Management System

Abstract

To appropriately select an electric vehicle to be permitted to charge.SOLUTION: A control system used for a charging installation in order to perform a non-contact charging to multiple electric vehicles running in charging sections comprises a control device that has a processor and a memory connected so as to communicate with each other, and that selects a charge permitted vehicle, an electric vehicle as a charge permitted target, from among a group of electric vehicles running in a determination area including at least a part of the charging sections. The control device calculates the upper limit number of the charge permitted vehicles based on the target vehicle speeds instructed to the charge permitted vehicles. The control device ranks the electric vehicles in the group of the electric vehicles in ascending order of distance to empty based on the distance to empty of each of the electric vehicles constituting the group of the electric vehicles. The control device selects the charge permitted vehicle from among the group of the electric vehicles based on the vehicle ranking in the group of the electric vehicles and the upper limit number.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a management system used in charging facilities for electric vehicles. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, charging facilities have been developed that can contactlessly charge batteries mounted on electric vehicles, such as electric cars and hybrid vehicles. As such contactless charging facilities, charging facilities have been developed that use charging lanes with embedded power transmission coils to supply power from the charging lanes to electric vehicles while they are in motion (see Patent Documents 1 to 4). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-5949 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-38991 [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication No. 2021-22957 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-92398 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, at charging facilities that charge electric vehicles while they are in motion, it has been difficult to charge all electric vehicles that request wireless charging due to limitations on the length of the charging lane and the power supply capacity. For this reason, there is a need to appropriately select electric vehicles that are permitted to be charged from among multiple electric vehicles that request wireless charging.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to appropriately select electric vehicles that are permitted to be charged. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In one embodiment, the management system is a management system used in a charging facility that performs contactless charging on a plurality of electric vehicles traveling in a charging section, and includes a processor and memory that are communicatively connected to each other, and a control device that selects electric vehicles that are subject to charging permission from a group of electric vehicles traveling in a determination area that includes at least a portion of the charging section, and the control device calculates an upper limit on the number of electric vehicles that are permitted to be charged based on a target vehicle speed to be instructed to the electric vehicles, ranks the electric vehicles in the group of electric vehicles in descending order of the possible driving distance based on the possible driving distance of each electric vehicle that makes up the group of electric vehicles, and selects the electric vehicles that are permitted to be charged from the group of electric vehicles based on the vehicle ranking within the group of electric vehicles and the upper limit on the number of vehicles. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] In one embodiment, the management system calculates the upper limit of the number of vehicles permitted to be charged based on the target vehicle speed to be instructed to the vehicles. The management system also ranks the electric vehicles in the group in descending order of the range of travel based on the range of travel of each electric vehicle constituting the group, and selects vehicles permitted to be charged from the group of electric vehicles based on the vehicle rankings in the group and the upper limit of the number of vehicles. This makes it possible to appropriately select electric vehicles permitted to be charged. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a charging facility that performs contactless charging of an electric vehicle. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a power transmission coil group, a power transmission control device, and an electric vehicle. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of the basic structure of a central server. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the basic structure of each control unit. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a charging lane that constitutes a charging facility. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the charging lane shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for executing vehicle control during charging by the control system. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for executing vehicle control during charging by the control system. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for executing upper limit number setting control by a central server. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for executing permitted vehicle selection control by a central server. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a group of electric vehicles and their ranking in a determination area at time t1. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a group of electric vehicles and their ranking in a determination area at time t2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, identical or substantially identical configurations and elements are designated by the same reference numerals and will not be described repeatedly.

[0010] [Charging equipment] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of charging equipment 11 that performs contactless charging on an electric vehicle 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the charging equipment 11 includes a power transmission coil group 14 that is embedded in a charging lane 12 and connected to a power grid 13, and a power transmission control device 16 that controls the energization state of each power transmission coil 15 that constitutes the power transmission coil group 14. The charging equipment 11 also includes a management system 19 that includes a central server (control device) 18 that is connected to the power transmission control device 16 via a communication network 17. As will be described later, when an electric vehicle 10 equipped with a power receiving coil 20 travels through the charging lane 12, the electromagnetic field of each power transmission coil 15 is controlled in accordance with the passage of the electric vehicle 10, and power is supplied contactlessly from the power transmission coil 15 to the power receiving coil 20. Contactless charging using the charging equipment 11 is also called wireless charging.

