Mobile power supply system for vehicle using power-supplying movable body

Abstract

To improve a mobile power supply system to a vehicle using a power supply mobile body.SOLUTION: The mobile power feed system includes a plurality of power-supplying movable bodies capable of moving from the base toward the vehicle and supplying power to the vehicle, and an operation management device configured to select, from the plurality of power-supplying movable bodies, a designated movable body for moving toward the vehicle that requests power supply and supplying power to the vehicle. The operation management device generates a distribution map of positions of a plurality of power-supplying movable bodies including a power-supplying movable body that is moving to a position outside the base, and selects, from among the plurality of power-supplying movable bodies in the distribution map of the positions, a designated movable body for moving toward the vehicle that requests power supply and supplying power.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a mobile power supply system for vehicles using a power supply mobile body. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose moving a power supply drone to a vehicle and supplying power to the vehicle. Furthermore, Patent Documents 3 and 4 disclose landing a drone on a moving vehicle or the like in order to extend the distance the drone can travel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-149964 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-067511 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-151149 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-043397 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, as in Patent Documents 1 and 2, by moving a power supply drone toward a vehicle requesting power supply and having the power supply drone supply power to the vehicle, the convenience of the vehicle is improved. That is, the vehicle can travel to any destination and receive power from the power supply drone at that destination. The vehicle is supplied with power while parked at the destination. The vehicle user does not need to simply wait for the vehicle to be powered completely. The convenience of the vehicle is improved. It is conceivable that such power supply drones could be used to provide power supply services to vehicles.

[0005] However, services using such power-supply drones have the following problems. The power supply drone must travel from its base to the destination of the vehicle requesting power, supply power to the vehicle, and then return from the vehicle's destination to its base. In this case, the power supply drone needs to store enough power to travel between the base and the vehicle's destination in addition to the power needed by the vehicle. Therefore, the area where services can be provided using a power supply drone is limited by the battery performance of the power supply drone. In order to be able to supply power to vehicles at destinations far from the base, the battery of the power supply drone needs to be made larger. However, if a large and heavy power supply drone lands on the roof of a vehicle, it will put a strain on the vehicle's body. Therefore, the battery capacity that can be installed in a power supply drone that supplies power to a vehicle is limited by factors such as the rigidity of the vehicle's body.

[0006] Furthermore, due to the limited capacity of the batteries that can be installed on power supply drones, the area in which the power supply drones can move from the base station to supply power is also limited. Therefore, if a service is to be provided over a wide area, the operator must set up multiple base stations at a relatively high density in each area that the power supply drone can supply power to. As a result, if the service area is to be expanded, the operator must not only increase the number of power supply drones, but also the number of base stations. This increases the initial investment required to provide the service. This situation may affect the feasibility of the service.

[0007] As such, improvements are required in mobile power supply systems for vehicles that use power supply mobile bodies such as power supply drones. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A mobile power supply system for vehicles using power supply mobile bodies according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a plurality of power supply mobile bodies that can move from a base toward a vehicle and supply power to the vehicle, and an operation management device that, when a vehicle requests power supply, selects a designated mobile body from the plurality of power supply mobile bodies to move toward the vehicle requesting power supply and supply power to the vehicle, wherein the operation management device generates a distribution map of the positions of the plurality of power supply mobile bodies, including the power supply mobile body that is moving to a position outside the base, and selects a designated mobile body from the plurality of power supply mobile bodies on the distribution map to move toward the vehicle requesting power supply and supply power. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] In the present invention, the traffic management device generates a distribution map of the positions of a plurality of power supply vehicles, including a power supply vehicle moving to a position outside the base, and then selects a designated vehicle from the plurality of power supply vehicles mapped on the distribution map to move toward a vehicle requesting power supply and supply power. Therefore, in the present invention, even if the destination of a vehicle requesting power supply is far from the base, a power supply mobile that is close to the vehicle's destination can be selected as the designated mobile. Such a power supply mobile can reach the vehicle's destination in a shorter time than a power supply mobile that moves from the base. The vehicle can receive power supply sooner after requesting power supply. The convenience of the vehicle is improved. Furthermore, multiple power supply mobiles can efficiently supply power to vehicles even when they are dispersed outside the base. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a vehicle having a driving battery according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of how the autonomous flying power supply drone supplies power to the vehicle in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram of the power supply drone in Figure 2 landing on the roof of a vehicle. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram of the area where services can be provided using power-supply drones under general operational management. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the main configuration of the example vehicle of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the main configuration of an example of the power supply drone of FIG. 3 . [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the main configuration of an example of an operation management device of a mobile power supply system for vehicles according to an embodiment of the present invention, which manages the movement of the power supply drone shown in FIG. 3 by flight. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of automatic driving control by the vehicle driving control device of FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of operation control by the operation control unit of the operation management device of FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of autonomous control by the autonomous flight control unit of the power supply drone of FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the distribution of the positions of multiple power supply drones under the management of the traffic management device of FIG. 9 . [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of control at the time of power feeding completion by the operation control unit of the operation management device of FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of unengaged return control by the operation control unit of the operation management device of FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of an ideal area where a service using a power-supply drone can be provided under the operation management of this embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a vehicle 1 having a driving battery 14 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Vehicle 1 in Fig. 1 is a car that travels on roads. Other examples of vehicle 1 include trains that travel on tracks. Other examples of cars that travel on roads include buses, trucks, and small mobility vehicles.

[0013] In FIG. 1, vehicle 1 travels from a departure point toward a destination. During this travel, vehicle 1 charges drive battery 14 with charger 91 at a charging spot either during travel or at the destination. Vehicle 1 in FIG. 1 has road surface power receiving device 16 on the underside of the vehicle body, and receives power from charger 91 in a contactless manner from a road surface power feeding coil 92 installed in a parking space. By receiving power during travel or at the destination in this way, vehicle 1 in FIG. 1 can travel long distances regardless of the capacity of drive battery 14.

[0014] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of how the autonomous flying power supply drone 20 supplies power to the vehicle 1 in FIG. Figure 2 shows the area in which vehicle 1 travels. Vehicle 1, which has driving battery 14, travels along roads to destination P1, as indicated by the dashed arrow in Figure 2. If there is no charger 91 at destination P1, vehicle 1 will not be able to receive power at destination P1. In this case, as shown in FIG. 2, it is conceivable that the power supply drone 20 is flown to the destination P1, and the vehicle 1 parked at the destination P1 is charged using the power stored in the power supply drone 20.

[0015] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the state in which the power supply drone 20 in FIG. 2 lands on the roof of the vehicle 1. If there is no charger 91 in the parking space as shown by the dashed line in Figure 3, the vehicle 1 can travel beyond destination P1 by receiving power from a power supply drone 20 that has landed on the roof or other surface of the vehicle 1. Furthermore, the vehicle 1 is supplied with power while parked at its destination. The user of the vehicle 1 no longer needs to simply wait for the vehicle 1 to be fully charged. This increases the convenience of the vehicle 1. It is conceivable that such a power supply drone 20 can be used to provide a power supply service to the vehicle 1.

[0016] However, such a service using the power supply drone 20 has the following problems. As shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 2, the power supply drone 20 must move from its base P0 to the destination P1 of the vehicle 1 requesting power supply, supply power to the vehicle 1, and then return from the destination P1 of the vehicle 1 to its base P0. In this case, the power supply drone 20 needs to store the amount of power required by the vehicle 1, as well as the amount of power required to travel between the base station P0 and the vehicle 1's destination P1. Therefore, the area where service can be provided using the power supply drone 20 is limited by the battery performance of the power supply drone 20. In order to be able to supply power to a vehicle 1 at a destination far from the base P0, the battery of the power supply drone 20 needs to be enlarged. However, if a large and heavy power supply drone 20 lands on the roof of the vehicle 1, for example, it places a strain on the body of the vehicle 1. Therefore, the capacity of the drone battery 27 that can be mounted on the power supply drone 20 that supplies power to the vehicle 1 is limited by the rigidity of the body of the vehicle 1, etc. Furthermore, due to the limited capacity of the drone battery 27 that can be mounted on the power supply drone 20, the area in which the power supply drone 20 can move from the base station P0 to supply power is also limited. Therefore, when attempting to provide services over a wide area, the operator needs to set up multiple base stations P0 at a relatively high density in each area where the power supply drone 20 can fly and supply power. As a result, when expanding the service area, the operator needs not only to increase the number of power supply drones 20 but also to increase the number of base stations P0. This increases the initial investment required to provide the service. This situation may affect the feasibility of the service.

