Power supply support device

Abstract

To make it difficult to be in a power shortage state even when an electric vehicle is involved in a congestion.SOLUTION: A power supply support device 20 includes: a control section for performing: acquiring traffic information which indicates a traffic amount for each road; identifying a road with occurrence of a congestion based on the acquired traffic information; identifying a non-contact charger 51 arranged on the identified road; and performing control to start the identified non-contact charger 51.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a power supply assistance device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for providing a vehicle charging service, which includes a step of transmitting power from a power mat when a vehicle is detected on a power mat installed in a lane where a charging congestion has been detected or predicted, in accordance with instructions from a server, but not transmitting power from the power mat when a vehicle is not detected on the power mat. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-001489 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Electric vehicles, which run on electricity supplied from an external source, are known to have a shorter cruising range than gasoline-powered vehicles. Therefore, if the vehicle is caught in a large-scale traffic jam that exceeds its cruising range, or if the battery was not sufficiently charged before the traffic jam, there is a risk that the vehicle may run out of power if it is unable to charge during the traffic jam.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to make it less likely for an electric vehicle to run out of power even when caught in traffic. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The power supply support device according to the present disclosure includes a control unit that acquires traffic information indicating traffic volume for each road, identifies roads where congestion has occurred based on the acquired traffic information, identifies contactless chargers installed on the identified roads, and controls the activation of the identified contactless chargers. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, an electric vehicle is less likely to run out of power even when caught in traffic. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a power supply support system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a power supply support device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a power supply support device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a power supply support device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the description of this embodiment, the description of the same or corresponding parts will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0011] The configuration of a power supply support system 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0012] The power supply support system 10 includes a power supply support device 20, a roadside device 30, and a power transmitter 50. There may be a plurality of power supply support devices 20, a plurality of roadside devices 30, and a plurality of power transmitters 50.

[0013] The power supply assistance device 20 is capable of communicating with the roadside device 30 and the power transmitter 50 via the network 40. The roadside device 30 may be capable of communicating with the power transmitter 50 via the network 40.

[0014] The power supply support device 20 is installed in a facility such as a data center. The power supply support device 20 is, for example, a server belonging to a cloud computing system or other computing system. The power supply support device 20 may be operated by a government agency or a private business operator.

[0015] The roadside unit 30 and the power transmitter 50 are installed in the vicinity of a road Rd. The road Rd is, for example, any road within the service area provided by the power supply support system 10 and on which the vehicle 11 can travel. The road Rd includes, for example, an expressway and an ordinary road.

[0016] The power transmitter 50 is connected to one or more contactless chargers 51 installed on the road Rd and supplies power to the contactless chargers 51. Each of the contactless chargers 51 has a power transmission coil. Each of the contactless chargers 51 receives power from the power transmitter 50. The power transmitter 50 communicates with the power supply assistance device 20 and can selectively activate some of the contactless chargers 51 in accordance with instructions from the power supply assistance device 20. In this embodiment, "activating the contactless charger 51" means supplying power to the contactless charger 51. The contactless charger 51 that receives power from the power transmitter 50 forms an electromagnetic field around the power transmission coil by, for example, a power factor correction circuit, an inverter circuit, or a filter circuit, and the power is contactlessly transmitted to the power receiving coil of the power receiving unit of the vehicle 11 on the contactless charger 51. As a result, the vehicle 11 is charged.

[0017] In this embodiment, the contactless charger 51 can be installed in any manner. For example, the contactless charger 51 is buried in the road surface of the road Rd. The contactless charger 51 may be configured to be portable instead of being fixed to the road surface. Alternatively, a driving means such as drive wheels may be attached to the road surface side of the contactless charger 51, so that the contactless charger 51 itself can move on its own. The contactless charger 51 may be installed at a power supply point SP determined based on a predetermined installation plan PL. The installation plan PL will be described later.

