JP7557321B2 - Vehicle dispatch system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle dispatch system that moves a vehicle that supplies energy to the location of a vehicle that requires energy.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for supplying power from one vehicle to another.

JP 2018-68051 A

For example, when a vehicle runs low on energy needed for travel, such as battery power, it may not be able to reach a location where it can replenish energy, such as a charging station, depending on its location relative to a charging station. One possible solution is to park the vehicle that requires energy and move a vehicle that can supply energy to other vehicles to the location of the vehicle that requires energy, thereby supplying the energy. However, if the combination of the supplying vehicle and the receiving vehicle is not appropriate, it may not be possible to supply energy appropriately, for example, by not supplying a sufficient amount of energy.

The present invention aims to provide a vehicle dispatching system that can dispatch appropriate vehicles to the locations of vehicles that require energy.

In order to solve the above problems, the vehicle dispatch system of the present invention includes a server device capable of communicating with each of an accepting vehicle capable of receiving and storing energy from the outside and a supplying vehicle capable of supplying energy to the accepting vehicle, and the server device has a vehicle dispatch management unit that, in response to receiving a request to receive energy, moves the supplying vehicle to the position of the accepting vehicle and causes the supplying vehicle to supply energy to the accepting vehicle, and the vehicle dispatch management unit performs a matching process to match one of a plurality of accepting vehicles for which an acceptance request has been made with one of a plurality of supplying vehicles so that the current supplyable amount of the supplying vehicle is equal to or greater than the requested amount of the accepting vehicle, and causes the supply and acceptance of energy to be performed between the matched supplying vehicle and accepting vehicle, and if an interruption occurs in the supply of energy from the supplying vehicle to the accepting vehicle, the matching process is performed again with the interrupted accepting vehicle included as a selection candidate .

In addition, in the matching process, the vehicle dispatch management unit may match the receiving vehicle with a supply vehicle whose traveling direction is approaching the receiving vehicle.

The vehicle dispatch management unit may also set priorities for interrupted receiving vehicles based on the payment of the offered price, and in the matching process, prioritize matching of interrupted receiving vehicles with higher priorities.

The present invention makes it possible to dispatch appropriate vehicles to locations where vehicles require energy.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle dispatch system 1 according to this embodiment. 2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating an example of a candidate list, in which Fig. 2A shows a candidate list related to receiving vehicles, and Fig. 2B shows a candidate list related to supply vehicles. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of operations of the acceptance request unit. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a flow when the vehicle dispatch control unit receives an acceptance request. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of the matching process. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of the initial priority process. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a flow when the vehicle dispatch control unit receives interruption information. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a flow when the vehicle dispatch management unit receives charging completion information.

The following describes in detail an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific values shown in the embodiment are merely examples to facilitate understanding of the invention, and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In this specification and drawings, elements that have substantially the same function and configuration are given the same reference numerals to avoid duplicated explanations, and elements that are not directly related to the present invention are not illustrated.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle dispatch system 1 according to this embodiment. The vehicle dispatch system 1 includes a plurality of receiving vehicles 10a, 10b, and 10c, a plurality of supply vehicles 12a, 12b, and 12c, a plurality of terminal devices 14a, 14b, and 14c, a communication network 16, and a server device 18.

Hereinafter, the multiple receiving vehicles 10a, 10b, 10c may be collectively referred to as receiving vehicles 10. Furthermore, the multiple supply vehicles 12a, 12b, 12c may be collectively referred to as supply vehicles 12. Furthermore, the multiple terminal devices 14a, 14b, 14c may be collectively referred to as terminal devices 14. It is assumed that a terminal device 14 corresponds to each receiving vehicle 10. It is assumed that a user of one receiving vehicle 10 owns one terminal device 14.

In addition, FIG. 1 shows an example in which there are three receiving vehicles 10, three supply vehicles 12, and three terminal devices 14. However, the number of receiving vehicles 10, three supply vehicles 12, and three terminal devices 14 is not limited to three, and any number more than one will suffice, and the number may be two, four, or more. In addition, FIG. 1 shows an example in which the number of receiving vehicles 10 and the number of supply vehicles 12 are equal, but the number of receiving vehicles 10 and the number of supply vehicles 12 may be different.