[0017] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an area where service can be provided using the power supply drone 20 under general operational management. In FIG. 4, a roughly rectangular area 40 is shown. When providing a power supply service using the power supply drone 20 to the entire substantially rectangular region 40, a base station P0 must be provided for each area indicated by the dashed circle R1 in the figure. In addition, each dashed circle R1 is limited in size to enable the power supply drone 20 to travel back and forth between the base P0 and the vehicle 1's destination P1, as shown in Figure 2, in addition to supplying power to the vehicle 1. As described above, improvements are required for the mobile power supply system 2 for vehicles that uses the power supply drone 20.

[0018] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the main configuration of an example of the vehicle 1 of FIG. The vehicle 1 has a vehicle network 19. Connected to the vehicle network 19 are a cruise control device 11, an autonomous sensor 12, a vehicle GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 13, a drive battery 14, a roof power supply and demand device 15, a road surface power receiving device 16, a power receiving connector 17, and a vehicle communication device 18. The roof power supply and demand device 15, the road surface power receiving device 16, the power receiving connector 17, and the vehicle communication device 18 are devices for receiving power from a power supply drone 20 or the like.

[0019] The vehicle network 19 may be a vehicle network such as a Controller Area Network (CAN), a Local Interconnect Network (LIN), or a broadband network for the vehicle 1. The vehicle network 19 may also include a general network such as IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.3. By using such a vehicle network 19, a control device or the like provided in the vehicle 1 can input and output information to and from other control devices via the vehicle network 19.

[0020] The autonomous sensor 12 is a sensor provided on the vehicle 1 that detects the surroundings of the traveling vehicle 1. Such an autonomous sensor 12 may be, for example, an exterior camera, a laser, or a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). The exterior camera may be a stereo camera, a monocular camera, or a 360-degree camera. The images captured by the exterior camera may capture images of the surroundings of the vehicle and the road. The laser or LiDAR generates spatial information about the surroundings of the vehicle. If another vehicle is traveling around the vehicle, the captured images and spatial information may include information about the other vehicle.

[0021] The vehicle GNSS receiver 13 receives radio waves from a plurality of GNSS satellites to generate the latest position and time information of the vehicle 1.

[0022] The vehicle communication device 18 wirelessly communicates with the outside of the vehicle 1. The vehicle communication device 18 establishes a communication path with, for example, a base station of a carrier communication network, and communicates with, for example, an operation management device 30 (described later) through the carrier communication network.

[0023] The drive battery 14 is a battery used to propel the vehicle 1. The drive battery 14 may be a ternary lithium battery, a lithium iron phosphate battery, a semi-solid battery, a solid battery, or the like. A large capacity is generally desirable for the drive battery 14 used to propel the vehicle 1, but in practice, batteries with an electric energy (capacity) of 20 kWh, 40 kWh, or 60 kWh are used. In addition, it is desirable for the vehicle 1 to be able to travel a distance of at least 100 km or more on a single charge. When the remaining charge in the drive battery 14 becomes low, the vehicle 1 needs to charge the drive battery 14. Vehicles 1 that use drive battery 14 include those that run on drive power from a motor alone and those that run on drive power from a motor and an internal combustion engine. In vehicles 1 that use both a motor and an internal combustion engine, drive battery 14 may be approximately 10 kWh. Vehicles 1 that use both drive battery 14 and an internal combustion engine may be equipped with a mode that allows them to run on drive battery 14 alone.

[0024] The roof power supply and demand device 15 is provided on the roof of the vehicle 1 and is, for example, a planar coil-shaped winding. The road surface power receiving device 16 is provided under the floor of the vehicle 1 and is, for example, a planar coil-shaped winding. The power receiving connector 17 is an electric connector for connecting the plug of the charger 91 . The roof power supply and demand device 15, the road surface power receiving device 16, and the power receiving connector 17 are electrically connected to the drive battery 14. The drive battery 14 can be charged from the roof power supply and demand device 15, the road surface power receiving device 16, and the power receiving connector 17.

[0025] The driving control device 11 controls the driving of the vehicle 1. For example, the driving control device 11 controls the operation of a motor or an internal combustion engine (not shown) to rotate and drive the wheels of the vehicle 1. For example, the driving control device 11 controls the operation of a steering device (not shown) to control the direction of the wheels of the vehicle 1. For example, the driving control device 11 controls the operation (including motor regeneration) of a braking device (not shown) to control the rotation of the wheels of the vehicle 1. This allows the vehicle 1 to drive. The cruise control device 11 may control the driving of the vehicle 1 according to manual driving by the driver of the vehicle 1, or may control the driving of the vehicle 1 by automatic driving by autonomously determining a route or course toward a predetermined destination of the vehicle 1. The cruise control device 11 may also control the driving of the vehicle 1 so as to assist the manual driving of the driver of the vehicle 1. The cruise control device 11 may switch between these driving control modes depending on the driving environment of the vehicle 1, etc.

[0026] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the main configuration of an example of the power supply drone 20 of FIG. The power supply drone 20 has a drone bus 29. To the drone bus 29, an autonomous flight control unit 21, a drone memory 22, a drone wireless communication device 23, a drone timer 24, a drone GNSS receiver 25, a drone peripheral sensor 26, a drone battery 27, and a drone power supply and demand device 28 are connected.

[0027] The drone battery 27 is a battery used for flying the power supply drone 20 and for power supply to the vehicle 1. The drone battery 27 may be a ternary lithium battery, a lithium iron phosphate battery, a semi-solid battery, a solid battery, or the like. The capacity of the drone battery 27 is generally preferably larger than that of the drive battery 14 of the vehicle 1, but may be smaller. The drone battery 27 is preferably provided in the lower center of the housing of the power supply drone 20. This makes it easier for the power supply drone 20 to fly stably.

[0028] The drone power supply and demand device 28 is, for example, a planar coil-shaped winding provided on the lower surface of the drone battery 27. Such a drone power supply and demand device 28 is capable of contactless power supply. The drone power supply and demand device 28 is electrically connected to the drone battery 27 and is used to charge and discharge the drone battery 27.

[0029] The drone GNSS receiver 25 receives radio waves from multiple GNSS satellites to generate the latest position and time information of the vehicle 1.

[0030] The drone timer 24 measures the time or duration. The time of the drone timer 24 may be calibrated by the time generated by the drone GNSS receiver 25.

[0031] The drone surrounding sensor 26 is a sensor that detects the surroundings, such as the direction of travel of the power supply drone 20. The drone surrounding sensor 26 may be a camera, radar, LiDAR, or the like. If another object, such as a vehicle 1, is present around the power supply drone 20, the drone surrounding sensor 26 may detect the relative distance and direction to that object. This allows the power supply drone 20 to fly between the base station P0 and the destination P1 of the vehicle 1, as shown in FIG. 2, without interfering with other objects. In addition, the power supply drone 20 can land at a desired position on the roof of the vehicle 1 requesting power supply, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0032] The drone wireless communication device 23 wirelessly communicates with the outside of the power supply drone 20. The drone wireless communication device 23 establishes a communication path with, for example, a base station of a carrier communication network. The drone wireless communication device 23 communicates with, for example, the traffic management device 30 (described later) through the base station and the carrier communication network.

