JP7835296B2 - Power receiving control method and power receiving control device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a power receiving control method and a power receiving control device.

Patent Document 1 describes a technology in which a broadcast transmission element broadcasts information representing a total power consumption adjustment instruction value, which is a function of the difference between the current value and a reference value of the total power consumption within a group including multiple power receiving elements (power consuming elements). Each power receiving element receives this information and independently and in parallel determines its own power consumption update value through calculations using its own priority and the total power consumption adjustment instruction value, and controls its own power consumption based on this.

Patent No. 6168528

However, according to the technology described in Patent Document 1, there is a problem in that the power control cycle at each power receiving element cannot be shortened due to factors such as the time interval for measuring the total power consumption within the group on the broadcast transmission element side, and the delay time of power changes when the power adjustment device supplies power to the entire group.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems. Its objective is to provide a power receiving control method and a power receiving control device that can shorten the power control cycle at a power receiving element, even when the time interval for measuring the total power consumption within a group including multiple power receiving elements, or the delay time of power changes by a power adjustment device that supplies power to the entire group, is long.

A power receiving control method and power receiving control device according to one aspect of the present invention control the first element received power, which is the power received by the first element, in a power system that supplies electrical energy to a load group including at least a first and second power receiving element via a power supply base point. An all-element signal is obtained that shows the difference power obtained by subtracting the current value of the total transmitted power from the maximum value of the total transmitted power sent to the entire load group via the power supply base point. When the second element received power received by the second power receiving element is changed, an other element signal corresponding to the changed second element received power is obtained and the difference power is changed. The first element received power is changed based on the changed difference power and the priority of the first power receiving element.

According to the present invention, even if the time interval for measuring the total power consumption within a group including multiple power receiving elements, or the delay time of power changes by a power adjustment device that supplies power to the entire group, is long, the power control cycle at the power receiving elements can be shortened.

Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a power receiving control device and its peripheral devices according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the processing steps performed by a power receiving control device according to one embodiment of the present invention, arranged in chronological order. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the processing steps performed by a modified power receiving control device according to the present invention, arranged in chronological order.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, identical parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[Power System Configuration]
Referring to Figure 1, the configuration of the power receiving control device and its peripheral devices according to this embodiment will be described. In a power system that supplies electrical energy to a load group 11 including multiple electric vehicles (EV1, EV2, EV3, ...) via power equipment 12 (an example of a power supply base point 10), the power receiving control device controls the first element power, which is the power received by electric vehicle EV1 included in the load group 11, by repeating a predetermined processing cycle in electric vehicle EV1. An electric vehicle is an example of a power receiving element.

The power receiving control device includes a transceiver 21 that transmits and receives various information with an external broadcasting network 41, a vehicle status acquisition device 22 that acquires information indicating the state of the electric vehicle EV1, and a calculation device 23 that calculates the first element power received by the electric vehicle EV1. The electric vehicle EV1 includes a power receiving device 24 that receives power from an external source, a battery 25 that stores the power received by the power receiving device 24 (first element power received), and a motor 26 that is driven based on the electrical energy stored in the battery 25 or the first element power received.

The broadcast transmission network 41 is a network that performs broadcast transmissions targeting the load group 11 and the differential information transmission device 14, which will be described later. The broadcast transmission network 41 may enable information to be sent and received between target devices using radio waves such as long waves and ultra-high frequency waves, or it may enable information to be sent and received by the target devices using infrared rays. In addition, the broadcast transmission network 41 may enable information to be sent and received by the target devices using mobile communication functions such as 4G/LTE or 5G.

The "processing cycle" in the first power receiving element, the electric vehicle EV1, includes the following processing steps (hereinafter, the subscripts "s", "s+1", "t", and "t+1" indicate the number of repetitions of the "processing cycle", and s and t are integers).
(a) The transmitting and receiving device 21 acquires a "total element signal" that indicates the differential power (ΔP) obtained by subtracting the current value of the total power being transmitted to the entire load group 11 via the power equipment 12 (P _{all_now} ) from the maximum value of the total power that can be transmitted to the entire load group 11 via the power equipment 12 (P _{all_max} ).
(b) When the second element powered ( _Ps ) is changed, which is the power received by the other electric vehicles (EV2, EV3, ...) that are the second powered elements, the transmitting and receiving device 21 acquires an "other element signal" that corresponds to the changed second element powered (Ps ₊₁ ).
(c) The computing device 23 calculates the modified differential power (ΔQ) based on the total element signals and other element signals.
(d) The calculation device 23 changes the first element power received by the first power receiving element (Pt), which is the power received by the first power receiving element, based on the changed differential power (ΔQ) and the priority of electric vehicle EV1 (β), which indicates the degree to which the power received by the first power receiving element (electric vehicle EV1) is given priority over the power received by other power receiving elements (other electric vehicles (EV2, _EV3 , ...)).
(e) The computing device 23 controls the electric vehicle EV1 to receive the modified first element power (Pt ₊₁ ).

