Coil position estimation device and vehicle control device

Abstract

A coil position estimation device (150) is used by being attached to a vehicle (10) together with a power reception device (3) that receives power supply in a non-contact manner from a power transmission device (2) having a power transmission coil (21) provided on a road (4), and estimates the position of the power transmission coil. The coil position estimation device is provided with: a past maximum position determination unit (152) that determines a past maximum position, which is a position at which the received power on a past road becomes maximum, on the basis of a change over time in the received power in the power receiving device; and a power transmission coil position estimation unit (153) that estimates, as the position of the power transmission coil, the immediate maximum position at which the received power in front of the road is maximum, using the specified past maximum position.

Description

Citation of related applications

[0001] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-107425 filed on July 4, 2022, and the contents thereof are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a coil position estimating device and a vehicle control device. Background Art

[0003] Various systems have been proposed for supplying power in a non-contact manner from a power transmission device including a power transmission coil disposed on a road to an electric vehicle equipped with a power receiving device including a power receiving coil. In the wireless power supply system of Patent Document 1, a plurality of primary coils L consisting of a plurality of coils C1 to C6 are arranged at equal intervals along a road, and an electromotive force is induced in a charging secondary coil 4 disposed on the power receiving device side of a vehicle 2 by magnetic coupling (magnetic resonance) with the primary coil L disposed at a relative position, thereby charging a battery 6. Prior art literature Patent Literature

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-51744 Summary of the invention

[0005] In the system that supplies power in a contactless manner as described above, the position of the power transmission coil and the position of the power receiving coil do not change while the vehicle is parked. Therefore, there is a problem that the power supply efficiency is very poor if the positional relationship between the two coils is inappropriate. In patent document 1, a position alignment signal is sent between the power transmission device (primary coil L) and the power receiving device (secondary coils 41 and 42 on the vehicle side), and automatic driving control is performed in a manner that the two coils are in a relative state (overlapping state). However, in this structure, a structure for receiving and sending position alignment signals is required, which leads to a problem of increased cost. In addition, even if it is not automatic driving, in manual driving, if the position of the power transmission coil is known, the vehicle can be stopped at a position that can improve the power supply efficiency. Therefore, it is desired to have a technology that can estimate the position of the power transmission coil with high accuracy while suppressing cost increases.

[0006] As one embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a coil position estimation device, which is installed in a vehicle together with a power receiving device that receives power supply from a power transmitting device having a power transmitting coil installed on a road in a non-contact manner, and estimates the position of the power transmitting coil. The coil position estimation device includes: a past maximum position determination unit, which determines a past maximum position based on the temporal change of the received power in the power receiving device, the past maximum position being a position where the received power in the road in the past reached a maximum; and a power transmitting coil position estimation unit, which estimates the position of the power transmitting coil as a future maximum position at a position where the received power reached a maximum ahead of the road using the determined past maximum position.

[0007] According to the coil position estimation device of this mode, since the position where the received power in the past road became maximum (past maximum position) is determined, and the position where the received power in the road ahead becomes maximum, i.e., the future maximum position, is estimated as the position of the power transmission coil using the determined past maximum position, the position of the power transmission coil in the road ahead can be estimated with high accuracy. In addition, in this estimation, since a structure for exchanging a predetermined signal between the power transmission coil and the power reception coil is not required, the cost increase can be suppressed compared with the case where such a structure is required. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The above objects, other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent with reference to the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. Figure 1 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a running power supply system in the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 It is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the vehicle in the first embodiment. Figure 3 1 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the received power storage process in the first embodiment. Figure 4 This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the arrangement position of the power transmission coil and the received power. Figure 5 Detailed Description of the Invention This is a flowchart showing the procedure of the parking position determination process in the first embodiment. Figure 6 Detailed description of the flowchart showing the procedure of future maximum position estimation processing in the first embodiment. Figure 7 It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a process of estimating a future maximum position. Figure 8 It is an explanatory diagram schematically showing an example of a determined parking position. Fig. 9 It is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a vehicle in the second embodiment. Fig.10 Detailed Description of the Invention This is a flowchart showing the procedure of the parking position determination process in the second embodiment. Fig.11 It is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a vehicle in the third embodiment. Fig.12 This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of information displayed on the display device in the third embodiment. Fig.13 Detailed description of the invention is given in Figure 1. It is a flowchart showing the procedure of the slow-moving process in the fourth embodiment. Fig.14 This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the arrangement position of the power transmission coil and the received power in another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0009] A. First Implementation Method: A1. Structure of the power supply system 1 during driving: like Figure 1 As shown, the running power supply system 1 includes a power transmission device 2 installed on a road 4 and a power receiving device 3 on the vehicle 10 side. The running power supply system 1 is a system that can wirelessly supply power from the power transmission device 2 to the vehicle 10 while the vehicle 10 is running or parked. The vehicle 10 is configured as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, for example. In this embodiment, the vehicle 10 is sometimes referred to as "the vehicle 10".

[0010] The power transmission device 2 on the road 4 side includes: multiple power transmission coils 21; multiple power transmission circuits 24, the multiple power transmission circuits 24 apply AC voltage to the multiple power transmission coils 21 respectively to supply power; and an external power supply 25 (hereinafter referred to as "power supply 25"), the external power supply 25 supplies power to the multiple power transmission circuits 24; and a power transmission control unit 26. The plurality of power transmission coils 21 are arranged in a row along the traveling direction of the road 4. The power transmission coils 21 are divided into a plurality of sections. Figure 4 The power transmission circuit 24 is a circuit that converts the DC voltage supplied from the power supply 25 into a high-frequency AC voltage and applies it to the power transmission coil 21, and includes an inverter circuit, a filter circuit, and a resonant circuit. In this embodiment, the inverter circuit, the filter circuit, and the resonant circuit are well known, so the description is omitted.

