start time is determined.

  More specifically, for example, if the charge plan A is contracted, the user sets the midnight time zone (23:00 to 7:00) as the first priority as the priority of the charging time zone, and other than that The time zone (7 o'clock to 23 o'clock) is set to the second place. In addition, for example, if the price plan B is contracted, the user sets the midnight time zone (23:00 to 7:00) as the first priority as the charging time zone priority, and the morning (7 to 10). Time) is set to the second place, nighttime (17:00 to 23:00) is set to the third place, and daytime (10:00 to 17:00) is set to the fourth place. Then, the electronic control unit 41 determines the charging start time from a time zone with a higher priority among the preset priorities.

  As a result, the electronic control unit 41 takes into account the charging completion time. For example, if the rate plan A is contracted, in principle, the electronic control unit 41 starts charging so as to charge the battery 11 at midnight (23:00 to 7:00). Determine the time. At this time, the electronic control unit 41 is in a time zone (7:00 to 23:00) that is expensive in order to reliably complete the charging of the battery 11 in a situation where there is no time margin until the charging completion time. Also determines the charging start time.

  In addition, the electronic control unit 41 takes into account the charging completion time. For example, if the charge plan B is contracted, the electronic control unit 41 basically charges the battery 11 in the late-night time zone (23:00 to 7:00). To decide. At this time, the electronic control unit 41 is charged so as to charge the battery 11 in the morning (7 o'clock to 10 o'clock) or at night (17 o'clock to 23 o'clock) in a situation where there is no time margin until the charging completion time. Determine the start time. Even in the situation where the price plan B is contracted, the electronic control unit 41 is expensive in order to reliably complete the charging of the battery 11 in a situation where there is no time margin until the charging completion time. The charging start time is determined even in the time zone (10:00 to 17:00). As described above, when the charging start time is determined, the electronic control unit 41 proceeds to step S21.

  In step S <b> 16, the electronic control unit 41 specifies the current position of the vehicle 10, more specifically, the electric power company (electric power company) that supplies power to the charging station 28 used by the vehicle 10. That is, for example, the electronic control unit 41 acquires the area information stored in the predetermined storage position of the storage unit 44 with the acquisition of the charge control application program, and acquired in step S12 based on the area information. The electric power company (electric power company) having jurisdiction over the current position of the vehicle 10 is specified. And if the electronic control unit 41 specifies the electric power company (electric power company) which has jurisdiction over the present position of the vehicle 10, it will progress to step S17.

  In step S <b> 17, the electronic control unit 41 determines whether or not the power rate contract information of the power supplied for charging the battery 11 of the vehicle 10 from the charging station 28 has been acquired. Specifically, for example, when the user parks the vehicle 10 at a friend's house and charges the battery 11 using the charging stand 28 installed at the friend's house, the power charge contract information is received from the friend. It is possible to directly listen to the contents, that is, the power rate plan, or to acquire the power rate plan through communication with the residential power control device 25. As described above, if the electronic control unit 41 has acquired the power charge contract information of the power supplied to the charging station 28 to be used, that is, the power charge plan, more specifically, the charge plan A or the charge plan B is If it has been input, it is determined as “Yes” and the process proceeds to Step S18.

  On the other hand, for example, even when the battery 11 is charged using the charging stand 28 installed in a friend's house, it is not possible to directly hear the power rate plan from the friend, or with the residential power control device 25 There may be situations in which a power rate plan cannot be obtained through communication. Alternatively, when the user parks the vehicle 10 in a public facility or the like and charges the battery 11 using the charging stand 28 installed in the public facility or the like, the electric power supplied to the charging stand 28 is It is difficult to obtain an electricity rate plan. As described above, if the electronic control unit 41 cannot acquire the power charge contract information of the power supplied to the charging station 28 to be used, that is, the power charge plan, more specifically, the charge plan A or the charge plan B is input. If not, the determination is “No” and the process proceeds to step S19.

  In step S18, the electronic control unit 41 uses the charging station 28 other than the home to charge, and the charging start time when the power rate plan for the power supplied to the charging station 28 is known. To decide. More specifically, the electronic control unit 41 obtains a known power rate plan (specifically, rate plan A or rate plan B) of the charging station 28 used outside the home. Similarly to step S15, the electronic control unit 41 acquires the time information acquired in step S12 and the future action schedule prompted for input in step S13. Then, the electronic control unit 41 specifies the time zone of the power rate in the rate plan A or the rate plan B based on the current time represented by the acquired time information, as in step S15, and the inputted action schedule Based on the above, the charging completion time is specified.

