Charging system, vehicle charging socket, charging device, and charging method

Abstract

The invention relates to a charging system, a charging socket for a vehicle, a charging device and a charging method, which can stably ensure the positioning accuracy of a charging gun to a connecting port. This charging system is provided with: a vehicle charging socket provided in a vehicle and having a connection port that can be exposed to the outside of the vehicle body; and a charging device provided outside the vehicle, the charging device having a charging gun for inserting the connector part into the connection port when the vehicle is charged, and a movement mechanism part capable of moving the position of the charging gun. The vehicle charging socket is provided with a mark which is exposed to the outside of the vehicle body and serves as a reference when the charging gun is positioned relative to the connection port before the charging gun is inserted into the connection port. The charging device has an infrared camera capable of capturing an image of a region including the marker. The moving mechanism unit moves the position of the charging gun toward the connection port in accordance with the position of the marker in the image captured by the infrared camera.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a charging system, a vehicle charging inlet, a charging device and a charging method for charging a vehicle by inserting a charging gun provided outside a vehicle into a connection port of a vehicle charging inlet provided in the vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Currently, a charging system is known in which a charging gun of a charging device provided outside a vehicle is inserted into a connection port provided at a charging socket of the vehicle to charge the vehicle (for example, Patent Document 1). In the charging system described in Patent Document 1, the charging device has: a camera that can capture an area around the connection port of the charging socket; and a moving mechanism such as an arm that moves the position of the charging gun. The moving mechanism moves the position of the charging gun toward the connection port whose position is determined by processing the image captured by the camera and inserts the charging gun into the connection port.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-162362

[0004] As in the charging system described in Patent Document 1, regarding the structure for moving the position of the charging gun toward the connection port based on the camera image, it is important to detect the position of the connection port accurately by processing the image taken from the camera. However, if the camera detects the wavelength of general visible light, the camera image is easily affected by sunlight, resulting in underexposure in dark places or overexposure (so-called whitening) due to direct sunlight, making it difficult to detect the connection port, and the positioning accuracy of the charging gun toward the connection port may be reduced. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of this point, and an object of the present invention is to provide a charging system, a vehicle charging inlet, a charging device, and a charging method that can stably ensure the positioning accuracy of a charging gun to a connection port.

[0006] A charging system in one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a vehicle charging socket, which is arranged on the vehicle and has a connection port that can be exposed to the outside of the vehicle body; and a charging device, which is arranged outside the vehicle and has a charging gun and a moving mechanism part, the charging gun has a connector part inserted into the connection port when the vehicle is charged, and the moving mechanism part can move the position of the charging gun, the vehicle charging socket has a mark, the mark is arranged to be exposed to the outside of the vehicle body, and serves as a reference when positioning the charging gun relative to the connection port before the charging gun is inserted into the connection port, the charging device has an infrared camera that can photograph an area including the mark, and the moving mechanism part moves the position of the charging gun toward the connection port according to the position of the mark in the image captured by the infrared camera.

[0007] A vehicle charging socket in one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a connection port, which can be exposed to the outside of the vehicle body so that a charging gun of a charging device installed outside the vehicle can be inserted when the vehicle is charged; and an indicator, which is configured to be exposed to the outside of the vehicle body and becomes a shooting object of an infrared camera installed on the charging gun before the charging gun is inserted into the connection port, and becomes a reference when positioning the charging gun relative to the connection port, so as to use the moving mechanism of the charging device to move the position of the charging gun.

[0008] A charging device in one embodiment of the present invention is disposed outside a vehicle and comprises: a charging gun, which is inserted into a connection port of a vehicle charging socket provided on the vehicle when the vehicle is charged; an infrared camera, which can photograph an area including a mark provided on the vehicle charging socket and exposed to the outside of the vehicle body; and a moving mechanism, which moves the position of the charging gun toward the connection port according to the position of the mark in the image captured by the infrared camera.

[0009] In addition, a charging method according to one embodiment of the present invention charges a vehicle by inserting a charging gun of a charging device disposed outside a vehicle into a connection port of a vehicle charging socket disposed on the vehicle, and comprises: a first step of photographing an area including a mark of the vehicle charging socket that is exposed to the outside of the vehicle body using an infrared camera of the charging device; and a second step of moving the charging gun toward the connection port according to the position of the mark in the image captured by the infrared camera using a moving mechanism of the charging device.

