JP7735231B2 - Program, information processing device, and information processing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a program, an information processing device, and an information processing method.

As electric vehicles become more common, various technologies related to electric vehicles are being developed. Patent Document 1 discloses technology for detecting the state of charge of an electric vehicle battery.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-348707

Since the power stored in the batteries of vehicles such as electric vehicles is mainly used for limited periods of time, such as when the vehicle system is operating to drive the vehicle, there is room for the vehicle's batteries to be used for other purposes.

The present invention aims to provide technology related to more effective utilization of a vehicle's battery capacity.

In one embodiment, the program causes a computer for controlling a battery that can be installed in a vehicle to function as an information processing device that includes a memory unit that stores capacity information indicating the capacity of the battery that can be discharged when charging is complete, for supplying power to a predetermined power demand other than that of the vehicle, and a control unit that controls the battery to supply power to the predetermined power demand based on the capacity information when the vehicle's vehicle system is stopped.

In one embodiment, the information processing device is for controlling a battery that can be mounted on a vehicle, and includes a storage unit that stores capacity information indicating the capacity of the battery's dischargeable capacity when charging is complete, for supplying power to a predetermined power demand other than that of the vehicle, and a control unit that controls the battery to supply power to the predetermined power demand based on the capacity information when the vehicle system of the vehicle is stopped.

One embodiment of the information processing method is for controlling a battery that can be installed in a vehicle, and includes: a storage unit storing capacity information indicating the capacity of the battery's dischargeable capacity at the time of charging completion for supplying power to a predetermined power demand other than that of the vehicle; and a control unit controlling the battery to supply power to the predetermined power demand based on the capacity information when the vehicle system of the vehicle is stopped.

The present invention provides technology that makes more effective use of a vehicle's battery capacity.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an overview of a system according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a server device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a control unit according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a sequence diagram for explaining an overview of exemplary processing by a system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a computer according to an embodiment.

A system according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment described below is merely an example, and is not intended to exclude various modifications or the application of technologies not explicitly stated below. In other words, the present invention can be implemented by modifying it in various ways or by combining various embodiments, without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, in the following description of the drawings, identical or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals.

[System Overview]
An overview of a system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1 . System 1 is a system for controlling the charging and power supply (discharging) of a battery of a vehicle such as an electric vehicle in order to more effectively utilize the battery's capacity. Here, the "vehicle battery" may be a battery mounted on the vehicle or a (used) battery removed from the vehicle. In this embodiment, the "vehicle battery" is also referred to as a "battery mountable on a vehicle." In addition, in this embodiment, the battery is a storage battery (secondary battery) that can be charged and discharged. Furthermore, the battery can be charged using a charging device, for example, at a user's home or a charging station.

System 1 controls the charging and power supply of batteries for multiple electric vehicles. Furthermore, a virtual power plant (virtual plant 2) is formed from the multiple batteries (battery group). Virtual plant 2 aggregates, for example, the power stored in batteries that are not being used by vehicles among the battery group that forms virtual plant 2, and supplies the power to power consumers via power lines. Power consumers may be, for example, power transmission and distribution companies, or other businesses that require a power supply. In this way, system 1 aggregates the power stored in batteries that are not being used by vehicles and supplies the power to power consumers, thereby making it possible to more effectively utilize the capacity of vehicle batteries.

System 1 may acquire power demand information from power consumers and control the power supply to the power consumers by virtual plant 2 based on the power demand information. Power demand information is a capacity indicating the amount of power that the power consumer requests to be supplied. Power demand information may include, for example, information regarding the timing at which power supply is required, or information indicating the amount of power that needs to be supplied. In this way, system 1 controls the power supply to power consumers using vehicle batteries based on the power demand information, making it possible to balance power supply and demand.

At least some of the batteries that make up the virtual plant 2 may be used batteries that have been removed from vehicles. By using used batteries to form the virtual plant 2 in this way, it is possible to make effective use of batteries that are no longer being used to supply power to the vehicle but are still capable of being charged and supplying power.