The receiving vehicle 10 is configured to be able to receive and store energy from the outside. The received energy is, for example, electrical energy. Hereinafter, electrical energy may be referred to as "electricity." The receiving vehicle 10 is, for example, an electric vehicle. The receiving vehicle 10 includes a receiving vehicle communication unit 20, a battery 22, and a receiving unit 24.

The receiving vehicle communication unit 20 can communicate with the server device 18 through the communication network 16. The receiving vehicle communication unit 20 may also be capable of communicating with a terminal device 14 of a user who uses the receiving vehicle 10. The battery 22 can store electric energy, which is an example of energy. The battery 22 can also supply power to a motor (not shown) that serves as a driving source for running the receiving vehicle 10. The receiving unit 24 includes a charging port that is connected to the battery 22. The receiving unit 24 receives power from an external electrical device that is electrically connected to the charging port. In the vehicle dispatch system 1, the receiving vehicle 10 can receive power from the supplying vehicle 12. The battery 22 of the receiving vehicle 10 is charged by the supplied power.

The supply vehicle 12 is configured to be capable of supplying energy to other vehicles. The energy to be supplied is, for example, electrical energy. The supply vehicle 12 is, for example, an electric vehicle. The supply vehicle 12 includes a supply vehicle communication unit 30, a battery 32, and a supply unit 34.

The supplying vehicle communication unit 30 can communicate with the server device 18 through the communication network 16. The battery 32 can store electrical energy, which is an example of energy. The battery 32 can supply power to a motor (not shown), which serves as a driving source for running the supplying vehicle 12. The battery 32 also stores electrical energy, which is an example of energy that can be supplied to other vehicles. The supply unit 34 includes a charging connector that is connected to the battery 32. The supply unit 34 is electrically connected to the receiving unit 24 of the receiving vehicle 10, and can supply power from the battery 22 to the receiving vehicle 10.

The terminal device 14 is, for example, a smartphone or a tablet. The terminal device 14 includes a terminal communication unit 40, an input/output interface 42, and a terminal control unit 44.

The terminal communication unit 40 can communicate with the server device 18 through the communication network 16. The terminal communication unit 40 may also be capable of communicating with the receiving vehicle 10 used by the user of the terminal device 14. The input/output interface 42 accepts input operations by the user and displays various information on the display.

The terminal control unit 44 is composed of a semiconductor integrated circuit including a central processing unit, a ROM in which programs and the like are stored, and a RAM as a work area. The terminal control unit 44 functions as an acceptance request unit 46 by executing a program.

For example, suppose that a user of the receiving vehicle 10 wishes to charge the battery 22 of the receiving vehicle 10 because the SOC (State Of Charge) of the battery 22 of the receiving vehicle 10 has become low. In such a case, the user operates the terminal device 14 to cause the receiving request unit 46 to transmit an acceptance request requesting the acceptance of energy. Specifically, the acceptance request corresponds to a charging request requesting the battery 22 of the receiving vehicle 10 to be charged. The acceptance request unit 46 will be described in detail later.

The server device 18 is provided by the operator who manages the vehicle dispatch system 1. The server device 18 includes a server communication unit 50, a memory unit 52, and a server control unit 54. The server communication unit 50 can communicate with each of the receiving vehicle 10, the supply vehicle 12, and the terminal device 14 through the communication network 16. The memory unit 52 is composed of a non-volatile memory element. A candidate list 56 is stored in the memory unit 52. The candidate list 56 will be described in detail later.

The server control unit 54 is composed of a semiconductor integrated circuit including a central processing unit, a ROM in which programs and the like are stored, and a RAM as a work area. The server control unit 54 functions as the vehicle dispatch management unit 60 by executing the programs.

The vehicle allocation management unit 60 receives the acceptance request transmitted from the terminal device 14 through the server communication unit 50. In response to receiving the acceptance request, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 moves the supply vehicle 12 to the position of the receiving vehicle 10 and causes the supply vehicle 12 to supply energy to the receiving vehicle 10.

The vehicle allocation management unit 60 may also receive multiple acceptance requests for multiple accepting vehicles. For this reason, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 performs a matching process to match one of the multiple accepting vehicles 10 for which an acceptance request has been made with one of the multiple supplying vehicles 12 according to specified conditions. The vehicle allocation management unit 60 then moves the supplying vehicle 12 so that energy is supplied and accepted between the matched supplying vehicle 12 and accepting vehicle 10. In other words, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 performs vehicle allocation to assign and dispatch a supplying vehicle 12 that complies with the specified conditions to each accepting vehicle 10.