[0010] According to this configuration, it is possible to stably ensure the positioning accuracy of the charging gun with respect to the connection port. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 It is a block diagram of a charging system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of a charging device included in a charging system according to one embodiment.

[0013] Figure 3 This is a front view of a vehicle charging inlet included in a charging system according to an embodiment.

[0014] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of an example of a control flow executed in a charging system according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Next, use Figures 1 to 4Specific embodiments of the charging system, vehicle charging inlet, charging device, and charging method according to the present invention will be described.

[0016] A charging system 1 according to one embodiment is a system for charging a vehicle by inserting a charging gun of a charging device outside the vehicle into a connection port of a charging socket of the vehicle. The vehicle charged by the charging system 1 can be any vehicle that runs on electricity, such as an electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid vehicle.

[0017] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the charging system 1 includes a vehicle charging inlet 10 and a charging device 20 .

[0018] The vehicle charging socket 10 is a modular component for charging the vehicle 2. The vehicle charging socket 10 is provided in the vehicle 2. The vehicle charging socket 10 is installed on a vehicle body surface 2a of the vehicle 2, such as the side surface of the vehicle body or the front surface of the vehicle body. Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the vehicle charging inlet 10 includes a base 11 , a cover 12 , a connection port 13 , and a logo 14 .

[0019] The base material 11 is a container-shaped or box-shaped box member. The base material 11 is mounted and fixed in a fitting state to a mounting hole provided on the body surface 2a of the vehicle 2. The base material 11 is a bottomed cylindrical member, that is, a bottom wall portion is formed on the inner side, a side wall portion is formed so as to surround the periphery of the bottom wall portion to form a storage space, and an opening portion is formed on the near front side. The base material 11 is molded by resin or the like.

[0020] The cover 12 is a plate-shaped cover member that opens and closes the opening of the substrate 11. The cover 12 can protect the above-mentioned storage space and even the connection port 13 from the outside of the vehicle body. The cover 12 can move between a closed position to close the opening of the substrate 11 and an open position to open the opening. The movement of the cover 12 can be, for example, the cover 12 rotating around the hinge axis or the cover 12 moving along the vehicle body surface 2a.

[0021] In addition, the movement of the cover 12 from the closed position to the open position can be performed, for example, by a predetermined charging start operation or a cover opening operation by a vehicle occupant or operator. In addition, the movement of the cover 12 from the closed position to the open position can be performed, for example, by temporarily using the elastic force of a spring or the like from the closed position to an intermediate position between the closed position and the open position (so-called half-open position), and then by hooking and position movement of an arm provided on the charging device 20 to perform the movement from the intermediate position to the open position. Furthermore, the movement of the cover 12 from the open position to the closed position can be performed, for example, by a predetermined charging end operation or a cover closing operation by a vehicle occupant or operator. The cover 12 is supported on the substrate 11 in a movable manner.

[0022] The connection port 13 is a connector in which a terminal provided at the other end of a wiring or cable connected to the vehicle battery at one end is exposed. The connector portion 22a of the charging gun 22 described later of the charging device 20 is inserted into the connection port 13. The connection port 13 is accommodated in the accommodation space in a manner exposed from the bottom wall portion of the substrate 11 to the accommodation space. The vehicle battery is arranged to be further inside than the bottom wall portion of the substrate 11. The connection port 13 is hidden inside the cover 12 when the cover 12 is in the closed position, and on the other hand, is exposed to the outside of the vehicle through the opening portion of the substrate 11 in a manner that the vehicle 2 can be charged when the cover 12 is in the open position.

[0023] The mark 14 is a display that serves as a reference when positioning the charging gun 22 relative to the connection port 13. The mark 14 is a light-emitting component that emits light with a wavelength in the near-infrared region. The mark 14 is, for example, an LED lamp. Light with a wavelength in the near-infrared region is, for example, an electromagnetic wave with a wavelength of 0.75 μm to 1.5 μm. The wavelength of the light emitted by the mark 14 is preferably set near the wavelengths of 820 nm, 860 nm, and 940 nm in consideration of the tendency of sunlight to attenuate near the wavelengths above.

[0024] In addition, the mark 14 can emit light with a wavelength in the near-infrared region in conjunction with the timing when the cover 12 is opened from the closed position or the timing when the cover 12 reaches the open position, and can stop the emission of light in conjunction with the timing when the cover 12 reaches the closed position from the open position side or the timing when the cover 12 is closed to the extent that the existence of the connection port 13 cannot be confirmed from the outside of the vehicle.

