JP7654249B2 - Car sharing system, car sharing method, program, and computer-readable recording medium - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a car sharing system, a car sharing method, a program, and a computer-readable recording medium.

More specifically, the present invention relates to a car sharing system, a car sharing method, a program, and a computer-readable recording medium suitable for use in a car sharing system that uses electric vehicles (EVs) equipped with a storage battery that can be charged from an external charging facility (battery) and powered by an electric motor that is driven by electricity stored in the storage battery, as vehicles to be shared in the car sharing system (hereinafter, "vehicles to be shared in the car sharing system" will be referred to as "shared cars" as appropriate).

In recent years, so-called car sharing, in which multiple members share a single vehicle, has been attracting attention as a new form of vehicle usage.

Here, car sharing means that users do not own their own cars, but become members of a car sharing manager (hereinafter simply referred to as the "manager") and rent cars provided by the manager as needed.

In addition, in many cases, car sharing is a system in which members of a community limited to a certain area share a car as a vehicle, and the usage status of the car and reservations for use are confirmed and made available through information and communication networks such as the Internet. As a result, the rental procedure does not require much time, and the rental and return locations are often set in convenient locations for members, such as the parking lot of the apartment building where the member lives or near a commuter station.

Car sharing allows users to reduce various costs, such as the cost of acquiring and maintaining a car, as well as parking fees, compared to owning a car.

Furthermore, as car sharing becomes more widespread, it is expected that the total number of automobiles will decrease, easing traffic congestion in urban areas and reducing energy consumption, which is also expected to have the effect of curbing global warming caused by carbon dioxide.

In a system that enables car sharing as described above (in this specification and claims, a "system that enables car sharing" will be referred to as a "car sharing system" as appropriate), an administrator prepares automobiles equipped with on-board devices for business purposes, and provides the automobiles to multiple users who have registered as members.

Here, the on-board device is a device for managing automobiles as vehicles through the car sharing system.

Users then share a car equipped with an onboard device and pay the administrator any fees incurred in connection with the use of the car.

In other words, in such a car sharing system, the administrator manages the car sharing system and also maintains and manages the cars equipped with the onboard devices required for management by the car sharing system.

The administrator also recruits users to share the car, concludes a contract regarding the use of the car between the administrator and multiple users who respond to the recruitment, and provides the car equipped with the on-board device to the multiple users.

Then, each user makes a reservation to use a car provided by the administrator (i.e., a car equipped with an onboard unit) before actually starting to use the car, and the car is shared among the users.

The administrator will also be responsible for making reservations for the use of such vehicles and managing the reservation website for making such reservations.

In a car sharing system, a user of a car pays the fee incurred from the use of the car to the manager when returning the car that he or she used.

Conventionally, in a car sharing system such as that described above, for example, a car sharing system as shown in FIG. 1 is constructed, and the car sharing system appropriately executes various processes including a reservation process for a user to reserve the use of a vehicle, a reservable vehicle management process for managing vehicles that can be reserved by a user, a cancellation process for canceling a reservation for the use of a reserved vehicle before the user starts using the vehicle, a return process for returning a vehicle used by the user, and an operation management process for managing the operation of the vehicle.

That is, FIG. 1 shows an explanatory diagram that shows a schematic diagram of a car sharing system according to conventional technology. This car sharing system 100 according to conventional technology is configured to include various communication devices such as a personal computer 102 of an administrator of the car sharing system 100, a personal computer 104 of a user who has become a member of the administrator, and an information terminal 106 including the user's mobile phone, smartphone, or tablet, a server 108 connected via an information and communication network such as a mobile phone network or the Internet, an in-vehicle unit 112 provided in an automobile 110, which is a shared car, and connected to the server 108 via an information and communication network such as a mobile phone network or the Internet, a card reader 114 attached to a predetermined position, such as near the rear window of the automobile 110, and connected to the in-vehicle unit 112, and a key box 116 provided in a predetermined position, such as inside the dashboard of the automobile 110, and connected to the in-vehicle unit 112.

In the above configuration, to reserve or use a car 110 using the car sharing system 100, the user must first register as a member with the administrator.

At this time, the administrator creates a user-specific registration code for each user and issues an IC card that stores the registration code as an authentication code as a user card for using the car sharing system 100, and provides it to each user.

Instead of providing each user with an IC card that stores the above-mentioned registration code as an authentication code, a method has been proposed in which the driver's license information recorded on the user's driver's license is used as the registration code and authentication code, and the driver's license is used as the above-mentioned usage card similar to the IC card.

In addition to the methods mentioned above, a method has also been proposed in which, when a user uses the car sharing system 100 for the first time, a registration code and an authentication code are generated based on an IC card that the user already owns, and the IC card that the user already owns is used as the usage card.

When a user makes a reservation for a car 110, the user uses a personal computer 104 or an information terminal 106 to access a reservation site provided on a server 108, checks the reservation status of the car 110, and makes a reservation for a car 110 that meets the user's needs.

After that, when the reserved start time arrives, the reservation information is sent from the server 108 to the vehicle-mounted device 112 using the information and communication network, and the card reader 114 is activated.

Meanwhile, the user goes to the parking lot where the automobile 110 is parked at the reserved start time, and is authenticated by having the card reader 114 read the above-mentioned usage card. This unlocks the doors of the automobile 110, and the key can be removed from the key box 116, allowing the automobile 110 to be used.

The user uses the automobile 110 until the reserved end time, at which point the user parks the automobile 110 in a designated parking lot, puts the key in the key box 116, closes all the doors, and has the card reader 114 read the above-mentioned user card for authentication, thereby completing the return process of the automobile 110 and ending the use of the automobile 110.

Then, the vehicle-mounted device 112 confirms the usage time, mileage, and the state of the automobile 110, and calculates the fee for using the automobile 110 by adding a distance fee according to the mileage, etc. to the time fee according to the confirmed usage time, etc., and notifies the user's personal computer 104, information terminal 106, etc. of the calculated fee.

In addition, the administrator can check the usage status of such users using a personal computer 102 or the like.

Furthermore, the administrator can also check various types of trouble occurring in the car sharing system 100 using the personal computer 102 or the like.

