Contactless charging system

Abstract

To solve a problem that it is difficult to simultaneously supply sufficient electric power to all vehicles on a charging road, in a conventional contactless charging system.SOLUTION: In a contactless charging system 10 of the present invention, when a charging road 11 has received a charging request signal from a traveling vehicle 12, the charging road 11 transmits a charging interruption request signal to other vehicles 12 which travel on the charging road 11. In the other vehicles 12, a vehicle control unit 21 determines whether or not the battery 24 needs to be charged, and stops charging to the battery 24 as appropriate; and thereby, it becomes possible for the capability of supplying electric power to power supply units 14A of the charging road 11 to respond to the above problem with normal specifications. This system enables preferential charging to the vehicle 12 which requires rapid charging just before running out of power, and prevents the occurrence of the vehicle 12 which runs out of power while traveling.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wireless charging system. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, vehicles such as BEVs (Battery Electrical Vehicles), HEVs (Hybrid Electrical Vehicles), and PHEVs (Plug-in Hybrid Electrical Vehicles) have become widespread.

[0003] The BEVs do not use fuel such as gasoline, but run on electricity stored in on-board batteries. Charging roads that allow the BEVs to charge while traveling are being developed on some roads.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a contactless charging system that supplies power to a vehicle while it is traveling. In this contactless charging system, a charging path on which a power supply device is installed is constructed on part of the travel path. The power supply device passes a current through a coil, generates power by electromagnetic induction, and supplies the power to the vehicle traveling on the charging path. The vehicle stores the supplied power in a battery, enabling it to continue traveling. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-073385 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the charging path of the contactless charging system, for example, when a large number of vehicles seeking charging are parked on the charging path and congestion occurs, most of the power supply coils of the power supply devices on the charging path are in operation. It is difficult for the power supply device to continue to supply current that outputs sufficient power to all or most of the power supply coils at the same time. As a result, it becomes difficult to simultaneously supply sufficient power to all vehicles on the charging path.

[0007] Meanwhile, the urgency of charging varies among vehicles on the charging road depending on the circumstances of each vehicle, such as the SOC (State Of Charge) of the vehicle's battery, future cruising distance, etc. In other words, when a traffic jam occurs on the charging road, the power supply device supplies power equally to all the vehicles on the charging road, and there is a problem that the power supply capacity cannot keep up, and vehicles that need charging urgently may experience a power shortage while traveling.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a contactless charging system that prioritizes the supply of power to vehicles traveling on a charging road that need charging urgently. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] One embodiment of the present invention relates to a contactless charging system, which includes a charging path equipped with a power supply device and a contactless charging system that provides contactless charging to a vehicle traveling on the charging path, wherein the vehicle is provided with a charging necessity determination unit that determines whether charging of the battery is necessary, and a vehicle-side communication device that transmits and receives signals between the vehicle and the charging path, and the charging path is provided with a charging path-side communication device that transmits and receives signals between the vehicle and the vehicle traveling on the charging path, and when the charging necessity determination unit determines that charging of the battery is necessary, the vehicle transmits a charging request signal to the charging path, and the charging path, after receiving the charging request signal, transmits a charging interruption request signal to other vehicles traveling on the charging path. Effect of the Invention

[0010] In a wireless charging system according to one embodiment of the present invention, when a charging path receives a charging request signal from a vehicle in motion, it transmits a charging interruption request signal to other vehicles traveling on the charging path. In the other vehicles, the vehicle control unit determines whether or not charging of the battery is required and stops charging of the battery as appropriate, allowing the power supply capacity of the charging path to be able to meet normal specifications. This system enables preferential charging of vehicles that require quick charging just before running out of power, preventing the occurrence of vehicles that run out of power while traveling. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a non-contact charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a charging path constituting a non-contact charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a vehicle that constitutes a wireless charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram illustrating a process flow in the non-contact charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5A] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process flow in the non-contact charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5B] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process flow in the non-contact charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating a non-contact charging system according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating a charging path constituting a non-contact charging system according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating a process flow in a contactless charging system according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9A] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process flow in a non-contact charging system according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9B]FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process flow in a non-contact charging system according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, a wireless charging system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description of this embodiment, the same components are generally designated by the same reference numerals, and repeated description will be omitted.