  Further, the electronic control unit 41 specifies the amount of electric power necessary for the vehicle 10 to travel based on the inputted action schedule, and also via the short-range communication unit 43, the electronic control unit 31 of the charging control device 30. And the SOC of the battery 11 is acquired, and the required charge amount is specified from the specified required power amount and the acquired current SOC of the battery 11. Then, the electronic control unit 41 determines a charging start time in order to charge the battery 11 with this necessary charge amount before the charging completion time. At this time, the electronic control unit 41 sets a priority order in the time zone of the power charge so as to obtain the cheapest power charge based on the specified time zone of the power charge, and starts charging based on the priority order. Determine the time.

  Specifically, the electronic control unit 41 sets, for example, the late night time zone (23:00 to 7 o'clock) as the first place as the priority of the charging time zone if the rate plan A is contracted, The other time zone (7 o'clock to 23 o'clock) is set to the second place. Further, for example, if the charge plan B is contracted, the electronic control unit 41 sets the midnight time zone (23:00 to 7:00) as the first priority as the charging time zone priority, and the morning (7 The hour (10:00 to 10:00) is set to the second place, the night (17:00 to 23:00) is set to the third place, and the daytime (10:00 to 17:00) is set to the fourth place. And the electronic control unit 41 determines charge start time from the time slot | zone with a high order | rank among the set priority orders similarly to said step S15.

  As a result, the electronic control unit 41 takes into account the charging completion time. For example, if the rate plan A is contracted, in principle, the electronic control unit 41 starts charging so as to charge the battery 11 at midnight (23:00 to 7:00). Determine the time. At this time, the electronic control unit 41 is in a time zone (7:00 to 23:00) that is expensive in order to reliably complete the charging of the battery 11 in a situation where there is no time margin until the charging completion time. Also determines the charging start time.

  In addition, the electronic control unit 41 takes into account the charging completion time. For example, if the charge plan B is contracted, the electronic control unit 41 basically charges the battery 11 in the late-night time zone (23:00 to 7:00). To decide. At this time, the electronic control unit 41 is charged so as to charge the battery 11 in the morning (7 o'clock to 10 o'clock) or at night (17 o'clock to 23 o'clock) in a situation where there is no time margin until the charging completion time. Determine the start time. Even in the situation where the price plan B is contracted, the electronic control unit 41 is expensive in order to reliably complete the charging of the battery 11 in a situation where there is no time margin until the charging completion time. The charging start time is determined even in the time zone (10:00 to 17:00). As described above, when the charging start time is determined, the electronic control unit 41 proceeds to step S21.

  Note that in this step S18, since it is a situation in which the power rate plan for the power supplied to the charging station 28 can be obtained directly from the friend of the user, for example, the battery 11 of the vehicle 10 owned by the friend is used. It is also possible to acquire the priority order of the preset charging time period when charging using the charging stand 28. In this case, as in step S15, the electronic control unit 41 sets the priority order of the preset charging time period so as to obtain the cheapest power charge based on the specified time period of the power charge. The charging start time can be determined based on the selected priority order.

  In step S19, the electronic control unit 41 determines whether or not the solar power generation facility 22 as a specific facility is installed in the house (or public facility) where the vehicle 10 is parked, and the heat storage facility 27. It is determined whether or not is installed. More specifically, the electronic control unit 41 requests the user to take an image of the appearance (particularly the roof) from the south side of the house via the display unit 45. At this time, the electronic control unit 41 indicates the position and direction of the portable device 40 detected by the GPS unit 46 and guides the user to take pictures from the south side of the house. Thereby, the user activates the camera unit 47 of the portable device 40 to photograph the house from the south side, and stores the photographed image data in a predetermined storage position of the storage unit 44.

  Further, the electronic control unit 41 requests the user to take an image of the appearance of the house (particularly the wall surface) via the display unit 45. Thus, the user activates the camera unit 47 of the portable device 40 to photograph the wall surface of the house, and stores the photographed image data in a predetermined storage position of the storage unit 44.