In a car sharing system 100 based on such conventional technology, for example, if an electric vehicle is used as the shared car 110, it takes a long time to charge the storage battery installed in the electric vehicle from a charger, and charging facilities capable of charging the storage battery installed in the electric vehicle are not widely available, which is an obstacle to using an electric vehicle as a shared car.

For example, when a user starts using an electric vehicle as a shared car, if the electric vehicle's battery does not have enough power to reach the user's destination, the user will have to spend a long time charging the battery before setting off for the destination.

For this reason, in car sharing systems that use electric vehicles as shared cars, there has been a demand for a method of managing various information related to electric vehicles and the storage batteries installed in the electric vehicles, including the SOC (state of charge: remaining battery capacity) of the storage batteries installed in the electric vehicles, the charge/discharge state, and the electrical connection state between the storage battery and the charger, which is indicated by the insertion/removal state of the EV plug between the storage battery and the charger.

In addition, the prior art that the applicant knew at the time of filing the patent application is not an invention related to an invention publicly known in a literature, so there is no prior art literature information to be described in the specification of this application.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned needs of the conventional technology, and its purpose is to provide a car sharing system, car sharing method, program, and computer-readable recording medium that, when an electric vehicle is used as a shared car in a car sharing scheme, makes it possible to manage various information related to the electric vehicle and the storage battery installed in the electric vehicle, including the SOC of the storage battery installed in the electric vehicle, the charge/discharge state, and the electrical connection state between the storage battery and the charger, which is indicated by the insertion/removal state of the EV plug between the storage battery and the charger.

To achieve the above object, the car sharing system and car sharing method of the present invention are provided with a monitoring means for monitoring a charger for charging a storage battery mounted on an electric vehicle, and the monitoring means monitors the charger so that the monitoring means obtains various information about the electric vehicle and the storage battery mounted on the electric vehicle via the charger, including the SOC of the storage battery mounted on the electric vehicle, the charge/discharge state, and the electrical connection state between the storage battery and the charger, which is indicated by the insertion/removal state of the EV plug between the storage battery and the charger.

Therefore, according to the car sharing system and car sharing method of the present invention, the various pieces of information obtained by the monitoring means monitoring the charger can be appropriately managed using the various pieces of information.

Of course, it is possible to obtain various information about electric vehicles and the storage batteries installed in electric vehicles, including the SOC of the storage batteries installed in electric vehicles, the charge/discharge state, and the electrical connection state between the storage battery and the charger, which is indicated by the insertion/removal state of the EV plug between the storage battery and the charger, from the electric vehicle. However, the specifications for obtaining the status from the storage battery vary depending on the automobile manufacturer and model, and these specifications are often not disclosed to the public, making it extremely difficult to obtain such information from the electric vehicle.

However, according to the car sharing system and car sharing method of the present invention, the monitoring means monitors the charger to obtain various information about the electric vehicle and the storage battery installed in the electric vehicle, including the SOC of the storage battery installed in the electric vehicle, the charge/discharge state, and the electrical connection state between the storage battery and the charger, which is indicated by the insertion/removal state of the EV plug between the storage battery and the charger, etc., regardless of the automobile manufacturer or model, by using the same acquisition method to obtain various information about the electric vehicle and the storage battery installed in the electric vehicle, including the SOC of the storage battery installed in the electric vehicle, the charge/discharge state, and the electrical connection state between the storage battery and the charger, which is indicated by the insertion/removal state of the EV plug between the storage battery and the charger, etc.

Therefore, when operating a car sharing system using electric vehicles as shared cars, it will be possible to easily select and operate shared cars as appropriate without being limited by automobile manufacturer or model.

In other words, the car sharing system according to the present invention is a car sharing system that uses electric vehicles as shared cars, and includes a charger that charges a storage battery mounted on the electric vehicle, and a monitoring means that monitors the charger, and when the electric vehicle is connected to the charger, the monitoring means acquires information about the electric vehicle and the storage battery via the charger.

The car sharing system according to the present invention further includes a reservable vehicle management processing means for managing vehicles that can be reserved by users in the car sharing system according to the present invention described above, and the information acquired by the monitoring means is the vehicle information of the electric vehicle and the SOC of the storage battery, and the reservable vehicle management processing means restricts the electric vehicle of the vehicle information from being reserved for a preset time period when the SOC of the electric vehicle of the vehicle information acquired by the monitoring means is lower than a preset value.

The car sharing system according to the present invention further includes a cancellation processing means for canceling a reservation for use of a vehicle reserved by a user, free of charge or for a fee, before the vehicle begins to be used, and the information acquired by the monitoring means is vehicle information of the electric vehicle and the SOC of the storage battery, and the cancellation processing means cancels the reservation for use of the electric vehicle of the vehicle information acquired by the monitoring means free of charge when the SOC of the electric vehicle of the vehicle information acquired by the monitoring means is lower than a preset value.

The car sharing system according to the present invention is a car sharing system that uses electric vehicles as shared cars, and includes a charger that charges a storage battery mounted on the electric vehicle, a monitoring means for monitoring the charger, a reservable vehicle management processing means for managing vehicles that can be reserved by users, and a cancellation processing means for canceling a reservation for use of the vehicle reserved by the user, free of charge or for a fee, before the use of the vehicle begins. When the electric vehicle is connected to the charger, the monitoring means acquires vehicle information of the electric vehicle and the SOC of the storage battery via the charger, and when the SOC of the electric vehicle in the vehicle information acquired by the monitoring means is lower than a preset first value, the reservable vehicle management processing means restricts the electric vehicle in the vehicle information from being reserved for a preset time period, and when the SOC of the electric vehicle in the vehicle information acquired by the monitoring means is lower than a preset second value, the cancellation processing means cancels the reservation for use of the electric vehicle in the vehicle information, free of charge.

The car sharing system according to the present invention further includes a return processing means for returning the vehicle used by the user in the car sharing system according to the present invention described above, and the monitoring means acquires connection status information indicating the connection status between the electric vehicle and the charger, and the return processing means completes the return processing when the connection status information acquired by the monitoring means indicates that the electric vehicle and the charger are connected.

The car sharing system according to the present invention is the above-described car sharing system according to the present invention, further comprising a return processing means for returning the vehicle used by the user, the monitoring means acquiring charge/discharge information indicating whether the storage battery is in a charging state, a discharging state, or a standby state, and the return processing means completing the return processing when the charge/discharge information acquired by the monitoring means indicates a charging state.