[0018] Each vehicle 11 is, for example, any type of electric vehicle, such as an HEV, a PHEV, a BEV, or an FCEV. "HEV" is an abbreviation for hybrid electric vehicle. "PHEV" is an abbreviation for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. "BEV" is an abbreviation for battery electric vehicle. "FCEV" is an abbreviation for fuel cell electric vehicle. The vehicle 11 includes privately owned vehicles and commercial vehicles. In this embodiment, the vehicle 11 is a private car, but is not limited to this and may be any vehicle that can be charged wirelessly using power supplied from the wireless charger 51. In this embodiment, the vehicle 11 is driven by a driver, but may also be an AV with any level of automated driving. "AV" is an abbreviation for autonomous vehicle. The level of automation is, for example, any of levels 1 to 5 in the SAE classification. "SAE" is an abbreviation for Society of Automotive Engineers.

[0019] Network 40 may include the Internet, at least one WAN, at least one MAN, or any combination thereof. "WAN" is an abbreviation for wide area network. "MAN" is an abbreviation for metropolitan area network. Network 40 may include at least one wireless network, at least one optical network, or any combination thereof. A wireless network may be, for example, an ad-hoc network, a cellular network, a wireless LAN, a satellite communication network, or a terrestrial microwave network. "LAN" is an abbreviation for local area network.

[0020] An overview of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0021] Electric mobility vehicles, such as electric vehicles (EVs), which can store externally supplied power, are known to have a shorter driving range than gasoline-powered vehicles. The typical driving range of an EV is said to be 200–600 km. Therefore, when traveling long distances with an EV, charging times must be planned more frequently than with a gasoline-powered vehicle. However, if an EV is caught in unexpected traffic jams or stranded due to bad weather such as heavy snow, it may not be able to reach a charging station at the planned time and may run out of power. "Running out of power" refers to a state in which an EV lacks sufficient power to run. While it is possible to send a charging vehicle into a congested traffic jam to charge an EV stuck in traffic, it is difficult for the vehicle to pass through the traffic jam. Furthermore, charging takes time, which may cause additional congestion. Furthermore, the high cost of installing charging stations currently limits the number and locations of such stations.

[0022] In the power supply support system 10, the power supply support device 20 acquires traffic information D1 indicating traffic volume for each road Rd, and identifies a road Rd' on which congestion has occurred based on the acquired traffic information D1. The power supply support device 20 identifies contactless chargers 52, 53 installed on the identified road Rd', and performs control to activate the identified contactless chargers 52, 53.

[0023] According to this embodiment, the contactless chargers 52, 53 are activated on road Rd' where congestion has occurred. Therefore, even if an electric vehicle is caught in congestion, charging by the contactless chargers 52, 53 is possible, and the electric vehicle is less likely to run out of power. Furthermore, of the contactless chargers 51 installed on road Rd' where congestion has occurred, the contactless chargers 52, 53 are selectively activated. This saves power and improves charging efficiency compared to activating all contactless chargers 51 under the management of the power supply support system 10. Another advantage is that there is less need to dispatch a power supply vehicle or the like into a queue of congested vehicles, which makes it less likely that new congestion will occur.

[0024] The power supply assistance device 20 may further identify each of the multiple vehicles 12, 13 caught in traffic on the road Rd′ via the roadside device 30. Instead of identifying the vehicles 12, 13 via the roadside device 30, the power supply assistance device 20 may identify the vehicles 12, 13 by directly communicating with the vehicles 12, 13 via the network 40. The power supply assistance device 20 may then acquire vehicle information D2 for each of the vehicles 12, 13, indicating the charging status of the vehicles 12, 13, and select a vehicle 12 to be preferentially charged from among the multiple vehicles 12, 13 based on the vehicle information D2. The power supply assistance device 20 may further adjust the activation state of the contactless chargers 52, 53 based on first position data pd1 indicating the position of the selected vehicle 12 and second position data pd2 indicating the positions of the contactless chargers 52, 53. The positions are indicated, for example, by two-dimensional or three-dimensional coordinates.

[0025] In this embodiment, the power supply support device 20 selects, based on the vehicle information D2, a vehicle whose remaining battery charge is less than the threshold value Th2 as the vehicle 12 to be preferentially charged from among the multiple vehicles 12, 13. Alternatively, the power supply support device 20 may select, based on the vehicle information D2, a vehicle that has reserved a power supply service to receive power supply as the vehicle 12 to be preferentially charged from among the multiple vehicles 12, 13. Specifically, the power supply support device 20 may select, as the vehicle 12, a vehicle that is indicated as being registered to use the power supply support system 10 by the vehicle information D2.