[0025] The mark 14 is set to be exposed to the outside of the vehicle body. Specifically, the mark 14 is installed on the bottom wall of the substrate 11. The mark 14 is configured so that when the connector portion 22a of the charging gun 22 is inserted into the connection port 13, the control portion 27 of the charging device 20 described later can determine the position of the connection port 13 and the direction in which the axis of the connection port 13 extends (hereinafter referred to as the axis direction). In addition, the mark 14 only needs to emit light toward the outside of the vehicle body. It can be installed on the surface of the bottom wall of the substrate 11 in an exposed manner and directly emit light, or it can be arranged on the inner side of the bottom wall of the substrate 11 and emit light through a transmissive material located in the bottom wall.

[0026] The mark 14 is arranged at at least three points on the substrate 11. In addition, the "point" where the mark 14 is arranged refers to a point that is separated from other "points" by a distance greater than or equal to a specified distance, so that the relative position of the connection port 13 observed from the charging device 20 side, the axial direction of the connection port 13, and the angular position of the connection port 13 around the axis can be determined by processing the image captured by the camera of the charging device 20. In addition, for example, the mark 14 at three points can be composed of only point light sources that exist separately at three "points", or can be composed of a linear light source that includes three "points" and extends linearly.

[0027] For example Figure 3 As shown, the mark 14 can be a point light source and arranged at three different points. In this case, the three-point mark 14 can be arranged so that when viewed from the axis of the connection port 13 outside the vehicle body, the shape obtained by connecting the three-point mark 14 by a line segment becomes an equilateral triangle.

[0028] For example, two marks 14, which are point light sources, are separated and arranged at a distance greater than or equal to a prescribed distance (e.g., greater than or equal to 30 mm, greater than or equal to 50 mm, greater than or equal to 100 mm) in the horizontal direction (e.g., in the front-rear direction of the vehicle when the vehicle charging inlet 10 is arranged on the side of the vehicle body), and the remaining mark 14, which is a point light source, is arranged at a position separated from the marks 14 of the above two points by an equal distance (e.g., greater than or equal to 30 mm, greater than or equal to 50 mm, greater than or equal to 100 mm) which is the same as the separation distance between the marks 14 of the above two points, and at a position higher than the vertical height position of the marks 14 of the above two points. In this case, the marks 14 of the three points can be arranged so that the collection of points separated by equal distances from the marks 14 of the three points becomes the axis of the connection port 13.

[0029] In addition, the mark 14 may be arranged at a linear light source at a V-shaped portion formed by connecting one of the three points as an intersection point and the remaining two points by a line segment, instead of arranging point light sources at three different points forming an equilateral triangle as described above. Furthermore, the mark 14 may be arranged at three points so as to form an isosceles triangle if stored in advance on the charging device 20 side, instead of arranging point light sources at three different points forming an equilateral triangle, or may be arranged at four points so as to form a square at four different points.

[0030] The charging device 20 is a device that supplies power to the vehicle 2 in order to charge the vehicle 2 and supply electric energy to the vehicle 2. The charging device 20 is installed outside the vehicle 2, for example, at a charging station, a home, a parking lot of a shopping mall, a service area, a vehicle assembly factory, etc. The charging device 20 can be a fixed charging pile type device fixedly installed on the ground, or a mobile device such as an AGV.

[0031] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the charging device 20 includes a charging station body 21 , a charging gun 22 , a moving mechanism 23 , an infrared camera 24 , a visible light camera 25 , an operation unit 26 , and a control unit 27 .

[0032] The charging pile body 21 is a base on which the charging gun 22, the moving mechanism part 23, the infrared camera 24 and the visible light camera 25 are installed. The charging pile body 21 is formed in a cylindrical or prismatic shape. The charging pile body 21 includes: a supply source that stores electrical energy; and a charger that outputs the electrical energy of the above-mentioned supply source. In addition, the charger can cope with fast charging and can also cope with DC charging. In addition, the charging pile body 21 is fixedly installed on the ground or mounted on an AGV, etc.