The car sharing method according to the present invention uses an electric vehicle as the shared car, and includes a charger that charges a storage battery mounted on the electric vehicle and a monitoring means that monitors the charger. When the electric vehicle is connected to the charger, the monitoring means obtains information about the electric vehicle and the storage battery via the charger.

In addition, the car sharing method of the present invention is the above-mentioned car sharing method of the present invention, in which the information acquired by the monitoring means is vehicle information of the electric vehicle and the SOC of the storage battery, and when the SOC of the electric vehicle of the vehicle information acquired by the monitoring means is lower than a preset value, the electric vehicle of the vehicle information is restricted from being reserved for a preset time period.

In addition, the car sharing method according to the present invention is the above-mentioned car sharing method according to the present invention, in which the information acquired by the monitoring means is vehicle information of the electric vehicle and the SOC of the storage battery, and when the SOC of the electric vehicle in the vehicle information acquired by the monitoring means is lower than a preset value, the reservation for use of the electric vehicle in the vehicle information is cancelled free of charge.

The car sharing method according to the present invention is a car sharing method using an electric vehicle as a shared car, the car sharing method having a charger for charging a storage battery mounted on the electric vehicle and a monitoring means for monitoring the charger, and when the electric vehicle is connected to the charger, the monitoring means acquires vehicle information of the electric vehicle and the SOC of the storage battery via the charger, and when the SOC of the electric vehicle in the vehicle information acquired by the monitoring means is lower than a preset first value, the electric vehicle in the vehicle information is restricted from being reserved for a preset time, and when the SOC of the electric vehicle in the vehicle information acquired by the monitoring means is lower than a preset second value, the reservation for the electric vehicle in the vehicle information is cancelled free of charge.

The car sharing method according to the present invention is the above-mentioned car sharing method according to the present invention, further comprising: acquiring connection status information indicating the connection status between the electric vehicle and the charger by the monitoring means; and completing the return process when the connection status information acquired by the monitoring means indicates that the electric vehicle and the charger are connected.

The car sharing method according to the present invention is the above-mentioned car sharing method according to the present invention, further comprising: acquiring charging/discharging information indicating whether the storage battery is in a charging state, discharging state, or standby state by the monitoring means; and completing the return process when the charging/discharging information acquired by the monitoring means indicates a charging state.

The program according to the present invention is a program for causing a computer to function as the above-mentioned car sharing system.

The program according to the present invention is a program for causing a computer to execute the above-mentioned car sharing method.

The computer-readable recording medium according to the present invention is a computer-readable recording medium having the above-mentioned program recorded thereon.

As the present invention is configured as described above, when an electric vehicle is used as a shared car in a car sharing service, it has the excellent effect of making it possible to manage various information related to the electric vehicle and the storage battery installed in the electric vehicle, including the SOC of the storage battery installed in the electric vehicle, the charge/discharge state, and the electrical connection state between the storage battery and the charger, which is indicated by the insertion/removal state of the EV plug between the storage battery and the charger.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram that illustrates a car sharing system according to the prior art. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a car sharing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the charger monitoring device in the car sharing system shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a charger monitoring process routine related to the implementation of the present invention of the charger monitoring device in the car sharing system shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing a reservable vehicle management processing routine related to the implementation of the present invention in the car sharing system shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a cancellation processing routine related to the implementation of the present invention in the car sharing system shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a return processing routine related to the implementation of the present invention in the car sharing system shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a return processing routine related to the implementation of the present invention in the car sharing system shown in FIG.

Below, an example of an embodiment of the car sharing system, car sharing method, program, and computer-readable recording medium according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

In the following explanation, components that are the same as or equivalent to those in the conventional car sharing system described with reference to Figure 1 will be indicated by the same reference symbols as those used above, and explanations of their detailed configurations and functions will be omitted as appropriate.

(I) Explanation of the overall structure and operation of the car sharing system

Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of a car sharing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The car sharing system 10 according to the present invention shown in FIG. 2 uses an electric vehicle 12 as the shared car.

The electric vehicle 12 is equipped with a storage battery 14, which is monitored and controlled by an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 16 installed in the electric vehicle 12.

In order to simplify the explanation and clarify the technical content, the ECU is also installed in the automobile 110, although this was omitted in the explanation of the conventional car sharing system 100 explained with reference to Figure 1.

The car sharing system 10 includes the components of the conventional car sharing system 100 described above, as well as a charger 18, which is a charging facility for charging the storage battery 14 mounted on the electric vehicle 12, and a charger monitoring device 20, which is a monitoring means electrically connected to the charger 18 wirelessly or via a wire and monitors the charger 18.

Here, the charger 18 is a charging facility that is installed, for example, at a station where an electric vehicle 12 that is not in use is kept waiting or at a parking lot.

Note that the charger 18 includes charging equipment installed at stations and parking lots, as well as charging equipment installed at various locations such as roadside stations and shopping malls.

The electric vehicle 12 and the charger 18 can be electrically connected via an EV plug 22 or the like, and various information related to the electric vehicle 12 and the storage battery 14, such as vehicle information of the electric vehicle 12 ("vehicle information" will be described in detail later) and information about the storage battery 14, is output from the ECU 16 of the electric vehicle 12 to the charger 16 connected to the electric vehicle 12.

The charger monitoring device 20 is also connected to the server 108 via an information and communication network such as a mobile phone network or the Internet.

In the following specification and claims, "electrical connection" will be referred to simply as "connection" where appropriate.

(II) Description of the configuration and operation of the charger monitoring device

Figure 3 shows a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the charger monitoring device 20 in the car sharing system 10.

This charger monitoring device 20 is constructed by a computer system, and is configured to include a server information input unit 20a that inputs information from the server 108, a server information output unit 20b that outputs information to the server 108, a charger information input unit 20c that inputs information from the charger 18, a charger information output unit 20d that outputs information to the charger 18, a connection state detection unit 20e that detects the electrical connection state between the charger 18 and the electric vehicle 12, a connection state information acquisition unit 20f that acquires connection state information indicating the electrical connection state between the charger 18 and the electric vehicle 12, a vehicle information acquisition unit 20g that acquires vehicle information of the electric vehicle 12 connected to the charger 18 via the charger 18, a charge/discharge information acquisition unit 20h that acquires the charge/discharge state of the storage battery 14 mounted on the electric vehicle 12 via the charger 18, and an SOC acquisition unit 20i that acquires the SOC of the storage battery 14 mounted on the electric vehicle 12 via the charger 18.

