In-vehicle power supply system, onboard unit, toll collection system, in-vehicle power supply method and program

Abstract

This system provides a simplified payment processing system for providing in-vehicle charging services on toll roads. [Solution] The on-road power supply system includes: a request receiving unit that receives power supply requests from vehicles traveling upstream of the on-road power supply section via a first roadside communication facility installed upstream of the on-road power supply section; a power transmission command unit that, upon receiving the power supply request, transmits a power transmission command to a power transmission unit corresponding to the on-road power supply section; and a power reception unit that receives a power reception amount notification from the vehicle indicating the amount of power received in the on-road power supply section.

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , , , ,

[0005] , , ,

[0003] , ,

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an in - motion power supply system, an in - vehicle device, a toll collection system, an in - motion power supply method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In Patent Document 1, in a discount system by charging utilization having a charging server for managing charging history information and a toll collection server for collecting road tolls, the charging server is installed on the road and has an acquisition means for acquiring information regarding charging from a non - contact charging facility that supplies power to a vehicle running on the road in a non - contact manner, a first storage means for storing charging history information indicating the charging status for each vehicle based on the information acquired from the charging facility by the acquisition means, and a transmission means for transmitting the charging history information stored in the first storage means to the toll collection server. The toll collection server has a second storage means for storing utilization history information indicating the utilization history of the road by the vehicle, a reception means for receiving the charging history information transmitted from the charging server, and a determination means for determining a discount amount for the user of the vehicle that has used the non - contact charging facility based on the charging history information received by the reception means and the road utilization history information stored in the second storage means. A discount system by charging utilization has been proposed.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In providing an in - motion power supply service within a toll road, a simple system configuration for settlement processing is required.

[0005] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide an in-vehicle power supply system, an in-vehicle device, a toll collection system, an in-vehicle power supply method, and a program that enable a simplified system configuration for payment processing when providing in-vehicle power supply services on toll roads. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A driving power supply system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a request receiving unit that receives power supply requests from a vehicle traveling upstream of a driving power supply section via a first roadside communication facility installed upstream of the driving power supply section; a power transmission command unit that, upon receiving the power supply request, transmits a power transmission command to a power transmission unit corresponding to the driving power supply section; and a power reception unit that receives a power reception amount notification from the vehicle indicating the amount of power received in the driving power supply section.

[0007] An in-vehicle device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a power supply request unit that transmits a power supply request to a first roadside communication facility installed upstream of a power supply section while driving, and a power receiving preparation command unit that transmits a power receiving preparation command to a power receiving unit to enable it to receive power from a power transmission facility provided in the power supply section while driving. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the above embodiment, a system configuration that simplifies payment processing can be realized when providing an in-ride power supply service on a toll road. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is an overall configuration diagram of the toll collection system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram of the configuration of the toll collection system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows the functional configuration of the management server according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the functional configuration of the in-vehicle device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5]Figure 1 shows the processing flow of the toll collection system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 2 shows the processing flow of the toll collection system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 3 shows the processing flow of the toll collection system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] Figure 4 shows the processing flow of the toll collection system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] Figure 5 shows the processing flow of the toll collection system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] This figure shows the processing flow of a toll collection system according to a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 11] Figure 1 shows the processing flow of the toll collection system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] Figure 2 shows the processing flow of the toll collection system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13] Figure 3 shows the processing flow of the toll collection system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] Figure 4 shows the processing flow of the toll collection system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 15] This diagram shows the computer configuration according to each embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Each embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In all drawings, identical or equivalent components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and common descriptions are omitted.

[0011] <First Embodiment> The first embodiment of this disclosure will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 9.

[0012] (Overall structure) FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a fee collection system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a configuration block diagram of a communication support system according to the first embodiment. First, the overall configuration of the fee collection system according to the first embodiment will be described while referring to FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0013] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a fee collection system 1 according to the first embodiment includes a traveling power supply system 10, an FF-ETC facility 20 (first roadside communication facility), an exit ETC facility 30 (second roadside communication facility), an in-vehicle device A1 and a power receiving facility A2 mounted on a vehicle A, and a power transmission unit B.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the toll road W has facilities capable of providing a traveling power supply service. Traveling power supply is a technology for wirelessly charging the battery of an electric vehicle while it is traveling on the road. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle A traveling on the toll road W can receive power through a power supply facility B2 provided on the road while traveling in a traveling power supply section PS, which is a specific section within the toll road W. Here, the power supply facility B2 is, for example, a plurality of coils arranged and buried along the extending direction of the road.

[0015] For simplicity, in FIG. 1, there is one traveling power supply section PS provided within the toll road W, but in reality, it is assumed that a plurality of traveling power supply sections PS are provided at various locations within the toll road W.

[0016] The traveling power supply system 10 is in charge of the entire process related to the provision of the traveling power supply service. As shown in FIG. 1, the traveling power supply system 10 is communicably connected to the FF-ETC facility 20, the exit ETC facility 30, and the power transmission unit B through a network line N. Also, as shown in FIG. 2, the traveling power supply system 10 includes a charging server 100 (charging processing unit), a management server 101, and an authentication server 102 (authentication processing unit).