[0033] The drone memory 22 records a program that controls the operation of the power supply drone 20, information for the operation of the power supply drone 20, etc. The information for the operation of the power supply drone 20 includes, for example, location information of the base station P0, location information of the destination, flight route, specific information such as the location of the vehicle 1 to be powered, high-precision map data, etc.

[0034] The autonomous flight control unit 21 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The CPU executes a program recorded in the drone memory 22. In this way, the CPU functions as the autonomous flight control unit 21 that controls the operation of the power supply drone 20. The autonomous flight control unit 21 controls the flight movement of the power supply drone 20 and the power supply and demand of the power supply drone 20. The autonomous flight control unit 21 causes the power supply drone 20 to fly along a route specified by, for example, a flight route recorded in the drone memory 22. This allows the power supply drone 20 to move between the base station P0 and the destination of the vehicle 1 by autonomous flight. The autonomous flight control unit 21 lands, for example, on the roof of the vehicle 1 to be powered and couples with the vehicle 1. The autonomous flight control unit 21 also uses the drone power supply and demand device 28 to supply and receive power from the coupled vehicle 1.

[0035] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the main configuration of an example of an operation management device 30 of the mobile power supply system 2 for vehicles according to an embodiment of the present invention, which manages the movement by flight of the power supply drone 20 in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the mobile power supply system 2 for vehicles according to this embodiment includes a plurality of power supply drones 20 shown in FIG. 6 and an operation management device 30 shown in FIG. The operation management device 30 is provided, for example, at base P0 in Fig. 2. Base P0 in Fig. 2 may be provided with a parking area for the multiple power supply drones 20 to return and land, power supply equipment for the multiple power supply drones 20 in the parking area, maintenance equipment for the returning power supply drones 20, and the like. The traffic management device 30 in FIG. 7 includes a traffic control unit 31, a base memory 32, a base timer 33, a base power supply device 34, a base communication device 35, and a server bus 39 to which these are connected.

[0036] The base timer 33 measures the time or duration.

[0037] The base power supply device 34 is provided in a parking area of ​​the base station P0. The base power supply device 34 may be a plurality of coil-shaped windings arranged side by side in the parking area. Such a base power supply device 34 is capable of contactless power supply.

[0038] The base communication device 35 is connected to, for example, a carrier communication network, and communicates with multiple power supply drones 20 and multiple vehicles 1 through base stations of the carrier communication network.

[0039] The base memory 32 stores programs for controlling the operation of the traffic management device 30, information for traffic management of the multiple power supply drones 20 by the traffic management device 30, and the like. Information for traffic management of the multiple power supply drones 20 includes, for example, information on the operating status including the position of each power supply drone 20, information on the position of the vehicle 1 requesting power supply, and the like. The base memory 32 may also store high-precision map data of the area managed by the traffic management device 30.

[0040] The operation control unit 31 is, for example, a CPU. The CPU executes a program recorded in the base memory 32. In this way, the CPU functions as the operation control unit 31 that controls the operation of the operation management device 30. The operation control unit 31 periodically communicates with multiple power supply drones 20, receives information on the status of each power supply drone 20, and records it in the base memory 32. The operation control unit 31 executes operation control. When a power supply request is received from the vehicle 1, the operation control unit 31 selects a designated drone from among the multiple power supply drones 20 to engage in the power supply. The operation control unit 31 generates a flight route for the designated drone to travel from its current position to the destination of the vehicle 1, and transmits this to the designated drone along with a power supply flight instruction. As a result, the designated drone travels by autonomous flight from its current position to the destination of the vehicle 1, and supplies power to the vehicle 1 at the destination. In addition, the operation control unit 31 executes a power supply completion control and an unengaged return control. When a power supply drone 20 that has completed power supply to the vehicle 1 occurs, the operation control unit 31 executes a control for returning the power supply drone 20 that has completed power supply to the base P0.

[0041] The mobile power supply system 2 can park multiple power supply drones 20 at the base P0. Under the control of the operation control device, the mobile power supply system 2 can move the power supply drone 20 to each of the destinations of multiple vehicles 1 that have requested power supply, and simultaneously supply power to multiple vehicles 1 that have requested power supply. Furthermore, under the control of the operation control device, the mobile power supply system 2 can ultimately return the power supply drone 20 that has completed power supply to the vehicle 1 from the destination of the vehicle 1 to the base P0.

[0042] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of automatic driving control by the driving control device 11 of the vehicle 1 of FIG. The driving control device 11 repeatedly executes the automatic driving control of FIG.

[0043] In step ST1, the driving control device 11 acquires information from the autonomous sensor 12 of the vehicle 1.

[0044] In step ST2, the cruise control device 11 controls the travel of the vehicle using the information acquired in step ST1. When traveling in autonomous driving mode, the cruise control device 11 may further determine a safe route for the vehicle based on the latest position of the vehicle GNSS receiver 13 and high-precision map data, and control the travel so that the vehicle travels along that route. By repeating cruise control, the vehicle 1 can travel from the departure point of the vehicle 1 to the destination.

[0045] In step ST3, the driving control device 11 acquires the latest remaining charge of the driving battery 14 and determines whether the latest remaining charge is equal to or less than a threshold value. Here, the threshold value of the remaining charge may be a fixed value, for example, about 10% of the capacity of the driving battery 14, or a set value set by the driver or the like. If the remaining charge of the driving battery 14 is equal to or less than the threshold value, the driving control device 11 advances the process to step ST4. On the other hand, if the remaining charge of the driving battery 14 is not equal to or less than the threshold value, the driving control device 11 advances the process to step ST6.

[0046] From step ST4, the driving control device 11 starts processing to request power supply. First, the driving control device 11 acquires information about the destination of the vehicle. When driving by autonomous driving, the driving control device 11 may acquire the destination or a stopover point to be headed for by autonomous driving as the destination of the vehicle.

[0047] In step ST5, the driving control device 11 generates a power supply request and transmits it from the vehicle communication device 18 to the fleet management device 30. The power supply request may include information such as the remaining charge value of the drive battery 14, i.e., the remaining charge value until the battery runs out, the predicted time when the battery will run out, the parked position determined by the vehicle GNSS receiver 13, the capacity of the drive battery 14, and the requested amount of power to charge.

[0048] In step ST6, the driving control device 11 determines whether or not the vehicle is parked at the destination. For example, if the latest position of the vehicle GNSS receiver 13 is the destination and the vehicle is stopped, the driving control device 11 determines that the vehicle is parked at the destination and ends this control. Otherwise, the driving control device 11 determines that the vehicle is not parked or stopped at the destination, and returns the process to step ST1. The driving control device 11 repeats the processes from step ST1 to step ST6 until it determines that the vehicle is parked or stopped at the destination. As a result, when the remaining charge of the drive battery 14 falls below a threshold while the vehicle is traveling toward a destination, the driving control device 11 can send a power supply request to the operation management device 30 to receive power at the next destination.

[0049] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of operation control by the operation control unit 31 of the operation management device 30 of FIG. The operation control unit 31 of the operation management device 30 repeatedly executes the operation control of FIG. 9 in order to respond to a power supply request from a vehicle.

[0050] In step ST11, the operation control unit 31 maps the latest positions of the multiple power supply drones 20 under its control onto the high-precision map data. As a result, the operation control unit 31 maps the distribution of the positions of the multiple power supply drones 20, including the power supply drone 20 moving to a position outside the base P0, onto the high-precision map data, and generates a position distribution map.

[0051] In step ST12, the operation control unit 31 determines whether or not there is a power supply request from the vehicle 1. The operation control unit 31 may determine that there is a power supply request from the vehicle 1 when the base communication device 35 has received a power supply request from a new vehicle 1. If there is no power supply request from the vehicle 1, the operation control unit 31 returns the process to step ST11. The operation control unit 31 continues to map the distribution of the latest positions of the multiple power supply drones 20 onto the high-precision map data until there is a power supply request from the vehicle 1. Then, when a power supply request is received from the vehicle 1, the operation control unit 31 advances the process to step ST13.