Here, the server information input unit 20a inputs various control instructions from the server 108, including inquiries about information output from the server 108 and charging and discharging in the charger 18.

Next, the server information output unit 20b responds to inquiries about the information output from the server 108 and various control instructions including charging and discharging in the charger 18, and outputs various information to the server 108 periodically or when there is a change in the information.

Next, the charger information input unit 20c inputs various information from the charger 18, including information about the charger 18 itself output from the charger 18, the status of the electric vehicle 12 connected to the charger 18, and the storage battery 14 installed in the electric vehicle 12.

Next, the charger information output unit 20d outputs various control instructions to the charger 18, including inquiries about information to the charger 18 and instructions for charging and discharging in the charger 18.

Next, the connection status detection unit 20e constantly detects the electrical connection status between the charger 18 and the electric vehicle 12, i.e., whether or not they are electrically connected, from when the charger monitoring device 20 is started until it is stopped.

This electrical connection state can be detected, for example, based on the insertion/removal state of the EV plug 22 between the charger 18 and the electric vehicle 12.

Specifically, when the EV plug 22 of the charger 18 is inserted into the electric vehicle 12, it is detected that the charger 18 and the electric vehicle 12 are electrically connected.

On the other hand, if the EV plug 22 of the charger 18 is not inserted into the electric vehicle 12, i.e., if the EV plug 22 is unplugged from the electric vehicle 12, it is detected that the charger 18 and the electric vehicle 12 are not electrically connected.

Next, the connection status information acquisition unit 20f acquires connection status information indicating the electrical connection status between the charger 18 and the electric vehicle 12.

That is, the connection status information acquisition unit 20f acquires information indicating whether the charger 18 is electrically connected to the electric vehicle 12 via an EV plug or the like. The acquired connection status information is output from the server information output unit 20b to the server 108.

Specifically, when the charger 18 and the electric vehicle 12 are electrically connected, the connection status information acquisition unit 20f acquires connection status ON information as connection status information indicating that the charger 18 and the electric vehicle 12 are electrically connected, and the connection status ON information indicating that the charger 18 and the electric vehicle 12 are electrically connected is output from the server information output unit 20b to the server 108.

Then, the server 108 updates the connection status between the charger 18 and the electric vehicle 12 stored in the server 108 to a state in which the charger 18 and the electric vehicle 12 are electrically connected.

In addition, when the charger 18 and the electric vehicle 12 are no longer electrically connected, the connection status acquisition unit 20f acquires connection status off information as connection status information indicating that the charger 18 and the electric vehicle 12 are no longer electrically connected, and the connection status off information indicating that the charger 18 and the electric vehicle 12 are no longer electrically connected is output from the server information output unit 20b to the server 108.

Then, the server 108 updates the connection status between the charger 18 and the electric vehicle 12 stored in the server 108 to a state in which the charger 18 and the electric vehicle 12 are not electrically connected.

Next, the vehicle information acquisition unit 20g acquires vehicle information about the electric vehicle 12 currently connected to the charger 18. Here, vehicle information is data that can individually identify the vehicle 12, such as the vehicle number, the vehicle registration plate, or the number printed on the vehicle plate.

The vehicle information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 20g is output from the server information output unit 20b to the server 108.

The server 108 can then identify the electric vehicle 12 currently connected to the charger 18 based on the vehicle information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 20g.

Next, the charge/discharge information acquisition unit 20h acquires charge/discharge information indicating whether the storage battery 14 mounted on the electric vehicle 12 currently connected to the charger 18 is in a charging state where charging is being performed, in a discharging state where discharging is being performed, or in a standby state where neither charging nor discharging is being performed.

The charging/discharging information acquired by the charging/discharging status acquisition unit 20h is output from the server information output unit 20b to the server 108.

Then, based on the charge/discharge information acquired by the charge/discharge status acquisition unit 20g, the server 108 can determine whether the storage battery 14 mounted on the electric vehicle 12 currently connected to the charger 18 is in a charging state, a discharging state, or a standby state.

Next, the SOC acquisition unit 20i acquires the SOC of the storage battery 14 installed in the electric vehicle 12 currently connected to the charger 18.

The SOC acquired by the SOC acquisition unit 20i is output from the server information output unit 20b to the server 108.

The server 108 can then identify the SOC of the storage battery 14 mounted on the electric vehicle 12 currently connected to the charger 18 based on the SOC acquired by the SOC acquisition unit 20h.

(III) Overview of the processing involved in implementing the present invention in a car sharing system

In the above configuration, the car sharing system 10, like the conventional car sharing system 100 described above, appropriately uses previously known technologies to appropriately execute various processes, including a reservation process for a user to make a reservation for the use of an electric vehicle 12, a reservable vehicle management process for managing electric vehicles 12 that can be reserved by users, a cancellation process for canceling a reservation for the use of an electric vehicle 12 reserved by a user before the user starts using the electric vehicle 12, a return process for returning an electric vehicle 12 used by a user, and an operation management process for managing the operation of the electric vehicle 12.

These various processes are executed by the server 108, the personal computers 102 and 104, the information terminal 106, and the charger monitoring device 20 in cooperation with each other.

Here, in the car sharing system 10, the charger monitoring device 20 is connected to the charger 18, and the charger monitoring device 20 is connected to the server 108. In addition to the conventional processing using the above-mentioned conventionally known technology, connection status information between the charger 18 and the electric vehicle 12, vehicle information of the electric vehicle 12 currently connected to the charger 18, charge/discharge information of the storage battery 14 mounted on the electric vehicle 12, and the SOC of the storage battery 14 mounted on the electric vehicle 12 are output to the server 108.

In other words, by connecting the charger monitoring device 20 to the charger 18, it is possible to monitor the state of the electric vehicle 12 and the state of the storage battery 14 mounted on the electric vehicle 12 via the charger 18, and the various monitored information can be reflected in the various information stored in the server 108.