In the processing step (b) described above, the "other element signal" associated with the modified second element power (P _{s + 1 )} may represent the second element differential power (ΔP s) obtained by subtracting the original second element power (P _s ) from the modified second element power ( _{P s} + 1). In this case, in processing step (c), the computing device 23 may calculate the modified differential power (ΔQ) by subtracting the second element differential power (ΔP _s ) from the differential power (ΔP) indicated by all element signals.

Furthermore, the "other element signal" associated with the modified second element power reception (P _{s + 1} ) may represent the second estimated differential power ( _ΔR ) obtained by subtracting the estimated total transmission power (P _{all_est} ) that will be sent to the entire load group 11 via the power equipment 12 after the modification of the second element power reception (P s) from the maximum value of the total transmission power (P _{all_max} ). The estimated total transmission power (P _{all_est} ) may be calculated by adding the second element differential power (ΔP _s ) to the current value of the total transmission power (P _{all_now} ). In this case, in processing step (c), the computing device 23 may use the modified differential power (ΔQ) as the second estimated differential power (ΔR).

In addition, the "other element signals" may include "sequence information" or "time information" that specifies the order in which the second element power reception (P _s ) is changed.

For example, the "sequence information" may be a series of numbers assigned to the "other element signals" transmitted via the broadcast transmission network 41 in the order of transmission. Alternatively, the "sequence information" may be a data structure that makes it impossible to tamper with the transmission order of the "other element signals" transmitted via the broadcast transmission network 41. An example of a data structure that makes it impossible to tamper with the transmission order is a distributed ledger used in blockchain technology.

Furthermore, for example, the "time information" may specify the timing for transmitting "other element signals" or the timing for changing the second element power (P _s ). More specifically, the "time information" may be set based on a GPS clock.

In addition, the "processing cycle" may include the following processing steps:
(f) When the first element power received ( _Pt+1 ) is changed, a "self-element signal" is transmitted that corresponds to the changed first element power received ( _Pt+1 ).

In the processing step (f) described above, the "self-element signal" associated with the modified first element power (Pt _{+ 1} ) may represent the first element differential power ( _ΔPt ) obtained by subtracting the original first element power ( _Pt ) from the modified first element power (Pt+1).

Furthermore, the "self-element signal" associated with the modified first element power reception (Pt ₊₁ ) may represent the first estimated differential power (ΔS) obtained by subtracting the estimated total transmission power ( _{Pall_est} ) that will be sent to the entire load group 11 via the power equipment 12 after the modification of the first element power reception ( _Pt ) from the maximum value of the total transmission power ( _{Pall_max} ). The estimated total transmission power ( _{Pall_est} ) may be calculated by adding the first element differential power ( _ΔPt ) to the current value of the total transmission power ( _{Pall_now} ).

Furthermore, the "self-element signal" may include sequence information that identifies the order of changes in the first element power received ( _Pt ) and time information that identifies the timing of changes in the first element power received ( _Pt ). Details of the sequence information and time information are the same as those for the sequence information that identifies the order of changes in the second element power received ( _Ps ) and the time information that identifies the timing of changes in the second element power received ( _Ps ), so an explanation is omitted.

The processing step (d) described above may consist of the following processing steps:
(d1) The computing device 23 calculates the priority (β) of the electric vehicle EV1 based on a numerical value representing the user's request for the electric vehicle EV1.
(d2) The calculation device 23 calculates the first element differential power (βΔP) by multiplying the modified differential power (ΔQ) by the priority (β).
(d3) The computing device 23 modifies the first element power received ( _{Pt +1) by adding the first element differential power (βΔP) to the first element power received (Pt} ) in the previous processing cycle.

An "electric vehicle" is an example of a "power storage element" or "power receiving element" that receives power transmitted via power equipment 12. The power storage element stores the received power in a battery (including secondary batteries, storage batteries, and rechargeable batteries). "Power storage elements" include all equipment and devices equipped with batteries, such as vehicles (including electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, construction machinery, and agricultural machinery), railway vehicles, play equipment, tools, household products, and daily necessities.