[0012] The power supply 25 is a circuit that supplies a DC voltage to the power transmission circuit 24. For example, the power supply 25 is supplied from the system power supply to the power transmission circuit 24 via a power factor improvement circuit (PFC). In addition, it is also possible to receive power from the system power supply through the power supply 25, distribute the 50 / 60Hz AC after voltage conversion to each power transmission circuit, and perform PFC and AC-DC conversion in each power transmission circuit. The illustration of PFC is omitted. The DC voltage output by the power supply 25 may not be a complete DC voltage, but may also contain a certain degree of variation (pulsation). The power transmission control unit 26 enables the power transmission circuit 24 and the power transmission coil 21 to perform power transmission.

[0013] The vehicle 10 includes a main battery 31, an auxiliary battery 32, a power supply control unit 33, a power receiving circuit 34, a power receiving coil 35, a DC / DC converter circuit 36, an inverter circuit 37, a motor generator 41, auxiliary equipment 42, tires 43, and a power meter 44. In addition, the vehicle 10 includes a vehicle control device 100 (see FIG. 1 ) for executing driving control. Figure 2 )、The coil position estimation device 150 (refer to Figure 2 )、Peripheral sensor 120 (refer to Figure 2 )、Internal sensor 130 (refer to Figure 2 )、Storage unit 140 (refer to Figure 2 ), various ECUs (Electronic Control Units), and use Figure 2 Their structures will be described later.

[0014] The power receiving coil 35 is connected to the power receiving circuit 34, and the main battery 31, the high voltage side of the DC / DC converter circuit 36, and the inverter circuit 37 are connected to the output of the power receiving circuit 34. The auxiliary battery 32 and the auxiliary equipment 42 are connected to the low voltage side of the DC / DC converter circuit 36. The inverter circuit 37 is connected to the motor generator 41. In the first embodiment, the power receiving coil 35 is located at the lower part of the vehicle body and is provided near the center in the width direction and the length direction of the vehicle 10. The power receiving coil 35 receives the power supplied from the power transmitting coil 21.

[0015] The power receiving circuit 34 includes a rectifier circuit that converts the AC voltage output from the power receiving coil 35 into a DC voltage. In addition, the power receiving circuit 34 may also include a DC / DC converter circuit that converts the DC voltage generated by the rectifier circuit into a voltage suitable for charging the main battery 31. The DC voltage output from the power receiving circuit 34 can be used to charge the main battery 31 or drive the motor generator 41 via the inverter circuit 37. In addition, by using the DC / DC converter circuit 36 ​​to step down the voltage, it can also be used for charging the auxiliary battery 32 and driving the auxiliary equipment 42.

[0016] The main battery 31 is a secondary battery that outputs a relatively high DC voltage for driving the motor generator 41. The motor generator 41 operates as a three-phase AC motor and generates a driving force for the vehicle 10 to travel. When the vehicle 10 decelerates, the motor generator 41 operates as a generator and generates a three-phase AC voltage. When the motor generator 41 operates as a motor, the inverter circuit 37 converts the DC voltage of the main battery 31 into a three-phase AC voltage and supplies it to the motor generator 41. When the motor generator 41 operates as a generator, the inverter circuit 37 converts the three-phase AC voltage output by the motor generator 41 into a DC voltage and supplies it to the main battery 31.

[0017] The DC / DC converter circuit 36 ​​converts the DC voltage of the main battery 31 into a DC voltage suitable for driving the auxiliary equipment 42 and supplies it to the auxiliary battery 32 and the auxiliary equipment 42. The auxiliary battery 32 is a secondary battery that outputs a DC voltage for driving the auxiliary equipment 42. The auxiliary equipment 42 includes peripheral devices such as an air conditioner, an electric power steering device, a headlight, a turn signal lamp, and a wiper of the vehicle 10, and various accessories of the vehicle 10. The DC / DC converter circuit 36 ​​may not be present.

[0018] The power meter 44 measures the power supplied by the power receiving coil 35. The power measured by the power meter 44 is stored in the storage unit 140 described later through the power receiving power storage process described later. In addition, the power measured by the power meter 44 may be displayed on a display device 300 (see FIG. 1 ) provided in the vehicle. Figure 2 ) etc. When receiving contactless power supply during driving, the power supply control unit 33 controls the power receiving circuit 34 to perform power reception.

[0019] A2. Structure of the vehicle control device 100 and the coil position estimating device 150: like Figure 2 As shown, the vehicle 10 includes a vehicle control device 100, a coil position estimation device 150, a peripheral sensor 120, an internal sensor 130, a storage unit 140, a driving force control ECU 220, a braking force control ECU 230, a steering control ECU 240, and a display device 300. The vehicle control device 100, the coil position estimation device 150, the driving force control ECU 220, the braking force control ECU 230, the steering control ECU 240, and the above-mentioned power supply control unit 33 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via an in-vehicle network 250. In this embodiment, the in-vehicle network 250 is composed of a CAN (Controller Area Network). In addition, the in-vehicle network 250 can also be composed of any network that can be installed in the vehicle, such as FlexRay specified by the FlexRay Alliance, Ethernet (registered trademark), etc., instead of CAN.

[0020] The vehicle control device 100 controls the driving of the vehicle 10. In the present embodiment, the vehicle control device 100 is configured as an ECU including a CPU 110 and a memory 118 connected to each other via an internal bus 119. The CPU 110 functions as a parking position determination unit 111, a current position determination unit 112, a separation distance acquisition unit 113, a parking position notification unit 114, and an automatic driving control unit 115 by executing a control program pre-stored in the memory 118.