As a result, administrators and users can check the reflected information through images and audio using various communication devices such as personal computers 102, 104 and information terminals 106.

The various information output to the server 108 is reflected in various processes, such as a reservable vehicle management process for managing electric vehicles 12 that can be reserved by users, a cancellation process for canceling a reservation for use of an electric vehicle 12 reserved by a user before the use of the electric vehicle 12 begins, or a return process for returning an electric vehicle 12 used by a user, and in addition to conventional processes using conventionally known technology, processes according to the reflected information are performed and provided to the administrator and the user.

As a result, for example, when a user of a car sharing system makes a reservation to use an electric vehicle 12, the user can avoid making a reservation for an electric vehicle 12 whose storage battery 14 does not have enough charged power to reach the user's destination.

In addition, if a user of the car sharing system finds out before starting to use the reserved electric vehicle 12 that the amount of power charged in the storage battery 14 is insufficient, the user can cancel the reservation for use of the electric vehicle 12.

Furthermore, when a user of the car sharing system finishes using the electric vehicle 12 that he or she has used and performs the return process to return the electric vehicle 12 that he or she has used, it becomes possible to determine and manage whether or not to complete the return process depending on the connection state between the electric vehicle 12 and the charger 18 and the state of the storage battery 14 installed in the electric vehicle.

In the following, the car sharing system 10 according to the present invention will be described in detail with respect to various processes related to the implementation of the present invention.

(IV) Description of the processing of the charger monitoring device in a car sharing system

First, we will explain the processing of the charger monitoring device 20 in the car sharing system 10.

Here, FIG. 4 shows a flowchart illustrating a charger monitoring processing routine related to the implementation of the present invention in the charger monitoring device 20 in the car sharing system 10.

This charger monitoring processing routine indicates the charger monitoring processing routine when the charger monitoring device 20 periodically outputs information to the server 108, and is periodically and repeatedly executed at a predetermined time interval (e.g., one second intervals).

First, when this charger monitoring processing routine is started, the connection status detection unit 20e detects whether the charger 18 and the electric vehicle 12 are connected (step S402).

If it is detected in the detection process of step S402 that the charger 18 and the electric vehicle 12 are connected (Yes), the process proceeds to step S404, and the connection status on information acquired by the connection status information acquisition unit 20f is output from the server information output unit 20b to the server 108.

When the processing of step S404 is completed, the processing proceeds to step S406, and the vehicle information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 20g is output from the server information output unit 20b to the server 108.

When the processing of step S406 is completed, the process proceeds to step S408, and the charging/discharging information acquired by the charging/discharging information acquisition unit 20h, i.e., the charging/discharging information indicating whether the storage battery 14 is in a charging state, a discharging state, or a standby state, is output from the server information output unit 20b to the server 108.

When the processing of step S408 is completed, the processing proceeds to step S410, the SOC acquired by the SOC acquisition unit 20i is output from the server information output unit 20b to the server 108, and this charger monitoring processing routine is terminated.

On the other hand, if it is detected in the detection process of step S402 that the charger 18 and the electric vehicle 12 are not connected (No), the process proceeds to step S412, the connection status off information acquired by the connection status information acquisition unit 20f is output from the server information output unit 20b to the server 108, and this charger monitoring process routine is terminated.

The server 108 also performs processing to reflect the various information output from the charger monitoring processing routine described above in the various information stored in the server 108.

Therefore, according to the charger monitoring processing routine described above, the charger monitoring processing routine is repeatedly executed at regular intervals at a predetermined time interval, so that each time the charger 18 and the electric vehicle 12 are connected, various pieces of information relating to the electric vehicle 12 and the storage battery 14 of the electric vehicle 12 are output to the server 108, and the server 108 can update the various pieces of information to the latest information.

(V) Explanation of the management process for reservable electric vehicles in a car sharing system

Next, we will explain the process of managing electric vehicles 12 that can be reserved by users on the server 108 in the car sharing system 10.

As described above in the charger monitoring processing routine, this car sharing system 10 can obtain the latest SOC for each electric vehicle 12 when a user makes a reservation or actually starts using the vehicle.

Therefore, the administrator can restrict the electric vehicles 12 whose SOC is lower than a preset value from being reserved in advance.

Here, FIG. 5 shows a flowchart illustrating a reservable vehicle management processing routine related to the implementation of the present invention in the car sharing system 10.

This reservable vehicle management processing routine is executed, for example, every time the server 108 updates the SOC.

First, when this reservable vehicle management processing routine is started, the electric vehicle 12 with the updated SOC is identified from the vehicle information (step S502).

When the process of step S502 is completed, the process proceeds to step S504, in which it is determined whether the updated SOC for the electric vehicle 12 identified in the process of step S502 is less than a preset minimum value.

If it is determined in the judgment process of step S504 that the updated SOC is less than the preset minimum value (Yes), the process proceeds to the process of step S506, where the time interval from the current time to the preset elapsed time is set as a reservation restriction time period, and the electric vehicle 12 identified in step S502 is restricted from being reserved during the reservation restriction time period, and this reservable vehicle management processing routine is terminated.

Therefore, during the reservation restriction time period, if the SOC of the electric vehicle 12 identified in step S502 is below a preset minimum value, a reservation cannot be obtained. On the other hand, once the reservation restriction time period has passed, a reservation can be obtained for the electric vehicle 12 identified in step S502.

The reservation restriction time period can be, for example, a time interval (e.g., several hours) during which the SOC of the electric vehicle 12 is expected to recover and reach or exceed a minimum value, and can be set individually for each electric vehicle 12 or each model of electric vehicle 12 managed by the administrator, or can be set uniformly for all electric vehicles 12 managed by the administrator, and can be set as appropriate by the administrator.

On the other hand, if the updated SOC is not determined to be less than the preset minimum value in the judgment process of step S504 (No), the reservable vehicle management processing routine is terminated.

Therefore, if the SOC of the electric vehicle 12 identified in step S502 is equal to or greater than a preset minimum value, reservations can be made without any restrictions.

Therefore, according to the above-mentioned reservable vehicle management processing routine, when a user makes a reservation for the use of an electric vehicle 12 using various communication devices such as a personal computer 104 or an information terminal 106, it is possible to restrict the user from making reservations for electric vehicles 12 with SOCs below a preset value during the reservation restriction time period.