  The electronic control unit 41 acquires image data photographed by the user and stored in a predetermined storage position of the storage unit 44, and recognizes an image of the roof from the south side of the house represented by the acquired image data. It is determined whether or not the solar power generation equipment 22 (that is, a solar power generation panel or the like) is included, and the heat storage equipment 27 (so-called Eco Cute (registered trademark)) is recognized by recognizing the image of the wall surface of the house. Etc.) is included. And the electronic control unit 41 will progress to step S20, if the presence / absence information showing the presence or absence of the solar power generation equipment 22 and the presence or absence of the heat storage equipment 27 is acquired.

  In step S19, the user can directly input the presence / absence of the solar power generation facility 22 and the presence / absence of the heat storage facility 27 using the display unit 45 of the portable device 40. Further, in connection with step S20 described later, the electronic control unit 41 uses the display unit 45 to assume the power rate plan assumed according to the presence or absence of the solar power generation facility 22 or the presence or absence of the heat storage facility 27. Displayed on the list menu as candidates, and the user confirms the presence or absence of the solar power generation facility 22 or the heat storage facility 27, and then taps the corresponding power rate plan from the displayed list menu. It is also possible to carry out the selection.

  In step S20, the electronic control unit 41 estimates and determines a power rate plan of power supplied to the charging station 28 used to charge the battery 11 of the vehicle 10, and is provided with the photovoltaic power generation facility 22. In such a case, the charging start time is determined in consideration of the power generation time zone in which the facility 22 operates and the power sales time zone of the generated power. Specifically, in step S20, the electronic control unit 41, as a rule, out of the power rate plan provided by the electric power company (electric power company) specified in step S16 when the power rate plan is not clear. The plan is determined by estimating that the plan has a large number of time zones, for example, the charge plan B described above. Further, the electronic control unit 41 acquires the time information acquired in step S12 and the future action schedule that prompted the input in step S13. Then, the electronic control unit 41 first specifies the time zone of the power rate in the rate plan B based on the current time represented by the acquired time information. In addition, the electronic control unit 41 specifies the charging completion time based on the input action schedule. Furthermore, the electronic control unit 41 specifies the necessary electric energy based on the input action schedule.

  On the other hand, the electronic control unit 41 acquires the SOC of the battery 11 from the charge control device 30 via the short-range communication unit 43. Thereby, the electronic control unit 41 specifies the required charge amount from the specified required power amount and the acquired current SOC of the battery 11. Then, the electronic control unit 41 determines a charging start time in order to charge the battery 11 with this necessary charge amount before the charging completion time. At this time, if the heat storage facility 27 (EcoCute (registered trademark)) is installed in the step S19, the electronic control unit 41 can use the heat storage facility 27 in the price plan B at the lowest cost. And set the priority of charging time. More specifically, since the electronic control unit 41 is generally supplied with midnight power to the heat storage facility 27 in general, for example, the midnight time zone (23:00 to 7:00) is set as the priority order of the charging time zone. Set 1st place, set 2nd place in the morning (7-10pm), set 3rd place at night (17: 00-23: 00), and set daytime (10: 00-17: 00) Set 4th.

  Furthermore, if the solar power generation equipment 22 is installed by the step process of the step S19, the electronic control unit 41 will set the power generation time zone and sales by the solar power generation equipment 22 for the priority set as described above. In consideration of the power generation time zone, the priority of the charging time zone for this power generation time zone (power sales time zone) is set to the lowest. Specifically, for example, a power generation time zone (10:00 to 15:00) is set as a time zone around noon where the amount of power generated by the solar power generation facility 22 increases and surplus power can be sold. Set the priority as the charging time zone to the lowest. As a result, the electronic control unit 41 sets, for example, the late night time zone (23:00 to 7:00) as the first place and the morning (7 o'clock to 10:00) as the second place. Nighttime (17:00 to 23:00) is set to the third place, daytime (15:00 to 17:00) is set to the fourth place, and the power generation time zone (10:00 to 15:00) is set to the fifth place.