Specifically, the vehicle dispatch management unit 60 matches the supply vehicle 12 so that the current supplyable amount is equal to or greater than the requested amount of the receiving vehicle 10. The supplyable amount indicates the amount of energy that can be supplied from the supply vehicle 12. The requested amount indicates the amount of energy that the receiving vehicle 10 requests to receive. Under these conditions, the vehicle dispatch management unit 60 can prevent the supplyable energy of the supply vehicle 12 from being depleted before the supply is completed.

In the vehicle dispatch system 1, for example, multiple supply vehicles 12 are waiting while patrolling the city. When a patrolling supply vehicle 12 is selected in matching, it moves from its patrol position to the position of the matched receiving vehicle 10. After moving, the supply vehicle 12 supplies power to the matched receiving vehicle 10. When the supply of power of the requested amount requested in the reception request is completed, the supply vehicle 12 transmits supply completion information to the server device 18. Then, the supply vehicle 12 that has completed the supply returns to patrolling the city and waits for another opportunity to be matched.

In the vehicle dispatch system 1, a base such as a charging station for the supply vehicle 12 may be provided. The supply vehicle 12 moves to the base when the SOC of the battery 32 of the supply vehicle 12 becomes low due to travel and supply. The supply vehicle 12 may charge the battery 32 of the supply vehicle 12 at the base. The server device 18 may also be provided at this base.

When supplying electricity to the receiving vehicle 10, the supplying vehicle 12 may be temporarily parked on the road. In that case, the supplying vehicle 12 may impede the travel of other vehicles while supplying electricity.

Therefore, in the vehicle dispatch system 1, the supplying vehicle 12 is permitted to interrupt the supply of energy to the receiving vehicle 10. Here, interruption means that the supply of energy is temporarily stopped before the amount of supplied energy reaches the requested amount of energy. In other words, interruption means that the SOC of the battery 22 of the receiving vehicle 10 does not meet the required value. Specifically, the supplying vehicle 12 may take into consideration the road conditions around the vehicle and may interrupt the supply of power at its own discretion, regardless of whether or not it receives an instruction from the server device 18. The decision to interrupt may be made by a vehicle control unit installed in the supplying vehicle 12 itself, or by a person aboard the supplying vehicle 12.

When the supply vehicle 12 interrupts supply, it transmits interruption information indicating the interruption to the server device 18. The vehicle dispatch management unit 60 cancels the matching between the supply vehicle 12 that interrupted supply and the receiving vehicle 10 for which supply was interrupted. This allows the supply vehicle 12 to move away from the position of the receiving vehicle 10 where it had made part of the supply. In the vehicle dispatch system 1, the road conditions can be restored by the supply vehicle 12 moving away from the position of the receiving vehicle 10.

When the supply of energy from the supply vehicle 12 to the receiving vehicle 10 is interrupted, the user of the receiving vehicle 10 may be dissatisfied because the amount of energy supplied does not meet the required amount, depending on the user. Therefore, when an interruption occurs, the dispatch management unit 60 performs the matching process again, including the interrupted receiving vehicle 10 as a selection candidate. Then, the supply of energy to the interrupted receiving vehicle 10 is resumed by the supply vehicle 12 that was matched after the interruption. Note that the supply vehicle 12 that is matched after the interruption may be a supply vehicle 12 different from the supply vehicle 12 that was separated from the receiving vehicle 10 due to the interruption.

As a result, even if the supply is interrupted, the receiving vehicle 10 can continue to receive a replenishment of energy. The receiving vehicle 10 can continue to receive energy until the cumulative amount of energy supplied reaches the required amount.

Depending on road conditions, multiple receiving vehicles 10 may be interrupted. Therefore, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 sets a priority order for the interrupted receiving vehicles 10 based on the payment of the fee offered by the user. Then, in the matching process, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 prioritizes matching of the interrupted receiving vehicles 10 with the highest priority order.