(VI) Explanation of the cancellation process for reservations for electric vehicles in a car sharing system.

Next, we will explain the cancellation process, which is a process for canceling a reservation for use of an electric vehicle 12 that a user has reserved in the car sharing system 10 before starting to use the electric vehicle 12.

According to this car sharing system 10, if a user cancels a reservation for use of an electric vehicle 12 that the user has reserved before the user starts using the electric vehicle 12 because the SOC is low, the administrator can process the cancellation so that the reservation can be cancelled without incurring a cancellation fee even in a situation where a cancellation fee would normally be incurred.

By performing the above process, the administrator can improve the convenience of the users.

Here, FIG. 6 shows a flowchart illustrating a cancellation processing routine related to the implementation of the present invention in the car sharing system 10.

This cancellation processing routine is executed when the user uses various communication devices such as the personal computer 104 or the information terminal 106 to carry out a cancellation processing operation, which is a process for canceling a reservation for use of the electric vehicle 12 that the user has made.

First, when this cancellation processing routine is started, the electric vehicle 12 to be cancelled is identified from the vehicle information, and it is determined whether the timing of the cancellation processing operation for that electric vehicle 12 is within a free cancellation time period during which the reservation for that electric vehicle 12 can be cancelled free of charge (step S602).

Note that the administrator may set these free time periods as desired.

If it is not determined in the judgment process of step S602 that the timing of the cancellation operation is within the free cancellation time period during which the reservation can be canceled free of charge (No), the process proceeds to step S604, where it is determined whether the SOC of the electric vehicle 12 to be canceled, which is the target of the reservation cancellation, is equal to or lower than the upper limit value previously set as the upper limit value during which the reservation can be canceled free of charge.

If it is determined in the judgment process of step S604 that the SOC of the electric vehicle 12 to be canceled is equal to or lower than the upper limit (Yes), the process proceeds to step S606, where a free cancellation process is performed to cancel the reservation free of charge without charging the user a cancellation fee, and the cancellation process routine ends.

Regarding the free cancellation process, conventionally known technology can be applied.

On the other hand, if it is determined in the judgment process of step S604 that the SOC of the electric vehicle 12 to be canceled is not equal to or lower than the upper limit value (No), the process proceeds to the process of step S608, where a cancellation fee is charged to the user and a paid cancellation process is performed to cancel the reservation for a fee, and this cancellation process routine is terminated.

Note that conventionally known technology can be applied to the paid cancellation process.

On the other hand, if it is determined in the judgment process of step S602 that the timing of the cancellation operation is within a free time period during which cancellation is possible free of charge (Yes), the process proceeds to step S606, where free cancellation processing is performed to cancel the reservation free of charge without charging the user a cancellation fee, and the cancellation processing routine ends.

As mentioned above, the free cancellation process can be carried out using techniques that have been publicly known for some time.

Therefore, according to the above-mentioned cancellation processing routine, when a user performs a cancellation process to cancel a reservation for use because the SOC of the electric vehicle 12 reserved for use is equal to or lower than the above-mentioned upper limit value, the user can cancel the reservation free of charge and without incurring a cancellation fee, even if the cancellation occurs during a time period when a cancellation fee would normally be incurred.

(VII) Explanation of the return process for electric vehicles in a car sharing system

Next, we will explain the return process for a user to return an electric vehicle 12 that has been used in the car sharing system 10.

As described above, this car sharing system 10 can obtain connection status information (connection status on information, connection status off information) and charge/discharge information (charging status, discharging status, standby status).

Therefore, when a return process is performed to return an electric vehicle 12 used by a user, if the connection status between the electric vehicle 12 used by the user and the charger 18 can be confirmed based on the connection status information (i.e., if the connection status information is connection status on information), the return process can be completed.

Alternatively, when a return process is performed to return an electric vehicle 12 used by a user, if it is confirmed from the charge/discharge information that the storage battery 14 of the electric vehicle 12 used by the user is in a charged state, the return process can be completed.

Here, whether the return process can be completed when the above-mentioned connected state is confirmed, or when the above-mentioned charging state is confirmed, can be determined, for example, so that the return process can be completed only when both the connected state and the charging state are confirmed, or the return process can be completed when either one of them is confirmed.

Furthermore, for each individual vehicle or model of electric vehicle 12, the return process may be completed only if both of the above are confirmed, or alternatively, the return process may be completed if either one of the above is confirmed.

As described above, by making it possible to complete the return process when it is possible to confirm the connection state between the electric vehicle 12 used by the user and the charger 18, or when it is possible to confirm that the storage battery 14 of the electric vehicle 12 used by the user is in a charging state, it is possible to prompt the user to perform charging operations such as charging the storage battery 14 after finishing using the electric vehicle 12.

This ensures that sufficient power is stored in the storage battery 14 when the next user uses the electric vehicle 12.

Furthermore, if the connection state between the electric vehicle 12 used by the user and the charger 18 is not confirmed, or if it is not confirmed that the storage battery 14 of the electric vehicle 12 used by the user is in a charging state, the return process is not completed, so that the user can be prompted to return the electric vehicle 12 to a return location that has a pre-set charger 18, and the return of the electric vehicle 12 to a location other than the designated location can be prevented.

Here, Figures 7 and 8 each show a flowchart illustrating a return processing routine related to the implementation of the present invention in the car sharing system 10.

First, the return processing routine shown in Figure 7 shows an example in which, when a user performs the return process to return an electric vehicle 12 that the user has used, if the connection status between the electric vehicle 12 used by the user and the charger 18 can be confirmed, the return process can be completed.

This return processing routine is executed when the user uses various communication devices such as a personal computer 104 or an information terminal 106 to carry out the return processing operation to return the electric vehicle 12 that was used.

First, when this return processing routine is started, the electric vehicle 12 to be returned is identified from the vehicle information, the connection status between the charger 18 and the electric vehicle 12 is detected by the connection status detection unit 20e, and it is determined whether the connection status information acquired by the connection status information acquisition unit 20f and input to the server 108 is connection status on information or connection status off information (step S702).