[0052] In step ST13, the operation control unit 31 extracts non-operational drones that are not currently supplying power to the vehicle 1 from among the multiple power supply drones 20 mapped on the position distribution map. Each power supply drone 20 periodically transmits its own status information to the base communication device 35. The status information may include state information such as the latest location of the power supply drone 20, its operating state (whether or not it is supplying power), the remaining charge of the drone battery 27, and whether or not a malfunction has occurred. Malfunction states of the power supply drone 20 include its deterioration state, its damage state, whether or not the propeller rotation speed can be increased to the requested value, whether or not there is a ground leak, and whether or not there is a liquid leak in the drone battery 27. The operation control unit 31 may extract non-operating drones based on information collected from multiple power supply drones 20.

[0053] From step ST14, the operation control unit 31 begins evaluating each of the one or more non-engaged drones extracted in step ST13 to select them as designated drones to be engaged in power supply. First, the operation control unit 31 determines whether each of the one or more non-operating drones extracted in step ST13 is in a drone state in which it can be flown safely. The operation control unit 31 may determine whether the non-operating drone itself is capable of flying safely. For example, if the remaining charge of the drone battery 27 is below the battery dead threshold or if a malfunction occurs, the operation control unit 31 determines that the non-operating drone is unsuitable. The operation control unit 31 also determines whether the weather at the location of each non-operating drone, such as the presence or absence of rain or snow, the amount of rain or snow, wind direction, wind speed, etc., meets the safe operation standards for the power supply drone 20. If the weather does not meet the safe operation standards, the operation control unit 31 determines that the non-operating drone is unsuitable. In contrast, if the weather meets the safe operation standards, the remaining charge of the drone battery 27 is not below the battery dead threshold, and no malfunctions have occurred, the operation control unit 31 determines that the non-operational drone is eligible. This allows, for example, a power supply drone 20 that is less likely to have flight problems to be prioritized over others.

[0054] In step ST15, the operation control unit 31 determines whether the remaining charge of the drone battery 27 of each of the one or more non-engaged drones extracted in step ST13 is sufficient to engage in power supply to the requested vehicle 1. In this embodiment, the power supply drone 20 is required to fly from its current location to the destination of the requested vehicle 1 and supply the amount of power requested by the vehicle 1 at the destination of the vehicle 1. The operation control unit 31 first calculates the amount of power required for this series of processes. The operation control unit 31 may calculate the amount of power required taking into account weather conditions. Furthermore, the operation control unit 31 may calculate the amount of power required so that a predetermined amount of power remains after power supply is completed, as necessary. Next, the operation control unit 31 determines whether the remaining amount of each of the one or more non-operating drones extracted in step ST13 is equal to or greater than the required amount of power. Then, the operation control unit 31 determines that an unused drone whose remaining power in the drone battery 27 is equal to or greater than the required amount of power is eligible, and determines that the rest are inappropriate. As a result, for example, an unused drone whose remaining charge on the drone battery 27 is zero when it reaches the vehicle 1 is judged to be inappropriate. This allows the power supply drone 20 that can supply the desired power to the vehicle 1 to be given priority over other drones.

[0055] In step ST16, the operation control unit 31 determines whether each of the one or more non-operating drones extracted in step ST13 can fly to the vehicle 1 and start supplying power before the stored power in the vehicle 1's driving battery 14 runs out. The operation control unit 31 obtains the distance from the position of each non-engaged drone to the destination of the vehicle 1 and the maximum possible flight speed of each non-engaged drone, and calculates the flight time of each non-engaged drone. The operation control unit 31 compares the time obtained by adding the flight time from the current time with, for example, the time when the battery will run out, which is received as a power supply request from the vehicle 1. Then, the operation control unit 31 determines that the non-operating drone is eligible if it can arrive before the time when the battery will run out. The operation control unit 31 may also determine that the non-operating drone is eligible if the time obtained by adding the flight time from the current time is a short time behind the time when the battery will run out, i.e., not significantly behind. Conversely, if the time is significantly later than the time when the battery runs out, the operation control unit 31 determines that the non-operating drone is unsuitable. Alternatively, for example, the operation control unit 31 may calculate the flight distance of the non-operating drone from the current time until the time when the battery runs out. Then, the operation control unit 31 may determine that the non-operating drone within the flight distance range centered on the destination of the vehicle 1 in the high-precision map data is suitable. In this case, the operation control unit 31 may determine that the non-operating drone outside the range is unsuitable. By making such a determination, the operation control unit 31 can determine as eligible an unengaged drone that can reach the vehicle 1 requesting power supply without delay when the battery of the vehicle 1 runs out. Conversely, the operation control unit 31 can avoid determining as eligible a power supply drone 20 that can arrive, for example, three hours after the time the battery of the vehicle 1 runs out. The power supply drone 20 that can minimize the time that the user of the vehicle 1 has to wait at the destination can be given priority over others.

[0056] In step ST17, the operation control unit 31 extracts a first candidate drone from one or more non-operating drones extracted in step ST13 based on the determination results from steps ST14 to ST16. Here, the operation control unit 31 extracts all of the non-operational drones that have been determined to be eligible in all of the determinations from step ST14 to step ST16 as first candidate drones. The first candidate drones may include not only the power supply drones 20 at base P0, but also the power supply drones 20 moving to positions outside base P0. The operation control unit 31 can extract, as the first candidate drone, one or more power supply drones 20 that are in a state and have enough battery power remaining to move to the destination of the vehicle 1 and supply power, and that can arrive without a significant delay before the vehicle 1's battery runs out.

[0057] In step ST18, the operation control unit 31 determines whether there are multiple first candidate drones extracted in step ST17. If there are multiple first candidate drones, the operation control unit 31 proceeds to step ST19 to further narrow down the power supply drones 20. On the other hand, if there is one first candidate drone, the operation control unit 31 finishes the process of narrowing down the power supply drones 20 and proceeds to step ST23.

[0058] In step ST19, the operation control unit 31 determines the drone distribution density using the distribution mapping of drone positions generated in step ST11. The operation control unit 31 first divides a location distribution map into multiple zones, as illustrated in the location distribution map of Fig. 11 (described later). The operation control unit 31 counts the number of power supply drones 20 or first candidate drones for each zone. Then, as a first determination, the operation control unit 31 determines that the power supply drone 20 or first candidate drone in the zone with the largest count value is to be prioritized over the power supply drone 20 or first candidate drone in other zones. As a result, the power supply drone 20 or first candidate drone with a high drone density at the current location can be prioritized over the others. Additionally, as a second determination, the operation control unit 31 determines that the power supply drone 20 or first candidate drone in the zone with the largest count value among the zone including the destination of vehicle 1 and its surrounding zones is to be prioritized over those in other zones. In this case, the power supply drone 20 or first candidate drone in the zone close to the destination of vehicle 1 may be prioritized over those in other zones. Here, the zone including the destination of vehicle 1 and its surrounding zones may be zones within a radius of about 100 meters centered on the destination of vehicle 1. By prioritizing the power supply drones 20 with a high drone density or the first candidate drones in this way, the drone density can be reduced and the drone distribution throughout the service area can be brought closer to the average. This makes it easier for multiple power supply drones 20 to be distributed widely and evenly throughout the service area.

[0059] In step ST20, as a third judgment, the operation control unit 31 judges that, from among the multiple first candidate drones, a first candidate drone that has not returned to base P0 for a long period of time will be given priority over a first candidate drone that has not returned for a shorter period of time. If the power supply drone 20 does not return to base P0 for a long period of time, there is a possibility that it has not undergone sufficient maintenance. This makes it possible to give a power supply drone 20 that has not returned to base P0 for a long period of time an opportunity to return to base P0.