[0013] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a contactless charging system 10 of the present embodiment. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a charging path 11 constituting the contactless charging system 10 of the present embodiment. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a vehicle 12 constituting the contactless charging system 10 of the present embodiment.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 1, a contactless charging system 10 of this embodiment is mainly composed of a charging path 11 provided on a travel path 13 along which a vehicle 12 travels, and the vehicle 12 receiving power from a power supply device 14 on the charging path 11. The vehicle 12 moves to the charging path 11 while traveling along the travel path 13 as appropriate, depending on the SOC (State Of Charge) of a battery 24 (see Fig. 3) of the vehicle itself, the future cruising distance, and the like. By continuing to travel on the charging path 11, the vehicle 12 executes contactless charging between a power receiving unit 22 of the vehicle 12 and the power supply device 14, and charges the received power into the battery 24 of the vehicle 12.

[0015] 2, the charging path 11 is formed as a part of a travel path 13. The charging path 11 mainly includes a power supply device 14 that supplies power to the vehicle 12 in a contactless manner, a communication device 15 that executes road-to-vehicle communication with the vehicle 12, and an equipment control unit 16 that controls the power supply device 14 and the communication device 15. The communication device 15 in this embodiment corresponds to the charging path side communication device of the present invention.

[0016] Power supply device 14 mainly includes power supply unit 14A buried in road surface 18, and power supply unit 14B that supplies power to power supply unit 14A. Power supply unit 14A is, for example, a power supply coil, and multiple power supply units 14A are arranged at predetermined intervals along the traveling direction of charging path 11. Any number of power supply units 14A may be arranged depending on the length of charging path 11.

[0017] Power supply unit 14B is connected to power feeding unit 14A and power supply source 17. For example, a commercial power source is used as power supply source 17. Power supply unit 14B converts commercial frequency power supplied from power supply source 17 into high frequency power, and supplies the high frequency power to power feeding unit 14A.

[0018] The communication device 15 includes a communication unit 15A that communicates with the vehicle 12 and the like, and an antenna unit 15B that is embedded in the road surface 18. The communication unit 15A is connected to a communication device 25 (see FIG. 3) of the vehicle 12 via the antenna unit 15B and a wireless communication network to transmit and receive signals. Note that, for example, a telematics mobile communication system or the like is used as the wireless communication network.

[0019] The equipment control unit 16 is configured to include a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The equipment control unit 16 is an electronic control unit (ECU) having one or more processors that control the power supply device 14, the communication device 15, etc.

[0020] The equipment control unit 16 also includes a storage unit (not shown), which is configured, for example, with a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-only Memory). The storage unit stores various data required for calculations in the equipment control unit 16 and one or more programs executable by the one or more processors.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle 12 may be, for example, a battery electric vehicle (BEV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV).

[0022] The vehicle 12 includes a vehicle control unit 21, a power receiving unit 22, a rectifier circuit 23, a battery 24, a communication device 25, a PCU (Power Control Unit) 26, and a motor 27. The communication device 25 of the present embodiment corresponds to the vehicle-side communication device of the present invention.

[0023] Vehicle control unit 21 is configured to include a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, etc. Vehicle control unit 21 is an electronic control unit (ECU) having one or more processors for executing various calculations for controlling a driving device (not shown) such as motor 27, etc. Vehicle control unit 21 also includes charging necessity determination unit 21A, charging interruption switching unit 21B, etc., and when charging of power to battery 24 is not required, disconnects power receiving unit 22 and battery 24 to stop charging to battery 24.

[0024] Although details will be described later, charging necessity determination unit 21A determines whether or not charging of battery 24 is necessary based on the SOC of battery 24 of the vehicle itself, future cruising distance, etc. Furthermore, charging necessity determination unit 21A determines the completion of charging of battery 24. Then, when charging necessity determination unit 21A determines that charging of battery 24 is not necessary, charging interruption switching unit 21B controls rectifier circuit 23 to cut off connection between power receiving unit 22 and battery 24.