If it is determined in the determination process of step S702 that the connection status information is connection status off information, that is, if the connection status between the electric vehicle 12 and the charger 18 cannot be confirmed, the process proceeds to step S704, and the return process is not completed, and the user is notified that the connection status between the electric vehicle 12 and the charger 18 cannot be confirmed by a display on the screen of the personal computer 104 or the information terminal 106, a voice from them, or a voice from a speaker (not shown) provided in the key box 116, and the user is prompted to perform a connection operation to connect the electric vehicle 12 and the charger 18 (specifically, for example, an operation to connect the electric vehicle 12 and the charger 18 with the EV plug 22), or the like, and is notified to perform a charging operation such as a charging operation to charge the storage battery 14 mounted on the electric vehicle 12, and the process returns to step S702.

On the other hand, if it is determined in the determination process of step S702 that the connection status information is connection status ON information, that is, if the connection status between the electric vehicle 12 and the charger 18 can be confirmed, the process proceeds to step S706, where a conventionally known return process is performed to complete the return process, and this return process routine is terminated.

Next, the return processing routine shown in FIG. 8 shows an example in which, when performing the return process to return the electric vehicle 12 used by the user, if it is confirmed that the storage battery 14 of the electric vehicle 12 used by the user is in a charged state, the return process can be completed.

This return processing routine is executed when the user uses various communication devices such as a personal computer 104 or an information terminal 106 to carry out the return processing operation to return the electric vehicle 12 that was used.

First, when this return processing routine is started, the electric vehicle 12 to be returned is identified from the vehicle information, and it is determined whether the charge/discharge information for that electric vehicle 12 acquired by the charge/discharge information acquisition unit 20h indicates that it is in a charging state (step S802).

If it is determined in the judgment process of step S802 that the charge/discharge information does not indicate that the battery is in a charging state (No), the process proceeds to step S804, and the return process is not completed. Instead, the user is notified that the storage battery 14 of the electric vehicle 12 is not in a charging state by a display on the screen of the personal computer 104 or information terminal 106, a voice from them, or a voice from a speaker (not shown) provided in the key box 116, and the user is prompted to perform a connection operation to connect the electric vehicle 12 to the charger 18 (specifically, for example, an operation to connect the electric vehicle 12 to the charger 18 using the EV plug 22), or the like, and is notified to perform a charging operation such as a charging operation to charge the storage battery 14 installed in the electric vehicle 12, and the process returns to step S802.

On the other hand, if it is determined in the judgment process of step S802 that the charging/discharging information indicates that the battery is in a charging state (Yes), the process proceeds to step S806, where a conventionally known return process is performed to complete the return process, and this return process routine is terminated.

Therefore, according to the return processing routine described above, when a user performs the return process to return an electric vehicle that they have used, it is possible to encourage the user to perform charging operations such as charging the storage battery, which makes it possible to maintain a state in which a sufficient amount of power is charged in the storage battery 14 when the next user uses the electric vehicle 12. It is also possible to encourage the user to return the electric vehicle 12 to a return location that has a pre-set charger 18, thereby preventing the user from returning the electric vehicle 12 to a location other than the designated location.

(VIII) Effects of car sharing systems

As described above, the car sharing system 10 of the present invention allows the server 108 to appropriately manage various pieces of information related to the electric vehicle 12 and the storage battery 14 installed in the electric vehicle 12, which are obtained by the charger monitoring device 20 by monitoring the charger 18.

As a result, the manager can use a communication terminal such as a personal computer 102 to monitor and operate the electric vehicle 12, improving the convenience of operation management.

For example, the administrator can check the connection status between the electric vehicle 12 and the charger 18, so if the electric vehicle 12 is not connected when it should be connected, the administrator can immediately respond to the problem.

The administrator can also monitor the SOC of the electric vehicle 12, and if the SOC is low, can request users or administrator workers to perform charging operations, and can also determine and implement suspension of reservations or suspension of use of the electric vehicle 12.

Alternatively, if the administrator has set up a call center or the like, the administrator can provide support to users who have reserved an electric vehicle 12 with a low SOC, by informing them that the SOC of the electric vehicle 12 is low and allowing them to decide whether or not to use the vehicle.

In addition, if the storage battery 14 of the electric vehicle 12 is not in a charging state, SOC management can be performed by requesting charging via the server 108 to the charger 18 if necessary and starting charging.

In addition, the user will be able to appropriately reserve the electric vehicle 12 and decide when to start using it by using a communication terminal such as a personal computer 104 or an information terminal 106.

In other words, by checking the SOC before reserving an electric vehicle 12, it is possible to avoid reserving an electric vehicle 12 with a low SOC, and by checking the SOC before starting to use the reserved electric vehicle 12, it is possible to determine whether to start using the reserved electric vehicle 12 or cancel its use depending on whether the SOC of the reserved electric vehicle 12 is high or low.

Furthermore, when a user of the car sharing system finishes using the electric vehicle 12 and returns the electric vehicle 12, it becomes possible to determine and manage whether or not to complete the return process depending on the connection status between the electric vehicle 12 and the charger 18 and the status of the storage battery 14 installed in the electric vehicle.

In other words, the car sharing system 10 according to the present invention can accurately manage the SOC and the charge state of the storage battery 14, thereby improving reliability when reserving and returning the electric vehicle 12 and reducing the occurrence of problems between the administrator and the user when reserving and returning the electric vehicle 12.

That is, in car sharing, management of the state of the electric vehicle 12, especially the SOC, is important because charging takes time, unlike refueling with gasoline. With the car sharing system 10 of the present invention, the SOC of the electric vehicle 12 can be confirmed accurately and easily, and when the SOC is low, that is, when the remaining battery power is low, this can be useful for the administrator to decide whether to reserve or suspend use, and for users to decide whether to use the vehicle themselves.
Specifically, this avoids the inconvenience of a user starting to use the electric vehicle 12 only to find that the battery is empty, for example, and can only travel 10 km, and then having to wait several tens of minutes for charging to restore the battery.
Furthermore, even when returning the vehicle after use, the completion of the return process, i.e., the end of use, can be triggered by whether the EV plug 22 of the charger 18 is connected to the electric vehicle 12 or whether the storage battery 14 is in a charging state, which is expected to reduce problems such as the vehicle not being charged when the next user uses the vehicle.

Furthermore, if the status of the electric vehicle 12 can be monitored and managed while it is waiting to be used at the station where the electric vehicle 12 is waiting in advance, the user himself can visually check the status of the electric vehicle 12 after use has started, so there is little need for management of the SOC after use has started in the car sharing system.