[System configuration]
An example of the configuration of the system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. The system 1 includes a server device 10, terminal devices 20 (20a to 20c), and a server device 30. The devices are configured to be able to communicate with each other via a network N. The system 1 controls power supply to power consumers by a virtual plant 2.

Virtual plant 2 is formed by multiple batteries B (B1 to B6). As described above, virtual plant 2 aggregates, for example, the electricity stored in batteries B that make up virtual plant 2 that are not being used by vehicles, and supplies the electricity to electricity consumers via power transmission lines.

In this embodiment, the terminal device 20 and batteries B (B1 to B3) may be installed in vehicle EVs (EV1 to EV3) such as electric vehicles, but the terminal device 20 and batteries B do not have to be installed in vehicle EVs. Some of the batteries B (B4 to B6) that form the virtual plant 2 may be second-hand batteries removed from vehicles, and these batteries B (B4 to B6) may form a second-hand battery plant 3 as part of the virtual plant 2.

Control of charging, power supply, and other operations of batteries B (B1 to B3) installed in the vehicle EV is performed by server device 10 via terminal devices 20 (20a to 20c). Control of charging, power supply, and other operations of batteries B (B4 to B6) that form virtual plant 2 is performed by server device 10 via server device 30.

Server devices 10 and 30 are information processing devices such as server computers. Each of server devices 10 and 30 may be configured as a single information processing device (or computer; the same applies below), or may be configured as multiple information processing devices using cloud computing technology, distributed computing technology, or the like. Server devices 10 and 30 may be implemented with different configurations.

The terminal device 20 is configured as an information processing device such as an in-vehicle device, an in-vehicle computer, a personal computer, a smartphone, a mobile device, or a dedicated terminal. The terminal device 20 may be configured to be able to communicate with the server device 10 or 30 configured using cloud computing technology.

Network N is composed of a wireless network or a wired network. Network N includes any network, such as the Internet, a mobile communication network, or a LAN (Local Area Network).

In the example shown in FIG. 2, system 1 is configured to include two server devices and three terminal devices 20, but the number of devices included in system 1 is not limited to this, and system 1 may include any number of devices. For example, system 1 may include more than three terminal devices 20. Note that in the following description, at least a portion of the processing described as processing by either the server device or the terminal device may be executed by the other device. For example, a portion of the processing described as processing by the server device may be executed by the terminal device, or a portion of the processing described as processing by the terminal device may be executed by the server device. Furthermore, at least a portion of the processing by server device 30 may be executed by server device 10, or at least a portion of the processing by server device 10 may be executed by server device 30.

[Functional configuration]
The functions of the server device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The server device 10 has a communication unit 11, a database 12, and a control unit 13 as its main functional components.

Server device 10 may have other functional configurations possessed by information processing devices, such as general information processing devices or dedicated devices. The functional configuration of server device 10 is realized through cooperation between computer programs (software) and hardware, for example, when a control device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) possessed by server device 10 reads and executes a computer program stored in a storage device.

The communication unit 11 receives and transmits various information through communication with external devices. For example, the communication unit 11 may transmit a control signal for controlling the charging and power supply of battery B to the terminal device 20 or the server device 30. The communication unit 11 may receive information corresponding to a user input to the terminal device 20 or battery B from the terminal device 20 or the server device 30. The communication unit 11 may also receive information corresponding to the status of battery B from the terminal device 20 or the server device 30. The communication unit 11 may also receive usage information indicating at least a portion of the usage period, charging status, or power supply status of battery B from the terminal device 20 or the server device 30.

The database 12 stores various types of information, including information received by the communication unit 11, information required for processing by the server device 10, or information generated by the server device 10. The database 12 may store, for example, optimization plan information indicating information regarding optimal charging of battery B or power supply by battery B. The optimization plan information may be stored in the database 12 based on information received from the terminal device 20 via the communication unit 11 in response to user input, for example.