[0026] The power supply assistance device 20 references first position data pd1 indicating the position of the selected vehicle 12 and second position data pd2 indicating the positions of the contactless chargers 52 and 53, and activates the contactless charger 52, 53, whose position is determined to overlap with the position indicated by the first position data pd1. That is, the contactless charger 53 whose position indicated by the first position data pd1 does not overlap with the position indicated by the second position data pd2 is not activated. In this embodiment, the determination that the positions overlap is made even if the positions do not completely match, if the amount of positional deviation is equal to or less than the positional deviation tolerance. The positional deviation tolerance is a predetermined value that is set as the upper limit of the range in which power can be transmitted contactlessly from the contactless charger 51 to the power receiving coil of the power receiving unit of the vehicle 11 on the contactless charger 51, i.e., the range in which the energized contactless charger 51 can charge the vehicle 11 detected on the contactless charger 51.

[0027] The configuration of a power supply support device 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0028] The power supply support device 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit 23.

[0029] The control unit 21 includes at least one processor, at least one programmable circuit, at least one dedicated circuit, or any combination thereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or GPU, or a dedicated processor specialized for specific processing. "CPU" is an abbreviation for central processing unit. "GPU" is an abbreviation for graphics processing unit. An example of the programmable circuit is an FPGA. "FPGA" is an abbreviation for field-programmable gate array. An example of the dedicated circuit is an ASIC. "ASIC" is an abbreviation for application specific integrated circuit. The control unit 21 controls each part of the power supply support device 20 and executes processing related to the operation of the power supply support device 20.

[0030] The storage unit 22 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memory is, for example, RAM or ROM. "RAM" is an abbreviation for random access memory. "ROM" is an abbreviation for read only memory. RAM is, for example, SRAM or DRAM. "SRAM" is an abbreviation for static random access memory. "DRAM" is an abbreviation for dynamic random access memory. ROM is, for example, EEPROM. "EEPROM" is an abbreviation for electrically erasable programmable read only memory. The storage unit 22 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 22 stores data used in the operation of the power supply support device 20 and data obtained by the operation of the power supply support device 20. The storage unit 22 may also store traffic information D1 and congestion prediction data D3. The traffic information D1 is information indicating the traffic volume for each road Rd. The traffic congestion prediction data D3 is data indicating the results of predicting traffic congestion occurrence for each road in advance. The storage unit 22 may further store precipitation amount data D4. The precipitation amount data D4 is data indicating the amount of precipitation predicted based on weather forecast data.

[0031] The communication unit 23 includes at least one communication interface. The communication interface is, for example, a LAN interface. The communication unit 23 receives data used in the operation of the power supply assistance device 20 and transmits data obtained by the operation of the power supply assistance device 20. In this embodiment, the communication unit 23 communicates with the roadside device 30 and the power transmitter 50.

[0032] The functions of the power supply support device 20 are realized by executing a program according to this embodiment on a processor serving as the control unit 21. That is, the functions of the power supply support device 20 are realized by software. The program causes a computer to execute the operations of the power supply support device 20, thereby causing the computer to function as the power supply support device 20. That is, the computer functions as the power supply support device 20 by executing the operations of the power supply support device 20 in accordance with the program.

[0033] The program can be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include flash memory, magnetic recording devices, optical disks, magneto-optical recording media, and ROMs. The program can be distributed by selling, transferring, or lending portable media such as SD cards, DVDs, or CD-ROMs that store the program. "SD" is an abbreviation for Secure Digital. "DVD" is an abbreviation for digital versatile disc. "CD-ROM" is an abbreviation for compact disc read only memory. The program can also be distributed by storing it in the storage of a server and transferring it from the server to another computer. The program can also be provided as a program product.

