POWER CONTROL SYSTEM, POWER CONTROL METHOD, POWER CONTROL DEVICE AND POWER CONTROL PROGRAM

• US 20120112696A1
• Filed: 07/15/2010
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ikeda, Toshihisa, Yoshimura, Yasuo, Tsujimura, Satoshi, Nakatani, Naofumi, Kouda, Tetsuya, Kurimoto, Kazunori
• Application Number:
  US13/383,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20120112696A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/62 Vehicle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/14 by input of vehicle departure time
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/50 by future state prediction
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/54 Energy consumption estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/64 Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 : The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 : by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/12 : Remote or cooperative charging
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

Disclosed are a power control system, a power control method, a power control device and a power control program, which can efficiently supply power to an electric device and charge an electric vehicle. A power control device (16) has: a second communication unit (14) that receives charge information pertaining to charging of an on-board battery (23) from an electric car (2) prior to the arrival of the electric car (2) at a location where power is supplied to the electric car (2); and a control determination unit (11) that determines a power supply start time of supplying power to an electric water heater (1) and a charging start time of charging the on-board battery (23), on the basis of the charge information, such that the supply of power to the electric water heater (1) and the charging of the on-board battery (23) are completed by a predetermined time.

Claims

1. A power control system, comprising an electric vehicle and a power control device that controls charging of a rechargeable battery of the electric vehicle and controls supply of power to an electric device, wherein

the electric vehicle includes:

the rechargeable battery;

a charge information acquiring unit that acquires charge information pertaining to the charging of the rechargeable battery; and

a transmitter that transmits the charge information acquired by the charge information acquiring unit, prior to the arrival of the electric vehicle at a location where power is supplied to the electric vehicle, and wherein

the power control device includes;

a receiver that receives the charge information transmitted by the transmitter, prior to the arrival of the electric vehicle at the location where power is supplied to the electric vehicle; and

a power control unit that determines a power supply start time of supplying power to the electric device and a charging start time of charging the rechargeable battery, on the basis of the charge information received by the receiver, such that the supply of power to the electric device and the charging of the rechargeable battery are completed by a predetermined time.

2. The power control system according to claim 1, wherein

the charge information includes a current remaining level of the rechargeable battery, and

the power control unit computes a time frame required to charge the rechargeable battery, in accordance with the current remaining level of the rechargeable battery, and determines the power supply start time of supplying power to the electric device and the charging start time of charging the rechargeable battery, on the basis of the computed time frame required to charge the rechargeable battery.

3. The power control system according to claim 1, wherein

the charge information includes information on a remaining level of the rechargeable battery that is obtained at the time of vehicle arrival at an installation location where the power control device is installed, the remaining level being obtained based on a distance between a current position of the electric vehicle and the installation location, and

the power control unit computes a time frame required to charge the rechargeable battery, in accordance with the remaining level of the rechargeable battery that is obtained at the time of vehicle arrival at the installation location, and determines the power supply start time of supplying power to the electric device and the charging start time of charging the rechargeable battery, on the basis of the computed time frame required to charge the rechargeable battery.

4. The power control system according to claim 1, wherein

the charge information includes an estimated arrival time at which the electric vehicle arrives at an installation location where the power control device is installed, the estimated arrival time being obtained based on a distance between a current position of the electric vehicle and the installation location, and

the power control unit determines the power supply start time of supplying power to the electric device and the charging start time of charging the rechargeable battery, such that the charging start time of charging the rechargeable battery follows the estimated arrival time and such that a total power of a power required to charge the rechargeable battery and a power used for operating the electric device does not exceed a predetermined value.

5. The power control system according to claim 4, wherein

the charge information further includes information on a remaining level of the rechargeable battery that is obtained at the time of vehicle arrival at an installation location where the power control device is installed, the remaining level being obtained based on a distance between a current position of the electric vehicle and the installation location, and

the power control unit computes a time frame required to charge the rechargeable battery, in accordance with the remaining level of the rechargeable battery that is obtained at the time of vehicle arrival at the installation location, and determines the power supply start time of supplying power to the electric device and the charging start time of charging the rechargeable battery, on the basis of the computed time frame required to charge the rechargeable battery and the estimated arrival time.