An "energy storage element" is an example of a "power receiving element" that receives power transmitted via power equipment 12. In addition to "energy storage elements," "power receiving elements" also include "power consumption elements" that consume the received power without storing it. "Power consumption elements" include railway vehicles, play equipment, tools, household products, and daily necessities. "Power consumption elements" may be equipped with batteries, such as electric vehicles. If an electric vehicle receives power and transmits it directly to the motor without storing it in a battery, and consumes it as driving force for the motor, then the electric vehicle is an example of a "power consumption element." Thus, "power consumption elements" include all equipment and devices that consume the received power without storing it, regardless of whether or not they are equipped with batteries.

Both "energy storage element" and "power receiving element" represent unit configurations for power receiving control by a power receiving control device. That is, power receiving control according to this embodiment is performed using either the energy storage element or the power receiving element as a unit. For example, power receiving control according to this embodiment is performed independently and in parallel for each of the multiple electric vehicles (EV1, EV2, EV3, ...).

In this embodiment, an energy storage element is given as an example of a power receiving element, and further, an electric vehicle (EV) that uses electricity as an energy source and runs using the motor 26 as a power source is given as an example of an energy storage element. However, it is not intended that the power receiving element and energy storage element in this invention are limited to electric vehicles (EVs).

Note that "power equipment 12" is an example of a power supply base point 10. "Power equipment 12" includes, for example, the following <1> to <6>.

<1> Charging station for electric vehicles (EVs);
<2> Substations installed on the premises of residences, office buildings, commercial facilities, factories, or highway parking areas;
<3> Power plants such as hydroelectric, thermal, and nuclear power plants, and substations that convert the generated electricity to a predetermined voltage,
<4> Various "distribution equipment" for distributing electricity transmitted via substations.
<5>"Wiring (including cables and feeders)" connecting these devices or equipment.
<6> A "virtual power plant (VPP)" combines the energy of small-scale energy storage elements in the vicinity to function like one large-scale power plant.

In this embodiment, an example is described in which the power receiving control device is mounted on the electric vehicle EV1. However, the power receiving control device may, of course, control the first element power of the electric vehicle EV1 from outside the electric vehicle EV1 using short-range wireless communication technologies such as short-range wireless, wireless LAN, wireless WAN, or a mobile phone communication network.

Furthermore, although we will explain using the configuration of one electric vehicle EV1 (EV1, EV2, EV3, ...) included in the load group 11 as an example, the other electric vehicles (EV2, EV3, ...) included in the load group 11 also have the same configuration as electric vehicle EV1.

The power receiving control device controls the power received by the electric vehicle EV1 via the power equipment 12. The electric vehicle EV1 is equipped with a power receiving device 24 called an onboard charger (OBC). The computing device 23 controls the power received by the power receiving device 24 via the power equipment 12. The power received by the power receiving device 24 is stored in the battery 25. Alternatively, the electric vehicle EV1 may not store the power received by the power receiving device in the battery 25, but instead directly supply it to the motor 26 as a drive source.

The power supplied to the electric vehicle EV1 via the power equipment 12 is measured by the current measuring device 13. The power value measured by the current measuring device 13 is transmitted to the differential information transmission device 14.

Electrical energy is supplied to multiple electric vehicles (EV1, EV2, EV3, ...) included in the load group 11 via a single power facility 12. Furthermore, electrical energy may also be supplied not only to the multiple electric vehicles (EV1, EV2, EV3, ...) but also to one or more other power-consuming elements 15 included in the load group 11 via the single power facility 12. The multiple electric vehicles (EV1, EV2, EV3, ...) and one or more other power-consuming elements 15 that receive electrical energy via the power facility 12 form a single group (load group 11).

The current measuring device 13 measures the current value (P all_now) of the total transmitted power being sent via the power equipment 12 to all electric vehicles (EV1, EV2, EV3, ...) and other power-consuming elements ₁₅ included in a single load group 11, in other words, the total transmitted power of the entire load group 11.

Here, the total power capacity of the load group 11, that is, the maximum value ( _{Pall_max} ) of the total power that can be transmitted to the entire load group 11 via the power equipment 12, is predetermined. The power receiving control device according to this embodiment controls the first element power received by the electric vehicle EV1 based on the constraint of the maximum value ( _{Pall_max} ) of the total power transmitted. For example, the power receiving control device controls the power received by the electric vehicle EV1 so that the current value ( _{Pall_now} ) of the total power transmitted measured by the current measuring device 13 does not exceed the maximum power value ( _{Pall_max} ). Of course, the power received by the electric vehicle EV1 may also be controlled to allow the current value ( _{Pall_now} ) of the total power transmitted to temporarily exceed the maximum power value ( _{Pall_max} ).