[0025] The vehicle control unit 21 also includes a storage unit (not shown), which is configured, for example, by a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM. The storage unit stores various data required for calculations in the vehicle control unit 21 and one or more programs executable by the one or more processors.

[0026] Power receiving unit 22 is, for example, a power receiving coil, and is disposed in an underfloor space between a floor panel and an underpanel of vehicle 12. Power receiving unit 22 receives a supply of electric power from power supply unit 14A of charging path 11 by, for example, an electromagnetic induction method, a magnetic field resonance method, an electric field coupling method, or the like.

[0027] The rectifier circuit 23 is supplied with an AC input voltage based on the current generated by the power receiving unit 22. The rectifier circuit 23 functions as an AC (Alternating Current) / DC (Direct Current) conversion circuit, converts the input voltage as an AC voltage into a DC voltage, and supplies the DC voltage to the battery 24.

[0028] In this embodiment, the rectifier circuit 23 includes, for example, a rectifier 23A, a switch 23B, and a battery current sensor 23C. One end of the switch 23B is connected to the battery 24 via the battery current sensor 23C, and the other end of the switch 23B is connected to the power receiving unit 22 via the rectifier 23A. When the switch 23B is turned on, the battery 24 and the power receiving unit 22 are connected to each other, and the power received by the power receiving unit 22 is supplied to the battery 24. On the other hand, when the switch 23B is turned off, the battery 24 and the power receiving unit 22 are disconnected from each other, and charging of the battery 24 is stopped.

[0029] The battery 24 is connected to the power receiving unit 22 via the rectifier circuit 23, and is disposed, for example, in the underfloor space. A secondary battery such as a nickel-metal hydride battery or a lithium-ion battery, or an all-solid-state battery is used as the battery 24. The battery 24 supplies power to a motor 27, which is a drive source of the vehicle 12, and the like.

[0030] The communication device 25 can communicate with the communication device 15 of the charging path 11, a server device, and the like, through a network such as the Internet or a telephone network. As described above, the communication device 25 connects to the communication device 15 of the charging path 11 (see FIG. 2) through an antenna unit (not shown) attached to the vehicle 12 and a wireless communication network, and transmits and receives signals. In addition, although details will be described later, examples of the signals include a charging request signal, a charging completion signal, a charging interruption approval signal, a charging continuation signal, and a charging interruption request signal and a charging interruption release signal transmitted from the charging path 11 to the vehicle 12.

[0031] The PCU 26 includes an inverter, a DC / DC converter, and the like for driving the motor 27. The PCU 26 generates an AC current for driving the motor 27 based on the power supply voltage of the battery 24, and supplies the AC current to the motor 27. The PCU 26 controls the torque of the motor 27 by controlling the AC current.

[0032] The motor 27 is configured as a motor generator having a power generating function, and drives the wheels of the vehicle 12 based on the supplied AC current.

[0033] Next, a specific process flow in the non-contact charging system 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4 to Fig. 5B. Fig. 4 is a sequence diagram explaining the process flow in the non-contact charging system 10 of this embodiment. Figs. 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams explaining the charging status and communication status between the vehicle 12 and the charging path 11 in the non-contact charging system 10 of this embodiment. In the following description, Figs. 1 to 3 and their explanations will be referred to as appropriate.

[0034] 4 illustrates vehicle A, vehicle B, and vehicle C among many vehicles 12 traveling on the charging path 11. The figure shows a process flow in which vehicle A, vehicle B, and vehicle C send and receive signals to and receive signals from the charging path 11 via communication devices 15, 25, determine whether charging of the battery 24 of their own vehicles is necessary, and continue or interrupt charging of the battery 24. In the following explanation, vehicle A is described as being on the verge of running out of power and in need of quick charging, vehicle B is not on the verge of running out of power but in need of normal charging, and vehicle C is described as being in a state in which charging is not necessary.