Therefore, like the car sharing system 10 of the present invention, the car sharing system can be fully utilized for car sharing operations simply by obtaining information from the charger 18.

(IX) Description of other embodiments and variations

The above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the present invention can be implemented in various other forms. In other words, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

For example, the above embodiment may be modified as shown in (IX-1) to (IX-4) below.

(IX-1) In the above embodiment, detailed explanations have been omitted in order to simplify the explanation and make the invention easier to understand, but it goes without saying that in the car sharing system 10 according to the present invention, internal combustion engine vehicles may be used in combination with the electric vehicle 12.

(IX-2) In the above embodiment, the charger monitoring device 20 is connected to the charger 18 wirelessly or via a wire, but this is of course not limited to this, and the charger monitoring device 20 may be integrally assembled within the charger 18.

(IX-3) In the above embodiment, a mobile phone, a smartphone, or a tablet was given as an example of the information terminal 106, but the information terminal 106 is not limited to these, and various types of terminals may be used as long as they are capable of transmitting information to the server 108.

(IX-4) Of course, the above-described embodiment and the modifications shown in (IX-1) to (IX-3) may be combined as appropriate.

The present invention can be used for car sharing using electric vehicles as the shared cars.

10 Car sharing system 12 Electric vehicle 14 Storage battery 16 ECU (Electronic Control Unit)
18 Charger 20 Charger monitoring device (monitoring means)
20a Server information input unit 20b Server information output unit 20c Charger information input unit 20d Charger information output unit 20e Connection status detection unit 20f Connection status information acquisition unit 20g Vehicle information acquisition unit 20h Charging/discharging information acquisition unit 20i SOC acquisition unit 22 EV plug 100 Car sharing system 102 Personal computer 104 Personal computer 106 Information terminal 108 Server (reserved vehicle management processing means, cancellation processing means, return processing means)
110 Automobile 112 Vehicle-mounted device 114 Card reader 116 Key box

Claims (11)

A car sharing system that uses an electric vehicle as a shared car,
A charger for charging a storage battery mounted on an electric vehicle;
and a monitoring means for monitoring the charger,
In the car sharing system, when the electric vehicle is connected to the charger, the monitoring means acquires information about the electric vehicle and the storage battery via the charger, further comprising:
a cancellation processing means for cancelling a reservation for use of a reserved vehicle, either free of charge or for a fee, before the user starts using the reserved vehicle;
having
the information acquired by the monitoring means is vehicle information of the electric vehicle and an SOC of the storage battery,
The cancellation processing means cancels a reservation for use of the electric vehicle of the vehicle information acquired by the monitoring means free of charge when the SOC of the electric vehicle of the vehicle information acquired by the monitoring means is lower than a preset value.
A car sharing system characterized by the above. In a car sharing system that uses electric vehicles as shared cars,
A charger for charging a storage battery mounted on an electric vehicle;
A monitoring means for monitoring the charger;
a reservable vehicle management processing means for managing vehicles that can be reserved by users;
a cancellation processing means for cancelling a reservation for use of the vehicle, either free of charge or for a fee, before the user starts using the reserved vehicle;
When the electric vehicle is connected to the charger, the monitoring means acquires vehicle information of the electric vehicle and an SOC of the storage battery via the charger;
the reservable vehicle management processing means, when the SOC of the electric vehicle of the vehicle information acquired by the monitoring means is lower than a preset first value, restricts the electric vehicle of the vehicle information from being reserved for a preset time period,
The cancellation processing means cancels a reservation for use of the electric vehicle of the vehicle information acquired by the monitoring means free of charge when the SOC of the electric vehicle of the vehicle information acquired by the monitoring means is lower than a preset second value. The car sharing system according to claim 2 , further comprising:
A return processing means for returning a vehicle used by a user,
the monitoring means acquires connection status information indicating a connection status between the electric vehicle and the charger;
The return processing means completes the return process when the connection status information acquired by the monitoring means indicates that the electric vehicle and the charger are connected. The car sharing system according to claim 2 , further comprising:
A return processing means for returning a vehicle used by a user,
The monitoring means acquires charge/discharge information indicating whether the storage battery is in a charging state, a discharging state, or a standby state;
The return processing means completes the return processing when the charge/discharge information acquired by the monitoring means indicates a charged state. This is a car sharing method that uses electric vehicles as shared cars,
A charger for charging a storage battery mounted on an electric vehicle;
A car sharing method comprising:
a car sharing method for acquiring information about the electric vehicle and the storage battery via the charger by the monitoring means when the electric vehicle is connected to the charger,
the information acquired by the monitoring means is vehicle information of the electric vehicle and an SOC of the storage battery,
When the SOC of the electric vehicle in the vehicle information acquired by the monitoring means is lower than a preset value, the reservation for use of the electric vehicle in the vehicle information is canceled free of charge.
A car sharing method comprising: In a car sharing method using an electric vehicle as a shared car,
A charger for charging a storage battery mounted on an electric vehicle;
A car sharing method comprising:
When the electric vehicle is connected to the charger, the monitoring means acquires vehicle information of the electric vehicle and an SOC of the storage battery via the charger;
when the SOC of the electric vehicle of the vehicle information acquired by the monitoring means is lower than a preset first value, restricting the electric vehicle of the vehicle information from being reserved for a preset time period,
canceling a reservation for use of the electric vehicle of the vehicle information acquired by the monitoring means free of charge when the SOC of the electric vehicle of the vehicle information acquired by the monitoring means is lower than a preset second value. The car sharing method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
The monitoring means acquires connection status information indicating a connection status between the electric vehicle and the charger;
a return process is completed when the connection status information acquired by the monitoring means indicates that the electric vehicle and the charger are connected. The car sharing method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
The monitoring means acquires charge/discharge information indicating whether the storage battery is in a charging state, a discharging state, or a standby state;
A car sharing method comprising the steps of: completing a return process when the charge/discharge information acquired by the monitoring means indicates a charging state. A program for causing a computer to function as the car sharing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4. A program for causing a computer to execute the car sharing method according to any one of claims 5, 6, 7 and 8. A computer-readable recording medium having the program according to claim 9 or 10 recorded thereon.

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