As shown in Figure 1, in this embodiment, the differential information transmission device 14 is wirelessly or wiredly connected to each of the power equipment 12, the current measuring device 13, and the electric vehicle EV1. The power equipment 12 transmits an electrical signal to the differential information transmission device 14 indicating the maximum value of the total transmitted power ( _{Pall_max} ). The current measuring device 13 transmits an electrical signal to the differential information transmission device 14 indicating the current value of the measured total transmitted power ( _{Pall_now} ).

The differential information transmission device 14 comprises a calculation unit 31 and a communication unit 32. The calculation unit 31 calculates the differential power (ΔP) by subtracting the current value of the total transmitted power (P _{all_now} ) from the maximum value of the total transmitted power (P _{all_max} ), as shown in equation (1). The communication unit 32 transmits an electrical signal indicating the differential power (ΔP) to all electric vehicles (EV1, EV2, EV3, ...) included in the load group 11 via mobile communication (broadcast transmission).

An electrical signal indicating the differential power (ΔP) is received by the transmitting/receiving device 21 and transferred to the computing device 23. This allows the power receiving control device to obtain information indicating the differential power (ΔP), which is obtained by subtracting the current value of the total transmitted power being sent to the entire load group 11 via the power equipment 12 (P _{all_now} ) from the maximum value of the total transmitted power that can be sent to the entire load group 11 via the power equipment 12 (P _{all_max} ).

The differential information transmission device 14 uses its communication unit 32 to transmit a "total element signal" indicating the differential power (ΔP) to the transmitting and receiving devices 21 of all electric vehicles (EV1, EV2, EV3, ...) included in the load group 11 via wireless communication over the broadcast transmission network 41 (broadcast transmission). Alternatively, wired communication may be used to transmit the "total element signal" indicating the differential power (ΔP).

In the example shown in Figure 1, the differential information transmission device 14 does not need to be equipped with a receiving device to receive signals indicating the status of each electric vehicle, such as the charge level (SOC) of the battery 25 or the time when power reception ends ( _Td ), transmitted from each electric vehicle. In other words, communication between the differential information transmission device 14 and each electric vehicle only needs to be in one direction, from the differential information transmission device 14 to each electric vehicle.

The differential information transmission device 14 may be, for example, a server connected to the power equipment 12, the current measuring device 13, and the load group 11 via a computer network. Alternatively, the differential information transmission device 14 may be configured as part of the power equipment 12.

The vehicle status acquisition device 22 acquires information representing the status of the electric vehicle EV1. For example, "status of electric vehicle EV1" is a numerical value representing the user's request for electric vehicle EV1. The numerical value representing the user's request for electric vehicle EV1 is the remaining time (T) until the time when electric vehicle EV1 stops receiving power (end time of power reception _Td ). The remaining time (T) can be calculated from the time when electric vehicle EV1 stops receiving power. The remaining time (T) is the remaining time during which the battery 25 of electric vehicle EV1 can be charged.

For example, if a user returns home and starts charging the battery 25 of the electric vehicle EV1 in their home's parking lot, and plans to leave the electric vehicle EV1 at 7:00 AM the next day, they can set the end time of power reception to a predetermined time (5 minutes) before 7:00 AM the next day. In this way, the "user's request" to "leave the electric vehicle at 7:00 AM the next day" represents the end time of power reception (6:55 AM = T _d ) and the remaining time (T) until the end time of power reception. The "end time of power reception (T _d )" means the time when the period during which the electric vehicle EV1 can continue to receive power ends, and is distinguished from the time when it is decided that power reception will not continue.

The end time of the call reception (T _d ) may be the time actually set by the user using an information and communication terminal such as a smartphone or a user interface installed in the electric vehicle EV1. Alternatively, if there are no specific instructions or settings from the user, it may be a time estimated from statistical data obtained by investigating the user's past behavior history (such as a history of past departure times).

The calculation device 23 calculates the priority (β) of electric vehicle EV1, which indicates the degree to which the charging of its own EV1 is prioritized over the charging of other electric vehicles (EV2, 2V3, ...), based on a numerical value representing the user's request for electric vehicle EV1 (the state of electric vehicle EV1).

The calculation device 23 may calculate priority (β) based on the total number (N) of electric vehicles receiving power within the load group 11. The total number (N) of electric vehicles may be statistical data (quantitative data) obtained by investigating the past power receiving history in the load group 11, or it may be possible to estimate the approximate total number (N) of electric vehicles from the current power value (P _{all_now} ). The total number (N) is transmitted via broadcast from the differential information transmission device 14 or a device attached to the differential information transmission device 14, similar to the differential power (ΔP). Alternatively, the total number (N) may be identified using location information or identification signals of the charging system.