[0017] The billing server 100 calculates the power supply charge amount according to the amount of power received indicated in the power supply notification (described later) received from vehicle A, and processes the billing for vehicle A. The management server 101 performs various processes necessary for providing the in-driving power supply service. The authentication server 102 performs authentication processing to determine whether or not to permit power supply to vehicle A.

[0018] Figure 3 shows the functional configuration of the management server according to the first embodiment. The functional configuration of the management server 101 will be explained in detail with reference to Figure 3. As shown in Figure 3, the management server 101 comprises a request receiving unit 1010, a power transmission command unit 1011, and a power reception amount receiving unit 1012. The request receiving unit 1010 receives power supply requests from vehicle A traveling upstream of the in-driving power supply section PS via the FF-ETC equipment 20. When the power transmission command unit 1011 receives a power supply request from vehicle A, it transmits a power transmission command to the power transmission unit B corresponding to the in-driving power supply section PS. The power reception amount receiving unit 1012 receives a power reception amount notification from vehicle A indicating the amount of power received in the in-driving power supply section PS.

[0019] Returning to Figures 1 and 2, we will now explain in detail the configuration of the FF-ETC equipment 20 and the exit ETC equipment 30.

[0020] The FF-ETC equipment 20 is an FF (Free Flow) ETC (Electronic Toll Collection System) (registered trademark) and performs DSRC wireless communication (Dedicated Short Range Communications) with an on-board unit A1 installed in a vehicle A passing through the FF-ETC equipment 20. As shown in Figure 1, the FF-ETC equipment 20 is installed upstream of the in-driving power supply section PS. Also, as shown in Figure 2, the FF-ETC equipment 20 includes an FF toll gate server 200, an FF lane server 201, and an FF antenna 202.

[0021] The exit ETC equipment 30 is an ETC device installed at the gate of the exit toll booth G of the toll road W, and performs DSRC wireless communication with the on-board unit A1 installed in vehicle A passing through the exit ETC equipment 30. Since the exit ETC equipment 30 is installed at the exit toll booth G of the toll road W, it is located downstream of the in-vehicle power supply section PS, as shown in Figure 1. Also, as shown in Figure 2, the exit ETC equipment 30 includes a toll booth server 300, a lane server 301, and an ETC antenna 302. The exit ETC equipment 30 is one form of roadside communication equipment installed downstream of the in-vehicle power supply section PS.

[0022] Next, we will explain in detail the configuration of vehicle A, which receives the in-movement power supply service.

[0023] Vehicle A traveling on toll road W is, for example, an electric vehicle and is equipped with a battery to supply the power necessary for driving. Furthermore, vehicle A is equipped with an ETC onboard unit A1 (hereinafter also simply referred to as "onboard unit A1") and a power receiving unit A2.

[0024] Figure 4 shows the functional configuration of the in-vehicle device according to the first embodiment. The functional configuration of the in-vehicle unit A1 will be explained in detail with reference to Figure 4. As shown in Figure 4, the in-vehicle unit A1 includes a power supply request unit A10, a power receiving preparation command unit A11, a power receiving amount measurement unit A12, and a power receiving amount notification unit A13.

[0025] The power supply request unit A10 transmits a power supply request to the FF-ETC equipment 20 installed at the location when vehicle A approaches the upstream side of the in-vehicle power supply section PS. The power receiving preparation command unit A11 transmits a power receiving preparation command to the power receiving unit A2 mounted on vehicle A, enabling it to receive power from the power transmission equipment B2 located in the in-vehicle power supply section PS. The power received amount measurement unit A12 calculates the amount of power received by accumulating the amount obtained through the power receiving unit A2. The power received amount notification unit A13 transmits a power received amount notification indicating the amount of power received to the exit ETC equipment 30 installed at the location when vehicle A approaches the exit toll gate G of the toll road W.

[0026] Returning to Figures 1 and 2, the power receiving unit A2 will now be described. The power receiving unit A2 is a device that allows vehicle A to receive power wirelessly while driving through the power transmission equipment B2 of the driving power supply section PS, and includes, for example, a power receiving coil. The power receiving unit A2 receives enable / disable control from the onboard unit A1 depending on whether power can be received while driving in the driving power supply section PS. The enable / disable status of the power receiving unit A2 is controlled, for example, by a relay switch connecting the power receiving coil to the circuit inside the vehicle.

[0027] Next, we will explain the configuration of power transmission unit B.

[0028] The power transmission unit B performs operations such as power transmission and power cessation (termination) in the power transmission section PS in response to commands from the higher-level power supply system 10 while the vehicle is in motion. The power transmission unit B comprises a power transmission server B1 and power transmission equipment B2.

