Non-contact charging device

Abstract

To provide a non-contact charging device capable of ensuring safety by detecting a living body and reducing power consumption and processing load.SOLUTION: The non-contact charging device includes a control unit, an in-vehicle unit that performs non-contact charging with a power supply facility embedded in a road surface, and a sensor that detects a living body in an exposure area of an electromagnetic field when the non-contact charging is performed, and the control unit stops the sensor outside a predetermined range from the in-vehicle unit when the non-contact charging is performed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wireless charging device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for detecting a living body in an area exposed to an electromagnetic field using a sensor mounted on a vehicle when wireless charging is performed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-165497 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 operates all sensors mounted on the vehicle to perform living body detection during contactless charging, so there is room for improvement in terms of power consumption and processing load.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a contactless charging device that can ensure safety through biological detection while reducing power consumption and processing load. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The contactless charging device of the present disclosure comprises a control unit, an on-board unit that performs contactless charging between the control unit and power supply equipment embedded in the road surface, and a sensor that detects living organisms in an area exposed to an electromagnetic field when the contactless charging is performed, and the control unit stops the sensor that is outside a specified range of the on-board unit when the contactless charging is performed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to ensure safety through biometric detection while reducing power consumption and processing load. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle to which a contactless charging device according to an embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of sensors in a case where an in-vehicle unit is provided at the front of a vehicle and a total of four sensors are provided in a contactless charging device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of sensors in a case where an in-vehicle unit is provided at the front of a vehicle and a total of six sensors are provided in a contactless charging device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of sensors in a case where an in-vehicle unit is provided at the rear of a vehicle and a total of four sensors are provided in a contactless charging device according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A contactless charging device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the components in the following embodiments include those that are easily replaceable by those skilled in the art, or those that are substantially the same.

[0010] The configuration of a contactless charging device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The contactless charging device according to the embodiment is mounted on, for example, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), an electric vehicle (BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle), or the like.

[0011] As shown in Fig. 1, a vehicle 1 to which a contactless charging device according to the embodiment is applied includes a control unit 11, an in-vehicle unit 12, a plurality of sensors 13, and a plurality of wheels 14. Note that Fig. 1 illustrates only the components of the actual vehicle 1 that are necessary to realize the contactless charging device according to the embodiment, and the other components are not illustrated.

[0012] The control unit 11 is an electronic control unit (ECU) whose main components are a microcomputer including a central processing unit (CPU), read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), and the like.

[0013] The vehicle-mounted unit 12 is provided, for example, on the lower part (bottom surface) of the vehicle 1, and performs contactless charging with a power supply facility embedded in the road surface or the like. The vehicle-mounted unit 12 includes, for example, a power receiving device having a secondary coil. The vehicle-mounted unit 12 also stores the power supplied from the power supply facility in a battery (not shown).

[0014] In contactless charging, wireless power transmission is performed, for example, by magnetic field resonance coupling (magnetic resonance), from an infrastructure-side power supply facility to the vehicle 1. The power supply facility includes, for example, an AC power source and a power transmission device having a primary coil for contactlessly transmitting power supplied from the AC power source to the vehicle 1.

[0015] The sensor 13 detects the presence of a living body in the area exposed to the electromagnetic field when wireless charging is performed. Examples of the sensor 13 include a camera that displays a panoramic view and a clearance sonar. In the vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1, a total of four sensors 13 are provided at the front, front right, front left, and rear of the vehicle 1.

[0016] 2, an area exposed to the electromagnetic field (see dashed frame) is formed around the in-vehicle unit 12 during contactless charging. Therefore, in order to prevent a human body (e.g., a human limb) from entering this exposed area, it is necessary to perform living body detection using multiple sensors 13. However, if all sensors 13 mounted on the vehicle 1 are operated to perform living body detection during contactless charging, there is a risk that the power consumption when operating the sensors 13 and the processing load on the control unit 11 will increase.