[0060] In step ST21, the operation control unit 31 acquires condition settings for extracting a second candidate drone from multiple first candidate drones. Here, the condition settings for extracting the second candidate drone may be set by the service provider or the like. The service provider sets which criteria, from the first to third determinations described above, will be used to extract the second candidate drone. The condition settings may be recorded in the base memory 32. In this case, the operation control unit 31 reads the condition settings recorded in the base memory 32.

[0061] In step ST22, the operation control unit 31 extracts a second candidate drone from among the multiple first candidate drones in accordance with the condition settings acquired in step ST21. For example, if the condition setting is the first determination, the operation control unit 31 determines in step ST19 that the first candidate drone with a high drone distribution density is to be prioritized over the others. In this case, the operation control unit 31 extracts the first candidate drone that has been determined to be prioritized as the second candidate drone. If the condition setting is the second determination, in step ST19, the operation control unit 31 determines that the first candidate drone with a high drone distribution density in the vicinity of the destination of the vehicle 1 requesting power supply is to be given priority over other drones. In this case, the operation control unit 31 extracts the first candidate drone that has been determined to be given priority as the second candidate drone. If the condition setting is the third determination, the operation control unit 31 determines in step ST20 that the first candidate drone that has not returned to base P0 for a long period of time is to be given priority over the others. In this case, the operation control unit 31 extracts the first candidate drone that has been determined to be given priority as the second candidate drone. In addition, if multiple conditions are set, the operation control unit 31 may extract the first candidate drone that is determined to be prioritized under each individual condition as the second candidate drone. In this way, when there are multiple first candidate drones to extract, the operation control unit 31 can select one to multiple second candidate drones based on a determination of the positional relationship of each first candidate drone in the distribution of the positions of multiple power supply drones 20.

[0062] In step ST23, the operation control unit 31 determines whether there are multiple second candidate drones extracted in step ST22. If there are multiple second candidate drones, the operation control unit 31 proceeds to step ST26 to further narrow down and select the power supply drones 20. On the other hand, if there is one second candidate drone, the operation control unit 31 finishes the process of narrowing down the power supply drones 20 and proceeds to step ST25.

[0063] Step ST24 is a process performed when one first candidate drone is extracted in step ST17. The operation control unit 31 selects the extracted first candidate drone as the designated drone. As a result, the operation control unit 31 selects a designated drone from among the multiple power supply drones 20 mapped on the location distribution map to move toward the vehicle 1 requesting power supply and supply power. Thereafter, the operation control unit 31 advances the process to step ST27.

[0064] Step ST25 is a process performed when one second candidate drone is extracted in step ST22. The operation control unit 31 selects the extracted one second candidate drone as the designated drone. As a result, the operation control unit 31 selects a designated drone from among the multiple power supply drones 20 mapped on the location distribution map to move toward the vehicle 1 requesting power supply and supply power. Thereafter, the operation control unit 31 advances the process to step ST27.

[0065] Step ST26 is a process when multiple second candidate drones are extracted in step ST22. The operation control unit 31 selects, from the multiple extracted second candidate drones, the one that is closest to the destination of the vehicle 1 as the designated drone. As a result, the operation control unit 31 selects a designated drone from among the multiple power supply drones 20 mapped on the location distribution map to move toward the vehicle 1 requesting power supply and supply power. Thereafter, the operation control unit 31 advances the process to step ST27.

[0066] In step ST27, the operation control unit 31 generates a flight route for the designated drone. Based on the high-precision map data, the operation control unit 31 generates a flight route for flying and moving from the current position of the designated drone to the destination of the vehicle 1. The flight route may include information such as flight direction, flight distance, and checkpoints. Furthermore, if there is a vehicle 1 moving in the same direction near the movement path of the designated drone where the designated drone can land, the operation control unit 31 may generate a route for the designated drone to ride along with the moving vehicle 1. In this case, the operation control unit 31 may power the designated drone in the ride-sharing vehicle 1 and give a reward or points to the ride-sharing vehicle 1. In addition, the operation control unit 31 may decide whether or not to use or select the use of the ride-sharing vehicle 1, taking into consideration, for example, the remaining flight distance of the power supply drone 20, the remaining charging capacity of the ride-sharing vehicle 1, the remaining battery charge of the ride-sharing vehicle 1, the direction of travel or destination of the ride-sharing vehicle 1, the requested amount of power for the vehicle 1 requesting power supply, the direction of travel or destination of the vehicle 1 requesting power supply, and the time limit (time when the battery will run out) for the vehicle 1 requesting power supply. By generating a shared flight route, the autonomous flying power supply drone 20 can reduce the power consumption of the drone battery 27 when traveling between the destination of the vehicle 1 and the base P0.

[0067] In step ST28, the operation control unit 31 transmits the flight route generated in step ST27 together with a power supply flight start instruction to the designated drone selected in steps ST24 to ST26. The power supply flight start instruction and the flight route are transmitted from the base communication device 35 to the designated power supply drone 20. Thereafter, the operation control unit 31 ends this control.

[0068] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of autonomous control by the autonomous flight control unit 21 of the power supply drone 20 in FIG. The autonomous flight control unit 21 of the power supply drone 20 repeatedly executes the autonomous control shown in FIG.

[0069] In step ST31, the autonomous flight control unit 21 determines whether the drone wireless communication device 23 has received a powered flight start instruction from the traffic management device 30. The drone wireless communication device 23 records the powered flight start instruction and the flight route in the drone memory 22. If a powered flight start command has not been received, the autonomous flight control unit 21 repeats this process. When the powered flight start command is received, the autonomous flight control unit 21 advances the processing to step ST32.

[0070] In step ST32, the autonomous flight control unit 21 determines whether or not a flight route has been acquired from the traffic management device 30. The autonomous flight control unit 21 determines that a flight route has been acquired from the traffic management device 30 based on the fact that a new flight route has been recorded in the drone memory 22. In this case, the autonomous flight control unit 21 proceeds to step ST33. If it is not determined that a flight route has been acquired from the traffic management device 30, the autonomous flight control unit 21 returns the process to step ST31. The autonomous flight control unit 21 repeats the processes from step ST31 to step ST32 until it determines that a powered flight start instruction and a flight route have been acquired from the traffic management device 30.

[0071] In step ST33, the autonomous flight control unit 21 acquires sensor information provided therein. The autonomous flight control unit 21 acquires the latest position from the drone GNSS receiver 25, for example, and acquires the latest surrounding information from the drone surrounding sensor 26.

[0072] In step ST34, the autonomous flight control unit 21 controls the flight of its own power supply drone 20. The autonomous flight control unit 21 executes control to fly from the departure point to the destination of the vehicle 1 according to the flight route while ensuring flight safety using sensor information.

[0073] In step ST35, the autonomous flight control unit 21 uses the latest position of the drone GNSS receiver 25, etc. to determine whether its own power supply drone 20 has landed on the roof of the vehicle 1 that requested power supply at the destination of the vehicle 1. If the power supply drone 20 has not landed on the roof of the vehicle 1 that requested power supply, the autonomous flight control unit 21 returns the process to step ST33. The autonomous flight control unit 21 repeats the processes of steps ST33 to ST35 until the power supply drone 20 lands on the roof of the vehicle 1 that requested power supply at the destination of the vehicle 1. Then, when the power supply drone 20 lands on the roof of the vehicle 1 that requested power supply at the destination of the vehicle 1, the autonomous flight control unit 21 proceeds to the process of step ST36 for post-landing processing.

[0074] In step ST36, the autonomous flight control unit 21 determines whether or not it is necessary to supply power to the vehicle 1 in the landed state. For example, if the autonomous flight control unit 21 has landed on the roof of a vehicle 1 that has requested power supply in accordance with a power supply flight start instruction, the autonomous flight control unit 21 determines that power supply to the vehicle 1 is necessary, and proceeds to step ST37. In other cases, the autonomous flight control unit 21 determines that power supply to the vehicle 1 is not necessary, and proceeds to step ST38.