As shown in equation (2), the computing device 23 calculates the element differential power (βΔP) by multiplying the differential power (ΔP) by the priority (β), and changes the first element power received ( _{Pt +1) by adding the element differential power (βΔP) to the first element power received (Pt} ) in the previous processing cycle.

The computing device 23 sends an instruction signal to the power receiving device 24 to receive the modified first element power (Pt ₊₁ ), and upon receiving the instruction signal, the power receiving device 24 receives the modified first element power (Pt ₊₁ ) via the power equipment 12.

The power receiving control device controls the power (first element power _Pt ) received by the power receiving device 24 of the electric vehicle EV1 by repeatedly executing a "processing cycle" at a fixed period.

[Processing procedure for power reception control]
Next, the power receiving control procedure performed by the power receiving control device according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart in Figure 2. Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the processing steps performed by the power receiving control device according to this embodiment in chronological order. The processing shown in the flowchart in Figure 2 is repeatedly performed after the electric vehicle EV1, which is the first power receiving element, is connected to the power equipment 12 and while the electric vehicle EV1 is being charged.

In step S101, the transceiver 21 receives signals transmitted via the broadcast transmission network 41. There are three types of signals transmitted via the broadcast transmission network 41: "all-element signals," "other-element signals," and "own-element signals." The transceiver 21 mounted on the first power-receiving element, the electric vehicle EV1, receives the "all-element signals" transmitted from the communication unit 32 of the differential information transmission device 14, and the "other-element signals" transmitted via broadcast from the transceiver 21s mounted on the other electric vehicles (EV2, EV3, ...) that are the second power-receiving elements.

Furthermore, the "self-element signal" transmitted via broadcast from the transceiver 21 mounted on the first power-receiving element, the electric vehicle EV1, is received as the "other-element signal" by the transceiver 21 mounted on the other electric vehicles (EV2, EV3, ...).

In step S103, the computing device 23 determines whether the signal newly received via the transmitting/receiving device 21 is a "full-element signal".

If it is determined that a new "all-element signal" has been received (if the answer is YES in step S103), in step S105, the computing device 23 sets the differential power indicated by the "all-element signal". More specifically, the computing device 23 assigns a numerical value indicating the differential power to a predetermined calculation variable. After that, the process proceeds to step S115.

On the other hand, if it is determined that no new "all element signals" have been received (the result is NO in step S103), in step S107, the calculation device 23 determines whether or not differential power has been set. More specifically, the calculation device 23 determines whether or not a numerical value indicating differential power has been assigned to a predetermined calculation variable.

If it is determined that differential power is set (if the answer is YES in step S107), in step S111, the calculation device 23 changes the differential power based on the total element signal and other element signals. For example, if the other element signal indicates the second element differential power obtained by subtracting the second element power received before the change from the second element power received after the change, the calculation device 23 subtracts the second element differential power from the differential power that was substituted into the calculation variable to calculate the changed differential power, and then substituted the changed differential power into the variable.

Each time the computing device 23 acquires a signal from another element via the transmitting/receiving device 21, it modifies the differential power value stored in the calculation variable based on the signal from the other element. Therefore, the numerical value of the differential power value stored in the calculation variable is not initialized until all element signals are acquired anew. Until all element signals are acquired anew, the numerical value of the differential power value stored in the calculation variable will be modified by the number of times the other element signals have been acquired.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the differential power is not set (if NO in step S107), the process returns to step S101.

After step S111, in step S113, the calculation device 23 determines whether a certain amount of time has elapsed since the last change in the received power. More specifically, each time the first received power is changed, the calculation device 23 records the time of the change and determines whether a certain amount of time has elapsed since the recorded time.

If it is determined that a certain amount of time has elapsed (if the answer is YES in step S113), proceed to step S115. On the other hand, if it is determined that a certain amount of time has not elapsed (if the answer is NO in step S113), return to step S101.

In step S115, the vehicle status acquisition device 22 acquires information (vehicle status information) that represents the state of the electric vehicle EV1.

In step S117, the computing device 23 changes the power received by the first element based on the vehicle status information. For example, the computing device 23 calculates the priority of the electric vehicle EV1 based on a numerical value representing the user's request for the electric vehicle EV1. The computing device 23 calculates the differential power of the first element by multiplying the changed differential power by the priority. Then, the computing device 23 changes the power received by the first element by adding the differential power of the first element to the power received by the first element in the previous processing cycle. As a result, the first power receiving element is controlled to receive the changed power received by the first element.