The optimization plan information may include, for example, capacity information indicating the capacity of battery B's dischargeable capacity at the time of charging completion that is used to supply power to a predetermined power demand other than that of the vehicle EV. Here, the predetermined power demand other than that of the vehicle EV refers to power demand other than that of the vehicle EV, such as power for operating or driving the vehicle system of the vehicle EV and other onboard equipment of the vehicle EV, and may include the power demand of the above-mentioned power consumers. In this embodiment, the vehicle system is a system that drives the vehicle or operates auxiliary equipment, and may include, for example, a motor or engine. In this embodiment, the predetermined power demand other than that of the vehicle EV may be power demand identified, for example, by server device 10 receiving information. The capacity information may indicate the capacity of battery B's dischargeable capacity at the time of charging completion that is used to supply power to a power demand of power consumers.

The capacity information may be expressed as an absolute value (e.g., Wh) of the dischargeable capacity of battery B when charging is complete, which is the capacity for supplying power to the power consumer's power demand, or as a percentage (e.g., %) of the dischargeable capacity which is the capacity for supplying power. The capacity information may include two types of capacity information (e.g., upper and lower limits of the capacity (percentage) for supplying power to a specified power demand), or may include three or more types of capacity information.

The optimization plan information may include setting information regarding whether to set a charging completion time for charging battery B according to the time period during which the vehicle EV is driven. The optimization plan information may also include setting information regarding whether to control the time for charging battery B so as to reduce the electricity bill for charging battery B, based on rate information indicating values according to the electricity rate for each time period. Furthermore, the optimization plan information may also include setting information regarding whether to prioritize power supply relative to a specified power demand during time periods with higher power demand, based on demand information set according to the level of specified power demand for each time period.

The database 12 may store at least a portion of time zone information indicating a value corresponding to the time zone during which the vehicle EV is operated, fee information indicating a value corresponding to the electricity fee for each time zone, or demand information set according to the level of a specified electricity demand for each time zone.

The control unit 13 controls the processing of various functions executed by the server device 10. For example, the control unit 13 may generate a control signal for controlling the charging and power supply of battery B (i.e., charging of battery B or power supply by battery B). The generated control signal may be transmitted to the terminal device 20 or the server device 30 via the communication unit 11 to control the charging and power supply of battery B. In other words, the control unit 13 may control the charging and power supply of battery B. Furthermore, when the vehicle system of the vehicle EV is stopped, the control unit 13 may control the supply of power from battery B to a predetermined power demand (e.g., the above-mentioned power demander) based on the above-mentioned capacity information.

That is, according to this embodiment, the server device 10 controls battery B that can be installed in the vehicle EV. Specifically, for example, the server device 10 has a database 12 and a control unit 13. The database 12 may store capacity information indicating the capacity of battery B that can be discharged when charging is complete, for supplying power to a predetermined power demand other than the vehicle EV (e.g., the above-mentioned power demander). The control unit 13 may control battery B to supply power to the predetermined power demand based on the capacity information when the vehicle system of the vehicle EV is stopped. In this way, by the control unit 13 controlling battery B to supply power to the predetermined power demand based on the capacity information when the vehicle system of the vehicle EV is stopped, it is possible to more effectively utilize the capacity of the battery of the vehicle EV.

The server device 10 may also control multiple batteries B. Specifically, for example, the database 12 may store, for each of the multiple batteries B, capacity information indicating the capacity for supplying power to a predetermined power demand other than the vehicle EV (e.g., the above-mentioned power demander) out of the dischargeable capacity of battery B when charging is complete. The communication unit 11 may receive demand information indicating the capacity of the above-mentioned predetermined power demand. The control unit 13 may control each of the multiple batteries B based on the capacity information and the demand information so that battery B supplies power to the predetermined power demand. For example, when the demand information indicates a high power demand capacity, the control unit 13 may control the multiple batteries B so that more power is supplied from more batteries B.

At least some of the multiple batteries B controlled by the server device 10 may be second-hand batteries removed from vehicle EVs. In this case, as described above, a second-hand battery plant 3 may be formed as part of the virtual plant 2.

The capacity information may be set in any manner. For example, the capacity information may be set in response to user input on the terminal device 20, or may be set with a view to optimizing the lifespan of battery B.