[0017] Therefore, when performing contactless charging, the control unit 11 stops the sensors 13 that are outside a predetermined range from the in-vehicle unit 12. In other words, the control unit 11 activates only the sensors 13 among the multiple sensors 13 provided on the vehicle 1 that monitor positions where entry into the exposed area is permitted, and stops the sensors 13 that monitor positions where entry into the exposed area is prohibited.

[0018] For example, in FIG. 2, the on-board unit 12 is provided on the front side of the vehicle 1, and therefore the exposed area is also formed on the front side of the vehicle 1. Therefore, during wireless charging, the control unit 11 performs living body detection using only the sensors 13 provided within a predetermined range from the on-board unit 12, i.e., the sensors 13 monitoring positions from which an animal can enter the exposed area. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 11 performs living body detection using only three sensors 13 provided on the front, right front, and left front of the vehicle 1. Note that if the sensors 13 are, for example, cameras, "sensors 13 monitoring positions from which an animal can enter the exposed area" refers to cameras capturing images of positions from which an animal can enter the exposed area.

[0019] On the other hand, during contactless charging, the control unit 11 stops sensors 13 that are installed outside a predetermined range from the in-vehicle unit 12, i.e., sensors 13 that monitor positions that cannot enter the exposed area. For example, as shown in Fig. 2, the control unit 11 stops sensors 13 installed at the rear of the vehicle 1, and does not perform living body detection using the sensors 13. Note that if the sensors 13 are, for example, cameras, "sensors 13 that monitor positions that cannot enter the exposed area" means cameras that capture images of positions that cannot enter the exposed area.

[0020] In this way, in the contactless charging device of the embodiment, live body detection is performed using only sensors 13 that are within a predetermined range from the vehicle-mounted unit 12 for contactless charging, so it is possible to ensure safety through live body detection while also reducing power consumption and processing load.

[0021] (Variation 1) 2 illustrates an example in which a total of four sensors 13 are provided at the front, right front, left front, and rear of the vehicle 1, but the positions and number of sensors 13 are not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, a total of six sensors 13 may be provided at the front, right front, left front, right rear, left rear, and rear of the vehicle 1.

[0022] In this case, the control unit 11 performs living body detection using only the three sensors 13 provided, for example, at the front, front right, and front left of the vehicle 1. On the other hand, the control unit 11 stops the three sensors 13 provided at the rear right, rear left, and rear of the vehicle 1, and does not perform living body detection using these sensors 13. In this way, the contactless charging device according to the embodiment can ensure safety through living body detection and reduce power consumption and processing load, regardless of the position and number of sensors 13.

[0023] (Variation 2)

[0024] 2 illustrates an example in which the on-vehicle unit 12 is provided on the front side of the vehicle 1, but the position of the on-vehicle unit 12 is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the on-vehicle unit 12 may be provided on the rear side of the vehicle 1. When the on-vehicle unit 12 is provided on the rear side of the vehicle 1 in this way, the exposed area is also formed on the rear side of the vehicle 1.

[0025] In this case, the control unit 11 performs living body detection using only three sensors 13 provided, for example, on the right front, left front, and rear of the vehicle 1. On the other hand, the control unit 11 stops the sensor 13 provided on the front of the vehicle 1, and does not perform living body detection using this sensor 13. In this way, the contactless charging device according to the embodiment can ensure safety through living body detection and reduce power consumption and processing load regardless of the position of the in-vehicle unit 12.

[0026] Further advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Thus, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] 1 vehicle 11 Control section 12 Vehicle unit 13 Sensors 14 wheels

Claims

[Claim 1] The vehicle is equipped with a control unit, an on-board unit that performs contactless charging between the control unit and a power supply facility embedded in the road surface, and a sensor that detects a living body in an area exposed to an electromagnetic field when the contactless charging is performed, the control unit stops the sensor located outside a predetermined range from the in-vehicle unit when the wireless charging is performed. Contactless charging device.

Images