[0011] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a power transmission coil group 14, a power transmission control device 16, and an electric vehicle 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the power transmission coil group 14 embedded in the charging lane 12 includes a plurality of power transmission coils 15 arranged at predetermined intervals, a plurality of high-frequency power sources 21 connected to the power transmission coils 15, and a plurality of position sensors 22 that detect the traveling position of the electric vehicle 10. The power transmission control device 16 also includes a control unit 25 including a processor 23, a main memory 24, and the like. A predetermined program is stored in the main memory 24, and the program is executed by the processor 23. The processor 23 and the main memory 24 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other. The power transmission control device 16 also includes a storage unit 26 including a nonvolatile memory or the like, a communication unit 27 connected to the communication network 17, a power supply drive unit 28 that generates a drive signal for the high-frequency power source 21, and a power monitoring unit 29 that monitors the power supply from the power grid 13. The storage unit 26 including a nonvolatile memory or the like stores programs, various data, and the like. Furthermore, a plurality of processors 23 may be incorporated into the control unit 25, and a plurality of main memories 24 may be incorporated into the control unit 25.

[0012] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the basic structure of the central server 18. As shown in FIG. 3, the central server 18 has a control unit 32 equipped with a processor 30, a main memory (memory) 31, and the like. A predetermined program is stored in the main memory 31, and the program is executed by the processor 30. The processor 30 and the main memory 31 are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other. The central server 18 also has a storage unit 33 made of nonvolatile memory or the like, and a communication unit 34 connected to the communication network 17. The storage unit 33 made of nonvolatile memory or the like stores programs, various data, and the like. The control unit 32 may incorporate multiple processors 30, and the control unit 32 may incorporate multiple main memories 31.

[0013] When charging the battery 41 of the electric vehicle 10 using the charging facility 11, high-frequency power is supplied to each power transmission coil 15 in synchronization with the passage of the electric vehicle 10. Based on a control signal transmitted from the central server 18, the power transmission control device 16 of the charging facility 11 controls the high-frequency power source 21 in synchronization with the passage of the electric vehicle 10, and supplies high-frequency power from the high-frequency power source 21 to each power transmission coil 15. When high-frequency power is supplied to the power transmission coil 15, the electromagnetic field at and near the power transmission coil 15 fluctuates, and this electromagnetic field fluctuation is transmitted to the power receiving coil 20 by a resonance phenomenon. This allows power to be supplied from the power transmission coil 15 in the charging lane 12 to the power receiving coil 20 of the electric vehicle 10, enabling contactless charging of the electric vehicle 10 traveling on the charging lane 12.

[0014] [Electric vehicles] As shown in Fig. 2, an electric vehicle 10 such as an electric car includes a power receiving coil 20 attached to the underside of the vehicle body, an on-board charger 40 connected to the power receiving coil 20, and a battery 41 connected to the on-board charger 40. The electric vehicle 10 also includes a traction motor 42 connected to the wheels, an inverter 43 that controls the current supply state of the traction motor 42, and a steering motor 44 that drives a rack bar of a steering mechanism. Each device, such as the on-board charger 40, mounted on the electric vehicle 10 is connected to an electronic control unit for controlling the device. That is, a charge control unit 45 is connected to the on-board charger 40, and a battery control unit 46 is connected to the battery 41. A motor control unit 47 is connected to the inverter 43, and a steering control unit 48 is connected to the steering motor 44.

[0015] As described above, the electric vehicle 10 is provided with a control system 50 made up of a plurality of electronic control units to control the on-board charger 40, the traction motor 42, etc. The electronic control units that make up the control system 50 include the above-mentioned charge control unit 45, battery control unit 46, motor control unit 47, and steering control unit 48. Another electronic control unit that makes up the control system 50 is a vehicle control unit 49 that outputs control signals to each of the control units 45 to 48. These control units 45 to 49 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via an on-board network 51 such as a CAN (Controller Area Network).

[0016] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the basic structure of each of the control units 45 to 49. As shown in Fig. 4, each of the control units 45 to 49 has a microcontroller 62 incorporating a processor 60, a main memory 61, and the like. A predetermined program is stored in the main memory 61, and the program is executed by the processor 60. The processor 60 and the main memory 61 are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other. Note that a plurality of processors 60 may be incorporated into the microcontroller 62, and a plurality of main memories 61 may be incorporated into the microcontroller 62.

[0017] Each of the control units 45 to 49 is also provided with an input conversion circuit 63, a drive circuit 64, a communication circuit 65, an external memory 66, etc. The input conversion circuit 63 converts signals input from various sensors into signals that can be input to the microcontroller 62. The drive circuit 64 generates drive signals for various devices such as the above-mentioned on-board charger 40 based on signals output from the microcontroller 62. The communication circuit 65 converts signals output from the microcontroller 62 into communication signals directed to other control units. The communication circuit 65 also converts communication signals received from other control units into signals that can be input to the microcontroller 62. Furthermore, the external memory 66, which is a non-volatile memory or the like, stores programs, various data, etc.