The capacity information may include an upper limit (e.g., 80 Wh) and a lower limit (e.g., 20 Wh) of the dischargeable capacity of battery B at the time of charging completion for supplying power to a specified power demand. In this case, the control unit 13 may control battery B to supply power to the specified power demand up to the capacity corresponding to the upper limit of the dischargeable capacity of battery B at the time of charging completion, and then charge battery B up to the capacity corresponding to the lower limit.

Generally, battery degradation can be prevented by maintaining the charge rate within a predetermined range (e.g., approximately 50% to 80%). Furthermore, battery degradation can also be prevented by refreshing the battery by discharging stored power. Therefore, in order to refresh the battery, the control unit 13 supplies power from battery B to a specified power demand up to a capacity corresponding to the upper limit (e.g., 80%) of the dischargeable capacity at the time of completion of charging of battery B, and then charges battery B up to a capacity corresponding to the lower limit (e.g., 20%) to keep the charge rate within the predetermined range, thereby preventing battery B from deteriorating.

The control unit 13 may control the charging of battery B so that charging is completed a predetermined time before the time period during which the vehicle EV is driven, based on time period information indicating a value corresponding to the time period during which the vehicle EV is driven. The "predetermined time before the time period during which the vehicle EV is driven" may be set arbitrarily, for example, 10 minutes or 30 minutes before the start of driving. The time period information may be information stored in a storage unit such as database 12 based on information received via the communication unit 11. The time period information may be, for example, information predicted based on the driving history of the vehicle EV received via the communication unit 11, a value set by the user received via the communication unit 11, or based on the actual start and end times of driving the vehicle EV. The time period information may include, for example, information such as 7:00 AM to 8:00 AM or 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

In this way, the control unit 13 completes charging just before the time period in which the vehicle EV is driven, and maintains the charge rate in the time period prior to that within a predetermined range (e.g., approximately 50% to 80%), thereby preventing deterioration of battery B.

Based on the capacity information and the time period information, the control unit 13 may control battery B to supply power to meet a predetermined power demand of the power consumer or the like during times when the vehicle EV is not being driven. This may maintain the charge rate of battery B within a predetermined range (e.g., approximately 50% to 80%) during times when the vehicle EV is not being driven.

The control unit 13 may control the time for charging battery B so as to reduce the electricity bill based on fee information indicating values corresponding to the electricity rates for each time period. The fee information may be information stored in a storage unit such as database 12 based on information received via the communication unit 11, for example. Electricity rates may vary by time period, such as being cheaper at night than during the day. In such cases, the electricity bill for charging battery B can be reduced by controlling charging to occur during a time period when the electricity rate is relatively low.

The control unit 13 may control battery B so that power is supplied with higher priority to the specified power demand during time periods when the specified power demand is higher, based on demand information indicating a value corresponding to the level of the specified power demand for each time period (e.g., the power demand from the power consumer). The demand information may be, for example, information stored in a storage unit such as database 12 based on information received via the communication unit 11. The demand information may be, for example, information based on the actual power demand for each time period, or a predicted value of power demand for each time period.

In this way, the control unit 13 controls the supply of unused electricity stored in the vehicle EV's battery to electricity consumers based on demand information, thereby achieving a balance between electricity supply and demand.

The control unit 13 may identify optimization information including information regarding replacement of battery B based on usage information indicating at least a portion of battery B's usage period, charging status, or power supply status. The usage information may be, for example, information stored in a storage unit such as database 12 based on information received via the communication unit 11. The optimization information may include information regarding the recommended timing for replacing battery B with a new one, identified based on at least a portion of battery B's usage period, charging status, or power supply status. The optimization information may include information regarding the optimal specifications (including, for example, battery capacity) of the recommended replacement battery, identified based on at least a portion of battery B's usage period, charging status, or power supply status. The communication unit 11 may transmit the optimization information to the terminal device 20 of the user of battery B. The user of battery B may be able to view the optimization information via the display unit of the terminal device 20.