[0034] A computer temporarily stores a program stored on a portable medium or transferred from a server in its main storage device. The computer then reads the program stored in the main storage device using a processor and executes processing in accordance with the read program. The computer may also read the program directly from a portable medium and execute processing in accordance with the program. The computer may also execute processing in accordance with the received program each time a program is transferred from a server to the computer. Processing may also be executed through a so-called ASP-type service that achieves its function simply by issuing an execution command and obtaining the results, without transferring the program from the server to the computer. "ASP" is an abbreviation for application service provider. Programs include information used for processing by a computer that is equivalent to a program. For example, data that does not directly instruct a computer but has properties that define computer processing falls under the category of "equivalent to a program."

[0035] Some or all of the functions of the power supply support device 20 may be implemented by a programmable circuit or a dedicated circuit as the control unit 21. In other words, some or all of the functions of the power supply support device 20 may be implemented by hardware.

[0036] The operation of the power supply support device 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2 to Fig. 4. This operation corresponds to the power supply support method according to this embodiment. That is, the power supply support method according to this embodiment includes steps S1 to S4 shown in Fig. 2, steps S41 to S46 shown in Fig. 3, and steps S101 to S104 shown in Fig. 4. Hereinafter, each step in the flowchart will be identified by an S and a number.

[0037] In S1 of FIG. 2, the control unit 21 of the power supply support device 20 acquires traffic information D1 indicating traffic volume for each road Rd. The traffic information D1 can be acquired by any procedure. For example, the control unit 21 acquires the traffic information D1 by communicating with an external server installed in a traffic information center or the like via the communication unit 23 and receiving the traffic information D1 transmitted from the external server. Alternatively, if there are multiple roadside units including the roadside unit 30, the control unit 21 may communicate with multiple vehicles including the vehicle 11 via the multiple roadside units. For example, the control unit 21 may determine the traffic volume on each road Rd based on the traveling speed of each vehicle 11 or the number of vehicles 11 counted per unit time, and acquire the determined result as the traffic information D1. The control unit 21 may communicate directly with the vehicle 11 instead of communicating with the vehicle 11 via the roadside unit 30. The traffic information D1 includes, for example, identification information ID of the road where congestion is occurring. The control unit 21 may store the acquired traffic information D1 in the storage unit 22. Alternatively, the traffic information D1 may be stored in the storage unit 22 in advance.

[0038] In S2 of FIG. 2, the control unit 21 of the power supply support device 20 identifies a road where congestion is occurring based on the traffic information D1 acquired in S1. Specifically, the control unit 21 identifies a road where congestion is occurring based on the identification information ID included in the traffic information D1. As an example, assume that the traffic information D1 includes the identification information ID' of a road Rd' as the identification information ID of the road where congestion is occurring. The control unit 21 refers to the traffic information D1 and identifies the road Rd' identified by the identification information ID' as the road where congestion is occurring.

[0039] 2, the control unit 21 of the power supply support device 20 identifies the contactless charger 51' installed on the road Rd' identified in S2. Specifically, the control unit 21 communicates with the power transmitter 50 via the communication unit 23 and receives installation information indicating the installation location of the contactless charger 51 connected to the power transmitter 50. The control unit 21 then identifies the contactless chargers 52 and 53, the installation locations of which are indicated in the received installation information and are on the road Rd', as the contactless chargers 51' installed on the road Rd'.

[0040] In S4 of FIG. 2, the control unit 21 of the power supply support device 20 performs control to activate the contactless charger 51 identified in S3. Specifically, the control unit 21 performs control to selectively activate the contactless chargers 52 and 53. For example, the control unit 21 communicates with the power transmitter 50 connected to the contactless charger 51 via the communication unit 23 and transmits an instruction to supply power to the contactless chargers 52 and 53 among the contactless chargers 51. The power transmitter 50, upon receiving the instruction from the power supply support device 20, supplies power to the contactless chargers 52 and 53. The contactless chargers 52 and 53 that have received power from the power transmitter 50 are activated, and when a vehicle 11 is detected on the contactless chargers 52 and 53, power is transmitted contactlessly to the power receiving coil of the power receiving unit of the vehicle 11. As a result, the vehicle 11 is charged.

