Abnormal diagnosis method

By conducting power feeding operations under various conditions and analyzing parameter values, the method enhances the accuracy of abnormality diagnosis in ground power feeding devices.

JP7688009B2Active Publication Date: 2025-06-03TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK +1
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2022175469
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2022-11-01
Publication Date
2025-06-03
Estimated Expiration
2042-11-01

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing methods for diagnosing abnormalities in ground power feeding devices are not accurate when based solely on parameter detection during a single power feeding condition.

Method used

Perform power feeding operations under multiple different conditions while the vehicle is positioned on the power transmission coil, and diagnose abnormalities based on parameter values detected during these operations.

Benefits of technology

This approach allows for more accurate diagnosis of abnormalities in ground power feeding devices by considering a range of operational conditions, improving detection accuracy compared to single-condition assessments.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Patent Text Reader

Abstract

To provide an abnormal diagnosis method capable of accurately diagnosing abnormalities in ground power supply equipment.SOLUTION: The abnormal diagnosis method for diagnosing abnormality of a ground power supply equipment 2 that transmits the power to vehicle 3 contactlessly includes the steps of: performing power supply operations under multiple different power supply conditions when a vehicle is positioned above the power transmission coil 44 of a ground power supply equipment; and diagnosing abnormality in the ground power supply equipment based on values of the parameters related to the detected power supply during power supply operations under multiple different power supply conditions.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for diagnosing an abnormality in a ground power feeding device.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a ground power feeding device in which a plurality of power feeding coils for non - contact power feeding to a vehicle are arranged along a lane to feed power to a traveling vehicle (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 an abnormality may occur in the ground power feeding device, it is necessary to diagnose the abnormality of the ground power feeding device. However, if an abnormality diagnosis is performed based only on the detection results of the values of various parameters when power feeding is performed under one power feeding condition, there is a possibility that the abnormality cannot be accurately diagnosed.

[0005] In view of the above problems, an object of the present disclosure is to enable more accurate diagnosis of an abnormality in a ground power feeding device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The gist of the present disclosure is as follows.

[0007] (1) An abnormality diagnosis method for diagnosing an abnormality in a ground power feeding device that non - contact feeds power to a vehicle, performing a power feeding operation under a plurality of different power feeding conditions when the vehicle is positioned on the power feeding coil of the ground power feeding device; Diagnosing an abnormality of the ground power feeding device based on values of parameters related to power feeding detected while performing power feeding operations under a plurality of different power feeding conditions. An abnormality diagnosis method including this. (2) The power feeding operation under the plurality of different power feeding conditions is performed when the vehicle is running and passes over the power transmission coil. The abnormality diagnosis method according to (1) above. (3) At least one of the plurality of different power feeding conditions is a power feeding condition under which an abnormality occurs in power feeding. The abnormality diagnosis method according to (1) or (2) above. (4) At least one of the plurality of different power feeding conditions is a power feeding condition under which power feeding is performed normally. The abnormality diagnosis method according to any one of (1) to (3) above. (5) The vehicle includes a plurality of power receiving coils capable of receiving power under different power feeding conditions, and these power receiving coils are arranged on the vehicle so as to be separated from each other in the traveling direction of the vehicle. When the vehicle passes over the power transmission coil and the power receiving coils are sequentially positioned on the power transmission coil, power feeding operations are performed under different power feeding conditions for each power receiving coil. The abnormality diagnosis method according to any one of (1) to (4) above. (6) The vehicle includes a power receiving coil capable of moving relative to the vehicle so that the power feeding condition changes. When the vehicle is positioned on the power transmission coil and the power receiving coil moves, power feeding operations are performed under different power feeding conditions. The abnormality diagnosis method according to any one of (1) to (4) above. (7) In the diagnosis of the abnormality of the ground power feeding device, when the value of the detected parameter related to power feeding is within the normal range corresponding to each power feeding condition, the ground power feeding device is determined to be normal, and when the value of the detected parameter related to power feeding is outside the normal range corresponding to each power feeding condition, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the ground power feeding device. The abnormality diagnosis method according to any one of (1) to (6) above. (8) The plurality of different power supply conditions include a plurality of power supply conditions in which the positions of the power receiving coils of the vehicle are mutually displaced in the lateral direction with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle. The abnormality diagnosis method according to any one of (1) to (7) above. (9) The plurality of different power supply conditions include a plurality of power supply conditions in which the positions of the power receiving coils of the vehicle are mutually displaced in a direction perpendicular to the ground on which the vehicle travels. The abnormality diagnosis method according to any one of (1) to (8) above. (10) The plurality of different power supply conditions include a plurality of power supply conditions in which different command values regarding power supply are transmitted from the vehicle to the ground power supply device. The abnormality diagnosis method according to any one of (1) to (9) above. (11) The plurality of different power supply conditions include a power supply condition in which a foreign object is disposed between the vehicle and the ground power supply device, and a power supply condition in which no foreign object is disposed between the vehicle and the ground power supply device. The abnormality diagnosis method according to any one of (1) to (10) above. (12) An abnormality diagnosis device for diagnosing an abnormality of a ground power supply device that non - contactlessly supplies power to a vehicle, A power receiving device configured to perform a power supply operation under a plurality of different power supply conditions when the vehicle is positioned on the power transmission coil of the ground power supply device, An abnormality diagnosis device having a diagnosis unit that diagnoses an abnormality of the ground power supply device based on values of parameters related to power supply detected while performing a power supply operation under a plurality of different power supply conditions. (13) An abnormality diagnosis device for diagnosing an abnormality of a ground power supply device that non - contactlessly supplies power to a vehicle, Transmits a signal to the ground power supply device so that a power supply operation is performed under a plurality of different power supply conditions when the vehicle is positioned on the power transmission coil of the ground power supply device, An abnormality diagnosis device configured to diagnose an abnormality of the ground power supply device based on values of parameters related to power supply detected while performing a power supply operation under a plurality of different power supply conditions. (14) The power supply operation in the plurality of different power supply conditions is performed while the vehicle is traveling and passes over the power transmission coil. The abnormality diagnosis device according to (12) or (13) above. A vehicle having the abnormality diagnosis device according to any one of (12) to (14) above.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it becomes possible to more accurately diagnose an abnormality of the in-ground power feeding device.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

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Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals are assigned to similar components.

[0011] First Embodiment <Overall Configuration of Contactless Power Supply System> First, with reference to FIG. 1, the overall configuration of the contactless power supply system 100 will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the overall configuration of the contactless power supply system 100. As shown in FIG. 1, the contactless power supply system 100 includes a server 1, a ground power supply device 2 provided on a road R, and a vehicle 3 traveling on the road R, and is configured to perform non-contact power transmission from the ground power supply device 2 to the vehicle 3 by magnetic field resonance coupling (magnetic field resonance). The non-contact power transmission is performed while the vehicle 3 is running or parked. Also, the server 1 is configured to be able to communicate with the ground power supply device 2 and the vehicle 3.

[0012] Note that the term "while running" means a state in which the vehicle 3 is located on the road for running. Therefore, the term "while running" includes not only a state in which the vehicle 3 is actually running at an arbitrary speed greater than zero, but also a state in which the vehicle 3 is stopped on the road, for example, waiting for a signal.

[0013] <Configuration of Server> With reference to FIG. 1, the configuration of the server 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the server 1 includes an external communication module 11, a storage device 12, and a processor 13. Also, the server 1 may have an input device such as a keyboard and a mouse, and an output device such as a display.

[0014] The external communication module 11 communicates with devices outside the server 1 (such as the ground power supply device 2, the vehicle 3, etc.). The external communication module 11 includes an interface circuit for connecting the server 1 to the communication network 15. The external communication module 11 is configured to be able to communicate with each of a plurality of ground power supply devices 2 and a plurality of vehicles 3 via the communication network 15 and the radio base station 16. In particular, the external communication module 11 is configured to be able to communicate with the ground-side communication device 26 of the ground power supply device 2 and the vehicle-side communication device 38 of the vehicle 3. As the wireless communication between the radio base station 16 and the ground power supply device 2 and the vehicle 3, for example, wide-area wireless communication is used. Wide-area wireless communication is a communication with a longer communication distance than narrow-area wireless communication. Specifically, for example, it is a communication with a communication distance of 10 meters to 10 kilometers. As wide-area wireless communication, various wireless communications with a long communication distance can be used. For example, communication conforming to any communication standard such as 3GPP (registered trademark), 4G, LTE, 5G, WiMAX, etc. formulated by IEEE is used.

[0015] The storage device 12 has a storage medium such as a volatile semiconductor memory (for example, RAM), a non-volatile semiconductor memory (for example, ROM), a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or an optical recording medium. The storage device 12 stores computer programs for executing various processes by the processor 13 and various data used when various processes are executed by the processor 13.

[0016] The processor 13 has one or more CPUs and its peripheral circuits. The processor 13 may further have a GPU, or an arithmetic circuit such as a logical arithmetic unit or a numerical arithmetic unit. The processor 13 executes various arithmetic processes based on the computer programs stored in the storage device 12 of the server 1.