The priority based on the payment of the fee is specifically indicated by a session number. In other words, the session number indicates a priority number for encouraging resupply to an interrupted receiving vehicle 10. The session number is derived based on the fee information acquired together with the receiving request. The fee information indicates, for example, the fee to be paid to receive one resupply with priority. The vehicle allocation management unit 60 sets the session number so that the higher the fee indicated by the fee information, the higher the priority. If the user is willing to pay a higher fee, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 can start resupply to an interrupted receiving vehicle 10 earlier than other interrupted receiving vehicles 10. The fee information may also indicate the maximum fee that can be paid.

Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the candidate list 56. Figure 2A shows the candidate list 56 for the receiving vehicle 10. Figure 2B shows the candidate list 56 for the supply vehicle 12. The candidate list 56 is a database that manages the receiving vehicles 10 and supply vehicles 12 that are candidates for selection in vehicle dispatch.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the candidate list 56 contains various information about the receiving vehicle 10 from the time the receiving request is made until the completion of supply. The receiving vehicle ID is an identifier that uniquely identifies the receiving vehicle 10, such as a license plate number. The candidate list contains the location information, requested amount, payment information, session number, and candidate flag of the receiving vehicle 10, associated with the receiving vehicle ID.

The candidate flag indicates whether or not the receiving vehicle 10 is a potential candidate for matching among the receiving vehicles 10 listed in the candidate list 56. If the candidate flag is on, the receiving vehicle 10 is a potential candidate for matching. If the candidate flag is off, the receiving vehicle 10 is, for example, already matched and is not a potential candidate for new matching.

2B, the candidate list 56 lists various information about all supply vehicles 12 managed by the server device 18. The supply vehicle ID is an identifier that uniquely identifies the supply vehicle 12, such as a license plate number. The candidate list lists the location information, available supply amount, travel direction information, and candidate flag of the supply vehicle 12 in association with the supply vehicle ID. The travel direction information indicates the travel direction of the supply vehicle 12. For example, the travel direction information indicates the approximate direction of the lane in which the supply vehicle 12 is located, that is, east, west, north, south. The travel direction information may also indirectly indicate the travel direction by a destination at the end of the lane in which the supply vehicle 12 is located. The candidate flag of the supply vehicle 12 indicates whether the supply vehicle 12 is a supply vehicle 12 that can be a selection candidate for matching among the supply vehicles 12 listed in the candidate list 56.

The candidate list 56 is updated successively to the latest content. For example, the candidate list 56 is updated when an acceptance request is received, when matching is performed and vehicle allocation is performed, when supply is completed, or when an interruption in supply occurs. The vehicle allocation management unit 60 refers to the candidate list 56 to match the supply vehicle 12 with the receiving vehicle 10.

Figure 3 is a flowchart explaining the flow of operations of the acceptance request unit 46. The acceptance request unit 46 performs a series of processes according to the user's input operations.

First, the acceptance request unit 46 accepts input of request information (S10). The request information includes, for example, a requested amount and a charging completion deadline. The requested amount may be expressed as a target SOC. The acceptance request unit 46 displays an input screen for the request information on the input/output interface 42 and prompts the user to input the request information. The acceptance request unit 46 acquires the request information input through the input/output interface 42.

Next, the acceptance request unit 46 accepts input of the compensation information at the time of interruption (S11). The acceptance request unit 46 displays an input screen for the compensation information on the input/output interface 42 and prompts the user to input the compensation information. The acceptance request unit 46 acquires the compensation information input through the input/output interface 42.

Next, the acceptance request unit 46 transmits an acceptance request that stores the acquired request information and payment information to the server device 18 via the terminal communication unit 40 (S12), and ends the series of processes.

Figure 4 is a flowchart explaining the flow when the vehicle allocation management unit 60 receives an acceptance request. When the vehicle allocation management unit 60 receives an acceptance request from one of the accepting vehicles 10, it acquires the request information and payment information of the acceptance request source based on the received acceptance request (S20). Note that the vehicle allocation management unit 60 may also acquire other necessary information from the accepting vehicle 10.

The vehicle allocation management unit 60 sets the session number of the receiving vehicle 10 for which an acceptance request has been made to 0 (S21). The session number "0" indicates an receiving vehicle 10 for which no interruption has occurred. Next, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 turns on the candidate flag of the receiving vehicle 10 for which an acceptance request has been made (S22). Next, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 adds information about the receiving vehicle 10 for which an acceptance request has been made to the candidate list 56, and updates the candidate list 56 (S23). As a result, the receiving vehicle 10 for which an acceptance request has been made is recognized as a selection candidate for matching.