[0075] In step ST37, the autonomous flight control unit 21 supplies power to the vehicle 1 on which its own power supply drone 20 has landed. The autonomous flight control unit 21 converts the stored power in the drone battery 27 into AC power and supplies it to the vehicle 1 via the drone power supply and demand device 28. The vehicle 1 charges the drive battery 14 using an induced voltage generated in the roof power supply and demand device 15, which is spaced apart and faces the drone power supply and demand device 28. This allows the vehicle 1 that requested power supply to receive power from the power supply drone 20. After supplying a predetermined amount of power or for a predetermined time to the vehicle 1 that requested power supply, the autonomous flight control unit 21 ends power supply to the vehicle 1 and proceeds to step ST38. The drive battery 14 of the vehicle 1 that requested power supply is charged with the desired amount of power.

[0076] In step ST38, the autonomous flight control unit 21 determines whether or not power supplementation to its own drone battery 27 is necessary. For example, when the vehicle 1 has finished supplying power and is returning to the parking area of ​​base P0, the autonomous flight control unit 21 determines that it is necessary to replenish power to its own drone battery 27, and proceeds to step ST39. In other cases, the autonomous flight control unit 21 determines that it is not necessary to supply power to its own drone battery 27, and ends this control.

[0077] In step ST39, the autonomous flight control unit 21 executes power supply control for its own power supply drone 20. The autonomous flight control unit 21 charges the drone battery 27 with an induced voltage generated in the drone power supply and demand device 28 by AC power supplied from the parking area of ​​base P0, for example. After that, when the drone battery 27 is fully charged, the autonomous flight control unit 21 ends this control.

[0078] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of an example of the distribution of the positions of multiple power supply drones 20 under the management of the operation management device 30 of FIG. The location distribution map 50 in Figure 11 shows part of an area provided with power supply service by multiple power supply drones 20 flying from a single base station P0. The location distribution map 50 in Fig. 11 is divided into a plurality of zones Z11 to Z34. The base station P0 is located in zone Z34. The white circles in the figure indicate the power supply drones 20. The power supply drones 20 are mapped to their latest positions in the position distribution map 50 of FIG. 11. The multiple power supply drones 20 mapped on the position distribution map 50 of FIG. 11 include not only those parked at base P0 but also power supply drones 20 moving to positions other than base P0. Here, the multiple power supply drones 20 mapped on the position distribution map 50 of FIG. 11 are in a state and with a remaining battery capacity that allows them to move to the destination of the vehicle 1 and supply power, and can reach the destination without a significant delay before the battery of the vehicle 1 runs out.

[0079] Zone Z11 has one power supply drone D1. Zone Z12 has no power supply drone 20. Zone Z12 is the destination P1 of vehicle 1 that requested power supply. Zone Z13 has two power supply drones D2 and D3. Zone Z14 has 32 power supply drones 20. Zone Z21 has one power supply drone 20. Zone Z22 has one power supply drone D8. Zone Z23 has one power supply drone 20. Zone Z24 has four power supply drones D4 to D7. Zone Z31 has no power supply drones 20. Zone Z32 has one power supply drone 20. Zone Z33 has one power supply drone 20. Base P0 in zone Z34 has three power supply drones 20.

[0080] In step ST11, the operation control unit 31 of the operation management device 30 generates the position distribution map 50 of Fig. 11. Then, in step ST19, the operation control unit 31 determines the drone distribution density using the position distribution map 50 of Fig. 11. In the example of Figure 11, the count values ​​of the number of power supply drones 20 or first candidate drones for each zone are (1, 0, 2, 3, 1, 1, 1, 4, 0, 1, 1, 3) in the order from zone Z11 to zone Z34.

[0081] Then, when the first determination is set, the operation control unit 31 determines that the zone Z24 is the zone with the largest count value. In this case, in step ST22, the operation control unit 31 extracts the four power supply drones (first candidate drones) D4 to D7 in zone Z24 as second candidate drones. Furthermore, since multiple second candidate drones D4 to D7 have been extracted, in step ST26 the operation control unit 31 selects the power supply drone (second candidate drone) D4 that is closest to the destination of the vehicle 1 as the designated drone.

[0082] Furthermore, when the second determination is set, the operation control unit 31 selects zone Z12 including the destination of vehicle 1 and its surrounding zones as the zone including the destination of vehicle 1 and its surrounding zones. The operation control unit 31 selects, for example, zones Z11, Z21 to Z23, and Z13 as the zone including the destination of vehicle 1 and its surrounding zones. Then, the operation control unit 31 selects zone Z13, which has the largest count value among these. In this case, in step ST22, the operation control unit 31 extracts the two power supply drones (first candidate drones) D2 and D3 in zone Z13 as second candidate drones. Furthermore, since multiple second candidate drones D2 to D3 have been extracted, in step ST26 the operation control unit 31 selects the power supply drone (second candidate drone) D3 that is closest to the destination of the vehicle 1 as the designated drone.

[0083] In this way, the operation control unit 31 can select the power supply drone 20 for supplying power to the vehicle 1 requesting power supply based on the location distribution map 50 of FIG.

[0084] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of control at the time of power supply completion by the operation control unit 31 of the operation management device 30 of FIG. The operation control unit 31 of the operation management device 30 repeatedly executes the power supply completion control of Figure 12 as a separate process from the operation control of Figure 9 for the power supply drone 20 outside the base 1 that has completed power supply to the vehicle 1.

[0085] In step ST41, the operation control unit 31 determines whether or not there is a power supply drone 20 that has completed power supply to the vehicle 1. The operation control unit 31 may determine whether power supply to the vehicle 1 has been completed based on information periodically received from the power supply drone 20. If there is no power supply drone 20 that has completed power supply to the vehicle 1, the operation control unit 31 repeats this process. If there is a power supply drone 20 that has completed power supply to the vehicle 1, the operation control unit 31 proceeds to step ST42.

[0086] In step ST42, the operation control unit 31 determines whether the power supply drone 20 that has completed power supply can return to the base P0. The operation control unit 31 may compare the remaining power of the drone battery 27, as determined by periodically receiving information from the power supply drone 20, with the amount of power required to return to base P0 from the current position of the power supply drone 20, to determine whether or not it is possible to return to base P0. If the remaining battery power is less than the return power amount, the operation control unit 31 determines that the vehicle cannot return to the base station P0, and proceeds to step ST43. If the remaining battery power is equal to or greater than the return power amount, the operation control unit 31 determines that the vehicle can return to the base station P0, and proceeds to step ST43.

[0087] In step ST43, the operation control unit 31 further determines whether or not to make the power supply drone 20 involved in the processing wait outside the base P0. The operation control unit 31 may determine whether to have the power supply drone 20 involved in the processing wait outside the base P0 depending on the drone density around the power supply drone 20, for example, based on the position distribution map 50 of FIG. Then, if the drone density in the current zone is lower than in other zones, such as zone Z12 of the power supply drone 20 involved in the processing as shown in Figure 11, the operation control unit 31 decides to have the drone wait outside base P0 and proceeds to step 44. In contrast, if the drone density in the current zone is higher than in other zones, such as zones Z14 and Z24 in Figure 11, the operation control unit 31 decides to return the drone to base P0 and proceeds to step 46.