[0018] The vehicle control unit 49 sets operation targets for the on-board charger 40, the traction motor 42, etc. based on input information from the various control units 45 to 48 and various sensors described below. Then, the vehicle control unit 49 generates control signals according to the operation targets for the on-board charger 40, the traction motor 42, etc., and outputs these control signals to the various control units. Sensors connected to the vehicle control unit 49 include a vehicle speed sensor 70 that detects the vehicle speed, which is the traveling speed of the electric vehicle 10, an accelerator sensor 71 that detects the amount of accelerator pedal operation, and a brake sensor 72 that detects the amount of brake pedal operation. Other sensors connected to the vehicle control unit 49 include a radar unit 73 that detects obstacles around the vehicle, and a camera unit 74 that captures images of the vehicle's surroundings. Furthermore, the vehicle control unit 49 is connected to a GPS receiver 75 that receives signals from GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites, and a communication unit 76 that is connected to the communication network 17. Furthermore, the vehicle control unit 49 is connected to a setting device 77 that is operated by the driver when setting the conditions for contactless charging, which will be described later, and a start switch 78 that is operated by the driver when starting up the control system 50.

[0019] [Charging lane] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of charging lanes L1 and L2 constituting charging equipment 11, and FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of charging lane L1 shown in FIG. 5. In the following description, the reference numerals "L1" and "L2" will be used to refer to charging lane 12. As shown in FIG. 5, three travel lanes 81, 82, and 83 are set on a motorway such as an expressway. As indicated by hatching in FIG. 5, two charging lanes L1 and L2 are set in travel lane 81, in which power transmission coil groups 14 are buried over a predetermined distance. In addition, a non-charging section Sn, in which power transmission coil groups 14 are not buried, is set between charging lane L1 and charging lane L2. Furthermore, charging lane L1 is made up of three charging sections L1a, L1b, and L1c, and charging lane L2 is made up of three charging sections L2a, L2b, and L2c.

[0020] The number of charging sections that make up the charging lanes L1 and L2 can be set to any number. That is, the charging lane L1 or the charging lane L2 may be made up of one or two charging sections, or may be made up of four or more charging sections. In the example shown in the figure, two charging lanes L1 and L2 are installed, but this is not limited to this, and only one charging lane may be installed, or three or more charging lanes may be installed.

[0021] 6, in order to determine which electric vehicles 10 are eligible for charging permission in the charging section L1a of the charging lane L1, a determination area A1a is set in the charging section L1a, spanning three travel lanes 81, 82, and 83. A start point SA of this determination area A1a precedes a start point SL of the charging section L1a by a predetermined distance α, and an end point FA of the determination area A1a coincides with an end point FL of the charging section L1a.

[0022] In the illustrated example, the start point SA of the determination area A1a precedes the start point SL of the charging section L1a, but this is not limited to this and the start point SA of the determination area A1a may coincide with the start point SL of the charging section L1a. Also, the end point FA of the determination area A1a coincides with the end point FL of the charging section L1a, but this is not limited to this and the end point FA of the determination area A1a may precede the end point FL of the charging section L1a by a predetermined distance. In other words, when setting the determination area A1a, it is sufficient that the determination area A1a includes at least a portion of the charging section L1a.

[0023] Similarly, to determine which electric vehicles 10 will be charged in the charging section L1b of the charging lane L1, a determination area A1b spanning the three travel lanes 81, 82, and 83 is set in the charging section L1b. Furthermore, to determine which electric vehicles 10 will be charged in the charging section L1c of the charging lane L1, a determination area A1c spanning the three travel lanes 81, 82, and 83 is set in the charging section L1c. In this case, too, it is sufficient that the determination area A1b includes at least a portion of the charging section L1b, and it is sufficient that the determination area A1c includes at least a portion of the charging section L1c. Similarly, for the charging lane L2, as with the charging lane L1, a determination area is set for each of the charging sections L2a, L2b, and L2c. It is sufficient that the determination area corresponding to each of the charging sections L2a, L2b, and L2c includes at least a portion of each of the charging sections L2a, L2b, and L2c.

[0024] [Vehicle control during charging] Next, vehicle control during charging executed by the control system 50 of the electric vehicle 10 will be described. FIGS. 7 and 8 are flowcharts showing an example of the procedure for executing vehicle control during charging by the control system 50. In the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, connections are made at locations marked with reference numerals A and B, respectively. Each step shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 7 and 8 represents processing executed by one or more processors 60 constituting the control system 50. The vehicle control during charging shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is control that is executed at predetermined intervals by the control system 50 of each electric vehicle 10 that enters each determination area. Below, the procedure for executing vehicle control during charging will be described using the determination area A1a corresponding to the charging section L1a as an example. In the following description, the electric vehicle 10 that executes vehicle control during charging will be referred to as the "own vehicle."