[0021] The parking position determination unit 111 determines the parking position of the vehicle 10. As described later, the parking position determination unit 111 determines the parking position of the vehicle 10 based on the position of the power transmission coil estimated by the power transmission coil position estimation unit 153 described later.

[0022] The current position specifying unit 112 specifies the current position of the vehicle 10. In the present embodiment, the current position specifying unit 112 specifies the current position of the vehicle 10 by acquiring position information of the vehicle 10 from a vehicle position sensor 131 described later.

[0023] The separation distance acquisition unit 113 acquires the separation distance along the travel direction between the preceding vehicle and the vehicle 10. The "preceding vehicle" refers to a vehicle that is the closest to the vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle 10. The "travel direction" is not limited to the forward direction of the vehicle 10, but has a broad concept including the backward direction of the vehicle 10. Specifically, the separation distance acquisition unit 113 acquires the separation distance using the detection result of the surrounding sensor 120.

[0024] The parking position notification unit 114 notifies the automatic driving control unit 115 of the parking position determined by the parking position determination unit 111 .

[0025] The automatic driving control unit 115 controls the automatic driving of the vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 is capable of automatic driving and manual driving. In automatic driving, even if the steering wheel used to operate the driving of the vehicle 10 is not operated by the driver, the vehicle 10 will automatically perform steering driving. In addition, in automatic driving, there is also a method in which the driver performs steering and automatically controls acceleration and deceleration. In order to achieve such automatic driving, the automatic driving control unit 115 controls steering, acceleration, and braking via the driving force control ECU 220, the braking force control ECU 230, and the steering control ECU 240. In addition, in manual driving, the driver operates the steering wheel, the accelerator pedal, and the brake pedal to steer or accelerate and decelerate, thereby driving the vehicle 10.

[0026] The coil position estimating device 150 estimates the position of the power transmission coil 21 existing in front of the vehicle 10. In the present embodiment, the coil position estimating device 150 is configured as an ECU including a CPU 151 and a memory 158 connected to each other via an internal bus 159. The CPU 151 functions as a past maximum position determining unit 152, a power transmission coil position estimating unit 153, and a received power storage control unit 154 by executing a control program pre-stored in the memory 158.

[0027] The past maximum position identification unit 152 identifies a position where the received power on the road 4 reached a maximum in the past (hereinafter referred to as a "past maximum position"). The method of identifying the past maximum position will be described in detail later.

[0028] The power transmission coil position estimating unit 153 estimates the position of the power transmission coil 21 in front of the vehicle 10. The details of this estimation method will be described in detail later.

[0029] The received power storage control unit 154 controls the storage of received power received by the power receiving device 3 during traveling by executing a received power storage process described later.

[0030] The surrounding sensor 120 obtains the surrounding information outside the vehicle required for autonomous driving. The surrounding sensor 120 includes a camera 121 and an object sensor 122. The camera 121 captures the surroundings of the vehicle 10 and obtains an image. The object sensor 122 detects the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 10. As the object sensor 122, for example, an object sensor that uses reflected waves, such as a laser radar (Lidar), a millimeter wave radar, and an ultrasonic sensor, can be cited.

[0031] The internal sensor 130 includes a vehicle position sensor 131, an acceleration sensor 132, a vehicle speed sensor 133, and a yaw rate sensor 134. The vehicle position sensor 131 detects the current position of the vehicle 10. As the vehicle position sensor 131, for example, a Global Navigation Satellite System(s) (GNSS) or a gyro sensor can be cited.

[0032] The acceleration sensor 132 is a detector that detects the acceleration of the vehicle 10. The acceleration sensor 132 includes, for example, a longitudinal acceleration sensor that detects the longitudinal acceleration in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 10 and a lateral acceleration sensor that detects the lateral acceleration of the vehicle 10. The vehicle speed sensor 133 measures the current driving speed of the vehicle 10. The yaw rate sensor 134 is a detector that detects the yaw rate (rotational angular velocity) of the vertical axis around the center of gravity of the vehicle 10. As the yaw rate sensor 134, for example, a gyro sensor can be used. The peripheral sensor 120 and the internal sensor 130 send the various data obtained to the vehicle control device 110 and the coil position estimation device 150.

[0033] The storage unit 140 is configured to be accessible from the vehicle control device 100 and the coil position estimation device 150. The storage unit 140 includes a map information storage unit 141 and a received power storage unit 142. The map information storage unit 141 stores map information for automatic driving. The received power storage unit 142 stores information on received power during driving on the road 4.

[0034] The driving force control ECU 220 is an electronic control device that controls an actuator such as an engine that generates driving force for the vehicle 10. When the driver is driving manually, the driving force control ECU 220 controls the power source, which is the engine or the motor, according to the amount of operation of the accelerator pedal. On the other hand, when the automatic driving is performed, the driving force control ECU 220 controls the power source according to the required driving force calculated by the automatic driving control unit 210.

[0035] The braking force control ECU 230 is an electronic control device that controls a brake actuator that generates a braking force of the vehicle 10. When the driver is driving manually, the braking force control ECU 230 controls the brake actuator according to the amount of operation of the brake pedal. On the other hand, when the automatic driving is performed, the braking force control ECU 230 controls the brake actuator according to the required braking force calculated by the automatic driving control unit 210.