[0035] 5A, in charging path 11, power supply unit 14B converts commercial frequency power supplied from power supply source 17 into high frequency power and supplies the high frequency power to power supply unit 14A. All vehicles 12 traveling on charging path 11, including vehicle A, vehicle B, and vehicle C, receive power from power supply unit 14A of charging path 11 by, for example, electromagnetic induction, and charge batteries 24.

[0036] On the other hand, when there are many vehicles 12 traveling on the charging path 11 and, for example, a traffic jam of vehicles 12 occurs on the charging path 11, all of the power feeding units 14A of the power feeding device 14 are in an operating state, and the power supply capacity of the power feeding device 14 becomes over-specified. As a result, the power feeding device 14 is unable to supply sufficient power evenly to all of the power feeding units 14A of the charging path 11. Then, the vehicle 12 is unable to receive the desired amount of power, and there is a risk of running into a power shortage while traveling.

[0037] In step S10, in vehicle A, charging necessity determination unit 21A of vehicle control unit 21 determines whether charging of battery 24 is necessary based on the SOC of battery 24 of the vehicle, future driving range, distance to the next charging path 11, etc. As described above, vehicle A is on the verge of running out of power, and charging necessity determination unit 21A determines that rapid charging of battery 24 is necessary. Then, vehicle A transmits a charging request signal to charging path 11 via communication devices 15, 25. Then, in step S11, vehicle A continues charging from power supply unit 14A of charging path 11.

[0038] Meanwhile, after receiving the charging request signal from vehicle A, charging path 11 transmits a charging interruption request signal via communication devices 15, 25 to vehicles B and C, which are other vehicles 12 traveling on charging path 11.

[0039] In step S12, in vehicle B that has received the charging interruption request signal from the charging path 11, charging necessity determination unit 21A of vehicle control unit 21 determines whether or not charging of battery 24 is necessary based on the SOC of battery 24 of the vehicle itself, future cruising distance, distance to the next charging path 11, etc. Then, in vehicle B, if charging necessity determination unit 21A determines that further charging of battery 24 is necessary on the charging path 11 on which vehicle B is currently traveling, it transmits a charging continuation signal to the charging path 11 via communication devices 15, 25. Then, in step S13, vehicle B continues charging from power supply unit 14A of the charging path 11.

[0040] In step S14, in vehicle C that has received the charging interruption signal from the charging path 11, the charging necessity determination unit 21A of the vehicle control unit 21 determines whether or not it is necessary to charge the battery 24 based on the SOC of the battery 24 of the vehicle itself, the future cruising distance, the distance to the next charging path 11, etc. Then, in vehicle C, if the charging necessity determination unit 21A determines that further charging of the battery 24 is not necessary on the charging path 11 on which the vehicle is currently traveling, it transmits a charging interruption approval signal to the charging path 11 via the communication devices 15, 25.

[0041] In step S15, in vehicle C, the charging interruption switching unit 21B of the vehicle control unit 21 switches the switch 23B of the rectifier circuit 23 to the off state, thereby cutting off the connection between the battery 24 and the power receiving unit 22 and stopping charging of the battery 24.

[0042] 5B, in charging path 11, the supply of power to vehicle C is stopped, while the supply of power to vehicles A and B is continued. Then, by stopping the supply of power to vehicles 12 that do not need to be charged, such as vehicle C, the number of operating power supply units 14A in power supply device 14 is reduced, and the power supply capacity of power supply device 14 can be handled with normal specifications.

[0043] As a result, as shown in the figure, the amount of power supplied to vehicle A that is about to run out of power becomes higher than the over-specified state shown in Fig. 5A, and the SOC of battery 24 of vehicle A quickly recovers to a desired state. Similarly, the SOC of battery 24 of vehicle B also quickly recovers to a desired state.

[0044] In step S16, charging of the battery 24 of vehicle B is completed, and, for example, the completion of charging is displayed on the display of a navigation device of vehicle B. Then, vehicle B transmits a charging completion signal to the charging path 11 via communication devices 15, 25, and the driver moves vehicle B from the charging path 11 to the traveling path 13. Note that the charging interruption switching unit 21B of the vehicle control unit 21 may switch the switch 23B of the rectifier circuit 23 to the off state by the driver's operation or the like, and vehicle B may continue traveling on the charging path 11.