  Then, the electronic control unit 41 determines the charging start time from a time zone having a higher rank among the set priorities. Accordingly, the electronic control unit 41 determines the charging start time so that, for example, the battery 11 is charged in the late-night time zone (23:00 to 7 o'clock) in consideration of the charging completion time. At this time, the electronic control unit 41 is charged so as to charge the battery 11 in the morning (7 o'clock to 10 o'clock) or at night (17 o'clock to 23 o'clock) in a situation where there is no time margin until the charging completion time. Determine the start time. Even in the situation where the price plan B is contracted, the electronic control unit 41 is expensive in order to reliably complete the charging of the battery 11 in a situation where there is no time margin until the charging completion time. The charging start time is determined even in the time zone (15:00 to 17:00). Furthermore, even if the solar power generation facility 22 is installed, the electronic control unit 41 is expensive to reliably complete the charging of the battery 11 in a situation where there is no time margin until the charging completion time. The charging start time is determined even in the time zone (10:00 to 15:00). As described above, when the charging start time is determined, the electronic control unit 41 proceeds to step S21.

  In addition, about the electric power generation time slot | zone by the solar power generation equipment 22, even if it exists in the jurisdiction area by the same electric power company (electric power company), a regional difference may arise. For this reason, the electronic control unit 41 appropriately changes the power generation time zone by the solar power generation equipment 22 according to the current position of the vehicle 10, in other words, the position (region) of the house where the vehicle 10 is parked. It has become.

  In step S21, the electronic control unit 41 determines the charge start time information indicating the charge start time determined by the step processing of step S15, step S18, or step S20, and the battery 11 at the charge start time. The charging control device 30 mounted on the vehicle 10 transmits a charging command including various information such as a command to start charging to the vehicle, charging completion time information indicating the charging completion time, and necessary charging amount information indicating the required charging amount. That is, the electronic control unit 41 transmits information indicating the charging start time and the charging command to the charging control device 30 via the short-range communication unit 43. In the charging control device 30, the electronic control unit 31 acquires information representing the charging start time and the charging command via the short-range communication unit 32. As a result, the electronic control unit 31 of the charging control device 30 communicates with the power supply control unit 28b of the charging stand 28 and the residential power control device 25 using the PLC communication via the charging connection cable K to the battery 11. The charging schedule (charging start time, charging completion time, required charge amount, etc.) is shared. The electronic control unit 31 of the charging control device 30 receives power from the charging stand 28 when the charging start time is reached, and charges the battery 11 with the required charging amount based on the SOC detected by the SOC detection unit 15.

  In this case, the electronic control unit 31 of the charge control device 30 starts charging the battery 11 according to the charge start time transmitted from the portable device 40 in principle. However, the electronic control unit 31 of the charging control device 30 cooperates with the residential power control device 25, for example, the usage status of power by each electrical device 24 in the house and the contract current (power capacity of the system side power supply 21). ) And the like, it is also possible to change the charging start time while securing the charging completion time as much as possible. Thus, when changing the charging start time, the electronic control unit 31 of the charging control device 30 uses, for example, a display device installed in the house in cooperation with the residential power control device 25. It is possible to notify the user or notify the user from the display unit 45 of the portable device 40 using a network constructed in the house. When the user transmits a command (for example, a command for approving the change of the charge start time or a command for canceling the charge without approving the change) to the charge control device 30 regarding the change of the charge start time, For example, transmission may be performed using wired communication via the residential power control device 25, the charging stand 28, and the charging connection cable K, or may be transmitted from the portable device 40 using Wi-Fi (registered trademark) communication. it can.

  As described above, when the electronic control unit 41 transmits information indicating the charging start time and the charging command to the charging control device 30, the electronic control unit 41 proceeds to step S22. In step S22, the electronic control unit 41 ends the execution of the charge control application program.

  As can be understood from the above description, even when the user of the vehicle 10 charges the battery 11 of the vehicle 10 at a place different from the home, for example, a distant friend's house, the electronic control unit of the mobile terminal 40 41 executes the charge control support application program to estimate and acquire the power rate contract set by the electric power company having jurisdiction over the current position of the vehicle 10, that is, the power rate plan. Accordingly, it is possible to set and determine priorities in the order of time periods when inexpensive power is supplied, and to determine the charging start time according to the set priorities. Then, the electronic control unit 41 of the mobile terminal 40 can supply the determined charging start time to the charging control device 30. Thereby, the user of the vehicle 10 does not have to acquire a power rate plan at a place different from his home, or to set the charge start time again according to this power rate plan and operate the charge control device 30, which is extremely simple. In addition, the battery 11 can be charged by operating the charge control device 30 in an inexpensive time zone, and the electricity bill can be saved.