[0017] <Configuration of the ground power supply device> Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the configuration of the ground power supply device 2 will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the configurations of the ground power supply device 2 and the vehicle 3. As shown in FIG. 2, the ground power supply device 2 includes a power transmission device 4, a power source 21, and a ground-side controller 22. The power source 21 and the ground-side controller 22 may be embedded in the road R, or may be arranged at a location separate from the road R (including the ground).

[0018] The power source 21 supplies power to the power transmission device 4. The power source 21 is, for example, a commercial AC power source that supplies single-phase AC power. Note that the power source 21 may be another AC power source that supplies three-phase AC power, or may be a DC power source such as a fuel cell.

[0019] The power transmission device 4 transmits power to the vehicle 3 in a non-contact manner from the power source 21. The power transmission device 4 has a power transmission-side rectifier circuit 41, an inverter circuit 42, and a power transmission-side resonance circuit 43. The power transmission-side resonance circuit 43 of the power transmission device 4, particularly the power transmission coil 44 of the power transmission-side resonance circuit 43, is embedded in the road R (under the ground) on which the vehicle 3 travels, for example, at the center of the lane on which the vehicle 3 travels, as shown in FIG. 2. Note that the power transmission-side rectifier circuit 41 and the inverter circuit 42 of the power transmission device 4 may be embedded in the ground or may be arranged on the ground.

[0020] The power transmission-side rectifier circuit 41 is electrically connected to the power source 21 and the inverter circuit 42. The power transmission-side rectifier circuit 41 rectifies the AC power supplied from the power source 21 and converts it into DC power, and supplies the DC power to the inverter circuit 42. The power transmission-side rectifier circuit 41 is, for example, an AC / DC converter. Note that when the power source 21 is a DC power source, the power transmission-side rectifier circuit 41 may be omitted.

[0021] The inverter circuit 42 is electrically connected to the power transmission-side rectifier circuit 41 and the power transmission-side resonance circuit 43. The inverter circuit 42 converts the DC power supplied from the power transmission-side rectifier circuit 41 into AC power (high-frequency power) having a frequency higher than the AC power of the power source 21, and supplies the high-frequency power to the power transmission-side resonance circuit 43.

[0022] The power transmission side resonance circuit 43 has a resonator composed of a power transmission coil 44 and a power transmission side capacitor 45. The various parameters of the power transmission coil 44 and the power transmission side capacitor 45 (such as the outer diameter and inner diameter of the power transmission coil 44, the number of turns of the power transmission coil 44, the capacitance of the power transmission side capacitor 45, etc.) are determined so that the resonance frequency of the power transmission side resonance circuit 43 becomes a predetermined set value. The predetermined set value is, for example, 10 kHz to 100 GHz, and preferably, it is 85 kHz defined by the SAE TIR J2954 standard as the frequency band for non-contact power transmission.

[0023] The power transmission coil 44 of the power transmission side resonance circuit 43 is arranged so that its center is located at the center of the lane. When high-frequency power supplied from the inverter circuit 42 is applied to the power transmission side resonance circuit 43, the power transmission side resonance circuit 43 generates an alternating magnetic field for power transmission.

[0024] The ground side controller 22 is, for example, a general-purpose computer and performs various controls of the ground power supply device 2. For example, the ground side controller 22 is electrically connected to the inverter circuit 42 of the power transmission device 4 and controls the inverter circuit 42 to control the power transmission by the power transmission device 4. Further, the ground side controller 22 controls the ground side communication device 26 described later.

[0025] FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of the ground side controller 22 and the devices connected to the ground side controller 22. The ground side controller 22 includes a communication interface 221, a memory 222, and a processor 223. The communication interface 221, the memory 222, and the processor 223 are connected to each other via signal lines.

[0026] The communication interface 221 has an interface circuit for connecting the ground side controller 22 to various devices (such as the inverter circuit 42, various sensors 23 to 25 described later, the ground side communication device 26, etc.) that make up the ground power supply device 2. The ground side controller 22 communicates with other devices via the communication interface 221.

[0027] The memory 222 includes, for example, a volatile semiconductor memory (e.g., RAM), a non-volatile semiconductor memory (e.g., ROM), etc. The memory 222 stores a computer program for executing various processes in the processor 223, various data used when various processes are executed by the processor 223, and the like.

[0028] The processor 223 includes one or more CPUs (Central Processing Units) and its peripheral circuits. The processor 223 may further include an arithmetic circuit such as a logical arithmetic unit or a numerical arithmetic unit. The processor 223 executes various processes based on the computer program stored in the memory 222.

[0029] Also, as shown in FIG. 3, the ground power supply device 2 further includes a ground-side circuit sensor 23, a foreign object sensor 24, a ground-side magnetic field sensor 25, and a ground-side communication device 26.

[0030] The ground-side circuit sensor 23 is an example of a detector that detects the state of the power transmission device 4 of the ground power supply device 2, particularly the state of the circuits included in the power transmission device 4. In the present embodiment, the ground-side circuit sensor 23 includes, for example, a current sensor that detects the current flowing through various circuits (particularly, the power transmission-side resonance circuit 43, the inverter circuit 42, and the power transmission-side rectifier circuit 41) of the power transmission device 4, a power transmission device voltage sensor that detects the voltage applied to various circuits of the power transmission device 4, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of various devices of the power transmission device 4, and the like. The output of the ground-side circuit sensor 23 is input to the ground-side controller 22.

[0031] The foreign object sensor 24 is an example of a detector that detects the presence or absence of foreign objects on the road where the power transmission coil 44 of the power transmission device 4 is embedded, particularly on each power transmission coil 44. Examples of foreign objects include metals, living bodies, and the like. The output of the foreign object sensor 24 is input to the ground-side controller 22.

[0032] The ground-side magnetic field sensor 25 is an example of a detector that detects the ambient magnetic field strength. The ground-side magnetic field sensor 25 is, for example, a magneto-impedance (MI) sensor, a Hall sensor, a magneto resistive (MR) sensor, or the like. In the present embodiment, the ground-side magnetic field sensor 25 is used to detect the positional deviation of the power receiving device 5 with respect to the power transmitting device 4 in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the vehicle 3 (hereinafter referred to as the "lateral direction"), particularly the positional deviation of the power receiving coil 52 with respect to the power transmitting coil 44 (hereinafter referred to as the "lateral deviation").

[0033] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of the ground-side magnetic field sensors 25 provided on the road R. As shown in FIG. 4, the ground-side magnetic field sensors 25 are arranged in front of the power transmission side resonance circuit 43 of the power transmitting device 4 in the traveling direction of the vehicle 3 on the road where the power transmitting device 4 is provided. Further, a plurality of them are arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the vehicle 3. Furthermore, the ground-side magnetic field sensors 25 are arranged underground (under the road surface) or on the road surface. When an alternating magnetic field for detecting lateral deviation is generated from the vehicle 3 around the ground-side magnetic field sensor 25, the ground-side magnetic field sensor 25 detects the alternating magnetic field for detecting positional deviation.

[0034] The ground-side magnetic field sensor 25 is electrically connected to the ground-side controller 22, and the output of the ground-side magnetic field sensor 25 is transmitted to the ground-side controller 22. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the output from the ground-side magnetic field sensor 25 is input to the ground-side controller 22, and the ground-side controller 22 detects the presence or absence of lateral deviation between the power receiving coil 52 and the power transmitting coil 44 based on this output. In particular, the alternating magnetic field generated by the alternating magnetic field generation circuit 61 provided in the vehicle 3 is detected by the ground-side magnetic field sensor 25, and the ground-side controller 22 detects the lateral deviation based on the magnetic field strength thus detected.

[0035] Here, when the lateral displacement between the power receiving coil 52 and the power transmitting coil 44 is small, that is, when the vehicle 3 is traveling near the center of the lane, the intensity of the magnetic field detected by the ground-side magnetic field sensor 25 arranged at the center of the lane becomes the strongest. On the other hand, when the lateral displacement between the power receiving coil 52 and the power transmitting coil 44 is large, that is, when the vehicle 3 is traveling deviating from the center of the lane, the intensity of the magnetic field detected by the ground-side magnetic field sensor 25 arranged away from the center of the lane becomes the strongest. Therefore, the ground-side controller 22 can detect the presence or absence of the lateral displacement between the power receiving coil 52 and the power transmitting coil 44 by comparing the magnetic field intensities detected by the plurality of ground-side magnetic field sensors 25.

[0036] In this embodiment, the presence or absence of the lateral displacement is detected using the alternating magnetic field generated by the alternating magnetic field generation circuit 61. However, the lateral displacement may be detected using something other than a magnetic field. For example, the lateral displacement may be detected by a sonar or the like using ultrasonic waves. Also, in this embodiment, the lateral displacement detection device detects the presence or absence of the lateral displacement, but may also detect the amount of lateral displacement of the vehicle 3 from the center of the lane. In this case, when the amount of lateral displacement detected by the lateral displacement detection device is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value, the lateral displacement detection device determines that a lateral displacement has occurred.

[0037] As described above, the ground-side communication device 26 is configured to be able to communicate with the server 1 using wide-area wireless communication. In addition, the ground-side communication device 26 may be configured to be able to communicate with the vehicle 3 using wide-area wireless communication and short-range wireless communication. Short-range wireless communication is communication with a shorter communication distance than wide-area wireless communication. Specifically, for example, it is communication with a communication distance of less than 10 meters. As the short-range wireless communication, various short-distance wireless communications with a short communication distance can be used. For example, communication conforming to any communication standard (for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark)) established by IEEE, ISO, IEC, etc. is used. In addition, as a technology for performing short-range wireless communication, for example, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), DSRC (dedicated Short Range Communication), etc. are used.

[0038] <Configuration of Vehicle> On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 3 includes a power receiving device 5, a motor 31, a battery 32, a power control unit (PCU) 33, and a vehicle-side controller 34. In the present embodiment, the vehicle 3 is a battery electric vehicle (BEV) in which the motor 31 drives the vehicle 3. However, the vehicle 3 may be a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) in which an internal combustion engine drives the vehicle 3 in addition to the motor 31.

[0039] The motor 31 is, for example, an AC synchronous motor and functions as an electric motor and a generator. The motor 31 is driven using the electric power stored in the battery 32 as a power source. The output of the motor 31 is transmitted to the wheels 30 via a speed reducer and an axle.

[0040] The battery 32 is a rechargeable secondary battery and is composed of, for example, a lithium-ion battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery, etc. The battery 32 stores the electric power necessary for the running of the vehicle 3 (for example, the driving power of the motor 31). When the electric power received by the power receiving device 5 from the power transmitting device 4 is supplied, the battery 32 is charged. When the battery 32 is charged, the state of charge (SOC) of the battery 32 is restored. Note that the battery 32 may also be chargeable by an external power source other than the ground power supply device 2 via a charging port provided in the vehicle 3.

[0041] The PCU 33 is electrically connected to the battery 32 and the motor 31. The PCU 33 has an inverter, a boost converter, and a DC / DC converter. The inverter converts the DC power supplied from the battery 32 into AC power and supplies the AC power to the motor 31. The boost converter boosts the voltage of the battery 32 as necessary when the power stored in the battery 32 is supplied to the motor 31. The DC / DC converter steps down the voltage of the battery 32 when the power stored in the battery 32 is supplied to electronic devices such as headlights.

[0042] The power receiving device 5 receives power from the power transmitting device 4 and supplies the received power to the battery 32. The power receiving device 5 has a power receiving side resonance circuit 51, a power receiving side rectifying circuit 54, and a charging circuit 55.

[0043] The power receiving side resonance circuit 51 is disposed at the bottom of the vehicle 3 so as to reduce the distance from the road surface. In the present embodiment, the power receiving side resonance circuit 51 is disposed at the center of the vehicle 3 in the lateral direction. The power receiving side resonance circuit 51 has the same configuration as the power transmitting side resonance circuit 43, and has a resonator composed of a power receiving coil 52 and a power receiving side capacitor 53. Various parameters of the power receiving coil 52 and the power receiving side capacitor 53 (the outer diameter and inner diameter of the power receiving coil 52, the number of turns of the power receiving coil 52, the capacitance of the power receiving side capacitor 53, etc.) are determined so that the resonance frequency of the power receiving side resonance circuit 51 coincides with the resonance frequency of the power transmitting side resonance circuit 43. Note that if the deviation amount between the resonance frequency of the power receiving side resonance circuit 51 and the resonance frequency of the power transmitting side resonance circuit 43 is small, for example, if the resonance frequency of the power receiving side resonance circuit 51 is within the range of ±20% of the resonance frequency of the power transmitting side resonance circuit 43, the resonance frequency of the power receiving side resonance circuit 51 does not necessarily have to coincide with the resonance frequency of the power transmitting side resonance circuit 43.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 2, when the power receiving coil 52 faces the power transmitting coil 44 and an alternating magnetic field is generated by the power transmitting side resonance circuit 43, the vibration of the alternating magnetic field is transmitted to the power receiving side resonance circuit 51 that resonates at the same resonance frequency as the power transmitting side resonance circuit 43. As a result, an induced current flows through the power receiving side resonance circuit 51 by electromagnetic induction, and an induced electromotive force is generated in the power receiving side resonance circuit 51 by the induced current.

[0045] The power receiving side rectifying circuit 54 is electrically connected to the power receiving side resonance circuit 51 and the charging circuit 55. The power receiving side rectifying circuit 54 rectifies the alternating current power supplied from the power receiving side resonance circuit 51 and converts it into direct current power, and supplies the direct current power to the charging circuit 55. The power receiving side rectifying circuit 54 is, for example, an AC / DC converter.

[0046] The charging circuit 55 is electrically connected to the power receiving side rectifying circuit 54 and the battery 32. The charging circuit 55 converts the DC power supplied from the power receiving side rectifying circuit 54 to the voltage level of the battery 32 and supplies it to the battery 32. When the power transmitted from the power transmission device 4 is supplied to the battery 32 by the power receiving device 5, the battery 32 is charged. The charging circuit 55 is, for example, a DC / DC converter. Also, the charging circuit 55 switches the connection between the power receiving side rectifying circuit 54 and the battery 32 on and off according to a command from the vehicle side controller 34.

[0047] The vehicle side controller 34 performs various controls of the vehicle 3. For example, the vehicle side controller 34 is electrically connected to the charging circuit 55 of the power receiving device 5 and controls the charging circuit 55 to control the charging of the battery 32 by the power transmitted from the power transmission device 4. Also, the vehicle side controller 34 is electrically connected to the PCU 33 and controls the PCU 33 to control the power transfer between the battery 32 and the motor 31. Further, the vehicle side controller 34 controls the vehicle side communication device 38.

[0048] FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of the vehicle side controller 34 and the devices connected to the vehicle side controller 34. The vehicle side controller 34 includes a communication interface 341, a memory 342, and a processor 343. The communication interface 341, the memory 342, and the processor 343 are connected to each other via signal lines.

[0049] The communication interface 341 has an interface circuit for connecting the vehicle side controller 34 to an in-vehicle network compliant with a standard such as CAN (Controller Area Network). The vehicle side controller 34 communicates with other devices via the communication interface 341.

[0050] Memory 342 includes, for example, a volatile semiconductor memory (e.g., RAM) and a non-volatile semiconductor memory (e.g., ROM). Memory 342 stores computer programs for executing various processes in processor 343, various data used when various processes are executed by processor 343, and the like.

[0051] Processor 343 includes one or more CPUs (Central Processing Units) and its peripheral circuits. Processor 343 may further include an arithmetic circuit such as a logical arithmetic unit or a numerical arithmetic unit. Processor 343 executes various processes based on the computer programs stored in memory 342.

[0052] Also, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, vehicle 3 further includes a GNSS receiver 35, a storage device 36, a plurality of vehicle-side sensors 37, an alternating magnetic field generation circuit 61, an AC power generation circuit 64, and a vehicle-side communication device 38. The GNSS receiver 35, the storage device 36, the vehicle-side sensors 37, the AC power generation circuit 64, and the vehicle-side communication device 38 are electrically connected to the vehicle-side controller 34 via an in-vehicle network.

[0053] The GNSS receiver 35 detects the current position of the vehicle 3 (e.g., the latitude and longitude of the vehicle 3) based on the positioning information obtained from a plurality (e.g., three or more) of positioning satellites. The output of the GNSS receiver 35, that is, the current position of the vehicle 3 detected by the GNSS receiver 35, is transmitted to the vehicle-side controller 34. As the GNSS receiver 35, for example, a GPS receiver is used.

[0054] The storage device 36 stores data. The storage device 36 includes, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or an optical recording medium. In the present embodiment, the storage device 36 stores map information. The map information includes information such as the installation position information of the overhead power feeding device 2 and the position information of the checkpoints corresponding to the overhead power feeding device 2, in addition to the information regarding the roads. The vehicle-side controller 34 acquires the map information from the storage device 36.

[0055] The vehicle-side sensor 37 detects the state of the vehicle 3. In the present embodiment, as sensors for detecting the state of the vehicle 3, the vehicle-side sensor 37 includes a speed sensor for detecting the speed of the vehicle 3, a battery temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the battery 32, a power receiving device temperature sensor for detecting the temperatures of various devices of the power receiving device 5 (particularly, the power receiving side resonance circuit 51 and the power receiving side rectifying circuit 54), a battery current sensor for detecting the charging current value and the discharging current value of the battery 32, a power receiving device current sensor for detecting the current flowing through various devices of the power receiving device 5, and a power receiving device voltage sensor for detecting the voltage applied to various devices of the power receiving device 5. The output of the vehicle-side sensor 37 is input to the vehicle-side controller 34.

[0056] The alternating magnetic field generation circuit 61 is used to detect the lateral displacement of the power receiving device 5 with respect to the power transmission device 4. In particular, the alternating magnetic field generation circuit 61 generates an alternating magnetic field detected by the ground-side magnetic field sensor 25. The alternating magnetic field generation circuit 61 is disposed at the bottom of the vehicle 3 so as to reduce the distance from the road surface. In the present embodiment, the alternating magnetic field generation circuit 61 is disposed at the center of the vehicle 3 in the lateral direction.

[0057] The alternating magnetic field generation circuit 61 has the same configuration as the power transmission side resonance circuit 43, and has a resonator composed of a magnetic field generation coil 62 and a magnetic field generation capacitor 63. The various parameters of the magnetic field generation coil 62 and the magnetic field generation capacitor 63 are determined such that the resonance frequency of the alternating magnetic field generation circuit 61 becomes a predetermined set value. The predetermined set value is set to a value different from the resonance frequency of the power transmission side resonance circuit 43.

[0058] The AC power generation circuit 64 is electrically connected to the battery 32 and the alternating magnetic field generation circuit 61. The AC power generation circuit 64 generates AC power and supplies the AC power to the alternating magnetic field generation circuit 61. The AC power generation circuit 64 supplies the AC power to the alternating magnetic field generation circuit 61 according to a command from the vehicle-side controller 34.

[0059] As described above, the vehicle-side communication device 38 is configured to be able to communicate with the server 1 using wide-area wireless communication. In addition, the vehicle-side communication device 38 may be configured to be able to communicate with the ground-side communication device 26 of the ground power supply device 2 using wide-area wireless communication and narrow-area wireless communication.

[0060] <Power supply operation flow> Next, with reference to FIG. 6, the power supply operation flow in the non-contact power supply system 100 will be described. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram schematically showing the power supply operation flow in the non-contact power supply system 100.

[0061] The vehicle-side controller 34 of the vehicle 3 determines whether the vehicle 3 has passed a checkpoint (or whether the vehicle 3 has approached the checkpoint) set at a point in front of the road R in which the power transmission coil 44 of the power transmission device 4 is embedded (step S11). Whether the vehicle has passed the checkpoint is determined as follows, for example. When a gate is installed at the checkpoint, when the vehicle-side communication device 38 receives a signal generated from the gate, the vehicle-side controller 34 determines that the vehicle 3 has passed the checkpoint. At this time, the vehicle-side controller 34 can receive information about the checkpoint including the position information of the checkpoint from the gate. Also, when information about the checkpoint is included in the storage device 36, the vehicle-side controller 34 determines whether the vehicle 3 has passed the checkpoint based on the current position of the vehicle 3 detected based on the output of the GNSS receiver 35 and the position information of the storage device 36. Note that the method for determining whether the vehicle has passed the checkpoint is not limited to the above method, and any method can be used.

[0062] When it is determined in step S11 that the vehicle 3 has passed through the checkpoint, the vehicle-side controller 34 of the vehicle 3 transmits a request for issuing a system use ticket, which is a virtual ticket for non-contact power supply, to the server 1 together with the identification information of the vehicle 3 and information regarding the passed checkpoint (step S12).

[0063] When the server 1 receives a request for issuing a system use ticket from the vehicle 3, it identifies the vehicle 3 based on the identification information, and issues a first ticket and a second ticket when the vehicle 3 satisfies any power supply requirements (step S13). The first ticket is a system use ticket for transmitting to the identified vehicle 3 that is the source of the issuance request, and is a system use ticket prepared for each vehicle 3 having the right to use the power transmission device 4 corresponding to the checkpoint. On the other hand, the second ticket is a system use ticket for transmitting to the ground power supply device 2, and is a system use ticket corresponding to the first ticket.

[0064] When the system use ticket is issued, the server 1 transmits the first ticket to the vehicle 3 that is the source of the issuance request of the system use ticket, and transmits the second ticket to the ground power supply device 2 having the power transmission device 4 corresponding to the checkpoint determined in step S11 that the vehicle 3 has passed through (step S14).

[0065] When the vehicle-side controller 34 of the vehicle 3 receives the first ticket, it periodically and directly transmits a signal including the first ticket to the ground power supply device 2 by short-range wireless communication using the vehicle-side communication device 38 (step S15). At this time, the vehicle-side controller 34 also transmits a signal including information regarding power supply (for example, command values such as required power supply power or required power supply energy amount, and information regarding the power receiving device 5 (for example, the number of turns of the power receiving coil 52 and the vertical height position)). In addition, the vehicle-side controller 34 controls the power receiving device 5, particularly the charging circuit 55, so that power can be received when the vehicle 3 travels over or parks on the power transmission coil 44 (step S16).

[0066] When the signal transmitted by the vehicle-side communication device 38 of the vehicle 3 is received by the ground-side communication device 26, the ground-side controller 22 determines whether the server 1 has already received the second ticket corresponding to the first ticket included in the received signal (step S17). That is, the ground-side controller 22 determines whether it holds the second ticket corresponding to the first ticket.

[0067] If, in step S17, the ground-side controller 22 determines that it holds the second ticket corresponding to the first ticket, it is determined that the vehicle 3 traveling or parked on the power transmission coil 44 is a vehicle 3 that has obtained system use permission. In this case, the ground-side controller 22 determines whether the power transmission permission conditions are satisfied (step S18). Specifically, the ground-side controller 22 determines, based on the output of the ground-side magnetic field sensor 25, whether there is no lateral displacement between the power transmission coil 44 and the power reception coil 52. Further, the ground-side controller 22 determines, based on the output of the foreign object sensor 24, whether there is no foreign object on the road R where the power transmission coil 44 is provided.

[0068] If it is determined in step S18 that the power transmission permission conditions are satisfied, for example, if it is determined that there is no lateral displacement and there is no foreign object on the road R, the ground-side controller 22 determines that power transmission from the power transmission coil 44 is possible. In this case, the ground-side controller 22 controls the power transmission device 4 so that power can be transmitted to the vehicle 3 when the vehicle 3 travels or parks on the power transmission device 4, based on the power supply request information transmitted from the vehicle 3 in step S15 (step S19). As a result, when the vehicle 3 travels or parks on the power transmission device 4, the vehicle 3 receives power from the power transmission device 4 (step S20).

[0069] After the power transmission from the power transmission device 4 to the power reception device 5 is completed, the vehicle-side controller 34 of the vehicle 3 calculates the average received power and the received power amount based on the output of the vehicle-side sensor 37 or the like, and transmits the calculation result to the server 1 (step S21). On the other hand, the ground-side controller 22 of the ground power supply device 2 calculates the average transmitted power and the transmitted power amount based on the output of the ground-side circuit sensor 23 or the like, and transmits the calculation result to the server 1 (step S22).

[0070] <Diagnosis of Abnormality> Abnormalities may occur in the ground power supply device 2 of the non-contact power supply system 100 configured as described above. Various abnormalities can be considered as the abnormalities that occur in the ground power supply device 2. Specifically, for example, an appropriate magnetic field is not generated even when power is supplied to the power transmission side resonance circuit 43 due to a short circuit or the like, and lateral displacement is not appropriately detected due to a failure of the ground-side magnetic field sensor 25. Therefore, an abnormality diagnosis for diagnosing such abnormalities occurring in the ground power supply device 2 is required.

[0071] Therefore, in this embodiment, an abnormality diagnosis for diagnosing an abnormality of the ground power supply device 2 is performed. In particular, in this embodiment, an abnormality diagnosis is performed when a diagnosis vehicle 71 for diagnosing an abnormality of the ground power supply device 2 is traveling and passes over the power transmission device 4 of the ground power supply device 2 to be inspected, particularly over the power transmission coil 44.

[0072] FIG. 7 is a bottom view schematically showing the bottom surface of the diagnosis vehicle 71. The configuration of the diagnosis vehicle 71 is basically the same as the configuration of the general vehicle 3 described above. Hereinafter, the description will focus on the parts of the configuration of the diagnosis vehicle 71 that are different from the general vehicle 3. In this embodiment, the diagnosis vehicle 71 mainly performs an abnormality diagnosis of the ground power supply device 2 by the power reception device 5 and the vehicle-side controller 34. Therefore, the power reception device 5 and the vehicle-side controller 34 constitute an abnormality diagnosis device for diagnosing an abnormality of the ground power supply device 2, and the diagnosis vehicle 71 has the abnormality diagnosis device.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 7, the diagnostic vehicle 71 according to the present embodiment has a plurality of power receiving coils 52. More specifically, the diagnostic vehicle 71 has a plurality of power receiving side resonance circuits 51 each having one power receiving coil 52. The plurality of power receiving coils 52, that is, the plurality of power receiving side resonance circuits 51, are arranged on the diagnostic vehicle 71 in a state shifted laterally from each other. Further, the plurality of power receiving coils 52 are arranged on the diagnostic vehicle 71 so as to be separated from each other in the traveling direction of the diagnostic vehicle 71.

[0074] In the example shown in FIG. 7, the diagnostic vehicle 71 has three power receiving coils 52, namely, a first power receiving coil 52-1, a second power receiving coil 52-2, and a third power receiving coil 52-3. The first power receiving coil 52-1 is arranged at the lateral center in front of the diagnostic vehicle 71. Therefore, the first power receiving coil 52-1 is arranged at a normal position that is the same as the position of the power receiving coil 52 of the general vehicle 3 in the lateral direction. The second power receiving coil 52-2 is arranged on one side (the left side in FIG. 7) of the lateral center of the diagnostic vehicle 71 at the center in the front-rear direction of the diagnostic vehicle 71. The third power receiving coil 52-3 is arranged on the side opposite to the above one side (the right side in FIG. 7) of the lateral center of the diagnostic vehicle 71 behind the diagnostic vehicle 71. Therefore, the second power receiving coil 52-2 and the third power receiving coil 52-3 are arranged at abnormal positions that are different from the position of the power receiving coil 52 of the general vehicle 3 in the lateral direction.

[0075] The plurality of power receiving side resonance circuits 51 each including one power receiving coil 52 of the diagnostic vehicle 71 are connected to one power receiving side rectifier circuit 54 via a switch 73 (see FIG. 9). Further, the vehicle side sensor 37 can detect the current flowing through each power receiving side resonance circuit 51 and the voltage applied to each power receiving side resonance circuit 51. Therefore, the vehicle side controller 34 can detect the power received by each power receiving side resonance circuit 51 based on the output of the vehicle side sensor 37.

[0076] In addition, the diagnostic vehicle 71 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of alternating magnetic field generation circuits 61. The magnetic field generation coils 62 of the plurality of alternating magnetic field generation circuits 61 are provided on the diagnostic vehicle 71 in a state where they are laterally displaced from each other. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the first magnetic field generation coil 62-1 is disposed in front of the first power receiving coil 52-1, and thus at the center in the lateral direction of the diagnostic vehicle 71. Therefore, the first magnetic field generation coil 62-1 is disposed at a normal position that is the same as the position of the alternating magnetic field generation circuit 61 of a general vehicle 3. The second magnetic field generation coil 62-2 is disposed in front of the second power receiving coil 52-2, and thus on one side (the left side in FIG. 7) of the diagnostic vehicle 71 from the center in the lateral direction. The third magnetic field generation coil 62-3 is disposed in front of the third power receiving coil 52-3, and thus on the side opposite to the one side (the right side in FIG. 7) of the diagnostic vehicle 71 from the center in the lateral direction. Therefore, the second magnetic field generation coil 62-2 and the third magnetic field generation coil 62-3 are disposed at abnormal positions that are different from the position of the alternating magnetic field generation circuit 61 of a general vehicle 3.

[0077] In addition, the diagnostic vehicle 71 according to the present embodiment includes a vehicle-side magnetic field sensor 72. The vehicle-side magnetic field sensor 72 is an example of a detector that detects the ambient magnetic field strength, similar to the ground-side magnetic field sensor 25. The vehicle-side magnetic field sensor 72 detects the magnetic field strength around the power receiving coil 52 when power transmission from the power transmission device 4 to the power receiving device 5 is being performed. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, a vehicle-side magnetic field sensor 72 is provided adjacent to each power receiving coil 52 one by one.

[0078] The diagnostic vehicle 71 further includes a display device (not shown) that displays the result of the abnormality diagnosis of the ground power supply device 2. The display device is electrically connected to the vehicle-side controller 34 and displays the result of the abnormality diagnosis according to a command from the vehicle-side controller 34.

[0079] And in this embodiment, when the diagnostic vehicle 71 configured as described above passes over the power transmission coil 44 of the in - ground power supply device 2, a power supply operation by the in - ground power supply device 2 as shown in FIG. 6 is performed in the same manner as when a general vehicle 3 passes. Accordingly, the first ticket and power supply request information are sent from the diagnostic vehicle 71 to the in - ground power supply device 2 (step S15 in FIG. 6). Then, when the on - ground controller 22 determines that it has the second ticket corresponding to the first ticket and determines that the power transmission permission condition is satisfied, it controls the power transmission device 4 so as to be able to transmit power to the diagnostic vehicle 71 (step S19 in FIG. 6).

[0080] When the diagnostic vehicle 71 configured as described above passes over the power transmission coil 44, a plurality of power reception coils 52 of the diagnostic vehicle 71 sequentially pass over the power transmission coil 44. And the power reception coils 52 of the diagnostic vehicle 71 are arranged with a lateral shift from each other. Accordingly, each time a power reception coil 52 of the diagnostic vehicle 71 is positioned relative to the power transmission coil 44, a power supply operation is performed under different power supply conditions (conditions where the lateral relative positions of the power transmission coil 44 and the power reception coil 52 are different from each other). Therefore, in this embodiment, when the diagnostic vehicle 71 passes over the power transmission coil 44, as the power reception coils 52 are sequentially positioned over the power transmission coil 44, power supply operations are performed under different power supply conditions. In other words, in this embodiment, the plurality of power reception coils 52 are configured such that each power reception coil 52 can receive power under a plurality of different power supply conditions. That is, the power reception device 5 is configured such that power supply operations are performed under a plurality of different power supply conditions.

[0081] In particular, in this embodiment, since the first power reception coil 52 - 1 is arranged in a normal position, the power supply operation is performed under the power supply conditions where the power supply operation is normally performed at the first power reception coil 52 - 1. On the other hand, since the second power reception coil 52 - 2 and the third power reception coil 52 - 3 are arranged in abnormal positions, the power supply operation is performed under the power supply conditions where an abnormality occurs in power supply at the second power reception coil 52 - 2 and the third power reception coil 52 - 3.

[0082] In this embodiment, based on the values of the power supply parameters detected while the power supply operation is performed under a plurality of different power supply conditions in this manner, an abnormality diagnosis of the ground power supply device 2 is performed. In particular, in this embodiment, the vehicle-side controller 34 performs an abnormality diagnosis of the ground power supply device 2 based on the values of such power supply parameters. Therefore, the vehicle-side controller 34 functions as a diagnosis unit that diagnoses an abnormality of the ground power supply device 2 based on the values of such parameters.

[0083] In the example shown in FIG. 7, when the diagnostic vehicle 71 moves toward the power transmission coil 44 of the ground power supply device 2, first, the first magnetic field generation coil 62-1 reaches above the ground-side magnetic field sensor 25. Therefore, the ground-side controller 22 detects the presence or absence of lateral displacement based on the alternating magnetic field generated by the first magnetic field generation coil 62-1 based on the output of the ground-side magnetic field sensor 25. And when it is determined by the ground-side controller 22 that there is no lateral displacement and the power transmission permission condition is satisfied, power transmission from the power transmission coil 44 to the power reception coil 52 is performed. After that, when the power transmission ends, the vehicle-side controller 34 calculates the average received power and the received power amount during power transmission.

[0084] Since the first magnetic field generation coil 62-1 and the first power reception coil 52-1 are arranged in normal positions, the power supply operation is performed under the power supply conditions in which the power supply operation is normally performed for these. Therefore, if the ground-side magnetic field sensor 25 is operating normally, it is detected that there is no lateral displacement in the ground power supply device 2 and power transmission from the power transmission coil 44 is performed. Also, if the power transmission device 4 including the power transmission coil 44 is operating normally, the average received power and the received power amount during power transmission will be values within a preset normal range corresponding to this power supply condition. Therefore, as a result of the power supply operation, if power transmission from the power transmission coil 44 is not performed, or if the average received power or the received power amount during power transmission is a value outside the normal range even though power transmission from the power transmission coil 44 is performed, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the ground-side magnetic field sensor 25 or the power transmission device 4.

[0085] Thereafter, when the diagnostic vehicle 71 moves forward, the second power receiving coil 52-2 and the third power receiving coil 52-3 reach above the ground magnetic field sensor 25, and the presence or absence of lateral displacement is detected based on the alternating magnetic field generated by the second magnetic field generating coil 62-2 and the third magnetic field generating coil 62-3. In addition, when power transmission is performed from the power transmission coil 44 to the second power receiving coil 52-2 and the third power receiving coil 52-3, the average received power or the received power amount during power transmission is calculated.

[0086] Since the second magnetic field generating coil 62-2, the third magnetic field generating coil 62-3, the second power receiving coil 52-2, and the third power receiving coil 52-3 are not arranged in normal positions, power supply operations are performed for these under power supply conditions where an abnormality occurs in power supply. Therefore, if the ground magnetic field sensor 25 is operating normally, the ground power supply device 2 detects the presence of lateral displacement and does not perform power transmission from the power transmission coil 44. Also, if power transmission from the power transmission coil 44 is performed, if the power transmission device 4 including the power transmission coil 44 is operating normally, the average received power and the received power amount during power transmission will be values within a preset normal range (a range lower than the normal range corresponding to the power supply conditions under which the power supply operation is normally performed) corresponding to this power supply condition. Therefore, as a result of the power supply operation, when power transmission from the power transmission coil 44 is performed, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the ground magnetic field sensor 25. Also, as a result of the power supply operation, when power transmission from the power transmission coil 44 is performed and the average received power or the received power amount during power transmission is a value outside the normal range, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the power transmission device 4.

[0087] As a result of the first power receiving coil 52-1 to the third power receiving coil 52-3 passing through the power transmission coil 44, if it is not determined that an abnormality has occurred in either the ground-side magnetic field sensor 25 or the power transmission device 4, it is determined that both the ground-side magnetic field sensor 25 and the power transmission device 4 are normal. Therefore, when the presence or absence of power transmission by the power transmission coil 44 corresponds to the power supply condition (for example, when the power supply condition is that there is no lateral displacement, power transmission is performed by the power transmission coil 44), it is determined that no abnormality has occurred in the ground-side magnetic field sensor 25. Also, when the average received power or the received power amount during power transmission is a value within the normal range corresponding to the power supply condition, it is determined that no abnormality has occurred in the power transmission device 4.

[0088] According to the present embodiment, based on the values of the parameters related to power supply detected during power supply operations under a plurality of different power supply conditions (specifically, for example, the presence or absence of power transmission by the power transmission coil 44, and the average received power or the received power amount during power transmission), abnormalities in the ground-side magnetic field sensor 25 of the ground power supply device 2 and the power transmission device 4 are diagnosed. Therefore, compared with the case of performing abnormality diagnosis based on the detection results during power supply operations under only one power supply condition, abnormalities can be detected with high accuracy.

[0089] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of the abnormality diagnosis process performed in the vehicle-side controller 34. The illustrated abnormality diagnosis process is executed every time the diagnostic vehicle 71 passes through one power transmission coil 44.

[0090] As shown in FIG. 8, first, the vehicle-side controller 34 sets the counter n to 1 (step S31). Next, the vehicle-side controller 34 determines whether there is no lateral displacement in the magnetic field generation coil 62 and there is power reception by the power reception coil 52 under the n-th power supply condition (in this embodiment, the first power supply condition is the power supply condition in which the first magnetic field generation coil 62-1 and the first power reception coil 52-1 are used) (step S32). In addition, the vehicle-side controller 34 determines whether there is a lateral displacement in the magnetic field generation coil 62 and there is no power reception by the power reception coil 52 under the n-th power supply condition (step S33). In steps S32 and S33, when it is determined that there is no lateral displacement in the magnetic field generation coil 62 and there is no power reception by the power reception coil 52, and when it is determined that there is a lateral displacement in the magnetic field generation coil 62 and there is power reception by the power reception coil 52, the vehicle-side controller 34 determines that there is an abnormality in the ground-side magnetic field sensor 25 (step S34).

[0091] Next, the vehicle-side controller 34 determines whether the average received power or the received power amount during power transmission is within the normal range corresponding to the n-th power supply condition under the n-th power supply condition (step S35). When it is determined that the average received power or the received power amount is not within the normal range corresponding to the n-th power supply condition, the vehicle-side controller 34 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the power transmission device 4 (step S36).

[0092] Next, the vehicle-side controller 34 determines whether the counter n has reached the number N (3 in this embodiment) of power supply conditions prepared for the diagnostic vehicle 71 (step S37). If it is determined that the counter n has not reached the number N of power supply conditions, then the value obtained by adding 1 to n is set as the new n (step S38), and steps S32 to S36 are repeated. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S37 that the counter n has reached the number N of power supply conditions, the vehicle-side controller 34 determines whether there has been no abnormality determination of the ground-side magnetic field sensor 25 in step S34 or the abnormality determination of the power transmission device 4 in step S36 (step S39). If it is determined in step S39 that there has been no abnormality determination so far, the vehicle-side controller 34 determines that both the ground-side magnetic field sensor 25 and the power transmission device 4 are normal.

[0093] <Modification example> In the above embodiment, the diagnostic vehicle 71 has a plurality of power receiving coils 52 and a plurality of magnetic field generating coils 62. However, the diagnostic vehicle 71 may have only one power receiving coil 52 movable in the lateral direction and only one magnetic field generating coil 62 movable in the lateral direction. In this case, the diagnostic vehicle 71 stops on each power transmission coil 44 and moves the power receiving coil 52 and the magnetic field generating coil 62 to different positions during the stop when located on each power transmission coil 44. As a result, when the power receiving coil 52 and the magnetic field generating coil 62 are in each position, the power supply operation is performed. Thereby, the power supply operation is performed under a plurality of different power supply conditions.

[0094] Further, in the above-described embodiment, after the power feeding operation, the abnormality diagnosis of the power transmission device 4 is performed based on the received average power or the received power amount calculated by the vehicle-side controller 34. However, the abnormality diagnosis of the power transmission device 4 may be performed based on the magnetic field intensity detected by the vehicle-side magnetic field sensor 72 during the power feeding operation. In this case, when the magnetic field intensity detected by the vehicle-side magnetic field sensor 72 during the power feeding operation is within the normal range corresponding to the power feeding conditions, the power transmission device 4 is determined to be normal. On the other hand, when the magnetic field intensity detected by the vehicle-side magnetic field sensor 72 during the power feeding operation is outside the normal range corresponding to the power feeding conditions, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the power transmission device 4.

[0095] Further, in the above-described embodiment, the first power receiving coil 52-1 is arranged at a normal position, and the second power receiving coil 52-2 and the third power receiving coil 52-3 are arranged at abnormal positions. However, all the power receiving coils 52 may be arranged at normal positions (positions that are laterally displaced from each other to an extent allowable as normal positions). Similarly, all the power receiving coils 52 may be arranged at abnormal positions. Alternatively, a plurality of power receiving coils 52 may be arranged at normal positions, and the remaining plurality of power receiving coils 52 may be arranged at abnormal positions.

[0096] Second Embodiment Next, with reference to FIG. 9, a method for diagnosing an abnormality of the ground power feeding device 2 according to the second embodiment will be described. The method for diagnosing an abnormality of the ground power feeding device 2 according to the second embodiment is basically the same as the diagnostic method according to the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the description will focus on the parts different from the first embodiment.

[0097] FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the diagnostic vehicle 71 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, also in this embodiment, the diagnostic vehicle 71 has a plurality of power receiving coils 52. More specifically, the diagnostic vehicle 71 has a plurality of power receiving side resonance circuits 51 each having one power receiving coil 52. The plurality of power receiving coils 52 are arranged on the diagnostic vehicle 71 in a state shifted from each other in the vertical direction (the direction perpendicular to the ground on which the diagnostic vehicle 71 travels). Further, the plurality of power receiving coils 52 are arranged at the center in the lateral direction of the diagnostic vehicle 71 so as to be separated from each other in the traveling direction of the diagnostic vehicle 71.

[0098] In the example shown in FIG. 9, the diagnostic vehicle 71 has three power receiving coils 52, i.e., a first power receiving coil 52-1, a second power receiving coil 52-2, and a third power receiving coil 52-3. The first power receiving coil 52-1 is arranged at a position farther from the road R than the position in the general vehicle 3 in front of the diagnostic vehicle 71. The second power receiving coil 52-2 is arranged at a normal position same as the position in the general vehicle 3 at the center in the front-rear direction of the diagnostic vehicle 71. The third power receiving coil 52-3 is arranged at a position closer to the road R than the position in the general vehicle 3 behind the diagnostic vehicle 71. Therefore, the first power receiving coil 52-1 and the third power receiving coil 52-3 are arranged at abnormal positions different from the position of the power receiving coil 52 of the general vehicle 3 in the vertical direction.

[0099] In this embodiment, when the diagnostic vehicle 71 configured as described above passes over the power transmission coil 44 of the in-road power supply device 2, a power supply operation by the in-road power supply device 2 as shown in FIG. 6 is performed in the same manner as when a general vehicle 3 passes. When the diagnostic vehicle 71 passes over the power transmission coil 44, a plurality of power reception coils 52 of the diagnostic vehicle 71 sequentially pass over the power transmission coil 44. The power reception coils 52 of the diagnostic vehicle 71 are arranged so as to be vertically displaced from each other. Therefore, every time each power reception coil 52 of the diagnostic vehicle 71 is positioned over the power transmission coil 44, a power supply operation is performed under different power supply conditions (conditions in which the relative vertical positions of the power transmission coil 44 and the power reception coil 52 are different from each other). Therefore, also in this embodiment, when the diagnostic vehicle 71 passes over the power transmission coil 44, the power supply operation is performed under different power supply conditions as the power reception coils 52 are sequentially positioned over the power transmission coil 44.

[0100] And also in this embodiment, based on whether the received average power or the received power amount calculated by the vehicle-side controller 34 when the power supply operation is performed under different power supply conditions is within the normal range corresponding to the power supply conditions, an abnormality diagnosis of the in-road power supply device 2 is performed.

[0101] Note that also in this embodiment, the diagnostic vehicle 71 may have only one power reception coil 52 that is movable in the vertical direction. In this case, the diagnostic vehicle 71 stops on each power transmission coil 44 and moves the power reception coil 52 to a plurality of different positions while stopped when positioned over each power transmission coil 44. Also, the second embodiment and the first embodiment may be combined, and the diagnostic vehicle 71 may have a plurality of power reception coils 52 and magnetic field generation coils 62 that are displaced in the lateral direction and the vertical direction.

[0102] Third Embodiment Next, with reference to FIG. 10, an abnormality diagnosis method for the in-road power supply device 2 according to the third embodiment will be described. The abnormality diagnosis method for the in-road power supply device 2 according to the third embodiment is basically the same as the diagnosis methods according to the first and second embodiments. Hereinafter, the description will focus on the parts different from the first and second embodiments.

[0103] FIG. 10 is a bottom view similar to FIG. 7 schematically showing the bottom surface of the diagnostic vehicle 71. As shown in FIG. 10, the diagnostic vehicle 71 according to the present embodiment has a plurality of power receiving coils 52. More specifically, the diagnostic vehicle 71 has a plurality of power receiving side resonance circuits 51 each having one power receiving coil 52. The plurality of power receiving side resonance circuits 51 have parameters regarding resonance different from each other. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the plurality of power receiving coils 52 have different numbers of turns from each other. Also, the plurality of power receiving coils 52 are arranged in the diagnostic vehicle 71 at the lateral center so as to be spaced apart from each other in the traveling direction of the diagnostic vehicle 71.

[0104] In the example shown in FIG. 10, the diagnostic vehicle 71 has three power receiving coils 52, i.e., a first power receiving coil 52-1, a second power receiving coil 52-2, and a third power receiving coil 52-3. The first power receiving coil 52-1 is arranged in front of the diagnostic vehicle 71 and has a number of turns larger than that in a general vehicle 3. The second power receiving coil 52-2 is arranged at the center in the longitudinal direction of the diagnostic vehicle 71 and has a normal number of turns the same as that in a general vehicle 3. The third power receiving coil 52-3 is arranged behind the diagnostic vehicle 71 and has a number of turns smaller than that in a general vehicle 3. Therefore, the first power receiving coil 52-1 and the third power receiving coil 52-3 have abnormal numbers of turns different from that in a general vehicle 3.

[0105] In the present embodiment, when the diagnostic vehicle 71 configured as described above passes over the power transmission coil 44 of the ground power supply device 2, a power supply operation by the ground power supply device 2 as shown in FIG. 6 is performed in the same manner as when a general vehicle 3 passes. When the diagnostic vehicle 71 passes over the power transmission coil 44, the plurality of power receiving coils 52 of the diagnostic vehicle 71 sequentially pass over the power transmission coil 44. And the power receiving coils 52 of the diagnostic vehicle 71 are configured such that the numbers of turns are shifted from each other. Therefore, every time each power receiving coil 52 of the diagnostic vehicle 71 is positioned on the power transmission coil 44, a power supply operation is performed under different power supply conditions. Therefore, also in the present embodiment, when the diagnostic vehicle 71 passes over the power transmission coil 44, the power supply operation is performed under different power supply conditions by the power receiving coils 52 being sequentially positioned on the power transmission coil 44.

[0106] Also in this embodiment, based on whether the received average power or the received power amount calculated by the vehicle-side controller 34 when power feeding operations are performed under different power feeding conditions is within the normal range corresponding to the power feeding conditions, the abnormality diagnosis of the ground power feeding device 2 is performed.

[0107] In this embodiment, among the parameters related to the resonance of the plurality of power receiving side resonance circuits 51, the number of turns of the power receiving coil 52 is different from each other. However, in the plurality of power receiving side resonance circuits 51, the values of the parameters related to resonance other than the number of turns of the power receiving coil 52 may be different from each other. Specifically, examples of such parameters include the outer diameter and inner diameter of the power transmission coil 44, the capacitance of the power transmission side capacitor 45, and the like. Further, this embodiment may be combined with the first embodiment and the second embodiment. For example, the diagnostic vehicle 71 may have a plurality of power receiving coils 52 with different numbers of turns displaced in the horizontal and vertical directions.

[0108] Fourth Embodiment Next, with reference to FIG. 11, a method for diagnosing an abnormality of the ground power feeding device 2 according to the fourth embodiment will be described. The method for diagnosing an abnormality of the ground power feeding device 2 according to the fourth embodiment is basically the same as the diagnostic methods according to the first to third embodiments. Hereinafter, the description will focus on the parts different from the first to third embodiments.

[0109] FIG. 11 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the diagnostic vehicle 71 according to the fourth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11, also in this embodiment, the diagnostic vehicle 71 has a plurality of power receiving coils 52. Further, in this embodiment, the plurality of power receiving coils 52 are arranged at the center in the horizontal direction so as to be separated from each other in the traveling direction of the diagnostic vehicle 71. Also, all the power receiving side resonance circuits 51 having all the power receiving coils 52 are configured identically except for the positions in the traveling direction of the diagnostic vehicle 71.

[0110] In addition, in the diagnostic vehicle 71 according to the present embodiment, foreign object simulation objects 74 and 75 simulating foreign objects that can be located on the road R are arranged below some of the power receiving coils 52. In the example shown in FIG. 11, no foreign object simulation object is arranged below the first power receiving coil 52-1 arranged in front of the diagnostic vehicle 71. On the other hand, a foreign object simulation object 74 simulating a living body is arranged below the second power receiving coil 52-2 arranged at the center in the front-rear direction of the diagnostic vehicle 71. In addition, a metal foreign object simulation object 75 is arranged below the third power receiving coil 52-3 arranged behind the diagnostic vehicle 71. These foreign object simulation objects 74 and 75 are attached to the diagnostic vehicle 71 and thus move together with the diagnostic vehicle 71.

[0111] When the diagnostic vehicle 71 configured as described above passes over the power transmission coil 44 of the in-ground power supply device 2, the plurality of power receiving coils 52 of the diagnostic vehicle 71 sequentially pass over the power transmission coil 44. In particular, when the second power receiving coil 52-2 and the third power receiving coil 52-3 pass over the power transmission coil 44, the power supply operation is performed with different foreign object simulation objects 74 and 75 positioned between the power receiving coil 52 and the power transmission coil 44. On the other hand, when the first power receiving coil 52-1 passes over the power transmission coil 44, the power supply operation is performed with no foreign object simulation object positioned between the power receiving coil 52 and the power transmission coil 44. That is, in the present embodiment, the power supply operation is performed under different power supply conditions, namely, the power supply condition in which the foreign object simulation objects 74 and 75 are arranged between the diagnostic vehicle 71 and the in-ground power supply device 2 and the power supply condition in which the foreign object simulation objects 74 and 75 are not arranged between the diagnostic vehicle 71 and the in-ground power supply device 2.

[0112] In particular, in this embodiment, foreign object simulation objects 74 and 75 are arranged below the second power receiving coil 52-2 and the third power receiving coil 52-3. Therefore, when the second power receiving coil 52-2 and the third power receiving coil 52-3 pass over the power transmission coil 44, if the foreign object sensor 24 is operating normally, a foreign object is detected and power transmission from the power transmission coil 44 is not performed. Further, if power transmission from the power transmission coil 44 is performed, if the power transmission device 4 including the power transmission coil 44 is operating normally, the average received power and the received power amount during power transmission are values within a preset normal range corresponding to this power supply condition (a range different from the normal range corresponding to the power supply condition under which the power supply operation is normally performed). Therefore, as a result of the power supply operation, when power transmission from the power transmission coil 44 is performed to the second power receiving coil 52-2 and the third power receiving coil 52-3, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the foreign object sensor 24. Further, as a result of the power supply operation, if power transmission from the power transmission coil 44 is performed and the average received power or the received power amount during power transmission is a value outside the normal range, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the power transmission device 4.

[0113] Note that the diagnostic vehicle 71 may be configured to have only one power receiving coil 52 and be able to alternately arrange different foreign object simulation objects below the power receiving coil 52. Further, the present embodiment and the first to third embodiments may be combined. For example, the diagnostic vehicle 71 may have a plurality of power receiving coils 52 with different numbers of turns displaced in the horizontal and vertical directions and foreign object simulation objects arranged below some of the power receiving coils 52.

[0114] Fifth Embodiment Next, with reference to FIG. 12, a method for diagnosing an abnormality of the ground power supply device 2 according to the fifth embodiment will be described. The method for diagnosing an abnormality of the ground power supply device 2 according to the fifth embodiment is basically the same as the diagnostic methods according to the first to fourth embodiments. Hereinafter, the description will focus on the parts different from the first to fourth embodiments.

[0115] FIG. 12 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the diagnostic vehicle 71 according to the fifth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 12, also in this embodiment, the diagnostic vehicle 71 has a plurality of power receiving coils 52. Further, in this embodiment, the plurality of power receiving coils 52 are arranged at the center in the lateral direction so as to be separated from each other in the traveling direction of the diagnostic vehicle 71. Further, all the power receiving side resonance circuits 51 having all the power receiving coils 52 are configured identically except for the positions in the traveling direction of the diagnostic vehicle 71.

[0116] In addition, in this embodiment, when the vehicle side controller 34 of the diagnostic vehicle 71 transmits a signal including information on the first ticket and power feeding to the ground power feeding device 2 (step S15 in FIG. 6), it transmits a signal including different command values for each power receiving side resonance circuit 51 having each power receiving coil 52. Specifically, the vehicle side controller 34 transmits, for example, a signal including different required power feeding powers for each power receiving side resonance circuit 51.

[0117] By transmitting signals including different required power feeding powers for each power receiving side resonance circuit 51 in this way, when the diagnostic vehicle 71 passes over the power transmission coil 44 of the ground power feeding device 2, different powers are transmitted from the power transmission coil 44 to each power receiving coil 52. Therefore, each time each power receiving coil 52 of the diagnostic vehicle 71 is positioned on the power transmission coil 44, a power feeding operation is performed under different power feeding conditions. That is, in this embodiment, by transmitting different command values regarding power feeding from the diagnostic vehicle 71 to the ground power feeding device 2, when the diagnostic vehicle 71 passes over the power transmission coil 44, a power feeding operation is performed under different power feeding conditions. In other words, in this embodiment, the vehicle side controller 34 constituting the abnormality diagnosis device transmits a signal to the ground power feeding device 2 so that a power feeding operation is performed under different power feeding conditions.

[0118] Then, also in this embodiment, based on whether or not the received average power or the received power amount calculated by the vehicle side controller 34 when the power feeding operation is performed under different power feeding conditions is within the normal range corresponding to the power feeding conditions, an abnormality diagnosis of the ground power feeding device 2 is performed.

[0119] In the above embodiment, the diagnostic vehicle 71 has three power receiving side resonance circuits 51, and transmits signals including different command values for each power receiving side resonance circuit 51. However, the diagnostic vehicle 71 may have one power receiving side resonance circuit 51. In this case, the diagnostic vehicle 71 stops on the target power transmission coil 44, and changes the command value a plurality of times while the power supply operation is being performed. Also in this case, each time the command value is changed, the power supply operation is performed under different power supply conditions. Further, the present embodiment and the first to fourth embodiments may be combined. For example, the diagnostic vehicle 71 may have a plurality of power receiving coils 52 with different numbers of turns shifted in the horizontal and vertical directions, and transmit signals including different command values for each power receiving side resonance circuit 51 to the ground power supply device 2.

[0120] Sixth Embodiment Next, a method for diagnosing an abnormality of the ground power supply device 2 according to the sixth embodiment will be described. The method for diagnosing an abnormality of the ground power supply device 2 according to the sixth embodiment is basically the same as the diagnostic methods according to the first to fifth embodiments. Hereinafter, the description will focus on the parts different from the first to fifth embodiments.

[0121] In the present embodiment, the diagnostic vehicle 71 has the same configuration as the diagnostic vehicle 71 according to the fifth embodiment. Therefore, in the diagnostic vehicle 71, a plurality of power receiving coils 52 are arranged at the center in the horizontal direction so as to be separated from each other in the traveling direction of the diagnostic vehicle 71.

[0122] In addition, in the present embodiment, when the vehicle side controller 34 of the diagnostic vehicle 71 transmits a signal including the first ticket to the ground power supply device 2 (step S15 in FIG. 6), it transmits different first tickets for each power receiving side resonance circuit 51. Specifically, for example, the vehicle side controller 34 of the diagnostic vehicle 71 transmits a normal first ticket for the first power receiving side resonance circuit 51-1, and transmits abnormal first tickets (for example, first tickets with an expired expiration date, first tickets not corresponding to the second ticket, etc.) for the second power receiving side resonance circuit 51-2 and the third power receiving side resonance circuit 51-3.

[0123] In this way, by transmitting signals including different first tickets for each power receiving side resonance circuit 51, when the diagnostic vehicle 71 passes through the power transmission coil 44 of the ground power feeding device 2, power transmission is performed from the power transmission coil 44 corresponding to the first ticket. That is, in the present embodiment, by transmitting different first tickets from the diagnostic vehicle 71 to the ground power feeding device 2, when the diagnostic vehicle 71 passes over the power transmission coil 44, power feeding operations are performed under different power feeding conditions.

[0124] And also in the present embodiment, when power feeding operations are performed under different power feeding conditions, based on whether the power feeding operation corresponding to the transmitted first ticket is being performed, an abnormality diagnosis of the ground power feeding device 2 is performed. For example, when power is received in the first power receiving side resonance circuit 51-1 corresponding to a normal first ticket, the ground power feeding device 2 is determined to be normal. On the other hand, when power is not received in the first power receiving side resonance circuit 51-1 corresponding to a normal first ticket, the ground power feeding device 2 is determined to be abnormal. Also, when power is received in the second power receiving side resonance circuit 51-2 and the third power receiving side resonance circuit 51-3 corresponding to an abnormal first ticket, the ground power feeding device 2 is determined to be abnormal. On the other hand, when power is not received in the second power receiving side resonance circuit 51-2 and the third power receiving side resonance circuit 51-3 corresponding to an abnormal first ticket, the ground power feeding device 2 is determined to be normal.

[0125] Note that the present embodiment and the first to fifth embodiments may be combined.

[0126] As described above, the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been explained, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the claims.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0127] 1 Server 2 Ground power feeding device 3 Vehicle 43 Power transmission side resonance circuit 44 Power transmission coil 51 Power receiving side resonance circuit 52 Power receiving coil 61 Alternating magnetic field generation circuit 71 Diagnostic vehicle 100 Non-contact power supply system

Claims

1. An abnormality diagnosis method for diagnosing an abnormality of a ground power feeding device that non - contactlessly feeds power to a vehicle, comprising: performing a power feeding operation under a plurality of different power feeding conditions when the vehicle is positioned on the power feeding coil of the ground power feeding device; diagnosing an abnormality of the ground power feeding device based on values of parameters related to power feeding detected during the power feeding operation under the plurality of different power feeding conditions, wherein the power feeding operation under the plurality of different power feeding conditions is performed while the vehicle is running and passing over the power feeding coil. The abnormality diagnosis method.

2. The abnormality diagnosis method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of different power feeding conditions is a power feeding condition under which an abnormality occurs in power feeding.

3. The vehicle is provided with a plurality of power receiving coils capable of receiving power under different power feeding conditions, and these power receiving coils are arranged on the vehicle so as to be spaced apart from each other in the traveling direction of the vehicle. When the vehicle passes over the power feeding coil, the power receiving coils are sequentially positioned on the power feeding coil, whereby a power feeding operation is performed under different power feeding conditions for each power receiving coil. The abnormality diagnosis method according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The vehicle is provided with a power receiving coil capable of moving relative to the vehicle so that the power feeding condition changes. When the vehicle is positioned on the power feeding coil, the power receiving coil moves, whereby a power feeding operation is performed under different power feeding conditions. The abnormality diagnosis method according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The plurality of different power feeding conditions include a plurality of power feeding conditions in which the positions of the power receiving coils of the vehicle are shifted from each other in a lateral direction with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle. The abnormality diagnosis method according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The plurality of different power feeding conditions include a plurality of power feeding conditions in which the positions of the power receiving coils of the vehicle are shifted from each other in a direction perpendicular to the ground on which the vehicle travels. The abnormality diagnosis method according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The plurality of different power feeding conditions include a plurality of power feeding conditions in which different command values related to power feeding are transmitted from the vehicle to the ground power feeding device. The abnormality diagnosis method according to claim 1 or 2.

8. The plurality of different power feeding conditions include a power feeding condition in which a foreign object is disposed between the vehicle and the ground power feeding device and a power feeding condition in which no foreign object is disposed between the vehicle and the ground power feeding device. The abnormality diagnosis method according to claim 1 or 2.

9. An abnormality diagnosis device for diagnosing an abnormality of a ground power feeding device that wirelessly transmits power to a vehicle, a power receiving device configured to perform a power feeding operation under a plurality of different power feeding conditions when the vehicle is positioned on the power transmission coil of the ground power feeding device, and a diagnosis unit that diagnoses an abnormality of the ground power feeding device based on values of parameters related to power feeding detected while the power feeding operation is performed under a plurality of different power feeding conditions. The abnormality diagnosis device is characterized in that, the power feeding operation under the plurality of different power feeding conditions is performed when the vehicle is running and passes over the power transmission coil. **Claim 10** An abnormality diagnosis device for diagnosing an abnormality of a ground power feeding device that wirelessly transmits power to a vehicle, which is configured to transmit a signal to the ground power feeding device so that a power feeding operation is performed under a plurality of different power feeding conditions when the vehicle is positioned on the power transmission coil of the ground power feeding device, and is configured to diagnose an abnormality of the ground power feeding device based on values of parameters related to power feeding detected while the power feeding operation is performed under the plurality of different power feeding conditions, wherein the power feeding operation under the plurality of different power feeding conditions is performed when the vehicle is running and passes over the power transmission coil. **Claim 11** A vehicle having the abnormality diagnosis device according to claim 9 or 10.

Citation Information

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