Furthermore, if the "other element signal" acquired via the transmitting/receiving device 21 includes "time information" that specifies the timing of the change in the second element's power received, the power receiving device 24 may change the first element's power received at a time different from the timing indicated by the time information. As a result, the first power receiving element is controlled to receive the changed first element's power received at a time different from the timing of the change in the second element's power received.

In step S119, the transceiver 21 transmits its own element signal. Note that the own element signal transmitted via broadcast from the transceiver 21 mounted on the first power receiving element, the electric vehicle EV1, is received as an other element signal by the transceiver 21s mounted on the other electric vehicles (EV2, EV3, ...).

[Processing procedure for power receiving control related to modified example]
Next, the power receiving control procedure performed by the modified power receiving control device will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 3. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the processing steps performed by the modified power receiving control device in chronological order. The processing shown in the flowchart in Figure 3 is repeatedly performed after the first power receiving element, the electric vehicle EV1, is connected to the power equipment 12 and while the electric vehicle EV1 is being charged.

Unlike the process shown in the flowchart of Figure 2, in the process shown in the flowchart of Figure 3, instead of determining whether or not differential power is set in step S107, the determination is made in step S109. If the "other element signal" acquired by the transmitting/receiving device 21 is the second estimated differential power, it is unnecessary to determine whether or not differential power is set. The second estimated differential power is a value obtained by subtracting the estimated total transmission power that will be sent to the entire load group 11 via the power equipment 12 after the change in the second element received power from the maximum value of the total transmission power.

In this case, even if the transmitting/receiving device 21 has not received the "all-element signal," the computing device 23 can determine the surplus of total power that can be transmitted via the power equipment 12. Therefore, even if the transmitting/receiving device 21 has not received the "all-element signal," the computing device 23 can set or change the first element's power reception, and the electric vehicle EV1, which is the first power reception element, can receive power from the power equipment 12 and start charging.

Furthermore, since the "other element signal" is the second estimated differential power, the computing device 23 needs to process the "other element signal" and change the first element's power received power according to the transmission order from power receiving elements other than the first power receiving element (other electric vehicles (EV2, EV3, ...)). The reason for this is that if the "other element signal" is processed without regard to the transmission order, a situation may arise where the change in the second element's power received power, which is the power received by other electric vehicles (EV2, EV3, ...), is not reflected in the change in the first element's power received power. In this situation, the control of the first element's power received power according to the differential power indicated by the "total element signal" transmitted from the differential information transmission device 14 may not be performed.

To prevent such a situation, in step S109, the computing device 23 determines whether the "other element signals" are valid. More specifically, the computing device 23 determines whether the "other element signals" received via the transmitting/receiving device 21 are in the order of transmission.

If the "other element signal" is determined to be valid (YES in step S109), the calculation device 23 may change the differential power in step S111 based on the total element signal and the other element signal. On the other hand, if the "other element signal" is determined to be invalid (NO in step S109), the process may return to step S101.

For example, in step S109, the computing device 23 may compare the transmission order of the "other element signals" processed in the previous step with the "other element signals" being processed in the current step, based on the "order information" contained in the "other element signals," and determine whether the order has been changed. Alternatively, the computing device 23 may determine whether there are any missing "other element signals" between the transmission of the "other element signals" processed in the previous step and the transmission of the "other element signals" being processed in the current step.

Furthermore, the computing device 23 may compare the transmission order of the "other element signals" processed in the previous step with the "other element signals" being processed in the current step, based on the "time information" contained in the "other element signals," and determine whether or not the order has been changed.

[Effects of the Embodiment]
As described in detail above, the power receiving control method and power receiving control device according to this embodiment control the first element received power, which is the power received by the first element, in a power system that supplies electrical energy to a load group including at least a first element and a second element via a power supply base point. An all-element signal is obtained that shows the difference power obtained by subtracting the current value of the total transmitted power from the maximum value of the total transmitted power sent to the entire load group via the power supply base point. When the second element received power received by the second element is changed, an other element signal corresponding to the changed second element received power is obtained and the difference power is changed. The first element received power is changed based on the changed difference power and the priority of the first element.

This allows for a shorter power control cycle at the power receiving elements, even when the time interval for measuring the total power consumption within a group containing multiple power receiving elements, or when the delay time for power changes by the power adjustment device supplying power to the entire group is long.

In particular, after acquiring the all-element signal showing the differential power, the power received by the first element can be changed based on other element signals to reflect the change in the power received by the second element, without having to wait until a new all-element signal is acquired. As a result, the power control cycle at the power receiving element can be shortened. The time interval at which all-element signals can be acquired is determined by the time interval at which the total power consumption is measured and cannot be shortened. On the other hand, according to the power receiving control method and power receiving control device of this embodiment, the power received by the first element can be changed based on other element signals without being affected by the time interval at which all-element signals can be acquired, thus shortening the power control cycle at the power receiving element.