  Further, based on the appearance of the house that is a charging facility, based on whether or not the solar power generation facility 22 and the heat storage facility 27 exist as specific facilities, an electricity rate contract for using these specific facilities, that is, The power rate plan can be estimated and determined with high accuracy. In particular, when the solar power generation facility 22 is provided on the south side of the house, the power generation time period for generating power so that the power generated by the solar power generation facility 22 can be sold and profits can be obtained. Avoid charging the battery 11 at. Specifically, the priority of the power generation time zone, in other words, the time zone for storing the power generated in the storage battery 26 (that is, the time zone for selling power) is set to the lowest. Thereby, the profit by installing the solar power generation equipment 22 can be enjoyed to the maximum extent.

  The implementation of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the object of the present invention.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the charging time zone priority is set on the basis of the power rate plan, particularly the time zone classification of rate plan B, and one charging start time is determined. In this case, it goes without saying that the charging start time can be determined for each of the plurality of priorities, and can be implemented. Specifically, for example, it is assumed that the vehicle 10 is parked at a friend's house around 15:00 and the departure time of the vehicle 10 is around noon tomorrow. In this case, at a friend's house, power is supplied to the heat storage facility 27 at midnight (23:00 to 7:00), and if the contract current (power capacity) has no margin, the vehicle 10 It becomes difficult to charge the battery 11.

  Here, for example, in the charge plan B described above, although the charge is slightly higher than in the late-night time zone (23:00 to 7 o'clock), the morning ( Electric power can be used relatively inexpensively at 7:00 to 10:00 and at night (17:00 to 23:00). For this reason, the electronic control unit 41 of the portable device 40 communicates with the residential power control device 25 via the charging control device 30 of the vehicle 10, for example, and it is difficult to charge in the midnight time zone (23:00 to 7:00). In some cases, multiple times of day (multiple time zones) are charged so that part of the required charge is charged at night (17: 00-23: 00) and the remaining required charge is charged in the morning (7-10: 00). The charging start time can be determined for each of the priorities. Thereby, while being able to charge the battery 11 reliably, the influence of the power shortage etc. to the other apparatus accompanying charge of the battery 11 can be excluded.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, it implemented so that the priority of a charge time slot | zone may be set based on the preset electricity rate plan which an electric power company (electric power company) provides. In this case, for example, in a situation where the supply and demand of power is tight, there is a case where an electric power company (electric power company) requests power saving. Even in a state where a preselected power rate plan is applied, there is a possibility that an expensive power rate is generated.

  For this reason, the electronic control unit 41 of the portable device 40 is connected to the external control unit 42 via the external communication unit 42 in the situation where the priority order of the charging time zone is set in advance by the user and the priority order of the charging time zone is set. Access to a server (center) operated by an electric power company (electric power company) connected to the network of the company, and obtains power supply / demand status, supply / demand prediction information, and whether there is a request for power saving. When power saving is requested, it is possible to change the priority of the charging time zone corresponding to the requested time zone to the lower level and set a new priority of the charging time zone. In this way, for example, when the priority order of the charging time period is changed according to the power saving request, the electronic control unit 41 can notify the user via the display unit 45. Thereby, the battery 11 can be charged using cheap electric power.

  In addition, as described above, when the electronic control unit 41 acquires the power supply / demand information and the supply / demand prediction information from the electric power company (electric power company), for example, in step S20 of the charge control support application program in the above-described embodiment. Thus, a power selling time zone different from the power generation time zone can be set appropriately. That is, in a situation where the supply and demand of electric power is tight, an electric power company (electric power company) purchases electric power at a high electric power purchase price. For example, the electric power generated by the solar power generation facility 22 and stored in the storage battery 26 is high. Power can be sold according to the power selling price. Therefore, by acquiring power supply / demand information and supply / demand prediction information from the electric power company (electric power company), the electronic control unit 41 can specify a time zone in which power is tight, that is, a time zone in which the power selling price is high. It is possible to change the priority of the charging time zone corresponding to this time zone to the lower order and set a new priority of the charging time zone. Thereby, while being able to enjoy the profit by photovoltaic power generation equipment 22 to the maximum, the battery 11 can be charged using cheap electric power. In this way, for example, when changing the priority order of the charging time period according to the power selling time period, the electronic control unit 41 can notify the user via the display unit 45.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, the case where the vehicle 10 and the portable device 40 existed in the same point (for example, a house, a friend's house, etc.) was demonstrated. However, even in a situation where the vehicle 10 and the portable device 40 are separated from each other, the electronic control unit 41 of the portable device 40 is mounted on the vehicle 10 by executing the charging control support application program, as in the above embodiment. Thus, the charging operation of the charging control device 30 can be supported. In this case, as shown by a broken line in FIG. Thereby, the camera unit 35 can photograph, for example, the appearance of a house under the control of the electronic control unit 31 of the charging control device 30. Further, in this case, as shown by a broken line in FIG. 2, an external communication unit for connecting to the external network with respect to the charging control device 30 and communicating with the portable device 40 via this network 36 (for example, data communication module: DCM) is provided. Thereby, the electronic control unit 41 of the portable device 40 can communicate with the charging control device 30 via the network.