[0045] In step S17, charging of the battery 24 of vehicle A is completed, and, for example, a message indicating that charging is completed is displayed on the display of a navigation device of vehicle A. Then, vehicle A transmits a charging completion signal to the charging path 11 via communication devices 15, 25, and the driver moves vehicle A from the charging path 11 to the traveling path 13. Note that the charging interruption switching unit 21B of the vehicle control unit 21 may switch the switch 23B of the rectifier circuit 23 to the OFF state by an operation of the driver or the like, and vehicle A may continue traveling on the charging path 11.

[0046] Thereafter, in the charging path 11, after receiving a charging completion signal from the vehicle A, a charging interruption release signal is transmitted via the communication devices 15, 25 to the vehicle C continuing to travel on the charging path 11.

[0047] In step S18, in vehicle C, the charging interruption switching unit 21B of the vehicle control unit 21 switches the switch 23B of the rectifier circuit 23 to the on state, thereby connecting the battery 24 and the power receiving unit 22 and resuming charging of the battery 24.

[0048] As described above, when the charging path 11 receives a charging request signal from vehicle A, it transmits a charging interruption request signal to the other vehicles B and C traveling on the charging path 11. In vehicles B and C, the charging necessity determination units 21A respectively determine whether charging of the batteries 24 is necessary. In vehicles B and C, the charging interruption switching units 21B appropriately stop charging of the batteries 24, so that the power supply device 14 on the charging path 11 can supply power to the power supply unit 14A with normal specifications. This enables preferential charging of vehicles 12 that require rapid charging, such as vehicle A, and prevents the occurrence of vehicles 12 that run into power shortages while traveling.

[0049] Next, a non-contact charging system 30 according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description of the non-contact charging system 30, the same components as those in the non-contact charging system 10 described above will be designated by the same reference numerals as in the non-contact charging system 10 described above, and repeated description will be omitted. In addition, as will be described in detail later, the non-contact charging system 30 differs from the non-contact charging system 10 described above mainly in the system that determines the traveling position of the vehicle 12 and adjusts the amount of power supplied to the power supply unit 14A in the equipment control unit 32 of the charging path 31 in addition to the function of the equipment control unit 16 described above, but the other systems are similar.

[0050] Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a non-contact charging system 30 of this embodiment. Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a charging path 31 constituting the non-contact charging system 30 of this embodiment. Fig. 8 is a sequence diagram illustrating the flow of processing in the non-contact charging system 30 of this embodiment. Figs. 9A and 9B are schematic diagrams illustrating the charging status, communication status, etc. between the vehicle 12 and the charging path 11 in the non-contact charging system 10 of this embodiment.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 6, the wireless charging system 30 of this embodiment is mainly composed of a charging path 31 provided on a travel path 13 along which a vehicle 12 travels, and the vehicle 12 receiving power from a power supply device 14 on the charging path 31.

[0052] 7, in the charging path 31 of the contactless charging system 30, the equipment control unit 32 includes a vehicle position determination unit 32A, a power supply adjustment unit 32B, etc., and can determine the position of the vehicle 12 traveling on the charging path 31. In the charging path 31, the charging urgency of each vehicle 12 is determined by communication between the vehicles 12 and the charging path 31, and the amount of power supplied to the power supply unit 14A is adjusted, making it possible to supply power preferentially to vehicles 12 with a high charging urgency.

[0053] The equipment control unit 32 is configured to include a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, etc. The equipment control unit 32 is an electronic control unit (ECU) having one or more processors that control the power supply device 14, the communication device 15, etc. The equipment control unit 32 also includes a storage unit (not shown), which is configured, for example, of a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM. The storage unit stores various data required for calculations in the equipment control unit 32 and one or more programs executable by the one or more processors.