Furthermore, in the power receiving control method and power receiving control device according to this embodiment, the other element signal may indicate the second element differential power obtained by subtracting the second element power received before the change from the second element power received after the change, and the changed differential power may be calculated by subtracting the second element differential power from the differential power indicated by the all element signal. This makes it possible to change the first element power received based on the other element signal, reflecting the change in the second element power received, without having to wait to acquire a new all element signal after acquiring the all element signal indicating the differential power. As a result, the power control cycle at the power receiving element can be shortened.

Furthermore, in the power receiving control method and power receiving control device according to this embodiment, the other element signal may indicate a second estimated differential power obtained by subtracting the estimated total transmitted power that will be sent to the entire load group via the power supply base point after the change in the second element power receiving power from the maximum value, and the second estimated differential power may be used as the differential power after the change. This makes it possible to set and change the first element power receiving power based on the other element signal, reflecting the change in the second element power receiving power, without waiting to acquire all element signals. As a result, the time from connecting the first power receiving element to the power supply base point until charging of the first power receiving element can be shortened. Furthermore, the power control cycle at the power receiving element can be shortened.

Furthermore, in the power receiving control method and power receiving control device according to this embodiment, the other element signals may include sequence information that specifies the order in which the second element power receiving power is changed. Based on the sequence information, it is determined whether the other element signals are valid or not, and the differential power is changed based on the other element signals that are determined to be valid. This avoids a situation in which the other element signals are processed without regard to the transmission order of the other element signals. As a result, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the power receiving power is not controlled according to the differential power indicated by all element signals.

Furthermore, in the power receiving control method and power receiving control device according to this embodiment, the other element signal may include time information that identifies the timing of the change in the second element's power receiving power, and the first power receiving element may be controlled to receive the changed first element's power receiving power at a time different from the timing based on the time information. This makes it possible to perform a process that suppresses simultaneous changes in element power receiving power across multiple power receiving elements, and enables smooth control of the total power consumption within the group.

Furthermore, in the power receiving control method and power receiving control device according to this embodiment, the processing cycle may include transmitting a local element signal associated with the changed first element power receiving power when the first element power receiving power is changed. This allows the second element power receiving power to be changed based on other element signals, reflecting the change in the first element power receiving power, without having to wait to acquire a new all-element signal after acquiring all-element signals indicating the differential power. As a result, the power control cycle at the power receiving element can be shortened.

Furthermore, in the power receiving control method and power receiving control device according to this embodiment, the self-element signal may indicate the first element differential power obtained by subtracting the first element power received before the change from the first element power received after the change. This allows the second element power received to be changed based on the self-element signal, reflecting the change in the first element power received, without having to wait to acquire a new all-element signal after acquiring the all-element signal indicating the differential power. As a result, the power control cycle at the power receiving element can be shortened.

Furthermore, in the power receiving control method and power receiving control device according to this embodiment, the local element signal may indicate a first estimated differential power obtained by subtracting the estimated total transmitted power that will be sent to the entire load group via the power supply base point after the change in the power received by the first element from its maximum value. This makes it possible to set and change the power received by the second element based on the local element signal, reflecting the change in the power received by the first element, without waiting to acquire all element signals. As a result, the time from connecting the second power receiving element to the power supply base point until charging of the second power receiving element can be shortened. Moreover, the power control cycle at the power receiving element can be shortened.

Furthermore, in the power receiving control method and power receiving control device according to this embodiment, the local element signal may include sequence information that specifies the order in which the first element power received is changed. This avoids a situation in which the local element signal and other element signals are processed without regard to the transmission order of the local element signal and other element signals. As a result, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the power received is not controlled according to the differential power indicated by all element signals.

Furthermore, in the power receiving control method and power receiving control device according to this embodiment, the element signal may include time information that identifies the timing of the change in the first element's power received. This allows for the execution of a process that suppresses simultaneous changes in element power received by multiple power receiving elements, and enables smooth control of the total power consumption within the group.

Furthermore, in the power receiving control method and power receiving control device according to this embodiment, the first element differential power may be calculated by multiplying the changed differential power by a priority, and the first element power received may be changed by adding the first element differential power to the first element power received in the previous processing cycle. This makes it possible to allocate the electrical energy supplied from the power supply base point to the load group while taking into account the priority of each power receiving element. As a result, the convenience for users utilizing the power receiving elements is improved.

Each of the functions described in the embodiments above may be implemented by one or more processing circuits. These processing circuits may include programmed processors, electrical circuits, and even devices such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and circuit components arranged to perform the described functions.