[0041] As described above, the control unit 21 of the power supply support device 20 acquires traffic information D1 indicating the traffic volume for each road, and based on the acquired traffic information D1, identifies a road Rd' among the roads Rd where congestion has occurred, identifies the contactless chargers 52, 53 among the contactless chargers 51 that are installed on the identified road Rd', and performs control to start up the identified contactless chargers 53, 53.

[0042] According to this configuration, the contactless chargers 52, 53 installed on the road Rd' where congestion has occurred are activated. Therefore, even if an electric vehicle is caught in congestion, charging is possible using the contactless chargers 52, 53, and the electric vehicle is less likely to run out of power. Furthermore, since the contactless chargers 52, 53 installed on the road Rd' where congestion has occurred are selectively activated, power can be saved and charging efficiency improved compared to when all contactless chargers 51 under the management of the power supply support system 10 are uniformly activated. Furthermore, since there is less need to dispatch a power supply vehicle into a queue of vehicles in congestion, there is also the advantage that new congestion is less likely to occur.

[0043] In this embodiment, the control unit 21 of the power supply support device 20 may acquire vehicle information D2 indicating the charging status of multiple vehicles 12, 13 among the vehicles 11 that are caught in traffic jams, for each vehicle. Then, the control unit 21 may select a vehicle 12 to be charged preferentially from the multiple vehicles 12, 13 based on the vehicle information D2. The control unit 21 may adjust the activation status of the contactless chargers 52, 53 based on first position data pd1 indicating the position of the selected vehicle 12 and second position data pd2 indicating the positions of the contactless chargers 52, 53. Specifically, instead of the process of S4 in FIG. 2, the processes of S41 to S46 in FIG. 3 may be further performed.

[0044] In S41 of FIG. 3, the control unit 21 of the power supply support device 20 identifies each of the vehicles 12 and 13 caught in the traffic jam. Specifically, the control unit 21 first identifies each of the vehicles 12 and 13 caught in the traffic jam. The control unit 21 communicates with the roadside device 30 via the communication unit 23 to monitor the traveling speed, traveling time, etc. of each vehicle 11, and identifies a vehicle whose monitored traveling speed has been below a threshold value Th1 for a certain period of time as a vehicle caught in the traffic jam. The threshold value Th1 can be determined, for example, based on the speed limit of each road Rd, and can be a value that is X km / h lower than the speed limit. For example, assume that the control unit 21 identifies the vehicles 12 and 13 as vehicles caught in the traffic jam. Then, the control unit 21 acquires identifiers, such as the registration numbers of the vehicles 12 and 13, received from the roadside device 30, from the roadside device 30, thereby identifying each of the vehicles 12 and 13. Instead of identifying the vehicles 12 and 13 via the roadside device 30, the control unit 21 may identify the vehicles 12 and 13 by directly communicating with the vehicles 12 and 13 via the network 40 via the communication unit 23. Alternatively, the control unit 21 may identify the vehicles 12 and 13 by communicating with a road camera via the communication unit 23 and acquiring from the road camera an image of the license plate of the vehicles 12 and 13 captured by the road camera.

[0045] In S42 of FIG. 3 , the control unit 21 of the power supply support device 20 acquires vehicle information D2 indicating the charging status of the vehicles 12 and 13 identified in S41 for each vehicle. In this embodiment, the vehicle information D2 is, for example, information indicating the remaining battery charge of the vehicle and / or whether a power supply service for receiving power has been reserved for the vehicle. The control unit 21 acquires the vehicle information D2 for each of the vehicles 12 and 13 identified in S41 from a database stored in the storage unit 22 and storing the charging status for each vehicle, using the identifiers of the vehicles 12 and 13 as a key. Alternatively, the control unit 21 may acquire the vehicle information D2 from an external database that stores the charging status for each vehicle or vehicle type via the communication unit 23. Alternatively, the control unit 21 may acquire the vehicle information D2 from the external database by directly communicating with the vehicles 12 and 13 via the communication unit 23 via the network 40.