Next, the vehicle dispatch management unit 60 refers to the candidate list 56 and performs a matching process to match one of the multiple receiving vehicles 10 with one of the multiple supplying vehicles 12 (S24). The matching process will be described in detail later. Then, the vehicle dispatch management unit 60 transmits a dispatch execution instruction to the supplying vehicle 12 to move the supplying vehicle 12 to the position of the matching partner receiving vehicle 10 according to the matching process result (S25), and ends the series of processes.

Figure 5 is a flowchart explaining the flow of the matching process (S24). First, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 reads the latest candidate list 56 from the memory unit 52 (S30). Next, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 refers to the candidate list 56 and extracts receiving vehicles 10 and supply vehicles 12 whose candidate flags are on (S31).

Next, the vehicle dispatch management unit 60 provisionally selects one of the supply vehicles 12 extracted in step S31 (S32).

Here, an overview of the subsequent processing will be given. The vehicle allocation management unit 60 searches for a receiving vehicle to be matched with the supply vehicle 12 provisionally determined in step S32 from among the receiving vehicles 10 whose candidate flags are on. If the vehicle allocation management unit 60 determines one receiving vehicle 10 as a result of the search, it matches the determined receiving vehicle 10 with the provisionally determined supply vehicle 12. The vehicle allocation management unit 60 then sequentially switches between the provisionally determined supply vehicles 12, and repeats the same processing for all supply vehicles 12 whose candidate flags are on. These will be described in detail below.

First, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 extracts receiving vehicles 10 with their candidate flags turned on, using the requested amount condition (S33). The requested amount condition is that the currently available supply amount of the provisionally determined supply vehicle 12 is equal to or greater than the requested amount of the receiving vehicle 10. In other words, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 excludes receiving vehicles 10 with requested amounts that exceed the available supply amount of the provisionally determined supply vehicle 12 from among the receiving vehicles 10 with their candidate flags turned on, and extracts all receiving vehicles 10 that satisfy the requested amount condition. By matching according to the requested amount condition, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 can prevent the supply vehicle 12's available energy from being depleted during supply to the receiving vehicle 10.

In addition, in step S33, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 may further extract a supply vehicle for which the provisionally determined current supplyable amount of the supply vehicle 12 minus the requested amount of the receiving vehicle 10 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. In other words, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 excludes combinations in which it is possible to supply the requested amount, but the remaining supplyable amount after completion of supply will be too small. In this way, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 can prevent the supplyable amount of the supply vehicle 12 from becoming too small, and can be made to deal with unforeseen circumstances occurring in the supply vehicle 12.

Next, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 extracts the receiving vehicles 10 that satisfy the request quantity condition in step S33 based on the travel direction condition (S34). The travel direction condition is that the travel direction of the provisionally determined supply vehicle 12 is a direction that approaches the selected receiving vehicle 10. In other words, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 extracts all receiving vehicles 10 located on the travel direction side of the provisionally determined supply vehicle 12 from among the receiving vehicles 10 that satisfy the request quantity condition. By matching according to the travel direction condition, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 can reduce wasted labor in the supply vehicles 12 or reduce wasted electricity consumption.

Next, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 extracts the receiving vehicles 10 that satisfy the travel direction condition in step S34 using a relative distance condition (S35). The relative distance condition is that the distance between the provisionally determined supply vehicle 12 and the selected receiving vehicle 10 is within a predetermined distance. In other words, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 extracts all receiving vehicles 10 that are within a predetermined distance from the supply vehicle 12 from among the receiving vehicles 10 that satisfy the travel direction condition. By matching according to the relative distance condition, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 can start supply early.

If no receiving vehicle 10 is extracted as a result of steps S33 to S35, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 may determine that there is no receiving vehicle 10 to be paired with the provisionally selected supply vehicle 12, and proceed to the processing of step S42 described below.

Next, the dispatch management unit 60 determines whether or not there is an accepting vehicle 10 with a session number of "0" among the accepting vehicles 10 that satisfy the relative distance condition in step S35 (S36).