[0088] In step ST44, the operation control unit 31 searches for a power supply spot near the power supply drone 20 involved in the processing. In addition, the operation control unit 31 searches for a power supply spot outside the base P0 that can be reached by the power supply drone 20 involved in the processing that has completed power supply to the vehicle 1. Here, the power supply spot may be a charger 91 capable of supplying power to the power supply drone 20 at a charging spot for the vehicle 1, or a power supply vehicle 1 that receives power from the charger 91. For example, if the power supply drone 20 can land on a train or bus that is running while receiving power, the vehicle 1 can be used as a power supply spot. The service provider may pay a fee to such vehicles 1, such as trains or buses. Information about the power supply spot may be registered in high-precision map data or may be appropriately received by the base communication device 35. The operation control unit 31 may use the acquired information about multiple power supply spots to search for the power supply spot closest to the power supply drone 20 involved in the processing. 11, power supply spots 51 are indicated by rectangular frames in zones Z12 and Z31. In this case, the operation control unit 31 searches for the power supply spot 51 in zone Z12 that is the closest from the destination P1 of the vehicle 1 for the power supply drone 20 that is located at the destination P1 of the vehicle 1 that has requested power supply.

[0089] In step ST45, the operation control unit 31 generates a flight route for flying and moving the power supply drone 20 involved in the processing to the power supply spot searched for in step ST44. In the case of FIG. 11, the operation control unit 31 generates a flight route for the vehicle 1 to fly from the destination P1 to the power supply spot 51 in the zone Z12. Thereafter, the operation control unit 31 advances the process to step ST47.

[0090] In step ST46, the operation control unit 31 generates a flight route for returning the power supply drone 20 involved in the processing to the base P0. After that, the operation control unit 31 proceeds to step ST47. In the case of FIG. 11, the operation control unit 31 generates a flight route for the vehicle 1 to fly from the destination P1 to the base P0 in the zone Z34.

[0091] In step ST47, the operation control unit 31 transmits a power supply flight instruction to the power supply drone 20 involved in the processing. The power supply flight instruction includes the generated flight route. After completing power supply, the power supply drone 20 flies from the destination of the vehicle 1 toward the power supply spot or base P0 and lands in the parking area of ​​the power supply spot or base P0. Thereafter, the operation control unit 31 ends this control.

[0092] As a result, the power supply drone 20 that has completed power supply can wait at the power supply spot or base P0 and receive power replenishment from the power supply spot or base P0. The drone battery 27 of the power supply drone 20 that responded to the power supply request from the vehicle 1 can be fully charged. As described above, in this embodiment, the power supply drone 20 that has completed power supply to the vehicle 1 can receive power at a power supply spot even if it cannot return to the base P0. Furthermore, the power supply drone 20 that has completed power supply to the vehicle 1 can be used to supply power to the next vehicle 1 without returning to the base P0. The power supply drone 20 can provide power to the vehicle 1 even in areas that are too far away to travel round trip from the base P0 to the vehicle 1's destination.

[0093] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of unengaged return control by the operation control unit 31 of the operation management device 30 of FIG. The operation control unit 31 of the operation management device 30 repeatedly executes the unengaged return control of Figure 13 as a control separate from the operation control of Figure 9 for the power supply drone 20 outside the base 1 that has completed power supply to the vehicle 1.

[0094] In step ST51, the operation control unit 31 extracts a non-engaged out-of-base drone. Here, the non-engaged out-of-base drone refers to a power supply drone 20 that is outside the base P0 and is not responding to a power supply request from the vehicle 1. A power supply drone 20 waiting at a power supply spot is extracted as an unengaged off-base drone.

[0095] In step ST52, the operation control unit 31 determines whether the drone battery 27 of each of the one or more non-engaged off-base drones extracted in step ST51 is fully charged. The operation control unit 31 may determine whether each drone battery 27 is fully charged based on information periodically received from each power supply drone 20. If there are no fully charged off-base drones that are not yet engaged, the operation control unit 31 terminates this control. If there is a fully charged off-base drone, the operation control unit 31 proceeds to step ST53.

[0096] In step ST53, the operation control unit 31 determines whether the undesignated period for the fully charged non-engaged off-base drone is equal to or longer than the threshold time. Here, the undesignated period refers to the period that has elapsed since the drone was last designated as a designated drone in steps ST24 to ST26 of Figure 9. The threshold time may be, for example, several hours or several days. The undesignated period may be changed depending on the drone's usage status. If the unspecified period is equal to or longer than the threshold time, the operation control unit 31 advances the process to step ST54. If the unspecified period is less than the threshold time, the operation control unit 31 ends this control.

[0097] In step ST54, the operation control unit 31 generates a flight route for returning to base P0 for non-engaged off-base drones whose undesignated period is equal to or longer than the threshold time.

[0098] In step ST55, the operation control unit 31 transmits a return flight instruction to the power supply drone 20 involved in the processing. The period flight instruction includes the generated flight route. As a result, the power supply drone 20 that has not been designated for the threshold time or longer will fly toward base P0 and land in the parking area of ​​base P0. For example, if a power supply drone 20 has been powered up to full charge at a power supply spot and has not been selected as a designated drone for a certain period of time thereafter, it can return to base P0. Thereafter, the operation control unit 31 ends this control.

[0099] As a result, the power supply drones 20 in less frequently used zones will return to base P0. As a result, the power supply drones 20 returning from less frequently used zones are more likely to be selected as designated drones for the next request, etc. This makes it possible to distribute multiple power supply drones 20 in a dispersed manner while suppressing a decrease in the overall operating rate. Furthermore, power supply drones 20 in less frequently used zones can be returned to base P0, while power supply drones 20 in more frequently used zones can be parked at power supply spots outside base P0. As a result, power supply drones 20 can be parked at power supply spots outside base P0 around zones where vehicles 1 requiring power are likely to appear. The battery performance of vehicles 1 requiring power can be classified into stages, such as 20 kWh, 40 kWh, or more. Vehicles 1 with similar battery performance can be expected to require power supply in relatively the same area. Power supply drones 20 will tend to stay in areas with high demand for power supply, while being more likely to return to other areas. This is expected to improve the overall operating rate of multiple power supply drones 20.

[0100] FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of an ideal area where a service using the power supply drone 20 can be provided under the operation management of this embodiment. FIG. 14 shows the same roughly rectangular area 40 as in FIG. In this case, a base station P0 may be provided for each area indicated by a dashed circle R2 in the figure. Each dashed circle R2 can be sized to allow the power supply drone 20 to travel one way from the base station P0 to the destination P1 of the vehicle 1, in addition to supplying power to the vehicle 1. The dashed circle R2 has a radius approximately twice that of the dashed circle R1 in Figure 4. In this way, the density of the bases P0 of the power supply drones 20 in this embodiment can be reduced to a maximum of 1 / 4.

[0101] As described above, in this embodiment, the operation control unit 31 of the operation management device 30 generates a position distribution map 50 by mapping the distribution of the positions of multiple power supply drones 20, including power supply drones 20 moving to positions outside the base station P0. The operation control unit 31 then selects a designated drone from the multiple power supply drones 20 mapped on the position distribution map 50 to move toward and supply power to the vehicle 1 requesting power. Therefore, even if the destination of the vehicle 1 requesting power is far from the base station P0, for example, a power supply drone 20 located near the destination of the vehicle 1 can be selected as the designated drone. This power supply drone 20 can reach the destination of the vehicle 1 in a shorter time than a power supply drone 20 moving from the base station P0. The vehicle 1 can receive power sooner after requesting power. The convenience of the vehicle 1 is improved. Furthermore, the multiple power supply drones 20 can efficiently supply power to the vehicle from a state where they are dispersed outside the base station P0.