[0033] The charging gun 22 is a component for the flow of electric energy supplied to the vehicle 2 when the vehicle 2 is charged. The charging gun 22 is formed in a hose shape. The charging gun 22 is composed of a metal wiring and a covering portion covering the metal wiring. One end of the charging gun 22 is connected to a supply source in the charging pile body 21. The charging gun 22 is flexible and soft, and the position of the other end, that is, the front end, can be freely moved relative to the charging pile body 21.

[0034] The charging gun 22 has a connector 22a. The connector 22a is provided at the other end of the charging gun 22. The connector 22a is inserted into the connection port 13 of the vehicle charging inlet 10. The connector 22a is connected to the vehicle charging inlet 10 according to CCS (Combined Charging System; see Figure 3 ), CHAdeMO, etc. The charging gun 22 guides the electric energy of the supply source to the vehicle-mounted battery side of the vehicle 2 through the connector portion 22a.

[0035] The moving mechanism 23 is a mechanism for moving the position of the charging gun 22. The moving mechanism 23 can move the position of the connector 22a of the charging gun 22 to the connection port 13 of the vehicle charging socket 10 of the vehicle 2 when the vehicle 2 is parked in a predetermined area relative to the charging pile body 21. The moving mechanism 23 can move the position of the connector 22a of the charging gun 22 relative to the charging pile body 21 in the front-to-back direction, the left-to-right direction, and the up-and-down direction, and can rotate the connector 22a around its axis. The moving mechanism 23 is, for example, a multi-jointed robot or a rectangular coordinate robot, and has a structure that can rotate at the wrist part.

[0036] The infrared camera 24 is a camera that detects light of wavelengths in the infrared region (particularly the near-infrared region). The detection target wavelength of the infrared camera 24 is, for example, 0.75 μm to 1.5 μm. Specifically, considering the tendency of sunlight to attenuate near wavelengths of 820 nm, 860 nm, and 940 nm, the detection target wavelength of the infrared camera 24 is preferably set near the above wavelengths.

[0037] In addition, the infrared camera 24 may have, for example, a light-receiving element (e.g., indium gallium arsenic phosphide InGaAsP) having sensitivity in a wavelength range including a near-infrared region, or may have a light-receiving element (e.g., a silicon photodiode Si-PD) having sensitivity not only in a visible light region but also in a wavelength range including a near-infrared region, and a filter for shielding visible light.

[0038] The infrared camera 24 is installed on the mobile mechanism 23 of the charging device 20 and the charging pile body 21. In addition, the infrared camera 24 is preferably installed at a position close to the connector part 22a of the charging gun 22, such as the front end of the arm of the mobile mechanism 23, on the basis of accurately determining the position of the mark 14.

[0039] The infrared camera 24 can take a picture of the vehicle charging socket 10 of the vehicle 2 parked in a specified area relative to the charging pile body 21. In particular, the infrared camera 24 can take a picture of the area including the logo 14 of the vehicle charging socket 10 and the surrounding area of ​​the connection port 13. The infrared camera 24 is used to determine the position of the logo 14 relative to the charging gun 22 of the charging device 20, and to detect foreign objects that become obstacles to the movement of the charging gun 22 when inserted into the connection port 13. In addition, the foreign object refers to, for example, the cover 12 that is not in the open position, a towel, a plastic bag, etc. clamped between the cover 12 in the open position and the base material 11, and a person existing between the charging gun 22 and the connection port 13 that prevents the connector part 22a of the charging gun 22 from moving to the connection port 13.

[0040] The visible light camera 25 is a camera that detects light of wavelengths in the visible light region. The visible light camera 25 is, for example, a CCD camera, and has a light receiving element (for example, a silicon photodiode Si-PD) that is sensitive in a wavelength region including the visible light region. The visible light camera 25 is installed in the moving mechanism portion 23 of the charging device 20 and the charging pile body 21. In addition, the visible light camera 25 can be arranged adjacent to the infrared camera 24.

[0041] The visible light camera 25 can take a picture of the vehicle charging socket 10 of the vehicle 2 that is parked in advance in a predetermined area relative to the charging pile body 21, and in particular, can take a picture of the surrounding area of ​​the connection port 13. The visible light camera 25 is used to detect foreign objects that become obstacles to the movement of the charging gun 22 when the charging gun 22 is inserted into the connection port 13, or to serve as a substitute when the infrared camera 24 fails.