[0036] The steering control ECU 240 is an electronic control device that controls the motor that generates the steering torque of the vehicle 10. When the driver is driving manually, the steering control ECU 240 controls the motor according to the operation of the steering wheel, thereby generating an auxiliary torque for the steering operation. As a result, the driver can operate the steering device with a small amount of force and realize the steering of the vehicle 10. On the other hand, when the automatic driving is performed, the steering control ECU 240 controls the motor according to the required steering angle calculated by the automatic driving control unit 210 to perform steering.

[0037] The display device 300 displays various information such as various menu screens and map information to the occupants (mainly the driver) of the vehicle 10 using images or sounds.

[0038] A3. Power storage and processing: When the vehicle 10 starts and the coil position estimation device 150 is powered on, the received power storage control unit 154 executes the received power storage process. The received power storage process is a process of storing the power received by the power receiving device 3 on the road 4.

[0039] like Figure 3 As shown, the received power storage control unit 154 determines whether power is being received via the power receiving coil 35 based on the value of the power meter 44 (step S105). If it is determined that power is not being received (step S105: No), step S105 is executed again.

[0040] When it is determined that the vehicle is receiving power (step S105: Yes), the received power storage control unit 154 obtains the current received power information from the power meter 44 (step S110). The current position determination unit 112 determines the current position of the vehicle 10 (step S115). The received power storage control unit 154 stores the received power information obtained in step S110 and the position information indicating the current position determined in step S115 in the received power storage unit 142 in correspondence with each other (step S120).

[0041] like Figure 4 As shown, in the road 4, on the center line 51 of the road 4, a plurality of power transmission coils 21 are arranged at intervals at a predetermined distance. Generally speaking, the power transmission coils 21 are arranged along the direction of travel, that is, along the direction of the road 4. At this time, the distance between adjacent power transmission coils 21 is approximately constant. The configuration of the power transmission coils 21 to the road 4 may be a configuration in which the power transmission coils 21 are all located below the surface of the road 4, or may be a configuration in which a portion of the top of the power transmission coils 21 is exposed and the remaining portion is buried below the surface of the road 4. Generally speaking, the vehicle 10 is controlled to travel so that its center axis C extending along the direction of travel is consistent with the center axis 51 of the road 4. In addition, in Figure 4 In the figure, the lane (lane) in which the vehicle 10 and the preceding vehicle 20 are traveling, that is, the boundary line on the left side of the traveling direction is the white line 5, and the power transmission coil 21 is set on the lane of the center line 6 of the boundary line on the right side of the traveling direction, but the power transmission coil 21 can also be set on all other lanes.

[0042] like Figure 4As shown in the upper half of , the received power changes periodically. Specifically, as the distance between the position of the receiving coil 35 installed in the vehicle 10 along the driving direction and the position of the transmitting coil 21 along the driving direction decreases, the received power increases. When their positions coincide with each other, the received power reaches the maximum pk. As the distance between the positions increases, the received power decreases. In addition, the maximum pk is a local maximum value, such as Figure 4 As shown, the absolute value thereof generally differs for each coil position due to a relative positional deviation to the left and right with respect to the traveling direction, a deviation in coil characteristics due to a manufacturing deviation, and the like.

[0043] The received power stored in the storage unit 140 (received power storage unit 142 ) by the received power storage process is used in a parking position determination process described later.

[0044] A4. Parking location determination and processing: When the vehicle 10 is started and the coil position estimation device 150 and the vehicle control device 100 are powered on, the parking position determination process is executed. The parking position determination process is a process for determining the parking position of the vehicle 10 .

[0045] like Figure 5 As shown, the separation distance acquisition unit 113 determines whether power is being received via the power receiving coil 35 based on the value of the power meter 44 (step S205). If it is determined that power is not being received (step S205: No), step S205 is executed again.

[0046] When it is determined that the vehicle 10 is receiving power (step S205: Yes), the separation distance acquisition unit 113 acquires the separation distance (step S210), and determines whether the separation distance is less than a predetermined distance (step S215). The "predetermined distance" in step S215 is a distance indicating a state in which the vehicle 10 must start braking to stop, and is obtained in advance through experiments or the like. For example, when the preceding vehicle stops or decelerates, the separation distance decreases and becomes smaller than the predetermined distance. When it is determined that the separation distance is not shorter than the predetermined distance (step S215: No), the process returns to step S205.

[0047] On the other hand, when it is determined that the separation distance is shorter than the predetermined distance (step S215: Yes), a future maximum position estimation process is executed (step S220). The future maximum position estimation process is a process for estimating a position where the received power reaches a maximum value further ahead on the road than the current position of the vehicle 10 (hereinafter referred to as the "future maximum position"), that is, a position where the power receiving coil 35 faces the power transmitting coil 21 in the vertical direction.

[0048] like Figure 6As shown, in the future maximum position estimation process, the past maximum position determination unit 152 obtains the received power data near the current position from the received power storage unit 142 (step S305). Figure 7 In the data d1, for the sake of convenience, the position information where the received power is detected is expressed as the distance from the current position. In this case, the negative (-) distance refers to the distance from the current position toward the backward side along the travel direction.

[0049] like Figure 6 As shown, the past maximum position determination unit 152 determines the past maximum position based on the past temporal changes in the received power (step S310). Figure 7 The data d1 determines the four past maximum positions B1, B2, B3, and B4 shown in the data d2.

[0050] like Figure 6 As shown, the past maximum position determination unit 152 estimates the future maximum position using the past maximum position determined in step S310 (step S315). Figure 7 The data d2 shown in the figure shows that the average distance between the adjacent maximum positions along the driving direction is 0.5m. Furthermore, it is determined that the position +0.3m from the current position to the front side is the nearest future maximum position (hereinafter referred to as the "nearest neighbor maximum position"). In addition, the positions 0.5m away from the nearest neighbor maximum position are estimated as future maximum positions. Figure 7 In the data d3, seven future maximum positions N1, N2, N3, N4, N5, N6, and N7 can be estimated.