The above describes a method for controlling the charging and power supply of battery B using the functions of server device 10. However, this is not limiting. Terminal device 20 or server device 30 may control the charging and power supply of battery B using similar processing. For example, terminal device 20 or server device 30 each has a memory unit and a control unit. The memory unit stores capacity information indicating the capacity of battery B's dischargeable capacity at the time of charging completion for supplying power to a predetermined power demand other than the vehicle EV (e.g., the above-mentioned power consumer). The control unit may control battery B to supply power to the predetermined power demand based on the capacity information when the vehicle system of the vehicle EV is stopped. At least a portion of the processing performed by server device 10, described below, may also be executed by terminal device 20 or server device 30.

With reference to FIG. 4, examples of various functions executed by the control unit 13 will be described in more detail. As shown in FIG. 4, the functions executed by the control unit 13 include, for example, a battery optimization function 131, a plant control function 132, a battery lifecycle function 133, a UI management function 134, and an electricity fee settlement function 135. The control unit 13 may also execute functions other than those described above, or may not execute some of the functions described above.

(1) Battery optimization function 131
The battery optimization function 131 has, for example, the following sub-functions:

(1-1) Battery Registration The control unit 13 registers battery B as a target for control of charging, power supply, and the like by the system 1. The system 1 may provide an API (Application Programming Interface) for registering battery B. For example, the control unit 13 registers battery B as a target for control in response to a request received from the terminal device 20 via the communication unit 11, and may also register information associating battery B with the terminal device 20 (or user ID) of the user of battery B. Furthermore, if battery B is a used battery, the control unit 13 may register the installation location of battery B, its serial number, and the like. The registered information may be stored in the database 12.

(1-2) Usage Model Setting The control unit 13 may identify an optimization plan for the use of battery B based on the usage status of battery B received from the communication unit 11, and may transmit information about the optimization plan to the terminal device 20 of the user of battery B via the communication unit 11. For example, the control unit 13 may identify the above-mentioned optimal capacity information (the proportion of the dischargeable capacity of battery B when charging is complete that is used to supply power to the power demand of the power consumer) based on the usage status of battery B received from the communication unit 11.

The control unit 13 may determine a predicted value for the usage time of battery B based on the usage status of battery B received from the communication unit 11. The control unit 13 may determine the optimal charging time and power supply time for battery B (for example, for each day of the week) based on the predicted value. The control unit 13 may receive setting information via the communication unit 11 indicating whether the control unit 13 will control charging and power supply, and may control charging and power supply of battery B based on the setting information. The setting information may indicate the setting for each day of the week.

The control unit 13 may receive information indicating whether to control the charging and power supply of battery B based on electricity rate information, electricity purchase price information, or electricity demand information for each time period via the communication unit 11 as usage model setting information, and may control the charging and power supply of battery B based on the setting information. For example, the control unit 13 may control battery B to charge during times when the electricity bill is low (e.g., late at night) based on electricity rate information for each time period. The control unit 13 may control battery B to supply power during times when the electricity purchase price is high based on electricity purchase price information. The control unit 13 may control battery B to supply power during times when electricity demand is high based on electricity demand information.

(1-3) Battery Status Detection The control unit 13 may receive status information of battery B via the communication unit 11 and transmit a notification based on the status information to the terminal device 20 of the user of battery B. The status information or notification may include, for example, information on the maximum charge capacity, deterioration status, remaining battery capacity, or charge/discharge transition of battery B.

(1-4) Optimization determination The control unit 13 may identify the optimal timing for charging or powering battery B based on at least part of the functions of (1-3) battery state detection or (1-2) usage model setting described above, and transmit information on the optimal timing to the terminal device 20 of the user of battery B via the communication unit 11.

(1-5) Battery Capacity Determination The control unit 13 may identify the deterioration state of battery B based on the function of (1-3) battery state detection, and may transmit proposal information indicating a proposal such as replacement, trade-in (sale), disposal, or use of battery B in a used battery plant 3 to the terminal device 20 of the user of battery B via the communication unit 11. For example, when the quantified deterioration state of battery B indicates that it is deteriorated below a predetermined threshold, the control unit 13 may transmit proposal information to the terminal device 20 suggesting replacement of battery B.