If there is one or more receiving vehicles 10 with a session number of "0" (YES in S36), the vehicle allocation management unit 60 extracts receiving vehicles 10 that satisfy the relative distance condition of step S35 using the initial condition (S37). The initial condition is that the session number is "0". In other words, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 extracts all receiving vehicles 10 with a session number of "0" from among the receiving vehicles 10 that satisfy the relative distance condition. Note that the initial condition indicates that no supply has been made since the receiving request was sent.

Next, the vehicle dispatch management unit 60 performs an initial priority process on the receiving vehicles 10 that satisfy the initial conditions in step S37 (S38). The initial priority process is a process of selecting one receiving vehicle that is given the highest priority from among the receiving vehicles 10 that satisfy the initial conditions. The initial priority process will be described in detail later.

The vehicle allocation management unit 60 matches the provisionally determined supply vehicle 12 with the receiving vehicle 10 selected in the initial priority processing (S39). In this way, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 matches receiving vehicles 10 that have not been supplied even once since sending an acceptance request in preference to receiving vehicles 10 that have been supplied one or more times and then stopped. This allows the vehicle allocation management unit 60 to quickly return receiving vehicles 10 that have little remaining energy required for running.

If there is no receiving vehicle 10 with a session number of "0" (NO in S36), the vehicle dispatch management unit 60 extracts receiving vehicles 10 that satisfy the relative distance condition of step S35 using the minimum session number condition (S40). The minimum session number condition is that the session number is relatively the smallest. In other words, the vehicle dispatch management unit 60 compares the session numbers of each receiving vehicle 10 that satisfies the relative distance condition, and selects the receiving vehicle 10 with the smallest session number among them. By matching according to the minimum session number condition, the vehicle dispatch management unit 60 can supply energy at a speed that reflects the degree of urgency intended by the user.

The vehicle allocation management unit 60 matches the provisionally determined supply vehicle 12 with the receiving vehicle 10 selected under the minimum session number condition (S39). In this way, if there is no initial receiving vehicle 10, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 matches from among the interrupted receiving vehicles 10. Furthermore, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 preferentially matches, among the interrupted receiving vehicles 10, the receiving vehicle 10 with the highest payment.

After step S39, the vehicle dispatch management unit 60 turns off the candidate flags of the supply vehicle 12 and the receiving vehicle 10 that were matched in step S39 (S41).

Next, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 judges whether or not the provisional determination of step S32 has been performed for all of the supply vehicles 12 whose candidate flags are on and extracted in step S31 (S42). If all have not been provisionally determined (NO in S42), the vehicle allocation management unit 60 returns to the processing of step S32 and provisionally determines one of the supply vehicles 12 that has not yet been provisionally determined. As a result, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 repeats the processing from step S33 onwards for the newly provisionally determined supply vehicle 12 to perform matching.

If all have been provisionally determined (YES in S42), the vehicle dispatch management unit 60 updates the candidate list 56 (S43) and ends the matching process.

Figure 6 is a flowchart explaining the flow of the initial priority processing (S38). In the initial priority processing, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 derives a priority value for each condition for all receiving vehicles 10 that satisfy the initial conditions (S37) of the matching processing (S24). The vehicle allocation management unit 60 then adds up the priority values for each condition and selects one receiving vehicle 10 with the highest priority value. The specific flow is explained below.

First, the vehicle dispatch management unit 60 derives the distance between the base of the supply vehicle 12 and each of the target receiving vehicles 10, and derives a distance priority value based on the derived distance (S50). The distance priority value increases as the distance between the base of the supply vehicle 12 and the selected receiving vehicle 10 increases. By increasing the priority value of the receiving vehicle 10 that requires a longer travel time from the base of the supply vehicle 12, the vehicle dispatch management unit 60 can start supplying earlier and reduce the risk of insufficient actual supply time.

Next, the vehicle dispatch management unit 60 derives the time until the charging completion deadline for each target receiving vehicle 10, and derives a time priority value based on the derived time (S51). The shorter the time until the charging completion deadline, the larger the time priority value is. The vehicle dispatch management unit 60 can reduce the risk of a shortage of actual supply time.

Next, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 derives an SOC priority value for each target receiving vehicle 10 based on the current SOC of that receiving vehicle 10 (S52). The smaller the current SOC value, the larger the SOC priority value. The vehicle allocation management unit 60 can reduce the risk of a shortage in actual supply time.