[0051] like Figure 5 As shown, the parking position determination unit 111 determines the position of the power transmission coil 21 included in the determination range (step S225). In this embodiment, the position of the power transmission coil 21 coincides with the future maximum position.

[0052] exist Figure 8 In, with Figure 7 The power transmission coil 21, the vehicle 10, etc. are depicted corresponding to each of the data d1 to d3. Figure 8 In the figure, for the convenience of explanation, different symbols are given to the power transmission coils 21a to 21j to identify the plurality of power transmission coils 21. Figure 8 In FIG. 1 , for convenience of illustration, the position of the vehicle 10 (the position in the width direction of the road) and the positions of the power transmission coils 21 a to 21 j are offset.

[0053] The determination range Ar1 is a range including the candidate of the power transmission coil 21 facing the power receiving coil 35 when the vehicle is parked. The position of the rear end Er of the determination range Ar1 is a position that is retreated from the rear end of the preceding vehicle 20 in the traveling direction by a distance obtained by adding the separation distance D1 and the offset D2. The offset D2 is a distance in the traveling direction from the front end of the vehicle 10 to the power receiving coil 35. By setting the position of the rear end Er in this way, the power transmission coil 21 located ahead of the current position of the vehicle 10, more precisely, ahead of the position of the power receiving coil 35 installed in the vehicle 10, can be determined as a candidate with high accuracy.

[0054] On the other hand, the position of the front end Ef of the determined range Ar1 is a position that is set back in the traveling direction by a distance D3 (hereinafter referred to as "predetermined vehicle distance D3") that is predetermined as a vehicle interval from the rear end of the preceding vehicle 20. By setting the position of the front end Ef in this way, the power transmission coil 21 as a candidate can be determined so that the vehicle 10 can be stopped while ensuring a vehicle distance that takes safety into consideration during traveling.

[0055] exist Figure 8 In the example of , four power transmission coils 21d, 21e, 21f, and 21g are determined in step S225 as the power transmission coils 21 included in the determination range Ar1.

[0056] like Figure 5 As shown, the parking position determination unit 111 determines the position of the power transmission coil 21 determined in step S225, that is, the power transmission coil 21 included in the determination range Ar1, which is closest to the preceding vehicle 20 (step S230). Figure 8 In the example of , the position of the power transmission coil 21g among the four power transmission coils 21d to 21g is determined. The parking position determination unit 111 determines the parking position based on the position of the power transmission coil 21 determined in step S230 (step S235). Figure 8 In the example of , when the vehicle 10 is parked, the position Ps where the power receiving coil 35 is arranged at a position opposite to the power transmitting coil 21g determined in step S230 is determined as the parking position of the vehicle 10. In the present embodiment, the position Ps is determined as, for example, the position of the front end of the vehicle 10. In addition, instead of the position of the front end of the vehicle 10, the parking position may be determined by any part that can determine the position of the vehicle 10, such as the position of the rear end of the vehicle 10. After step S235 is completed, the process returns to step S205.

[0057] According to the coil position estimating device 150 of the first embodiment described above, since the position where the received power in the road 4 in the past became maximum (the past maximum position) is determined, and the position where the received power in the road ahead of the road 4 becomes maximum, i.e., the future maximum position is estimated as the position of the power transmission coil 21 using the determined past maximum position, the position of the power transmission coil 21 ahead of the road 4 can be estimated with high accuracy. In addition, in this estimation, since a structure for exchanging a predetermined signal between the power transmission coil 21 and the power receiving coil 35 is not required, the cost increase can be suppressed compared with the case where such a structure is required.

[0058] In addition, according to the vehicle control device 100 of the first embodiment, since it includes a parking position determination unit 111 that determines the parking position of the vehicle 10 based on the position of the power transmitting coil 21, it is possible to determine a parking position that is in a positional relationship in which the power transmitting coil 21 and the power receiving coil 35 can efficiently supply power when in the parked state.

[0059] In addition, according to the vehicle control device 100 of the first embodiment, since the parking position is determined by using the estimated position of the power transmitting coil 21, the acquired separation distance, and the determined current position, it is possible to determine with high accuracy a parking position in which the power transmitting coil 21 and the power receiving coil 35 are in a positional relationship in which power supply can be efficiently provided.

[0060] In addition, according to the vehicle control device 100 of the first embodiment, the parking position is determined based on the position of the power transmission coil 21g closest to the leading vehicle 20 among the power transmission coils 21d to 21g included in the determination range Ar1, the rear end Er of the determination range Ar1 being a position retreated in the traveling direction by a distance obtained by adding the separation distance D1 and the distance D2 in the traveling direction from the front end of the vehicle 10 to the position of the power receiving coil 35 of the power receiving device, and the front end Ef of the determination range Ar1 being a position retreated in the traveling direction from the rear end of the leading vehicle 20. The vehicle 10 moves backward in the traveling direction by a distance D3 preset as the vehicle interval. Therefore, the parking position can be accurately determined in consideration of the position of the power receiving coil 35 in the vehicle 10 along the traveling direction. In addition, the parking position can be determined so as to ensure the distance D3 preset as the vehicle interval between the vehicle 10 and the leading vehicle 20. Furthermore, compared with a structure in which the parking position is determined based on the positions of the power transmitting coils 21d, 21e, and 21f which are farther away from the leading vehicle 20 than the power transmitting coil 21g, the distance from the leading vehicle 20 during parking can be shortened, and the utilization efficiency of the road can be improved.

