Charging device and charging method that notify a user about the state of charge of a vehicle storage battery

A charging device comprising:

• electric power supply device that supplies electric power to charge a storage battery equipped for a vehicle in accordance with a preset charging pattern;
• capacity memory control device that stores a capacity at a charge ending point in time of the storage battery in memory device each time charging of the storage battery ends;
• estimating device that estimates a residual capacity of the storage battery at a current charge starting point in time of the storage battery on the basis of a capacity of the storage battery stored in the memory device at a last charge ending point in time of the storage battery and a travel distance of the vehicle from the last charge ending point in time, input through input device, by loading from the memory device the capacity at the last charge ending point in time of the storage battery and a predetermined amount of electric power used per unit travel distance of the vehicle prestored in the memory device, computing a total amount of electric power used in the vehicle after the last charging of the storage battery on the basis of the travel distance of the vehicle after the last charging of the storage battery and the predetermined amount of electric power used per unit travel distance of the vehicle, and then estimating the residual capacity at the current charge starting point in time of the storage battery on the basis of the loaded capacity at the charge ending point in time and the computed total amount of electric power used, and that estimates at least one of a distance-to-empty of the vehicle and a required charging period of time to complete current charging of the storage battery in process of the current charging of the storage battery on the basis of the estimated residual capacity at the current charge starting point in time of the storage battery and the charging pattern or an amount of electric power supplied after the current charge starting point in time;
• and
• output device that outputs at least one of the distance-to-empty estimated by the estimating device, the required charging period of time estimated by the estimating device, and current charge ending time derived from the required charging period of time.