  With this configuration, the electronic control unit 41 of the mobile device 40 can be used for the vehicle 10 based on the current position information indicating the current position detected by the GPS unit 34 of the charging control device 30 via the network, for example. Based on the image data of the appearance of the house taken by the camera unit 35 of the charging control device 30 or the presence or absence of the solar power generation facility 22 Presence / absence information indicating the presence / absence of the heat storage facility 27 can be acquired. Therefore, also in this case, the same effect as the above embodiment can be obtained.

  Furthermore, in the said embodiment, the electronic control unit 41 of the portable device 40 which a user possesses implemented as a charge control assistance apparatus by running the charge control assistance application program shown in FIG. In this case, for example, the electronic control unit 31 of the charge control device 30 can be implemented so as to execute the charge control support application program shown in FIG.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Vehicle, 11 ... Battery, 20 ... Residential power system, 21 ... System side power supply, 22 ... Solar power generation device, 25 ... Residential power control device, 26 ... Storage battery, 27 ... Heat storage device, 28 ... Charging stand, 30 ... Charge control device, 40 ... Portable device

Claims (8)

Charging operation to the traveling battery by the charging control device provided to be communicable with a charging control device that controls charging of the traveling battery of the vehicle using electric power supplied from a charging facility installed outside A charging control support device comprising control means for supplying information for supporting
The control means includes
Obtaining the current position of the vehicle that has stopped with the charging from the charging facility to the battery for traveling,
Based on the acquired current position of the vehicle, to determine and determine the contract information regarding the usage fee of power supplied from the charging facility,
According to the contract information determined by the estimation, the charging control support apparatus supplies information related to a charging operation to the charging control apparatus. In the charging control support device according to claim 1,
The contract information is information representing a priority order regarding the use of power among a plurality of time zones constituting a power rate plan of power supplied from the charging facility, and the priority order of time zones during which cheap power is supplied Charge control support apparatus, characterized in that the information is set to a low priority in a time zone in which high power is set and high power is supplied. In the charging control support device according to claim 2,
The control means further includes
The charging control support apparatus, wherein the contract information is estimated and determined based on an appearance of the charging facility. In the charging control support device according to claim 3,
The control means includes
Determine the presence or absence of specific equipment provided in the charging facility based on the appearance of the charging facility,
When the specific facility is provided in the charging facility, a charge control support device that sets a priority in consideration of a time zone in which the specific facility operates as a priority regarding the use of the power . In the charging control support device according to claim 4,
The specific facility is a photovoltaic power generation facility,
The control means includes
In addition to the priority among the plurality of time zones constituting the power rate plan, the priority of the time zone in which the solar power generation facility generates power is newly set,
The charging control support apparatus, wherein the priority order of the time zone in which the newly set photovoltaic power generation facility generates power is set to the lowest. In the charging control support device according to claim 5,
The control means includes
A charging control support device, wherein an image of an external appearance photographed from the south side in the charging facility is image-recognized to determine the presence or absence of a photovoltaic power generation facility provided in the charging facility. In the charging control support device according to claim 1,
Information on the charging operation to be supplied to the charging control device is at least:
A charging control support device including charging start time information indicating a time to start charging the battery for traveling. In the charging control support device according to claim 1,
The control means includes
Presenting a plurality of contract information related to the usage fee of power supplied from the charging facility,
A charging control support device, wherein information related to a charging operation is supplied to the charging control device according to contract information selected from the plurality of presented contract information.

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