[0029] The power transmission server B1 is a control device installed on the roadside of the power supply section PS during operation. The power transmission server B1 receives commands from the power supply system 10 during operation and controls the start and stop of power transmission. The power transmission equipment B2 is power transmission equipment embedded in the road in the power supply section PS during operation. As described above, the power transmission equipment B2 is, for example, a coil that can supply power wirelessly.

[0030] (Processing flow) Figures 5 to 9 show the processing flow of the toll collection system according to the first embodiment. The processing flow of the toll collection system will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 1 and 5 to 9.

[0031] First, we will explain the process before vehicle A enters the in-vehicle power supply section PS. Figure 5 shows the flow of processing performed when vehicle A passes the FF-ETC equipment 20. When vehicle A arrives at the installation location of the FF-ETC equipment 20, the onboard unit A1 of vehicle A receives a notification signal that is constantly transmitted by the FF antenna 202 of the FF-ETC equipment 20. The power supply request unit A10 of onboard unit A1 sends a power supply request to the FF-ETC equipment 20 upon receiving the notification signal from the FF-ETC equipment 20 (step S11). The message of this power supply request includes the onboard unit number that uniquely identifies onboard unit A1, onboard unit setup information (vehicle number, vehicle type classification, etc.), and information about the ETC card inserted in onboard unit A1. The message of the power supply request may also include "power supply efficiency information", "power supply unit ID", "desired power receiving capacity", "desired power receiving unit price", and "power supply output amount" held by the power receiving unit.

[0032] In step S11, the power supply request transmitted by the in-vehicle unit A1 is received by the FF toll gate server 200 via the FF antenna 202 and the FF lane server 201. The FF toll gate server 200 immediately transmits the received power supply request to the management server 101 of the in-vehicle power supply system 10. The management server 101 transmits the received power supply request to the authentication server 102.

[0033] Upon receiving a power supply request from vehicle A (onboard unit A1), the authentication server 102 performs an authentication process to indicate whether or not to authorize power supply to vehicle A, and issues an authentication result (step S12). The authentication process performed by the authentication server 102 is carried out from the perspective of payment, such as whether the ETC card is inserted correctly and whether the inserted ETC card (credit card) is valid. Alternatively, this authentication process may be carried out from the perspective of whether a wireless power supply device (power receiving unit A2) is installed in the vehicle body, and whether or not there is pre-registered information indicating the intention to receive the power supply service while driving.

[0034] The authentication result issued by the authentication server 102 is returned to the in-vehicle unit A1 via the FF-ETC equipment 20.

[0035] Figure 6 shows the subsequent process when vehicle A is successfully authenticated in step S12 (i.e., it is recognized as being able to receive the in-driving power supply service).

[0036] Upon receiving an authentication result from the authentication server 102 indicating that authentication was successful, the power transmission command unit 1011 of the management server 101 transmits a power transmission command to the power transmission unit B corresponding to the power transmission section PS on which vehicle A will travel, in order to activate that power transmission unit B (step S13a). If there are multiple power transmission sections PS on the toll road W, the management server 101 refers to the identification information of the FF-ETC equipment 20 that received the power supply request from vehicle A to identify the power transmission unit B that should be activated.

[0037] When the power transmission server B1 of power transmission unit B receives a power transmission command from the management server 101, it starts supplying power to the power transmission equipment B2 (coils buried in the road). This makes power transmission unit B ready to supply power to incoming vehicle A.

[0038] Meanwhile, the power receiving preparation command unit A11 of the in-vehicle unit A1, having received an authentication result from the authentication server 102 indicating that it has been properly authenticated, sends a power receiving preparation command to the power receiving unit A2 in order to activate the power receiving unit A2 (step S13b). Upon receiving the power receiving preparation command from the in-vehicle unit A1, the power receiving unit A2 performs control such as connecting the power receiving coil to the circuit, thereby becoming ready to receive power from the power transmission equipment B2.

[0039] Next, we will explain the process while vehicle A is traveling through the in-movement power supply section PS. Figure 7 shows the flow of processes performed when vehicle A is traveling through the in-movement power supply section PS. As shown in Figure 7, while vehicle A is traveling through the in-movement power supply section PS, power is supplied from the power transmission equipment B2 to the power receiving unit A2 (step S14).

[0040] The power reception measurement unit A12 of the on-board unit A1 integrates the amount of power (energy [Wh]) received sequentially while driving (step S15). For example, the power receiving unit A2 has built-in current sensors and voltage sensors and is capable of continuously measuring instantaneous power [W] at a constant sampling period. The power reception measurement unit A12 of the on-board unit A1 measures the total amount of power received from the power transmission unit B (total energy [Wh]) by acquiring and integrating the time history of the instantaneous power [W] that is continuously measured within the power receiving unit A2. In this way, even if, for example, vehicle A changes lanes and the opposing surfaces of power transmission equipment B2 and power receiving unit A2 are separated and power supply is temporarily suspended, or if the battery becomes fully charged while driving in the power supply section PS and power supply stops midway, the net amount of power received by vehicle A can be determined.