[0042] The operation unit 26 is a part including a panel for input operation by the driver, the charging pile operator, etc., in order to start the charging operation of the vehicle 2 and settle the payment after the charging is completed, and a sensor for detecting the position of the vehicle 2. The operation unit 26 is provided on the charging pile body 21, the charging gun 22, etc. In addition, the operation unit 26 may include a portable device such as a smart phone carried by the occupant of the vehicle 2 in addition to or instead of being provided on the charging pile body 21 and the charging gun 22.

[0043] In addition, a series of charging processes from the movement of the charging gun 22 based on the mobile mechanism unit 23 to the supply of electric energy to the vehicle 2 and further to the settlement processing can be automatically started under the following conditions, instead of setting the charging start operation on the operating unit 26 as a condition, that is, the vehicle 2 is parked in a specified area relative to the charging pile body 21 and the hood 12 of the vehicle 2 is opened, the charging start operation and settlement operation are performed using an application in the smartphone, or it can be performed completely automatically without being based on human operation.

[0044] The control unit 27 is a part that performs various controls of the charging device 20. The control unit 27 is mainly composed of a microcomputer. The control unit 27 is connected to the infrared camera 24, the visible light camera 25, and the operation unit 26, and is connected to the working actuator of the moving mechanism unit 23. The control unit 27 starts the charging process (for example, the operation of the infrared camera 24 and the visible light camera 25) according to the input operation using the operation unit 26.

[0045] After starting the charging process, the control unit 27 first processes the infrared image captured by the infrared camera 24 and the visible light image captured by the visible light camera 25 to determine the position of the mark 14 of the vehicle charging socket 10 of the vehicle 2, and processes the infrared image and the visible light image to determine the presence or absence of foreign objects that hinder the movement of the charging gun 22. In addition, when it is detected that there are no foreign objects in the surrounding area of ​​the connection port 13, the control unit 27 issues a drive instruction to the moving mechanism unit 23 in such a way that the position of the charging gun 22 is moved according to the position of the mark 14 and the connector unit 22a is inserted into the connection port 13.

[0046] Next, refer to Figure 4 The operation of charging system 1 will be described.

[0047] If the vehicle 2 is requested to be charged, the vehicle 2 stops in a predetermined area relative to the charging station main body 21 of the charging device 20. Furthermore, after the vehicle 2 stops, if the indicator lighting condition is satisfied, such as the cover 12 is opened from the closed position or reaches the open position thereafter, the indicator 14 is lit. In this case, light with a wavelength in the near-infrared region is emitted from the indicator 14.

[0048] In the charging system 1, when the control unit 27 determines that the charging start condition for charging the vehicle 2 is satisfied ( Figure 4 100 in step 100 is determined to be positive), the infrared camera 24 and the visible light camera 25 start shooting (step 110). In this case, the infrared camera 24 and the visible light camera 25 respectively shoot the vehicle charging socket 10 of the parked vehicle 2 (specifically, the area including the logo 14 and the surrounding area of ​​the connection port 13), and the control unit 27 processes the above-mentioned images.

[0049] As a result of processing each image, the control unit 27 determines whether there is no foreign object that becomes an obstacle to the movement of the charging gun 22 when the charging gun 22 is inserted into the connection port 13 of the vehicle 2 (step 120). As a result, if the control unit 27 determines that the above-mentioned foreign object exists, no further processing is performed and the current flow is terminated. In this case, the charging gun 22 is prohibited from moving to the connection port 13 of the vehicle 2, and the vehicle 2 is not charged.

[0050] On the other hand, when the control unit 27 determines that the above-mentioned foreign matter does not exist, the positions of the three marks 14 existing in the infrared image captured by the infrared camera 24 are determined next (step 130). The control unit 27 positions the charging gun 22 relative to the connection port 13 based on the positions of the three marks 14 in the determined infrared image. Specifically, the relative position of the connection port 13 as viewed from the charging device 20 side, the axial direction of the connection port 13, and the angular position of the connection port 13 around the axis are determined, and the trajectory that the connector part 22a of the charging gun 22 should move when the connector part 22a is inserted into the connection port 13 is calculated.

[0051] In addition, the control unit 27 may pre-store the configuration positions of the three markers 14 relative to the connection port 13 and the two-dimensional shape formed by the three markers 14, and compare the positions of the three markers 14 existing in the infrared image with the above-mentioned stored data to calculate the movement trajectory of the charging gun 22. In addition, the above-mentioned movement trajectory may be a trajectory in which the connector part 22a of the charging gun 22 is first separated from the connection port 13 and located on the axis of the connection port 13, and then is linearly moved toward the connection port 13 along the axis to be inserted into the connection port 13.