[0102] In this embodiment, the operation control unit 31 of the traffic management device 30 extracts a first candidate drone from among multiple power supply drones 20, including a power supply drone 20 moving to a position outside the base station P0. The operation control unit 31 extracts one or more power supply drones 20 that can move to the destination of the vehicle 1 requesting power supply, are capable of supplying power, have a remaining battery charge, and can reach the vehicle 1 requesting power supply without a significant delay before the battery of the vehicle 1 runs out. If there is only one first candidate drone extracted, the traffic management device 30 selects that first candidate drone as the designated drone. On the other hand, if there are multiple first candidate drones extracted, the traffic management device 30 selects the designated drone from among the multiple first candidate drones. The designated drone selected in this manner may be one that does not have enough power to return to base P0 from the destination of the vehicle 1 requesting power supply. The first candidate drone may be one that can return to base P0 after power supply, or one that cannot return to base P0 after power supply. Since power for return is not required, the area to which the power supply drone 20 can supply power may be expanded. The area that can be covered by one base P0 is expanded. Furthermore, since power for return is not required, the battery capacity of the designated drone can also be reduced. A power supply drone 20 with a small battery capacity is lightweight, and therefore the burden on the vehicle 1 during power supply is also reduced.

[0103] Furthermore, the first candidate drone selected as the designated drone is not simply required to be in a state where it can move to the destination of the vehicle 1 requesting power and supply power and have a remaining battery capacity, but is also selected to be able to reach the vehicle 1 requesting power without a significant delay when the battery of the vehicle 1 runs out. Therefore, the vehicle 1 can receive power in a short time after requesting power, improving the convenience of the vehicle 1.

[0104] In this embodiment, the traffic management device 30 can extract, from among multiple first candidate drones, a first candidate drone whose distribution density of power supply drones 20 around its current location is higher than the others, as a second candidate drone. If there is only one second candidate drone, the traffic management device 30 selects that one second candidate drone as the designated drone. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the traffic management device 30 can extract, from among multiple first candidate drones, a first candidate drone whose distribution density of power supply drones 20 is higher than the others in the vicinity of the destination of the vehicle 1 requesting power supply, as a second candidate drone. If there is only one second candidate drone, the traffic management device 30 selects that one second candidate drone as the designated drone. As a result, power supply drones 20 with a higher distribution density than others are selected as designated drones in preference to those with a lower distribution density. As the power supply drones 20 with a higher distribution density than others move, the distribution density of the power supply drones 20 decreases over time, and the distribution density can be averaged out. As a result, it is expected that the multiple power supply drones 20 will be placed on standby in a more dispersed manner as the system becomes more widely used.

[0105] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the traffic management device 30 can extract, from among multiple first candidate drones, a first candidate drone that has not returned to base P0 for a longer period than the others, as a second candidate drone. If there is only one second candidate drone, the traffic management device 30 selects that one second candidate drone as the designated drone. This makes it less likely that the power supply drone 20 will not undergo maintenance for a certain period of time or longer. If the power supply drone 20 has not returned for a long period of time, it can return to the base P0 and undergo maintenance. In addition, in this embodiment, the power supply drone 20 retreats from a zone that is used less frequently. It is expected that the multiple power supply drones 20 can be effectively used to supply power to the vehicle 1.

[0106] In addition, in this embodiment, if there are multiple second candidate drones, the operation management device 30 selects the one closest to the destination of the vehicle 1 requesting power supply from among the multiple second candidate drones as the designated drone. As a result, the second candidate drone selected as the designated drone can be one that is closer to the destination of the vehicle 1 requesting power supply, with priority given to other drones. This makes it possible to minimize the travel time and the amount of power used for travel for multiple designated drones.

[0107] The above-described embodiment is an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention.

[0108] In the above-described embodiment, the power supply system of the vehicle 1 realizes power supply to the vehicle 1 using the autonomous flying power supply drone 20. Alternatively, for example, the power supply system of the vehicle 1 may supply power to the vehicle 1 using a power supply mobile object such as an autonomous power supply vehicle that travels on a road. [Explanation of symbols]

[0109] 1...vehicle, 2...mobile power supply system, 11...cruising control device, 12...autonomous sensor, 13...vehicle GNSS receiver, 14...drive battery, 15...roof power supply and demand device, 16...road surface power receiving device, 17...power receiving connector, 18...vehicle communication device, 19...vehicle network, 20...power supply drone, 21...autonomous flight control unit, 22...drone memory, 23...drone wireless communication device, 24...drone timer, 25...drone GNSS receiver, 26...drone surrounding sensor, 27...drone battery, 28...drone power supply and demand device, 29...drone bus, 30...operation management device, 31...operation control unit, 32...base memory, 33...base timer, 34...base power supply device, 35...base communication device, 39...server bus, 40...area, 50...distribution map, 51...power supply spot, 91...charger, 92...road surface power supply coil, P0...base, P1...destination

Claims

1. a plurality of power supply mobile bodies that can move from a base toward a vehicle and supply power to the vehicle; an operation management device that, when there is a vehicle requesting power supply, selects, from the plurality of power supply vehicles, a designated mobile body that moves toward the vehicle requesting power supply and supplies power to the vehicle; and The operation management device, in operation control for responding to a vehicle power supply request, generating a distribution map of the positions of the plurality of power supply mobile units, including the power supply mobile unit moving to a position outside the base; selecting a designated mobile object from among the plurality of power supply mobile objects in the location distribution map, the designated mobile object to move toward the vehicle requesting power supply and supply power; A mobile power supply system for vehicles using a mobile power supply.

2. In the operation control, the operation management device extracting, as first candidate mobile bodies, one or more of the power supply mobile bodies that can move to the destination of the vehicle requesting power supply and supply power to the vehicle, and that can reach the vehicle without delay when the battery of the vehicle requesting power supply runs out, from the plurality of power supply mobile bodies including the power supply mobile body moving to a position outside the base; If there is only one first candidate moving object extracted, the first candidate moving object is selected as the designated moving object; If there are multiple extracted first candidate moving objects, select the designated moving object from among the extracted multiple first candidate moving objects based on a determination of the positional relationship between the power supply drones in the position distribution map.

2. A mobile power supply system for a vehicle using the power supply mobile body according to claim 1.

3. In the operation control, the operation management device extracting, from among the plurality of first candidate moving objects, the first candidate moving object having a higher distribution density of power supply moving objects in the position distribution map than the others, as a second candidate moving object; extracting, from among the plurality of first candidate moving bodies, a first candidate moving body having a higher distribution density of power supply moving bodies around a destination of the vehicle requesting power supply than other first candidate moving bodies as a second candidate moving body; and extracting, from among the plurality of first candidate moving bodies, a first candidate moving body whose non-return period to the base is equal to or longer than a threshold time, as a second candidate moving body; Execute at least one of the following: If there is only one second candidate moving object extracted, the second candidate moving object is selected as the designated moving object; If there are a plurality of second candidate moving bodies extracted, the second candidate moving body that is closest to the destination of the vehicle requesting power supply is selected as the designated moving body from among the plurality of second candidate moving bodies.

3. A mobile power supply system for vehicles using the power supply mobile body according to claim 2.

4. The operation management device Separately from the operation control, execute control for a power supplying mobile outside the base that has completed power supply to the vehicle, and determine whether the power supplying mobile can return to the base and whether to make the power supplying mobile wait outside the base; When the vehicle is unable to return to the base or is made to wait outside the base, the power supply mobile unit that has completed power supply to the vehicle searches for a power supply spot outside the base that can be reached by the power supply mobile unit; moving the power supply mobile object that has completed power supply to the vehicle to the searched power supply spot; A mobile power supply system for a vehicle using the power supply mobile body according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. the power supply spot is a vehicle charging spot or a vehicle capable of supplying power to the power supply mobile object, The operation management device If the power supply mobile unit that has received power supply at the power supply spot is not selected as the designated mobile unit for a predetermined period of time, the power supply mobile unit is returned to the base.

5. A mobile power supply system for vehicles using the power supply mobile body according to claim 4.

6. the power supply mobile body is an autonomous flying power supply drone that has a battery, flies using power from the battery, lands on the vehicle, and supplies power from the battery; The operation management device If there is another vehicle moving along the route from the current position of the power supply drone to the destination of the vehicle, the power supply drone will specify a route to travel by sharing the route with the other vehicle.

2. A mobile power supply system for a vehicle using the power supply mobile body according to claim 1.

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