[0041] Next, we will explain the process after vehicle A passes through the in-movement power supply section PS. Figure 8 shows the process after vehicle A passes through the in-movement power supply section PS. When vehicle A passes through the in-movement power supply section PS and there are no more vehicles to be supplied with power, the management server 101 sends a power supply stop command to the power transmission unit B (step S16). Upon receiving the power supply stop command, the power transmission server B1 sends a power supply stop command to the power transmission equipment B2, stopping the power supply. As a result, power transmission from power transmission unit B stops.

[0042] Furthermore, the management server 101 can detect (estimate) that the vehicle to be powered has left the power supply section PS by various means. For example, the management server 101 may transmit a power supply stop command after a predetermined time has elapsed since transmitting a power supply command in step S13a. Also, for example, if FF-ETC equipment (not shown in Figure 1) is installed near the downstream side of the power supply section PS, the management server 101 may transmit a power supply stop command when it detects that vehicle A has passed the power supply section PS through the FF-ETC equipment. Additionally, if the management server 101 can acquire GNSS positioning information for vehicle A, the management server 101 may transmit a power supply stop command when it determines that vehicle A has passed the power supply section PS by referring to the GNSS positioning information. Furthermore, the management server 101 may refer to the difference in electrical load (impedance) that occurs when a power receiving unit A2 facing the power transmission equipment B2 is present or absent, and send a power transmission stop command when it determines that no vehicles are present throughout the entire power supply section PS while the vehicle is in motion.

[0043] Next, we will explain the process that occurs when vehicle A arrives at the exit toll gate G of the toll road W after passing through the in-driving power supply section PS. Figure 9 shows the flow of processing that is executed when vehicle A passes the exit ETC equipment 30. When vehicle A arrives at the location of the exit ETC equipment 30 (exit toll gate G), the onboard unit A1 of vehicle A receives a notification signal that is constantly transmitted by the ETC antenna 302 of the exit ETC equipment 30. The power reception amount notification unit A13 of the onboard unit A1 sends a power reception amount notification to the exit ETC equipment 30 upon receiving the notification signal from the exit ETC equipment 30 (step S17). This power reception amount notification message includes the total power reception amount (total energy [Wh]) measured in step S15, as well as the onboard unit number that uniquely identifies the onboard unit A1.

[0044] In step S17, the power reception notification transmitted by the in-vehicle unit A1 is received by the tollbooth server 300 via the ETC antenna 302 and the lane server 301. The tollbooth server 300 immediately transmits the received power reception notification to the management server 101 of the in-driving power supply system 10. The management server 101 transmits the received power reception notification to the billing server 100.

[0045] Upon receiving a power supply amount notification from vehicle A (onboard unit A1), the billing server 100 calculates the charge amount for vehicle A based on the power supply amount and performs the billing process. The billing process by the billing server 100 is performed downstream based on the information of the ETC card (credit card) inserted into onboard unit A1. Meanwhile, the billing server 100 sends a power supply charge amount notification showing the calculated charge amount back to onboard unit A1 via the exit ETC equipment 30 (step S18). Upon receiving the power supply charge amount notification from the billing server 100, onboard unit A1 notifies the user of the charge amount, for example, by voice through the in-vehicle speaker. At the same time, the lane server 301 may control the display board installed on the roadside of the exit toll gate G to show the charge amount to the user.

[0046] Note that Figure 9 only shows the processing related to in-driving power supply when vehicle A arrives at exit toll gate G. However, in reality, when vehicle A arrives at exit toll gate G, the exit ETC equipment 30 also collects the toll from vehicle A using the normal ETC method at the same time. In other words, from the perspective of the user riding in vehicle A, when vehicle A arrives at exit toll gate G, the collection of the toll using the normal ETC method and the collection of the usage fee for the in-driving power supply service used while driving on the toll road W are carried out simultaneously.

[0047] In addition to the method of processing charges using the information of the ETC card (credit card) inserted into the on-board unit A1, the billing server 100 may also perform the following: The billing server 100 may process charges using a payment method linked to the on-board unit A1 (or power receiving unit A2) that has been registered in advance (for example, direct debit from a bank account, payment by a credit card different from the inserted ETC card, etc.). By doing so, it is possible to set up separate billing destinations for toll road fees and charges for using the in-driving power supply service.

[0048] (Effect, Action) According to the above toll collection system 1, the use of the in-driving power supply service can be managed using existing toll collection equipment (FF-ETC equipment 20, exit ETC equipment 30, etc.). Therefore, a system configuration that simplifies payment processing can be realized when providing the in-driving power supply service on toll roads.

[0049] <Modification 1 of the first embodiment> Next, a modified example of the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 10.

[0050] Figure 10 shows the processing flow of a toll collection system according to a modified version of the first embodiment. The processing flow shown in Figure 10 is the processing flow executed when vehicle A arrives at the exit toll gate G, and corresponds to the processing flow shown in Figure 9 of the toll collection system of the first embodiment.