[0052] When the control unit 27 calculates the movement trajectory in the above manner, the moving mechanism unit 23 is driven in such a manner that the position of the charging gun 22 moves toward the connection port 13 according to the position of the marker 14. The moving mechanism unit 23 moves the position of the charging gun 22 toward the connection port 13 along the above movement trajectory according to the driving instruction from the control unit 27 (step 140).

[0053] When the charging gun 22 is inserted into the connection port 13, the control unit 27 then activates the charger to supply electric energy to the vehicle 2 (step 150). When such electric energy is supplied, the charging gun 22 flows electric energy to charge the vehicle 2.

[0054] Thus, regarding the charging system 1, the vehicle charging socket 10 provided in the vehicle 2 has a mark 14 that serves as a reference when positioning the charging gun 22 relative to the connection port 13 before the charging gun 22 is inserted into the connection port 13. In addition, the charging device 20 has an infrared camera 24 that can capture an area including the mark 14. Moreover, the moving mechanism 23 of the charging device 20 moves the position of the charging gun 22 toward the connection port 13 according to the position of the mark 14 in the infrared image captured by the infrared camera 24.

[0055] In this charging system 1, an infrared camera 24 is used to determine the position of the marker 14. According to this structure, the image obtained by the infrared camera 24 is less likely to be affected by sunlight than the image obtained by a general visible light camera, and underexposure in dark places is suppressed, and overexposure (so-called whitening) due to direct sunlight is suppressed. Therefore, the connection port 13 can be stably detected, and the positioning accuracy of the charging gun 22 to the connection port 13 can be stably ensured.

[0056] In particular, the infrared camera 24 detects light with a wavelength in the near infrared region. Therefore, according to the charging system 1, the influence of sunlight can be eliminated, so that the connection port 13 can be stably detected and the positioning accuracy of the charging gun 22 to the connection port 13 can be improved.

[0057] In addition, regarding the charging system 1, the mark 14 is a light-emitting component that emits light with a wavelength in the near-infrared region. Therefore, the position of the mark 14 can be determined with high precision using the infrared camera 24, thereby improving the detection accuracy of the connection port 13 and further improving the positioning accuracy of the charging gun 22 to the connection port 13. In addition, even if the mark 14 is lit, the light with a wavelength in the near-infrared region of the mark 14 is not perceived by the human eye, so it is possible to avoid the situation where the appearance of the vehicle charging socket 10 is reduced by lighting the mark 14.

[0058] In addition, the marks 14 are arranged at least at three points. Therefore, the relative position of the connection port 13 viewed from the charging device 20 side, the axial direction of the connection port 13, and the angular position of the connection port 13 around the axis can be determined, thereby improving the positioning accuracy of the charging gun 22 to the connection port 13.

[0059] Furthermore, regarding the charging system 1, the charging device 20 has a visible light camera 25 that can capture the surrounding area of ​​the connection port 13, which is different from the infrared camera 24. Furthermore, by processing the visible light image captured by the visible light camera 25, a foreign object that becomes an obstacle to the movement of the charging gun 22 when the charging gun 22 is inserted into the connection port 13 is detected. When a foreign object is detected, the movement of the charging gun 22 is prohibited. On the other hand, when there is no foreign object, the position of the charging gun 22 is moved toward the connection port 13 and inserted into the connection port 13. Therefore, safety can be ensured when the position of the charging gun 22 is moved toward the connection port 13.

[0060] In particular, even when infrared camera 24 fails, foreign matter in the area around connection port 13 can be detected based on the visible light image, so that charging gun 22 can be moved to connection port 13 and the safety of the movement can be ensured.

[0061] In addition, the infrared camera 24 is also used to detect foreign objects that become obstacles to the movement of the charging gun 22 when the charging gun 22 is inserted into the connection port 13. That is, by processing the infrared image captured by the infrared camera 24, foreign objects that become obstacles to the movement of the charging gun 22 when the charging gun 22 is inserted into the connection port 13 are detected. According to this structure, even when performing foreign object detection around the connection port 13, the influence of sunlight can be eliminated, so that the accuracy of the foreign object detection can be improved, and the safety when the position of the charging gun 22 is moved toward the connection port 13 can be improved.