[0061] B. Second Implementation Method: Fig. 9The vehicle control device 100a of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is different from the vehicle control device 100a in that the CPU 110 also functions as the determination unit 116. Figure 2 The vehicle control device 100 of the first embodiment shown is different. Since the other structures of the vehicle control device 100a of the second embodiment are the same as the vehicle control device 100 of the first embodiment, the same symbols are attached to the same structures and their detailed description is omitted. The processing performed by the determination unit 116 will be described later.

[0062] Fig.10 The parking position determination process of the second embodiment shown in the figure is different from that of the second embodiment in that steps S232 and S234 are additionally executed. Figure 5 Since the other steps of the parking position determination process of the second embodiment are the same as those of the parking position determination process of the first embodiment, the same steps are denoted by the same reference numerals and their detailed description is omitted.

[0063] like Fig.10 As shown, when step S230 is completed and the position of the power transmission coil 21 closest to the preceding vehicle 20 among the power transmission coils 21 included in the determination range Ar1 is determined, the determination unit 116 determines whether the power transmission coil 21 closest to the preceding vehicle 20 among the power transmission coils 21 included in the determination range Ar1 is in a state where predetermined power transmission can be performed (step S232). In the present embodiment, the determination unit 116 determines whether there is a foreign object at the position of the power transmission coil 21 closest to the preceding vehicle 20 among the power transmission coils 21 included in the determination range Ar1 using the detection result obtained from the surrounding sensor 120. Then, the determination unit 116 determines that it is not in a state where predetermined power transmission can be performed when a foreign object is present, and determines that it is in a state where predetermined power transmission can be performed when a foreign object is not present. When a foreign object is present at the position of the power transmission coil 21, power may not be supplied at all, or a predetermined amount of power may not be supplied. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when an object is present, it is determined that it is not in a state where predetermined power transmission can be performed.

[0064] When it is determined that the power transmission coil 21 closest to the preceding vehicle 20 among the power transmission coils 21 included in the determination range Ar1 is capable of performing the predetermined power transmission (step S232: Yes), the above-mentioned step S235 is executed. In contrast, when it is determined that the power transmission coil 21 closest to the preceding vehicle 20 among the power transmission coils 21 included in the determination range Ar1 is unable to perform the predetermined power transmission (step S232: No), the parking position determination unit 111 determines the parking position based on the position of a preceding power transmission coil 21 determined in step S230 (step S234). Figure 8In the example, for example, when a foreign object exists at the position of the power transmission coil 21g determined in step S230, the parking position is determined based on the position of the power transmission coil 21f immediately preceding the power transmission coil 21. After step S234 is completed, the process returns to step S205.

[0065] The vehicle control device 100a of the second embodiment described above has the same effect as the vehicle control device 100 of the first embodiment. In addition, when it is determined that the power transmission coil closest to the preceding vehicle 20 within the determination range Ar1 is not in a state where the predetermined power transmission can be performed, the parking position is determined based on the power transmission coil 21 that is one step ahead of the power transmission coil in the traveling direction, thereby preventing the power receiving coil 35 from being located opposite to the power transmission coil 21 that is not in a state where the predetermined power transmission can be performed, thereby preventing the power supply efficiency from being reduced.

[0066] C. Third Implementation Method: Fig.11 The vehicle control device 100b of the third embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is different from the vehicle control device 100b in that the CPU 110 also functions as the display control unit 117. Figure 2 The vehicle control device 100b of the third embodiment is different from the vehicle control device 100 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. Since the other structures of the vehicle control device 100b of the third embodiment are the same as those of the vehicle control device 100 of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same structures and detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0067] The display control unit 117 displays the parking position determined by the parking position determination process and the current position of the vehicle 10 on the display device 300 .

[0068] Specifically, if Fig.12 As shown, the display control unit 117 displays, on the display device 300, an image 310 representing the road 4, an image 311 representing the vehicle 10, an image 312 representing the front end of the vehicle 10, and an image 314 representing the determined parking position, and displays an arrow image 316 extending from the current position of the vehicle 10 to the parking position in association with the image 312, displays an image 313 including a character string of “current position” in association with the image 314, displays an image 315 including a character string of “target parking position” representing the determined parking position in association with the arrow image 316, and displays an image 317 including a character string of “Distance: 1.8 m” representing the distance along the traveling direction from the current position to the stop position.

[0069] The vehicle control device 100b of the third embodiment described above has the same effect as the vehicle control device 100 of the first embodiment. In addition, since the determined parking position and the current position of the vehicle 10 are displayed on the display device 300 installed in the vehicle 10, the occupants of the vehicle 10 can predict when and to what extent braking will occur in the case of automatic driving, and can perform braking action (brake) with reference to the displayed parking position in the case of manual driving, which can improve convenience.

[0070] D. Fourth Implementation Method: Since the vehicle control device 100 and the coil position estimation device 150 of the fourth embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment, the same symbols are given to the same structures and their detailed descriptions are omitted. In the fourth embodiment, the received power storage process, the parking position determination process, and the future maximum position estimation process are performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, Fig.13 The slow-moving process shown is different from the first embodiment in that the slow-moving process is a process from starting the movement from a stopped state to slowing down during slow-moving (movement at a speed below a predetermined speed).

[0071] like Fig.13 As shown, the automatic driving control unit 115 determines whether power is being received via the power receiving coil 35 based on the value of the power meter 44 (step S405). If it is determined that power is not being received (step S405: No), step S405 is executed again.