[0051] The toll collection system 1 according to this modified example differs from the first embodiment in that the toll booth server 300 of the exit ETC equipment 30 performs the calculation of the charge amount related to power supply. That is, in step S17, the toll booth server 300 receives a power supply amount notification from the onboard unit A1, calculates the charge amount corresponding to the power supply amount on the spot, and immediately sends a power supply charge amount notification back to the onboard unit A1 (step S18). In this way, the charge amount related to power supply can be calculated without going through the in-driving power supply system 10 (charging server 100 and management server 101), so the charge amount can be more reliably notified to the user through the onboard unit A1. The charge amount calculated by the toll booth server 300 is notified to the charging server 100 of the in-driving power supply system 10, and the charging process is carried out in the background.

[0052] <Second Embodiment> The second embodiment of this disclosure will be described below with reference to Figures 11 to 14.

[0053] In the toll collection system 1 according to the second embodiment, communication is possible between each server of the in-driving power supply system 10 and the power receiving unit A2 mounted on vehicle A via a wireless wide-area network using a mobile communication line or the like.

[0054] Figures 11 to 14 show the processing flow of the toll collection system according to the second embodiment. The processing flow of the toll collection system will be explained in detail below with reference to Figures 1 and 11 to 14.

[0055] Figure 11 shows the processing flow before vehicle A uses toll road W. The "stage before vehicle A uses toll road W" refers to, for example, when the user starts vehicle A (turns the key on), or when vehicle A is driving on a public road before entering toll road W.

[0056] Before vehicle A uses the toll road W, the power receiving unit A2 sends an authentication request to the authentication server 102 via a wireless wide-area network (step S21). The message of this authentication request includes an on-board unit number that uniquely identifies the on-board unit A1, on-board unit setup information (vehicle number, vehicle type classification, etc.), and information about the ETC card inserted in the on-board unit A1.

[0057] Upon receiving an authentication request from vehicle A (power receiving unit A2), the authentication server 102 performs an authentication process to indicate whether or not to permit power supply to vehicle A, and issues an authentication result (step S22). The authentication result issued by the authentication server 102 is returned to the power receiving unit A2 via the wireless wide-area network. The power receiving unit A2 notifies the in-vehicle device A1 of the authentication result.

[0058] Next, we will explain the processing flow after vehicle A enters the toll road W, but before it enters the in-vehicle power supply section PS. Figure 12 shows the processing flow executed when vehicle A passes the FF-ETC equipment 20. When vehicle A arrives at the installation location of the FF-ETC equipment 20, the on-board unit A1 of vehicle A receives the notification signal that the FF antenna 202 of the FF-ETC equipment 20 is constantly transmitting. If the authentication result received in step S22 is "power available", the power supply request unit A10 of the on-board unit A1 sends a power supply request to the FF-ETC equipment 20 upon receiving the notification signal from the FF-ETC equipment 20 (step S23).

[0059] In step S23, the power supply request transmitted by the in-vehicle unit A1 is received by the FF toll gate server 200 via the FF antenna 202 and the FF lane server 201. The FF toll gate server 200 immediately transmits the received power supply request to the management server 101 of the in-driving power supply system 10. Upon receiving the power supply request, the power transmission command unit 1011 of the management server 101 transmits a power transmission command to the power transmission unit B corresponding to the in-driving power supply section PS on which vehicle A will travel, in order to activate the power transmission unit B (step S24a).

[0060] In step S23, the power supply request unit A10 of the on-board unit A1 transmits a power supply request to the FF-ETC equipment 20, and at the same time, the power receiving preparation command unit A11 of the on-board unit A1 transmits a power receiving preparation command to the power receiving unit A2 (step S24b). Upon receiving the power receiving preparation command from the on-board unit A1, the power receiving unit A2 performs control such as connecting the power receiving coil to the circuit, thereby becoming ready to receive power from the power transmission equipment B2.

[0061] Next, we will explain the process while vehicle A is traveling through the in-movement power supply section PS. Figure 13 shows the flow of processes performed when vehicle A is traveling through the in-movement power supply section PS. As shown in Figure 13, while vehicle A is traveling through the in-movement power supply section PS, power is supplied from the power transmission equipment B2 to the power receiving unit A2 (step S25).

[0062] The power receiving unit A2 accumulates the amount of power (energy [Wh]) received sequentially during operation (step S26). Specifically, the power receiving unit A2 measures the total amount of power received from the power transmission unit B (total energy [Wh]) by acquiring and accumulating the time history of instantaneous power [W] continuously measured within the power receiving unit A2.

[0063] When vehicle A passes through the in-vehicle power supply section PS, the power receiving unit A2 transmits a power receiving amount notification to the management server 101 of the in-vehicle power supply system 10 via the wireless wide-area network (step S27). This power receiving amount notification message includes the total power received (total energy [Wh]) measured in step S26, as well as an on-board unit number that uniquely identifies the on-board unit A1.