Next, the vehicle dispatch management unit 60 derives a temperature priority value for each target receiving vehicle 10 based on the temperature of the battery 22 of that receiving vehicle 10 (S53). The temperature priority value indicates a large value when the temperature of the battery 22 of the receiving vehicle 10 is lower than the low temperature threshold. If the temperature of the battery 22 is low, the temperature must be raised using a heater or the like before power is supplied, which may lengthen the supply time. For this reason, when the temperature of the battery 22 is lower than the low temperature threshold, the vehicle dispatch management unit 60 increases the temperature priority value to start supplying power earlier, thereby reducing the risk of the actual supply time being insufficient.

Well, the temperature priority value indicates a small value when the temperature of the battery 22 of the receiving vehicle 10 is higher than the high temperature threshold. Note that the temperature priority value may be set to a negative value to intentionally lower the priority value when the temperature of the battery 22 is higher than the high temperature threshold. When the temperature of the battery 22 is high, even if the receiving vehicle 10 rushes to the location of the receiving vehicle 10, the receiving vehicle 10's protective function may be activated and power may not be supplied immediately. For this reason, when the temperature of the battery 22 is higher than the high temperature threshold, the dispatch management unit 60 reduces the temperature priority value and prevents the supply vehicle 12 from rushing to the location, thereby eliminating time waste.

Next, the vehicle dispatch management unit 60 derives a member priority value for each target receiving vehicle 10 based on the member status of the user of the receiving vehicle 10 (S54). The higher the member status of the user of the receiving vehicle 10 in the service of the vehicle dispatch system 1, the higher the member priority value will be. The vehicle dispatch management unit 60 can increase the incentive of users who use the vehicle dispatch system 1.

Next, the dispatch management unit 60 derives an initial priority value for each target receiving vehicle 10 by adding the distance priority value, time priority value, SOC priority value, temperature priority value, and member priority value (S55).

The vehicle allocation management unit 60 targets all receiving vehicles 10 that satisfy the initial conditions (S37), extracts them using the initial priority value condition (S56), and ends the initial priority processing. The initial priority value condition is that the initial priority value derived in step S55 is the largest. In other words, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 compares the initial priority values of the receiving vehicles 10 that satisfy the initial conditions, and selects the receiving vehicle 10 with the largest initial priority value. The receiving vehicle 10 selected here is matched with the provisionally determined supply vehicle 12 as described above.

Figure 7 is a flowchart explaining the flow when the vehicle dispatch management unit 60 receives interruption information. The vehicle dispatch management unit 60 reads the latest candidate list 56 from the memory unit 52 (S60).

Next, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 derives a session number based on the payment information (S61). Specifically, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 compares the payment information for the receiving vehicle 10 whose interruption was recognized by the interruption information received this time with the payment information for the receiving vehicle 10 whose current session number is 1 or more. The vehicle allocation management unit 60 then assigns session numbers from 1 in ascending order of the highest payment. For example, suppose there are 10 receiving vehicles 10 with session numbers 1 to 10, and the payment information for the current receiving vehicle 10 is less than session number 2 and higher than session number 3. In this example, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 maintains the session numbers for session numbers 1 and 2, and assigns session number 3 to the current receiving vehicle 10. Additionally, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 downgrades session numbers 3 to 10 to session numbers 4 to 11.

Next, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 turns on the candidate flag of the receiving vehicle 10 whose interruption was recognized by the interruption information received this time (S62). The vehicle allocation management unit 60 turns on the candidate flag of the interrupted supply vehicle 12 (S63).

The vehicle dispatch management unit overwrites the derived session number and the candidate flags of the receiving vehicle 10 and the supplying vehicle 12 in the candidate list 56, respectively, and updates the candidate list 56 (S63). The vehicle dispatch management unit 60 then performs a matching process (S24) and issues a dispatch execution instruction (S25), and ends the series of processes. In other words, the vehicle dispatch management unit 60 performs the matching process again, including the interrupted receiving vehicle 10 as a selection candidate.

Figure 8 is a flowchart explaining the flow when the vehicle dispatch management unit 60 receives supply completion information. The vehicle dispatch management unit 60 reads the latest candidate list 56 from the memory unit 52 (S70).

The vehicle dispatch management unit 60 deletes the information of the receiving vehicle 10 for which the supply has been completed from the candidate list 56 (S71). This removes the receiving vehicle 10 for which charging has been completed from the matching targets.