[0072] If it is determined that the vehicle is receiving power (step S405: Yes), the automatic driving control unit 115 determines whether the preceding vehicle 20 has started moving forward after the host vehicle 10 stops (step S410). If it is determined that the preceding vehicle 20 has not started moving forward (step S410: No), step S410 is executed again.

[0073] When it is determined that the preceding vehicle 20 has started moving forward (step S410 : Yes), the automatic driving control unit 115 determines whether there is a notification of a new parking position from the parking position determination unit 111 (step S415 ).

[0074] After the leading vehicle 20 starts to move forward, when the distance between the vehicle 10 and the leading vehicle 20 along the traveling direction (i.e., the separation distance) is separated by a distance (predetermined distance) pre-set as the vehicle interval, and there is a future maximum position (estimated to be the position of the power transmission coil 21) at a position further forward than the current parking position and further rearward than the leading vehicle 20, the parking position determination unit 111 determines the position as the new parking position and notifies the automatic driving control unit 115.

[0075] like Fig.13 As shown in FIG. 1 , when it is determined that there is a notification of a new parking position from the parking position determination unit 111 (step S415: Yes), the automatic driving control unit 115 starts the forward movement of the vehicle 10 and controls the vehicle 10 to move to the new parking position notified from the parking position determination unit 111 (step S420). On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no notification of a new parking position from the parking position determination unit 111 (step S415: No), the process returns to step S410.

[0076] The vehicle control device 100 of the fourth embodiment described above has the same effect as the vehicle control device 100 of the first embodiment. In addition, the automatic driving control unit 115 continues to stop the vehicle 10 until the preceding vehicle 20 of the vehicle 10 starts to move forward and notifies the new parking position after stopping the vehicle 10, and moves the vehicle 10 forward after notifying the new parking position, so that the vehicle 10 moves forward before the preceding vehicle 20 starts to move forward and determines the next parking position, and stops at a position where power cannot be efficiently supplied when the next parking is stopped. In addition, the parking position determination unit 111 determines the position as the new parking position when the distance between the vehicle 10 and the preceding vehicle 20 along the travel direction is separated by a distance predetermined as the vehicle interval after the preceding vehicle 20 starts to move forward and there is a position estimated to be the position of the power transmission coil 21 at a position ahead of the current parking position, so that the vehicle 10 can be more reliably prevented from stopping at a position where power cannot be efficiently supplied when the next parking is stopped.

[0077] E. Other implementation methods: (E1) In each embodiment, the parking position is determined by the position of the power transmission coil 21 estimated (determined) by the coil position estimation device 150, and automatic driving is performed to park the vehicle 10 at the parking position, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, as in the third embodiment, the parking position may be displayed on the display device 300 without performing automatic driving to park the vehicle 10 at the parking position. In this structure, the driver can also brake with reference to the parking position displayed on the display device 300, which improves convenience. In addition, in this structure, the automatic driving control unit 115 can be omitted.

[0078] (E2) In each embodiment, the predetermined inter-vehicle distance D3 is taken into consideration when determining the determination range Ar1, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The determination range in which the front end Ef is set to a position where the vehicle 10 does not rear-end the preceding vehicle 20, for example, the front end Ef is set to a position 0.5 m back from the rear end of the preceding vehicle 20, may be determined as the determination range Ar1.

[0079] (E3) In each embodiment, the parking position is determined based on the position of the power transmission coil 21 closest to the leading vehicle 20 in the determination range Ar1 among the multiple power transmission coils 21 included in the determination range Ar1, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The parking position may also be determined based on the positions of the power transmission coils 21f and 21g on the side close to the leading vehicle among the multiple power transmission coils 21 included in the determination range Ar1. In this structure, compared with a structure in which the parking position is determined based on the positions of the power transmission coils 21d and 21e on the far side, the utilization efficiency of the road can be improved. In addition, the parking position may also be determined based on the positions of the power transmission coils 21d and 21e on the side far from the leading vehicle among the multiple power transmission coils 21 included in the determination range Ar1.

[0080] (E4) In the slow-moving process of the fourth embodiment, the vehicle 10 is automatically moved forward when the preceding vehicle 20 starts to move forward and there is a notification of a new parking position, based on the premise of automatic driving control, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The fourth embodiment can also be applied to manual driving. Specifically, after the vehicle 10 stops, when the preceding vehicle 20 starts to move forward (step S410: yes) and there is a notification of a new parking position (step S415: yes), the display device 300 displays the determined new parking position and the current position of the vehicle 10, as in the third embodiment. With such a structure, the driver can move the vehicle 10 forward after the new parking position is displayed on the display device 300, thereby preventing the vehicle 10 from moving forward before the next parking position is determined and stopping at a position where power cannot be efficiently supplied the next time the vehicle stops.

[0081] (E5) The structures of the vehicle control devices 100, 100a, 100b and the coil position estimation device 150 in each embodiment are only examples and can be modified in various ways. For example, the vehicle control devices 100, 100a, 100b and the coil position estimation device 150 can also be implemented by the same device. In the second embodiment, in a structure in which the vehicle 10 can communicate with the outside, the failure information of the power transmission coil 21 closest to the preceding vehicle 20 among the power transmission coils 21 included in the determination range Ar1 can be obtained through communication from a server device or the like that grasps the failure information of each power transmission coil 21, and based on the failure information, it is determined whether the power transmission coil is in a state where the predetermined power transmission can be performed. In addition, in each embodiment, the power receiving coil 35 is provided at the lower part of the vehicle body, but it can also be provided inside the tire 43 or in the lower side periphery of the suspension device included in the vehicle 10 near the tire 43 instead of the lower part of the vehicle body or in addition to the lower part of the vehicle body. In addition, in each embodiment, the shape (top view shape) of the power transmission coil can also be a rectangular or elliptical shape that is long in the direction of travel. In this case, if Fig.14 As shown, the maximum pk of the received power for each power transmission coil 21a is approximately a constant value within a specified interval near the center of the coil relative to the direction of travel. Therefore, the midpoint P1 of the interval can be set as the maximum pk position, or the beginning position P2 of the direction of travel of the interval can be set as the maximum pk position. In addition, in the third embodiment, instead of displaying the parking position and the current position on the display device 300, or in addition to the display, a process of gradually increasing the proximity notification sound as the parking position is approached, and a process of accelerating the cycle of the proximity notification sound can be performed. In this structure, the parking position (optimal target position) can also be indicated by significantly changing the volume and frequency of the sound near the parking position.