[0064] It is possible for the power receiving unit A2 to detect (estimate) that "vehicle A has passed through the driving power supply section PS" by various means. The power receiving unit A2 may determine that vehicle A has passed through the driving power supply section PS after a predetermined time has elapsed since it stopped receiving instantaneous power [W] above a predetermined value, and send a power reception amount notification to the management server 101. Alternatively, for example, if FF-ETC equipment (not shown in Figure 1) is installed near the downstream side of the driving power supply section PS, the power receiving unit A2 may detect that vehicle A has passed through the driving power supply section PS via the FF-ETC equipment and the on-board unit A1, and send a power reception amount notification. Furthermore, if the power receiving unit A2 can acquire GNSS positioning information for vehicle A, the power receiving unit A2 may refer to the GNSS positioning information and send a power reception amount notification when it determines that vehicle A has passed through the driving power supply section PS.

[0065] In step S27, the power consumption notification received by the management server 101 is sent to the billing server 100. Upon receiving the power consumption notification, the billing server 100 calculates the charge amount corresponding to the total power consumption of vehicle A (step S28).

[0066] Next, we will explain the process that occurs when vehicle A arrives at the exit toll gate G of the toll road W after passing through the in-driving power supply section PS. Figure 14 shows the flow of processing that is executed when vehicle A passes the exit ETC equipment 30. When vehicle A arrives at the location of the exit ETC equipment 30 (exit toll gate G), the onboard unit A1 of vehicle A receives a notification signal that is constantly transmitted by the ETC antenna 302 of the exit ETC equipment 30. The power reception amount notification unit A13 of the onboard unit A1 sends a billing processing request to the exit ETC equipment 30 upon receiving the notification signal from the exit ETC equipment 30 (step S29). The message of this billing processing request includes the onboard unit number, which is uniquely identifiable to the onboard unit A1.

[0067] In step S29, the billing request transmitted by the in-vehicle unit A1 is received by the tollbooth server 300 via the ETC antenna 302 and the lane server 301. The tollbooth server 300 immediately transmits the received billing request to the billing server 100 of the in-driving power supply system 10.

[0068] Upon receiving a billing request from vehicle A (onboard unit A1), the billing server 100 processes the billing for vehicle A using the amount calculated in step S28. The billing process by the billing server 100 is performed downstream based on the information of the ETC card (credit card) inserted into onboard unit A1. Meanwhile, the billing server 100 sends a power supply billing amount notification, indicating the calculated billing amount, back to onboard unit A1 via the exit ETC equipment 30 (step S2A). Upon receiving the power supply billing amount notification from the billing server 100, onboard unit A1 notifies the user of the billing amount, for example, by voice through the in-vehicle speaker. Simultaneously, the lane server 301 may control the display board installed on the roadside of the exit toll gate G to show the billing amount to the user.

[0069] As described above, in the second embodiment, direct communication is performed between the vehicle A's power receiving unit A2 and the in-driving power supply system 10 via a wireless wide-area network. This reduces the processing load on roadside equipment (FF-ETC equipment 20, exit ETC equipment 30).

[0070] In the second embodiment described above, the power receiving unit A2 of vehicle A communicates with the in-driving power supply system 10 via a wireless wide-area network, but the embodiment is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the in-vehicle unit A1 of vehicle A may communicate with the in-driving power supply system 10 via a wireless wide-area network.

[0071] <Other Embodiments 1> In the first and second embodiments described above, the "amount of power received" measured by the on-board unit A1 was described as being in terms of energy [Wh], but other embodiments are not limited to this. For example, the "amount of power received" measured by the on-board unit A1 may be the sum of the time the vehicle was receiving power in the power supply section PS while driving (power receiving time). In this case, the on-board unit A1 (or power receiving unit A2) calculates the total power receiving time by accumulating the time during which the power receiving unit A2 measures instantaneous power [W] or more than a predetermined value (steps S15, S26). The on-board unit A1 (or power receiving unit A2) then includes the total power receiving time measured in step S15 in the power receiving amount notification message (steps S17, S27). The billing server 100 (or toll booth server 300) calculates the billing amount according to the total power receiving time (steps S18, S28).

[0072] <Other Embodiments 2> In the first and second embodiments described above, the roadside communication equipment located upstream of the power supply section PS was described as the FF-ETC equipment 20, but other embodiments are not limited to this. For example, if the power supply section PS is installed near the entrance toll gate, the entrance ETC equipment installed at the entrance toll gate may perform the same processing as the FF-ETC equipment 20 according to the first and second embodiments.

[0073] <Other Embodiments 3> In the first and second embodiments described above, the roadside communication equipment located downstream of the power supply section PS was described as the exit ETC equipment 30, but other embodiments are not limited to this. For example, if FF-ETC equipment is installed downstream of the power supply section PS, the FF-ETC equipment installed downstream may perform the same processing as the exit ETC equipment 30 according to the first and second embodiments. In this case, it is expected that the timing of collecting fees for power supply and the timing of collecting toll fees will be separate.

[0074] <Other Embodiments 4> In the first embodiment described above, it was explained that in step S15, the on-board unit A1 (power reception amount measurement unit A12) calculates the amount of power received sequentially during driving by accumulating it. However, other embodiments are not limited to this. In other embodiments, for example, the power reception unit A2 may internally calculate the amount of power received and notify the on-board unit A1 of only the final measurement result of the total amount of power received. In this case, the processing of the on-board unit A1 in step S17 is simply to include the total amount of power received notified by the power reception unit A2 in the power reception amount notification message and transmit it to the exit ETC equipment 30.

[0075] <Other Embodiments 5> In the second embodiment described above, in steps S27 to S28, the billing server 100 calculates the charge amount in advance via communication over a wireless wide-area network, and in steps S29 to S2A, when vehicle A arrives at the exit toll gate G, it notifies the vehicle of the calculated charge amount. However, other embodiments are not limited to this. In other embodiments, after calculating the charge amount in step S28, the billing server 100 may immediately notify vehicle A (power receiving unit A2) of the charge amount via the wireless wide-area network. In this way, the user can find out the charge related to power supply after the end of driving in the power supply section PS without waiting to reach the exit toll gate G.

[0076] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications to the structure and details of the present disclosure are possible, as can be understood by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, each embodiment can be combined with other embodiments as appropriate.

[0077] <Computer Configuration> Figure 15 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the computer according to each of the above embodiments. The computer 90 includes a processor 91, main memory 92, storage 93, and an interface 94. The aforementioned in-vehicle power supply system 10 and in-vehicle unit A1 are each implemented in the computer 90. The operation of each of the aforementioned processing units is stored in storage 93 in the form of a program. The processor 91 reads the program from storage 93, loads it into main memory 92, and executes the above processing according to the program. The processor 91 also allocates memory areas in main memory 92 corresponding to each of the aforementioned storage units according to the program.

[0078] The program may be for implementing some of the functions that the computer 90 is to perform. For example, the program may perform functions in combination with other programs already stored in storage, or in combination with other programs implemented in other devices. In other embodiments, the computer may include a custom LSI (Large Scale Integrated Circuit) such as a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) in addition to, or instead of, the above configuration. Examples of PLDs include PAL (Programmable Array Logic), GAL (Generic Array Logic), CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc. In this case, some or all of the functions implemented by the processor may be implemented by the integrated circuit.

[0079] Examples of storage 93 include HDDs (Hard Disk Drives), SSDs (Solid State Drives), magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), DVD-ROMs (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory), and semiconductor memory. Storage 93 may be an internal medium directly connected to the bus of the computer 90, or an external medium connected to the computer 90 via an interface 94 or a communication line. Furthermore, if this program is distributed to the computer 90 via a communication line, the computer 90 that receives the program may expand it into main memory 92 and execute the above processing. In at least one embodiment, storage 93 is a tangible storage medium that is not temporary.

[0080] Some or all of the above embodiments may also be described as follows, but are not limited to the following:

[0081] (Note 1) A request receiving unit (1010) receives power supply requests from a vehicle (A) traveling upstream of the power supply section (PS) via a first roadside communication equipment (FF-ETC equipment 20) installed upstream of the power supply section (PS), A power transmission command unit (1011) that, upon receiving the aforementioned power supply request, transmits a power transmission command to a power transmission unit (B) corresponding to the power supply section (PS) while the vehicle is in motion, A power receiving unit 1012 receives a power receiving amount notification from the vehicle indicating the amount of power received in the power supply section (PS) while driving, A power supply system that provides power while driving.

[0082] (Note 2) The aforementioned power receiving unit (1012) is, The power reception amount notification is received from the vehicle (A) traveling downstream of the aforementioned power supply section (PS) via the second roadside communication equipment (exit ETC equipment 30) installed downstream of the aforementioned power supply section (PS). The in-vehicle power supply system described in Appendix 1.

[0083] (Note 3) The aforementioned power receiving unit (1012) is, The power reception amount notification is received from the vehicle (A) via a wireless wide-area network. The in-vehicle power supply system described in Appendix 1.

[0084] (Note 4) The system further includes a billing processing unit (billing server 100) that calculates the amount of electricity charge according to the degree of use indicated in the aforementioned notice and processes the billing for the vehicle (A). A power supply system while driving as described in any one of the items 1 to 3 of the appendix.

[0085] (Note 5) The system further includes an authentication processing unit (authentication server 102) that performs authentication processing to determine whether or not to permit power supply to the vehicle (A), A power supply system while driving as described in any one of the items 1 to 4 of the appendix.

[0086] (Note 6) A power supply request unit (A10) transmits a power supply request to the first roadside communication equipment (FF-ETC equipment 20) installed on the upstream side of the power supply section (PS) while driving, A power receiving preparation command unit (A11) transmits a power receiving preparation command to the power receiving unit (A2) to enable it to receive power from the power transmission equipment (B2) installed in the power supply section (PS) while the vehicle is in motion, An in-vehicle device equipped with this feature.