(2) Plant control function 132
The plant control function 132 has, for example, the following sub-functions:

(2-1) Power Demand Forecast The control unit 13 may receive power request information from the power consumers, weather information, or other information via the communication unit 11, and may identify a predicted value of power demand (power demand information) based on the information. The identified power demand information may be by time zone, by day, or by period.

(2-2) Charging and power supply instructions The control unit 13 may identify an optimal control method for charging and power supply of battery B based on at least some of the functions of (1-3) battery state detection, (1-4) optimization determination, (1-5) battery capacity determination, and (2-1) power demand prediction, and may control battery B based on the identified result.

(3) Battery Lifecycle Function 133
The battery life cycle function 133 has, for example, the following sub-functions:

(3-1) Lifecycle Management The control unit 13 may identify the state of battery B in its lifecycle and store and manage the state in the database 12. The state may include, for example, new registration of battery B to the system 1, use of battery B in a vehicle EV, occurrence of deterioration, reaching the expiration date for use in a vehicle EV, trade-in, use in a used battery plant 3, or disposal.

(3-2) Battery trade-in The control unit 13 may use the function of (1-5) battery capacity determination or the like to identify a battery B having optimal performance (including, for example, a rapid charging function or charging capacity) for use by the user based on at least a part of the usage status, charging status, power supply status, electricity charges, or trends in electricity demand of the battery B in the vehicle EV by the user, and may transmit information about the battery B to the user's terminal device 20 via the communication unit 11.

The control unit 13 may identify charging equipment with optimal performance (including, for example, rapid charging functionality or charging capacity) for battery B based on the user's usage status of battery B in the vehicle EV, and transmit information about battery B to the user's terminal device 20 via the communication unit 11.

(4) UI management function 134
The UI management function 134 is a function for providing a user interface that enables a user, an electricity consumer, or another business to use the system 1 via the terminal device 20. In particular, the UI management function 134 provides a user interface that enables a user, an electricity consumer, or another business to use services provided by the system 1 via the terminal device 20. The services may include, for example, settings related to charging and discharging of battery B, referencing the status of battery B, or a settlement function (wallet function) related to service usage. In order to provide the interface, the UI management function 134 transmits various information and control signals to the terminal device 20 via the communication unit 11. The UI management function 134 may be provided by an SDK (Software Development Kit) or an API (Application Programming Interface).

(5) Electricity charge settlement function 135
The power charge settlement function 135 is a function for settling the charge for the power supplied from the virtual plant 2 to the power consumer, or for calculating the price (remuneration) paid to the user of the battery B that constitutes the virtual plant 2.

[Processing flow]
The processing flow in system 1 will be described with reference to Figure 5. Each processing step described below is realized by cooperation between a computer program (software) and hardware, for example, when the control units of server device 10, terminal device 20, and server device 30 read and execute a computer program stored in a storage unit.

The details of the processing performed by System 1 have already been explained, so in the following explanation of the processing flow, the content already explained will be simplified or omitted.

In step S51, in response to a user operation, the terminal device 20 transmits to the server device 10 capacity information indicating the capacity of the dischargeable capacity of battery B at the time of charging completion for supplying power to a predetermined power demand other than that of the vehicle EV. The predetermined power demand other than that of the vehicle EV is, for example, power for operating or driving the vehicle system of the vehicle EV and other on-board equipment of the vehicle EV, and may include the power demand of the above-mentioned power consumers.

In step S52, the server device 10 stores the capacity information received in step S51 in the storage unit. The server device 10 may also receive capacity information for multiple batteries B from multiple terminal devices 20 in step S51 and store it in the storage unit.

In step S53, server device 10 receives power demand information of the power consumer from server device 30. The power demand information may include, for example, information regarding the timing at which power supply is required, or information indicating the amount of power that needs to be supplied.