The vehicle dispatch management unit 60 also turns on the candidate flag of the supply vehicle 12 that has completed supply (S72). The vehicle dispatch management unit 60 then updates the candidate list 56 (S73). After that, the vehicle dispatch management unit 60 performs matching processing (S24) and issues a dispatch execution instruction (S25), and ends the series of processes.

When the dispatch management unit 60 receives information indicating that the supply of an incoming vehicle 10 with a session number of 1 or more has been completed, the dispatch management unit 60 may advance the session numbers overall. As a result, for example, when the supply of session number 1 is completed, session number 1 becomes vacant, and therefore session number 2 can be advanced to session number 1.

As described above, in the dispatch system 1 according to this embodiment, one of the receiving vehicles 10 is matched with one of the supplying vehicles 12 so that the current supply capacity of the supplying vehicle 12 is equal to or greater than the required capacity of the receiving vehicle 10.

Therefore, the vehicle dispatch system 1 according to this embodiment can dispatch an appropriate supply vehicle 12 to the location of the receiving vehicle 10 that requires energy.

Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the attached drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can come up with various modified or revised examples within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, the receiving vehicle 10 requests a supply of power to the battery 22, and the supplying vehicle 12 supplies power to the receiving vehicle 10. However, the energy supplied from the supplying vehicle 12 to the receiving vehicle 10 is not limited to electrical energy. For example, the supplying vehicle 12 may supply petroleum energy such as gasoline or diesel in response to a request from the receiving vehicle 10.

The vehicle dispatch management unit 60 also derives the distance between the base of the supply vehicle 12 and each of the target receiving vehicles 10, and derives the distance priority value based on the derived distance. Here, the vehicle dispatch management unit 60 may derive the straight-line distance or the travel distance as the distance between the base of the supply vehicle 12.

In addition, when deriving the distance priority value, the vehicle dispatch management unit 60 increases the priority value of the receiving vehicle 10 that has a long travel time from the base of the supply vehicle 12. Here, the vehicle dispatch management unit 60 may refer to traffic congestion information obtained from the Internet, etc., and increase the priority value of the receiving vehicle 10 that has a long travel time.

In addition, when multiple supply vehicles 12 are selected for one selected receiving vehicle 10, the vehicle allocation management unit 60 may match the receiving vehicle 10 with the supply vehicle 12 that is the farthest from the base of the supply vehicle 12 among the multiple selected supply vehicles 12. The vehicle allocation management unit 60 can roughly make the movement of the supply vehicle 12 returning to the base and the movement to the position of the receiving vehicle 10 the same, making it possible to reduce unnecessary movement of the supply vehicle 12. Note that, instead of the patrolling supply vehicle 12, a supply vehicle 12 waiting at the base may be moved to the position of the receiving vehicle 10 close to the base.

1 Vehicle allocation system 10 Receiving vehicle 12 Supply vehicle 18 Server device 60 Vehicle allocation management unit

Claims (3)

a server device capable of communicating with each of a receiving vehicle capable of receiving and storing energy from an outside source and a supplying vehicle capable of supplying the energy to the receiving vehicle;
the server device has a vehicle dispatch management unit that, in response to receiving a request to receive energy, moves the supply vehicle to a position of the receiving vehicle and supplies energy from the supply vehicle to the receiving vehicle;
The vehicle dispatch management unit includes:
performing a matching process for matching one of the plurality of receiving vehicles for which the receiving request has been made with one of the plurality of supplying vehicles such that the current supplyable amount of the supplying vehicle is equal to or greater than the requested amount of the receiving vehicle, and supplying and receiving energy between the matched supplying vehicle and the receiving vehicle ;
A vehicle dispatch system that, when an interruption occurs in the supply of energy from the supply vehicle to the receiving vehicle, performs the matching process again by including the interrupted receiving vehicle as a selection candidate . The vehicle dispatch system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle dispatch management unit, in the matching process, matches the receiving vehicle with the supply vehicle whose traveling direction is a direction approaching the receiving vehicle. The vehicle dispatch system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vehicle dispatch management unit sets a priority order for the interrupted receiving vehicles based on the payment of the offered fee, and in the matching process, prioritizes matching of the interrupted receiving vehicles with the higher priority order.

Images