[0054] The vehicle position determination unit 32A determines the traveling position of the vehicle 12 on the charging path 31 by using the position information of the vehicle itself and image information around the vehicle itself transmitted from the vehicle 12 via the communication devices 15, 25. The power supply adjustment unit 32B adjusts the amount of power supplied from the power supply unit 14B of the power supply device 14 to each power supply unit 14A. The power supply adjustment unit 32B adjusts the amount of power supplied to each power supply unit 14A based on the charging urgency information of each vehicle 12 acquired via the communication device 15 and the traveling position information of each vehicle 12 acquired via the vehicle position determination unit 32A.

[0055] Next, a specific example of the non-contact charging system 30 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 8 to FIG. 9B. The flow of the process will be described below. Fig. 8 is a sequence diagram explaining the flow of the process in the contactless charging system 30 of this embodiment. Figs. 9A and 9B are schematic diagrams explaining the charging status and communication status between the vehicle 12 and the charging path 31 in the contactless charging system 30 of this embodiment. In the following explanation, Figs. 1 to 3 and their explanations will be referred to as appropriate.

[0056] 8 illustrates vehicles D, E, and F among many vehicles 12 traveling on charging path 11. The figure shows a process flow in which vehicles D, E, and F send and receive signals to and receive signals from charging path 31 via communication devices 15, 25, determine whether charging of their own vehicle's battery 24 is necessary, and continue or interrupt charging of battery 24. In the following explanation, vehicle D is described as being on the verge of running out of power and in need of quick charging, vehicle E is not on the verge of running out of power but in need of normal charging, and vehicle F is described as not requiring charging.

[0057] 9A, in charging path 31, power supply unit 14B converts commercial frequency power supplied from power supply source 17 into high frequency power and supplies the high frequency power to power supply unit 14A. All vehicles 12 traveling on charging path 31, including vehicles D, E, and F, receive power from power supply unit 14A of charging path 31 by, for example, electromagnetic induction, and charge batteries 24.

[0058] On the other hand, when there are many vehicles 12 traveling on the charging path 31 and, for example, a traffic jam of vehicles 12 occurs on the charging path 31, all power feeding units 14A of the power feeding device 14 are in an operating state, and the power supply capacity of the power feeding device 14 becomes an over-specified state. As a result, the power feeding device 14 is unable to supply sufficient power evenly to all power feeding units 14A of the charging path 31. Then, the vehicle 12 is unable to receive the desired amount of power, and there is a risk of running into a power shortage while traveling.

[0059] In step S20, in vehicle D, charging necessity determination unit 21A of vehicle control unit 21 determines whether charging of battery 24 is necessary based on the SOC of battery 24 of the vehicle, future driving range, distance to the next charging path 31, etc. As described above, vehicle A is in a state immediately before running out of power, and charging necessity determination unit 21A determines that rapid charging of battery 24 is necessary. Then, vehicle D transmits a rapid charging request signal to charging path 31 via communication devices 15, 25. Vehicle D also transmits position information of the vehicle to charging path 31 together with the signal. The position information is repeatedly transmitted at regular intervals until a rapid charging completion signal is transmitted from vehicle D to charging path 31.

[0060] On the other hand, on the charging path 31, after receiving the rapid charging request signal from vehicle D, a charging interruption request signal is transmitted via communication devices 15, 25 to vehicles E and F that are other vehicles traveling on the charging path 11.

[0061] In step S21, in vehicle E that has received a charging interruption request signal from the charging path 31, the charging necessity determination unit 21A of the vehicle control unit 21 determines whether or not it is necessary to charge the battery 24 based on the SOC of the battery 24 of the vehicle, the future driving range, the distance to the next charging path 31, etc. Then, in vehicle E, when the charging necessity determination unit 21A determines that further charging of the battery 24 is necessary on the charging path 31 on which the vehicle is currently traveling, a charging continuation signal is transmitted to the charging path 31 via the communication devices 15, 25.

[0062] Additionally, vehicle E transmits the above signal together with its own vehicle position information to the charging path 31. The above position information is repeatedly transmitted at regular intervals until a charging completion signal is transmitted from vehicle E to the charging path 31. Then, in step S22, vehicle E continues normal charging from power supply unit 14A of the charging path 31.