[0046] In S43 of FIG. 3 , the control unit 21 of the power supply support device 20 selects a vehicle to be preferentially charged from the vehicles 12 and 13 identified in S41 based on the vehicle information D2 acquired in S42. Specifically, the control unit 21 selects, from among the multiple vehicles 11, a vehicle whose remaining battery charge is less than a threshold value Th2 or a vehicle that has reserved a power supply service to receive power, based on the vehicle information D2, as a vehicle to be preferentially charged. On the other hand, the control unit 21 does not select, as a vehicle 12 to be preferentially charged, a vehicle whose remaining battery charge is equal to or greater than the threshold value Th2 or a vehicle that has not reserved a power supply service to receive power, based on the vehicle information D2. Here, the threshold value Th2 can be, for example, a remaining battery charge sufficient to enable the vehicle 11 to travel the distance from its own position to the exit of the traffic jam. This is to enable vehicles caught in a traffic jam to exit the traffic jam without getting stuck in the middle of the traffic jam.

[0047] In S44 of FIG. 3, the control unit 21 of the power supply support device 20 acquires first position data pd1 indicating the position of the vehicle selected in S43 and second position data pd2 indicating the positions of the contactless chargers 52 and 53. The positions are indicated, for example, by two-dimensional coordinates or three-dimensional coordinates. As an example, assume that the vehicle 12 is selected in S43 as the vehicle to be preferentially charged. In this case, the control unit 21 communicates with the roadside device 30 via the communication unit 23, for example, to acquire the first position data pd1 of the vehicle 12. Alternatively, the control unit 21 may directly communicate with the vehicle 12 via the network 40 to acquire the first position data pd1. Furthermore, the control unit 21 communicates with the power transmitter 50 via the communication unit 23, for example, to acquire second position data pd2 indicating the positions of the contactless chargers 52 and 53 connected to the power transmitter 50.

[0048] 3, the control unit 21 of the power supply support device 20 determines whether the position indicated by the first position data pd1 acquired in S44 overlaps with the position indicated by the second position data pd2 for each of the contactless chargers 52 and 53. For each contactless charger 51 for which it is determined in S45 that the position indicated by the first position data pd1 overlaps with the position indicated by the second position data pd2, the process of S46 is performed. On the other hand, if it is determined in S45 that there is no contactless charger 51 for which the position indicated by the first position data pd1 overlaps with the position indicated by the second position data pd2, the process ends.

[0049] 3, the control unit 21 of the power supply support device 20 performs control to activate the contactless charger 51 for which it has been determined in S45 that the position indicated by the first position data pd1 overlaps with the position indicated by the second position data pd2. For example, assume that the vehicle 12 is identified in S43. Also assume that it has been determined in S45 that the position of the vehicle 12 overlaps with the position of the contactless charger 52. In this case, the control unit 21 performs control to activate the contactless charger 52. For example, the control unit 21 communicates with the power transmitter 50 connected to the contactless chargers 52 and 53 via the communication unit 23 and transmits an instruction to supply power to the contactless charger 52 out of the contactless chargers 52 and 53. The power transmitter 50, upon receiving the instruction from the power supply support device 20, supplies power to the contactless charger 52. The contactless charger 52, which has received power from the power transmitter 50, is activated, and power is contactlessly transmitted to the power receiving coil of the power receiving unit of the vehicle 12 located above it. As a result, the vehicle 12 is charged.

[0050] As described above, the control unit 21 of the power supply support device 20 acquires vehicle information D2 indicating the charging status for each of the multiple vehicles 12, 13 caught in traffic. Based on the vehicle information D2, the control unit 21 selects the vehicle 12 to be charged preferentially from the multiple vehicles 12, 13. The control unit 21 adjusts the activation state of the contactless charger 51 based on the first position data dp1 indicating the position of the selected vehicle 12 and the second position data dp2 indicating the positions of the contactless chargers 52, 53. Specifically, the control unit 21 activates the contactless charger 51 whose position indicated by the first position data pd1 overlaps with that indicated by the second position data dp2. Therefore, for example, among the contactless chargers 52, 53 caught in traffic, the contactless charger 52 whose position indicated by the first position data pd1 acquired in S44 overlaps with that indicated by the second position data pd2 is activated. As a result, the vehicle 12 selected in S43 is charged. On the other hand, the contactless charger 53 determined not to overlap with the position of the vehicle selected in S43 is not activated, and the vehicle 13 not selected in S43 is not charged.