In step S54, the server device 10 transmits a control signal to battery B (or each of multiple batteries B) based on the capacity information and the demand information to control battery B to supply power according to a predetermined power demand (e.g., when the vehicle system of the vehicle EV is stopped). For example, when the demand information indicates a high power demand capacity, the server device 10 may control multiple batteries B so that more power is supplied from more batteries B.

Note that in step S54, the server device 10 transmits a control signal to battery B for power supply from battery B, but this is not limited to this. The server device 10 may transmit the control signal to the terminal device 20, and the terminal device 20 may control power supply from battery B.

As described above, according to this embodiment, system 1 controls battery B to supply power to the specified power demand based on capacity information when the vehicle system of the vehicle EV is stopped, thereby making it possible to more effectively utilize the capacity of the battery of the vehicle EV.

[Hardware configuration]
6, an example of the hardware configuration of the computer 800 will be described when the server device 10, the terminal device 20, and the server device 30 are realized by the computer 800. Note that the functions of each device can also be realized by dividing them into multiple devices.

As shown in FIG. 6, the computer 800 includes a processor 801, memory 803, a storage device 805, an input I/F unit 807, a data I/F unit 809, a communication I/F unit 811, and a display device 813. Although not shown, the computer 800 may also include various actuators (e.g., motors), positioning modules (e.g., GPS modules), or various sensors.

The processor 801 is a control unit that controls various processes in the computer 800 by executing programs stored in the memory 803.

Memory 803 is a storage medium such as RAM (Random Access Memory). Memory 803 temporarily stores program code for programs executed by processor 801 and data required when executing the programs.

The storage device 805 is a non-volatile storage medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or flash memory. The storage device 805 stores an operating system and various programs for implementing the above-mentioned configurations. Note that the storage device 805 may be the same device as the memory 803.

The input I/F unit 807 is a device for receiving input from the user. Specific examples of the input I/F unit 807 include a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, various sensors, and wearable devices. The input I/F unit 807 may be connected to the computer 800 via an interface such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus).

The data I/F unit 809 is a device for inputting data from outside the computer 800. A specific example of the data I/F unit 809 is a drive device for reading data stored on various storage media. The data I/F unit 809 may also be provided outside the computer 800. In that case, the data I/F unit 809 is connected to the computer 800 via an interface such as a USB.

The communication I/F unit 811 is a device for performing data communication via the Internet N with devices external to the computer 800, either wired or wirelessly. The communication I/F unit 811 may also be provided external to the computer 800. In that case, the communication I/F unit 811 is connected to the computer 800 via an interface such as a USB.

The display device 813 is a device for displaying various types of information. Specific examples of the display device 813 include a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, and a display for a wearable device. The display device 813 may be provided external to the computer 800. In that case, the display device 813 is connected to the computer 800 via, for example, a display cable. Furthermore, if a touch panel is used as the input I/F unit 807, the display device 813 can be configured as an integral part of the input I/F unit 807.

[Modification]
The program for implementing the system 1 (or the server device 10, or the terminal device 20) in the above embodiment can be installed or loaded onto a computer through various recording media such as optical disks such as CD-ROMs, magnetic disks, semiconductor memories, or by downloading via a communication network, etc.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in various other forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The above-described embodiment is merely illustrative in all respects and should not be interpreted as limiting.

1 System 10 Server device 11 Communication unit 12 Database 13 Control unit 20 Terminal device 20a Terminal device 20b Terminal device 20c Terminal device 30 Server device 800 Computer 801 Processor 803 Memory 805 Storage device 807 Input I/F unit 809 Data I/F unit 811 Communication I/F unit 813 Display device N Network

Claims (10)