6. The power control system according to claim 3, further comprising:

a server device that mediates communication between the electric vehicle and the power control device, wherein

the server device includes;

a distance information receiver that receives, from the electric vehicle, the distance between the current position of the electric vehicle and the installation location where the power control device is installed;

a remaining level computing unit that computes the remaining level of the rechargeable battery that is obtained at the time of vehicle arrival at the installation location, on the basis of the distance received by the distance information receiver; and

a remaining level transmitter that transmits the remaining level of the rechargeable battery computed by the remaining level computing unit, to the power control device.

7. The power control system according to claim 1, wherein

the power control device further includes an electricity rate information storage unit that stores electricity rate information pertaining to an electricity rate that varies according to time slots, and

the power control unit refers to the electricity rate information stored in the electricity rate information storage unit, and determines the power supply start time of supplying power to the electric device and the charging start time of charging the rechargeable battery, such that the charging of the rechargeable battery is ended during a time slot in which the electricity rate becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined rate.

8. The power control system according to claim 7, wherein the power control unit starts charging the rechargeable battery after the end of the supply of power to the electric device, and supplies power to the electric device only during the time slot in which the electricity rate becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined rate, in a case where the power supply start time of supplying power to the electric device does not fall within the time slot in which the electricity rate becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined rate.

9. The power control system according to claim 7, wherein the power control unit starts charging the rechargeable battery after the end of the supply of power to the electric device, and starts the supply of power to the electric device in a time slot prior to the time slot in which the electricity rate becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined rate, in a case where the power supply start time of supplying power to the electric device does not fall within the time slot in which the electricity rate becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined rate.

10. The power control system according to claim 7, wherein the power control unit computes an electricity rate incurred when the operation of the electric device is started prior to the charging start time, and an electricity rate incurred when the operation of the electric device is started after a charging ending time, on the basis of the electricity rate information stored in the electricity rate information storage unit, and then selects the lower electricity rate out of the computed electricity rates.

11. The power control system according to claim 1, wherein the electric device includes an electric water heater that boils water and stores the boiled water.

12. A power control method for controlling charging of a rechargeable battery of an electric vehicle, and controlling supply of power to an electric device,

the power control method comprising:

a charge information acquisition step of acquiring charge information pertaining to the charging of the rechargeable battery;

a transmitting step of transmitting the charge information acquired in the charge information acquisition step, prior to the arrival of the electric vehicle at a location where power is supplied to the electric vehicle;

a receiving step of receiving the charge information transmitted in the transmitting step; and

a power control step of determining a power supply start time of supplying power to the electric device and a charging start time of charging the rechargeable battery, on the basis of the charge information received in the receiving step, such that the supply of power to the electric device and the charging of the rechargeable battery are completed by a predetermined time.

13. A power control device that controls charging of a rechargeable battery of an electric vehicle and controls supply of power to an electric device,

the power control device comprising:

a receiver that receives charge information pertaining to the charging of the rechargeable battery that is transmitted from the electric vehicle, prior to the arrival of the electric vehicle at a location where power is supplied to the electric vehicle; and

a power control unit that determines a power supply start time of supplying power to the electric device and a charging start time of charging the rechargeable battery, on the basis of the charge information received by the receiver, such that the supply of power to the electric device and the charging of the rechargeable battery are completed by a predetermined time.

14. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing a power control program that controls charging of a rechargeable battery of an electric vehicle and controls supply of power to an electric device,

the power control program causing a computer to function as at least:

a receiver that receives charge information pertaining to the charging of the rechargeable battery that is transmitted from the electric vehicle, prior to the arrival of the electric vehicle at a location where power is supplied to the electric vehicle; and

a power control unit that determines a power supply start time of supplying power to the electric device and a charging start time of charging the rechargeable battery, on the basis of the charge information received by the receiver, such that the supply of power to the electric device and the charging of the rechargeable battery are completed by a predetermined time.