[0051] With this configuration, among the vehicles 12, 13 caught in traffic, for example, the wattage for power supply can be preferentially allocated to the vehicle 12 that has a low remaining battery charge or has reserved a power supply service to receive power. This makes it possible to more efficiently prevent vehicles caught in traffic from running out of power. Furthermore, among the contactless chargers 52, 53, the contactless charger 52 that meets predetermined conditions is activated preferentially, which results in greater power savings and further improved charging efficiency compared to uniformly activating all the contactless chargers 51 under the management of the power supply assistance system 10, and therefore all the contactless chargers 52, 53 installed on the road Rd' where traffic is occurring.

[0052] In the present embodiment, the control unit 21 of the power supply assistance device 20 may further create an installation plan PL for installing the contactless charger 51. Specifically, the control unit 21 may acquire congestion prediction data D3 indicating the results of predicting in advance the occurrence of congestion for each road Rd, select a first road Rd1 on which congestion is predicted to occur based on the congestion prediction data D3, and create the installation plan PL for installing the contactless charger 51 in such a way that one or more power supply points SP on the selected first road Rd1 for supplying power to a vehicle 11 traveling on the first road Rd1 are determined as installation locations of the contactless charger 51. Specifically, the processes of S101 and S102 in FIG. 4 may further be performed.

[0053] In S101 of FIG. 4, the control unit 21 of the power supply support device 20 acquires congestion prediction data D3 indicating the results of predicting the occurrence of congestion for each road Rd. The congestion prediction data D3 can be acquired by any procedure. For example, the control unit 21 acquires the congestion prediction data D3 by communicating with an external server installed in a traffic information center or the like via the communication unit 23 and receiving the congestion prediction data D3 transmitted from the external server. Alternatively, if there are multiple roadside units including the roadside unit 30, the control unit 21 may communicate with multiple vehicles including the vehicle 11 via these multiple roadside units, predict congestion for each road based on the driving history of each of the multiple vehicles including the vehicle 11, and acquire the predicted results as the congestion prediction data D3. Instead of communicating with multiple vehicles including the vehicle 11 via multiple roadside units including the roadside unit 30, the control unit 21 may directly communicate with multiple vehicles including the vehicle 11 via the network 40. The congestion prediction data D3 includes, for example, identification information ID' of a road Rd' on which congestion is predicted to occur. The control unit 21 may store the acquired traffic congestion prediction data D3 in the storage unit 22. Alternatively, the traffic congestion prediction data D3 may be stored in the storage unit 22 in advance.

[0054] 4, the control unit 21 of the power supply support device 20 selects a first road Rd1 where congestion is predicted to occur based on the congestion prediction data D3 as an installation plan PL for installing the contactless charger 51, and creates an installation plan PL in which one or more power supply points SP on the selected first road Rd1 for supplying power to vehicles traveling on the first road Rd1 are determined as installation locations of the contactless charger 51. According to the created installation plan P, the contactless charger 51 is installed at the power supply points SP on the first road Rd1.

[0055] In this way, in the power supply support system 10, the power supply support device 20 acquires congestion prediction data D3 that indicates the results of predicting in advance the occurrence of congestion for each road Rd. The power supply support device 20 selects a first road Rd1 where congestion is predicted to occur based on the congestion prediction data D3, as an installation plan P for installing a contactless charger 51. The power supply support device 20 creates an installation plan P in which one or more power supply points SP on the selected first road Rd for supplying power to vehicles traveling on the first road Rd are determined as installation locations for the contactless charger 51. In accordance with the created installation plan P, the contactless charger 51 is installed at the power supply points on the first road Rd1.

[0056] According to this embodiment, it is possible to install the contactless chargers 51 in advance on the first road Rd1 of the roads Rd where congestion is predicted. Therefore, the number of contactless chargers 51 to be installed can be reduced compared to when contactless chargers 51 are installed on all roads Rd within the service area of the power supply support system 10.