[0025] As shown in FIG. 2 , a setting device 77 operated by the driver to set the conditions for contactless charging is connected to the vehicle control unit 49. The various conditions for contactless charging set using the setting device 77 include whether or not a charging request is required, i.e., whether or not contactless charging is to be performed; the setting of the charging lanes L1 and L2 in which contactless charging is desired; and the target SOC of the battery 41 during contactless charging. The target SOC of the battery 41 is a target value of the SOC to be increased by contactless charging. The SOC (State of Charge) of the battery 41 is a ratio indicating the remaining amount of electricity in the battery 41, i.e., the ratio of the amount of stored energy to the fully charged capacity of the battery 41. The SOC of the battery 41 is periodically calculated by the battery control unit 46 based on the charge / discharge current, terminal voltage, etc. of the battery 41. For example, when the battery 41 is charged to its upper limit capacity, the SOC is calculated as 100%, and when the battery 41 is discharged to its lower limit capacity, the SOC is calculated as 0%. Furthermore, as will be described later, when contactless charging is performed by traveling through the charging lanes L1 and L2, automatic driving control is executed in which the authority to perform driving operations is transferred from the driver to the control system 50.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 7 , in step S10, it is determined whether or not there is a request for contactless charging using the charging facility 11. If it is determined in step S10 that there is a charging request, the process proceeds to step S11, where it is determined whether or not the host vehicle 10 is traveling within the determination area A1a. If it is determined in step S11 that the host vehicle 10 is traveling within the determination area A1a, various determination information is transmitted from the control system 50 of the host vehicle 10 to the central server 18. The determination information transmitted to the central server 18 includes a vehicle ID, which is identification information of the host vehicle 10, the traveling position of the host vehicle 10, a remaining distance Xa of the host vehicle 10, and a target charging energy amount Xb of the host vehicle 10. Here, the vehicle control unit 49 constituting the control system 50 calculates the traveling position based on a signal transmitted from a GPS satellite. Furthermore, the vehicle control unit 49 calculates a remaining distance Xa that can be traveled using the current amount of energy stored in the battery 41 based on the SOC of the battery 41 and the most recent electricity cost of the host vehicle 10. Furthermore, the vehicle control unit 49 calculates a target charging energy amount Xb, which is the amount of charging energy desired by the driver in contactless charging, based on the SOC and the target SOC of the battery 41. In other words, the target charging energy amount Xb is the amount of energy obtained by multiplying the difference between the target SOC and the current SOC by the amount of energy per unit SOC.

[0027] When the various determination information is transmitted from the host vehicle 10 to the central server 18 in this manner, the process proceeds to step S13, where it is determined whether or not a charging permission signal is transmitted from the central server 18. If the charging permission signal has not been received from the central server 18 in step S13, that is, if the charging non-permission signal has been received from the central server 18, the host vehicle 10 needs to move out of the charging lane 12. Therefore, the process proceeds to step S14, where it is determined whether or not the host vehicle 10 is traveling in the charging lane 12. If it is determined in step S14 that the host vehicle 10 is traveling in the charging lane 12, the process proceeds to step S15, where the inverter 43 and the steering motor 44 are controlled by automatic driving control to change lanes from the charging lane 12 to the adjacent traveling lane 82. In step S15, the vehicle control unit 49 controls the inverter 43 and the steering motor 44 to change lanes while monitoring the surroundings of the host vehicle 10 using the radar unit 73 and the camera unit 74. Then, if the lane change from the charging lane 12 is completed in step S15, or if it is determined in step S14 that the vehicle is not traveling in the charging lane 12, the process returns to step S11, and the control system 50 executes each step again.

[0028] On the other hand, if a charging permission signal has been received from the central server 18 in step S13, the host vehicle 10 needs to travel within the charging lane 12. Therefore, the process proceeds to step S16, where it is determined whether the host vehicle 10 is traveling in the charging lane 12. If it is determined in step S16 that the host vehicle 10 is not traveling in the charging lane 12, the process proceeds to step S17, where the inverter 43 and the steering motor 44 are controlled by automatic driving control to change lanes from the charging lane 12 to the adjacent travel lane 82. In step S17, the vehicle control unit 49 executes the lane change by controlling the inverter 43 and the steering motor 44 while monitoring the surroundings of the host vehicle 10 using the radar unit 73 and the camera unit 74. If the lane change to the charging lane 12 has been completed in step S17 or if it is determined in step S16 that the host vehicle 10 is traveling within the charging lane 12, the process proceeds to step S18 in FIG. 8 .

[0029] In step S18, the inverter 43 is controlled to adjust the speed of the host vehicle 10 toward the target vehicle speed based on the target vehicle speed during contactless charging transmitted from the central server 18. In the following step S19, the on-board charger 40 is controlled according to the high-frequency power generated in the power receiving coil 20, and power is supplied from the power receiving coil 20 to the battery 41 via the on-board charger 40, thereby performing contactless charging from the power transmitting coil 15 to the power receiving coil 20. Once contactless charging has been performed in this manner, the process proceeds to step S20, where it is determined whether the host vehicle 10 is continuing to travel within the determination area A1a corresponding to the charging section L1a during charging. If it is determined in step S20 that the host vehicle 10 is not traveling within the determination area A1a, that is, if it is determined that the host vehicle 10 has left the determination area A1a corresponding to the charging section L1a during charging, the process proceeds to step S21, where the on-board charger 40 is stopped to stop contactless charging, and the routine ends.