[0062] However, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the mark 14, which serves as a reference when positioning the charging gun 22 relative to the connection port 13 before the charging gun 22 is inserted into the connection port 13, is a light-emitting component that emits light with a wavelength in the near-infrared region. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the mark 14 may not emit light with a wavelength in the near-infrared region. In this case, for example, the mark 14 may be formed of a material that easily reflects light with a wavelength in the near-infrared region, and an infrared lighting unit that irradiates light with a wavelength in the near-infrared region toward the area including the mark 14 may be arranged on the base material 11 of the vehicle charging socket 10, the front end of the charging gun 22 of the charging device 20, and the like.

[0063] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, both the visible light camera 25 and the infrared camera 24 are used to detect foreign objects that become obstacles to the movement of the charging gun 22 when the charging gun 22 is inserted into the connection port 13. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and foreign objects that become obstacles to the movement of the charging gun 22 when the charging gun 22 is inserted into the connection port 13 may be detected using only the visible light camera 25.

[0064] In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments and variations, and various changes can be implemented within the scope of the main purpose of the present invention. In addition, this specification not only discloses the technical ideas shown by the reference relationship recorded in each claim at the time of application, but also discloses the technical ideas obtained by appropriately combining the matters recorded in each claim.

[0065] In addition, this application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-166422 filed in Japan on September 27, 2023, and all the contents described in the Japanese application are cited.

[0066] Description of the label

[0067] 1: Charging system, 2: Vehicle, 10: Vehicle charging socket, 13: Connection port, 14: Label, 20: Charging device, 22: Charging gun, 22a: Connector part, 23: Moving mechanism part, 24: Infrared camera, 25: Visible light camera, 27: Control part.

Claims

1. A charging system, wherein: The charging system comprises: A vehicle charging socket, which is provided in the vehicle and has a connection port that can be exposed to the outside of the vehicle body; and A charging device is provided outside a vehicle and comprises a charging gun and a moving mechanism. When charging the vehicle, the charging gun inserts a connector into the connecting port, and the moving mechanism can move the position of the charging gun. The vehicle charging socket has a mark, which is exposed to the outside of the vehicle body and serves as a reference when positioning the charging gun relative to the connection port before the charging gun is inserted into the connection port. The charging device has an infrared camera capable of photographing an area including the mark. The moving mechanism moves the position of the charging gun toward the connection port according to the position of the marker in the image captured by the infrared camera.

2. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein: The infrared camera detects light with a wavelength in the near-infrared region.

3. The charging system according to claim 2, wherein: The marker is a light emitting member that emits light having a wavelength in the near-infrared region.

4. The charging system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The markings are arranged at at least three points.

5. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein: The charging device has a visible light camera that can capture images of the area surrounding the connection port to detect foreign matter that becomes an obstacle to movement of the charging gun when the charging gun is inserted into the connection port, or to serve as a substitute when the infrared camera fails.

6. A charging socket for a vehicle, wherein: The vehicle charging socket has: A connection port that can be exposed to the outside of the vehicle body so that a charging gun of a charging device disposed outside the vehicle can be inserted when the vehicle is charged; and The marker is configured to be exposed to the outside of the vehicle body and becomes a photographic subject of an infrared camera installed on the charging gun before the charging gun is inserted into the connection port. It becomes a reference when positioning the charging gun relative to the connection port so as to move the position of the charging gun using the moving mechanism of the charging device.

7. A charging device, which is arranged outside a vehicle, wherein: The charging device comprises: A charging gun, which is inserted into a connection port of a vehicle charging socket provided on the vehicle when charging the vehicle; an infrared camera capable of photographing an area including a mark of the vehicle charging socket that is exposed to the outside of the vehicle body; as well as A moving mechanism moves the position of the charging gun toward the connection port according to the position of the marker in the image captured by the infrared camera.

8. A charging method, wherein a charging gun of a charging device disposed outside a vehicle is inserted into a connection port of a vehicle charging socket disposed on the vehicle to charge the vehicle, wherein: The charging method comprises: In the first step, an infrared camera of the charging device is used to photograph an area including a mark of the vehicle charging socket that is exposed to the outside of the vehicle body; as well as In the second step, the position of the charging gun is moved toward the connection port according to the position of the marker in the image captured by the infrared camera using a moving mechanism of the charging device.

Images