[0057] As a modification of this embodiment, the control unit 21 of the power supply support device 20 may further acquire precipitation data D4 indicating the amount of precipitation expected in an area including the first road Rd1, and may further execute a determination process to determine the occurrence of flooding on the first road Rd1 based on the acquired precipitation data D4. Then, the control unit 21 may modify the installation plan PL by excluding points at which flooding is predicted to occur from among the power supply points SP based on the result of the determination process. Specifically, the control unit 21 may further perform the processes of S103 and S104 in FIG. 4.

[0058] In S103 of FIG. 4, the control unit 21 of the power supply support device 20 further acquires precipitation data D4 indicating the amount of precipitation expected in an area including the first road Rd1. The precipitation data D4 is data indicating the amount of precipitation predicted based on weather forecast data. The weather forecast data is provided, for example, by the meteorological agency of the country where the power supply support system 10 provides services, such as the Japan Meteorological Agency. Alternatively, the weather forecast data may be provided from another device connected to the network 40. The control unit 21 may store the acquired precipitation data D4 in the storage unit 22. Alternatively, the precipitation data D4 may be stored in advance in the storage unit 22.

[0059] 4, the control unit 21 of the power supply support device 20 further executes a determination process to determine the occurrence of flooding on the first road Rd1 based on the precipitation data D4 acquired in S103. Based on the result of the determination process, the control unit 21 modifies the installation plan PL by excluding points among the power supply points SP where flooding is predicted to occur. The reason for excluding points among the power supply points SP where flooding is predicted to occur is to prevent malfunction of the contactless charger 51 due to flooding.

[0060] According to this modification, it is less likely that the installed contactless charger 51 will be submerged and broken down. Therefore, when trying to charge an electric vehicle caught in traffic, it is less likely that the contactless charger 51 will be broken down and unable to charge. Therefore, it is less likely that an electric vehicle caught in traffic will run out of power.

[0061] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, multiple blocks shown in the block diagrams may be integrated, or a single block may be divided. Instead of executing multiple steps shown in the flowcharts in chronological order as described, steps may be executed in parallel or in a different order depending on the processing capabilities of the device executing each step, or as needed. Other modifications are possible within the scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 10 Power Supply Support System 11, 12, 13 Vehicles 20 Power supply support device 21 Control Unit 22 Memory section 23 Communications Department 30 Roadside unit 40 Network 50 Power Transmitter 51,52,53 Contactless charger

Claims

1. A power supply support device that includes a control unit that acquires traffic information indicating traffic volume for each road, identifies roads where congestion has occurred based on the acquired traffic information, identifies contactless chargers installed on the identified roads, and controls the activation of the identified contactless chargers.

2. The control unit Acquiring vehicle information indicating a charging status of each of the plurality of vehicles caught in the traffic jam, selecting a vehicle to be preferentially charged from among the plurality of vehicles based on the vehicle information; The power supply assistance device according to claim 1 , further comprising: adjusting an activation state of the contactless charger based on first position data indicating a position of the selected vehicle and second position data indicating a position of the contactless charger.

3. the control unit selects, based on the vehicle information, a vehicle whose remaining battery charge is less than a threshold or a vehicle for which a power supply service for receiving power has been reserved, as a vehicle to be preferentially charged; 3. The power supply support device according to claim 2, wherein the activation state of the contactless charger is adjusted by activating a contactless charger among the contactless chargers whose position is determined to overlap with the position indicated by the first position data by referring to the first position data and the second position data.

4. 2. The power supply support device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit acquires congestion prediction data indicating results of predicting congestion occurrence for each road in advance, selects a first road on which congestion is predicted to occur based on the congestion prediction data, and creates an installation plan for installing the contactless charger in which one or more power supply points on the selected first road for supplying power to vehicles traveling on the first road are determined as installation locations for the contactless charger.

5. 5. The power supply support device according to claim 4, wherein the control unit further acquires precipitation data indicating an amount of precipitation expected in an area including the first road, further performs a determination process to determine a flooding status on the first road based on the acquired precipitation data, and modifies the installation plan by excluding points where flooding is predicted to occur from among the power supply points based on a result of the determination process.

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