[0030] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S20 that the host vehicle 10 is traveling within the determination area A1a, that is, if it is determined that the host vehicle 10 continues traveling within the determination area A1a corresponding to the charging section L1a where charging is in progress, the process proceeds to step S22, where various determination information is transmitted from the control system 50 of the host vehicle 10 to the central server 18. In the following step S23, it is determined whether or not a charging permission signal has been transmitted from the central server 18. If in step S23 the charging permission signal has not been received from the central server 18, that is, if a charging non-permission signal has been received from the central server 18, the process proceeds to step S24, where the on-board charger 40 is stopped to stop contactless charging, and the process proceeds to step S14 in FIG. 7 . In this case, since the host vehicle 10 needs to be moved away from the charging lane 12, the process proceeds from step S14 to step S15, where the inverter 43 and the steering motor 44 are controlled by the automatic driving control, and a lane change is performed from the charging lane 12 to the adjacent traveling lane 82. On the other hand, if a charging permission signal is received from the central server 18 in step S23, the process proceeds to step S18, the vehicle speed of the vehicle 10 is adjusted toward the target vehicle speed, and the process proceeds to step S19, where contactless charging from the transmitting coil 15 to the receiving coil 20 continues.

[0031] [Control of limiting the number of vehicles and control of selection of permitted vehicles] Next, the vehicle upper limit number setting control and permitted vehicle selection control executed by the central server 18 will be described. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the procedure for executing the vehicle upper limit number setting control by the central server 18, and FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the procedure for executing the permitted vehicle selection control by the central server 18. Each step illustrated in the flowcharts of FIGS. 9 and 10 represents processing executed by one or more processors 30 constituting the central server 18. The vehicle upper limit number setting control and permitted vehicle selection control illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10 are controls executed by the central server 18 at a predetermined cycle for each determination area corresponding to a charging section. That is, in the example illustrated in FIG. 6, the vehicle upper limit number setting control and permitted vehicle selection control are controls executed by the central server 18 at a predetermined cycle for each determination area A1a, A1b, and A1c corresponding to the charging sections L1a, L1b, and L1c. Below, the execution procedures for the vehicle upper limit number setting control and the permitted vehicle selection control will be described using the determination area A1a corresponding to the charging section L1a as an example.

[0032] <Maximum number setting control> As shown in FIG. 9 , in step S30, a first upper limit number N1 of vehicles that can be charged within the charging section L1a is calculated based on the target vehicle speed instructed by the central server 18 to each electric vehicle 10 and the charging section length, which is the distance of the target charging section L1a. That is, the first upper limit number N1 of vehicles in the charging section L1a is calculated by setting the inter-vehicle distance based on the target vehicle speed and dividing the charging section length by the inter-vehicle distance. For example, when the target vehicle speed is set low, the inter-vehicle distance between electric vehicles 10 can be set short, so the first upper limit number N1 is calculated to be large. On the other hand, when the target vehicle speed is set high, the inter-vehicle distance between electric vehicles 10 needs to be set long, so the first upper limit number N1 is calculated to be small. That is, the first upper limit number N1 calculated by the central server 18 increases as the target vehicle speed decreases, but decreases as the target vehicle speed increases. The target vehicle speed instructed by the central server 18 to each electric vehicle 10 is set from the perspective of power transmission efficiency during wireless charging. Furthermore, since a safe inter-vehicle distance varies depending on road conditions, the target vehicle speed instructed by the central server 18 to each electric vehicle 10 may be set based on weather, which is a factor that changes road conditions.

[0033] In step S31, a second upper limit number N2 of vehicles that can be charged within the charging section L1a is calculated based on the vehicle received power, which is the received power per vehicle, and the charging section supply power, which is the power supplied from the power grid 13 to the charging section L1a. That is, the second upper limit number N2 of vehicles in the charging section L1a is calculated by dividing the charging section supply power by the vehicle received power. For example, if the charging section supply power from the power grid 13 increases, the second upper limit number N2 is calculated to be higher. On the other hand, if the charging section supply power from the power grid 13 decreases, the second upper limit number N2 is calculated to be lower. In other words, the second upper limit number N2 calculated by the central server 18 increases as the power supply capacity of the charging equipment 11 in the charging section L1a increases, and decreases as the power supply capacity of the charging equipment 11 in the charging section L1a decreases. Furthermore, the charging section supply power supplied from the power grid 13 to the charging section L1a, i.e., the power supply capacity of the charging equipment 11 in the charging section L1a, is monitored by the power monitoring unit 29 of the power transmission control device 16. Then, in the following step S32, the first upper limit number N1 and the second upper limit number N2 are compared and determined, and the smaller number is selected as the upper limit number Nm.

[0034] <Permitted vehicle selection control> As shown in FIG. 10 , in step S40, the upper limit number Nm set by the upper limit number setting control is read. In step S41, an electric vehicle group 90 consisting of multiple electric vehicles 10 traveling within the determination area A1a is identified based on the traveling position transmitted from an electric vehicle 10 that has entered the determination area A1a. That is, the vehicle ID of each electric vehicle 10 traveling within the determination area A1a is identified. In the following step S42, determination information (travelable distance Xa, target charging energy amount Xb) of the identified electric vehicle group 90 is read, and in step S43, each electric vehicle 10 is classified into sections "C1, C2, C3, C4" based on the travelable distance Xa of each electric vehicle 10 constituting the electric vehicle group 90. Here, section C1 is a vehicle section that cannot reach the next charging section, and section C2 is a vehicle section that can reach the next charging section but cannot reach the next non-charging section Sn. Furthermore, the segment C3 is a vehicle segment that can reach the next non-charging section Sn but cannot reach the next charging lane 12, and the segment C4 is a segment that can reach the next charging lane 12.

[0035] Next, in step S44, for a first vehicle group 91 made up of electric vehicles 10 classified into the categories "C1, C2, C3" because the travelable distance Xa falls below a predetermined distance threshold Da, a first priority order (vehicle ranking within the first vehicle group 91) is set in descending order of travelable distance Xa. In the following step S45, for a second vehicle group 92 made up of electric vehicles 10 classified into the category "C4" because the travelable distance Xa exceeds the predetermined distance threshold Da, a second priority order (vehicle ranking within the second vehicle group 92) is set in descending order of target charging energy amount Xb. Note that the distance threshold Da indicating the boundary between the categories C3 and C4 is set to a distance value that is at least longer than the distance of the non-charging section Sn.

[0036] In the next step S46, the electric vehicles 10 in the group of electric vehicles 90 are classified into permitted vehicles (charging-permitted vehicles), which are electric vehicles 10 that are permitted to be charged, and non-permitted vehicles, which are electric vehicles 10 that are not permitted to be charged, based on the first priority, the second priority, and the upper limit number Nm. That is, permitted vehicles are selected from the first vehicle group 91 according to the first priority, and then permitted vehicles are selected from the second vehicle group 92 according to the second priority, with the number of vehicles not exceeding the upper limit number Nm. Furthermore, electric vehicles 10 that are not selected as permitted vehicles are classified as non-permitted vehicles that are not permitted to be contactlessly charged. Once permitted vehicles are selected from the group of electric vehicles 90 in the determination area A1a in this way, the process proceeds to step S47, where the central server 18 transmits a charging permission signal and a target vehicle speed to the electric vehicles 10 selected as permitted vehicles. Furthermore, the process proceeds to step S48, where the central server 18 transmits a charging non-permit signal to the electric vehicles 10 classified as non-permitted vehicles.

[0037] [Prioritizing electric vehicles using permitted vehicle selection control] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a group of electric vehicles 90 in the determination area A1a at time t1 and their ranking, and FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a group of electric vehicles 90 in the determination area A1a at time t2 and their ranking. In the examples shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the distance of each of the charging sections L1a, L1b, and L1c is set to 2 km, and the distance of the non-charging section Sn is set to 30 km. In other words, if the travelable distance Xa is less than 2 km, it is classified as category C1. If the travelable distance Xa is 2 km or more but less than 6 km, it is classified as category C2. If the travelable distance Xa is 6 km or more but less than 36 km, it is classified as category C3. If the travelable distance Xa is 36 km or more, it is classified as category C4.

[0038] In the illustrated example, the distance threshold Da indicating the boundary between the sections C3 and C4 is set to 36 km, which is longer than the distance of at least the non-charging section Sn. In other words, the distance threshold Da is set to a value that enables an electric vehicle 10 traveling in the charging section L1a to reach the next charging lane L2. As a result, in the illustrated example, if the travelable distance Xa is less than 36 km, the electric vehicle is classified into a first vehicle group (sections C1 to C3) 91, and if the travelable distance Xa is greater than 36 km, the electric vehicle is classified into a second vehicle group (section C4) 92. Note that because the distance to the charging lane L2 differs for each electric vehicle 10, the distance threshold Da may be set for each electric vehicle 10 based on the traveling position of each electric vehicle 10.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 11, at time t1, a group of electric vehicles 90 consisting of electric vehicles ev01-10 is traveling within the determination area A1a. In this case, the electric vehicles ev01-10 are classified into sections C1-C4 based on their respective travelable distances Xa. The electric vehicles (ev08, 10, 07, 01, 03) whose travelable distances Xa are less than 36 km are classified into a first vehicle group (sections C1-C3) 91 and ranked in descending order of travelable distance Xa (vehicle rankings 1-5). The electric vehicles (ev05, 09, 02, 04, 06) whose travelable distances Xa are greater than 36 km are classified into a second vehicle group (section C4) 92 and ranked in descending order of target charging energy amounts Xb (vehicle rankings 6-10).

[0040] Here, since the upper limit number Nm of permitted vehicles in the determination area A1a is set to "6," five electric vehicles (ev08, 10, 07, 01, 03) constituting the first vehicle group 91 are selected as permitted vehicles permitted for contactless charging. In this case, since the number of vehicles in the first vehicle group 91 is below the upper limit number Nm, the electric vehicle ev05 with the highest target amount of charging energy Xb is selected from the five electric vehicles (ev05, 09, 02, 04, 06) constituting the second vehicle group 92 as a permitted vehicle permitted for contactless charging so as not to exceed the upper limit number Nm of six. In other words, permitted vehicles are selected from the electric vehicle group 90 based on the vehicle ranking within the first vehicle group 91, the vehicle ranking within the second vehicle group 92, and the upper limit number Nm. Furthermore, when selecting permitted vehicles from the electric vehicle group 90, the first vehicle group 91 is given priority over the second vehicle group 92. Then, contactless charging is performed on the selected electric vehicles (ev08, 10, 07, 01, 03, 05).

[0041] 12, at time t2 after a predetermined time has elapsed, electric vehicles ev01-03 leave the determination area A1a, and new electric vehicles ev11-14 enter the determination area A1a. Therefore, at time t2, a group of electric vehicles 90 consisting of electric vehicles ev04-14 is traveling within the determination area A1a. In this case, based on the remaining driving distance Xa of each of electric vehicles ev04-14, electric vehicles ev04-14 are classified into sections C1-C4. Electric vehicles with a remaining driving distance Xa of less than 36 km (ev08, 10, 07, 12, 13, 14) are classified into a first vehicle group (sections C1-C3) 91, and ranked in order of shortest remaining driving distance Xa (vehicle rankings 1-6). In addition, electric vehicles (ev05, 09, 11, 04, 06) with a driving range Xa exceeding "36 km" are classified into a second vehicle group (category C4) 92 and ranked in descending order of the target charging energy amount Xb (vehicle rankings 7 to 11).

[0042] Here, the upper limit number Nm of permitted vehicles in the determination area A1a is set to "6," and therefore, the six electric vehicles (ev08, 10, 07, 12, 13, 14) constituting the first vehicle group 91 are selected as permitted vehicles that are permitted to use wireless charging. At time t2, the number of vehicles in the first vehicle group 91 has reached the upper limit number Nm, and therefore no permitted vehicles are selected from the five electric vehicles (ev05, 09, 11, 04, 06) constituting the second vehicle group 92. A charging permission signal that permits wireless charging is transmitted to the electric vehicles (ev08, 10, 07, 01, 03, 05) selected as permitted vehicles, and a charging non-permission signal that does not permit wireless charging is transmitted to the electric vehicles (ev05, 09, 11, 04, 06) that have not been selected as permitted vehicles.

[0043] 12, because electric vehicle ev05 switches from a permitted vehicle to a non-permitted vehicle, a lane change is performed by autonomous driving of electric vehicle ev05 so that electric vehicle ev05 moves out of charging lane L1, as indicated by arrow x1. Furthermore, because electric vehicles ev12-14 switch from non-permitted vehicles to permitted vehicles, a lane change is performed by autonomous driving of electric vehicles ev12, 14 so that electric vehicles ev12, 14 enter charging lane L1, as indicated by arrows x2 and x3.

[0044] As explained above, the central server 18 calculates the upper limit number Nm of electric vehicles 10 that are permitted to be charged based on the target vehicle speed. The central server 18 then ranks the electric vehicles 10 in the group of electric vehicles 90 in descending order of their drivable distance Xa, and selects the electric vehicles 10 that are permitted to be charged from the group of electric vehicles 90 based on the vehicle ranks in the group of electric vehicles 90 and the upper limit number Nm. This makes it possible to appropriately select the electric vehicles 10 that require contactless charging while traveling.

[0045] Furthermore, the central server 18 ranks the electric vehicles 10 in the first vehicle group 91 whose travelable distance Xa is below the distance threshold Da in descending order of the target charging energy amount Xb, and ranks the electric vehicles 10 in the second vehicle group 92 whose travelable distance Xa is above the distance threshold Da in descending order of the target charging energy amount Xb. The central server 18 then selects the electric vehicles 10 that are permitted to be charged from the electric vehicle group 90 based on the vehicle ranks within the first vehicle group 91, the vehicle ranks within the second vehicle group 92, and the upper limit number Nm. Furthermore, when selecting the electric vehicles 10 that are permitted to be charged, the central server 18 prioritizes the first vehicle group 91 over the second vehicle group 92. This makes it possible to more appropriately select the electric vehicles 10 that require contactless charging while traveling.

[0046] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In the above description, each step of the vehicle upper limit number setting control and the permitted vehicle selection control is executed using one central server 18. However, this is not limited to this, and each step of the vehicle upper limit number setting control and the permitted vehicle selection control may be executed using multiple servers. Furthermore, in the above description, the remaining driving distance Xa is calculated in each electric vehicle 10. However, this is not limited to this, and for example, the remaining driving distance Xa may be calculated in the central server 18. In this case, electricity cost information for the most recent driving distance and driving time and the amount of electricity stored in the battery 41 are transmitted from each electric vehicle 10 to the central server 18 as determination information.

[0047] In the above description, the first upper limit number N1 and the second upper limit number N2 are compared and the smaller number is selected as the upper limit number Nm, but this is not limited to this, and the upper limit number Nm may be set using only the first upper limit number N1. In other words, only the first upper limit number N1 may be calculated based on the target vehicle speed, and this first upper limit number N1 may be set as the upper limit number Nm. Furthermore, in the above description, the distance threshold Da for classifying the group of electric vehicles 90 into the first vehicle group 91 and the second vehicle group 92 is set to a distance value that is at least longer than the distance of the non-charging section Sn, but this is not limited to this. For example, the distance threshold Da may be set to a value that is shorter than the distance of the non-charging section Sn.

[0048] The charging equipment 11 shown in the figure is a magnetic resonance type charging equipment 11, but is not limited to this, and any type of non-contact charging equipment may be used. For example, an electromagnetic induction type charging equipment or a microwave type charging equipment may be used. Furthermore, in the above description, the vehicle travels in the charging lane 12 by autonomous driving, but when traveling outside the charging lane 12, the autonomous driving may be canceled, and the operating authority may be transferred from the control system 50 to the driver. Note that the electric vehicle 10 may be an electric vehicle without an engine, or a hybrid vehicle with an engine. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 10 Electric vehicles (vehicles permitted for charging) 11 Charging equipment 12 charging lanes 18 Central server (control device) 19 Management System 30 processors 31 Main memory (memory) 90 Electric Vehicles 91 First Vehicle Group 92 Second Vehicle Group L1, L2 charging lanes L1a, L1b, L1c charging section L2a, L2b, L2c charging section A1a, A1b, A1c judgment area Xa Driving range Xb Target charging energy Nm Upper limit number of units N1 First upper limit N2 Second upper limit Da distance threshold

Claims

1. A management system used in a charging facility that performs contactless charging for a plurality of electric vehicles traveling in a charging section, a control device including a processor and a memory connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other, and which selects a charging-permitted vehicle that is an electric vehicle that is subject to charging permission from a group of electric vehicles traveling in a determination area that includes at least a part of the charging section; The control device calculating an upper limit number of the vehicles permitted to be charged based on a target vehicle speed to be instructed to the vehicles permitted to be charged; ranking the electric vehicles in the group of electric vehicles in descending order of the travelable distance based on the travelable distance of each electric vehicle constituting the group of electric vehicles; selecting the charging-permitted vehicle from the group of electric vehicles based on the vehicle rank within the group of electric vehicles and the upper limit number of vehicles; Management system.

2. 2. The management system according to claim 1, the upper limit number increases as the target vehicle speed decreases, The upper limit number decreases as the target vehicle speed increases. Management system.

3. 3. The management system according to claim 1, The control device calculating a first upper limit number of the charging-permitted vehicles based on a target vehicle speed to be instructed to the charging-permitted vehicles; calculating a second upper limit number of the charging-permitted vehicles based on the power supply capacity of the charging equipment in the charging section; selecting the smaller of the first upper limit number and the second upper limit number as the upper limit number of the charging-permitted vehicles; Management system.

4. The management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The control device Dividing the group of electric vehicles into a first group of vehicles whose remaining driving distance is less than a distance threshold and a second group of vehicles whose remaining driving distance is greater than the distance threshold; ranking the electric vehicles in the first vehicle group based on the travelable distance of each of the electric vehicles constituting the first vehicle group; ranking the electric vehicles in the second vehicle group based on the target amount of charge energy for each of the electric vehicles constituting the second vehicle group; selecting the charging-permitted vehicle from the group of electric vehicles based on the vehicle rank within the first vehicle group, the vehicle rank within the second vehicle group, and the upper limit number of vehicles; When selecting the charging-permitted vehicle from the group of electric vehicles, the first group of vehicles is given priority over the second group of vehicles. Management system.

5. 5. The management system according to claim 4, a plurality of charging lanes each consisting of one charging section or a plurality of adjacent charging sections are set with a non-charging section interposed therebetween, The distance threshold is a distance value that is longer than the distance of the non-charging section. Management system.

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