Although the present invention has been described above in accordance with the embodiments, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to these descriptions and that various modifications and improvements are possible. The discussion and drawings that constitute part of this disclosure should not be understood as limiting the present invention. Various alternative embodiments, examples, and operational techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.

Of course, the present invention includes various embodiments and the like that are not described herein. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is defined solely by the inventive features of the claims that are reasonable based on the above description.

10 Power supply base point 11 Load group 12 Power equipment 14 Differential information transmission device 21 Transmitting/receiving device 22 Vehicle status acquisition device 23 Calculation device 24 Power receiving device 25 Battery 26 Motor 31 Calculation unit 32 Communication unit 41 Broadcast transmission network EV1 Electric vehicle (first power receiving element)
EV2, EV3 Electric Vehicles (Second Power Receiving Element)

Claims (11)

In a power system that supplies electrical energy to a load group including at least a first power receiving element and a second power receiving element via a power supply base point, a power receiving control method is provided for controlling the first element power, which is the power received by the first power receiving element, by repeating a processing cycle at the first power receiving element,
The aforementioned processing cycle includes:
When the power received by the first element is changed, the element transmits a local signal corresponding to the changed power received by the first element.
A total element signal representing the differential power obtained by subtracting the current value of the total power being transmitted to the entire load group via the power supply base point from the maximum value of the total power that can be transmitted to the entire load group via the power supply base point, is acquired.
When the second element power received by the second power receiving element is changed, the other element signal corresponding to the changed second element power is acquired.
Based on the aforementioned total element signals and the aforementioned other element signals, the differential power is changed.
Based on the modified differential power and the priority based on a numerical value representing the user's request for the first power receiving element , the power received by the first element is changed.
A power receiving control method that includes controlling the first power receiving element to receive the modified power of the first element. The aforementioned other element signal indicates the second element differential power obtained by subtracting the second element power received before the change from the second element power received after the change.
The power receiving control method according to claim 1, wherein the modified differential power is calculated by subtracting the second element differential power from the differential power indicated by the total element signals. The aforementioned other element signal indicates a second estimated differential power obtained by subtracting the estimated total transmitted power that will be sent to the entire load group via the power supply base point after the change in the second element's received power from the maximum value.
The power receiving control method according to claim 1, wherein the second estimated differential power is the modified differential power. The aforementioned other element signal includes sequence information that identifies the order in which the second element power received is changed.
Based on the sequence information, it is determined whether the other element signals are valid or not.
The power receiving control method according to claim 3, wherein the differential power is changed based on the other element signals that have been determined to be valid. The aforementioned other element signal includes time information that identifies the timing of the change in the power received by the second element,
The power receiving control method according to claim 1, wherein the first power receiving element is controlled to receive the modified first element power at a time different from the timing based on the aforementioned time information. The power receiving control method according to claim 1 , wherein the self-element signal indicates the first element differential power obtained by subtracting the first element power received before the change from the first element power received after the change. The power receiving control method according to claim 1, wherein the self-element signal indicates a first estimated differential power obtained by subtracting the estimated total power transmission power that will be sent to the entire load group via the power supply base point after the change in the first element power receiving power from the maximum value. The power receiving control method according to claim 7 , wherein the self-element signal includes sequence information that identifies the order in which the power received by the first element is changed. The power receiving control method according to claim 7 , wherein the self-element signal includes time information that identifies the timing of changing the power received by the first element. The first element differential power is calculated by multiplying the modified differential power by the priority.
A power receiving control method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , wherein the power received by the first element is changed by adding the differential power of the first element to the power received by the first element in the previous processing cycle. In a power system that supplies electrical energy to a load group including at least a first power receiving element and a second power receiving element via a power supply base point, a power receiving control device controls the first element power, which is the power received by the first power receiving element, by repeating a processing cycle at the first power receiving element,
The aforementioned processing cycle includes:
When the power received by the first element is changed, the element transmits a local signal corresponding to the changed power received by the first element.
A total element signal representing the differential power obtained by subtracting the current value of the total power being transmitted to the entire load group via the power supply base point from the maximum value of the total power that can be transmitted to the entire load group via the power supply base point, is acquired.
When the second element power received by the second power receiving element is changed, the other element signal corresponding to the changed second element power is acquired.
Based on the aforementioned total element signals and the aforementioned other element signals, the differential power is changed.
Based on the modified differential power and the priority based on a numerical value representing the user's request for the first power receiving element , the power received by the first element is changed.
A power receiving control device that includes controlling the first power receiving element to receive the modified power of the first element.