A computer for controlling a battery mounted on a vehicle,
a storage unit that stores capacity information indicating a capacity for supplying power to a predetermined power demand other than that of the vehicle out of a dischargeable capacity of the battery when charging is completed, and time zone information that indicates a time zone during which the vehicle will be driven and is information predicted based on a driving history of the vehicle;
a communication unit that receives usage information indicating at least a part of a usage period, a charging status, or a power supply status of the battery;
A control unit,
When a vehicle system of the vehicle is stopped, control is performed based on the capacity information and the time period information so that power is supplied from the battery to meet the predetermined power demand during a time period when the vehicle is not being driven;
a control unit that identifies information about a recommended battery capacity when replacing the battery based on the usage information;
Equipped with
the communication unit transmits information regarding the recommended battery capacity to a user's terminal device;
A program that functions as an information processing device. The program described in claim 1, wherein the control unit controls charging of the battery based on the time zone information so that charging is completed before a predetermined time during the time zone in which the vehicle is driven. The program described in claim 2, wherein the control unit supplies power from the battery to the specified power demand while maintaining the battery's charge rate within a range of 50% to 80% during times when the vehicle is not being driven. the capacity information includes an upper limit value and a lower limit value of a dischargeable capacity of the battery when charging is completed, the upper limit value and the lower limit value of a capacity for supplying power to the predetermined power demand,
2. The program according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the battery to supply power to the predetermined power demand up to the upper limit of the dischargeable capacity of the battery when charging is completed, and then to charge the battery up to the lower limit. the storage unit stores rate information indicating a value corresponding to an electricity rate for each time period;
The control unit, based on the fee information,
Controlling the time for charging the battery.
The program according to claim 1. the storage unit stores demand information indicating a value corresponding to the level of the predetermined power demand for each time period;
the control unit controls the battery so that power is supplied with higher priority to the predetermined power demand during a time period when the predetermined power demand is higher, based on the demand information.
The program according to claim 1. the computer is a computer that controls each of the batteries mounted on each of the plurality of vehicles in a virtual plant that aggregates the batteries mounted on each of the plurality of vehicles,
the storage unit stores the capacity information indicating a capacity for supplying power to a predetermined power demand other than that of the plurality of vehicles out of a dischargeable capacity of each of the batteries at the time of completion of charging, and the time period information indicating a time period in which each of the plurality of vehicles is driven, the time period information being information predicted based on a driving history of each of the plurality of vehicles;
When the vehicle systems of the respective vehicles are stopped, the control unit controls, based on the capacity information and the time period information, the battery charge rates of the respective batteries to be kept within a predetermined range during a time period when the respective vehicles are not being driven, so as to supply power from the respective batteries to the predetermined power demand.
The program according to claim 1. The program described in claim 5, wherein at least some of the plurality of batteries are second-hand batteries removed from the vehicle. An information processing device for controlling a battery mounted on a vehicle,
a storage unit that stores capacity information indicating a capacity for supplying power to a predetermined power demand other than that of the vehicle out of a dischargeable capacity of the battery when charging is completed, and time zone information that indicates a time zone during which the vehicle will be driven and is information predicted based on a driving history of the vehicle;
a communication unit that receives usage information indicating at least a part of a usage period, a charging status, or a power supply status of the battery;
A control unit,
When a vehicle system of the vehicle is stopped, control is performed based on the capacity information and the time period information so that power is supplied from the battery to meet the predetermined power demand during a time period when the vehicle is not being driven;
a control unit that identifies information about a recommended battery capacity when replacing the battery based on the usage information;
Equipped with
the communication unit transmits information regarding the recommended battery capacity to a user's terminal device;
Information processing device. An information processing method for controlling a battery mounted on a vehicle, comprising:
a storage unit stores capacity information indicating a capacity for supplying power to a predetermined power demand other than the vehicle out of a dischargeable capacity of the battery when charging is completed, and time zone information indicating a time zone during which the vehicle will be driven, the time zone information being information predicted based on a driving history of the vehicle;
a communication unit receiving usage information indicating at least a part of a usage period, a charging status, or a power supply status of the battery;
The control unit
When a vehicle system of the vehicle is stopped, control is performed based on the capacity information and the time period information so that power is supplied from the battery to meet the predetermined power demand during a time period when the vehicle is not being driven;
Identifying information regarding a recommended battery capacity when replacing the battery based on the usage information;
the communication unit transmitting information regarding the recommended battery capacity to a user's terminal device;
An information processing method including: