Power supply system and method for controlling the same

Abstract

To provide a power supply facility capable of avoiding the risk of water damage.SOLUTION: A power charging stand is a power supply facility capable of being stored under the ground and includes: an electric power supply unit for supplying the electric power to a vehicle on the ground (including a connector, an electric power supply cable, and electric power circuit); and a control device that controls the electric power supply by the electric power supply unit. The control device is configured to allow the electric power supply unit to supply the electric power when there is no water inside the power charging stand (if the determination in step S311 is NO) (step S314). With this, electric power can be supplied to the vehicle by the electric power supply unit when there is no water inside the power charging stand.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to power supply equipment and a method for controlling the power supply equipment, and more particularly to power supply equipment that can be housed underground and a method for controlling the power supply equipment.

Background Art

[0002] Charging equipment for charging a power storage device mounted on a vehicle or the like is installed, for example, in a parking lot or a sidewalk. However, since it occupies installation space, it may interfere with walking or vehicle travel. Therefore, a technique for housing the charging equipment underground has been devised, such as the charging pole disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 5475407 (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Since the charging equipment as described above can be housed underground, there is a risk of flooding. If water remains inside such charging equipment during use, it may cause the charging equipment to malfunction.

[0005] This disclosure has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a power supply equipment and a method for controlling the power supply equipment capable of avoiding the risk of failure due to water.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The power supply equipment according to this disclosure is a power supply equipment that can be housed underground, and includes a power supply unit for supplying power to a vehicle on the ground and a control unit for controlling the power supply by the power supply unit. The control unit permits the power supply by the power supply unit when there is no water accumulated inside the power supply equipment.

[0007] According to such a configuration, when there is no water accumulated inside the power supply facility, power can be supplied to the vehicle by the power supply unit. As a result, it is possible to provide a power supply facility capable of avoiding the risk of failure due to water.

[0008] It may be further provided with a discharge unit for discharging the water accumulated inside. According to such a configuration, the water accumulated inside the power supply facility can be reliably discharged.

[0009] When there is water accumulated inside, the control unit may control the discharge unit to discharge the accumulated water. According to such a configuration, the water accumulated inside the power supply facility can be reliably discharged.

[0010] It may be further provided with a detection unit for detecting that there is water accumulated inside, and when it is detected by the detection unit that there is water accumulated, the control unit may determine that there is water accumulated inside.

[0011] According to such a configuration, it is possible to reliably determine that there is water accumulated inside the power supply facility.

[0012] The power supply unit includes a power supply port and a power circuit, and the power supply facility may further be provided with a housing that surrounds the inside including the power circuit and the control unit so that water hardly penetrates. According to such a configuration, it is possible to make it difficult for water to penetrate inside the power supply facility.

[0013] The power supply facility includes a power supply port, and further includes a movable part that can be displaced between a position where the power supply port is housed underground and a position where the power supply port is exposed above the ground, and an actuator that displaces the movable part, and the control unit may further control the actuator. According to such a configuration, the power supply port can be automatically displaced between above the ground and underground.

[0014] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method for controlling power supply equipment is a method for controlling power supply equipment that can be housed underground. The power supply equipment includes a power supply unit for supplying power to a vehicle on the ground and a control unit for controlling the power supply by the power supply unit. The control method includes a step in which the control unit permits power supply by the power supply unit when there is no water accumulation inside the power supply equipment.

[0015] According to such a configuration, it is possible to provide a method for controlling power supply equipment that can avoid the risk of failure due to water.

Advantages of the Invention

[0016] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a power supply equipment and a method for controlling the power supply equipment that can avoid the risk of failure due to water.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] [First Embodiment] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are not repeated.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle and a power supply facility according to this embodiment. A plurality of power supply facilities included in the power supply system 1 according to this embodiment is the charging stand 300 shown in FIG. 1. The charging stand 300 corresponds to EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment).

[0020] Referring to FIG. 1, the charging stand 300 is configured to be storable under the ground F1. The charging stand 300 corresponds to an underground power supply facility (a power supply facility storable underground). The state of the charging stand 300 shown in FIG. 1 is a state where the charging stand 300 is stored under the ground F1 (hereinafter, also referred to as the "stored state").

[0021] The charging stand 300 includes a movable part 301 and a fixed part 302. Each of the movable part 301 and the fixed part 302 has a cylindrical housing. Note that the housings of the movable part 301 and the fixed part 302 are not limited to cylindrical shapes, and may have other shapes, such as a quadrangular prism shape. The material of each housing may be metal or plastic. Waterproof treatment may be applied to the surface of each housing. The housing of the movable part 301 has a larger diameter than the housing of the fixed part 302 and is disposed outside the housing of the fixed part 302 so that the central axes of the respective housings coincide. The movable part 301 is provided so as to be displaceable in the vertical direction (up and down direction) along the outer peripheral surface of the fixed part 302.

[0022] A seal member (not shown) is provided at the lower end of the movable part 301 so that foreign matters such as water and dust are less likely to enter through the gap between the movable part 301 and the fixed part 302. The charging stand 300 is configured such that foreign matters are less likely to enter the inside of the movable part 301 and the fixed part 302 by this seal member and the housings of the movable part 301 and the fixed part 302.

[0023] The charging stand 300 is installed in a recess R1 extending downward from the ground F1. In the stored state, the entire charging stand 300 is stored inside the recess R1. The fixing part 302 is fixed to the bottom surface of the recess R1. The fixing part 302 has a power supply circuit 310, an actuator 320, and a control device 330 inside the housing. The movable part 301 is driven by the actuator 320 and is displaced relative to the fixing part 302. A seal member (not shown) may be provided in the gap between the outer peripheral surface of the housing of the movable part 301 and the inner wall of the recess R1.

[0024] The movable part 301 has a space (hereinafter referred to as "cable storage part") for storing the connector 311 and the power supply cable 312. The cable storage part is, for example, a recess formed on the side surface of the movable part 301 by processing a part of the cylindrical housing of the movable part 301. A connector 311 is provided at the first end of the power supply cable 312. The second end (the end opposite to the first end) of the power supply cable 312 is connected to the power supply circuit 310 via an electric wire (not shown). In the stored state, the movable part 301 has the connector 311 and the power supply cable 312 inside the cable storage part. In this embodiment, the connector 311 corresponds to an example of the "power supply port" according to the present disclosure.

[0025] Note that the power supply cable 312 (including the connector 311) may be configured to be detachable from the movable part 301. In the movable part 301 in a state where the power supply cable 312 is removed, the connector for the power supply cable 312 (the part to which the power supply cable 312 is attached) corresponds to the power supply port of the movable part 301.

[0026] The power supply circuit 310 is configured to receive power supply from the AC power supply 350 and supply power to the movable part 301 (more specifically, the power supply cable 312). The AC power supply 350 supplies AC power to the power supply circuit 310. The AC power supply 350 may be a commercial power supply (for example, a power grid provided by an electric power company). The power supply circuit 310 is controlled by the control device 330.

[0027] The power supply cable 312 is flexible. A cable reel configured to be able to wind the power supply cable 312 may be provided in the cable storage section. The cable reel may be a mechanical automatic winding device (for example, a spring-type cable reel). Also, a lid (not shown) for opening and closing the cable storage section may be provided. Further, a sensor for detecting whether the connector 311 and the power supply cable 312 are stored in the cable storage section may be provided in the cable storage section.

[0028] In the stored state, the top surface 301a of the movable part 301 is flush with the ground F1. The actuator 320 is configured to directly or indirectly apply power to the movable part 301 to move the movable part 301 in the vertical direction (see FIG. 2 described later). The actuator 320 may be an electric actuator that generates power using the power supplied from the power supply circuit 310. The displacement mechanism of the movable part 301 may be a rack and pinion type. For example, a rack gear may be fixed to the movable part 301, and the actuator 320 may be configured to rotationally drive a pinion gear meshed with the rack gear. Alternatively, a rod connected to the piston may be fixed to the movable part 301, and the actuator 320 may be configured to move the piston with hydraulic pressure or pneumatic pressure. Alternatively, the actuator 320 may generate a magnetic force using power and directly apply power to the movable part 301 using the magnetic force. The actuator 320 is controlled by the control device 330.

[0029] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state where the movable part 301 has risen. Referring to FIG. 2, the movable part 301 is displaced (rises and falls) in the vertical direction so as to change the position Px of the top surface 301a. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the position Px of the top surface 301a of the movable part 301 is regarded as the position of the movable part 301.

[0030] The movable part 301 is configured to be displaced within a movable range R2. The lower limit position P1 of the movable range R2 is at the same height as the ground F1. When the position of the movable part 301 is at the lower limit position P1, the entire movable part 301 (including the cable storage part) is stored below the ground F1. If the position of the movable part 301 is higher than the lower limit position P1, at least a part of the movable part 301 is exposed above the ground F1. The upper limit position P2 of the movable range R2 is set at a position sufficiently higher than the height of the inlet of a general vehicle. When the position of the movable part 301 is at the upper limit position P2, the cable storage part (connector 311 and power supply cable 312) of the movable part 301 is exposed above the ground F1. Also, even when the position of the movable part 301 is at a position lower than the upper limit position P2 (for example, the position Px shown in FIG. 2), the cable storage part may be exposed above the ground F1. Thus, the movable range R2 includes a first position (for example, the lower limit position P1) where the power supply port is stored below the ground and a second position (for example, the upper limit position P2) where the power supply port is exposed above the ground. In this embodiment, the lower limit position P1 is at the same position as the ground F1, but the lower limit position P1 may be set at a position below the ground F1.

[0031] Referring to FIG. 1 again, the movable part 301 further includes a communication device 341, a notification device 342, and a touch panel display 313. The communication device 341 is configured to be capable of wireless communication with a server 600 described later. The communication device 341 may also be configured to be capable of communicating with communication devices other than the server 600. The communication device 341 transmits the information received from the outside of the charging stand 300 to the control device 330. The control device 330 sequentially transmits the state of the charging stand 300 to the server 600 through the communication device 341.

[0032] The notification device 342 is provided near the top surface 301a of the movable part 301. In this embodiment, the notification device 342 includes a lamp and a speaker. The lamp may be an LED (light-emitting diode) lamp. The control device 330 controls the lighting state (for example, lighting / flashing / extinguishing) of the lamp. The control device 330 controls the speaker to cause the speaker to perform notification by sound (including voice). The touch panel display 313 receives input from the user and displays various information. The touch panel display 313 is configured to receive instructions regarding power supply (for example, instructions for starting and stopping power supply). Further, the touch panel display 313 is configured to display the power supply state (power supply in progress / power supply stopped) of the charging stand 300. The touch panel display 313 is controlled by the control device 330.

[0033] The control device 330 may be a computer. The control device 330 includes a processor 331, a memory 332, a storage device 333, a timer 334, and a communication unit 335. As the processor 331, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) can be adopted. The memory 332 stores programs and information used by the programs (for example, maps, mathematical formulas, and various parameters). In this embodiment, by the processor 331 executing the programs stored in the memory 332, various controls in the charging stand 300 are executed. However, the various controls in the charging stand 300 are not limited to being executed by software, and can also be executed by dedicated hardware (electronic circuit). Note that the number of processors included in the control device 330 is arbitrary, and a processor may be prepared for each predetermined control. The storage device 333 is configured to be able to store the stored information. The communication unit 335 is an interface with the communication device 341.

[0034] Timer 334 is configured to notify the processor 331 of the arrival of the set time. When the time set in timer 334 is reached, a signal notifying the processor 331 to that effect is transmitted from timer 334. Timer 334 may be hardware (timer circuit) or may be implemented by software. Further, the control device 330 can acquire the current time using a real-time clock (RTC) circuit (not shown) built into the control device 330.

[0035] The vehicle 200 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a battery 210, devices for traveling using the electric power stored in the battery 210 (for example, a motor generator (hereinafter referred to as "MG") 221 and an inverter (hereinafter referred to as "INV") 222 described later), and devices for charging the battery 210 using a charging stand 300 (for example, an inlet 211 and a charger 212 described later). The vehicle 200 according to this embodiment is a battery electric vehicle (BEV) that does not include an engine (internal combustion engine).

[0036] The vehicle 200 further includes an electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as "ECU (Electronic Control Unit)") 230, a communication device 240, and a touch panel display 250. The ECU 230 may be a computer. The ECU 230 includes a processor, a memory, and a storage device (none of which are shown). By the processor executing the programs stored in the memory, various vehicle controls are executed. However, vehicle control is not limited to execution by software and can also be executed by dedicated hardware (electronic circuit).

[0037] The touch panel display 250 receives touch operations by the user and outputs the content of the received touch operations to the ECU 230. The ECU 230 executes processing according to a program in accordance with the content of the touch operation. The ECU 230 outputs a signal for displaying the execution result of the program to the touch panel display 250. The touch panel display 250 displays an image according to the signal from the ECU 230.

[0038] The ECU 230 is configured to communicate with the outside of the vehicle 200 through the communication device 240. The communication device 240 includes various communication I / Fs (interfaces). The communication device 240 includes a communication I / F for wireless communication with a server 600 (FIG. 1) described later.

[0039] The battery 210 includes a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery or a nickel metal hydride battery, for example. The secondary battery may be a battery pack or a all-solid-state battery. Note that, instead of the secondary battery, another power storage device such as an electric double layer capacitor may be adopted.

[0040] The vehicle 200 further includes a monitoring module 210a for monitoring the state of the battery 210. The monitoring module 210a includes various sensors for detecting the state of the battery 210 (for example, voltage, current, and temperature), and outputs the detection results to the ECU 230. In addition to the above sensor functions, the monitoring module 210a may be a BMS (Battery Management System) further having an SOC (State Of Charge) estimation function, an SOH (State of Health) estimation function, a cell voltage equalization function, a diagnostic function, and a communication function. The ECU 230 can acquire the state of the battery 210 (for example, temperature, current, voltage, SOC, and internal resistance) based on the output of the monitoring module 210a.

[0041] Vehicle 200 includes an MG221 and an INV222 for electric driving. The MG221 is, for example, a three-phase AC motor generator. The MG221 is driven by the INV222 and is configured to rotate the drive wheels W of the vehicle 200. The INV222 drives the MG221 using the electric power supplied from the battery 210. Also, the MG221 performs regenerative power generation and supplies the generated electric power to the battery 210 via the INV222. Note that the driving method of the vehicle 200 is not limited to the front-wheel drive shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and may be rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.

[0042] Vehicle 200 includes an inlet 211 and a charger 212 for contact charging. The inlet 211 is configured such that the connector 311 of the power supply cable 312 of the charging stand 300 can be connected. Both the inlet 211 and the connector 311 have built-in contacts, and when the connector 311 is attached to the inlet 211, the contacts come into contact with each other, and the inlet 211 and the connector 311 are electrically connected. Hereinafter, the state where the connector 311 is connected to the inlet 211 (that is, the state where the charging stand 300 and the vehicle 200 are electrically connected via the power supply cable 312) is referred to as the "plug-in state". Also, the state where the connector 311 is not connected to the inlet 211 (that is, the state where the charging stand 300 and the vehicle 200 are not electrically connected) is referred to as the "plug-out state".

[0043] The charger 212 includes a power conversion circuit (not shown). The power conversion circuit converts the electric power supplied from outside the vehicle to the inlet 211 into electric power suitable for charging the battery 210. For example, when AC power is supplied from the inlet 211, the charger 212 converts the supplied AC power into DC power and supplies it to the battery 210. The charger 212 is controlled by the ECU 230.

[0044] The server 600 included in the power supply system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is configured to include a CPU 610, a memory 620, a storage device 630, and a communication unit 640. The CPU 610 is configured to perform predetermined information processing. The memory 620 is configured to store programs executed by the CPU 610 and data during program execution. The storage device 630 is configured to be able to store various information. The communication unit 640 includes various communication I / Fs. The CPU 610 is configured to communicate with the outside through the communication unit 640. The server 600 is configured to be able to communicate with each of the charging stands 300. Further, the server 600 may be configured to communicate with the vehicle 200 via the charging stand 300 during charging of the battery 210.

[0045] A plurality of vehicles (including the vehicle 200), a plurality of users (including the users of the vehicle 200), and a plurality of EVSEs (including the charging stands 300) are registered in the server 600. The server 600 is configured to manage information on each registered user (hereinafter also referred to as "user information"), information on each registered vehicle (hereinafter also referred to as "vehicle information"), and information on each registered EVSE (hereinafter also referred to as "EVSE information"). Information regarding the user terminal is included in at least one of the user information and the vehicle information. The user information, the vehicle information, and the EVSE information are stored in the storage device 630 of the server 600.

[0046] Identification information (user ID) for identifying a user is assigned to each user, and the server 600 manages user information separately by user ID. The user ID also functions as information (terminal ID) for identifying a user terminal. User information includes, for example, the communication address and location information of the mobile terminal carried by the user, and information (vehicle ID) for identifying the vehicle belonging to the user. In addition, identification information (vehicle ID) for identifying a vehicle is assigned to each vehicle, and the server 600 manages vehicle information separately by vehicle ID. Vehicle information includes, for example, the specifications of the vehicle (for example, the specifications related to charging) and the information received by the server 600 from the user terminal (for example, the driving plan of the vehicle). Furthermore, identification information (EVSE-ID) for identifying an EVSE is assigned to each EVSE, and the server 600 manages EVSE information separately by EVSE-ID. EVSE information includes the connection state of the EVSE (plugged-in state / plugged-out state), the combination of the plugged-in EVSE and the vehicle (vehicle ID and EVSE-ID), and the power supply state of the EVSE (charging / charging stopped).

[0047] The charging stand 300 having the configuration shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 may be set at multiple locations. These charging stands 300 may be configured to communicate with each other. The communication method may be wireless or wired. Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, a layout example of a plurality of charging stands 300 will be described.

[0048] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a first layout example of the charging stand 300. Referring to FIG. 3, in this example, in the parking lot, a plurality of parking spaces 400 are partitioned by partition lines 402 so as to be arranged side by side (in a row). A sidewalk 500 is provided along the short side direction (the direction orthogonal to the long side direction) of these parking spaces 400. The sidewalk 500 is adjacent to each parking space 400. At a position adjacent to each parking space 400 on the sidewalk 500, a charging stand 300 is installed. The charging stand 300 is provided for each parking space 400. These charging stands 300 are arranged along the sidewalk 500.

[0049] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a second layout example of the charging stand 300. Referring to FIG. 4, in this example, in a parking lot, a plurality of parking spaces 410 are partitioned by partition lines 412 so as to be arranged vertically (in a vertical row). A sidewalk 510 is provided along the longitudinal direction of these parking spaces 410. The sidewalk 510 is adjacent to each parking space 410. At a position adjacent to each parking space 410 on the sidewalk 510, a charging stand 300 is installed. The charging stand 300 is provided for each parking space 410. These charging stands 300 are arranged along the sidewalk 510.

[0050] An example of the flow of the operation of the user of the vehicle 200 operating the charging stand 300 to charge the battery 210 will be described. When the charging stand 300 is not in use, it is in a stored state (for example, the state shown in FIG. 1).

[0051] When the user parks the vehicle 200 in a parking space near the charging stand 300 and operates the touch panel display 250 of the vehicle 200 to start charging at the charging stand 300, the ECU 230 of the vehicle 200 transmits request information for starting charging to the server 600 via the communication device 240 and the communication unit 640 of the server 600. When the CPU 610 of the server 600 receives this request information, it transmits control information for raising the movable part 301 of the designated charging stand 300 to the charging stand 300 via the communication unit 640 and the communication unit 335 of the control device 330 of the charging stand 300. When the processor 331 of the control device 330 of the charging stand 300 receives this control information, it controls the actuator 320 to start raising the movable part 301. The movable part 301 is raised to a position where it is easy to connect the connector 311 of the power supply cable 312 to the inlet 211 of the vehicle 200 (for example, the position Px shown in FIG. 2). As a result, the charging stand 300 becomes in a pluggable state. Hereinafter, the state where the movable part 301 is raised to a pluggable position is also referred to as the "raised state".

[0052] For example, in the charging stand 300 in the ascending state shown in FIG. 2, the user takes out the power supply cable 312 from the cable storage part of the movable part 301 and stretches the power supply cable 312 toward the vehicle 200. Then, the user connects the connector 311 of the power supply cable 312 to the inlet 211 of the vehicle 200. Thereby, the vehicle 200 and the charging stand 300 are in a plugged-in state. In the plugged-in state, communication between the vehicle 200 and the charging stand 300 becomes possible, and power transfer between the vehicle 200 and the charging stand 300 becomes possible. The ECU 230 of the vehicle 200 communicates with the control device 330 of the charging stand 300 via the power supply cable 312.

[0053] The user operates the touch panel display 313 of the charging stand 300 in the plugged-in state to cause the charging stand 300 to perform power supply. The charging stand 300 starts power supply in accordance with an instruction from the user. Specifically, in the charging stand 300, the power supply circuit 310 converts the AC power supplied from the AC power supply 350 into AC power suitable for power supply to the vehicle 200 (for example, transforms the voltage), and supplies the converted power to the power supply cable 312. In the plugged-in state, the power supplied from the power supply circuit 310 to the power supply cable 312 is input to the inlet 211 of the vehicle 200. Then, the battery 210 of the vehicle 200 is charged. Specifically, the power input to the inlet 211 is supplied to the battery 210 via the charger 212. During the charging of the battery 210, the control device 330 controls the power supply circuit 310 so as to adjust the power supply power, and the ECU 230 controls the charger 212 so as to adjust the charging power. In this way, the charging stand 300 is configured to charge the power storage device mounted on the vehicle.

[0054] After the charging of the battery 210 is completed, the user operates the touch panel display 313 of the charging stand 300 to instruct power supply stop. When the battery 210 is fully charged, a stop instruction is automatically sent from the ECU 230 to the control device 330. The charging stand 300 stops the power supply according to the stop instruction. Then, the user pulls out the connector 311 of the power supply cable 312 from the inlet 211 of the vehicle 200 and stores the power supply cable 312 in the cable storage section. As a result, the vehicle 200 and the charging stand 300 are in a plugged-out state. When the user returns the power supply cable 312 to the cable storage section and operates the touch panel display 313 to lower the movable part 301, the control device 330 lowers the movable part 301 to the lower limit position P1 in the movable range R2. When the position of the movable part 301 reaches the lower limit position P1, the ground F1 and the top surface 301a of the movable part 301 are flush. In this way, the charging stand 300 returns to the stored state again.

[0055] Such a charging stand 300 can be stored underground and thus may be submerged. If water accumulates inside such a charging stand 300 and it is used as it is, it may cause the charging stand 300 to malfunction.

[0056] Therefore, the control device 330 of the charging stand 300 permits power supply by the power supply unit (including the connector 311, the power supply cable 312, and the power supply circuit 310) when there is no water accumulation inside the charging stand 300.

[0057] As a result, when there is no water accumulation inside the charging stand 300, power supply to the vehicle 200 by the power supply unit becomes possible. Consequently, the risk of failure due to water can be avoided.

[0058] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 again, underground pipes 316 for draining sewage such as rainwater to a sewage treatment facility or a river are provided in the ground below the bottom surface of the recess R1. A drainage pipe 318 is connected from the bottom surface of the recess R1 to the underground pipe 316. The drainage pipe 318 enables the water such as rainwater accumulated in the recess R1 to be drained into the underground pipe 316.

[0059] On the bottom surface of the fixing portion 302 of the charging stand 300, a drain pipe 315 is provided facing downward. The drain pipe 315 of the charging stand 300 is connected to a sewer pipe 316. An automatic on-off valve 314 is provided in the middle of the drain pipe 315. The control device 330 can control the automatic on-off valve 314 to open and close. When the automatic on-off valve 314 is opened, the water accumulated in the charging stand 300 is discharged into the sewer pipe 316 through the drain pipe 315. When the automatic on-off valve 314 is closed, the water stops flowing in the drain pipe 315.

[0060] A water detection sensor 336 is provided on the bottom surface of the fixing portion 302 of the charging stand 300. When water contacts the detection surface of the water detection sensor 336, the water detection sensor 336 outputs a signal indicating that water has contacted to the control device 330. Thereby, the water accumulated on the bottom surface of the charging stand 300 can be detected.

[0061] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing when water accumulates in the charging stand 300 in this embodiment. The program of the charging stand control process is stored in the memory 332 of the control device 330 and is periodically called from a higher-level process and executed by the processor 331 of the control device 330 of the charging stand 300. The program of the charging stand management process is stored in the storage device 630 of the server 600 and is periodically called from a higher-level process and executed by the CPU 610 of the server 600.

[0062] Referring to FIG. 5, in the charging stand control process, the processor 331 of the control device 330 determines whether water has accumulated in the charging stand 300 by determining whether it has received a signal indicating that water has been detected from the water detection sensor 336 (step S311). If it is determined that water has been detected (YES in step S311), the processor 331 of the control device 330 prohibits the use of the charging function by controlling the power supply circuit 310 not to operate (step S312). Then, the processor 331 of the control device 330 transmits information indicating that the use of the charging function is disabled in the charging stand 300 to the server 600 (step S313).

[0063] On the other hand, if it is determined that no water has been detected (NO in step S311), the processor 331 of the control device 330 permits the use of the charging function by controlling the power supply circuit 310 to be operable (step S314). Then, the processor 331 of the control device 330 transmits information indicating that the use of the charging function is enabled in the charging stand 300 to the server 600 (step S315). After step S313 or step S315, the processor 331 of the control device 330 returns the process to be executed to the upper-level process that called this charging stand control process.

[0064] In the charging stand management process, the CPU 610 of the server 600 determines whether it has received information indicating whether the charging function can be used from the charging stand 300 (step S211). If it is determined that information indicating whether the charging function can be used has been received (YES in step S211), the CPU 610 of the server 600 aggregates the usability of the charging stand 300 by storing the information indicating whether the charging function can be used in association with the ID of the charging stand 300 that transmitted the information in the memory 620 or the storage device 630 (step S212).

[0065] If it is determined that information indicating whether the charging function can be used has not been received (NO in step S211), or after step S212, the CPU 610 of the server 600 determines whether the current time has reached a predetermined time (step S213). The predetermined time may be any time as long as it is a predetermined time, and may be a predetermined time (for example, every minute, 0 minutes per hour), or may be every predetermined period (for example, every 1 minute, every 10 minutes, every 1 hour).

[0066] If it is determined that the current time has reached the predetermined time (YES in step S213), the CPU 610 of the server 600 transmits the aggregation result indicating the availability of the plurality of charging stands 300 stored in the memory 620 or the storage device 630 to each vehicle 200 (step S214). As a result, each vehicle 200 can grasp which charging stand 300 is available / unavailable.

[0067] If it is determined that the current time has not reached the predetermined time (NO in step S213), or after step S214, the CPU 610 of the server 600 returns the process to be executed to the process higher than the call source of this charging stand management process.

[0068] [Modification Example] (1) In the above-described embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the movable part 301 of the charging stand 300 is moved up and down by the actuator 320. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the movable part 301 may be configured to be movable up and down manually by the user.

[0069] (2) In the above-described embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the charging stand 300 is configured such that the movable part 301 can be moved up and down. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the charging stand 300 may be configured to include only a fixed part having a part above the ground and a part below the ground.

[0070] (3) In the above-described embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the discharge unit for discharging the water accumulated in the charging stand 300 is configured by a drain pipe 315 and an automatic on-off valve 314. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and such a discharge unit may have any configuration as long as it can discharge water. For example, it may be configured by a pump (e.g., an electric pump) for discharging the water accumulated in the charging stand 300 and a drain pipe.

[0071] (4) In the above-described embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the detection unit for detecting that water has accumulated inside the charging stand 300 is a water detection sensor 336 that detects water by contact. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and such a detection unit may be any detection unit as long as it can detect water, and may be a detection unit that detects the accumulated water by other principles.

[0072] (5) In the above-described embodiments, the electric power supplied to the vehicle 200 by the power supply equipment such as the charging stand 300 may be AC power or DC power.

[0073] (6) In the above-described embodiments, the power supply target of the power supply equipment such as the charging stand 300 is an electric vehicle such as the vehicle 200. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the power supply target of the power supply equipment may be a transportation vehicle equipped with a battery 210 that requires power supply, or other devices such as a drone or a mobile robot, and may be a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle)).

[0074] (7) The above-described embodiments can be regarded as a disclosure of the power supply system 1, or can be regarded as a disclosure of power supply equipment such as the charging stand 300, the server 600, or the vehicle 200, or can be regarded as a disclosure of a control method or a control program for the power supply system 1, the power supply equipment, the server 600, or the vehicle 200.

[0075] [Summary] (1) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the charging stand 300 is a power supply facility that can be stored underground and includes a power supply unit (for example, including a connector 311, a power supply cable 312, and a power supply circuit 310) for supplying power to the vehicle 200 on the ground, and a control device 330 for controlling the power supply by the power supply unit. As shown in FIG. 5, when there is no water accumulation inside the charging stand 300 (for example, when it is determined as NO in step S311), the control device 330 permits the power supply by the power supply unit (for example, step S314).

[0076] Thus, when there is no water accumulation inside the charging stand 300, the power supply unit can supply power to the vehicle 200. As a result, the risk of failure due to water can be avoided.

[0077] (2) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, it may further include a discharge unit (for example, a drain pipe 315 and an automatic on-off valve 314) for discharging the accumulated water inside. Thereby, the accumulated water inside the charging stand 300 can be reliably discharged.

[0078] (3) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, when there is water accumulation inside, the control device 330 may control the discharge unit to discharge the accumulated water. Thereby, the accumulated water inside the charging stand 300 can be reliably discharged.

[0079] (4) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, it further includes a water detection sensor 336 for detecting that there is water accumulation inside. As shown in FIG. 3, when the water detection sensor 336 detects that there is water accumulation, the control device 330 determines that there is water accumulation inside (for example, step S311). Thereby, it can be reliably determined that there is water accumulation inside the charging stand 300.

[0080] (5) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the power supply unit includes a power supply port (for example, connector 311) and a power supply circuit 310. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the charging stand 300 further includes a housing that surrounds the inside including the power supply circuit and the control device 330 so that water is difficult to enter. Thereby, it is possible to make it difficult for water to enter the inside of the charging stand 300.

[0081] (6) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the charging stand 300 includes a power supply port (for example, connector 311), a movable part 301 that is displaceable between a position where the power supply port is housed underground and a position where the power supply port is exposed on the ground, and an actuator 320 that displaces the movable part 301. The control device 330 further controls the actuator 320. Thereby, the power supply port can be automatically displaced between above the ground and underground.

[0082] Note that the above-described modifications may be implemented by appropriately combining all or part of them. The embodiments disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present disclosure is shown not by the above description but by the claims, and it is intended that all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are included.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0083] 1 Power supply system, 200 Vehicle, 210 Battery, 210a Monitoring module, 211 Inlet, 212 Charger, 221 MG, 222 INV, 230 ECU, 240 Communication device, 250, 313 Touch panel display, 300 Charging stand, 301 Movable part, 301a Top surface, 302 Fixed part, 310 Power supply circuit, 311 Connector, 312 Power supply cable, 314 Automatic on-off valve, 315, 318 Drain pipe, 316 Sewer pipe, 320 Actuator, 330 Control device, 331 Processor, 332, 620 Memory, 333, 630 Storage device, 334 Timer, 335, 640 Communication unit, 336 Water detection sensor, 341 Communication device, 342 Notification device, 350 AC power supply, 400, 410 Parking space, 402, 412 Partition line, 500, 510 Sidewalk, 600 Server, 610 CPU.

Claims

1. A power supply system comprising a power supply facility that can be stored underground and a server that manages a plurality of said power supply facilities, wherein the power supply facility comprises a power supply unit for supplying power to a vehicle on the ground, and a control unit for controlling the power supply by the power supply unit, the server comprises a processor, the control unit permits power supply by the power supply unit when there is no water accumulation inside the power supply facility, and transmits information indicating that the power supply facility can be used to the server, prohibits power supply by the power supply unit when there is water accumulation inside the power supply facility, and transmits information indicating that the power supply facility cannot be used to the server, the processor aggregates the information received from the power supply facility as an aggregation result indicating whether the power supply facility can be used, and transmits the aggregation result to the vehicle. A power supply system.

2. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the power supply facility further comprises a discharge unit for discharging the water accumulated inside.

3. The control unit controls the discharge unit to discharge the accumulated water when there is water accumulation inside. The power supply system according to claim 2.

4. The power supply facility further comprises a detection unit for detecting that there is water accumulation inside, and the control unit determines that there is water accumulation inside when it is detected by the detection unit that there is water accumulation. The power supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The power supply unit includes a power supply port and a power supply circuit, and the power supply facility further comprises a housing that surrounds the inside including the power supply circuit and the control unit so that water is difficult to penetrate. The power supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The power supply facility comprises a movable part including the power supply port that is displaceable between a position where the power supply port is stored underground and a position where the power supply port is exposed on the ground, and an actuator for displacing the movable part, and the control unit further controls the actuator. The power supply system according to claim 5.

7. A control method for a power supply system comprising a power supply facility that can be stored underground and a server that manages a plurality of said power supply facilities, wherein the power supply facility comprises a power supply unit for supplying power to a vehicle on the ground, and a control unit for controlling the power supply by the power supply unit, the server comprises a processor, and the control method ​ The step in which the control unit permits power supply by the power supply unit when there is no water accumulation inside the power supply facility and transmits information indicating that the power supply facility can be used to the server; The step in which the control unit prohibits power supply by the power supply unit when there is water accumulation inside the power supply facility and transmits information indicating that the power supply facility cannot be used to the server; The step in which the processor aggregates the information received from the power supply facility as an aggregation result indicating whether the power supply facility can be used; A control method for a power supply system, including the step in which the processor transmits the aggregation result to the vehicle.

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