[0063] In step S23, in vehicle F that has received the charging interruption signal from the charging path 31, the charging necessity determination unit 21A of the vehicle control unit 21 determines whether or not it is necessary to charge the battery 24 based on the SOC of the battery 24 of the vehicle itself, the future driving range, the distance to the next charging path 11, etc. Then, in vehicle F, if the charging necessity determination unit 21A determines that further charging of the battery 24 is not necessary on the charging path 31 on which the vehicle is currently traveling, it transmits a charging interruption approval signal to the charging path 31 via the communication devices 15, 25.

[0064] Additionally, together with the above signal, vehicle F transmits its own vehicle position information to the charging path 31. The position information is repeatedly transmitted at regular intervals until vehicle F moves from the charging path 31 to the travel path 13.

[0065] In step S24, in vehicle F, the charging interruption switching unit 21B of the vehicle control unit 21 switches the switch 23B of the rectifier circuit 23 to the off state, thereby cutting off the connection between the battery 24 and the power receiving unit 22 and stopping charging of the battery 24.

[0066] Alternatively, in this embodiment, the power supply adjustment unit 32B of the charging path 31 may stop charging the battery 24 by stopping the supply of power to the power supply unit 14A below the vehicle F in accordance with the timing of the vehicle F passing based on the above position information.

[0067] Meanwhile, on the charging path 31, after receiving a continue charging signal from vehicle E and a charging interruption acknowledgement signal from vehicle F, a quick charging start signal is transmitted to vehicle D traveling on the charging path 11 via communication devices 15, 25.

[0068] In step S25, in vehicle D, the power supply adjustment unit 32B of the charging path 31 starts rapid charging of the battery 24 by increasing the amount of power supplied to the power supply unit 14A below the vehicle D in accordance with the timing of the vehicle D passing based on the above position information.

[0069] 9B, in charging path 31, the supply of power to vehicle F is stopped, while the supply of power to vehicles D and E is continued. Then, by stopping the supply of power to vehicles 12 that do not need to be charged, such as vehicle F, the number of operating power supply units 14A in power supply device 14 is reduced, and the power supply capacity of power supply device 14 can be handled with normal specifications.

[0070] As a result, as shown in the figure, the amount of power supplied to vehicle D that is about to run out of power is increased above the over-specified state shown in FIG. 5A, and the SOC of battery 24 of vehicle D is quickly restored to a desired state. Furthermore, power supply adjustment unit 32B of charging path 31 increases or decreases the amount of power supplied to power feeding unit 14A through which vehicle 12 passes, depending on the charging urgency of each vehicle 12. In other words, by increasing the amount of power supplied to vehicle D with the highest charging urgency compared to vehicle E, vehicle D is charged with power preferentially, and the charging time can be shortened. Similarly, the SOC of battery 24 of vehicle E also quickly restores to a desired state.

[0071] In step S26, charging of the battery 24 of the vehicle E is completed, and, for example, a message indicating that charging is completed is displayed on the display of a navigation device of the vehicle E. Then, the vehicle E transmits a charging completion signal to the charging path 31 via the communication devices 15, 25, and the driver moves the vehicle E from the charging path 31 to the traveling path 13. Note that the charging interruption switching unit 21B of the vehicle control unit 21 may switch the switch 23B of the rectifier circuit 23 to the OFF state by an operation of the driver or the like, and the vehicle E may continue traveling on the charging path 31.

[0072] In step S27, charging of the battery 24 of the vehicle D is completed, and, for example, the completion of charging is displayed on the display of a navigation device of the vehicle D. Then, the vehicle D transmits a quick-charge completion signal to the charging path 31 via the communication devices 15, 25, and the driver moves the vehicle D from the charging path 31 to the traveling path 13. Note that the charging interruption switching unit 21B of the vehicle control unit 21 may switch the switch 23B of the rectifier circuit 23 to the off state by the driver's operation or the like, and the vehicle D may continue traveling on the charging path 31.

[0073] Thereafter, in the charging path 31, after receiving a rapid charging completion signal from the vehicle D, a charging interruption release signal is transmitted via the communication devices 15, 25 to the vehicle F continuing to travel on the charging path 31.