[0082] (E6) The vehicle control device 100, 100a, 100b, coil position estimation device 150 and the above method described in the present disclosure may also be implemented by a dedicated computer, which is provided by constituting a processor and a memory, and the above processor is programmed to execute one or more functions embodied by a computer program. Alternatively, the vehicle control device 100, 100a, 100b, coil position estimation device 150 and the above method described in the present disclosure may be implemented by a dedicated computer, which is provided by constituting a processor composed of one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the vehicle control device 100, 100a, 100b, coil position estimation device 150 and the above method described in the present disclosure may be implemented by one or more dedicated computers, which are constituted by a combination of a processor and a memory programmed to execute one or more functions and a processor constituted by one or more hardware logic circuits. In addition, the computer program may also be stored in a computer-readable non-temporary tangible storage medium as an instruction executed by a computer.

[0083] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be implemented by various structures within the scope of the above-mentioned subject matter. For example, the technical features in each embodiment corresponding to the technical features in the method described in the invention content section can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve part or all of the above-mentioned technical problems, or to achieve part or all of the above-mentioned effects. In addition, the above-mentioned technical features can be appropriately deleted as long as they are not described as necessary structures in this specification.

Claims

1. A coil position estimating device, the coil position estimating device (150) being installed in a vehicle (10) together with a power receiving device (3) for use, and estimating the position of a power transmission coil, the power receiving device receiving power supply in a non-contact manner from a power transmission device (2) having a power transmission coil (21) installed on a road (4), The coil position estimation device comprises: a past maximum position determination unit (152) for determining a past maximum position based on a change over time in the received power in the power receiving device, the past maximum position being a position on the road where the received power reached a maximum in the past; as well as A power transmission coil position estimating unit (153) estimates the position where the received electric power becomes maximum ahead of the road, i.e., the future maximum position, as the position of the power transmission coil, using the determined past maximum position.

2. A vehicle control device, the vehicle control device (100, 100a, 100b) controlling the vehicle equipped with the coil position estimating device according to claim 1 and the power receiving device, The parking position of the vehicle is determined based on the position of the power transmission coil estimated by the power transmission coil position estimating unit.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The vehicle control device further comprises: a current position determination unit (112) for determining a current position of the vehicle; and a separation distance acquisition unit (113) for acquiring a separation distance (D1) between a preceding vehicle of the vehicle and the vehicle along a travel direction, The parking position determination unit determines the parking position using the estimated position of the power transmission coil, the acquired separation distance, and the determined current position.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The power transmission coil position estimating unit estimates the positions of the plurality of power transmission coils. The parking position determination unit determines the parking position based on the position of the power transmission coil on the leading vehicle side among the power transmission coils included in the determination range (Ar1), among the plurality of power transmission coils. The rear end (Er) of the determined range is a position that is retreated from the rear end of the preceding vehicle in the traveling direction by a distance obtained by adding the separation distance and a distance (D2) from the front end of the vehicle to the position of the power receiving coil of the power receiving device in the traveling direction. The front end (Ef) of the determination range is a position that is retreated from the rear end of the preceding vehicle in the travel direction by a distance (D3) that is preset as a vehicle interval.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The parking position determination unit determines the parking position based on the position of the power transmission coil closest to the leading vehicle within the determination range among the plurality of power transmission coils.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The system further includes a determination unit (116) for determining whether the power transmission coil closest to the preceding vehicle within the determined range is in a state capable of performing predetermined power transmission. When it is determined that the power transmission coil closest to the leading vehicle within the determination range is not in a state capable of performing the predetermined power transmission, the parking position determination unit determines the parking position based on the power transmission coil that is closest to the leading vehicle in the driving direction.

7. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that: The vehicle also includes a display control unit (117) for displaying the parking position and the current position of the vehicle on a display device (300) installed in the vehicle.

8. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that: Also includes: an automatic driving control unit (115), the automatic driving control unit controlling the automatic driving of the vehicle; as well as A parking position notification unit (114) notifies the automatic driving control unit of the determined parking position.

9. The vehicle control device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The parking position determination unit determines, after the leading vehicle starts to move forward, that the distance between the vehicle and the leading vehicle along the traveling direction is separated by a distance preset as a vehicle interval, and if there is a position estimated to be the position of the power transmission coil further forward than the current parking position and further rearward than the leading vehicle, the position as the new parking position.

10. The vehicle control device according to claim 9, characterized in that: After stopping the vehicle, the automatic driving control unit continues to stop the vehicle until the new parking position is notified after the preceding vehicle of the vehicle starts to move forward, and moves the vehicle forward after the new parking position is notified.

11. The vehicle control device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The vehicle further includes a display control unit configured to control a display device installed in the vehicle. the parking position notification unit notifying the display control unit of the determined new parking position, The display control unit displays the new parking position and the current position of the vehicle on the display device.

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