[0087] (Note 7) A power reception amount notification unit (A13) transmits a power reception amount notification indicating the amount of power received through the power receiving unit (A2) to a second roadside communication equipment (exit ETC equipment 30) installed downstream of the aforementioned power supply section (PS), The in-vehicle device described in Appendix 6 further includes the following:

[0088] (Note 8) A power supply system while driving as described in any one of the items 1 to 5 of the appendix, The in-vehicle device described in Appendix 6 or 7, A toll collection system equipped with [a specific feature / feature].

[0089] (Note 9) The process involves receiving a power supply request from a vehicle (A) traveling upstream of the power supply section (PS) via a first roadside communication device (FF-ETC device 20) installed upstream of the power supply section (PS), and When the aforementioned power supply request is received, the step of transmitting a power supply command to the power transmission unit (B) corresponding to the power supply section (PS) while driving, The steps include receiving a power reception amount notification from the vehicle (A) indicating the amount of power received in the power supply section (PS) while driving, A method for supplying power while driving, equipped with the features described above.

[0090] (Note 10) The computer of the in-driving power supply system (10) The process involves receiving a power supply request from a vehicle (A) traveling upstream of the power supply section (PS) via a first roadside communication device (FF-ETC device 20) installed upstream of the power supply section (PS), and When the aforementioned power supply request is received, the step of transmitting a power supply command to the power transmission unit (B) corresponding to the power supply section (PS) while driving, The steps include receiving a power reception amount notification from the vehicle (A) indicating the amount of power received in the power supply section (PS) while driving, A program that executes the command. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 1. Toll collection system 10. In-Driving Power Supply System 100 Billing Server (Billing Processing Unit) 101 Management Server 1010 Request Reception Department 1011 Power Transmission Control Department 1012 Power reception unit 102 Authentication Server (Authentication Processing Unit) 20 FF-ETC equipment (1st roadside communication equipment) 200 FF tollbooth server 201 FF Lane Server 202 FF antenna 30 Exit ETC equipment (second roadside communication equipment) 300 Tollbooth Server 301 Lane Server 302 ETC antenna Vehicle A A1 Onboard equipment A10 Power supply request section A11 Power Reception Preparation Command Unit A12 Power reception amount measurement unit A13 Power Received Notification Unit A2 Power Receiving Unit B Power transmission unit B1 Power transmission server B2 Power transmission equipment

Claims

1. A request receiving unit receives power supply requests from vehicles traveling upstream of the in-movement power supply section via a first roadside communication equipment installed upstream of the in-movement power supply section, A power transmission command unit that, upon receiving the aforementioned power supply request, transmits a power transmission command to the power transmission unit corresponding to the power supply section during operation, A power receiving unit receives a power receiving amount notification from the vehicle indicating the amount of power received in the section where power is supplied while driving. A power supply system that provides power while driving.

2. The aforementioned power receiving unit is The power reception amount notification is received from the vehicle traveling downstream of the aforementioned power supply section via a second roadside communication equipment installed downstream of the aforementioned power supply section. The in-driving power supply system according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned power receiving unit is The system receives the power consumption notification from the vehicle via a wireless wide-area network. The in-driving power supply system according to claim 1.

4. The system further includes a billing processing unit that calculates the amount of electricity charge corresponding to the amount of electricity received as indicated in the electricity received notification and processes the billing for the vehicle. The in-driving power supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The system further includes an authentication processing unit that performs authentication processing to determine whether or not to permit power supply to the vehicle. The in-driving power supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. A power supply request unit that transmits a power supply request to the first roadside communication equipment installed on the upstream side of the power supply section while the vehicle is in motion, A power receiving preparation command unit transmits a power receiving preparation command to the power receiving unit to enable it to receive power from the power transmission equipment installed in the power supply section while driving, An in-vehicle device equipped with this feature.

7. A power reception amount notification unit transmits a power reception amount notification indicating the amount of power received through the power receiving unit to a second roadside communication equipment installed downstream of the aforementioned power supply section during operation, The in-vehicle device according to claim 6, further comprising:

8. A power supply system while driving according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The in-vehicle device according to claim 6 or 7, A toll collection system equipped with [a specific feature / feature].

9. The process involves receiving a power supply request from a vehicle traveling upstream of the in-movement power supply section via a first roadside communication facility installed upstream of the in-movement power supply section, and When the aforementioned power supply request is received, the step of transmitting a power supply command to the power transmission unit corresponding to the power supply section while driving, The steps include receiving a power reception amount notification from the vehicle, which indicates the amount of power received in the section where power is supplied while driving, A method for supplying power while driving, equipped with the features described above.

10. The computer of the in-vehicle power supply system, The process involves receiving a power supply request from a vehicle traveling upstream of the in-movement power supply section via a first roadside communication facility installed upstream of the in-movement power supply section, and When the aforementioned power supply request is received, the step of transmitting a power supply command to the power transmission unit corresponding to the power supply section while driving, The steps include receiving a power reception amount notification from the vehicle, which indicates the amount of power received in the section where power is supplied while driving, A program that executes the command.

Images