[0074] In step S28, in vehicle F, the charging interruption switching unit 21B of the vehicle control unit 21 switches the switch 23B of the rectifier circuit 23 to the on state, thereby connecting the battery 24 and the power receiving unit 22 and resuming charging of the battery 24.

[0075] Alternatively, in this embodiment, the power supply adjustment unit 32B of the charging path 31 may resume charging of the battery 24 by supplying power to the power supply unit 14A below the vehicle F in accordance with the timing of the vehicle F passing based on the above position information.

[0076] As described above, when the charging path 31 receives a rapid charging request signal from the vehicle D, it transmits a charging interruption request signal to the other vehicles E and F traveling on the charging path 31. In the vehicles E and F, the charging necessity determination unit 21A determines whether charging of the battery 24 is necessary. Then, in the vehicles E and F, the charging interruption switching unit 21B appropriately stops charging of the battery 24. Alternatively, the power supply adjustment unit 32B of the charging path 31 adjusts the amount of power supplied to the power supply unit 14A in accordance with the passage of the vehicles E and F. As a result, the power supply device 14 of the charging path 31 can supply power to the power supply unit 14A with normal specifications. Furthermore, the amount of power supplied preferentially to the vehicle 12 that requires rapid charging, such as the vehicle D, is increased, thereby preventing the occurrence of the vehicle 12 that runs into a power shortage while traveling.

[0077] In addition, in the non-contact charging systems 10 and 30 of the present embodiment, various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 10. Wireless charging system 11 Charging path 12 Vehicles 13. Running track 14 Power supply device 14A power supply 14B Power supply section 15. Communications Equipment 15A Communication section 15B Antenna section 16 Equipment Control Section 17 Power supply source 18 Road surface 21 Vehicle control unit 21A Charging necessity judgment part 21B Charging interruption switching unit 22 Power receiving section 23 Rectifier circuit 23A rectifier 23B Switch 23C Battery Current Sensor 24 Battery 25 Communication Equipment 26 PCU 27 Motor 30. Non-contact charging system 31 Charging path 32 Equipment Control Section 32A Vehicle position determination unit 32B Power supply adjustment section

Claims

1. A wireless charging system that wirelessly charges a vehicle traveling on a charging path including a power supply device, The vehicle is a charging necessity determination unit that determines whether or not charging of the battery is necessary; a vehicle-side communication device that transmits and receives signals between the vehicle-side communication device and the charging path, The charging path is a charging road side communication device that transmits and receives signals between the vehicle traveling on the charging road, When the charging necessity determination unit determines that charging of the battery is necessary, The vehicle transmits a charge request signal to the charging path; The charging path transmits a charging interruption request signal to the other vehicles traveling on the charging path after receiving the charging request signal.

2. The vehicle includes a charge interruption switching unit that interrupts charging of the battery, After receiving the charging interruption request signal, the vehicle determines whether or not charging of the battery is required by the charging necessity determination unit, 2. The wireless charging system according to claim 1, wherein when the charging necessity determination unit determines that charging of the battery is unnecessary, the charging interruption switching unit interrupts charging of the battery.

3. After receiving the charging interruption request signal, the vehicle determines whether or not charging of the battery is required by the charging necessity determination unit, 2. The wireless charging system according to claim 1, wherein when the charging necessity determination unit determines that charging of the battery is not necessary, the vehicle-side communication device transmits a charging interruption approval signal to the charging path.

4. The charging path is a vehicle position determination unit that determines a traveling position of the vehicle; a power supply adjustment unit that determines an amount of power supplied to a power supply unit of the power supply device, 4. The wireless charging system according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle position determination unit determines the traveling position of the vehicle that transmitted the charging interruption acknowledgement signal, and the power supply adjustment unit adjusts the supply of power to the power supply unit located below the vehicle that transmitted the charging interruption acknowledgement signal.

5. When the charging necessity determination unit determines that charging of the battery is completed, The vehicle transmits a charging completion signal to the charging path; 4. The non-contact charging system according to claim 2, wherein the charging path transmits a charging interruption release signal to the vehicle that transmitted the charging interruption acknowledgement signal.

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